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Hi Martin, Happy New Year,
Here is the first instalment for 2006 from the West Yorkshire Heavy
Engineering Nutters Company!!
After the nightmare of wiring up the lighting I decided that the tracks
needed some attention. The track pads are built up from 3 pieces of small
section hardwood arranged around the holding bolts on the track plate and
covered with a layer of 1/8th rubber (salvaged from car mats!!) bonded in
place with hi grade epoxy resin adhesive. So that was 120 x 3" long, 240 x
1" long and 120 3" x1/2" x 1/8" rubber strips, nearly as maddening as the
wiring!!
These fittings now give the tractor an authentic sound when running over
tarmac/concrete.
The next problems to be tackled were the roof hatches. The assister
springs were wound from soft galvanised wire and the hinge pin is a
section of brazing rod. After much juggling of the linkages the main roof
hatch was made to lock down in the closed position and the support strut
fitted to the roof. The next problem with linkages will be the door
locking system as this needs to keep out the water when launching the
lifeboat!
A start has been made on the internal fittings and the seat for the driver
has been built and fitted. This is a swivel seat and yes it does swivel!!
The driver is a modified Action Man, he has had extensive surgery to
shorten him to be 5' 6" tall and not 6ft to allow positioning easier.The
main hydraulic drive controller joystick is the main lighting control
switch. Next set of fittings will be all the other controls and dials.
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After several frustrating
attempts I have finally managed to make the linkages for the door locking
dogs operate in the correct manner.
this shows the locked position
This shows the open position
The pale coloured strip around the door is a rubber seal so that when the
door is mounted in the frame and locked shut the whole of the opening is
watertight (helped along with a layer of vaseline!!). This wil enable the
tractor to enter the water and NOT drown the driver!!!
Martin - What
are / how did you make the rubber strips?
Mike - The rubber strips are made from a cheap 99p car mat!!
Once the strips were cut to size all the little pimples were cut off
with a pair of end cutters and after bonding to the wooden sub-bases
were sanded to give me a smooth finish on the upper surface as per
the original tractor track pads, each sub-unit was then bonded to
its track plate, all 120!!!
Martin - Did you need a straight jacket to complete that task????
Mike - I have had a very natty little number with buttons up the
back for the last 18 months of this build!!
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