Whether you call him the father of the year, or reckon his son the most pampered little brat, you will reach the same outcome: A fully-functional mobile ride that combines limitless possibilities of woodworking and fatherhood that knows no bounds.
If you haven’t figured it out already, we are talking about Vietnamese craftsman Trương Văn Đạo, a father and proprietor of a wood workshop and YouTube channel, ND Woodworking Art. After building wooden Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini replicas for his son, Văn Đạo has now built a life-sized, drivable Swedish STRV 103 tank – that’s immortalized in the popular video game “World of Tanks” – as a replacement for his little one’s RC tank he accidentally broke.
Designer: ND Woodworking Art
The entire journey of the ambitious build has been speed documented on the workshop’s YouTube channel, from the humble beginning to a stellar finish. The idea starts out with a steel box frame attached to pneumatic rubber wheels together forming the foundation upon which the tank would rise.
This basic structure is then fitted with an electric motor, which would give the tank sustainable power to ride green with pride. It is joined by a chain drive system and tank treads, shaping the contraption into a capable machine. Once the metal base with tank treads is perfected, it was now time to head to the upper part.
A sturdy metal superstructure is created and attached to the base, bringing the essence of a tank together. The sturdiness of metal would now receive a wooden finish: The team of craftsmen skillfully cut and craft contours to mirror that of the STRV 103, which are then placed piece by piece on the tank shell to bring it closer to the final outcome.
Now some meticulously designed wooden accessories such as gas tanks and shovels are attached to the exterior of the tank, to add authenticity and character to the replica which is built with an ingenious feature. A hydraulic front that lowers on command to make it easy for Văn Đạo’s son to climb in, as the two embark on a joyous ride in their electric wooden tank traversing roads and open grasslands with ease.
