Tamiya Tank Forum

[cdm]

i still wouldn't shim it since the kit since it is designed for a perfect fit. shouldn't be the need for any mods to that if the metal wedge is properly fitted into the hull.

just pry it gently with a screwdriver or something. the arm "bolt" getting stuck that bad is odd. mine has never done it.

good luck.. i am interested in how this noise turns out.

[BloodClod]

i still wouldn't shim it since the kit since it is designed for a perfect fit. shouldn't be the need for any mods to that if the metal wedge is properly fitted into the hull.

just pry it gently with a screwdriver or something. the arm "bolt" getting stuck that bad is odd. mine has never done it.

good luck.. i am interested in how this noise turns out.

Thanks. The setup was stuck so bad that prying with a screwdriver couldn't do it. In the end it took some very creative and careful use of a hot soldering iron to expand the adjuster piece inside the chassis to separate the 2 parts.

:)

[BloodClod]

I think I finally found the source of the noise. I don't think it's anything to worry about. Definitely not from the transmission... as suspected it's coming from the track going over the sprocket.

When the tracks go over the sprocket and exit at the top, it seems the little parts of the track that fit into the sprocket "stick" just a little and when they exit they sort of "snap" out of the sprocket ever so slightly and this causes the soft "clicking" sound.

Not sure what can be done to remove this, but I don't think I'm going to bother too much. Hopefully with some break-in this will go away...

[rawdy rider]

ive got a Tamiya King Tiger lying around somewhere,half made probably at least fifteen years old,unused!!Lost the commander figure on it though.Get it ready one of these days i guess........

[WW McBride]

Rawdy:

You want a fig for it, I have one of the KT ones. Lemme know if you want it.

WhiteWolf
- too many figures (Tamiya, Dragon, Kirin & Verlinden!)

[rawdy rider]

Thanks WW,very decent of you will let you know........ :)

[rawdy rider]

are spare trackks still available??Anyone??
:confused:

[WW McBride]

Spare links? For the track, or putting on the turret?

Lesse, King Tiger... needs male (large) & female (smaller) links... Let me see what I have laying about, but new tracks are only about $50 a set (thats BOTH) from Karen at the AAF Tank Museum. And if you want a killer-runner, there are metal ones available (DON'T buy the eBay ones!)

PS: Can't wait for my Leopard 1A4 to arrive to drop my Integy 5501 into it. You want a power-drive for the old-Tamiyas, this is the ticket (the rock-crawlers swear by it)

WhiteWolf

[BloodClod]

Thanks for all the advice, my leopard is running fine now. :)

I recently picked up a 2nd hand Pershing and it got here today. Such a different tank from the Leopard, you can see Tamiya progressing so much between these tanks.

Anyways, here's another question... this time with reference to the Pershing.

Every once in while, the little teeth inside the tracks would not fit fully into the groove of the upper roller guide wheels. Instead of lifting off the wheel altogether, it seems to get "caught" on the very very thin edge demarcating the tire from the rim of the roller wheel. This causes the track to get slightly stuck between the roller and the upper hull. The tank has enough power to easily pull the tooth over and then everything is back to normal.

All this results in a loud sound as the soft track tooth is forced through the roller and the upper hull.

Anyone else experience this?

I'm not entirely sure what's causing this. All the tracks look straight... wheels are running smoothly.

Seems like the Pershing tracks are a lot "looser" than the Leopard ones and have more side to side flexibility and this might allow the occasional track to get out of alignment. Could that be it? Or perhaps increasing track tension might help?

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Thanks again!

[WW McBride]

Thanks for all the advice, my leopard is running fine now. :)

I recently picked up a 2nd hand Pershing and it got here today. Such a different tank from the Leopard, you can see Tamiya progressing so much between these tanks.

Anyways, here's another question... this time with reference to the Pershing.

Every once in while, the little teeth inside the tracks would not fit fully into the groove of the upper roller guide wheels. Instead of lifting off the wheel altogether, it seems to get "caught" on the very very thin edge demarcating the tire from the rim of the roller wheel. This causes the track to get slightly stuck between the roller and the upper hull. The tank has enough power to easily pull the tooth over and then everything is back to normal.

All this results in a loud sound as the soft track tooth is forced through the roller and the upper hull.

Anyone else experience this?

I'm not entirely sure what's causing this. All the tracks look straight... wheels are running smoothly.

Seems like the Pershing tracks are a lot "looser" than the Leopard ones and have more side to side flexibility and this might allow the occasional track to get out of alignment. Could that be it? Or perhaps increasing track tension might help?

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Thanks again!

Ah, so you're the one who bought the Pershing that was listed with the Leo 1A4 I snagged? Congrats.

Does the Pershing have the plastic-composites that come stock, or metal aftermarket ones? The guide-teeth shouldn't get snagged... Both sides, or just one? People more often have problems with the guide teeth in the idler and sprocket-guides, not the return rollers.

Run it slowly while watching, and see if you can see the tooth thats doing it, perhaps there is a bit of molding-flash thats catching. There may be a rock or something wedged in that roller. Only other reason I could see would be someone putting old-school metal ones from a Sherman, Leopard or Gepard on 'em and the tooth is spread too wide.

If you wanna grin and bear it, to protect the hull from track-scrape, get some aluminum tape (not duct tape) and put a strip on the styrene facing the track.

As for track-slack, thats the idler-adjuster... not enough settings. You'll want the BYA one if you're worried about throwing a track.

WhiteWolf
Pershing owner (amongst others)

[rawdy rider]

Thanks again WW,looks like you know your tainks......... :)

[BloodClod]

lol! yup... small world. Which board did you pick up that L1A4 on?

Anyway I did a quick search online and found at least one other person with the same problem that I described. It's not one tooth... just a random occurrence. I think a simple solution is just to do a little bit of work on the roller wheels and sand down that thin edge just a wee bit.

Will get to work on that when I take the tank apart.

It was a great deal - whole package runs great!

[WW McBride]

Rawdy:

When you've had one each of the oldies (pre-DMD) then a 56007 Porsche KT, 56014 Sherman & 56016 Pershing, plus knowing guys with tanks out the wazzoo, you learn FAST. I'm still not an expert, and anyone who claims they are is full of it...

You want stock trax, I can give ya Karen's addy (dun like to post it in the open) but she is "girltankette" on Yahoo.

Blood:

Found the Leo 1A4 here in the Sales Forum. A friend saw it, and couldn't afford the dinero. So he pointed me at it. For $200 she is in ~gorgeous~ shape. Looks like the tracks never saw asphalt. Can't wait for her to arrive.

[Patrik]

Best use of a Tamiya Leo 1A4 so far?
http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rcsteamtank_v3/

[WW McBride]

Seen it... and would be nice if the steam unit was smaller.

Waiting for some free time to d/l his steam-crab clips. Crabs are supposed to be ~cooked~ with steam, not run on them!

WhiteWolf

[BloodClod]

stripped, re-built and re-painted...

http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/tank_01.jpg
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/tank_02.jpg

Leopard sure is *BIG* :)
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/tank_03.jpg


Thanks for all the help so far getting my tanks setup guys!

[WW McBride]

Yea,

There ~is~ a bit of a diff, aint there. Then again, the Leo is a MBT, at least heavy class by WW2 specs if almost more... and the Pershing, by Korea, was only considered a medium.
WW2 Pershings had no radio boxes on the back though.

Too bad Tamiya dinna provide a roof-plug for the warning LED, eh?

You glue it or use the 'trick' others to and use a magnet in the base, and another inside? Saves you snapping it off, and easily removable.

[BloodClod]

Yes, I have been looking around for a magnet the right size though.

Is it me or is the Pershing turret a tad sticky? I've wired everything in the tank as neat as possible but still can't get the turret turning to be 100% reliable. Always a click or two every now and then...

Any recommended fixes?

[WW McBride]

Yes, I have been looking around for a magnet the right size though.

Is it me or is the Pershing turret a tad sticky? I've wired everything in the tank as neat as possible but still can't get the turret turning to be 100% reliable. Always a click or two every now and then...

Any recommended fixes?

Coil all the cables leading from the turret neatly and feed it thru the crossbar center hole. I padded the edges of the hole to avoid abrading the wires.

Other fast-fix is to lock the clutch in the traverse unit (people do it to the elevation too) Easiest way is to dis-assemble the unit, and fill the gear with hot-glue, silicone, or something similar.

