First build after a ~15 year dark age, and my first studless build. This started off as a tank, but my studless skills failed me on the turret...so I went for a fun working missile launcher rather than aesthetics. The 'tank' has XL motors for each track, an XL motor for the turret rotation (over-specced really), and M motors control the missile launcher pitch and turn the crankshaft to fire the missiles. My aims were to make the tank as small as possible, whilst incorporating full turret control. To that end, I based the tracks loosely on the Japanese type 95 light tank, although I found the bogeys worked better unsprung. I also sent two drive shafts through the turntable to control the turret rather than use a second battery box. This required a couple of differentials to keep these drive shafts stationary relative to the top plate of the turntable - I can rip this chunk out and detail it further if anyone is interested, and if anyone can further simplify my design I'd be eager to see how :)

I'm classing this as a learning experience, I'm happy with parts of it but think I've hit the point where I need to start again if I'm to improve it. Frankly I'm bored of tanks now, I want to rip this apart and make something more interesting.

Sorry for slightly poor photos, I'm not really into this kind of photography and lego bricks are more reflective than I was expecting!

Now with video:

Edited January 10, 201213 yr by Mud

That is really nice, I'm still trying to get used to studless too so I know your pain.

I dont suppose you have a video of it in action?

15 years of no LEGO and this is your FIRST studless build *huh*

I wish I had those kind of skills

That is really nice, I'm still trying to get used to studless too so I know your pain.

I dont suppose you have a video of it in action?

I guess I could take a video of it running over and shooting my son's baby-toys before I dismantle it, but not tonight ;)

15 years of no LEGO and this is your FIRST studless build *huh*

I wish I had those kind of skills

Too kind...Sariel's tanks set a high water mark that got me spending money on lego, and having seen some of the studless creations on this board I can see plenty of room for improvement though :)

Edited January 9, 201213 yr by Mud

Your first studless is my best studless .

nice job anyway! I would love to see the video.

tim

Impressive!

Nice Work on your first studless MOC

I also sent two drive shafts through the turntable to control the turret rather than use a second battery box. This required a couple of differentials to keep these drive shafts stationary relative to the top plate of the turntable - I can rip this chunk out and detail it further if anyone is interested, and if anyone can further simplify my design I'd be eager to see how :)

I'd like to see how you have done this. I'm facing a similar situation at the moment, so any further info/pics/vids that you can provide would be great.

I hate to point this out but it’s not stud-less. Both of your RC receivers are exposed with 4 studs each. So you've got at least 8 studs. That being said the haul of the tank is slick! Also these quite a few axel tips that have studs on them. But still awesome tank.

Edited January 10, 201213 yr by Rook

Nice Work on your first studless MOC

I'd like to see how you have done this. I'm facing a similar situation at the moment, so any further info/pics/vids that you can provide would be great.

I made you a video:

Hopefully that's clear - the axles going into each differential correspond to the two outputs passed through the turntable and are 1:1 (i.e., no gearing up or down). I lock the inputs solid to represent the load a (unused) motor has on the input, and you can see that the turntable and outputs don't move relative to eachother (lash from all the gears aside). This is as small as I managed to make this mechanism, but I think there's room for improvement. I couldn't work out an easy way of gearing the 24/16 tooth differentials to match the 56 tooth turntable, so if I'm missing a trick please let me know

I hate to point this out but it’s not stud-less. Both of your RC receivers are exposed with 4 studs each. So you've got at least 8 studs. That being said the haul of the tank is slick! Also these quite a few axel tips that have studs on them. But still awesome tank.

I might've misunderstood the term as it's used on this forum. I thought 'studless' simply referred to creations using liftarms rather than the old studded beams

edit: got confused there for a second.

Edited January 10, 201213 yr by Mud

I made you a video:

I couldn't work out an easy way of gearing the 24/16 tooth differentials to match the 56 tooth turntable, so if I'm missing a trick please let me know

Thank you so much. That video is perfect at showing me what is going on there.

