if you want to build a tank you need tracks. without tracks you won’t manage to build a tank running on tracks. – sounds quite logicaly, doesn’t it?
and everything could be so easy, if games workshops baneblade kit would already come on movable tracks and spinning wheels. but as all of us know gws’ tanks are from being realistic and so the tracks consist of some thick plasticplates with trackstructure on their surface. so there’s no chance to use the original ones. not even, by converting them heavily. further the wheels are even worse.
the baneblade i built before only got a pair of new high detailed plastic-treads but kept the old “wheels”. the result was a properly moving tank, with wheels fixed in position and the track sliding below. this was quick and easy. but now i wanted to do it better. so i decided to redesign the complete mechanism and install a spring-mounted running gear instead.
i chose a pershing 1:30 kit from torro that i bought for ~30€. first of all, of course i had to cut of the structure from the original tank and replace the baneblades with it.
as you can see in the picture above, in combination with the plastictreads from VStank it already looked much more realistic than the ordinary baneblade.
and finaly with some banebladewheels attached as wheelcovers, it suddenly looks much more familiar, compared to the well known BB-design.
the hardest part to build was a drive wheel. it is custommade, because i wanted it to fit perfectly in the track and addtional to that still keep the original design. to give you an idea, — each drivewheel consists of 31 single parts. before closing this article i want to give you some more info about the treads i used, for the case that ther’s somebody out there planing to build a moving baneblade as well. they are plastic-treads sets from VStank for their leopard2 in 1:24.
the next article in this category will either be about the motor and gearsection or about the BB-canon that i’m planing to install.
thanks for reading … comments welcome …
BobPanda.
looking very good bobpanda !!!
Excelent work, its really impresive!!!
For the front wheel on my Baneblade, I have carefully removed the half circle inthe front wheels, I have carefully rounded the holes and made custom bars to go accross so the tracks can latch onto them while the drive instead of buying a second tank! just an idea that came up because I can’t afford another tank… , love your Idea though, I really want suspention, I might have to scratch biuld some…..