this is a "little" project that I've recently started on, while I wait for a boat to build which is a bigger project. when I say bigger, it's only 18 inches long and looks like this
only thing is that I want it to be radio controlled and with a live steam engine. It'll be over 20 years since I played with radio controlled models and technology has moved on with that and it looks like 2.4Ghz, but why does it seem that different manufactures have different ways of having the transmitter communicating with the receiver.
so having a look at the systems available, I decided to go with flysky because they make a tiny 4 channel receiver which is 25mm x 11mm, and their standard receivers and transmitter are cheap too, I decided to go for i6s transmitter. later after looking it what batteries to use to power the radio gear in the boat, I realised that the receiver works down to 3.3V so it can operate from a single cell lipo battery.
Ive also recently been watching 1/87 scale models that are popular in germany like these and find them fascinting to watch.
so when looking for lipo batteries I was looking at drone junkies website and found that they do electronic speed controllers and micro servos that both work on single lipo batteries.
so the receiver I got was this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/flysky-4ch-pwm-receiver-compatible-with---fs2a-afhds-2a
the electronic speed controller is this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/dasmikro-1s5a-micro-bi-directional-esc
and the servo is this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/22g-servo
so that's the small low voltage radio control gear sorted, with the receiver on the left, the servo in the middle and the speed controller on the right (with a pound coin for scale)
as for the motive power a 3V N20 sized motor seems like a good choice and there are a couple of options to gear it to a suitable speed, one option is to get a geared motor and use a bevel gear on the back axle, the second option is to use a motor without gearbox but a worm and worm wheel on the axle and this is the option I went for as it is more compact, but the worm gear is prone to stripping if speed changes are done to fast.
so the 3V N20 motor came from here, as they are slow speed
https://www.componentshop.co.uk/n20-dc-motor.html
and the 14:1 worm wheel and worm came from here
http://www.nigellawton009.com/Tenshodo_Gears_Single.jpg
and what model should I convert to radio control, well I do like the look of Foden Steam lorries so the answer for me is one of the varients of a Matchbox Y27 Foden Steam lorry, so this is the one I decided on with the radio gear and a lipo battery
so the first thing to do is to take it apart
the first thing to do was to put the wheels in a lathe to true the tyres up. the tyres are hard plastic, but cam be trued ( if they dont give enough grip I've got some neoprene rubber to make some new tyres)
and the bore in the front wheels were enlarged and some bronze bearings were press fitted in place. there is a drill in the tailstock chuck and the bearing is a loose fit on that and the drill is also a loose fit in the 3 jaw chuck, doing it this way should help keep the alignment correct
the first maching on the chassis was to remove the front axle mounts and cast in springs, I would have liked to keep them, but I think a flat mounting face for the front axle/steering would be better. the top of the rear axle mounts were also faced off to make the top of the chassis square.
only thing is that I want it to be radio controlled and with a live steam engine. It'll be over 20 years since I played with radio controlled models and technology has moved on with that and it looks like 2.4Ghz, but why does it seem that different manufactures have different ways of having the transmitter communicating with the receiver.
so having a look at the systems available, I decided to go with flysky because they make a tiny 4 channel receiver which is 25mm x 11mm, and their standard receivers and transmitter are cheap too, I decided to go for i6s transmitter. later after looking it what batteries to use to power the radio gear in the boat, I realised that the receiver works down to 3.3V so it can operate from a single cell lipo battery.
Ive also recently been watching 1/87 scale models that are popular in germany like these and find them fascinting to watch.
so when looking for lipo batteries I was looking at drone junkies website and found that they do electronic speed controllers and micro servos that both work on single lipo batteries.
so the receiver I got was this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/flysky-4ch-pwm-receiver-compatible-with---fs2a-afhds-2a
the electronic speed controller is this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/dasmikro-1s5a-micro-bi-directional-esc
and the servo is this one
https://www.dronejunkie.co.uk/22g-servo
so that's the small low voltage radio control gear sorted, with the receiver on the left, the servo in the middle and the speed controller on the right (with a pound coin for scale)
as for the motive power a 3V N20 sized motor seems like a good choice and there are a couple of options to gear it to a suitable speed, one option is to get a geared motor and use a bevel gear on the back axle, the second option is to use a motor without gearbox but a worm and worm wheel on the axle and this is the option I went for as it is more compact, but the worm gear is prone to stripping if speed changes are done to fast.
so the 3V N20 motor came from here, as they are slow speed
https://www.componentshop.co.uk/n20-dc-motor.html
and the 14:1 worm wheel and worm came from here
http://www.nigellawton009.com/Tenshodo_Gears_Single.jpg
and what model should I convert to radio control, well I do like the look of Foden Steam lorries so the answer for me is one of the varients of a Matchbox Y27 Foden Steam lorry, so this is the one I decided on with the radio gear and a lipo battery
so the first thing to do is to take it apart
the first thing to do was to put the wheels in a lathe to true the tyres up. the tyres are hard plastic, but cam be trued ( if they dont give enough grip I've got some neoprene rubber to make some new tyres)
and the bore in the front wheels were enlarged and some bronze bearings were press fitted in place. there is a drill in the tailstock chuck and the bearing is a loose fit on that and the drill is also a loose fit in the 3 jaw chuck, doing it this way should help keep the alignment correct
the first maching on the chassis was to remove the front axle mounts and cast in springs, I would have liked to keep them, but I think a flat mounting face for the front axle/steering would be better. the top of the rear axle mounts were also faced off to make the top of the chassis square.