If you don't wish to do that, buy a Tamiya #72005 gearbox and swap the clutch gear out for one of the solid ones. You can also pull 'em from the 'toy' boxes that come with the static 1/16 tanks (its the same as the 72005, but you get no spare gears or the servo parts) One 72006 gearbox for about $10 can fix more than a half-dozen units (of either traverse or elevation type)

As for the magnet, try eBay ( hobby parts) or the local dollar store (fridge magnets)

WhiteWolf

[BloodClod]

Sounds like a plan... However does that mean that I'll be breaking something or other if I try to turn a turret that is jammed for some reason or other? (silly question eh?)

[WW McBride]

Sounds like a plan... However does that mean that I'll be breaking something or other if I try to turn a turret that is jammed for some reason or other? (silly question eh?)

Well, in theory you might strip the gears in the traverse-drive, but I haven't heard of anyone doing it yet. I suspect the drive motor will stall-out first, and if it locks up for a second or two, gives ya warning to let off on the stick. That or the thin metal mount will flex and slip on the traverse ring. Besides, you'll have spare gears, right?

Have you filed the edges on the turret-ring locking tabs so they don't catch? Sometimes they catch...

Only other way I've heard mentioned is filling the clutch-gear inner gap with coiled up flat rubber band. Stiffens it but can still flex if it needs to.

WhiteWolf

[cdm]

I used a screw and drilled a hole for the wires so you can't see them.. beats a magnet which will still leave you with hanging wires all over the place since if you want to move it, well, wires shall follow unless you make you turret into swiss cheese.

[BloodClod]

New question... now on detailing my Pershing.

I've got the tank painted in olive drab currently and I was thinking of giving it a wash and then dry-brushing.

I've never done washes before and today I tried it.

My base of olive drab was painted in Enamel.

I added 1 few drops of acrylic paint in some water (about half a small paint bottle) and mixed it up. Then I used a broad brush and went over the entire tank.

What I ended up with was the wash drying up in patches over the tank... it did darken some edges but also left the tank with some patches darker than others... almost like the tank sat out in the rain...

Doesn't look bad per say... like I said, it looks like patches formed after the rain water dried on the tank... but I'm pretty sure that's *not* what a wash should look like?

So any advice would be helpful. Some questions:

- what should be a good mix for prepping the wash?
- what's the best way to apply it? Go over the whole model like I did, or only to selected parts?
- Is there something wrong with my solution? I read somewhere that mixing with water doesn't allow the wash to flow like it should... perhaps that's why I ended up with water spots?
- for that matter, should I see these water stains? or should the tank still be in one color with only the grooves and crevices darkened?
- perhaps it was my base flat coat? Should I have used a gloss coat to let the wash flow better?

I can repaint the tank and start over... no biggie... but would like to know if I'm doing this right. :)

Thanks guys.

[GRUNDIG415]

New question... now on detailing my Pershing.

I've got the tank painted in olive drab currently and I was thinking of giving it a wash and then dry-brushing.

I've never done washes before and today I tried it.

My base of olive drab was painted in Enamel.

I added 1 few drops of acrylic paint in some water (about half a small paint bottle) and mixed it up. Then I used a broad brush and went over the entire tank.

What I ended up with was the wash drying up in patches over the tank... it did darken some edges but also left the tank with some patches darker than others... almost like the tank sat out in the rain...

Doesn't look bad per say... like I said, it looks like patches formed after the rain water dried on the tank... but I'm pretty sure that's *not* what a wash should look like?

So any advice would be helpful. Some questions:

- what should be a good mix for prepping the wash?
- what's the best way to apply it? Go over the whole model like I did, or only to selected parts?
- Is there something wrong with my solution? I read somewhere that mixing with water doesn't allow the wash to flow like it should... perhaps that's why I ended up with water spots?
- for that matter, should I see these water stains? or should the tank still be in one color with only the grooves and crevices darkened?
- perhaps it was my base flat coat? Should I have used a gloss coat to let the wash flow better?

I can repaint the tank and start over... no biggie... but would like to know if I'm doing this right. :)

Thanks guys.
got any pics of that wash?

[WW McBride]

New question... now on detailing my Pershing.

I've got the tank painted in olive drab currently and I was thinking of giving it a wash and then dry-brushing.

I've never done washes before and today I tried it.

(* snip *)

I can repaint the tank and start over... no biggie... but would like to know if I'm doing this right. :)

Man, this is why you experiment on 1/35 models ya don't really care about. You should have sealed the base color with glosscote, or better yet, Future floor wax. Makes applying the decals easier and bubble-free.

As for un-doing it: don't go over it with ~another~ base coat, you'll loose details the more paint you apply. Better to strip it with Easy-Off, Castrol SuperClean or Mean Grean degreasers in the ~pump~ bottles.

And yea, some pics may let us see if its not too bad...

If you want some links for washes, I've saved a few...

WhiteWolf

[BloodClod]

Man, this is why you experiment on 1/35 models ya don't really care about. You should have sealed the base color with glosscote, or better yet, Future floor wax. Makes applying the decals easier and bubble-free.

As for un-doing it: don't go over it with ~another~ base coat, you'll loose details the more paint you apply. Better to strip it with Easy-Off, Castrol SuperClean or Mean Grean degreasers in the ~pump~ bottles.

And yea, some pics may let us see if its not too bad...

If you want some links for washes, I've saved a few...

WhiteWolf

Will post some pics later. :)

Any info on washes will be most helpful. :)

[WW McBride]

Ready for a glut of data?

Weathering using sea-salt: (more stuff in root site)

http://www.modelersite.com/May2003/English/Desgastes_Eng.htm

Finishing the Greenland way: (lots of other stuff in 'Articles')

http://www.track-link.net/articles/18

Adam Wilder's tips - painting & weathering

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/other/awpaint/awpaint.htm

Missing Lynx: The Wash (more stuff in 'Rarities World')

http://www.missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw04.htm

Military Modelling Features: Painting & Weathering AFV's (more stuff in 'Features')

http://www.militarymodelling.com/features/feature12/index.html

IPMS Stockholm Tips: Weathering: (more stuff in the magazine-archives)

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2003/01/stuff_eng_tech_afv_weathering.htm

How's that?

WhiteWolf McBride

[BloodClod]

Ready for a glut of data?

Weathering using sea-salt: (more stuff in root site)

http://www.modelersite.com/May2003/English/Desgastes_Eng.htm

Finishing the Greenland way: (lots of other stuff in 'Articles')

http://www.track-link.net/articles/18

Adam Wilder's tips - painting & weathering

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/other/awpaint/awpaint.htm

Missing Lynx: The Wash (more stuff in 'Rarities World')

http://www.missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw04.htm

Military Modelling Features: Painting & Weathering AFV's (more stuff in 'Features')

http://www.militarymodelling.com/features/feature12/index.html

IPMS Stockholm Tips: Weathering: (more stuff in the magazine-archives)

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2003/01/stuff_eng_tech_afv_weathering.htm

How's that?

WhiteWolf McBride

Thanks. I'm going to go through that in more detail (already read through it once). Here are some pics of my unsuccessful "wash".

http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/01.jpg
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/02.jpg
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/03.jpg

It's patchy and to me it looks like my car after the rain... so I'm still deciding if I should just leave it... try another wash over it to actually bring out the details.

I've heard that artish oils are pretty good for washes?

[BloodClod]

Well... before doing anything else I decided to see if the tank would look better with a little touch up on the paint and a little more weathering.

think the slight patchy discoloration doesn't really show up now...

http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/04.jpg
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/05.jpg
http://www.cool.per.sg/external_links/wash/06.jpg

[WW McBride]

Well... before doing anything else I decided to see if the tank would look better with a little touch up on the paint and a little more weathering.

think the slight patchy discoloration doesn't really show up now...

You're right, it did look like it got rained on... but the added weathering makes it look weathered properly again.

How did you weather it, a gentle rub with fine sand or talcum powder and then a soft brushing to get rid of most of the loose dust?

[BloodClod]

You're right, it did look like it got rained on... but the added weathering makes it look weathered properly again.

How did you weather it, a gentle rub with fine sand or talcum powder and then a soft brushing to get rid of most of the loose dust?

Neither... I was walking past a hobby store and was chatting with the store owner when he recommended me a Tamiya weathering set. It was like a compact make-up kit for armor... lol!

3 different *powders* that are supposedly formulated to be dusted on but yet just a tad moist to stick to the model. Worked great... I found it achieved a dry-brush effect as well as giving areas the look of sand and mud.

[WW McBride]

AH!

Seen those on the Tamiya site, been contemplating buying a set.

