RE: Stripped allen bolt
Also not a bad idea to try things like a standard vs metric wrench, and failing that, if you've got them, small Torx bits as well. Often you can cram something a bit "oversize" in a stripped out recess. Don't forget the heat of course. Apply the heat to the piece that the threads are stuck in though, not the screw/bolt itself. Not only need to break the the loctite, it helps to expand the base material with the heat.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 3:19 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226542

RE: Stripped allen bolt
As long as they aren't recessed, and you have good access to them, you can always grind a slot in the head for a flatblade screwdriver. I would certainly go the heat route first, and if you have hollow ground flat blade screwdrivers, highly advise you use those.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 11:28 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226304

RE: PZ III Tensioner Help
This is somewhat like what mine ended up as, although the rear piece is no longer there. This was on the HL hull, my Asiatam hull the side plates are still there as well. Can't remember if the Asiatam comes flat on the rear or if I had to remove those. [IMG]http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/49367/2401802010097469480S500x500Q85.jpg[/IMG] If I hadn't left the side plates, I would have ended up with more slop in the tensioner setup.
Posted on: 9/8/2012 8:04 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11221720

RE: PZ III Tensioner Help
Thanks, that's what I was talking about. I *think* (again not looking at my metal tensioner) that the "nubs" on the side are cast into the metal tensioner, so thus the plastic ones need removed, and the rear portion on the stock hull shown in the pic needs cut/ground off flush as well.
Posted on: 9/5/2012 12:16 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11218481

RE: PZ III Tensioner Help
One thing. When you are prepping the hull, as I recall you do not want to grind off all the plastic of the stock cast tensioner that is part of the hull on the sides. I believe it needs to be made flat, but if you remove the lower portion of that casting you may end up with the tensioner sitting too far inboard, or being unsupported. Not looking at my StuG presently, but I vaguely recall noticing that when I did mine. You can probably eyeball it with the new tensioner placed above the stock one, to verify if my memory has failed me or not.
Posted on: 9/4/2012 10:19 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11217052

RE: Ambassadors to the hobby.
I thought it had been covered before, but I wonder what would happen if at some of these "exhibitions", someone had a HL tank or two, new but also tested to work, for sale? I know that's a large outlay for some, but if the hobby stores aren't willing to get into the tanks, getting the people into one right at the event would seem to be the best hope of getting more enthusiasts into the hobby, especially battling. Sell it to them, and the tank/owner is ready to hit the field right there. I know some folks let others drive their tanks, but I think ownership might have some appeal.
Posted on: 7/25/2012 8:50 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11168565

RE: HL StuG III G overhaul
[quote]ORIGINAL: YHR Isn't the asiatam one a metal insert that sits inside the plastic one? [/quote] Not really. It's a thin sheet aluminum (stamping I assume) "tub", with plastic hull sides and front/rear plates attached. I'm sure under "normal" use the thickness of the AL is unimportant, however when I received mine the box had taken some light damage, and it had tweaked the side of the hull a bit. I bent it back straight with my fingers, it's that "soft". The sides, bottom, front and back are all one piece of AL.
Posted on: 5/9/2012 7:04 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11074167

RE: HL StuG III G overhaul
[quote]ORIGINAL: MAUS45 If it does I hope it is without the escape hatches on the sides of the lower hull. Would be cool to have the escape hatches as a plastic or resin add on so the STUG hull could be done with out having to grind the escape hatches off. The STUG's didn't have them on the F-G models. [/quote] While apparently not real common, it's not "wrong" to leave them http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8417907/anchors_8417907/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#8417907 As to the OP/HL StuG. If concerned with accuracy, you need to cut off and move the two rear return rollers (if not all three, I gave up and bought the AL hull). AFAIK no one has produced a corrected idler (too small) either, which is unfortunate. OP, great idea on the hull stiffening, it's one of multiple reasons I got the AL hull...the sides on the HL hull were pretty wavy and I didn't like that.
Posted on: 5/8/2012 9:44 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11073061

