Need help with a project, tracks...

[NevadaBlue]

Like tank or dozer tracks. I am building a tracked crane from an HO scale MOW 100 ton crane. I planned to mount it on a Matchbox dozer chassis, but it just doesn't look right. So...

I am looking for an HO or OO or even 1:50 scale dozer or tank paper model that I can use as the chassis. Any ideas? I browsed the downloads and found a possible model, but it is quite detailed. I really could use a simple model for this project I think.

Here is the current state of the build. I want the thing to look similar to a Unit Crane.



The crane started like this...




I hope to make my model look similar to this prototype.

[JohnM]

Good question Ken, but there must be around two million tank/excavator/crane models out there that you could borrow the running gear from.

Would this be of any assistance to you ? ....



I don't speak the lingo, so I've no idea what scale it is, or how detailed the running gear is.

[NevadaBlue]

Thanks John. My poor old lonely brain cell didn't even think of looking for something like that. The one you showed is perfect!

Off to search!

[rickstef]

how about one even better, free, and not pirated

Hydraulic Excavator - Automobiles - Vehicles - Paper Craft - Canon Creative Park

[NevadaBlue]

John, thanks so much! I have already found good stuff and will surely be able to find something suitable. I am looking at a Japanese crane maker's (Kobelco) site now and have downloaded their models.

As long as the images/pdfs are of suitable quality for rescaling, I should be OK with nearly any scale. I finally found a printing app for my iPad that allows scaling of PDF files. Of course, scaling an image is easy too, just turn it into a PDF first.

[NevadaBlue]

Thanks Rick! More goodies!

The app I mentioned is called Print n Share, from the app store.

[JohnM]

Having now looked at both models in detail, I'd suggest the Canon model that Rick suggested could be ideal. Unusually uncomplicated for a Canon model. Even more so than the ABC one, but they are both pretty simple to construct, so shouldn't be difficult to re scale as required.

[SCEtoAUX]

Here are a few more sites with some simple tracks on some construction vehicles.

Kids Nifty

Ohara Corp

Akita

[NevadaBlue]

Thanks everyone! I picked a 1:100 model and enlarged it 150% to get what I needed. This is just crazy.





Since the undercarriage is paper and the rest of the thing is plastic, and pretty tall, I made a counterweight to put in each track. The silver and white thing is a length of solder. I wrapped it in paper and glued it inside the track.I did spray the printed page with clear matte lacquer before cutting it.






This will work. The upper part is perched on a handy lego for the pic. Tracks and undercarriage frame next.

[NevadaBlue]

Yep!