[RrR]

A light rubbing with 0000 grade steel wool and "sunning" works too

[discocool]

I've completed the arms and turret portion. Still made out of Oak - but will be moving to metal and plastic shortly. (currently at 7 lbs !)

Full articulated w/ a fixed co2 canister. the gun arm should lift and lower by 20 degrees. Turret suspension will allow ease of firing over rough terrain.

Next steps include installing a Stampede transmission to rotate the turret, the batteries and correct some design issues in the turret control.

[RrR]

Show cat LOL http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture712.jpg

[cdm]

Show cat LOL http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/RRR68/Picture712.jpg

that's too small :eek:


no snow here yet. i haven't run any of my toys in weeks.. leo in months unless the kitchen floor counts. i recently rewired the turrent (freed even more space) and right now i am redoing the rear lights lenses as well as general details in that area.

[tmhippo]

I know this is not a Tank, but I want one in 1/16 scale R/C

[pininfarina]

how about this

SDKFZ Puma 1:8 (http://rag-modellbau.de/videos/RKBURGDPUMA.mpeg)



http://www.rag-modellbau.de/media/DIR_132459/RKBURGDPUMA.JPG

[WW McBride]

I know this is not a Tank, but I want one in 1/16 scale R/C

Ah, the fabled US LAV MGS (Mobile Gun System) that both Canada and the US wants to put on the 8x8 LAV chassis. Looks neat, but for stability, it sucks. You ~really~ think its gonna stay right-side-up with that turret up there? Heck, they are rolling ~without~ turrets right ~now~. Just imagine what the recoil to the side will do without stabilisers to deploy?

Thats ignoring the problem the guys in the Middle East are learning fast: tires BURN. And immobile LAV = deathtrap. I'll stick with tracks, like the Isreali's have been doing (and the guys in Iraq are ~begging~ for)

Now ~this~ I'm gonna make: http://www.sfu.ca/casr/fisher7-2.jpg
A Leopard CAT (Close Assault Tank), much of the same idea as the M551 Sheridan Recon/Assault Tank.

NASTY kitty! (and recycled tank too!)

WhiteWolf

[cdm]

let's squeeze one in before i run away for the holidays...

that's how it used to be

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/9274/before1dw.jpg

and after some finalizing things..

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/5214/after6bl.jpg

i need to clean it up. though yes, i finally painted the tailights and the fenders where teh rubber mudflaps used to be (if you have ever reversed over them you know why i took them off months ago).

i am still thinking of a way to do gearbox maintenance without having to take the whole thing apart (close to impossible after my sprocket repair)

also meet my new improvized jackstands :o figured there was no point in letting the thing stress the torsion bars all the time so i made a stand with left over boxes and some packing material. :rolleyes: i am cheap.

[Draxx]

Just for the heck of it, here is a few pics of my 1/6th scale Start tank. This is one of the 21st Century models powered by a 12 volt battery and a can motor for each tread bank.

Although not as nice as the Tamiya models, for the money you get an impressively large tank to bash around with. With some customization (like my turned barrel and such), they can be quite good looking.An excuse to buy GI Joe sized accesories ;) Enjoy..

http://snarkalicious.net/photoblog/d/217-3/tank5_001.jpg

http://snarkalicious.net/photoblog/d/241-2/tank16.jpg

http://snarkalicious.net/photoblog/d/246-2/tank14.jpg

[cdm]

i've heard good things about this model. pity i can't source it here.

here's my share of a few days ago. i didn't have time to clean the dust off it

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/4994/leo18aj.jpg


http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7667/dsc001972hr.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7055/dsc001841kp.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/6303/dsc001929hp.jpg
wouldn't you hate it to be a bug about now? pads showing some decent edge wear about now...


tamiya needs to do something like release a new model soon.. i want that abrams already...

they haven't released anything new in years. all of their highly detailed tank/truck lines are decaying in stagnation.

[GRUNDIG415]

i still want to get that leo kit from tamiya but i cant pay that 1 grand....

[gigacrush]

how are they as far as run time and are they a good hill climber . was thinking about buying one and putting a car type bod on it . are they also durible.

[cdm]

how are they as far as run time and are they a good hill climber . was thinking about buying one and putting a car type bod on it . are they also durible.


:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:


oh dear.

run time without the speaker is great.

swapping bodies.. that will be the day. totally.. i suggest you look at the drawings of one first and see for yourself why this will never happen

[cdm]

time to rebuild it and inspect the damage. also adding full bearings. after 1 year of abuse let's do a quick damage report.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8185/dsc002136ek.jpg
despite being submerged in water and mud and powerwashed several times, a lot of grease was retained. the stock sealing is impressive. there also wasn't any residue in the hull.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1706/dsc002156bu.jpg
see the yellowish layer on the inside? brass sheddings stuck to grease. that's why i would recommend bearings at some point. the axle metal is very hard and shows no wear though.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7405/dsc002178qt.jpg

notice the suspension arm wear at the joints. the grooves are deep and concern me. there is no solution that i can think of however. the more they wear, the more slop there will be. another reason to use bearings as to stabalize the suspension movement...

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8859/dsc002246ie.jpg
sprocket axle. notice the drilled out end after the hubs kept sticking. a clear design fault. use some lube between the hub/axle/sprocket and the flat part of the hex cap screw. else, take your drill out if you ever need to remove a broken sprocket.

[cdm]

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8220/dsc002297oy.jpg
the gearbox. all looking good.

there is some wear on the metal bevel gears but i am not sure if it's an error in the casting or what.. strange. the resing used for the gears is very hard and i actually got wear on the drive motor pinion, but not on the gear. that's right, my pinion gear is wearing out but not the plastic gear it makes contact with. pot metal anyone?


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/3837/dsc002175db.jpg
this is what happens to the bearings. they rust and eventually rust out and seize. those are the outside axle bearings. i doubt they will survive more than 2 years unless you don't take the tank off the shelf. but if you run it in the elements, replace those often or find some heavy duty bearings that can withstand rust and debris.

[sollie]

Nice pic's cdm.(but turn on the lights) Looks like a solid tank if you have used it 4 a year now.
I have just started to use mine but 1 m of snow and -15 outside is a bit cold for outdoor rc fun I think.
How do you upload more than 1 pic pr post? Anyway, will buy a full set of ball bearings, and the tankzone idler system and some nice accessories.

[sollie]

Some more pic's

[sollie]

more

[sollie]

still some more

[sollie]

last one 4 today

[cdm]

Nice pic's cdm.(but turn on the lights) Looks like a solid tank if you have used it 4 a year now.
I have just started to use mine but 1 m of snow and -15 outside is a bit cold for outdoor rc fun I think.
How do you upload more than 1 pic pr post? Anyway, will buy a full set of ball bearings, and the tankzone idler system and some nice accessories.

you use the img tags for up to 4 per post. but you need to host them offsite.

i notice your track is jumping off the sprocket there.. that's a recipe for it breaking (sprocket). just to let you know. if you are going to run it in freezing temps, you need to loosen up the tension first to avoid that. i noticed the tracks contract a lot in the cold.

it is pretty well built.. i wouldn't advice ramming it in the cubs though :p

lights are on, i am using auto mode and camera just doesn't know what to do. :rolleyes:

[sollie]

Yeah, it jumps off when the snow packs in tight.
What is the difference between the power mode and the standard mode, Power mode uses both 540 to turn/pivot ??. I noticed it got a bit more 'jumpy' in pw mode??
Anyway, what tension/idler hop op did you buy,(website link) and what other areas/weak spots have you done any fix up on you're self.

S

[cdm]

http://tankzone.co.uk/

i am sure you can find it. not going to post a direct link because i am away from home and this dialup takes 4000 hours to load a single page.. sorry.

power mode is quite useless. it overpowers the drivetrain. there is no need for it really. the only thing it does is supply more voltage to the motors. nothing else changes. so in power mode, if you get something stuck in the tracks you are going to eat up your model since there is no stopping the torque the boosted motors provide. :eek:

even this page is still loading.. all the smilies are blank.[/

[sollie]

Tankzone yes, I been on the site and are planning to order some parts from them.
Seems like there will 2 ore 3 more leopards here soon. Some friends of mine are planning to order from stellamodels soon,(so much cheaper then buying them here in Norway, about 1400$ for the leo,ohhhhh :eek: ) so then I will be getting the ball b set and the Battle set and maybe the 4200 pack to, I only have 2000 and 2400 packs from my hpi rs4 pro 2 racing day’s and they are getting old,hehe.. Anyway thanks 4 the info cdm.

[sollie]

There, I have been reading through all the post, lot's of good tips there cdm
Thanks a lot. Will get the idler and the bb set soon, and strip it down and install it.
How much weight have you added to the front of the tank?? What did you use, lead plates ore other stuff???

