Short track gas tank production feeler

[Jason125m]

The video says it is set to private

[riverrat]

Try again.

[riverrat]

The tank:

[Jason125m]

Looking real good! Nice work!

[Keith Salyer]

Very nice work, it lookslike you are getting ever closer to the goal.

[Keith Salyer]

Are the shrouds going to be injection molded or vaccume molded?

[riverrat]

Are the shrouds going to be injection molded or vaccume molded?

Niether, for now the shrouds are not cost effective to reproduce, unless I find another way. Just doing the tank, and in the future when costs come down, I will do the shrouds.

[riverrat]

Well some good and bad news. It won't be cost effective at this time to produce them, but in the near future it will be. The technology is there, that is the good news, it can be done. I could have them made for about $1200. The shrouds would be $400 each. These are exact copies. When you think about how much the last few NOS short track kits sold for on ebay, we are not that far off.
I mean it's not all dead yet, I am still investigating a few other routes I could take. Unfortunately the machines that can produce these are like $250,000.00 otherwise I would buy one, lol.
I will keep you guys updated. I've invested quite a bit so far, and plan to continue on.

[brapp]

bummer but keep up the good work man if we could get a set down to the 600 range i woudl be in .

[Keith Salyer]

Keep trying

[riverrat]

I have to price around a bit more, but more work needs to be done to the files before I can. I have the CAD files from with I can make these many ways. It's just about finding the most cost effective way. The first road I took came out a little high, but I am not too discouraged. I am sure those tanks would be awesome, and probably better than the originals as they are built to military specs.

[TatTooL23]

So y do u say its because of technology if u say they can do it, it's just expensive???

[riverrat]

So y do u say its because of technology if u say they can do it, it's just expensive???

Yes, I don't think people are willing to pay $1200 for a tank that isn't original. My goal was $5-600. The technology isn't that old and will improve in the next few years and become cheaper. Just a few years ago this would have been double, and a few years before that it couldn't have been done at all.

[TatTooL23]

Oh I c. Wel hopefully y o u r assumptions r correct and the price drops.

[riverrat]

Well just to let you guys know, I have not given up on this project. There was a lot of learning I had to do on my part. But let me just tell you the future is now people. I bought a 3d printer, and started learning even more about this awesome technology. MY goal is definitely attainable, and the future of our sport/hobby has a bright light in it.

There is much to say. First off, I printed so far 2 scale models of the short track tank. Don't judge these to harshly, my machine was having a problem that I just figured out, and now the prints will come out a little better. 3D printing is an art in of itself. The first pic is of a 1/6th scale tank, the first ever 3d printed scale part of a 3 wheeler.


These next pics are of a 1/4 scale tank, which took 8.5 hours to print.







So now that your appetite is wet, on with some details. If you are like me, your brain is turning already. So these tanks were printed in ABS plastic. Pretty brittle stuff. Just good for display model really, or a trophy top .

he good news is that there are new filaments coming out all the time, and I have even seen them print in polyethylene. Unfortunately, my machine isn't large enough to print a full scale tank. 99% of the machines out there are not. But bigger machines are on the way. Right now I could upload this tank on to shapeways, and you could have a tank printed out in nylon which is fuel resistant, but you would need to coat the inside of the tank. I am also experimenting with printing in nylon. There is a possibility I may one day soon to be able to print these in my home. We might have to finish them to make them look nice though. It will depend on the process.

So here's the thing. I have a couple thousand put into this already. Including the original scanning, and now this machine, not to mention endless hours of learning. I would like to offer for sale some scale models of the tank. You could make a paper weight out of it or what ever. Either way, you can be a part of history, and in the process help fund my efforts. This thing is cool btw. We have never had a scale model of a 3 wheeler. My other goal is to make a complete scale model of a 3 wheeler. Hopefully offer it up for sale as a kit. Maybe even eventually R/C one. This will be as close as possible to perfect scale. I say close, because for example, if you scale down a shroud it becomes paper thin, so the scale thickness would need to be changed. Stuff like that to make it functional. I am going to put these in the classified, or pm me.

I want to show you what the tank can llok like after a minor bit of sanding, then an acetone fume bath.:





With a little more sanding and some filler material, it can look outstanding. I don't have red filament yet, but that's no problem. The 1/6th scale tank takes 3 hours to print, and the 1.4 scale tanks takes 8.5 hours to print. I was thinking $35 for the 1/4 tank, and $17 for the 1/6th tank, plus $5 shiipping anywhere in the US. It will come unfinshed, and possibly not absolutely perfect, like the pictures. It will be up to you what you wish to do with it. There will be limited quantities due to the time constraints of printing them. Soon enough I may get, or build a second printer.

But wait.....it doesn't stop there. I have some more VERY exciting news. You know all those rubber bushings and what not on our trikes? I am almost positive I can reproduce them on my printer. I just got a new filament called ninjaflex. I've only printed one thing so far, it is a slotcar tire, that actually works. The material is very similar to rubber, although it is not fuel proof. Going to have to do some testing. But things like the seat bushings and what not, I can totally see this stuff working. So over the next few weeks I will be designing these parts in the 3D software and start printing and testing.

Anthony