Hey Stu, I've gotta say (after consumption of just over two glasses of wine, with a home cooked dinner), that I think you're crazier than me!!
I mean, I like your self-deprecation, "I know, I know... build ONE before dreaming about running THREE", and I find pleasure in chiding myself for promising to build "A" single tank. And I like your use of the vernacular too, as in pipedreamed epiphanies and such... And finding bargains on necessary building materials hurts NOBODY!! I had a pipe dreamt epiph today, START A LONG ISLAND R/C TANK CLUB!! Yeah, my game plan is to canvass high school robotics clubs and perhaps, R/C airplane clubs (the planes bit was suggested by a nephew whom I bounced the new club idea off of this evening, who is an ex-high school robotics club participant)... Play on their love of things Remote Controlled, and on their boredom with their current R/C destiny. Perhaps helicopters and R/C car clubs are not above the fray, as well. I figure if I can recruit 20 diehards, a club will arise from the ashes, and my mission within an R/C environment will have been fulfilled!! Pass that dream pipe!!... On a lighter note, no, not ZIPPO... (bad joke)... I was wondering, seriously, if you wouldn't be up for a little recon mission back to Aberdeen, Stu. Unfortunately, sans moi... I know, I know, I wish I was there...LOL. I just didn't get all the data I should have, and seeing that you're about a half hour away from said installation, I was hoping to catch you at a good moment... I was asked by a fellow rookie, prospective JS-III builder how the measurement trip to Aberdeen went, and upon my reflection of said visit, and upon information gathered, I reported back to him that the results were mixed, at best!! So if you have any inkling of going back to Aberdeen anytime soon, let me know about it, as I have a top secret mission for you to complete!! Just the JS-III, and a promise of no more than five, maybe six measurements at most. Jeez, was I intoxicated on tanks that day or what?!! Thanks for the lowdown on the drills, and with all seriousness, I really do applaud your enthusiasm for this hobby. Hope to speak to you soon. And hope someday to have our trusted builds sharing paint on the battlefield... With sincerity at level RED, Dave D. ----- Original Message ----- From: Stu To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 10:48 AM Subject: [TANKS] Inexpensive Motors (or are they just Cheap?) and Elevation Controls. Right now, Harbor Freight is running a special on a "Bare 18 Volt Cordless 3/8" Right Angle Drill". The reviews looked good (except for the guy that didn't know "Bare" meant that it lacked battery and charger), so I ran out to Glen Burnie to get two. The shelf still says $30, but they each rang up at $17. http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/cordless-drills/18-volt-3-8-eighth-inch-cordless-right-angle-drill-67043.html I think they may be too small to drive a Sherman, "But, If I duplicated the Stuart with 1/4 plywood ..." Then I gave my plastic Stuart a good look-over, and noticed that the Stuart's plastic tracks have a single center-guide tooth instead of two outside teeth. The next thing I remember, I was designing jigs to produce Stuart tracks out of aluminum bars ... which led to thoughts of reproducing the Stuart's somewhat-functional VVSS from aluminum stock... The next epiphany/pipedream concerned elevation controls: I don't know much about using switches or controls to establish upper and lower limits, so I imagined a doughnut. I propose that a 2" dia wheel cut from 1/2-3/4 plywood, drilled with a 1" centerhole at a .25cm offset (.25cm is 10% of 2.54cm) should raise and lower the gun +/- 10 degrees. If the motor spins the wheel beyond the gun's limits it just keeps oscillating back through it's range. A friction drive against the outside would spin the wheel, and the verticle slit in the front of the turret should keep the barrel from wobbling side to side. The motor could be controlled by a momentary pushbutton, or set it to reverse every time it is pushed (like a garage door). Then I could use the original Stuart's controller, and save the better TX/RXer for the Sherman. I know, I know... build ONE before dreaming about running THREE. But my build is still limited until we go to settlement on the new workshop, uh, I mean "house". But, other than that, what are your thoughts? Thoughts? -- You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank Combat" group. To post a message, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] Visit the group at http://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2197 / Virus Database: 2441/5301 - Release Date: 09/30/12 -- You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank Combat" group. To post a message, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] Visit the group at http://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat
