SO by now many of you have known and seen that I have a 3D printer and have been playing around with making my own recoil system (Based/cloned from the Clark universal one).

SO currently the main recoil system (Body/barrel/gears/elevation tab) are complete and have been tested with servos and a servo tester.

Currently it has been created and implemented on a HL T34-85 turret and a beefed up Turret gun mantlet mount was made for the T-34.

So the next version will be for a HL Jagdpanther... And my gun mantlet mount was demo'd (by my son who likes to run into things...)

So for a size comparison so ar... The one in the background is my model of the Clark Universal Recoil unit.




Mine will use the standard arm that comes with the Emax servo (Which my order arrived today so I'll be able to start making my universal recoil kits (8 of them)
The holes in the sides are for 5mm tubing that will be used for pivot points that ate at that position.



Here you see the compactness that I'm doing compared to the standard one. I will be adding a "Bolt on tail" that will allow for typical H/L elevation styles and the Spring recess (I make use a pin instead of the box for centering). This current iteration will give 14-15mm of travel and will have a return spring to assist it in returning to battery. (Also allows for a small hit on the barrel to not destroy the recoil system (10mm of give via the slot...)

Interesting, bringing one this weekend??? 

Depends if I can finish the design today @ work... If so, I'll 3D print out tonight.

OK. Design Finished... If the servo goes the wrong way...(60d travel). Showing off the servo linkage attachment plate. Holes on both sides for wherever you want to attach a servo linkage (I am assuming a hook up to a dial pot on a remote...)



Servo in neutral position (Extended barrel).




Servo at maximum possible travel of 70d from neutral... This gives the maximum 15mm of travel. Typical 60degree throw from neutral is 12-13mm.
Design is setup to allow for custom longer arms and such for making a longer travel (note the 2nd set of servo mounting holes).
Will be working on a sliding servo arm similar the linkage shown, but without a Spring. Spring inside will add $2 to the cost.. BOO!



Size comparison with servoes. The Compact servo elevation version vs. Standard Clark



Mike Gen2 Compact with elevation tail size comparison.



Upper Left is the Clark, Middle is Mike's Gen1 Streamlined Tail elvation. Lower Right is new Compact design with Tail.

I will be 3D printing tonight... Hope it goes well!
Plan on bringing one or two compact units out with servoes. Depending on how well the function (dimensional tweeks, if they even work...) they may even be for sale...

Starting the prototypes...


Smaller pieces completed, now just finishing the bodies and the barrels...


Roughly put together... #2 screws are too big, they strain the ABS too much and are in reality slightly larger than 2mm which I have designed for... That hardware I have ordered through E-Bay.. (Damned China lead times...)
Currently a too large screw for the servo arm and a chopped binder clip for the linkage slider (recall that #2 are a bit larger than 2mm)



So I will be printing out the elevation tail tonight for the 2nd Compact recoil system. When I start out I'll be having both Servo elevation end as well as the Tail style elevation included. So anyone interested for $25 a set (includes servo)?
I also plan to look at the elevation for the Stug III which has the two side rails if I recall from talking to Dean...

Aha! Discovered a flaw in my design! Will correct for production.

So after seeing the pre-production units. Any questions or comments? Ideas for improvements?
Bueller? Bueller?

Current design will allow for both 10mm and 15 mm recoil travel (long vs short linkage)
It also allows for you run your tank into something with your barrel and not destroy the gear teeth as happens with the Clark recoil set (it actually presses against the spring and cap, not the plastic teeth).
Size is also compact to allow for easier fit and routing in cramped turrets with minimal available real estate.

Currently the final production unit will include.
Package Contents:
Metal Gear Servo (qty 1, comes with multiple servo arms, 3 mounting screws and arm screw)
Recoil Barrel (qty1)
Recoil Body, Compact (qty 1)
Elevation Cap, Servo (qty 1)
Elevation Cap, Tail (qty 1)
Body/Cap Screws (qty 6)
2mm Recoil Pin (qty 1)
Recoil Linkage, Long (qty 1)
Recoil Linkage, Short (qty 1)
Recoil Spring (qty 1)
Instruction Sheet (qty 1)

Required for Assembly:
Sandpaper/Files for smoothing down recoil path & any sprue marks
Screw drivers/hex drivers

Optional additions:
5mm OD tube/shaft for elevation pivot (qty 2) (if your turret requires it)

Jarlath wrote:

Aha! Discovered a flaw in my design! Will correct for production.

Was the one I got yesterday a pre production ? i.e. with flaw ?

MikeC wrote:

Jarlath wrote:

Aha! Discovered a flaw in my design! Will correct for production.

Was the one I got yesterday a pre production ? i.e. with flaw ?

No. I made two main bodys that corrected the flaw. The mantlet mount face width was corrected to standard size. Also added a removable manufacturing brace between the servo mount holes to correct for "sag" during manufacturing.

However if you want the old flawed ones as well, I can let you have them for a steal! No servos, no hardware, no elevation caps, but I will include pre-production barrels and springs!

Sure I will take them. Most of my custom build I don't need the Heng Long connectors anyway.

Alright! Finally able to get back into swing... My ABS has arrived!

10 rolls of ABS specifically for the 3D printer I am using (Identical manufacturer so no setting changes needed...)




Some nice M2 x 10mm Hex cap screws for the unit.




The beginnings of the first few sets... Tee Hee!

Hey Mike I never asked you, but would your recoil system work in a panther turret? Since they use a different elevation unit from the other tanks?

I would not know. Have not yet looked into a Panther turret to see the differences.

Currently my system is a more compact version of the Clark Universal Recoil system. I'd need to see the existing mechanism.

Ahhh. I see. It is similar to that of the Stug with a rotating lug mounted on the right side. Unless you change it to a servo driven elevation system, then no, the compact version will not work. I will look at the lug version however soon.


That being said. Depending on the exact position of the elevation crank compared to the pivot location, I may be able to design an end cap that will incorporate the rails for elevation. Depends if the servo mount intrudes on the required space claim.

Anyone have this dimension handy?

Just wondering.

OK. I've almost completed the initial release for Jarlath's Compact Recoil Kit.
Finishing up the assembly instructions (with optional layouts/etc...).

Installed and tested successfully on my (son's) Jagdpather. Images to follow tomorrow.

Speaking of airsoft and recoil units....
Does anyone have one for the Stug III? aka a spare HL original?

I want to make sure that I can fit the Gen 4 JCC Recoil unit for use in the Stug/Panther/Sherman turret (Side elevation and with the alignment tab in the stug)... I will give it back once done...

Here is the modeling of the gen 4 JCC recoil unit. Even more compact with no internal mods required hopefully (aka removal of airsoft feed path, etc...)


Gen 4 on bottom. Will have option for spring loaded barrel system or not. Recoil will be about 12-14mm travel.





Less side profile and nothing on top to interfere with mounting.



Mass (Servo) is more centrally located.

Current tail is similar to old version with some mass reduction.

nice Cad work what software do you use

Unigraphics 9.0 @ work... Trying to find a standalone to load at home....

U
Unigraphics nice package never used it been using solidworks since 99

Been using CAD's since AutoCad the mid-late eighties...

Ya I used a cad package for the old Amiga  in the early eighties then went to autocad, ideas, back to auto cad then solidworks
oh crap I am dating myself

Me too.
AutoCAD up to 14,
Pro-Engineer version 7 to Wildfire 2.0
Unigraphics NX 6 to 9

Dabbled with versions of Autodesk Inventor, Solidworks, Catia.