[cdm]

general metal plates.. i even sealed them in plastic so if any water got in they don't rust and mess the hull up (but water was never a problem). i added about the weight of a battery pack. maybe a tad less.

i am going to make a custom cell to go in the front now so i can free the upper hull since there is no space in there and it frustrates me. this way i can remove the extra weight, keep the balance and make the upper wiring much better.

[sollie]

How do you plan to charge the pack? Make a system like tomzag has??
Anyhow will be cool to se what you come up with, have a nice weekend

[cdm]

just like you normally would. i'll just extend the power plug.... i don't want to make any custom charging systems because i won't leave the chance of forgetting to flip a switch and burn the DMD. i've destroyed a lot of other stuff this way so i am not doing it this time...

[sollie]

Hehe understand that. Makes some photos of it when you get started. Maybe it's something some of my friends can use when they buy this tank.

[sollie]

So, any work done on the battery modification??
Do you get the auto barrel raiser to work ?, when you swing it over the engine it's supposed to raise it self, I guess the little switch is to help out doing that, but mine do not , any sugs. On how to test it ore make it work.??

[gunfighter7]

Hey CDM,

I would like to talk with you about your Leopard tank. I just bought one and would like to know what upgrades should I buy?

You’re the only person I know of with a Leopard that is sharing his building process and what to look out for.

I already have both the T1 and KT, they both have all the upgrades, about $1000 each, never thought this would be such an expensive hobby.

Tankzone seems to be the only place offering the suspension upgrades, brass torsion bars and metal suspension arms. I saw in one of your photos the wearing on the plastic arm. I am assuming that these should be replaced with the metal ones and if you use metal arms I am guessing it is best to also replace the plastic torsion bars.

What parts would you upgrade on the Leo, including the cosmetic parts on the hull?

BACKYARD ARMORY,
My commits regarding backyard Armory, I personally have never had an issue with John. In fact I enjoy doing business with him. Two months ago I ordered some upgrade parts for my KT tank I am finishing up and the back turret hatch had a broken pin. I did not notice this until last week am I had time to finally start work on the KT, I sent BYA an email and he responded immediately and mailed out a replacement at no charge. So my experience with him is positive.



R/Steve
San Diego, CA

[cdm]

going in reverse order.

what happened with backyard armory was due to their own choice of how to handle the situation. there is nothing more than can be said about that since at the end the transaction was saved.

yeah i try. i know i used some resources when i first built it but those are no longer available so i figure i might just do something myself. i am considering making a decent writeup as a stand alone document or something once i am pretty much done fooling with the model since having it scatterred over x posts on x forums is not the best way.

tankzone has been getting some good metal parts as of late but when you convert it to $, that is just way out there. i find it unlikely that under normal conditions you would need to replace arms or wheels. i did however manage to crack one of the suspension arms while putting it back together; watch how tight you screw the screws. luckily tamiya has one spare arm in the kit so i don't have to buy anything to replace it. that's why i usually recommend thread lock (even on plastic areas) so that you don't have to overtighten something and break the fitting. the wear on the joints is because of the design and slop. unlike other rcs, we don't have hubs here but a direct screw-in-a-shaft fiting between a bearing. i suppose tamiya thought that because of the speed that wouldn't be an issue. and it probably isn't. it will take a lot of running hours to cause any actual damage.

i've put the bearings in and those helped with the slop a little but you still get the torsion bar shafts (A parts? 1-16.. the ones in which the torsion bars go) slop and there is nothing you can do about that. the metal parts won't help because you need to change the design, not the material.

i am going to get 2 sport tuned tamiya engines to replace the silver cans. was looking at the specs and the performance gain looks nice without the power draw to burn the DMD.

about that lower hull battery project.. i am thinking about removing the speaker box (and maybe the speaker too since i never use the sound) so i can fit in 2 normal batteries for a long runtime.

as for the cosmetic updates.. i would get the functional tow hook since you need lower hull access to install it. but that is only if you are going to be towing something heavy. else it makes no sense. the machine gun is a nice accessory that should have come with the model but didn't. as for the mirrors, handles and such i see no point. you are still mounting them in plastic and the stock parts look refined enough. i would get the metal tow ropes. the rubbery ones with the kit used to fall apart on me all the time in the first few months. i think i've glued one 6 times in different spots. and then all of a sudden, they stopped breaking :confused: factory weakpoints? who knows.

i want to put the gearbox back together in a few days and this time i am going to pack my special grease recipe (black grease + liquid lube) in the bevel gears. the first time around i just greased them and this time i will try packing it in there. although when i opened them up there was ample left, there could have been more on the contact points.



Hey CDM,

I would like to talk with you about your Leopard tank. I just bought one and would like to know what upgrades should I buy?

You’re the only person I know of with a Leopard that is sharing his building process and what to look out for.

I already have both the T1 and KT, they both have all the upgrades, about $1000 each, never thought this would be such an expensive hobby.

Tankzone seems to be the only place offering the suspension upgrades, brass torsion bars and metal suspension arms. I saw in one of your photos the wearing on the plastic arm. I am assuming that these should be replaced with the metal ones and if you use metal arms I am guessing it is best to also replace the plastic torsion bars.

What parts would you upgrade on the Leo, including the cosmetic parts on the hull?

BACKYARD ARMORY,
My commits regarding backyard Armory, I personally have never had an issue with John. In fact I enjoy doing business with him. Two months ago I ordered some upgrade parts for my KT tank I am finishing up and the back turret hatch had a broken pin. I did not notice this until last week am I had time to finally start work on the KT, I sent BYA an email and he responded immediately and mailed out a replacement at no charge. So my experience with him is positive.



R/Steve
San Diego, CA

[gunfighter7]

Charging switch,

I came across this site while looking for information on RC tanks. I have sense installed on my Tiger 1 and KT and when I get around to building my leo I will also install this system. cdm, do not worry about leaving a switch on because you still have the on and off switch for the tank so its hard to mess up.

Here is the link,

http://www.sead.us/technology4.html

[gunfighter7]

What about using metal tracks?

I tried to use the plastic one with my T1 and KT but they kept breaking at the pins location. Once I switched to the metal tracks I never had a problem and the added weight looked nice when it was on soft dirt.

I also just ordered the metal Idler wheels, Brass Torsion bars and metal swing arms from AFV. These just look like the weak points on the Leo.

[gunfighter7]

still some more
Your tracks look very real, are the the plastic or metal ones?

[cdm]

What about using metal tracks?

I tried to use the plastic one with my T1 and KT but they kept breaking at the pins location. Once I switched to the metal tracks I never had a problem and the added weight looked nice when it was on soft dirt.

I also just ordered the metal Idler wheels, Brass Torsion bars and metal swing arms from AFV. These just look like the weak points on the Leo.
well the arms only suffer damage if you overtorque the screws. the real wekpoint are the sprockets and related assembly along with the screws.

sprockets are 2 parts, GLUED together (nice tamiya!) so they will come apart. at this point you will have the half sprocket mounted on the hub. chances are it will be jammed on there and the screws will strip so you will have to drill everything out and possibly destroy the axle. happened twice to me. i would suggest some heavy duty lube between the hubs and sprockets and some sort of a tape over the screws once you have them in place to keep the debris out.

i don't see any advantage from the metal tracks.. the stock ones are amazingly well made, not like on the other kits. in fact, i would say they will be a burden offroad given the entire model's weight distribution with stuff getting caught between them and the wheels.... also their flexing ability is questionable, because the rest of the model is too light to properly press the sections and make them change shape as the track rolls.

ps. the leo hates grass.

lastly the sprockets, you can fix them so that they will never come apart again. it's relatively easy too.

[gunfighter7]

well the arms only suffer damage if you overtorque the screws. the real wekpoint are the sprockets and related assembly along with the screws.

sprockets are 2 parts, GLUED together (nice tamiya!) so they will come apart. at this point you will have the half sprocket mounted on the hub. chances are it will be jammed on there and the screws will strip so you will have to drill everything out and possibly destroy the axle. happened twice to me. i would suggest some heavy duty lube between the hubs and sprockets and some sort of a tape over the screws once you have them in place to keep the debris out.

i don't see any advantage from the metal tracks.. the stock ones are amazingly well made, not like on the other kits. in fact, i would say they will be a burden offroad given the entire model's weight distribution with stuff getting caught between them and the wheels.... also their flexing ability is questionable, because the rest of the model is too light to properly press the sections and make them change shape as the track rolls.

ps. the leo hates grass.

lastly the sprockets, you can fix them so that they will never come apart again. it's relatively easy too.

