trackmech81

That's amazing. What size plasticard are you using?

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Its a mixture of 0.040", 0.030", and 0.020" sheet for most of it, 3/64" rod for the bar armour and 0.040" by 0.080" strip for the frames. (I'm sure there's some other strip sizes in there as well)
Handles are a mixture of 1.2mm and 1.6mm plastic coated wire by plastruct. Glazing will be 3mm thick pale blue tinted acrylic sheet, looks pretty good when its installed.

Hopefully the weather will improve and I'll be able to get some paint on it soon - I don't have space to paint indoors like I used to be able to do in the old apartment

heavyaslead

Very nice. Wonder really the spaced armor on that thing, is it really in hostile fighting zones? Or is is more for the occasional rebel grenade or moltov cocktail?

Plan to have operable blade?

Ex_Pat_Tanker

The blade's been hooked up to a pair of linier actuators (each of which cost more than the donor vehicle ).
At the moment I only have radios with switches rather than a pot so its only going to travel from 'down' to 'up' but its better than nothing - at least I can have a play with the end point adjustment so I'm not stuck with the full 30mm of travel that the actuators have.

TheBennyB

Looking Awesome Martin. If your using the "R" series actuators you could use a camera position control unit to hold the actuator in position. I do this on my short box dump truck on self centering sticks.

http://dionysusdesign.com/product_in...fabaf3ab69fdf1

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Finally had some nice weather at the weekend to be able to get outside and paint (and then fit the glazing):

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Video of it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBiAYH1ciOU

Crius

Martin, that is absolutely incredible. I'm actually speechless. I've written about 20 different little paragraphs and erased them all because on re-reading they sounded funny and didn't really convey my level of admiration for the results you have achieved. I'm amazed and impressed beyond belief. Wow. Spectacular doesn't even begin to cover it. I know! I'll steal a line from James Caan. "To say that looks great would be an understatement of truly epic proportion".

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Thanks Gary , I think its my best work so far

I should thank Frank for inspiring me with his scratch builds, and Brett for making me spend the cash on the actuators - I suspect that a simple servo reaching thru the front grill would have looked rather poor in comparison...

Just needs a little bit of weathering and I'll be very happy with it.

yellowshaker

My Feedback: (1)

Sick!!!!!!!!!

Rustytrax

Really a great model! Now drive over and push the guy off the carpet! LOL

Ex_Pat_Tanker

lol, Rob's a big guy - he might be more than she can chew

Crius

One way to help weather it would be to push some dirt. And of course take video. I can just see that clearing tank traps on a beach.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

I did try taking it to Munster last year - that fine silty dirt on the display arena is great for dirtying your tanks. Unfortunately I drove it all of about 6 feet before the sprockets fell off - Rivet can testify to the look on Herbert's face (the guy doing the PA during the display) when I had to pick up the bits and park it for the weekend

I have 2 shows upcoming this year, pics to follow...

RichJohnson

Wow, damn!

TheBennyB

Looks awesome Martin. Great Job on the cab mod's. Very jelous of yours, at one point I was going to convert my D10 to an IDF, just not motivated to take all the hydraulics apart to disassemble for paint.
Just getting some black on the hood and blade cylinders was a job. This may get me to get into it this fall though. If your ever back in the states again with that beast bring it to Danville and we'll really change the landscape.

Crius

So what's happening with this dozer, Martin? Did you effect repairs and get any more run time on it?

Ex_Pat_Tanker

I've kinda parked it for now - its complete, just needing a sound system really. I didn't get any pictures at the one show it went to, as we got shunted into a corner by the other group who we were supposed to 'share' the space with and it got left at home for the second.

I have started on a smaller WW2 version, inspired by Rex's conversion of the Bruder CAT D5 to a D8 a few years ago - it runs, but I've not had time to do much more than install the motors and ESC, and hide them under a cab. I'll try to get some piccys taken for you later this week.

Rex Ross

Absolutely beautiful conversion. Perfect in every way.

Ex_Pat_Tanker

Aww thanks Rex that means a lot - you have no idea how much time I have spent looking at your work and wishing that I could scratch build like you

hopefully I can do the D7 conversion justice, I did pick up the MiniArt kit as reference. I'm aiming for a mix of the closed armoured cab style of this one:


With the winch operated blade of this one:


I figure a servo with a rate reducing turnigy widget should do the trick for blade motion.

Rex Ross

I'm very happy to hear that something I have done has inspired a project of another forum member. The models I have seen on this forum over the years have certainly given me more ideas than I will ever get around to building, but just researching and day dreaming about something that would be fun to build has given me a lot of enjoyment.

The detailing and working features of your model are amazing ---- thanks for that video.
rex

Crius

You guys really should take a look at this page. Just scroll down until you start seeing photos and then you'll see some really rare and interesting tanks, that could easily be made into 1/16 projects. They've even got a quad .50 unit mounted on a sherman chassis, just like Rex convinced me to make on my m41! And the M22, way down at the bottom of the page, is a personal favorite. What a cool looking tank!

https://forum.warthunder.com/index.p...-added/&page=2

Ex_Pat_Tanker

So it seems all of my photo's fell off this thead in the last forum update, and a member has asked that I reattach them:

RichJohnson

So how well does that thing actually run and can you push dirt with it?

Ex_Pat_Tanker

It runs ok, but the tracks have stretched badly it needs tensioners to stop it thowing them off in turn. Its powered by a pair of Taigen 4:1 gearboxes (all be it with 360 motors from scrap mato gearboxes due to the lack space), so it has more than enough grunt to push fine dirt around, but the tracks remain the weak point.
If I wanted to spend a lot of money on it I would fit the aftermarket metal tracks, but I'm not that bothered right now - I spent enough on the actuators for the dozer blade