Flame tank 2 - advanced flametank
My previous case mod (C&C tiberium sun Temple of NOD) was posted on gathering.tweakers.net (dutch forum)
I won some really cool prizes with this mod on the dutch TBCL 2007.
After some time doing other things I started a new case mod: C&C Tiberium wars Advanced flame tank.
As I was posting my progress again on tweakers, Ediejo notified me you'd probably like this case mod too and so I started translating my posts for this forum.
I am crazy about the old Command and Conquer genre and especially NOD.
I wanted to build a flame tank case mod which was able to drive and off-course throw some nice flames. (to test your insurance policy )
Previously I created another flame throwing robot from the older C&C tiberium sun genre, Both tanks will be using the same custom made electronics.
But now I wanted to make a mod from the new C&C genre (C&C tiberium wars)
I chose the new Advanced flame tank because I really like its design.
The design is kind of retro to the tiberium dawn flame tank.
The old Tiberium dawn flame tank:
The newer tiberium wars (advanced) flame tank:
The Design
I wrote down some cirterea I (at least) wanted to implement n the tank:
- An (older) FAT PS3 running Ubuntu linux server distro in dual boot with XMB (when not using the tank function but playing GTA or so
- Tank has to be able to play blue ray.
- Tank has to be able to drive autonomously(using camera's and advanced object detection techniques.
- It has to be completely wireless, no power cables or so.
- A docking station is needed to recharge the batteries(like the ROOMBA) and to automatically connect to the HDMI cable and the beamer
- 2 real working self igniting flame throwers.
- The body of the tank at least has to have 180 degrees rotation freedom.
- I want to shape everything out of aluminium and Stainless steel.
- All electronics and software is designed by me.
These are rather high demands and it probably will take some time in creating and fabricating all components of the tank.
But that is half the fun
I started by drawing the tank in inventor, before this project I never worked with this program before, but along the way I learned how to use it.
I designed the tank from very few designs (couln't find any real good high quality images).
This has some pro- and cons:
A con is, I wouldn't get exactly like what the designer at the time had in mind.
A pro is that it leaves more open to my own creative input...
These are a few screenshots of the in-game tank and a art disign of the tank I found on the internet.
This Time I wanted to make my own tracks and I tried to recreate it as much as possible by looking at the design.
I immediately disigned the matching gear for the tracks along the way.
The tracks will be casted out of aluminium, and in This drawing you can see 12 track connected to each other with special channels.
After this I started on the tracks themselves, I wanted shock absorbers and a chain tightener just like a real tank has.
In total the tank will get 4 of these tracks.
With both plates on:
And te covering plate:
These are my own design shock absorberd which will be used in the tank, most parts will be created on the lathe.
Each track will get 8 of these.
The bottom part of the tank will look like this, the tracks are connected to each other with this frame.
Each track has at least 1 degree of freedom to rotate to allow for maximal terrain accesibility.
An naturally the body itself...
I mainly created these designs to measure from .
And this is how It will get to look.
My own driving PS3 flame tank (who else can say that ? )
In total the tank will be about 70 cm long, 50 wide and 26 high.
I hope you like this thread as I am going to use some nice and advanced techniques to get this monster on the road
Update 1 - laser cutting
Update 2 - aluminium casting tools
Update 3 - refining aluminium and first sandcast pour
Update 4 - various things
Update 5 - flamethrowers
15-Apr-2011
Category:projects flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
I owe you an update for far too long now.
That happens when someone has too much hobbies.
Anyway after my recent HDD crash I lost a lot of pictures but I managed to salvage some of them in my backups.
But sadly I have lost a lot of pictures documenting the welding of the tank.
Have fun watching/reading!
Further develo
That happens when someone has too much hobbies.
Anyway after my recent HDD crash I lost a lot of pictures but I managed to salvage some of them in my backups.
But sadly I have lost a lot of pictures documenting the welding of the tank.
Have fun watching/reading!
Further develo
7-Sep-2010
Category:flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
I have been busy designing and prototyping the most important part of this tank:
The flame throwers!
As allways with prototyping there are successes and setbacks.
What I initially wanted to do is:
Blowing air past a hole to create a vacuum, this vacuum sucks in fuel which will then be blown into small particles (easy to ignite)
This mixture then has to travel past an constant arc which should ignite the mixture.
I first started with building an constant arc, I cracked open a few old CRT monitors to salvage the flyback driver from them.
As I was experimenting and researching I stumbled upon homebuilt plasma speakers A.K.A. singing arc.
These arcs are modulated by sound and can display normal audio.
17-Jul-2010
Category:flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
And after it was fixed it ran well for a couple of hours but then one of the injectors broke down.
If someone likes to take a look at the process, I created a page on the overhaul.
But to the point, I have also done lots of work to the tank.
- I stripped my PS3 from its housing to take a look at the electronics
- The electronics and pneumatics had been bought.
- a succesfull pour of a row tracks have been done.
- a track has been assembled.
- multiple parts of electronics have been designed
- I started shaping pieces of metal.
27-May-2010
Category:flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
This is the setup of the system, 6 bricks are used to keep the funace extremely stable.
and 3 heat resistant bricks are used to set the crucible on.
13-May-2010
Category:flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
I plan on making a few aluminium tank components myself.
Among them are a number of difficult shapes like:
The idea is to make molds out of wood and then make aluminium casts of their shapes.
I have done some research, what is nessecairy to melt aluminium and how to cast it.
Aluminium melts at a temperature of 660 degrees celcius.
And with a normal gasflame it is difficult to obtain temperatures like that (or higher).
That is why a furnace is needed.
Among them are a number of difficult shapes like:
- A ball bearing mount
- The tracks
- Cover plates
The idea is to make molds out of wood and then make aluminium casts of their shapes.
I have done some research, what is nessecairy to melt aluminium and how to cast it.
Aluminium melts at a temperature of 660 degrees celcius.
And with a normal gasflame it is difficult to obtain temperatures like that (or higher).
That is why a furnace is needed.
11-May-2010
Category:flametank_2
Posted by: cyclonite
I know a guy who has access to a really neat laser cutting device and he agreed to do some work for me.
The results are really crisp clear.
In total These parts need to be cut:
- 8 track sides, 3 mm rvs
- 4 track middle plates (motor gets mounted on these) ,3mm rvs
- 8 gears, 3mm rvs
- 4 motor motor supports, 3 mm rvs
- 1 bottom plate 2 mm rvs
