J P Models - more radio controlled vehicles in 1:76 scale

[PenrithBeacon]

https://www.sol-expert-group.de/1-87-model-building/Batteries-and-charging-technology/Lithium-polymer-batteries/Lithium-polymer-battery-35-mAh::1252.html

 

Found their website, interesting stuff there. Thanks for the info

Cheers

[Robin2]

I started a new Topic in this section about changes to YouTube that people with "toys" in their videos should be aware of, even if the video is not intended for children. However for some reason my Topic was moved here.

 

I suggest that anyone who has uploaded content to YouTube should take a quick look at it.

 

...R

[Pikey]

I have marked my videos as 'not for children', figuring the difference between a 'model' and a 'toy' should be fairly clear cut, and also I have about 12 followers, so I dont think I'm going to go to prison any time soon  

[Pikey]

I've been doing some experimentation with the little VW vans by Carson, to see if I can get the gubbins into a more realistic looking vehicle. So a trip to my local model shop yielded a Bedford CA, a Commer PB, a Ford 400E and a Landrover Lightweight. The Commer was a right pain to take apart as it was glued rather than screwed, the Bedford's bonnet is too low and the Lightweight is the right wheelbase but there's no chance of fitting the Carson chassis under it. But the Ford 400E is ideal.

 

The Carson van is a very well designed and packaged piece of kit, so I can appreciate it from a product design point of view, even if the body isnt very good and its the wrong scale for us UK modellers:

 

 

The basic requirements are to replace the wheels with the ones from the Ford, widen the track, make the lights work and mount the Ford body.

 

So I took it all apart (4 screws) and pulled the wheels off, replacing the rear wheels with the Ford wheels onto the same axle as I had no tubing the same diameter as the axle (~1.4mm). For the front axle I made a new 1mm axle inside a 2mm bearing/spacer, shaped to fit inside the steering pivot (difficult to describe, I should have taken a picture of this). It was necessary to take off a tiny bit of chassis material in various places for clearance of the Ford's larger wheels.

 

For the front lights I chopped the LEDs off the circuitboard and soldered on new wired LEDs, which I glued behind holes drilled in the headlights before plastering them with black nail varnish. Unfortunately, I didnt have any warm white LEDs, so the headlights look far too modern for the van. For the rear lights I just drilled holes in the van and let the standard red LED light shine out, which looks much more appropriate.

 

 

 

A combination of white tack and superglue holds the body in position semi-permanently:

 

 

There is space for a bigger battery if I thought it needed it.

 

The finished article:

 

 

 

It drives really nicely, the additional weight of the diecast body really helps take the edge off the speed. It still doesnt reverse perfectly, but I think thats because I didnt quite shave enough off the chassis and it rubs on the wheels in that direction. Video to follow  

[Jack374]

Very nice work on that van Pikey! I'm tempted...

 

I've got a couple of questions if you don’t mind as I can’t find the answers online...what is the wheelbase dimension of the chassis? And also how many channels/functions does the controller have? I understand it’s quite basic (maybe 2 channel) but may prove useful as a starting point.

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[Pikey]

Its about 28mm, and yes the transmitter is a basic 2 channel only.

[Pikey]

As promised, a video of the little van:

 

 

 

[Pikey]

I've had an order for one of the BR vans, so when ordering the van for that I've taken the opportunity to order another slightly different one for me - its not very well advertised, but Carson make both a police and a fire engine version of the T1 van, both of which have built-in flashing light and siren! So I'm going to put Oxford's London Fire Brigade Commer PB body on it, and I'll have it pulling a Coventry Climax pump trailer too  

[Pikey]

Here's the Carson fire engine on the end of my finger - I've already swapped the Commer wheels and tyres onto it. Note the tiny speaker:

 

 

And the Oxford Commer PB and pump trailer, which will be driving around shortly  

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2019 by Pikey

[Pikey]

Here's the fire engine  

 

 

[boxbrownie]

Your slipping......the hook didn't lower to enable auto coupling......tut tut 

 

Seriously, I am blown away by your work.....amazing stuff 

[Pikey]

I filmed a How To video showing the construction of the Ford 400E van using the Carson chassis. Once I've finished editing and uploading all of it (its in 5 parts), I'll share them all on here  

 

The next thing on my list is a commission to build a Forward Control Land Rover, which I've wanted to do for a while actually, so I'm pretty excited to get started on this one! My local model shop didnt have the exact one required, so I've had to order it. Once it arrives I'll take it apart and have a look at whats needed.