RE: RE:
The thought HAD crossed my mind, albeit briefly to make it look more like a tank. There is a large-ish round cap, top/center. It's a bit small for a turret, but a barrel could be affixed to it. :)
Posted on: 3/9/2012 2:06 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10993307

RE: RE:
Excellent! Thank You. :) Now to get some weather worthy of painting!
Posted on: 3/9/2012 12:12 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10993181

"Ambush Pattern" colors available in full size spray cans?
First let me clarify...they don't have to be exact copies of the correct ambush pattern colors, but the closer the better. A bit off-topic, but I can't think of anywhere else this knowledge might reside! I've got a large propane tank out in the backyard. Based on pictures I've seen here, that pattern would work excellent to better hide that white monstrosity, especially where it is that gets sun filtered through trees. The fact that it's a more interesting pattern than plain three tone camouflage helps too. It's about 9 feet long and somewhere around 3ft tall, so it will take a fair amount of paint to cover, at least the visible side of it. Thus why I'd like to find the colors from an available, somewhat affordable source for decent size cans of paint, such as Krylon or whoever. This http://www.krylon.com/products/indooroutdoor_paint/ seems to be the type of Krylon with the best selection of colors. There are other types of Krylon, but none of them I saw had very much color selection, not like that one. Anyone with a keen eye have a take on what colors would be the best matches? Another companies products would be fine, but I'm less concerned with propane tank colors being period correct for a late '44 KT, than I am with getting as close as possible, while being affordable. :) Thanks!
Posted on: 3/9/2012 10:40 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10993077

"Ambush Pattern" colors available in full size spray cans?
First let me clarify...they don't have to be exact copies of the correct ambush pattern colors, but the closer the better. A bit off-topic, but I can't think of anywhere else this knowledge might reside! I've got a large propane tank out in the backyard. Based on pictures I've seen here, that pattern would work excellent to better hide that white monstrosity, especially where it is that gets sun filtered through trees. The fact that it's a more interesting pattern than plain three tone camouflage helps too. It's about 9 feet long and somewhere around 3ft tall, so it will take a fair amount of paint to cover, at least the visible side of it. Thus why I'd like to find the colors from an available, somewhat affordable source for decent size cans of paint, such as Krylon or whoever. This http://www.krylon.com/products/indooroutdoor_paint/ seems to be the type of Krylon with the best selection of colors. There are other types of Krylon, but none of them I saw had very much color selection, not like that one. Anyone with a keen eye have a take on what colors would be the best matches? Another companies products would be fine, but I'm less concerned with propane tank colors being period correct for a late '44 KT, than I am with getting as close as possible, while being affordable. :) Thanks!
Posted on: 3/9/2012 10:33 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10993069

RE: Storing a tank when not in use
Springs wear out from use. You don't see (at least I haven't) multi-million dollar museum collection automobiles sitting on blocks to "preserve the springs". Piano strings are made out of spring steel. How long do those last? Torsion bars (and most springs in general) are made from the same metal. If springs fail from sitting, they are overloaded in the first place. Putting the tank on blocks would of course prevent further damage when sitting in that situation, but driving a tank with overloaded springs will simply accelerate their failure.
Posted on: 3/7/2012 2:30 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10990440

RE: Unique drive set-up?
No idea WHICH Tamiya gear box was in question, but I saw a post elsewhere that said the stock Tamiya gearbox was "only" a 60:1 reduction. With reduced reduction, the motors will draw more, especially worse getting the thing started. Then add in the increased top speed.
Posted on: 2/16/2012 3:16 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10962140

RE: Better quality screws for HL's??
While the threads aren't the same for the plastic screws, is there any chance screws used for computers will work? I've had the same problem, if the screw takes any force to install, eventually the head just wears out. Luckily I've got a few spare screws so I've just thrown away the old ones, but a source for good screws of the same design would be nice. If these type of screws have a particular name, perhaps we could find a source...any ideas? Are they specific to the HL's, or most any chinese assembled stuff?
Posted on: 2/13/2012 8:46 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10956891

