Tankkiller308

Im curious if anyone on here would be interested in cast turrets or other tank parts I'm into rc tanks but I also recently got into home foundry work I'm looking for projects to do and I would also like to see how people make different tank parts so i figured I would cast parts for fellow tank enthusiasts and learn at the same time.

the casting wouldn't cost much only the price for shipping the model you want cast and the price of metal (I do have a large surplus of aluminum so if that's what you want it cast in it wouldn't cost anything extra unless I run out or you need a certain grade of aluminum)

also due to me not having the skills to make my own tanks in the first place you would have to send a pattern made of either wood or styrofoam (there are advantages to each so let me know what part or how complex it is and I'll let you know which methods would be better)

ausf

If you are serious sbout it, the absolute biggest need would be track links and drive sprockets.

Almost every other tank part like a turret can be easily done in resin, hulls can be built, etc. but track links, especially the smaller stuff like halftracks, Pz I, II, Hetzers or even British tanks are desperately needed since metal is the only way to get them strong enough for the rigors of tanking.

I'd be building a Pz I or a 251 immediately if there were metal links on the market.

rivetcounter

Sand casting small links will not be as easy as it sounds it could also be costly, the best method is dye casting but then to have a dye made would be very costly hence why we don’t see many people making track links.

Tankkiller308

As you said sand casting would not be that easy I would have to make a single track link out of steel so I could make a brass mold it would take some learning that's why the first people would get them for only the cost of material and shipping I'll keep molds for Future production runs I might even consider doing even swaps for work done. I'm mainly looking for something to do for my hobby so I can learn about both being 16 I don't have the tools to really build my own and I cant afford the ones I want

Rad_Schuhart

Yeah Im interested in aluminium or steel track links for my panzer III. I dont want to waste more money on cheap pot metal.

Tankkiller308

Ok I can't give you a time or price right now I'll have to learn the die cast process and get material prices but I will look at making one from aluminum (mass production of steel is not possible for me) and I'll tell you now that the holes for the connecting pins will not be drilled I will leave that up to you according to your pin size. If you have no way to drill them I would have to figure in the price for a machine shop to drill them I do not have the proper tools.

feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] with pictures of the track that your wanting, the scale, and any measurement you have and I'll get back to you

Tanque

Have done hobbyist foundry work for some while now I can confidently say tracks are not easy, nor fun to do using sand molding techniques.
I did it once and once was quite enough. You can probably use a match plate to make the castings depending on the track you want
but that's just one part of it. There's the casting, the cleanup and the drilling for pins; the drilling part requires a drilling fixture. A fixture has to be designed right to
support the drilling operation yet be able to be disassembled in the event a drill breaks( and one will ); then there's using the right lubrication for aluminum or
whatever you use. The best way a hobbyist could use in my opinion is lost wax casting that delivers a part much closer to the finished part requiring minimal preparation.

Permanent molds, often made of grey iron for aluminum are mostly impractical for a hobbyist unless he/she can make these themselves. Such molds need special costings applied frequently and in a proper thickness.

So I'd not recommend sand casting tracks except in larger scales, 1/10 is the minimum scale and even in that only the largest track types.

Jerry

Cruiser133

I wonder if 1/10 scale KT tracks would be close enough for a Maus/E-100 in 1/16?

Tanque

All depends how you see as being close. Maus tracks were what? 110cm wide? KT track 80cm wide? a 1/16 scale Maus
track would be about 68.75mm wide where as a 1/10 King tiger track would be about 80mm wide. An 11mm difference would stand out.
The ends of Maus track links are quite different than that of a KT.


If you have a ready supply of 1/10 scale KT tracks I would understand wanting to use them( and I'd like to know where the source is!)
If you want to cast a set of 1/10 scale KT to be used as Maus tracks I'd say it would be better to just cast the Maus tracks directly.

Commercially there are only a couple of firms who offers a set of 1/10 scale KT tracks.


Jerry

rivetcounter

Panther tracks in 1/10 scale are closer, some months ago Jerry posted a link to Panther tracks in 1/10 scale I think these were plastic and not overly expensive, I think they came from Germany.

Tanque

Hmmm I'm drawing a blank on those Mark, was it an ebay auction? Trying to think of who sells a Panther or Panther-like track set in plastic. Conrad used to sell
a plastic Panther -like set that was for a snow plow- used a single sprocket ring.

Does Stehr sell one?- don't think so. Everone I know who sells a set are metal and not inexpensive...

Old age- a real biatch- can't remember things....

Jerry

rivetcounter

It was in a discussion on either Maus or E100, the discussion was about tracks and modifying Tiger II tracks this is all I can remember.

Tanque

Hmmmm I know Geisswerks makes an E-100 track in 1/10 scale...

(I'll say it in advance, many would complain about his prices but try making your own first then
revisit that thought. )


http://www.giesswerk.de/english-web-...i-scale-1-10/#

Cruiser133

As usual, Rivet is Johnny on the spot and correct. This is what I was referring too. Currently I am using Tammy plastic KT tracks for my E-100 project as I do not have the $1200 or so for the alternates, which are a work of art by the way. If the OP is looking for a project, then that would be one I guess.

Peregrine7

Hey tankkiller, I sent you a PM few days ago. Can you check that?

rivetcounter

It’s a shame Hooben didn’t release either the Maus or E100 as planned this may have led to the manufacturing of reasonable priced E100 metal tracks, trying to get the shrinkage right to run with whatever sprockets you have will be difficult and may require several master making to get the links to suit, at the moment there is a chap in China trying to do this with 1/6 Panther tracks the first set are a little small, either way if anyone does have a go at making 1/16 metal tracks I wish you all the luck in the world.

Tanque

"It’s a shame Hooben didn’t release either the Maus or E100 as planned"

That's for sure, I was looking forward to those, seems Hooben's tank efforts fizzled.....

jerry

tomhugill

something in my head says he does the 1/16 ones for Chris Ludwig