Which sprockets are we taking about?

The drive sprockets I have with me kit are one piece metal, there are two parts that you put around them, parts W1 and W2 but I read one of your postings and was going to leave them off.

[Secretsg]

Gunfighter you should look up AFV models (http://www.afv-model.de/english.htm) for Leopard 2 upgrades. They specialize in modern era rc armor upgrades. (Wecohe does the WW2 stuff) You will have to use the German version of the site to see all the inventory as the English version of site doesn't list everything. The metal arms and other suspension pieces are of particular interest. I believe some of the tankzone stuff is ordered from them at a premium price due to the value of English pounds.

[gunfighter7]

Thank you for the note about AFV, last week I ordered the complete running gear upgrades from them, Road wheel set, idler wheel set, metal arms and brass torsion bars. Can wait (3 to 4 weeks) to get them so I can build this thing.

If you know of any other upgrades or changes I should use please let me know. I am still looking for a charging plug to use on my RC tank.


R/Steve

[Secretsg]

Tom offers a charging jack on his site (http://www.tomsrctanks.com/) . It's the only semi commercial upgrade of that type I've seen. You will to rig one up yourself otherwise.

[cdm]

Which sprockets are we taking about?

The drive sprockets I have with me kit are one piece metal, there are two parts that you put around them, parts W1 and W2 but I read one of your postings and was going to leave them off.

leo2 sprockets

[gunfighter7]

Yes, my Leo 2 has one piece metal drive sprockets

[cdm]

Yes, my Leo 2 has one piece metal drive sprockets

impossible. photos?


here are my custom joined 1 piece sprockets. those aren't coming apart. :D

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/1986/dsc000322ye.jpg

here are the stock ones. click on image to view full size @ 1600x the stud prevents twisting motion, but pulling and rotational movement/separation is prevented by a scarce amount of glue jelly.



http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/2978/dsc000957zn.th.jpg (http://img431.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000957zn.jpg)

[gunfighter7]

Ok,

Now I see what you mean, yes I see the joint. How do I fit it before it breaks, JB weld?

[cdm]

jbweld won't hold. you have two options, one is to make a fine weld on the outside of the joint, then level off the whole sprocket with resin or something to cover it up if you want.

the other way is to drill 2 holes going through the inner flange around the joint area and drive 2 strong steel screws in there to hold the 2 pieces together. then you can either resin the outside or leave them sticking. thertrick with this is if the screws extend too far in, they will hit the axle shaft so they have to be just right.

personally i wouldn't do anything to a healthy sprocket. it may never come apart, but if it does, don't panic. a new set is like 20$ from tamiya unless you want to fix the old ones.

[GRUNDIG415]

keep this thread alive!

[cdm]

no hope of keeping it alive but anyway

mine is still in pieces. might as well upgrade the engines... not sure about the steering one because of the current draw, though the DMD should be able to take it. once i know for sure i'll decide. heatsinks maybe as well.. depending on the space.

i've been entirely too busy with other things (read: my audi) so all the $$ and time go there.

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9282/leof7jc.jpg

i need one more tamiya part and the power cells and i can start putting it back together.

[sollie]

Me too, mine is stored right now, as it got a rock jammed in the belt and the roller wheel so I need to take it apart to get to it. And I’m also enjoying my audio setup with my new 40’ lcd Samsung, and just got a traxxas revo to(swopped the t-max for the tamiya tank and was set on a rc fuel car break, but heck that didn’t last long). Keep up with some posting cdm… Enjoy summer

[Mika]

Hi
few Sherman tank vids
attacking http://www.snrt.net/sherman01.mov
this one has some effects, too http://www.snrt.net/sherman02.mov
have fun, though it takes a while to download :D

[GRUNDIG415]

keep it alive!

[cdm]

ok.. :o

i've posted the busted axle, time for the one that's normal. that's the whole thing you pull out once you unscrew the cover that holds it in place. don't even have to remove the hub on which the sprocket sits (removed in photo). really cool but i had to yank on it with pliers. i don't like axles.. they hate me. had to change the ones in the car last month and that was the biggest pita ever. i had to drill the leo and i've had numerous other rc disasters with axles and anything connected to them.

anyhow, the outside bearing (left side ) is the that rusts and corrodes. mine were basically toast after a year (few muddy runs, nothing special). so i'll change them with some heavy duty offroad ones and see how those fare.


http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9495/axle5vf.jpg

batteries should be here next week and i can put it back together. i've changed my torsion bars and there is a major difference between the new ones and the ones that i took out. about 1.5times stiffer using the "finger measure".

[GRUNDIG415]

i just ordered the leopard...it will be here in 14 days....yes!!!!!

[GRUNDIG415]

keep it alive.......!!!
my leo just came in!!
i keep looking at it.....

[Tankfan]

Big Tamiya tank nut here. Got all but the Sherman and the Pershing. WW2 allied is too bland for me. I also have the Bandai SturmgeschutsIV and soon i will have a 1/6 scale Leopard2A6 I cant wait to get this beast. Of all the tamiya tank kits though id have to say that the Gepard is the worst as far as actual functionality, ill need to gut mine and revamp all the electronics soon. As far as ruggedness on a scale of 1-10, 10 being best i have to say that the tiger1 is a 10 and the Leo2 is a 3

Here is a link to the site where i ordered my 1/6 from.

http://www.mark-1-tank.co.uk/leopard2.html

[GRUNDIG415]

Big Tamiya tank nut here. Got all but the Sherman and the Pershing. WW2 allied is too bland for me. I also have the Bandai SturmgeschutsIV and soon i will have a 1/6 scale Leopard2A6 I cant wait to get this beast. Of all the tamiya tank kits though id have to say that the Gepard is the worst as far as actual functionality, ill need to gut mine and revamp all the electronics soon. As far as ruggedness on a scale of 1-10, 10 being best i have to say that the tiger1 is a 10 and the Leo2 is a 3

Here is a link to the site where i ordered my 1/6 from.

http://www.mark-1-tank.co.uk/leopard2.html
how is the tamiya leo 2a6

[Tankfan]

Overall control and detail are spot on excellent. The problems i have had are with the swing arms on the road wheels. Being made of plastic they tend to crack around the "D" housing where they screw to the lower hull. I had 2 crack on me. Its fixable but it is a glaring flaw in the ruggednes of the kit. The other problem i have is that the lower hull is ABS notstyrene plastic so the styrene parts that glue on there tend to fall off since the cements cannot bond the 2 plastics.
There are metal upgrades for the swingarms but with my 1/6 leo2A6 coming im not going to put money into a tank that wont be driven very often. For overall ruggedness and reliability you would want a Tiger 1.

[GRUNDIG415]

well,i do have the pershing,sherman,king tiger and i just got the new leo2a6...so my next question is what glue or adhesive will work?for the lower hull?
got anypics of your tanks?the leo2a6?

[Tankfan]

I dont have any pics on this computer but i am planning a photoshoot this weekend. The Leo is actually a Veteran. I took it with me to the mideast, it survived with no major problems. Keep an eye on this space this weekend.

[GRUNDIG415]

thanks tankfan...i will be looking out this weekend....

[heavyaslead]

Here are a couple of pics of my 16th Leo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/escott/Leo2A6/Leo2A6-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/escott/Leo2A6/Leo2A6-4.jpg

Best running Tam kit.

Cheers
Eric

[GRUNDIG415]

very nice leo.....i have not started on my leo yet.....

[Mika]

Like the real thing

Any vids around of the leo ?

Here's my son's Sherman http://www.snrt.net/sherman1.jpg

[heavyaslead]

Here is a short vid of my Leo:

http://h1.ripway.com/heavyaslead/SEAD-Tanks/08-21-05_Leo_block0.MOV

Cheers
Eric

[heavyaslead]

Or this for fun stunt!

http://media.putfile.com/Leo-stunt

Cheers
Eric

[Tankfan]

Im going to update this photo album this weekend with petter pics and more vehicles. But here is a link to my old album. Sorry for the blurry pics. Digicams dont work well in winter english light.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tiger131@btinternet.com/album?.dir=e9bc&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

[GRUNDIG415]

looks damn good!

[Tankfan]

well this weekend is crap. My tiger sheared an idler/tensioner axel and my Leo 2 popped one of the plastic arms on its roadwheels. My Leo 1 ran fine. I didnt dare run my Gepard, Stug or T-34.
Anyoe got a spare idler wheel tensioner axel for a Tamiya Tiger1. Its the one part ou cant find on sale online anywhere and i dont really feel like buying another tiger to replace it.

