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[IKB]

 The start of a new project and a new journey, just to get to this point has already been a trial, the details of which are in another post of mine, "Water Jet Drives & 3D Printing":

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,53340.msg550495.html#msg550495

So being the festive period, I finally have some time away from work and have today made a determined effort to make at least some progress on my, "Alvis Stalwart" model. After much searching, I decided to buy a high detail kit, which I could measure, draw and than re-scale in CAD, this led me to purchasing the excellent mixed media kit from, "Kit Form Services" bit pricey, but the detail is superb from a modeler's perspective.

I wanted to start this project about eight years ago, but for one reason or another, it got shelved, I resurrected the idea earlier this year and whilst doing research for the current incarnation, came across Bob Hinton's superb effort in Model Boats July 2011, after getting hold of a copy, which is a great read and talking to Bob via email about his model, I launched into mine full of new ideas and enthusiasm, this post will hopefully capture some of the ups and downs.

Photos attached of today's progress, this is most defiantly a long term project, but an interesting one I hope, more to come as it happens.

 

[IKB]

Ooops, forgot some of the photos

[IKB]

More progress today, working on the size of the tires and have decided to go with a 1/8th scale, as it will give me more room to fit components in, this does however mean that the tires are 150mm in diameter!   

[PeachyPM]

Looking good Alex, if you need any help with the tyre casting just shout, mean while I'll try and remember what we used on the Tumbler for Batman, that was a seriously heavy RC model and the tyres worked perfectly...

[PeachyPM]

Ps The "hero" was the one at the back, the 2 at the front with the s**t kicked out of them are the dummies we fired in and out of the batcave!

[IKB]

Cheers Chis, may well take you up on that, Tumbler models look awesome, what scale were they? Were the tires solid?

[ballastanksian]

Brilliant start! The Kit form kits are top notch and are a generation or two above what were available even ten years ago. The wheel drawing would be a marketable product in a variety of scales I am sure. I fancy building a model of a Terrapin and want to try and draw proper tyres my self one day.

Yours are as good as I have ever seen in computer generation for reality IKB.

[PeachyPM]

If my memory serves me (this was 2004!) the model tumblers we made were 1/6th and the tyres were solid medium/soft black rubber (no worries about valves and punctures) held in place by 2-part wheel assemblies.
I'm guessing you've already desided against pneumatics - too many ballast headaches for the realistic bounce/grip.

[IKB]

Thanks for the positive comments guys:

• ballastanksian - Thanks for your comments, the tyre took a lot longer to draw than I thought it would, it is a combination of copying the Kit Form Services version, real life photo references and compromising between what will look kind of right and making the build process easier in any way I can, for example, the bolts are out of scale, but are readily available sizes off the shelf, but they are near enough to look right.
• PeachyPM - You are right Chris, I think with a little experimentation, I can get the right amount of side wall sag with solid tires, by carefully selecting the right rubber compound

Alex

[Captain Pugwash]

Good project this , I look forward to seeing it develop.

I've got a 'stalled' Stolly project on the shelf in the workshop, maybe this will give me an incentive to dust it off and finish it. It too is inspired by Bob Hinton who was really helpful when I was a member of the same boat club he belonged to. I've now moved away to the west and the Stolly never got finished. I've got a load of pics and I think some drawings which I'd be happy to share with you if it's any interest.

I'd also be interested in what you're planning for the running gear. I built mine from scratch to emulate the real thing, torsion bars suspension with each pair of wheels being driven from a central motor through a diff on each axle. It all worked but house moves and not having the proper tyres put the whole thing on the back burner. I do have a resin casting for a tyre, I'll fish it out and see what size it is.

Good luck - maybe see you on the water one day!




     

[IKB]

Hi Captain Pugwash,

Thanks for comments, please post some photos of your model, it sounds very interesting with working torsion bar suspension and, "proper" steering. I am constantly coming up against the, scale vs practicality vs time issue at the moment, I want to make my model look realistic and function like the real thing, like a true scale model should be, but I have limited free time, which I am already sharing with many other commitments and other boat projects, so where ever I can simplify things, by buying off the shelf parts to speed up the build / design process, then I am doing just that, but at the same time, trying to make sure they do not detract to heavily from my overall objective.
I have taken many queues from Bob Hinton's build, as he has solved several of the problems faced by such a build, his model has been operating very successfully for several years now, so I see no reason to change things that have been so well tested in the field, for example, I am going to use the same Tamiya gearbox / diff / motor combo  the Bob uses in his Stolly, with the one exception that I will be replacing the standard 3 pole 540 motors with low drain 5 pole 555 motors. (Photo attached)