RE: HL antenna
I'm no pro with electronics, so not sure if it matters (I like to tinker, so it doesn't hurt my feelings if it won't make a difference) but I made an external aerial of the correct scale length (StuG III) and plan to use that, connected with an internal antenna, to keep the overall antenna length "stock". If nothing else, the visible antenna is not only historically correct, but functional, giving it a reason to be there. Made up lengths, but for example: if the stock HL antenna is 18", and the scale StuG aerial is 6", the 12" difference will be made up with the internal antenna mod.
Posted on: 2/3/2012 8:01 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10941791

RE: PX III Track Tensioners
I see "budget" in your list, but honestly, consider simply buying the complete PZIII Asiatam lower hull. I don't think anyone has any complaints about it, it's metal everything, and is complete. I started down the path you did, and ended up taking quite the beating when I sold all the brand new, uninstalled "metal upgrade parts" I had assembled. I was simply unhappy with the wavy, flexy HL hull, and there was no realistic workaround for that. Not to mention torsion bar suspension, etc. Along comes the Asiatam metal hull assembly. Had that been out when I first started, I would have saved myself $$. Just my opinion. Good luck!
Posted on: 1/8/2012 9:55 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10899101

RE: Fix for
I appreciate the responses! I noticed on one of them when I dabbed on a small bit of toothpaste at the pinion, it would nearly stop the gears from turning. I'm going to guess that is a factor of the gears meshing far too tight. But I'll follow the guidance given, and see if that does indeed take care of it. Any advice on the gear shafts themselves? Do I need to ensure they turn smoothly in the bushings? I am guessing that if they are supposed to turn smoothly, I first need to ensure that the gears are meshing correctly (starting at the pinion) THEN can worry about the shafts. If the gears are binding, the shafts not turning might be a symptom of that, instead of the cause? Thanks again!
Posted on: 12/2/2011 9:10 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10839810

Fix for "sticky" Asiatam gearbox?
Morning all! I've got a pair of Asiatam gearboxes (almost two years old now) that I've been dealing with off and on as I get limited time to work on my StuG. Installed, I noticed a fair amount of trim was required to keep the tank moving straight. Also that there seemed to be excessive noise from the gears. More of a high pitched noise than the clanging associated with hollow gears. These as far as I can tell are brass, and are solid. Figured I'd try and smooth them out with some toothpaste as discussed on this board. I also figured I'd spin them at low speed to keep them from flinging stuff everywhere. I hooked up a 1.2V battery which worked fine on the one box. On the other box it took two 1.2V (2.4V) batteries (and assistance from me) to even get them turning. Upon close inspection of that gearbox, none of the shafts the gears ride on rotated, but they did on the other box. I spent a bit of time on one shaft, chucking it up and using some 600 grit sandpaper on it to smooth it out, and that seemed to help, as the shaft rotates more freely. Not perfect, but it does rotate most of the time. Did not remove the noise. I plan on doing the same on the rest of the shafts, since I know it is an issue, but is there anything else I should look at as a potential issue while I'm in there? I figure once I get the two boxes turning just as easily, with the same noise level, I've done as much as I can do. As far as I can tell, both boxes seem to have some "mistakes" in them (shaft spacers not the right width, a gear or two may not turn true) but since the one doesn't make as much noise and turns easier, I figure removing all slop isn't a necessity to at least make the one run quieter.
Posted on: 12/1/2011 8:08 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10837956

RE: Pz. 3 & StuG. 3 parts assistance...
Appreciate the link!
Posted on: 11/23/2011 2:29 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10826003

RE: Pz. 3 & StuG. 3 parts assistance...
If you find anyone that sells the parts you need, please post up. The rubber on my Asiatam road wheels/return rollers was in bad shape when I got them (rubber cracked very badly on a few) and if there is a way to get parts, I'd be interested too.
Posted on: 11/23/2011 9:08 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10825546

