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Please sir can I have one? In red please, they go faster!!!!

 

Looking better all the time. I agree that as a future mod, you could mount the motor under the bonnet.

 

This must be close to actually running now? It all seemed so easy too - or is it all in the story telling?

 

 

.... the red ones only go faster when they've got a white stripe painted down them, and 'General Lee' painted on the side.......

 

The only down side with the motor under the bonnet, is that you'll have to make a proper little gear box at the axle (which I was going to do till I thought of the milliput....). The next job is the bevel gears. I got some from Technobots (about 45p each) with a 2mm bore. one of these needs opening out to 3mm bore, and then the boss taking off for the motor, and the other one should go straight on the (new) back axle. Meshing should be a matter of adjusting the for and aft position of the motor, and that SHOULD be that.

 

It actually is all quite easy - as soon as I get my hands an the actual componants, it all falls into place - my problem has been not knowing what componants are out there! I'm very much looking forward to this minute receiver arriving - there's loads of space available for that!!! Likewise, I don't think I'm going to have any trouble fitting batteries under the loadbed - so a fairly 'invisible' radio control looks to be on the cards.

 

I think the lego bits and pieces are gooing to be rather too large to fit underneath, unfortunately - but nevermind! - thanks anyway, Pete.

 

After a bit of weathering, it won't look out of place.... I'm wondering about having a tipper from the narrow gauge dropping a load of something into it, and having it drive off!

 

Also - a thought.... Sometimes you get vehicles shunting railway wagons in industrial scenes...... that might be fun!

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I bought the gears from Technobots - about 45p each - they just needed boring out to fit, and then chopping off with a razor saw

 

IMG_6585-Copy.jpg

 

I replaced the axle with 2mm silver steel and fitted the gear..... (motor is housed in milliput, and held with two blobs of epoxy)

 

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One wheel is fixed to the axle - the other rotates - which is the more complicated one, as it requires a hub and bearing. This (and the front hubs) is where a lathe - or similar - is necessary..... until we find a simpler way to do it! Of course one could drive both wheels, and allow them to skid round corners....

 

IMG_6594-Copy.jpg

 

View from the underside with wheels fitted

 

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Finally sitting on all four feet!

 

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I have put a AA battery on to it, and it works very well, both in circles and in a straight line. Obviously since I don't have the receiver yet, I can't control it - but it looks very promising indeed! And the motor is very powerful!

 

The other bit of good news is that I think that I've found the ideal battery - a replacement battery from an Ipod Nano, 1st generation 330mAh, which should fit easily under the load bed, without having to raise anything or cheat in any way!

This means that we've got full R/C invisibly (except for the motor sticking down a bit - and even this may be avaoidable in the future), with the ability to carry loads - if we so wish!

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I got some radio gear (only a temporary receiver though - not the tiny one!) and rigged up the steering - and this is a video of it...... I'm well pleased - even completely over-loaded it performs very well!

 

 

I should get the proper receiver at the end of the week. I've got the real battery, and it fits nicely under the loadbed biggrin.gif

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Looks excellent, needs a landscaped layout to run on!.....and perhaps since it is powerful enough, a small trailer? Is it on one wheel drive as mentioned, or both?......now repeat in 4mm scale!

 

Stephen.

 

 

Absolutely - landscaped layout.... exactly what it's for...! I've thought about a trailer, but the real thing would only pull quite a small one - so taking a load from a tipper may be more fun, perhaps!

 

It is one wheel drive, which in practise works brilliantly, and allows v.good cornering - much better than two wheel would be.

 

4mm? You're on your own, chum......

 

Giles

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The Ipod Nano battery is a perfect fit!

 

IMG_6645-Copy.jpg

 

 

The Charging socket and on/off switch were a sqeeze to get in....

 

IMG_6656-Copy.jpg

 

 

LED brake lights fitted, (but wiring not painted black)

 

IMG_6655-Copy.jpg

 

 

Finished, apart from receiver....

 

IMG_6667-Copy.jpg

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It makes you wonder how the German guys got all that stuff into a 1:87 vehicle with headlights, high beam, hazard lights, indicators, etc. Oh, I forgot, the reversing lights and brake lights as well.

 

This is awesome - it gives me hope of doing something similar with vehicles I have. I purchased duplicates originally deliberately so that I could do something like this. Two years is a long time in electronics and now it looks like it is doable even in a Morris Minor!!!!

 

Have you got a list of what you purchased for this? I got lost going through all the motor/gearbox combos on the website (Robotech???) and all the other bits and pieces you have used.

 

What are you going to do next?

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It makes you wonder how the German guys got all that stuff into a 1:87 vehicle with headlights, high beam, hazard lights, indicators, etc. Oh, I forgot, the reversing lights and brake lights as well.

 

This is awesome - it gives me hope of doing something similar with vehicles I have. I purchased duplicates originally deliberately so that I could do something like this. Two years is a long time in electronics and now it looks like it is doable even in a Morris Minor!!!!

 

Have you got a list of what you purchased for this? I got lost going through all the motor/gearbox combos on the website (Robotech???) and all the other bits and pieces you have used.

 

What are you going to do next?

 

1:87 - they must be mad by now! I'm going to sit quietly in a darkened room.... and build a layout to use this thing on .... with a railway to feed it, naturally!

 

Ebay do lots of 3.6g servos, which is what the Morris has, but http://www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk/servo_ba.html do a 2.5g servo which I would use next time.