[GRUNDIG415]

i guess no new pics eh?

[Tankfan]

Not yet. Its ben raining all day. I will try tomorrow. ill just take pics from the good sides.

[GRUNDIG415]

cool...thanks

[heavyaslead]

well this weekend is crap. My tiger sheared an idler/tensioner axel and my Leo 2 popped one of the plastic arms on its roadwheels. My Leo 1 ran fine. I didnt dare run my Gepard, Stug or T-34.
Anyoe got a spare idler wheel tensioner axel for a Tamiya Tiger1. Its the one part ou cant find on sale online anywhere and i dont really feel like buying another tiger to replace it.

Sheared like this? :eek:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/escott/Battle%20Damage/Tiger-broken-idler.jpg

Call it battle damage!

[Tankfan]

Sheared exactly like that. I do have a preventative fix for it though. A nylon bushing that will fit over the axel and fit in the hole the axel goes into as well.

[web_stat]

Here I have two Completely New in Box Futaba's, both radio's were never installed in any Car, Truck, or Buggy. The Futaba 3PJ is missing it's antenna due to me needed it for another radio that i needed an antenna for but you can get a replacement from either TowerHobbies.com or on eBay for below $20.00. Both radio's were stored in my storage with my other R/C good's and the box on the Futaba 3PJ has some light wear on it and the the Futaba 6XAP radio box has a small minor tear in the top corner of it. I have taped the Futaba 3PJ box around the top to reduce the wear and tear on it, both radio's were only brought out of it's box for picture taking and then put back in. The Futaba 6XAP radio is a ground frequency radio and are mostly used in Tractor Trucks and can be used in many other type's of ground model's. Both these radio's come with standard servo's as you can see in the pic's, for the Futaba 6XAP radio i am including an aluminum shiftgate made by BruiserBuilder. Below is what i'm looking to get for each radio and shipping cost.





Futaba 6XAP Radio - price: $125.00 shipping - price: $8.50

Futaba 3PJS Radio - price: $125.00 shipping - price: $8.50




http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture007.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture011.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture012.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture010.jpg


http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture001.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture002.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture013.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/webstat/Picture015.jpg



I will be shipping both radio's out USPS - Priority Mail either a the day i recieve payment or the day after depending on the time of day. Much Thanks for peep'n


you can contact me either through PM or by e-mailing me at web_stat@hotmail.com

[web_stat]

ok currently pending payment on both radio's.

[GRUNDIG415]

Keep The Thread Alive

[cdm]

i don't think i can bring myself to rolling over a 1200$ machine...

meanwhile i put the tracks on last night and i am ready to roll after the rebuild. only thing left to do is wire up the 7000mah batteries and let her rip :D

[Tankfan]

I have rolled my leo once. It slipped off a curb when i got too close to the edge. But i havnt rolled a tiger or other WW2 tank. Just the leo. weird.

[Leo_Fan]

hi all

my name is jason, im from sydney australia, and i have just bought an old Tamiya original Leo 1 cheap. very cheap.

got the tank and the 4ch radio for only $300 au.
it looks to be in great shape, with minimal use.
has no electronic sounds or anything however.

i think it was built then used as a display model only, probably only ever run indoors, and then not very often.

can anyone help me with getting this tank up to the full option stage ?
i will post pics in the not too distant future.

jason

[cdm]

if it uses two motors you can just buy the DMD from tamiya for about 400-500$ (i think not really sure of price) and wire it up.

meanwhile i put mine back together. now i know why the front idlers do not have rubbers. i ruberized them (came out perfect) but apparently my track was rubbing against the fenders, somewhere up on the top front. it was so bad the rubber pads were literally being shaven away.

so i took off my rubber tires for the idlers. pity... there isn't enough clearance in the tightest idler position. 3mm will cause the tracks to rub. :eek:

[pininfarina]

no hope of keeping it alive but anyway

mine is still in pieces. might as well upgrade the engines... not sure about the steering one because of the current draw, though the DMD should be able to take it. once i know for sure i'll decide. heatsinks maybe as well.. depending on the space.

i've been entirely too busy with other things (read: my audi) so all the $$ and time go there.

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9282/leof7jc.jpg

i need one more tamiya part and the power cells and i can start putting it back together.

by the way, did you change both of the motors to sport tuned?

[cdm]

no, but i should have. i am still testing how it does with the drive one and i am impressed. i am going to order another one and swap it in next time i run a bill at tower.

i am also considering heatsinks or some sort since there is little air getting in the hull.

each diff is packed with grease to the brim, and after i thoroughly lubed the gears i packed it there as well before putting the cover on. wiped the excess that came out when i tightened it. it's that much in there.. i used something like 5oz i think altogether :eek:

painted the tracks black since the default plastic gray drove me mad.

i will do some better cable management once i put my battle system back in, but there is plenty space now. no more pushing cables around to make the top fit.

this will probably be the cleanest the drivetrain will ever be since i plan on taking it in the mud in a bit :cool:

because my sprockets and the screws that hold them always jammed before (story a few pages back) i greased them so the contact points have no reason to stick now. it should keep the water out as well. the hex screws that touch the sprockets are also lubed and the threads threadlocked. to avoid debris from getting in the way, i've actually covered the screws this time around. no longer will i fight dirt when i want to fit the hex wrench in there.

some bearings have been replaced with rust resistant sealed ones.

sprockets are untouched and i expect them to come apart at some point like the old ones.....

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4597/576uyjik1.jpg

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/8449/hui7ly9.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9858/jt6t7mywh7.jpg


http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/1699/tyujghhg8.jpg

excuse the dust but my rc area is off limits so nobody goes there to clean it.. and i am not that diligent apparently. i'll fix it when i have some time lol

[Leo_Fan]

my leopard is old school, only has one motor.
it is in really good condition mechanically, i just wish it had the engine noises and the ability to raise / lower and fire the main gun.

it has metal tracks that look like new.
im not sure weather i should sink some time and $ into the old leo, or save up and buy the new one.

jason

[cdm]

funny you should say this. i found the sounds rather useless and removed the speaker box in favor of the batteries

[Leo_Fan]

what about the ability to rotate and raise / lower the gun ?

how can i add those to the leopard ?

jason

[Leo_Fan]

i think i will just leave the old leopard 1 A4 as a working shelf queen.
it is nearly 30 years old after all.

im gonna start saving for a new tamiya tank. im thinking about the new leopard 2 a6,
but i might go with something from WWII. any recommendations ?

jason

[GRUNDIG415]

Keep It Going!

[Leo_Fan]

i need parts for the leo 1. can anyone help ?

i need the input "collar" for the gearbox.
it's brass, and has a slot in it. the one on my leo has been modified.

im trying to return it to stock.

jason

[reptile]

Here is some pic's of my new sherman just got done with her.
http://image2.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Cn77682.jpg

http://image2.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Db86092.jpg
http://image2.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Ay75846.jpg
http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Ig12619.jpg
http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Rn39256.jpg
http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Fk17737.jpg
http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Dx67233.jpg
http://image.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/107591/Uf50064.jpg

[Mika]

nice work!!

[reptile]

Thanks..just a little vid of her first run!
sherman first run (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO8_Jbbs72o)

[Live Steam Mad]

Overall control and detail are spot on excellent. The problems i have had are with the swing arms on the road wheels. Being made of plastic they tend to crack around the "D" housing where they screw to the lower hull. I had 2 crack on me. Its fixable but it is a glaring flaw in the ruggednes of the kit. The other problem i have is that the lower hull is ABS notstyrene plastic so the styrene parts that glue on there tend to fall off since the cements cannot bond the 2 plastics.
There are metal upgrades for the swingarms but with my 1/6 leo2A6 coming im not going to put money into a tank that wont be driven very often. For overall ruggedness and reliability you would want a Tiger 1.

I have found the information on here to be very useful and enjoyable to read so far but I have a few comments to make!

Firstly to query the point that this poster makes, above... The hull is indeed ABS, but the B parts tree which has the return roller support blocks and suspension "yoke" parts (both of which we have to bond onto the hull with solvent) is also ABS, NOT Styrene. So you are bonding ABS parts onto an ABS hull. At least if we believe the chemical polymer codes that Tamiya marks onto their parts trees...

I thought that the only successful solvent for ABS was MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) so maybe there is MEK in the Tamiya Extra Thin Cement that I am using (as the manual recommends) to do this.

