1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane

[mcCracken15]

You know how good it feels to know someone else live right here in Oregon for a change! I felt like I was the only one! I would love to start hearing about some model shows in portland . It is a 4 hr. Drive for me but would be way worth it. I've been hard at work building ab1/14 excavator and starting on a 1/14 d11 for my brother. I just bought a lathe and mill last year and have learned so much its amazing and I really don't know how I've lived without!

[Southgate]

Hey, McCracken, wherebouts in OR are ya? The show I go to about every other year is a model car show, the SABA puts it on. It's not an RC show, but I build 1/25 trucks and cars, and this crane...

I have taken about a couple years off on doing anything with this project other than operate it, but I got busy lately. I tried a 10 lb lift to see what would happen. It revealed some weak points, but did the lift without any damage.

One weak point was the slewing pivot, rather a hub and spindle affair. The spindle was fine, a 1/2 stainless steel bar. There was enough play in the hub part, basically brass tube inserted through the 1 1/4" thick base plate to allow fore and aft rock, thus some interference. It took 10 lbs to reveal that.




So a new hub was turned from thick brass bar and a larger hole drilled to accept it. It is stepped so it looks like it's sitting on top, but it goes all the way down through, and held in with a set screw.


I rebuilt this block too. It needed a stronger hook, so I made a copper one. I'll probably replace it later on with a double hook, but for now this holds with all authority. The thin plates between the sheaves were warped, so I made thicker ones, now the block behaves far more smoothly. That overhaul took most of the day!


Another 10 lb "pick" was done to check out the improvements, and it all works quite nicely.

[Southgate]

Here's a little video of the crane raising the boom, gantry and live mast. Clicking on the little x-in-the-box should open it.

[sparkycuda]

Your video of mast raising was great! You have kept faithful to prototypical speeds and it looks just like the real thing.

Awesome job!

Ken

[Southgate]

I've been back at work on this thing after almost a 2 year break. I was burned out!

The rim beads were properly shaped, and resin hubs added after the rims were painted. Here's before paint.


I got busy on detailing the outrigger boxes too. Still need some stuff, but they look far better being all closed up.



The gantry weight was increased, this helped in improving it's motion when erecting and lowering, but it also gave far more control to the lines by deepening the sheave slots.


Here, the outriggers, the chassis on the carrier, and the wheels are all painted and assembled.






I have a lot of painting left to do, especially on the details of the upper unit, and it needs some weathering, as it just looks too clean for a big ol' industrial machine. More to come. Dan