 

Bevel gears were not easy, and I only found one candidate - from Technobots - Mini Plastic Bevel Gear - Part No: 4600-063

 

The Receiver/Speed controller is the magic bit.... http://www.microinvent.com/mambo/images/stories/pdf_files/minor_tiny-man.pdf the Mion Tiny - S (S for Servo, and not the A for actuator version). Expensive, but indispensible, unless you're building a box van, in which case you can by a receiver for a tenner.

 

The ideal motor/gearbox unit is the Solarbotics 100:1 unit, still available (allegedly) at http://www.active-robots.com/products/motorsandwheels/solarbotics.shtml

 

2mm I.D. and 1.6mm I.D. bearings from Ebay,

 

1.8mm LED's from Railroom Electronics

 

I'll post a video when I've got the receiver fitted :rolleyes:

 

 

I must say a very big thank-you to Stephen (Bertiedog) for all the education and information that he's given me - I dread to think what it would be like without the input he's given on these pages!

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The motors may become an issue , they are available from others apart from Robotic suppliers ....at the moment....they were used in cameras for Autofocusing, now being replaced by linear steppers, so have been dropped from manufacture.

This company supplies a lot of new but surplus motors and gearboxes, many types and ratios.

 

There are lots about, including occasionally the Nikon enclosed type, with a coreless motor. Ratios range for about 40:1 to 350:1 on the open frame gearboxes. Ebay feature them quite often, keep an eye on the size, bigger versions are still made.

 

There are some other bevel gears from aeromodeller suppliers, and 3:1 spur gears from Ultrascale.... and commercial gear factors make small plastic bevels about 6mm diameter plus.

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https://secure.precisionmicrodrives.com/product_info.php?products_id=108

To show what's available, and quite low cost at under £11.00 a 6mm diameter motor with integral gearbox !! it is small enough to go across some OO frames for belt drives!! ...and it's a coreless motor as well, just look at the dimensions!

Stephen.

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Some bad news ------ I've just had an email from the supplier, to say that the manufacturer in Czech. hasn't actually put my receiver in the post, so it'll be another 10 days........:( , but I'm grateful the supplier is being straight with me....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Whilst making a batch of new bits for a Chris Nevard photo shoot (for a small Model Rail piece on the radio controlled truck) I thought I'd do it the simple way on the back wheel, and instead of making a hub with a bearing housing, I thought I'd try simply using a 2mm I.D. flanged bearing straight in the wheel. Success. Very simple, very effective. No reason why not do this for the front as well - it cuts out nearly all the lathe work - but you still need to bore out the plastic wheel in the lathe to get it accurate enough.

 

 

IMG_6677-Copy.jpg

 

Also, here's a pictue of the receiver/ speed controller, which I'm really expecting this week...... It's only 17mm x 8mm x 4mm, and is 4 channel!

 

minor_tiny-i.jpg

 

 

Does anyone know what componant would give me a sub-miniature horn on 3.7V dc to work off the spare channel? There are lots of buzzers that sort of size, but at 2300hz, I suspect they're a little high-pitched!

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Please sir can I have one? In red please, they go faster!!!!

 

 

Here you go Ian, ready painted in red...... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-43-CORGI-HEARTBEAT-GREENGRASS-MORRIS-TRUCK-/380244943265?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item58885d61a1

 

I've had a problem, the supplier unfortunately ordered the wrong receiver - so he's now quickly getting the correct one for me :(

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That red one looks good!

 

Still looking forward to the nice blue one doing three point turns and having a cross-country bash etc.

 

Isn't it amazing that you can get endless amounts of cars and buses for almost any scale but unless it is a Kenworth or Scania, almost nothing in this scale in commercial vehicles?

 

I have a dodgy old Ford Transit in 1:43, bet that could hide a few electronic bits. I also have the Daimler hearse - hmmm - could hide all sorts of things in a coffin.

 

This thread has certainly stirred up a few ideas. Keep the photos coming please.

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I have sent details by PM, but basically the ESC from Micron are for three phase AC brushless motors, not DC controlled Brushless motors, two very different types of motors. What is needed for the truck is a DC proportional controller as used in boats and robotics, and a miniature type as well. The solution may lie with a converted servo board, which has the correct action to work with any small DC motor as a controller with speed and direction control. Details of such conversions are on the net.

 

Brushless AC motors have never found favour in model railway use, they are high power types, very efficient, but are non reversible,(not needed in aircraft), they run hot, and again this works well in the cooling airflow in a model aircraft.

 

The brushless DC motors we use in Model Railways are still fitted with a commutator, and this allows them to work on DC and be reversible.

 

Stephen.

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http://letsmakerobots.com/node/259

Covers a simple conversion leaving the motor in the servo case, but it can of course just feed the motor via leads. Any servo can be used, but a clone of a standard Futaba may be best , rather than the sub miniature type shown, the pot can be left or the two resistors fitted to provide the null position. The case could be scrapped, or left if space allows.

The standard Futaba sized servos contain a motor very much the same as the gearhead type that you are using to power the truck.

 

Stephen.

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A commercial ESC controller, the smallest model at the top of the listing.

http://www.westbourne-model.co.uk/model-boat-electronic-speed-controllers-1728-0.html

This just plugs in any receiver and feeds any DC motor up to 10 amp......brushed DC or Brushless DC, (but not Brushless AC types)

Full control of speed and direction.

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