RE: Are the turrets the only difference on the KT Porsche vs. Henschel?
[quote]ORIGINAL: sevoblast Porsche turret was totally different from the Henschel turret. Front, sides, top and rear, plus no track hangers on the Porsche, except those added in the field after authorization. [/quote] First, sorry for the formatting/huge picture below. It actually answers my question I suppose. :( Right, but was the "upper hull" (what the turret sits on, and the turret ring is part of) different as well? I suppose my thread title isn't clear that I mean in regards TO the turret, but not the turret itself.... Of course I can't find a good side by side photo, but comparing the Henschel in this photo [image]http://images.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/525077/ay74633.jpg[/image] (hope Glen B doesn't mind me borrowing these from his thread) to a close up side shot of a Porsche shows the large gap that doesn't exist on the Henschel design. [image]http://images.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/525077/ig13057.jpg[/image] In actuality, looking at that huge picture of the HL, it shows the ring (turret ring? Probably covered in some articles on the Porsche vs. Henschel designs)being even with the outside edge of the hull sponson. Which means that ring would have to be removed for a Henschel turret to sit flush on that upper hull. But with the differences you point out besides just the turret, at this point, in my opinion, for a "shelf queen" (with the ability to run once in awhile, and hold up through the test of time), someone who wants a Henschel turreted King Tiger like myself, is still best off buying the Tamiya offering. Oh well, by the time I get my StugIII done, HL or another cheapy upstart will probably offer the Henschel variant too! I suppose with the differences existent between the two, HL's offering is nice for those wanting a 1/16th Porsche KT.
Posted on: 10/6/2011 10:58 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10752528

RE: Are the turrets the only difference on the KT Porsche vs. Henschel?
Sure, now I'll find out there are 50 things needing changed to make a Porsche a Henschel. :( Honestly, if that does turn out to be the case, I'll end up getting the Tamiya kit. If going purely by aesthetics, I'm just not a fan of the Porsche design. My intent on waiting on the HL was to get a running, finished model to just sit on the shelf with little/no modifications out of the box. I was hoping the HL would be the low-cost ticket, but since they went with the Porsche version, as usual, the HL probably wouldn't save me money in the long run, unless a Tamiya turret swap is all that is needed to make it a Henschel.
Posted on: 10/6/2011 6:33 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10752182

Are the turrets the only difference on the KT Porsche vs. Henschel?
This has bugged me ever since the HL KT came out. The turret "front" is the obvious difference between the two, but I see that the Porsche turreted tank has a gap between it and the "roof" of the hull. It looks like a raised turret ring underneath, but it makes me wonder if a Henschel turret (from say, Tamiya) would just drop on, or if you'd need to make extensive changes to the hull itself to take the Henschel turret?
Posted on: 10/6/2011 5:38 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10752080

RE: Panzer III L Project
[quote]ORIGINAL: Mathom1 Looks great, motivates me to get busy on my own war machines. What about piano wire for the antennae or the control wire used in RC planes? Just a thought. Keep the photos coming. [/quote] While not yet functional, I made the antenna for my StuG III out of piano wire. Local hardware store carried it, but not the chains like Home Depot. Pretty easy to work with, and fairly inexpensive.
Posted on: 8/25/2011 3:32 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10686255

RE: Bearings for HL Pershing
I think the three main factors determining how effective bearing mods can be, are weight, components, and intended use. The heavier the tank, the more stress on everything...transmission, transmission mounting points, gear teeth, the transmission output shaft, the road wheels, etc. If the components have problems (like sloppy transmission bushings) then you end up with bad track alignment, binding, etc. If you run the thing in the yard once in a great while, not much point. If you run the heck out of it, bearings are a no-brainer. Those are the three I see as being most important, but certainly not the only three reasons. Real-world or miniature, if you only beef up certain components, you often find the next weakest link very quickly. For some, bearing mods are just that (like a metal hull)...a sense of satisfaction in accomplishing something that while maybe not ever taken full advantage of, is done the way you wanted to do it. That's what my slow-to-progress StuG is. In some cases, it may prevent certain problems from occurring for a very long time, and sometimes introduce it's own problems. For others, who use more powerful motors, more gear reduction, and have more weight, certain mods are a necessity to maintain reliability. I like the mods shown in this thread, they are inventive, functional, and cost-effective. As much time as many spend on modifying the vehicle in the first place, it's pretty easy to justify the cost and time of these mods. Black Cat, why not run flanged bearings instead of building up the area with styrene? I had looked into them, is there a specific reason you did yours the way you did?
Posted on: 8/23/2011 3:47 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10684010

