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FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
Has anyone tried taking one of these apart????. I spent 30 minutes today looking at mine to see how a guy would disassemble it. Somehow you have to get the tracks off, but these suckers are put together in a most ingenius way. They look like they would have a track pin running through them, but after trying to pound a few out, I came away defeated. I am thinking I will have to drill out a pin, but before I get started I thought I would ask to ee if anyone has tried this yet.
Yes I am getting tired of waiting for the HL Sherman, so am thinking of RCing this FOV WSS Sherman. |
RE: FOV Sherman
Can't help you there, but will sure be looking for your project when its done. Please keep us posted you do great work and I'm sure this project will be top notch also.
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RE: FOV Sherman
ORIGINAL: Leon01 Can't help you there, but will sure be looking for your project when its done. Please keep us posted you do great work and I'm sure this project will be top notch also. Thank you. I will be sure to post pictures as I move along. It appears as if I am going to have to drill out a pin to get the tracks off. Not sure how they put these suckers together, but I can tell you there is no way they are braking apart out in the field. |
RE: FOV Sherman
Are there more then 1 model of the FOV Sherman? It's 1/16 scale?
I just googled around and saw one, the designer's sure chose an odd configuration! An early M4A3 with the loader's hatch would have been added in theater if it kept the gun-ring commander's hatch. If only they sold the running gear and suspension, guys could modify their Tamiya's. No casting numbers anywhere but casting texture and details sure look nice. |
RE: FOV Sherman
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This is a 1/16 scale diecast tank. (the superstructure anyway, the chassis is plastic)
I am happy to report the tracks do indeed have pins that can be removed. You really need to get rough with them and slug em good!!!!!. Once I had the tracks off, it is a simple case of backing out every screw you can see. You have to remove the front plate, to see and get at two more screw that keep the top half and bottom half together. Lift from the front and gently push back. The rear panel was glued in mine but it snapped off neatly not damaging anything in the removal process. I am including pictures of the sub assemblies. THis is going to be really easy, however part of me wants to order a Tamiya tub, and all the running gear. I checked the dimensions and a Tamiya tub would fit perfectly under this diecast metal superstructure. The WSS is sprung, but not prototypically, still it works. These could easily be mounted to the Tamiya tub. A little expensive, but when you stop to think what you would have to pay for after market details and the work involved to make this tank any other way, the price doesn't seem that bad. The tracks are metal,and up to the task of an RC environment. With a metal tamiya tub, and the diecast superstructure you could end up with a tank that was 80% metal, with only the WSS being plastic. Stay tuned as I work on this over the Christmas holidays. Not sure how much I can get done, but what I do get done I will post here. |
RE: FOV Sherman
It looks like you're right, just hang the VVSS on a Tamiya lower hull and key the sprockets to fit on the axle.
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RE: FOV Sherman
Very Cool YHR, if anyone can make it look good you can! And it gives us consumers that begging for a Sherman and unique option! ;)
The Blitz |
RE: FOV Sherman
It would be sad to lose all that interior detail, but it would also be cool to finally see a VVSS Sherman in action on the RC battlefield. :)
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RE: FOV Sherman
OK, I surfed last night looking for a Tamiya Sherman tub, and came up empty. Does anyone sell these as parts?????. Before I hack this FOV tub, I thought I would at least price out a Tamiya tub, this would allow me to kind of salvage the whole FOV thing about this tank. I could make resin copies of the WSS and keep those on the static model.
NEVER MIND Found what I was looking for at AAF Tank Museum. If I remember correctly, this is a recommended dealer, and one that I should have no trouble with????? |
RE: FOV Sherman
ORIGINAL: YHR OK, I surfed last night looking for a Tamiya Sherman tub, and came up empty. Does anyone sell these as parts?????. Before I hack this FOV tub, I thought I would at least price out a Tamiya tub, this would allow me to kind of salvage the whole FOV thing about this tank. I could make resin copies of the WSS and keep those on the static model. NEVER MIND Found what I was looking for at AAF Tank Museum. If I remember correctly, this is a recommended dealer, and one that I should have no trouble with????? And, by the way ... it is V.V.S.S. or Vertical Volute Spring Suspension or VVSS. Not WSS |
RE: FOV Sherman
ORIGINAL: Panther F ORIGINAL: YHR OK, I surfed last night looking for a Tamiya Sherman tub, and came up empty. Does anyone sell these as parts?????. Before I hack this FOV tub, I thought I would at least price out a Tamiya tub, this would allow me to kind of salvage the whole FOV thing about this tank. I could make resin copies of the WSS and keep those on the static model. NEVER MIND Found what I was looking for at AAF Tank Museum. If I remember correctly, this is a recommended dealer, and one that I should have no trouble with????? And, by the way ... it is V.V.S.S. or Vertical Volute Spring Suspension or VVSS. Not WSS |
RE: FOV Sherman
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Well I continued stripping down the FOV Sherman into all its parts. This is just too easy. If anyone else has this idea I'll post some pictures locating some hidden screws to make your life a little easier. First off, this tub with an aluminum floor pan is fine for RC, but it looks as though you can buy Tamiya tubs for about $25.00. Because I will only have Christmas to work on this, I probably will use the FOV tub, just so I don't have to wait for a Tamiya tub.
