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Where can I find 1/6 scale wheels & tires for a Lakester (belly tank)


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I bit the bullet and ordered a 1/72 Skipjack submarine model. I think it is ideal for a belly tank LSR. Does anyone offer suitable wheels and tires or will they need to be custom made?

 

nice shape, eh?

thanks. Lee

Edited by LDO
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You might want to look at R/C airplane wheels and tires. I did a quick search and they come in most sizes from 9" to an inch or so. Some have very nicely detailed aluminum wheels, others have a plain plastic dish. They might be a pretty good option; I think they're sort of similar to salt tires and could be modified to be even closer.

Edited by SSNJim
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I’ll check it out... in another town. The only 2 rc shops I know of in my area are run by an idiot. I bought a defective product there and they refused to give me a refund. They offered store credit only, after I paid with cash. I wouldn’t spend money there if my life depended on it. 

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Being 1/6th scale they should be fairly large. Just a thought, and I don't know if it would help, but you may want to look at (4) thin, aluminum pulleys. Like something found in an old VCR perhaps. Radio Shack, Grainger, ?

You could then hopefully find O-rings to use as tires.

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I’m looking for 1/6. The body will be a 1/72 Skipjack submarine hull that is 42" long. In 1/6, that equals a scale 21’. It is 5.25" in diameter, a scale 31.5”. Just about right for 1/6. It doesn’t look exactly like any specific drop/belly tank, but  to me, it just looks like a good size fuel tank. 

Not sure what I would do for an engine. I don’t want any of the available 1/6 die cast engines. There is a plastic (or mostly plastic...I think) Ford Flathead. I’m not crazy about that, but a set of Ardun heads and a S.C.o.T. Blower could remedy that. 

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A 1:1 20" wheel (just as an example) will be 3.33 " in diameter in 1/6th scale. That is just the wheel, no tire. Very expensive to 3D print. Do you have a style in mind? A simple salt flat style disc would be easy enough to hand form out of aluminum sheet over a bowling ball or other large diameter object.

If you have any woodworker friends with a lathe they may be able to turn some rims out of hardwood. Fill and prime to get a smooth surface for paint.

Same thing for tires, turn out of hardwood or black Delrin plastic.

For the engine you can scratch build anything you want. Use a kit engine and photos as reference.

Mark

Edited by astroracer
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Wow. That’s some big rolling stock. Makes sense, though. If G.I. Joe can drive it, it’s a big model. 

I wonder about using the bottom of a big soda/beer can for vacuforming salt flat discs. Modern cans have date codes stamped ito the bottom, so that would need to be filled in. 

Some interesting problems to solve.

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