Build Your Own Sherman Tank

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Saturday March 15, 2003 @02:36AM from the constructing-the-universe dept.

absolut.evil writes "OK, so admittedly it is only 1/5th scale, but still pretty cool.. especially if you're a kid. The thing comes complete with working suspension, meticulously built wooden tank treads and X-Arcade controls. Check out the pics and construction timeline."

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Heh by w.p.richardson · 2003-03-15 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny

I like the pictures of lil' Rambo rolling along there in the panzer. Reminds me of my youth.
I can hear the shrieks of the gun control activists now!

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Curb CO2 emissions: Kill yourself today!
1. Re:Heh by sczimme · 2003-03-15 05:14 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I like the pictures of lil' Rambo rolling along there in the panzer. Reminds me of my youth.
  
  Where the heck did you grow up???
  
  --
  I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
Uh, can you get me out, now? by soloport · 2003-03-15 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny

Anyone els think the kid in the tank looks like he's got to take a leak?
What they failed to mention.... by telstar · 2003-03-15 02:41 · Score: 5, Funny

What they failed to mention was that the Sherman tank was built AROUND the small child ...
Kindergarten is going to be rough for that little one.
1. Re:What they failed to mention.... by Angry+White+Guy · 2003-03-15 02:44 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Kindergarten won't be so bad. Have you ever picked on a guy in a tank?
  
  Although 5th grade might be rough. Reminds me of Bonzai Kitty.
  
  --
  You think that I'm crazy, you should see this guy!
2. Re:What they failed to mention.... by JPriest · 2003-03-15 03:36 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Yes, bet there is a kid who will never come up short on lunch money.
  
  --
  Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
Cannon? by ReidMaynard · 2003-03-15 02:43 · Score: 4, Funny

Man it looks like a Estes(sp?) model rocket motor would fit right in the canon. Look out neighbourhood cats!

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-- www.globaltics.net
Political discussion for a new world
Americans DO like war by Cyb3r · 2003-03-15 02:44 · Score: 5, Funny

No wonder Bush is looking for every last reason to attack Iraq...

Hey that big war budget HAS to be spent doing something "constructive" right?
hey look by Spicy+Bisquit · 2003-03-15 02:56 · Score: 5, Funny

its elian gonzalez. see what the little punk has gotten into in cuba? it is only a matter of time until he invades again.
Builld your own Tank by rodney+dill · 2003-03-15 02:59 · Score: 5, Funny

Cool.

Now I want to sell the instructions to Build your own mine field to this guy's neigbors.

Where was cool stuff like this when I was a kid, or at least when I was small enough to fit inside one of these. I was impressed that the treads were make out of wood, I would've guessed that you would've need an expensive trip too the hardware store to do treads.

--

Use your head, can't you, use your head,
You're on earth, there's no cure for that - S. Beckett
Give it a rest you anti-war hippies by Anonymous Coward · 2003-03-15 03:00 · Score: 5, Funny

Studies have proven that it's NATURAL for kids to play with toy guns and the like. Children who do are not any more prone to shooting someone later in life than kids who merely play with dolls. I'm tired of pop psychologists/Oprah Winfrey telling us how to raise children/live our lives. I'm so pissed I'm going outside to shoot something!!!
1. Re:Give it a rest you anti-war hippies by cyberlotnet · 2003-03-15 03:18 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  No kidding, Children are a lot like computer programs, Input affects output, but in the end its the programmer ( parents ) that direct the nature out the output,
  
  Just as a programmer can filter out certain inputs, a parents raising of a child filters there inputs,
  
  You want a program to ignore a certain command you program it to, You want a child to not smoke you talk to them about it, now just like programming, there may be some bugs and it may not work but the parent has to try.
  
  Im tired of listening to parents complain, when its a fact that parents spend less and less time with there children.
  
  Before a parent can even begin to open there mouth they should look at themselves and answer some very simple questions.
  1. Do I spend at least a hour of quality time a day with my child.
  2. Do I know the names of my childs friends? Where does his best friend live?
  3. Has my child every had sex? Do I know this for sure?
  4. What is my kids favorite color
  
  Some of the questions may seem stupid but come on, its your child.
  
  Lets stop spending all our time blaming others and spend more time with our children, that is the only sure way to improve things.
  
  --
  Personal Website
2. Re:Give it a rest you anti-war hippies by xanadu-xtroot.com · 2003-03-15 04:58 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  No kidding, Children are a lot like computer programs, Input affects output, but in the end its the programmer ( parents ) that direct the nature out the output
  
  Oh, you don't need to tell me about that stuff, man. My son is still in diapers.
  
  --
  I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
  I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
Re:WMD are not something to play with by Jeb3diah · 2003-03-15 03:00 · Score: 3, Insightful

A tank is not a weapon of mass destruction.
News Flash: by Sayten241 · 2003-03-15 03:07 · Score: 4, Funny

7 year old child with 1/5th scale tank conquers Iraqi military through sheer cuteness.
1. Re:News Flash: by JDWTopGuy · 2003-03-15 07:00 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  7 year old kills Michael Jackson with 1/5th scale tank after Jackson tries to get in tank with kid. World rejoices, film at 11.
  
