Have cut all the suspension units and started assembling them

14 units, 13 waiting for springs then ready to install



Have got the flat bar chopped up into 112mm lengths and made up a drilling jig to make the holes in the pieces.

Lots of flat bar pieces

Drilling jig for making sure holes are in the right place

The stack for one track

Cut out the jig for welding the plates to the chain and started welding. each track is using 80 pieces of flat bar, these are not light tracks :)

 

Jig to hold flat bar in correct place for chain to be welded to each link

Nate Sitting next to one complete track, 3.08mtrs (10foot)

One track rolled up ready for storage

 

Now to make the other one :)

Have finally received the two 3mtr lengths of 2060 chain for the tracks on the tank

Have started cutting the pieces to make up the main drive hubs for the tracks

 

Main drive gear cut from 10mm Mild Steel, the smaller plates will be threaded and will sandwich the hubs together 

Inside and outside track sprockets cut from 6mm, these are more for show as the main drive gear will be doing all the work 

 

Video of cutting the suspension units

And the assembled units movement

Finalised the suspension design and cut the first unit to confirm it working as required.

Am using a much larger spring in this version so that it is able to hold even more.

Version 1 and 2

 

 

Fresh of the machine as they are cut, very little wastage of 10mm Aluminium

Parts broken out, only a very small amount of filling on the tabs that held it all together while cutting



All parts ready for assembly, the spring is one of 3 cut from one bigger spring, the steel shaft is just for testing the unit, these will be spun on a lathe with a thread on the end as well





Version 3 which will be used in the tank, expected lift 17-18kg's

 

Final coats of primer are on and its time to start on the suspension units and road wheels.

All primed up and looking a lot cleaner without the rust

 

 

Stored out of the way for now.

First prototype of road wheel, High pressure 100mm ID water pipe with a 1mm steel rim.
 

First prototype of road wheel, High pressure 100mm ID water pipe with a 1mm steel rim, will use 2mm instead and then make the inserts for inside out of 2mm as well. The steel rim had to be pressed into the pipe so should not go anywere

Been a while since I have had any time to do anything to my M1A2 but have finally decided its not going to do itself.

Its been sitting in the workshop for the past 6mths with nothing done on it so I decided to get it primed up so it won’t just rust away.

 

Turret still bolted together

 Unbolted and quite rusty on the base plate and around welded seams

 Hull and motor mounts with lots of surface rust

Went around and rust killed 90% of the surface area of both the hull and turret parts.

 Even with a very quick skim coat of primer it’s starting to look a lot cleaner. Will be doing a full coat of primer tomorrow, sand and redo so that it’s all protected