I am very nervous about the return roller blocks coming off in use because of the weight of the tracks pressing down from the top. I imagine that the 3 x heavier metal tracks for the Leo 2 would make this worse?!

Also I have used the Schumo Improved Idler Kit on my own Tamiya Leopard 2 A6 and I see that the original stock kit plastic parts (C8) use wedge shaped (tapered) teeth to engage into the special matching shape in the front-most part of the side of the hull.

When I went and tried my Schumo Nickel-Silver castings in that place, they did NOT fit through from the back since the Schumo castings have plain (NOT tapered) teeth :huh: :mad: . I had to have 3 attempts with a flat straight needle file in order to remove the taper on the teeth in the hull enough to allow the Schumo casting to go in :roll2: , and in the case of both castings they went "POP" straight into the correct place at the 3rd attempt :) . Perfection, but irritating that I had to file the hull to achieve this. Fortunately the parts fit perfectly with no slop.

I didn't get any instructions with my Schumo idler kit (bought it second hand but NIP). Hence I had to guess but it works fine. 5 things still confuse me though...

1) How am I supposed to attach the little circular casting with the 3 very small circles on the outside into the main casting?

2) And if I do that, what happens when I need to alter the track tension and need access to the bolt behind this little circular casting?

3) Does the long cap head bolt go into the main casting with the cap head on the "outside" of the tank, in the hole that has the splines "on the outside of this hole" in the main casting?

4) Does the 3mm locknut go on the inside on the other end of that long cap head bolt?

5) Where does the washer go?

http://www.afv-model.com/4711shop/product_info.php?info=p259_Idler-tension-adjuster-set-Leopard-2.html

Cheers,

Alistair G.

[cdm]

Yes you have to file the shumo kit because the stock wedges are not approproate for a metal cast.. ie metal has to be too thin to fit in there and this will cause issues with a casted part v. milled.

the site above is cheaper, but this one has way more stuff + ships international no problem..

http://www.tankzone.co.uk/cart/tz_l2a6.htm

imho metal parts on this model are a total waste because they go into the plastic anyway.. so hooks and the like are quite well wasteful. never seen anyone with those decorations on the leo anyway. the metal wheels and suspension parts are something i want so bad but i checked with the bank - they won't pro rate my dues so i can buy them. sigh

been playing with it after the upgrades and am not happy with the batteries i put in there.. but they last for hours..

now that i have space in the hub i've put the battle system back in, and am considering either a camera or a spot light up there. played in the dark tonight and was so lost it was sad.

there is no stress on the cables between the turret and hull so separating both takes me 30 seconds. in stock configuration 5 minutes was good while figuring out how to stretch this and that wire.

as for the performance, it is a mixed bag. the stronger motor pulls better to the point i have the tank tilting heavily from a dead stop (cool) but top speed isn't much better.. the gearbox just isn't made for that. torque though is immense.. now i have to watch the throttle even more, as it even slows down slower - in about 2 feet from full speed.

i should have upgraded the turn one as well because my turning response has been severely destroyed it would appear. i have to slow down almost to a pivot to make hard turns or floor it all the way down. not sure if this is due to me needing to re-init my controller (i keep saying i want to change it and i will soon...) or the difference in motor speeds @ same voltage but it was quite nasty.

switching to power mode fixed that but now i am getting used to the overresponsiveness of the power mode.

so better motors = more realistic power curve.. not sure how far i can push it before the dmd complains...

[Vontiger]

Hi Hairball and everyone.

Sorry to hijack your mail Hairball, but I could not find new post? I have a bit of a problem. I own a tiger 1 RC, however, I have lost my drivers side hatch. I have a sneaking suspicion my nephew has taken it but under controlled interogation he has failed to divulge its whereabouts!!! I suspect its now gone forever..... I wrote off to Tamiya for replacement parts but they require kit part numbers. However, I no longer have my instruction manual. Does anyone out there still have a manual and if so could you list the parts that make up the drivers side hatch fully. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

Vontiger

[stefke]

Hello guys,

some interesting reading here.

I own a vintage Tamiya sherman (the original 1980'ies one) and a vintage Leopard 1A4. I'm thinking of going back into tanking but I don't want to use the vintage shelf queens anymore so I'm thinking of a new Tamiya 1/16 kit.

My preference goes out to the sherman, but I have a question : upon firing, does the sherman's barrel recoil like the Tigers or Pershings ? I think that's such a cool effect and I want it. If it's not, it's going to be a Pershing or Tiger I.

[Mika]

No it does not, but the tank itself has back movement when shooting..

[reptile]

Hi look at this a vid of me running my new sherman for it's first time!
It's great i like it better than my king tiger!
shermans first run (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO8_Jbbs72o)

[stefke]

OK.

Can you tell me if it would be physically possible to build the Tamiya Tiger or Pershing barrel recoil mechanism in the Sherman's turret ? I would love this combined with the tamiya 17 pounder replacement barrel. Or even better : the 'Easy 8' conversion kit.

Or would this be an option ? (click WECOHE Recoil Kits (Tamiya 1/16)) :

http://www.backyardarmor.com/New%20Main.htm

[lowrez]

I picked up an old Tamiya Leopard 1/16th it is dated 1977. It is missing quite a few parts. The tracks, chassis and gearbox look good though. Is it possible to get new parts for these or should I just toss it? Also, is it possible to get a copy somewhere of the instruction sheet for it so I can figure out exactly what I need.

[pininfarina]

I picked up an old Tamiya Leopard 1/16th it is dated 1977. It is missing quite a few parts. The tracks, chassis and gearbox look good though. Is it possible to get new parts for these or should I just toss it? Also, is it possible to get a copy somewhere of the instruction sheet for it so I can figure out exactly what I need.

you might want to try tamiyaclub, there's loads of info there..

here's a link (http://www.tamiyaclub.com/manual.asp?id=325)

[templarlock]

Are the only essential after-market parts for the Leo2A6 the idler upgrade and the swing arms?

I won't be running my tank at any competitions/battles nor will I be running it frequently or on very rough terrain.

[GRUNDIG415]

Keep It Alive!

[sienna]

Want to keep this forum alive.

I was in the local hobby store last week and saw the Leopard 2A6 kit which I'm considering. They also have a Tamiya 1/16th tank kit in a large wooden box that resembles a military crate with rope handles. Which model is this one? I didn't get to see it close up. They also have a few others in stock. Anyone have recommendations for their preferred Tamiya tank if they could only get one? This would be my first tank. I have pretty good model building skills, lots of patience, and will invest in a good airbrush system if I take the plunge. I have the same questions regarding upgrades for the Leopard 2A6 that I saw a few pages back, but the answers were a little confusing. I'm not familiar with some of the terminology used here. Would someone care to summarize and clarify. Thanks in advance.

[GRUNDIG415]

I have all of the tanks...if you want a fast modern tank,go for the leo2a6
if you want a german,i would get the tiger 1
if you want a allied tank,get the sherman(its the easy one to work with)

that crate you saw was for the tiger 1

[sienna]

Thanks! Did you install any functional upgrades with the Leo A26. I'm more concerned with reliability than cosmetic upgrades. I've seen the idler mentioned as well as the bearings, but I thought it came with decent bearings (or races). Are upgraded tank treads worth it?

[GRUNDIG415]

I Got The Idler Upgrade For It,and The Gun Stabilzer...thats It...runs Awesome!
Kinda Expensive Though

[sienna]

Thanks for the upgrade tips. Is there anyone out there with recommendations for a good air brush kit. I know I want a system with dual action and gravity feed, but what else should I be looking for, and are there any preferred brands or brands to stay away from?

[GRUNDIG415]

Toptop

[ir3]

Tamiya Tank Officianados,

It's great to find a thread on the Tamiya Tanks. My first was an Early Tiger 1 full option with cast metal track upgrades. I was thrilled by the way that Tamiya built in such great realism and this was about 5 years ago. My latest is the Leopard 2A6 and I am even more impressed with the gun stabilization system. I am going with all the cast metal suspension upgrades and metal tracks. This is adding quite a bit of weight to the tank and while I do not plan any combat at the moment, I am worried about the motors that are supplied with the kit. Will the extra weight of the tank cause me any problems? If I need to upgrade the motors, are there any suggestions? Will heat sinks be required. Any feed back would be appreciated and I hope to make some contribution to the thread.

Thanks for the opportunity,

ir3

P. S. Once the tank is finished I am going to look into the trucks. Particularly the King Hauler. I think Tamiya has started a conspiracy to keep me in the poor house.