The swim system has proven a bit of a tricky one to resolve, but that is detailed in one of my others posts:

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,53340.msg550495.html#msg550495

I am going to print a test sample of one of my wheels tomorrow, so will hopefully be able to post results in the evening

Alex

[essex2visuvesi]

Not sure if you saw the other day the episode of Salvage squad where they restored one of these was on TV
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvage_Squad


Worth a watch

[IKB]

Hi essex2visuvesi,

Yes, I saw that episode when it aired the first time around, big Salvage Squad fan, I can't remember the name of the user, but someone has posted all the Salvage Squad episodes on Youtube

Alex

[Martin (Admin)]

There's a very nice 'Stolly' at the Warwick show most years, working 'Hiab' crane 'n everything!

[ballastanksian]

A chap recently built one in Model Boats. This may be the one as he also built an amphibious car as well.

[Captain Pugwash]

That looks like Bob Hinton and his Stolly to me. Didn't have the working crane last time I saw it though

[IKB]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses, the photos posted by Martin are of Bob Hinton's Alvis Stalwart, as featured in the July 2011 issue of Model Boats.

Some progress today, did a test print of my tyre CAD model and I am very pleased with the results, although I had to shrink the model slightly to squeeze it onto the printer bed, so it is only 0.97 of full size, it is close enough to bring home the fact that this model is going to be huge!

I have also included the photo of the gearbox / motor combo I forgot to attach in my post to Captain Pugwash, from last night

Alex

[essex2visuvesi]

I'm not sure if that gearbox will be suitable as its from a wheelie truck so the gearing might be a bit off for you needs

[IKB]

Hi essex2visuvesi,

The Tamiya gearbox is 18:1 reduction and used on several models, I believe you are thinking of their, "Wild Willy 2" offering, which was indeed designed to be a wheelie machine, but it was also used in the, "Blackfoot 3" & "Dual Hunter" models.
I have talked to Bob at some length via email about his choice of hardware and he was very happy with the performance, but like all the major components, I will be conducting thorough testing before I commit to building the final model.

Alex

[essex2visuvesi]

Hi essex2visuvesi,

The Tamiya gearbox is 18:1 reduction and used on several models, I believe you are thinking of their, "Wild Willy 2" offering, which was indeed designed to be a wheelie machine, but it was also used in the, "Blackfoot 3" & "Dual Hunter" models.
I have talked to Bob at some length via email about his choice of hardware and he was very happy with the performance, but like all the major components, I will be conducting thorough testing before I commit to building the final model.

Alex

Ah I see... my mistake    getting my Tamiya models mixed up
I would however suggest this motor:-
http://www.carson-modelsport.com/de/produkte/elektronik/elektromotoren/produktdetails.htm?sArtNr=500906023
Is a slow revving hi torque unit that should be perfect for your needs
I had one of these in my king hauler and it would pull the kids on a skateboard 

[IKB]

Hi essex2visuvesi,

I agree completely, my motor of choice is a Mabuchi 555 5 pole from Component Shop, very low drain and high torque

Alex

[PeachyPM]

Alex, will you be designing more of a step inside the tyre so that the hubs can be thicker and stronger than true scale thickness? (And still look flush on the out side)

[IKB]

Hi Chris,

Yes, this test print is to just get a good look a scale and how the details on the tyre surface will come out, the hub / flange design is still being worked on, as I have not yet decided upon a manufacturing method

Alex

[IKB]

Hi Everyone,


This was always one of those longer term projects, but I am still very much committed to finishing this one day... eventually, I may even finish it before I retire! 


As time passes, projects evolve and goals shift, originally I started out to build a completely bespoke model, correct in every detail, as time marches inevitably on wards and progress in made at a glacial pace, I am more and more interested in making something from off the shelf parts that are sympathetic to my end vision, but speed up the process, to this end, the tires from this manufacturer are very interesting as they are already in the correct tread pattern:


[size=78%]https://pitbullrc.com/products/temco-1-9[/size]


How this affects overall scale I haven't investigated yet, but interesting none the less


Alex

[PeachyPM]

  Ah ha! It’s not dead! Excellent news.