Now this VVSS suspension is available somewhere. There is a factory somewhere in China just sitting with the molds, ready to put them to work. Maybe this is where the Heng Long rumor surfaced. Perhaps they were commisioned to do this FOV Sherman, and have to wait a certain period of time before they can do their own. These are attached to the tub with screws. Again a very easy thing to take apart. As you can see they are not bad, and would be very easy to work over. I will probably add brass sleeves for the axles to run through, just to improve the durability for RC. If you bought Tamiya HVSS parts you could use the spring assemblies in the vertical position, to make them operate protoypically correct. However they are sprung as built, and frankly I am not going to be too worried this. IF I can find some Tamiya spring assemblies, then maybe I will look at doing them up right. The rear idlers are held to the tub with one screw and some lightly applied glued. They popped off pretty easy. These will see bearings added, again for RC use, and better durability. The rest of the stuff just pretty much pops apart with a little persuasion with a screw driver. The engine firewall and intank manifold came off as one piece, Under the manifold, buried in the engine block, are two screws fastening the Engine block to the floor. Undo these and the block pops out. Here are some other pictures showing the parts to aid you if you decide to tackle this. Again, if you get one of these at a reasonable price the conversion to RC is going to be very simple, and not that costly as a total project. Remember you will end up with a Metal 1/16 scale tank. |
RE: FOV Sherman
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Making the decision to use the FOV tub, I have proceeded to cut an aluminum floor plate out. I left all the engraved and raised detail on the tub, in the event I ever wanted to return this to its orignal condition. I did compromise two mounting posts in the front that were used to hold a front axle tensioner, but this shouldn't be much of an issue. This plate lays flat on the floor. With it custom cut to fit around the suspension mounts it is a snug fit and can't go anywhere. It will not even have to be screwed into positon, so the FOV tub comes out of this relatively unscathed
The Heng Long gear towers will need to be cut down to allow the front transmission cover to fit over them. I also am going to be using the smaller 380 style of motor. There is not enough width to fit stock HL motors in. Ideally a set of the low profile stug gear boxes would be an awesome match for this. I may very well order a set, but for now I am going to cut down the HL towers, switch to 380 motors and add the extra gear to increase the gear reduction. I have been having great success with this, so I am hoping it continues with this project. First real issue I have encountered is with the front drive wheels. They are a glued together hard plastic and I had to cut them into two halves. This allowed me to get at the metal axle and pound it free of the wheel using a center punch. Just for fun I checked the pershing metal drive wheels, but the diameter is wrong, and they will not work with the metal track that comes with this Sherman. So these drive wheels are a critical component. I am thinking of getting the silicone mold components out and making a copy, just in case I need replacements later on. Today I will cut down the gear towers and get them mounted. I am hoping to get to the idlers as well, and install bearings. At this point the thing will be ready for the electical gear, and a test run, before the weekend, is the plan. In the picture you can see I have left the ammo storage boxes in place. Not sure if they are going to stay. I may need room for the RC equipment. For now I am going to try and work around these. Now you may be wondering about all the other detail FOV parts I now have. Well, I have decided to make a turret display model to set beside the RC tank when it is finished. That prime mover, and engine compartment would make another very nice display piece as well. I think this may end up in my office with the RC tank and the showcase details surrounding it. As a matter of fact I think this is a better way to show off the details then just having them buried inside the hull, as you really couldn't see much of them anyway!!! |
RE: FOV Sherman
Great work! This is a cool build!
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RE: FOV Sherman
ORIGINAL: YHR Making the decision to use the FOV tub, I have proceeded to cut an aluminum floor plate out. I left all the engraved and raised detail on the tub, in the event I ever wanted to return this to its orignal condition. I did compromise two mounting posts in the front that were used to hold a front axle tensioner, but this shouldn't be much of an issue. This plate lays flat on the floor. With it custom cut to fit around the suspension mounts it is a snug fit and can't go anywhere. It will not even have to be screwed into positon, so the FOV tub comes out of this relatively unscathed The Heng Long gear towers will need to be cut down to allow the front transmission cover to fit over them. I also am going to be using the smaller 380 style of motor. There is not enough width to fit stock HL motors in. Ideally a set of the low profile stug gear boxes would be an awesome match for this. I may very well order a set, but for now I am going to cut down the HL towers, switch to 380 motors and add the extra gear to increase the gear reduction. I have been having great success with this, so I am hoping it continues with this project. First real issue I have encountered is with the front drive wheels. They are a glued together hard plastic and I had to cut them into two halves. This allowed me to get at the metal axle and pound it free of the wheel using a center punch. Just for fun I checked the pershing metal drive wheels, but the diameter is wrong, and they will not work with the metal track that comes with this Sherman. So these drive wheels are a critical component. I am thinking of getting the silicone mold components out and making a copy, just in case I need replacements later on. Today I will cut down the gear towers and get them mounted. I am hoping to get to the idlers as well, and install bearings. At this point the thing will be ready for the electical gear, and a test run, before the weekend, is the plan. In the picture you can see I have left the ammo storage boxes in place. Not sure if they are going to stay. I may need room for the RC equipment. For now I am going to try and work around these. Now you may be wondering about all the other detail FOV parts I now have. Well, I have decided to make a turret display model to set beside the RC tank when it is finished. That prime mover, and engine compartment would make another very nice display piece as well. I think this may end up in my office with the RC tank and the showcase details surrounding it. As a matter of fact I think this is a better way to show off the details then just having them buried inside the hull, as you really couldn't see much of them anyway!!! |
RE: FOV Sherman
Looking good!!!
