Rex Ross

GlenB posted an earlier message (Reflections On Getting Into RC Tanks) that got me thinking..........Especially his tag line at the end of his text.

Too many tanks?........NO, just not enough shelves.

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Almost 20 years ago I got tired of gluing pieces of 1/35th scale tanks together and paying $10, $15 or $20 for a plastic kit. Then one day I heard about a bunch of guys who were into 1/16th scale R/C tanks.......... the Bay Area Tank club (BAT). So I went to one of their club meetings just for a look. I soon bought my first tank from one of the BAT members........... a 1/16 Tamiya Leopard............. for $300. Yippee!!!! Now I was free of spending money on those expensive $20 tank kits!!!!!! [sm=greedy.gif]

Over the years things have kinda gotten out of control............This morning I did a quick count of the 1/16 and 1/18 "goodies" that I have all over the place and I came up with a number that scares me. [sm=eek.gif]

162. Yikes! [sm=what_smile.gif]

Roughly, that breaks down as follows. In 1/18th scale, 25 armor and wheeled vehicles and 14 of the 1/18th aircraft, and a few other odd scales.

In 1/16th scale, 11 diecast vehicles and 46 RTR tanks/vehicles and unbuilt kits, a lot of those are R/C.

And then there are my "babies"..........63 scratchbuilt or converted 1/16th tanks and vehicles, many of which are R/C. A bunch more could be, if I ever buy the r/c parts to do that (maybe when I win the lottery). Until then, I have a lot of dead dust bunnies on my shelves.

But this week I'm gonna take a break from tank building and switch to shelf building. Soon I will be needing the space for #163 on my bucket list.

I know that some of you guys want to ask, "What does your wife say about your hobby"?
Well, a long time ago mine said, "Goodbye". [sm=frown.gif]

Anybody else out there live in a hobby shop? I hope I'm not the only one with an incurable addiction to this hobby. How many little jewels ya got in yer stash? [sm=confused.gif]

Rex [sm=bananahead.gif]

Pah co chu puk

Thanks, I feel better about my 6 tanks, and 7 or so other scale projects. I do have more tanks and scale stuff on my list.

How about this tank shelf? The bridge lifts out for photo shoots. The roads are blue foam with thinset and sand and rocks.

I bet you can tell me what town is in the old pic behind the tanks.

Rex Ross

Nice bridge.........Now Ya got me thinkin' about converting one of my shelves into a bridge like that. A Bailey bridge is a thought, but that would be more complicated. Thanks for the idea!

As far as the city in the photo is concerned, I really don't know, but I will take a shot at guessing somewhere in Colorado........Denver? Boulder?

Pah co chu puk

Telluride

I want to do a 6' all metal bridge next.

Rex Ross

If you had shown a photo of any of the cocktail lounges or restaurants.............I would have been able to ID that town. All of my kids worked in that town at one time or another.

Since you posted your bridge photo, I got my HO train bridge plan book out and have been drooling over some of the plans. I scratchbuilt four 1/16th scale German railway cars a few years ago and a bridge would be a great way to display those models. The problem is.....the bridge would have to be 9 feet long. I have no idea where I could put that (in the house).

Rex

swathdiver

Rex, you're next project should be to turn your home into a replica of Danville or Jacques Littlefield's facilities to display your creations! Then you can create a virtual museum and have an RC camera tank give online tours; for a fee $$ of course!

In doing so I'm sure you're more than double the amount of space available for your AFVs!

candycab

The Bridge/Shelf is very cool  

I have never been much of a modeler but my brother [RC500's] and I [RC10/12i] were really into RC Racing through the late 80's and into Rockets through the 90's shooting mostly AeroTech F motors. 

We eventually worked up to owning a re loadable M motor thanks to the Vaughn Brothers and built a Testers Mosquito scaled to the M. I wanted to build a V2 for the M but that never happened. We trekked out to Black Rock Desert a few times with all the other experimental Rocket Loons Sounds like you have some great Models, detailed military models are always great to look at and I find dioramas fascinating.  I still have lots of RC cars and general parts that have been acquired over the years, probably something like 10 or 12 cars left mostly 1/10 Tamiya & Associated all stashed away in storage in various states of being.

Only recently I have been bitten bye the RC bug again and now its Tanks  I decided to try a cheap Heng Long to start and bought a Panzer III that I enjoy running and upgrading. Currently I am awaiting a HL S&S M26 scheduled for delivery tomorrow and I already know I will be buying/ building at least a Tiger, Panther and Bulldog in the near future which I want to try and give a realistic look to.

We can never have enough toys  Haha these days I feel like I'm 40 going on 15.   

Rex Ross

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Swathdiver........
I would be very happy to know that I would live long enough to build a 1/16th scale model for each of the 1/1 scale tanks that Jacques Littlefield had. Going up to his facility was a real treat. I was like a kid in a candy store. Or maybe (at my age) an old coot in a bordello. I should sell my home and move into a warehouse, that would be more practical for me at this point. I gotta find out how to do that youtube stuff and make a video. You will be my first customer at the premiere, for a fee $$ of course.