RE: Upgrades for SHERMAN from MATO...
While it's entirely possible I'm wrong since the image isn't quite detailed enough for my eyes, it looks to me like there is one coil spring per wheel. Not prototypical I'm sure, isn't that an improvement over the stock plastic setup though?
Posted on: 8/16/2011 4:50 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10673050

RE: PzIII swing arms/key
I can help on #3. None of the road wheels on the Asiatam setup do any "work". The road wheel exerts minute pressure against the track, but that's it. They easily hit the stops with no force. The road wheels at each end of the tank are what support the weight. The swing arms are essentially held in place by the tracks, but the "axle" on the arm that rotates (at the hull end) is keyed to fit through the metal rail that supports each swingarm on the bottom of the inside of the hull, on each side. The way it's assembled, you have to torque the swing arm counterclockwise against the torsion bar to get the key to line up, and then pull it out. Even with the tracks off (at least on mine) the swingarms won't fall out.
Posted on: 7/14/2011 10:10 AM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10620954

RE: Quick pics of the RC Armory King Tiger Build
Well, 2x4's would probably hold the tank instead of metal tines too, and would make the carrier lighter. Trailer supply places make the "pockets" that go on stake beds that 2x4's fit in, you could weld the pockets to the hand truck and just deck screw the 2x4's into the pockets. At 100lbs, unless there is some reason the hull of the tank on the bottom was weak and couldn't withstand some bouncing around, I doubt you'd need anything to secure the tank to the hand truck design in fairly easy conditions. Of course, if the ground was REALLY uneven, you probably would want some insurance. If they make small enough ratcheting tie downs, you could very easily use the two shackles up front (and two holes in rear too, right?) as attaching points, simply running the strap from one shackle, under the tines of the hand truck, to the other shackle, and tightening it down. With no suspension in play, it would be solid.
Posted on: 6/28/2011 4:58 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10597119

RE: Quick pics of the RC Armory King Tiger Build
Nice tank :) [quote]ORIGINAL: Old MSgt I thought about WHAT I'd do IF I was running it around the yard (or in the lose garden dirt over at my parent's farm!) and the batteries DIED!... so last time we were at Harbor Freight I saw they had wheels on sale and I bought two small and two larger sets and plan to make a 'lowboy' trailer later. [/quote] Had an idea that seems easy in my mind, but you'd have to decide if it would work in your case. Weight of the tank being one of the main criteria. Use a hand truck like this, but much cheaper http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01203a.jpg and using JUST the tines of a pallet jack as a template http://easyrack.org/images/low_profile_pallet_truck_lg.jpg, combine the two. The tines wouldn't need rollers of course, just strong enough to hold the tank. Small angle iron or channel would do it. You'd want about the biggest/widest tires as possible, because thin, "short" tires don't work in loose dirt. The tires used on the harbor freight yard wagons would be about right, as are the ones pictured. Cut the lower "shelf" off of the hand truck (or just bend it down at the correct angle) and weld a single wide tine or two thinner ones to the hand truck so when finished, with the tines being flat on the ground the hand truck sits as it is pictured, . Attach a "bumper" to the hand truck so the nose of the tank can only slide toward the hand truck frame far enough to be stable, while not fouling the fenders on the tank. If the tines were the correct width, the tank couldn't move side to side as the tracks/road wheels would prevent it. If you wanted to get real fancy, you could bend the upper portion of the hand truck so that when loaded, you weren't having to bend over so far. On the plus side, standing up, the tank could straddle the tines, taking up very little floor space. Anyways, just an idea.
Posted on: 6/28/2011 2:15 PM by Author "dyeager535" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10596853