Working on my first RC tank project. (KV-1E)
 

Hello all, a new guy here. I've ordered the near all the parts I need, waiting on the new hull in the post along with some other, but I'd like get something cleared up before I order. I've read that it's a good idea to get metal gearboxes if your using metal tracks and running gear, as I will be. The metal lower hull and running gear set I have bought I believe are made by Taigen. Could someone point me to what gearbox I should get to use with a Taigen hull and running gear? I'm concerned about unwittingly ordering the wrong ones.

Welcome to the forum. It's always good to see new people.

I'm not sure if the KV used the 48 or 58mm axles, and you also need to know if the 4 shaft boxes will fit in that tank. Did you buy a whole tank or just the hull?

Also, where are you?

I always like John Glenn's markings on his F-86. Good choice for an ID. One thing you might want to be aware of is the need to brace up the front of the hull side where the idler wheels mount. This is a weak point on Tamiya, Asiatam, and Heng Long hulls. Guido Henn of Hen-tek makes aftermarket units for these, but you have to contact him and ask him to make a set, (there's the only set not carried in ETO's vast stocks). -Mike

Well, I'm using a heng-long tank, but intending to graft the upper hull on to a Taigen lower hull. I'm in downstate New York.

The KV-1 uses the 58mm shaft. Just like the Pershing. And I'm fairly certain it can take both high and mid motors.

Taigen KV-1 lower hull uses 48mm shaft and Taigen 3 to 1 gearboxes will fit but the tank will be too fast. I have heard that the Taigen 4 to 1 gearboxes will fit but you will have to modify the exhaust system to get the upper hull to fully seat. I used Taigen low profile brass gearboxes in mine but they are no longer available.

My bad. Every time I searched for Pershing gears, they list that they also fit on the KV-1. Didn't occur to me that Taigen's were different. :)

What sort of modification to the smoke unit will be needed, repositioning the unit itself or just it's tubing?

Is this the hull you ordered?

http://www.imex-model.com/product/TA...IS.html?cid=90

To answer your original question, if it is the hull, then these will fit for sure without modification

http://www.imex-model.com/product/TA...29.html?cid=90

but for scale speed you want the 4 shaft

http://www.imex-model.com/product/TA...29.html?cid=90

and I believe to use them you have to move the smoke unit. Erik will know for sure. Either way, in my opinion, unless you can find a set of asiatam dual ratio brass gearboxes then these are the best deal on the market today. They're the state of the art for stamped steel-sided gearboxes and they're at the last version's price (for now). I've already ordered two pairs myself and if I had the coin I'd get about a dozen more before the price goes up. As it is I'll keep trying to pick them up one and two at a time as soon as I can, because I think it's going to be a while before anyone comes out with anything better, or for a better price.

There are other gearboxes on the market with all-bearings and pretty colored motors but with you being in NY that means $8.99 for shipping so I don't think you'll find a better deal. These things are seriously robust and have plenty of power. A guy I know drove a pair through a pile of laundry (why, I have NO idea) and when he powered through the towel in the sprocket the gearboxes took the punishment and actually tore the idler right off the back of the tank. And it was a full metal tank.

Hope that helps, and remember, PICTURES, Bro. :)

Gary

It's been a while since they've had a battle day, but keep an eye out for NEAD events. The battles are in NJ (I'm in NY too) but right below the border in Mahwah.

Even if you're not set up to battle, you'll get tons of info and help with your build and there's always an extra tank around for loan to fight.

All right, I'll keep ears out for those Ausf. I'm mostly a static modeler, so I don't intend to battle with it, more just to have a good looking piece that runs under it's own power, but as you say, if I can get to one I expect I'll learn a thing or two. There won't be many photos for a little while as I want to finish a figure piece I'm working on at the moment first max, but to give some idea what I'll be aiming for I intend to mark it up as the KV-1E that the Finns captured, Ps. 272-1. http://www.andreaslarka.net/ps272001/148992.jpg

Very cool. Good to hear you're doing figures. Ausf is out of my league, but if you ever want to trade labors, I can do stuff for ya in exchange for figures, like maybe the fuel drums I make or whatever else we can trade and haggle for. Maybe a hopped up smoker or something. I'm always on the lookout for figures (and any other accessories I run across) and I'm still trying to come up with a few decent tank commanders. I actually do that with a few guys here and the $6 USPS flat rate box makes it pretty easy to swap stuff. Since you just joined I'll be interested to see where your talents lie, and you can see most of mine at my youtube channel.

I've always been mainly a static modeler myself, and I like WWII fighter aircraft in 1/32 and larger the best, any area or scale you prefer?

I'm a static modeler first myself. I felt the same for years, I built the Tamiya Tiger I and M4 and they sat on shelves for the most part until on a whim I picked up two battle units for them and a whiole new world opened up.

You won't see much detailing at NEAD, mostly Tamiyas set up to fight, but you'll pick up a lot of info on how things work, even if it's just to drive around.

I like to over detail stuff, even if it's to battle. 1/16 offers a bigger canvas to work with but a complete empty vacuum of AM compared to 1/35. Besides some generic clamps and Aber sets for the Tiger, scratch building is your only way.

Here's a HL Stug reworked for IR battle, and some added detailing to a Tamiya JS-2:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2109813http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2109814

Lovely work Ausf, and fair points. Max, I mainly do vehicles and aircraft, mostly 1/35th/32 and 1/48th, occasionally 1/72 and have gotten more into figures lately. This KV will be my first project in a larger scale.

Most of us at N.E.A.D. are fighters first modelers second. This club was set up by Commander Bob in north Jersey. We havent had much going on lately but I hope that will change once the weather gets a little more agreeable. It is HOT in Jersey at the moment and not real conducive to good battle days outside. Welcome to the forum, there is plenty to learn here, some of the best modelers in the world come into this forum so keep your eyes and ears open.

The KV-1 from us uses the 48mm shaft gearboxes. The HL hull uses 58mm. It can take both H/L and M/L gearbox types, but a small mod will be needed for H/L types (below).
The KV-1 is quite fast and does come with the 3:1 type gears. If you wish to install the 4:1 gearboxes you must either remove or relocate the smoke unit from the upper hull. After that you can then fit any of our gearboxes in them as long as its a 48mm shaft version.

I've put in an order for 4:1 gearboxes already. Any suggestions on how to go about re-locating the smoke unit?

Ok, the gearboxes have arrived, so I've got all I need to get going. Another question that comes to mind, I'd like to be able to run this thing through some levels of water (puddles and the like), what kind of waterproofing is advised?

Erik has some good ideas about using a Tupperware tub to hold the electronics to make them water resistant. I don't have a KV-1 but if you post some photos when you change the gearboxes I may be able to suggest solutions to the smoke unit problem.

The motors are fine wet. The issue is the Main board, Radio, and power switch. The radio and power switches don't get hot so you can cover the radio with plasti dip and raise the switches or grease them. Grease the battery connections. dielectric grease

plasti dip on the Main board can cause overheating so creating a tub like Gary mentioned is good. If you want to go deep you can put a lid on and seal it for short times.

I would turn off the smoker and maybe put it in a tub also.

All in all it's bad for the tank.

Hmm, all right. Expect I won't have it in water often, and not deeper than the mud guards along each side. I'm planning to move the on-off switch up to the upper hull, hidden inside one of the stowage bins, so that should be safely out of the way, but I'll have a go at whats suggested.

For waterproofing another great solution is treating the board with either a Conformal Coating or Corrosion X. I do this with speed controls and reciever on all my crawlers to make them fully submersible.