No update last week as I couldnt find my USB lead!
Anyway, last weekend I spent most of the time finishing off the sprockets with the millions of little castle nuts (remember them?) and bolts. The end result is quite pleasing. H made some new sprocket caps complete with tab washers and the we trimmed and bent up the main star shaped tab washers. The next two pictures explain it better than I can!
While I finished the sprockets, Howard machined keyways into all the stub axles as in retrospect he thought the bolted clamp idea wouldnt be man enough on its own. This took some time!
This weekend we've been welding the chassis together and cutting up sheet steel :-) Firstly we dismantled the gearbox assembly and rear idler assembly and H welded the flat plates to the chassis rails.
Then he made the cross pieces and welded these in. The fist pic shows H machining the cross pieces in the mill and the second welding them in.
After this we cut some sheet steel. These are the two side pieces with all the holes drilled for the fixings.
The next few pics show the chassis taking shape and with the sides on and gearbox and idler assemblies added. The we trial fitted the top to see how it all fitted together.
Now its really starting to look like a tank again :-) Next weekend I'm reprising my role as Darth Vader (dont ask!) at a charity event so wont be much done until a fortnights time.