My requirements are slightly different (I only need one axle to go through the centre of the turntable), so I can reduce the size of mine a little bit (I only need one differential). As I am only using one axle, I can use the 24 teeth inside the turntable rather than 56 teeth on the outside.

I have seen someone else use the 56 teeth on the outside before (sorry, I can't find the link at the moment), but they used the old 14 tooth gears to mesh with a 12 tooth double bevel, and this gave them another ratio to play with.

I might've misunderstood the term as it's used on this forum. I thought 'studless' simply referred to creations using liftarms rather than the old studded beams

edit: got confused there for a second.

I would agree with your definition of 'studless' and would consider your MOC to be termed as 'studless'.

I think 'studless' has a slightly different meaning in Lego System vs Lego Technic.

Thank you so much. That video is perfect at showing me what is going on there.

My requirements are slightly different (I only need one axle to go through the centre of the turntable), so I can reduce the size of mine a little bit (I only need one differential). As I am only using one axle, I can use the 24 teeth inside the turntable rather than 56 teeth on the outside.

I have seen someone else use the 56 teeth on the outside before (sorry, I can't find the link at the moment), but they used the old 14 tooth gears to mesh with a 12 tooth double bevel, and this gave them another ratio to play with.

I would agree with your definition of 'studless' and would consider your MOC to be termed as 'studless'.

I think 'studless' has a slightly different meaning in Lego System vs Lego Technic.

I went through a couple of iterations of design for the turntable mechanism, one of which used the inner teeth and the 16/24 tooth differential (single axle through the turntable). I don't have any of the old 14 teeth gears, and from my recollection of them, I don't want any! With a single axle going through the turntable your options really open up

I think Rook may be confusing studless and SNOT...or I am

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by Mud

I think Rook may be confusing studless and SNOT...or I am

No I'm not confusing studless with Studs Not On Top (SNOT). However it does sound like Technics builders may have adapted the term to mean using technics bricks without studs verses the larger communities definition of no exposed studs. Like I said no matter what you call it, it's frakking slick.

PS: Really love the shot of the undercarriage showing the smooth bottom and the two motors.

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by Rook

No I'm not confusing studless with Studs Not On Top (SNOT). However it does sound like Technics builders may have adapted the term to mean using technics bricks without studs verses the larger communities definition of no exposed studs. Like I said no matter what you call it, it's frakking slick.

PS: Really love the shot of the undercarriage showing the smooth bottom and the two motors.

I had to look up AFOL / MOC / SNOT...there's a learning curve on this forum

I was a little disappointed in the XL motor 'butt-cheeks' as they reduce the ground clearance by 1 stud - I initially wanted to make a Stuart tank, but struggled with the ground clearance/suspension with the driving wheels at ground level

edit: Stuart, not Sherman...although looking at them now clearly they are front-driven. Clearly I'm not a tank anorak.

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by Mud

Yeah it probably would have been cooler to have them hidden but it shows the Power Functions off nicely.

This is a bloody good model for a first moc, some very interesting things on it! Poor teddy though!

Very nice,

Where did you get all that green and those orange chain wheels if you just started with modern technic? Considering there a no current sets holding those parts.

Would like to get my hands on more green myself :)

Where did you get all that green and those orange chain wheels....

You could look through the four pages of this Bricklink Catalog list of Lego "Wheels" to find the wheels you want, and them order some from your favorite Bricklink vendor.

Very nice,

Where did you get all that green and those orange chain wheels if you just started with modern technic? Considering there a no current sets holding those parts.

Would like to get my hands on more green myself :)

I bought a couple of 8063 sets (tractor + trailer) from Toys R Us for £45 a pop, and as DLuders said, for the sprockets: Bricklink. Everything was so tidy when I was custom-ordering everything from Bricklink, all black, dark blue-grey, light blue-grey or green. Then the other colours started creeping in and ruining things...

I got black sprockets first, but later decided they blended into the model too much

Nice tank!

Glad to see someone taking the threat of "cuddly teddy lamb"-invasion seriously!

Looks like great fun!