Some motion becomes visible of the third phase

In the beginning of december the testsetup of the tracks, motor and hydraulic pump has been moved to Vandaele Machinery, Robert and Carl Vandaeles firm, in Oostrozebeke in order to prepare the third phase of building a mobile framework. Dirk and Robert having been further engineering seperately to find out the best solutions. Stijn P. has been getting involved advising on the engineering, having finished his engineering studies and also Stijn B. has shown interest of getting involved in the building where needed and possible. As I have been myself, not able to go to school teaching for almost half a year, due to a annoying physical problem called fistula, there was time to try to get all the noses into the same and hopefully right direction to effectively start this third phase, money being available since last summer. Today, december 22, 2012, the technical team came together and decided all together on some matters how to proceed. We were happy Carl, Roberts son, leading the Vandaele company with his sister, got also involved. Our yellow framework will not be used anymore, will be too difficult and costly to further use it, but we won't get rid of it neither. Might suit other aims in the future. The excavator profiles won't be used also anymore, will take more time and money using them, than producing new ones, because we need much more length. Working hours are much more costly than material. Inspired how to and how not to, this summer, visiting the Warhorse replica in Bovington, we can now proceed and find a local metalconstructor producing the new much stronger framework, that should be able to cross a trench, while Vandaele Machinery will then make this new framework mobile using the hydraulic pump, the 6 cylinder Gardner and the tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets. Robert would have loved to do it himself, but we have to face reality too and get the most done with our tight budget. Leaving the yellow framework was also difficult, but we have to optimize our efforts and budget in order to be able to realize our final aim. Our aim is having a steerable riding framework on the chains by the beginning of september. After that we stil need to decorate the tank and make the trackplates and fix them to the chains and solve lot's of other "minor" problems, but once we can ride around with this strong framework the most difficult part will be done. This month exactly we can look back on 8 years of struggling, and most of all waiting, but now I'm really looking out to a last a riding "thing". When one of you is around, don't hesitate to contact us and from the autumn on, we might invite you for a ride ;-) Belowa general engineering plan produced by Dirk with advice from Stijn P. and Robert. It contains all the metal parts we will assemble, but also already the decoration plates with the rivet holes to be made which will be placed afterwards. If you pass by, I can show you more details on my laptop, but this will both satisfy and also arouse already a bit your curiousity.

You can click on it to get a bigger image and the final design might still change, but gives an idea how we are gonna proceed. Thanks Robert, Dirk and Stijn P. for all your time on this. No obstruction to pass the word around, mentioning this website off course.