  --
  Ron Paul 2012
Not so fast buddy by scotay · 2003-03-15 03:21 · Score: 5, Funny

Just imagine the looks on your neighbors faces when you rumble into the midst of their barbecue in a Panzer, and paste the beer cooler with your 37mm potato cannon. That'll teach 'em to drink imported beer on the 4th of July.

The response from my Guinness keg launcher promises to teach your 5-year-old a valuable lesson on the perils of unilateralism.
Hobby? by dnoyeb · 2003-03-15 03:25 · Score: 4, Interesting

At first it looked interesting. Then he starts running into problem after problem and I'm thinking, Does he want a job at General Dynamics? Because he is doing a ton of engineering. He put some real thought into that thing. I can't blame him at all for the $10-$25 fee for instructions.

Of course he will soon find that the instructions are equally as hard to make as the tank...
Just what I've always wanted to see. . . by fr2asbury · 2003-03-15 03:29 · Score: 4, Funny

Pictures from the childhood of Davros.
"Father" of the Daleks.

Cheers,
Jonathan
Re:Great for kids? by timeOday · 2003-03-15 03:38 · Score: 4, Funny

Why not give them a mock up of a chemical warfare agent? "Hey, kids, it looks and smells like real sarin gas!
Gimme a break! Look, if you ever become dad enough to pull something like this off you can make a VW bus, ok?
Re:How are you Gentlemen!! by The+AtomicPunk · 2003-03-15 03:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

Which countries was this not popular in?
Re:War machinery is great by Slashdot+Junky · 2003-03-15 03:49 · Score: 3, Insightful

Dear World,

Yeah, I play "guns" all the time as a kid, and have never wanted to buy a real one, nor have I ever wanted to use one for anything. Man, those were the days!

Today's kids play with real guns, because their parents were to damn scared of hurting their feelings by saying no and setting real rules!

-Slashdot Junky

--
.
Landfill Mining Co.
Managing the (Un)natural Resources of Tomorrow
Re:War machinery is great by mt_nixnut · 2003-03-15 03:53 · Score: 5, Insightful

It's actally far more likely that the kid will grow up to be a model making nutlike his Dad. Since he will remember the project as much as the finished product that allowed him to actually climb inside and drive around the yard.
Who knows he may even grow up to be an engineer.
I worked in prisons for quite a few years and believe me, kids with dads that spend this kind of time with them don't typically grow up to be dangerous and violent.
Re:Great for kids? by iggymanz · 2003-03-15 04:37 · Score: 4, Interesting

Giving a kid a model of a vehicle that inflicted death and mayhem on the Nazis is a Good Thing. Teaching that freedom comes at a great price is a Good Thing.
Re:you'll put your eye out with that thing! by morgajel · 2003-03-15 05:00 · Score: 3, Funny

...wood isn't exactly "designed" for chairs either:)

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Looking for Book Reviews? Check out Literary Escapism.
Rough for who? by mikosullivan · 2003-03-15 08:08 · Score: 3, Funny

Kindergarten is going to be rough for that little one.

The kid's got his own Sherman Tank. Kindergarten's going to rough for the other kids.

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Miko O'Sullivan
The Sherman Was a Piece of Crap by cjsnell · 2003-03-15 11:01 · Score: 3, Informative

If I ever build my child a tank, it will be something other than the M4 Sherman. That tank should have never been put in service. Prior to the Normandy invasion in 1944, GEN George S. Patton made the decision to concentrate production on the M4 Sherman instead of the M26 Pershing. The Pershing, according to Patton, was much too heavy. Patton, being a cavalry man, saw tanks as tools of the infantry. Tanks were to be used in conjunction with assaults by foot soldiers and were not intended to fight other tanks. Patton's choice of the lighter, faster Sherman turned out to be a huge mistake. The high-velocity guns of the German Tiger and Panther tanks penetrated the Shermans like a fork through a slice of bread. According to Belton Y. Cooper (whose book you should read...more on that in a bit), the Army began the Normandy campaign with 232 M4 tanks. In eleven months of service, 648 were completely destroyed and 700 were knocked out but later prepared. This comes out to roughly 580% losses in less than a year. These incredible losses resulted in the deaths of thousands of highly (and expensively) trained tank crew members.

As if the M4's crappy armor wasn't bad enough, the Army equipped it with rotary aircraft engines, which it apparently had in surplus. These engines constantly fouled spark plugs (of which they had around 18, if I am remembering Cooper's book correctly). The engines did not like to idle at low RPMs and this created constant problems when travelling in convoys. On top of that, the tanks would let out an extremely un-tactical backfire when they were started, which often drew German artillery fire upon their positions. The M4s also had very narrow tracks. Your son's model tank looks to be fairly accurate as far as the dimensions of the tracks. When these narrow tracks encountered freshly-plowed farmland, they got stuck and it took incredible effort to free them.

But wait, it gets even worse... The M4's main gun (75mm or 76mm, depending) was almost useless when up against German armor. When that gun hit the hardened armor (rolled, if my memory serves me) of the Tiger tanks, it merely bounced off, leaving a scratch or pockmark on the surface.

So, all you Slashdotters...if you're going to build your kid a tank, do them a favor and build them an M26!

-Chris

PS - I got most of this information from reading Belton Y. Cooper's incredible book, "Death Traps", which follows the 3rd Armored Divison ("Spearhead") from Normandy to the heart of Germany. I'm not sure if it is still available--it was out-of-print for a while...