HL Tank assembly uses tapping screws and since I always like to assemble and disassemble my tank, I will ruin the mountings some day.

I was thinking of a few solutions so that I can get rid of the screws and still mount my tank's top in place but none has been as elegant and simple as this one using a pair of magnet from a dead PC Hard Disk.

So now I can remove the top without the removing any screws.



Any other approach to this problem?

Wow, I can't think of a better approach than yours. For those of you that don't know those magnets are very capable of holding it together. The only thing I would wonder is how good is the seal. Depending on where you drive it you may or may not want to put a gasket or a rubber tube around the edges. It occurs to me that the rubber tubing used to set screens would work great.

Did the same with vecro, 2 months later, cracked hull in half at front of engine mount, and suspension on tiger I, good luck, top and bottom screwed together makes the hull stronger, without that support it twists the hull the before suspension works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I can't think of a better approach than yours. For those of you that don't know those magnets are very capable of holding it together. The only thing I would wonder is how good is the seal. Depending on where you drive it you may or may not want to put a gasket or a rubber tube around the edges. It occurs to me that the rubber tubing used to set screens would work great.

I am not planning to drive over water yet, but maybe I will do that some day later when I have more time.

Did the same with vecro, 2 months later, cracked hull in half at front of engine mount, and suspension on tiger I, good luck, top and bottom screwed together makes the hull stronger, without that support it twists the hull the before suspension works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where do you run your tank? Any other modifications? Probably adding reinforcement will be a good idea since I am losing some torsional rigidity

I live in florida, we have sand here that is sort of fine, and when I saw these cracks, the tank had been used in sand about three times maybe 1 hour each time. If you take top off, and put it on carpet, or any surface with good traction, you will see the twist when turning, it twists up on the powered side.

I live in florida, we have sand here that is sort of fine, and when I saw these cracks, the tank had been used in sand about three times maybe 1 hour each time. If you take top off, and put it on carpet, or any surface with good traction, you will see the twist when turning, it twists up on the powered side.

You probably need some horizontal brace for the hull for "torsional rigidity", that engineering lingo cos I am studying Mech Engineering.

The tank without the top is like a shoe box without its cover and it will be easier to twist.

I have a couple tanks approaching 3 years old. All the cheap screws wore out and were replaced with quality SS ones from my local hardware store. All the holes are fine. Like Slotcsx says, screwing the tank together is necessary to strengthen it.

Wait, I remember that some of the holes on the bottom of my M26A1(oldest tank) turret stripped out. I filled them with wood putty filler, let it dry, drilled a new hole down the middle and then screwed it together again. Been apart a few times since no problems.

One issue with my tiger is I need to take out tracks to fully mount/remount the top.

i think making inserts will be a better long term solution.

Anyway will try the putty

Thanks

Don't I know it! Done it thousands of times! Nothing more frustrating then to put the tank all back together and forget something, leave a tool inside (I'm a surgeon), knock a wire loose and have to do it all over again. And again and again and again! That's tanking!

Well hate to say but I have little skills with tracks especially metal tracks.

It once took me a full 1 hour and sore fingers just to put both tracks on.

haha

Here's two tips. Identify one pin on each side where you which way the knurled edge is. I painted them white. Use another pin or thumbtack to push the pin out. If tracks are still giving fits, get your screwdriver out and remove the sprocket instead! Track will come right off with the sprocket.

Taking it out is not the issue cos I can get them out in a few minutes.

But the real headache is putting them back in cos of the alignment to get the right to get the pin through.

Now I am using 2 pins to put the track back, using 1 pin as the guiding pin.

Always re-pin the track at the drive sprocket - let each end meet halfway at the front of the sprocket, make sure they're lined up and push the pin straight through - couldnt be easier!!