It still astonishes me that so far, no one has come out with a proper VVSS Sherman. But yours is going to be sweet!! Shep |
RE: FOV Sherman
Great work as always, Dan I still remember your "genius" at resurrecting old N-scale Locomotives and putting them to work on the Yellowhead Railway!
And great idea for the "Display" of extraneous parts. I think you may be right about FOV Craftsmen: I was frankly shocked when I took my 1/18 21st Century Tiger 1 apart for painting and found a "turret basket" very similar to yours, complete with scale T/C seating, moulded treadplate flooring covered with tiny black "footprints", and 1/18 German canteens hung all around! (I don't think this feature was worked into the 1/18 Panther and static Mark IV, though.) Thumbs way, way up - ! Waiting with bated breath for the next "installment"....... ;) |
RE: FOV Sherman
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ORIGINAL: killick64 Great work as always, Dan I still remember your "genius" at resurrecting old N-scale Locomotives and putting them to work on the Yellowhead Railway! And great idea for the "Display" of extraneous parts. I think you may be right about FOV Craftsmen: I was frankly shocked when I took my 1/18 21st Century Tiger 1 apart for painting and found a "turret basket" very similar to yours, complete with scale T/C seating, moulded treadplate flooring covered with tiny black "footprints", and 1/18 German canteens hung all around! (I don't think this feature was worked into the 1/18 Panther and static Mark IV, though.) Thumbs way, way up - ! Waiting with bated breath for the next "installment"....... ;) Ran into my first snag and had to change from my original plan. To keep the front bogie assembly attachment point stock, meant I had to keep the gear towers about a 8mm away from the tub wall. I went with 380 motors and this still meant I couldn't squeeze them in. So I had to scrap the stock mounting technique. I went with two self taping screws from the tub out, and a long hex screw from the boogie in. THis arrangement is solid, but I do now have to compromise the look and leave the hex nut exposed. I did countersink it so it lays flat now. With paint it shouldn't look to bad. The other option is to use body filler, fill the hex nut and paint over it. As the builder I know it is there and could easily drill out the body filler if I ever needed to remove the Bogie assembly. I will probably do this, as realistically, you don't ever have to remove the bogies. I have added the gear reduction and cutdown one gear tower, and am presently working on the other. Once I get these done I will post pictures of the gear towers mounted in the tub. |
RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
Any idea when you will be done??? That will probably be the week Heng Long announces their VVSS Sherman :)
Seriously, great job! Looking forward to seeing how it works with the narrow metal tracks. Alway wanted to build an Irish Guard Firefly, but not until I could get the proper suspension. |
RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
ORIGINAL: ksoc Any idea when you will be done??? That will probably be the week Heng Long announces their VVSS Sherman :) Seriously, great job! Looking forward to seeing how it works with the narrow metal tracks. Alway wanted to build an Irish Guard Firefly, but not until I could get the proper suspension. I know I am taking one for the team over this. No sooner will I get this done then Heng long will surprise us with a VVSS Sherman. If that is what it takes then I am happy to do it. The nice thing about this is that the tank is diecast metal, so even with a Heng Long, this one will be different!!! |
RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
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Tonight I got the gear towers finished. Had to use an old nylon gear in one train as the pot metal one was nasty looking. I had to also cut away more of the front end of the FOV tub. A Tamiya tub would have made this a lot easier.
I test fitted the hull top section, and every looks good so far. I had to cut a couple of mounting posts on the top section as they interfered with the gear train. I'll work on the idler and drive wheels tomorrow. |
RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
Great work, I have grown quite fond of the lil Sherman since building the Tam. Keep posting pics !
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RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
I like the Sherman too. This one's going to look great.
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RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
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I got the drive wheels done. I used two part epoxy putty to fill the void in the drive wheels and pushed them onto the axles to make a half moon key. Once the epoxy set up, I redrilled the screw holes, and then attached them to the axles with a hex screw.
I never got to the idlers. I wanted to get the track fit and test run the motors with the wheels and tracks on. Everything is working out well so far. I had to cut axles slots in the cast transmission cover, so I got that done and test fitted. Tomorrow I will lay out the electronics and should have the the thing running around like a kangaroo. I then have to work on the turret and get it working. Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I knocked my photo light stand over and broke the filiment in the bulb. Too many shadows fo rmy liking. Tomorrow I should finally have an RC VVSS Sherman!!!! |
RE: FOV Sherman RC conversion Progress report.
I am feeeling a bit of envy
Well, more than a bit... ALOT more... |
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