JNHEscher
Red Skull Member
This may not turn into anything more than ideas, but I'm giving it a go to satisfying my curiosity and boredom.
The idea: Mini, all steel, track or screw tank that a six-year-old can sit in to operate and be protected with a full cage. Lots of low COG and capable of raising machine parts weighing as much as 4,000 pounds as high as the top of the tank.
The drive mech: Adapting a HF Badlands 5000 winch to each track/screw for really simple, low-speed control and accuracy is looking the most likely. Winches can easily be speed controlled and are reversible. 40-50 amp pot or pot-controlled PWM operated by hand control for each side.
The traction: DIY #60 or stronger chain tracks might be the ideal strength and weight and are badass. Russian-style screws looks much easier and cheaper to build, but the attachment method may not handle the weight, though could provide some awesome buoyancy on soupy terrain. Screws probably also take much less torque to put into motion.
The reason: I've got two young boys that frequently want to help me on our larger projects, but quickly become frustrated by the fact that they can't even lift much of what I work on. I have and may eventually have some very heavy parts to lift and mount. The idea of having a mini tank that can do is exciting. Having a mini tank that could do this that either of my boys could operate in very slow motion just blows my mind.
Funds will be tight if this becomes a reality. Therefore, the best way to build this is by using parts that are already manufactured to fit together. I've been digging through roller chains and sprockets on Surplus Center - not exactly cheap to bunch several strands of chain and stacks of sprockets together to make some overbuilt tracks of the size in mind. I already have an EMPI kid seat which is more or less perfect. FLA batteries are pretty cheap and add good weight. I have quite a bit of heavy steel to make one hell of a structure that should be well within the capacity of a pair of winches rated at 5,000 pounds each.
4,000 pounds being held in the air by this thing sounds a bit scary. Footprint and stability will obviously be a huge focus. Max weight is more like 2,500 pounds, but as with anything built right, it must be built to withstand much more than the maximum allowable weight.
If you were to do this, what would be your thoughts on the drive and traction? Cheap and strong don't often coincide, but somehow, I could surely come with some hefty roller chain without spending a boatload. My local materials and parts sources include steel yards with loads of sizes and shapes, Big R, Harbor Freight, all the big name auto parts stores, and ample electrical suppliers with stuff for higher DC loads. I can machine concentric parts on my 7x16 lathe and weld just about anything.
The idea: Mini, all steel, track or screw tank that a six-year-old can sit in to operate and be protected with a full cage. Lots of low COG and capable of raising machine parts weighing as much as 4,000 pounds as high as the top of the tank.
The drive mech: Adapting a HF Badlands 5000 winch to each track/screw for really simple, low-speed control and accuracy is looking the most likely. Winches can easily be speed controlled and are reversible. 40-50 amp pot or pot-controlled PWM operated by hand control for each side.
The traction: DIY #60 or stronger chain tracks might be the ideal strength and weight and are badass. Russian-style screws looks much easier and cheaper to build, but the attachment method may not handle the weight, though could provide some awesome buoyancy on soupy terrain. Screws probably also take much less torque to put into motion.
The reason: I've got two young boys that frequently want to help me on our larger projects, but quickly become frustrated by the fact that they can't even lift much of what I work on. I have and may eventually have some very heavy parts to lift and mount. The idea of having a mini tank that can do is exciting. Having a mini tank that could do this that either of my boys could operate in very slow motion just blows my mind.
Funds will be tight if this becomes a reality. Therefore, the best way to build this is by using parts that are already manufactured to fit together. I've been digging through roller chains and sprockets on Surplus Center - not exactly cheap to bunch several strands of chain and stacks of sprockets together to make some overbuilt tracks of the size in mind. I already have an EMPI kid seat which is more or less perfect. FLA batteries are pretty cheap and add good weight. I have quite a bit of heavy steel to make one hell of a structure that should be well within the capacity of a pair of winches rated at 5,000 pounds each.
4,000 pounds being held in the air by this thing sounds a bit scary. Footprint and stability will obviously be a huge focus. Max weight is more like 2,500 pounds, but as with anything built right, it must be built to withstand much more than the maximum allowable weight.
If you were to do this, what would be your thoughts on the drive and traction? Cheap and strong don't often coincide, but somehow, I could surely come with some hefty roller chain without spending a boatload. My local materials and parts sources include steel yards with loads of sizes and shapes, Big R, Harbor Freight, all the big name auto parts stores, and ample electrical suppliers with stuff for higher DC loads. I can machine concentric parts on my 7x16 lathe and weld just about anything.
![[486]](https://data.irate4x4.com/avatars/m/0/94.jpg?1700178133){kind=avatar}
