Tamiya Tracked Vehicle Chassis Adapted for Dual Gearbox Motor

thingiverse

Well, it's time to give something back for sure! I just picked up a Tamiya Tracked Motor Chassis Kit, and with it came one motor as standard issue. Since I also acquired a Tamiya Dual Gearbox Motor, which independently drives each track, I thought, why not upgrade? Unfortunately, the Balsa Wood chassis provided doesn't have enough room for the dual motor assembly - the Balsa just can't cut it. After measuring carefully, I designed a brand-new plate from scratch. To make your life easier, I've included a STEP file, which lets you modify the struts or tweak the mounting hole spacings if need be. Those struts serve as a platform to hold an adapter plate, making room for a 60mm Microtivity prototype board in front and an Arduino Uno on top - talk about stacking functionality! This adapter plate is going live later. As it stands now, you'll notice a central boss waiting to hold the Zitrades dual motor driver to control that nifty dual gearbox motor. You've got the drill, right? Alright, drilling down (get it?) here's the scoop on how to install this beautiful new part: For your chassis mounting holes, 2.5mm is where it begins; follow up with a 3mm x .5 tap. You can get these taps at your friendly neighborhood hardware store. Then you need some sweet button head screws, preferably military-style with three threads showing - you can choose the length of the screw according to how bold you're feeling. I opted for a snazzy 6mm version. Now let's tackle the boss from Zitrades - it wants 2mm drill time with an M3 x .5 or .4 tap; yeah, one might be made-up! As you go down the manufacturing line (so to speak), don't skimp on material: you'll want multiple perimeters/shells in place to let those drills and taps play without stressing your build's foundation. When it comes to drilling and tapping time, just do as I say and use some fine precision from a trusty jeweler's mini-drill press (grab one off Amazon, no fuss) - taps worked perfectly well for yours truly. There's only so much explaining needed before the part itself guides your next steps. The end of the plate near where the motor rests should need no special note as its intended purpose, nor do you have to wonder what direction I was thinking with this creation when I call forward - now isn't that clear? You want to move those rear mounting screws forward by 0.5mm or even a whopping 1.5 if that sounds just about right - I trust your taste on the whole thing (use this new design knowledge at your very own risk).