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Re: M3 progress

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:48 am
by TopKick
Half Tracks are such sexy beasts! 8)

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:56 pm
by steve1973
More photos of the progress!! :D

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Steve A.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:37 am
by mfrance
question: what are you guys going to use for perimeter rail " early " style rolled channel or " later "angle iron ?

looking really good from where you started, excellent

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:01 am
by steve1973
We are going to have the perimeter rail bent up for us as original so the answer is rolled. They will be in 10 foot sticks. You need about 4four sticks per halftrack. My halftrack has angle made to look formed. I might change that and go with the formed.

Steve A.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:31 am
by steveo916
i bent up some for my halftrack and the first time i tried it i used 3/16" flat bar.
what i found is that flat bar will crack on the bend line. one of the bends has a close edge distance so a narrow bottom die is required and the flat bar just doesn't work as a result of its higher carbon content and how its made.
i then sheared out strips from a sheet of 3/16" plate and had no problems.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:52 pm
by Spec4Don
My perimeter rail was intact to the B-pillar so will just have to do the back portion. My throw some angle iron on to get by until after Tower Park.

Don G.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:27 pm
by G102
We build complete Perimeter rails with the gussets,
All the necessary holes, and proper bends to fit the entire body
For M-2 and M-3 models
Gary

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 8:53 pm
by steve1973
Well guys, after four long years Don's halftrack restoration is, for the most part, done. All that is left is the front fenders, perimeter rail and the finishing touches. Great job Don! :D

Here is a video of Don having fun with his halftrack.

Enjoy!

Steve A.

http://youtu.be/srli7kQbu1k

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:33 pm
by steve1973
Don And I got the fenders on tonight and pulled ZELDA out for some photos. Yes ZELDA is the track's name. I will let Don explain that to you. Good Story. Any how it is as complete as it is going to get at this point for Tower Park. Here are some photos.

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OK that was the good news. There is some bad news. You know the saying one step forward, two steps back. Well, we have experienced a lot of that with this project. The latest in that is while we were hanging the first fender Don found a puddle of brake fluid under both rear brake plates which means both wheel cylinders are shot. :( No time to fix now so he capped off the line to the rear brakes and we will deal with that after Tower Park. To top that off I went next door to my other shop to find a puddle under one of my rear brake plate which means mine is leaking also. Sound like we will have to de-track both vehicles to fix brakes when we get back. Oh well, time for some fun first at Tower Park. :)

Steve A.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:19 pm
by Tapper02
Great works fellas....can't wait to see the tracks (and you guys too) next week!

-Tom

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 3:09 am
by yd328
That is terrific work, now the driving fun begins. Should be great at Tower Park.

Gary

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 4:54 am
by Kevin Lockwood
Really a sweet track Don. Congrats on getting her this far along.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:34 am
by brian in denver
grunt engineers TO&E ?? is this correct for ground pounders ? my sister unit, I was in the 9-15E
http://militaryresearch.org/5-17%2013Mar44.pdf

BB

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:26 pm
by Spec4Don
Right on Brian! A brother Engineer! I couldn't open your link but the 12th may have had a halftrack or 2 I found this in the 12th's history it was reorganized in 42 as Engineer Motorized Battalion. Anyway we were Mechanized and our compnay was attached to the 1st Brigade 8th infantry. So the best of both worlds WW2 and my unit! :mrgreen:

12th ENGINEER BATTALION



Constituted 1 July 1940 in the Regular Army as the 12th Engineer Battalion (Combat) and assigned to the 8th Division (subsequently the 8th Infantry Division). Activated 1 July 1940 at Camp Jackson, South Carolina. Redesignated 21 May 1942 as the 12th Engineer Motorized Battalion. Redesignated 1 May 1943 as the 12th Engineer Combat Battalion. Inactivated 25 October 1945 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Activated 17 August 1950 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Redesignated 15 June 1954 as the 12th Engineer Battalion (Combat). Inactivated 15 April 1995 at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Re: M3 progress

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
by Viking27
Great looking track Don! Wish I was done, but not enough time for all projects.

Hinrik