Where the heck are the follow up variations on the VVSS Sherman? Anything in the works to look forward to?

pcomm1

I saw the Tamiya RC WWII tanks being demonstrated by SCAT at TamiyaCon 2004.

Went to the event to look at the best of the best of fine scale 1/35 armor models on display and watch the rc cars race, but really got interested in the RC 1/16 scale tanks, instead.

I never have to many Tamiya tanks, because I just sell off the models I don't want any more and then build one I do want. LOL.

Not a collector, but someone who enjoys building the kits and the process involved in tweaking the rc setup.

The wife endorses the hobby, now, and compared to several other of my hobbies over the decades, this one is pretty fairly family oriented on all points.

YHR

I am sitting at about 20. Six more coming back from a Museum where they had been on display for a year. I have reached my physical limit on how may I can store on Shelves in my basement workshop.

Soon I think I will be going to ebay to thin the collection. I like building, so I don't want to stop. In order to do that I have to make some room. I think from this point foward, one in the door will equal one out the door.

I should send one to Phil, and one to Danville, and one to the DAK boys, Then I would just have to worry about getting my ass to these places without worrying about tanks on planes, and running through the security blanket so I could partake in some serious IR Battling

swathdiver

I'd happily send you a $5 for a drive by look at your collection!


We had another in the works but this wonderful economy (Hope and Change) we're experiencing had shelved the plans. However, the outcome in November was good and just may allow the economic engines to get going again. Probably know more by the end of the first quarter next year.

pcomm1

I was up to 17 or 18 1/16 model tanks for awhile, but slowly got the number down to 3 keepers(Sherman, Jagdpanther & Pz4J), well, for now and a WIP Tiger II Porsche Turret.

Models like the KV-1, M36B-1 TD, Kursk Tiger IE and Panther Gpained me a little to sell, but the funds went to good use, like holiday toys for all the extended family kids and of course: wife. LOL.

And now I am looking forward to what new tanks to build in 2011.

And mailing your tanks off to various clubs, to store for you, is a good idea, plus no one would ever know back on the home front just how big ones motor pool is.

John

borabora22

My Feedback: (6)

How do you ship these things to museums or sell them without incuring breakage. (antennas,lights, mounts,lights,et) About half the time I get boxes that have been damaged enough to puncture the box which contains the kit.

YHR

Musuem was local, so I transported them there.

As far as selling them. I haven't gone there yet

Most stuff is pretty secure because they do get bounced around in use and it has to stay on. Most of my tanks I think would fair OK.

pcomm1

This is the packaging system I successfully use for sending Tamiya RC WWII tanks via UPS Ground, insured for seling value, adult delivery signature required, within the USA only:

• Remove antenna.

• Remove the turret from the deckand remove the deck from the hull.

• Remove the tank battery from the hull and wrap with bubble wrap (BW).

• And then remove the TBU from receiver plug atop the turret and BW the TBU.

• Fill the inside of the hull with bubble wrap (atop the DMD Units), so nothing inside moves or bounces around.

• Heavily wrap the hull, with the tracks mounted in place, with bubble wrap (BW), fore and aft and then side to side, and don't be cheap about it.

• Cut a piece of cardboard, just slightly bigger than the top deck.

• Place the deck on the cardboard and heavily wrap the deck with the cardboard underneath with the bubble wrap.

• Go to a Walmart or a 99¢ Store and a find a light weight inexpensive over sized plastic tupperware like food container box & lid that will fit the length and width of the turret with the barrel – muzzle brake attached.

• Gently wrap the complete turret assembly and barrel with bubble wrap.

• First, remove any parts that you can from the turret, like AA machine gun etc, and tape the hatches shut with model painting tape, so the tape will not lift the finish paint when removed.

• Make a nest of bubble wrap inside the food container and set the wrapped turret assembly inside the container.

• Loosely put sheets of bubble wrap over the turret assembly, thick enough so the complete assembly does not bounce around inside.

• Seal the container with the lid and tape the lid tight to the container.

• I use an 18x18x18 inch shipping box and cut the height of the box down to fit.

• Make a layer of shipping peanuts on the bottom of the box and place the bubble wrapped hull and battery inside at the bottom.

• Place the turret container box along side the hull or atop the hull, add more packing peanuts to cover the hull, tank battery and turret container.

• Place the wrapped deck in the box next, atop the hull.

• Small box or bag any small left over kit parts, then BW and place those items and the kit instructions in the box.

• Fill the box to the appropriate height with shipping peanuts and tape the box shut.

• Make sure nothing rattles around in the shipping box and if it does, go back in and find the rattle and re-pack everything so nothing moves about or rattles.

• Mark the shipping box FRAGILE and PLEASE DO NOT TUMBLE!

• Insure for sold value with a tracking number.

• Send with ADULT DELIVERY SIGNATURE REQUIRED, SO THE BOX IS NOT LEFT AT A DOOR WITH NO ONE HOME.

• Make sure the buyer understands upfront no returns or refunds!

• email the buyer the shipping tracking number and the ETA after you drop the box off at UPS.

John

PS You cannot ship these 1/16 models with the turret on, for sure, the model will get damaged if you do.

YHR

Thanks John

These are heavy and a little bit of momentum can go a long way.