Unstructured Thoughts - What are you thinking about now?

Shop_Smith_Poppi · Post by **Shop_Smith_Poppi** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:29 pm

spiderclimber wrote:Thought of the day. I need to find a conveyor belt so I can make the tank tracks for my parade float. Did you know it is hard to find a used conveyor belt online? There has got to be a supplier of broken belts somewhere I just have to find it.
I even thought about going to the good will and looking for a few old treadmills. hmm... This is going to be a fun one.

You could use card board and shape it like the tracks of a tank and make it wider than you need so you could fold it under it and make it look thicker than it is. Then paint the card board to look like metal. Then use that expand-a- foam to add mud to the tracks.

spiderclimber · Post by **spiderclimber** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:25 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. The treads will not move but I have to be weight conscious so real metal treads won't work either. My bet was to use a belt from a conveyor preferably so it is about quarter inch thick rubber and then use 2x4s cut to look like the tracks. This should make it light enough to tow but look functional. A grain elevator belt would work great but finding one is the challenge. All the farmers I know run a belt into the ground and then get a new one when that one breaks. The likeliness that the belt breaks in the next two weeks, when they are not loading grain, is slim to none.

The float is also going to be a permanent fixtures to the trailer. The Young Marine group plans to use it for several years. I might be building a different one for them in 5 years or so but not until then so the cardboard treads is out too.

I will have to get a thread started next week with some progress pictures so you guys can give me tips and suggestions on how to make it look better.

Shop_Smith_Poppi · Post by **Shop_Smith_Poppi** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:37 pm

Actually if you did use the cardboard you could spray it with polyurethane and it would be water resistant and harden. It would also be light weight.

Or you could use chicken wire and make the tracks out of plaster. Or spray it with the Expandable foam and make it out of that. You could make a form out of 1/4 inch plywood and spry the form with PAM the cooking spray so the foam does not stick to it.

Oh yeah I would love to be apart of this if I only lived closer. I was in the Marines from 1985 till 1988.

Semper Fi

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:08 am

Shop_Smith_Poppi wrote:Actually if you did use the cardboard you could spray it with polyurethane and it would be water resistant and harden. It would also be light weight.

Or you could use chicken wire and make the tracks out of plaster. Or spray it with the Expandable foam and make it out of that. You could make a form out of 1/4 inch plywood and spry the form with PAM the cooking spray so the foam does not stick to it.

Oh yeah I would love to be apart of this if I only lived closer. I was in the Marines from 1985 till 1988.

Simper Fi

Semper Fi!;)

Shop_Smith_Poppi · Post by **Shop_Smith_Poppi** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:44 am

Yes I do that alot for some reason and I never catch it thx JPG

BigSky · Post by **BigSky** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:22 pm

Shop_Smith_Poppi wrote:Yes I do that alot for some reason and I never catch it thx JPG

He does a great job of finding and pointing out those mistakes!

Shop_Smith_Poppi · Post by **Shop_Smith_Poppi** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:25 pm

Yea .....its like he lives off the feeling he gets from showing the world our mistakes. LOL

Just kidding JPG

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:01 pm

Shop_Smith_Poppi wrote:Yea .....its like he lives off the feeling he gets from showing the world our mistakes. LOL

Just kidding JPG

At least one of the two of you understands! Those 'corrections' are NOT an ego trip for me!

Maybe in some cases(where I think the person knows better) I do it in fun.

When I think it is merely a typo, same!

When I think one doesn't realize the 'error' IMHO I am doing them a favor by making them aware.

Lord knows I ain't perfect! And I do appreciate being told of my errors! Otherwise I be going around 'misinformed'. I do not like that! It makes for incorrect conclusions later.

Shop_Smith_Poppi · Post by **Shop_Smith_Poppi** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:12 am

OH we understand JPG we just poking a little fun at you now.

jcraigie · Post by **jcraigie** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:51 pm

Oh no way, we are being serious,:rolleyes: because that happens a lot around here:p

Just kidding seriously, I for one appreciate it when someone points out my flubs. As JPG said it keeps me from looking silly later on down the road.