Posted by: Dale "Head_Hunters" DuPont on November 22, 2003 at 12:28:43

They used the bottom line mounting holes of the markers. Just a plate or 90 degree stock drilled with matching holes. Just used longer screws. Some got fancy and made the plates adjustable so they could zero in BOTH barrels to intersect lines of fire at 30 yards or so... A buddy of mine just finnished a turrent and spent several hundred dollars to have the ring and mounting flange welded up. Turns on ball bearing tracks. Looks GREAT! Just one mistake. The cage of the turrent and markers/ cannon wasn't balanced properly. When the tank goes down a hill, the turret turns and the heavy side points down hill too. And the gunner was a BIG GUY! A constant fight for the gunner to control the turrent as the grade changes. Wound up Adding about 50 pounds of sandbags in the back of the turret cage. Helps some but now the whole thing weighs 50 pounds more and is STILL not counterbalanced. Basically, impossible to use the cannon and markers effectively while the tank is moving. His other mistake was NOT making a Gimbal Mount for the cannon and markers. Both pivot for elevation just fine, but to aim left and right you can ONLY do that by turning the turret. What he Should have done was make it so the turrent can be move to point in the general direction of his target and the specifically aim the cannon or machine guns that can pivot in a 45 degree field of fire Left/Right and Up/Down. I would make the cannon and machine guns aim seperately just for control reason but it COULD be nice to lock them together so the cannon would point at the guys you are shooting the machine gun at. Just for intimidation factor.... So keep it LIGHT, Counterbalanced, and Not necessarily on ball bearings. Some adjustable drag could be handy. Gimbal the cannon and machine guns seperately so you don't have to aim with the turret itself. I am pondering a tank myself. Looking for some buddies in Missouri to share some expenses and time playing with it. I am considering a turret that is mounted on ONE pivot made out of a piece of 2" pipe welded to the Van Floor about 2 feet high and cross braced. The seat, turret, markers, cannon(s), air supply, etc. ALL mount and pivot in that piece of pipe. The turret will be netting and a light framework made out of carbon fiber rods. An Open TOP just in case he wants to stand up and shoot over the top. Might require a elevated platform for the gunner to stand on and would pivot the whole thing using his feet while seated. Mount the whole thing right between and just behind the driver/passenger seat. The rest of the van could be used as a APC and have gun ports out the window netting. The center of gravity of ALL that HARDWARE plus myself would be designed to be right OVER that pivot point. When we go down a hill, I can Shift MY weight forwards or backwards to counterbalance the turret as needed. I have spent a fair amount of time HUNTING TANKS with my RPG. I have discovered another flaw in many turret designes. The 10 foot rule that I have to stay away from the tank. Often LESS than 10 feet is OK with the Refs as long as I am off the road and in cover such that the tank couldn't run over me if they TRIED. Like behind a tree. Many tanks are simply UNABLE to use their turret machine guns at me at CLOSE RANGE. They just don't point down ENOUGH! I am vunerable only to gun port fire IF they have players using them. Many can't fire on me even within 20 feet. A few even MORE if I let them pass slightly and THEN fire. They can't return fire over the corner of the van or pickup. Gives me time to take cover or get that second shot off. If I was building a tank, I would make sure my machine guns could shoot off the side of the vehicle almost STRAIGHT DOWN! So make your horizontal pivot point as close to the side edge of the vehicle as is practical...

Follow Ups: Post a Followup Show your name as: DefaultRealnameBothNickname E-Mail address (eg: joeschmoe@aol.com): Show your e-mail address? DefaultYesNo Your Password: Don't have a password? CLICK HERE - Forgot your password? CLICK HERE Subject: Subject:Message: : They used the bottom line mounting holes of the markers. Just a plate or 90 degree stock drilled with matching holes. Just used longer screws. : : Some got fancy and made the plates adjustable so they could zero in BOTH barrels to intersect lines of fire at 30 yards or so... : A buddy of mine just finnished a turrent and spent several hundred dollars to have the ring and mounting flange welded up. Turns on ball bearing tracks. Looks GREAT! : Just one mistake. The cage of the turrent and markers/ cannon wasn't balanced properly. When the tank goes down a hill, the turret turns and the heavy side points down hill too. And the gunner was a BIG GUY! A constant fight for the gunner to control the turrent as the grade changes. : Wound up Adding about 50 pounds of sandbags in the back of the turret cage. Helps some but now the whole thing weighs 50 pounds more and is STILL not counterbalanced. Basically, impossible to use the cannon and markers effectively while the tank is moving. : His other mistake was NOT making a Gimbal Mount for the cannon and markers. Both pivot for elevation just fine, but to aim left and right you can ONLY do that by turning the turret. : What he Should have done was make it so the turrent can be move to point in the general direction of his target and the specifically aim the cannon or machine guns that can pivot in a 45 degree field of fire Left/Right and Up/Down. : I would make the cannon and machine guns aim seperately just for control reason but it COULD be nice to lock them together so the cannon would point at the guys you are shooting the machine gun at. Just for intimidation factor.... : So keep it LIGHT, Counterbalanced, and Not necessarily on ball bearings. Some adjustable drag could be handy. : Gimbal the cannon and machine guns seperately so you don't have to aim with the turret itself. : I am pondering a tank myself. Looking for some buddies in Missouri to share some expenses and time playing with it. : I am considering a turret that is mounted on ONE pivot made out of a piece of 2" pipe welded to the Van Floor about 2 feet high and cross braced. : The seat, turret, markers, cannon(s), air supply, etc. ALL mount and pivot in that piece of pipe. The turret will be netting and a light framework made out of carbon fiber rods. An Open TOP just in case he wants to stand up and shoot over the top. Might require a elevated platform for the gunner to stand on and would pivot the whole thing using his feet while seated. Mount the whole thing right between and just behind the driver/passenger seat. The rest of the van could be used as a APC and have gun ports out the window netting. The center of gravity of ALL that HARDWARE plus myself would be designed to be right OVER that pivot point. When we go down a hill, I can Shift MY weight forwards or backwards to counterbalance the turret as needed. : I have spent a fair amount of time HUNTING TANKS with my RPG. I have discovered another flaw in many turret designes. : The 10 foot rule that I have to stay away from the tank. Often LESS than 10 feet is OK with the Refs as long as I am off the road and in cover such that the tank couldn't run over me if they TRIED. Like behind a tree. : Many tanks are simply UNABLE to use their turret machine guns at me at CLOSE RANGE. They just don't point down ENOUGH! I am vunerable only to gun port fire IF they have players using them. Many can't fire on me even within 20 feet. A few even MORE if I let them pass slightly and THEN fire. They can't return fire over the corner of the van or pickup. Gives me time to take cover or get that second shot off. : If I was building a tank, I would make sure my machine guns could shoot off the side of the vehicle almost STRAIGHT DOWN! So make your horizontal pivot point as close to the side edge of the vehicle as is practical... [ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ WARPIG Tank Talk ]