[Pikey]

Here's the how-to videos:

 

Part 1 - Disassembly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ySI1xBRqg

 

Part 2 - Axles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhqavoloclM

 

Part 3 - Getting it Running: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLBTrypDuaQ&t=1s

 

Part 4 - LED Lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EjP6UzuMJ0

 

Part 5 - Final Assembly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYwMolBmc_8&t=1s

 

Hope they're of some use  

[Pikey]

Progress on the Forward Control. A lovely model to work on. There is a separate subframe for the leaf springs and all the underbody detail, so I chopped all but the rear leaf springs off, and used them for the bearing holders. Enlarging the hole in the plastic chassis, and cutting into the back of the diecast bit, gives space to mount the motor vertically:

 

 

 

 

I used the same width axle as I would use on a normal Land Rover, and it would have been perfect except for the inner flange on the FC wheels. So they stick out a little, but not enough to warrant changing the axle width I dont think.

 

 

 

Spare blue LED fitted and tested just for fun:

 

 

The driver came from an old moped, so he's wearing a bomber jacket and helmet, although I've painted his helmet brown to look like hair instead. I've no idea what period LRFC ambulance drivers would have worn, but as it turns out the guy who this vehicle is for doesnt want a driver in the cab anyway so I'll keep him for a future project - which is excellent news as I really like him  

 

 

I'll try and get some electrics into it this evening  

Edited January 20, 2020 by Pikey

[PenrithBeacon]

On 13/01/2020 at 13:07, Pikey said:

Here's the how-to videos:

...

Hope they're of some use  

They're brilliant! But on my IT stuff they're silent, is this intended?

Cheers

[Pikey]

Yes, there's no sound  

[Pikey]

Finished and tested on my little off road diorama  :

 

 

I charge £180 to build a model like this, or a normal Land Rover, or a Transit van - or anything* you want really  plus £70 for an Orange TX6i transmitter.

Or the Ford 400E vans are £135 and that comes with its own transmitter  

 

I've come to the conclusion that I actually like building these more than I like driving them - because once I've finished a model, it usually goes into the storage box with all the others and I move on to the next project. So making them for other people is actually quite a good thing. I dont do many, because they're obviously a niche product at the moment - perhaps even a niche within a niche - and they're very expensive, but hopefully I'll get the chance to do more in future.

 

Next on the horizon is the Das87 Unimog kit.

 

*normal vehicles (ie steering and driving functions only - lighting functions, ramps/cranes etc are extra)

[Giles]

That is a very real bargain!

 

I decided I wouldn't build for other people as the vehicles would need to be prohibitively expensive - people often don't realise how much work these things can be.

 

You deserve to do extremely well at this!

[Pikey]

That's very kind of you to say  

[Pikey]

A subject I've been wanting to tackle for a while - a breakdown lorry:

 

 

The back is a 3D printed recovery flatbed which I had to make narrower as it was far too wide. The plan is to have it slide off the lorry and tilt down onto the ground like the real ones do. I've made a little Z shaped bracket which will fit into a recess in the body so that when the threaded bar is turned by the motor it will move backwards and forwards, and hopefully gravity will do the rest when the bed gets far enough over the back of the truck  

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Pikey

[Pikey]

Probably shouldnt have chosen a grey car for these photos

 

 

 

I added a pair of 2mm diameter bars to the u/s of the bed - this gives it weight for stability, plus gives a smooth track as the bed moves forwards and backwards. The bed is still engaged with the Z bracket in the second picture, so I'm hopeful that it will work as intended when I test it later today  

[otherplanet]

Very nice. Can you get a vehicle to drive on, or is it too steep a ramp and therefore deliveries only.

Either way, brilliant.

[Pikey]

Probably too steep, and I've realised this isnt quite how the real lorries work. In real life, the whole sliding bed mechanism sits on a subframe which itself can be tilted up. So the bed tilts up and slides backwards, then when the bottom contacts the ground it rolls along the ground so that its almost flat to the floor at full extension. I can probably replicate that, by building a separate subframe, but I might save that for the mk2 as I'm quite pleased with how this one works, despite it not being entirely realistic.

 

I painted the cab and bed, and did a test assemble:

 

 

 

I'd have liked to do marker lights, but because the whole bed is detachable I've made do with a dab of orange paint.

 

Just waiting for an RX47 to complete the build now

Edited February 26, 2020 by Pikey

[PhilJ W]

Cararama produced a couple of sliding bed recovery trucks. One in 1/72 scale and one in 1/87 scale. Both were manually operational. They were largely plastic so might not be strong enough for powered operation.

[Pikey]

After a pause, with not being able to get Deltang receivers, I've finally been able to get on and finish the recovery truck. I think this is about as good as a G95 motor/gearbox from Sol Expert will run, as the slow speed control isnt really there, but the top speed is about right if you want to drive along a road. For purely low speed manoeuvring the G494 would be better, but as I've said for a long time they dont really sell something in the middle of those two ratios, around 225:1 which would be absolutely ideal.