M3 Lee Tank

[SoCalBobS]

Thanks for the compliments, guys.

Today I installed an IR LED in the hull gun. I bought the bulb from DAKRC and it was rated as higher powered than the stock. Yes it is! I'll have to recess it far down the barrel to reduce the "shotgun effect". Also, I tested the MG LED I installed in the turret. An approximately 4 or 5 second burst will register a hit on an IR receiver, but at a much shorter range. Now, if I can get the turret to rotate, this tank might be a contender in battle! I need to find a gear wheel that has the teeth that will fit the HL rotation motor, but with a smaller diameter that will fit the offset position of the turret in the hull. Any ideas, guys? Remember, my plan is to use as much HL equipment as possible, so no Clark boards for now.

[SoCalBobS]

Ok, getting there....

Some weathering, accessorizing. Mainly, I ran an "AK Africa Dust Wash" over the olive drab. Sure changes the color, compared to post #54! Looks like it had been out in the sun for a year. Still some more to do, but the character is taking shape. As Rubicon has said, run it in dirt and sand a bit, and it weathers itself, so that's next.

[UltraVargen]

That's turning out real nice! Excellent weathering right there!

[Timbo68]

Ok, getting there....

Some weathering, accessorizing. Mainly, I ran an "AK Africa Dust Wash" over the olive drab. Sure changes the color, compared to post #54! Looks like it had been out in the sun for a year. Still some more to do, but the character is taking shape. As Rubicon has said, run it in dirt and sand a bit, and it weathers itself, so that's next.

The dust washes give a great result - I've recently discovered and used "AK Sand Yellow Deposits" which came in a pack with Light Dust Deposits and Brown Earth Deposits (the weathering companies must be making a fortune - mostly from me...) and I'm now going back to try these on my other tanks which I thought I'd finished...

[Sureshot]

Looks very nice.
I'll have to give that type of weathering a try.
How did you attach the upper hull to the lower?
Steve

[SoCalBobS]

The upper hull front fits into a groove on the front lower hull, then magnets in the back. Very strong grab. K&J Magnetics online has every shape you could think of.

i have a friend who is going to try to make a 3D printed turret ring gear that can mesh with the HL rotation motor. I’ll let you know if it works..

[SoCalBobS]

I received the Shapeways Commander's Cupola for the M3 and painted it up to match.

Before:



After:


The big gray tube is for the MG LED, which as we know can activate the IR receivers.

[Zippersnapper]

Good kit, there is also a similar kit by Vandra. I have the later with some modifications. Side gun elevation, traverse and recoil are possible, along with turret traverse and elevation. Cannon flash, mg, and lights, Clark electronics.
Here’s mine.
Cheers
Afrikakorps

That's Badass, for sure. Nice work !

[Sureshot]

That cupola looks good Bob. The price isn't bad either.
I've got to make time to get back to my M3 Lee build.
Now that the weather is getting better airplane projects and flying are underway.
Steve

[SoCalBobS]

Steve, I’m working with a buddy who is designing a 3D printed turret ring gear setup for the M3 to use HL’s motor. If it works I’ll let you know.

[SoCalBobS]

Tank's done, here's a short demonstration clip of the M3 in a dirt and sand environment.

https://youtu.be/fC9i4gDvhmg

[UltraVargen]

Awesome to see it running!

Is it me or does the top cannon make a machinegun + a a different cannon sound that's separate from the main cannon? If so, how did you do that?

[SoCalBobS]

No, just one cannon sound. It’s linked to the hull gun which has an IR emitter in the barrel, and the mg sound is linked to the turret - I put the mg LED there. Other than the 3D printed gear disk and of course the Vandra kit,everything is scrounged from the HL Sherman kit.

[Sureshot]

Hi Bob,
Looks and runs very nice indeed!
Apparently the 3D printed turret gear works fine.
Would your friend be willing to print another one to sell?
Steve

[SoCalBobS]

Steve, maybe. PM sent.

So: "How I did it".

There's actually two disks. One is inside the turret, and has three standoff posts. The disk itself is held in place by three screws with built-in washers that overlap onto the turret ring. You can see one in the background. The gear disk is screwed into the standoff posts. The HL rotation motor is glued onto the hull deck interior. You can see some plywood which acts to put the motor gear at the right height. The white square you see is actually on top of another post. It's function is to keep the gear assembly at the right height.

The biggest headache is to keep the turret from rising up out of it's track on the hull. If the gear disk is not exactly lined up, as the turret goes around, it'll bind up and push the turret out of the track. My current solution is to enlarge the holes on the gear disk and loosen the screws to adjust the alignment. Seems to work.

Why did I do it this way? "First-time syndrome" of course, and the desire to make it completely removable without affecting the body or turret. You know, in case I mess up! Also, I was able to use all HL parts and not buy expensive aftermarket components.

[SoCalBobS]

Just a little thing..

On another forum, someone was complaining about the bright white headlight LED's. Tamiya makes a clear yellow acrylic paint. I put some on the Lee. It's a tiny bit greenish, most likely because of the blue component of the cool white lights.

Comparison shot:


Both done:

Looks a little bit more incandescent.

[DavidN]

SoCalBobs! I checked the DAK RC website. The M3 Lee conversion kit was no longer avail. Do you know any other source to get it? I saw that on Forgebear website still had it. Is this a good kit? Thank you!

[RichJohnson]

Vandra model direct that is where I got mine. Also check eBay. They sell there.

[SoCalBobS]

SoCalBobs! I checked the DAK RC website. The M3 Lee conversion kit was no longer avail. Do you know any other source to get it? I saw that on Forgebear website still had it. Is this a good kit? Thank you!

It's one of the better kits, I have three different ones. Just be aware of my posts regarding fitting the hull over the gearboxes, and remember you'll have to fabricate your own method for turret rotation. DAK RC is run by a tanker named Kenny, good guy. He communicates the quickest via Facebook Messenger. If you email, response may take a few days.

You'll see I didn't set up main gun rotation or elevation. Maybe not competitive in IR battles, but cool nevertheless.

[DavidN]

Rich! I checked the Vandra website as you advised. It stated that its US distributor was DAK RC. And the M3 kit on DAK RC website is out of stock. Maybe I will email Kenny as Bob recommended and see if he would let me know if he could get one for me or if I need to order from Vandra in Hungary. Or I will have to get it from Forgebear in England. From the pictures of the kits in all three websites, they all look the same. Bob, I will probably not try to deal with the turret rotation. It already is limited as it is :-)