[tiger007]

I'm new to the forum and hope someone can help me out.I have the above kit and cannot get the main gun to fire or retract.The machine gun operates and I have ran the self test on the MF01,everything works.I am using a new futuba 4vwd attack radio,what can be wrong? :confused:

[GRUNDIG415]

Who Is Gon A Get The New Tamiya Panther?

[ir3]

I Got The Idler Upgrade For It,and The Gun Stabilzer...thats It...runs Awesome!
Kinda Expensive Though
I have the idler upgrade but I havn't installed it yet. What did you do to keep the hex bolt from backing out when you installed the lock nut inside the chassis. It seems to me that the hex bolt will back out unless it is set with locktite or some other way.

ir3

[GRUNDIG415]

I have the idler upgrade but I havn't installed it yet. What did you do to keep the hex bolt from backing out when you installed the lock nut inside the chassis. It seems to me that the hex bolt will back out unless it is set with locktite or some other way.

ir3
I USE THE RED LOCKTIGHT

[under-dog]

I have been a modeler and a war gamer for years. I have been interested in getting into the hobby but would like to do so with the intent to battle with it. It would be very cool to bring things into real time.

I am from Rhode Island (NE area) and was wondering if there were any other members from the area. Does anyone know of any clubs or something of the sort in my area?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[ir3]

Can anyone who has built the Leopard 2A6 please help. I do not see how the Loader's hatch is to be assembled to the turret. The parts involved are the hatch, K31 and K3. Is the Loader's hatch fixed in place or can it be opened. If it can be opened then I have no idea how to make it work. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

IR3

[templarlock]

On my Leo, I fixed the loader's hatch in the closed position. I don't think it can be assembled in such a way that you can open it - at least according to the kit instructions. I'm sure there is some way you can fix it so it can open (modifying the little hinge piece or something) but it would take more modelling skills than I have.

The Leo is by far the most complex model I have ever built. It is also the most fun model I have built. I have lots of fun running it around the yard and driveway. It is also fun to chase your cats with.

[cfjan]

Hi guys,

Glad to see there's a thread for the Tamiya tank! I am tank newbie.. (not new to RCs, currently have 15 or 16 cars in the collection)

Anyway, I am debting whether to have someone do a nice paint job for me (a local LHS has someone who can do a decent job) or tempt the paint job myself..

The problem w/ doing it myself: I am not much of an artist.. and I'd hate to mess up the paint job on this nice kit.. (I am used to paint those lexan bodies using spray can, LOL!)

The positive of doing it myself is: I can have more control on the build, i.e., paint these 10 pieces, so I can put them onto the chassis, and then put in the electronics, then, paint some more pieces, etc. (i.e., follow the building manual)


The positive of having someone paint it: Much better result / more complicated paint job (camo paint job)

The negative?! I need to figure out which parts I can build up, and what I can not build.. (because you don't want to glue on some parts and then now it is hard to paint, etc.) Unless they can paint the whole thing at once, (instead of painting each pieces, then put on the tank, but I doubt that's the case)

Anyway, not sure if I am making sense or not, but imagine if you have to send out all the plastic pieces to paint, but it is gonna be hard for the painter to paint them without having the tank being built-up (so you can visualize the tank, and apply the camo paint job).. because all the pieces need to fit together.. BUT, you need some pieces to be paint first, before you can put them together...

Chicken and egg situation..

I guess most of the pieces are painted w/ the green color.. maybe I can do that myself.. and once the whole tank is built up, with all the green color applied, I will now have someone apply the camo paint job at the end? Maybe that's an option?!

Argh!! :mad:

[templarlock]

Welcome to tanks! I'm a newbie myself, but I have built the Tamiya Leo (no small feat, I think).

I have never, ever painted camo before I painted my Leo, but I got an airbrush set from my wife for Christmas and I gave it a shot. I am very pleased. After a few practice sessions (probably no more than an hour total), I found the airbrushing to be pretty simple.

Now, I didn't follow the paint scheme EXACTLY, but I got the general color where it generally goes on the real tank. The only two tips I would give is to make a 3:1 mixture of paint and rubbing alcohol (I used Tamiya acrylics and standard rubbing alcohol) and paint the lighter colors first (in my case, NATO brown, NATO black, then NATO green).

If you want to try a Tamiya without all the airbrush camo work, look for the Sherman tank. that is almost 100% olive drab and you can easily apply that with spray paint cans.

[cfjan]

Oh, I have already bought the tank.. I got the Leopard 2 A6 myself as well!! (do you have any pics?! I wouldn't mind seeing some!!)

I am too chicken to try the paint myself.. :o

Yeah, the Sherman looks cool.. wouldn't mind getting one of those too!

But the next RC will probably be a Tamiya semi.. the Aeromax..

[templarlock]

I'll have to take some. I finished my Leo about three weeks ago and haven't made any photos.

Also, how do you post pictures here?

[cfjan]

Make the pic small enough (has to be less than 104k or something) and then click on the "Manage Attachment" button and it will let you do attachment!

[Txas Best]

Anyone know what happend to texas armor club??? The web site is quite. did it move somewhere else? Need to know, cuz i got battle fever ^.^

[GRUNDIG415]

where are the pics?

[mannerofrespect]

Hello everyone, just ran across a 1/16 Tamiya Leopard A4 at a flea market. It was completely built except for the electronics. The guy that had it didn't have a clue as to what he had as he had gotten it with a bunch of other stuff. I paid him $10 for it.

I had alot of the electronics around since I do alot with monster trucks so that wasn't much problem. The big thing right now is the speed controller. It seems to have only one speed forward and one in reverse. Did they normally come with just a mechanical speed controller? Does anyone make an electronic one for it? I normally run nitro so don't have any speed controllers that would work.

I'm also looking for the orginal instructions for it to have on file, any help with that would be great also.

Thanks in advance.

Karl

[GRUNDIG415]

Got Any Pics?

[cfjan]

$10 Tamiya tank -> NICE!!

[mannerofrespect]

I will try to get some pics up in the next few days.

[GRUNDIG415]

cool

[GRUNDIG415]

Tamiya Is Coming With A New Full Option Rc Tank.....jadgpanther!

[swannco]

Has there ever been such a thing as an RTR tank from Tamiya? I would love to see one of these things in person, but no local hobby shops carry them.

[squirrel_nutz]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum. I recently bought a Tamiya Leopard2 kit, it came with full options. It took me about 1 week to build. I;m still working on the fine detailing. What an amazing kit...The lights and sounds it makes are very cool. The best part is when you fire the canon, it recoils the barrel and the tank shakes a bit too.

One thing i was dissapointed with is some of the suspension arms that hold the road wheels on the tank cracked (about 5 of them). This is from a normal 5 minute run outside, not doing anything crazy. It could be that I tightend the screws too tight, but I'm usually pretty careful about that kinda stuff. You can see in the pictures what I'm talking about.

This tank will most likely sit on the shelf most of it's life, but I do want to run it once in a while. I'm trying to find a machine shop that could make the suspension arms in aluminum so this doesn't happen anymore. Has anyone ever come across something like this happening?

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/t2.jpg
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/t3.jpg
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/T1.jpg
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/t4.jpg
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/broken2.jpg
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z245/ricecube_2007/broken1.jpg

[cdm]

Welcome to the club. A lot more breakage is in your future if you run this.

Been there done that.

[GRUNDIG415]

you need to get the metal arms...

[maddison]

Anyone out there own any of the Tamiya R/C Tanks?

I run a schumacher and several other cars for R/c racing and recently fitted a supercharger to my XTr.

But my passion not only is the cars the Tanks took over so I now run a club for people to play with these models. I built them all. Have about 40 in total now but all the pictures are here.

http://www.maddivision.co.uk

http://http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pR7Bl_R1texrIsEyzn18d10G5DN8JT6OueLPhE8Kg0mbwUWU ggot_xC22pCF9q08DvSgcS4K9hdQ

This is not a plug for the business but if you have any problems with tanks go to and email me I will try and help free of charge. If your in the EU area I can discount parts as well.

http://http://maddivision.spaces.live.com/



Thanks mark.

[ApriliaRacer]

I just got a Leopard 2A6 and was surfing the net looking for R/C Tank related forums.

I can't seem to find an "active" forum. The RCU forum is pretty slow. I've found the DAK forum which has some good info.

But I'm looking for some help or tips when I assemble this kit.

Like I'm planning on using a DX6i in it. It doesn't come with servos. What would be a good servo to use in this tank?

[squirrel_nutz]

I am using the DX6i radio system. As i recall, there is only 1 servo required when assembling the kit. I just used a standard 1:10 scale servo. This operates the elevation of the main gun.