SNFF 2012-4-15
Just a small project to show off this week, but it finally completes my Tamiya Leopard 2A6. I had never done the rearview mirrors till today because I did not like that they were fixed in the down position. I wanted to have them up sometimes, you know, for movies of road marches and when it sat on the shelf.<div></div><div>Today I was fiddling with the mirror bracket thinking of what to do with it and I broke it. Looking at the parts in my hand the answer was plain to see. </div><div></div><div>If I replaced the part I broke with a stiff wire then I could rotate upper section with the mirror to the correct angle. Then if I drilled the lower round part at 180 degrees to the plastic pin instead of the 90 degrees it’s at now, then it would stand upright. </div><div></div><div>Well it worked! They stand up correctly and look cool. The round stock on the lower half of the bracket is now made of 1.1mm stainless steel. I glued the lowermetal/plasticconnection with CA glue and left the upper connection a friction fit so now the mirror can be rotated to any position when the bracket is up. I will stick them in with rubber cement so they look good for pictures but they can still come out for action. They need to be removable at this point because the gun tube hits them when the turret rotates. The next generation will be able to fold down like the real ones. It was some good inside fun today while it snowed.</div><div></div>