Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Thank you for the comments, gents.

Stuffing that equipment in the upper was one thing, but the carrier is just about as stuffed. That mechanism that lifts the counterweights up off the deck so the upper can glide under uses up all the space between the rails for about 8 inches or so.

As the weather has finally gotten cold, I have started back in on this. A few small refinements at first, and now I'm building the deck on the carrier, including the fenders, cab, all the cosmetic stuff. A change in it's looks will start taking place here soon.

Kerst, do you also model plastic trucks in 1/24-1/25? Just curious. That's my favorite scale to work in.

I'm still blown away by your crane, all that machining and engineering is stunning, especially in this scale.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

No, I stay away from these plastic kits. They are very beautiful and detailed, but i am too rough for that. And i like to play with my cranes, which means overloading it, moving it fully rigged, climbing inclines, go in the sand, etc. The 1/25 or 1/24 scale suits me also very well, not too big, not too small.
I built one crane in 1/20, because Then I could not achieve the whole drive line in a smaller scale, but it is almost too big to handle.
Looking forward to more pictures of your crane,

Kerst

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

This is quite a project and you have been doing a great job keep up the good work. Ed

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Again, thanks for the nice comments.

I have "play" in mind too, and here is an early look at the crane running a couple laps around the back yard to see how it behaves off road. Note that it's set up for transport, no counterweights or boom, beyond the base boom.

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P6010100.jpg

The suspensions are equalized to take up some uneven ground, but it's not intended to be a rough terrain crane. If it gets in to too soft of ground, it will bury in and spin the drivers (all rears are driven, fronts just steer)

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P6010102.jpg

I call this a 1/24 model, but it actually may be a bit large as that goes. It could more easily pass as about 1/20 to 1/22 or so, but I want it to fit in with all my 1/24-1/25 models, so I'm making the cabs and other details to match that. There may well be 1/1 cranes out there this size, I just haven't seen them. Link Belt and P&H have some that actually come close in some respects, ang Grove has some that come close in other respects. I'm combining several basic designs to freelance a passably realistic model, even if not specific prototype.

Since it is freelanced, I want to come up with my own manufacturer name. CONCORD is one that I am gravititating toward. Say, CONCORD LT6-4000

L= lattice boom, T= truck type carrier, 6=number of axles. 4000; number of tons (400), plus a zero, as so many crane companies do this! What do you think?

A side note. The basic crane, as this scales out could reasonably be able to lift 400 tons or even more at maximum, but has to be set up properly to do so with a short range, heavy duty boom, and appropriate rigging. I'm building high range boom setup, so it won't be attempting to lift the base unit's full capacity. Maybe down the road, I can build the additional equipment for heavy lifting, that remains to be seen...

Heres a mock up using a Payhauler front end just to look at proportions. Not what I'm going to use
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P6010102.jpg

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Here's an update on this li'l project. I've started on the carrier's deck and bodywork. Styrene is my old comfort zone, it's nice to be working in it here. The cab is styrene, I penciled in the windows for now, but they'll be cut in time.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PA100047.jpg

The raised fender areas will be covered in diamond plate, painted to look like aluminum. The rest of the deck will be whatever color i decide on for the bodywork, to look like steel.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PA100048.jpg


I like how the rear fenders look, leaving the frame extending where the outrigger attaches. Both the front and rear outriggers will remain detachable for transport mode.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PA100049.jpg

That's how it looks as of this writing. More later. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

looks great!!!! crains and drag lines are cool very nice job

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

that looks real good Dan http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smile...mileys-336.gif

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Nice workmanship on the boom! The whole rig is looking great - keep up the good work!

Nice RR layout in the background. Seems there are quite a few folks on this forum that are also into trains. Particular road or era you model?

Ken

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Thanks, Guys! Ken, I have to admit I haven't been real active on the model RR since I started with the crane, but I am partial to Southern Pacific, and I want to model the general feel of the area I grew up in, Coos Bay Oregon, mid to late 60s.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Nice work Dan, glad to see you working on it. Still don't understand how you guys do all this soldering without messing up what is right next to it.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Joe, soldering is not one of my strong points, more a necessary evil. Often I have to clean up joints with a file, whereas a person skilled in soldering can just do a clean joint.

I do use a pencil torch for everything but electrical or electronic wiring. I've never had good success with solereing irons for flat work, and I absolutely HATE soldering guns.

Still, if ya wanna make brass parts, soldering is a necessity, and the joints are strong, and can be reworked if needed. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Dan I've found that filing or sanding your joints before soldering to give the best results and strength . same for me , irons are for electrical work :p

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Yes, I do clean up my joints before soldering. Fit isn't so much the problem, as sometimes I get too much solder in or near the joint, and have to file it away. Overheating a joint can certainly lead to the next nearest joint coming undone, a real pain to deal with. I had to deal with that when makng this whole front end assembly. The trouble was when soldering the spring hangers, but i finally got it whooped.

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P5310093.jpg

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Really nice work under the front end - axles, springs & hangers, etc! A lot of close and complicated linkage for the steering - a great job of engineering and fabrication. Are your springs brass, phospher bronze or something else?

Ken

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Thank you, Ken. The springs are K&S Brass, curved to look like springs. The "leafs" (leaves?) are simply soldered together. The springs themselves don't flex, but the equalizers in the front end do work, so the machine can move over uneven ground and keep all wheels on the ground. (the rears are equalized too) Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Dan, that is an amazing build! I'm contemplating building a crane myself, and will have some questions for you...

Spencer

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

I'd be glad to help you with any questions you'd have. Also check out hte cranes in the section called "6x6 8x8 Big boys of the road"

I have been working on this thing lately, but nothing that would show up in pictures, I don't think. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

OK, I've been busy working on the crane, then we got a break in the weather, so I kinda slacked off. but here's what I'd been up to. In order to make straight accurate boom sections, a better way was needed than doing my best at pinning the components to a board. I designed and built, and modified this jig until it worked.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB150134.jpg

One side of the boom is constructed on each side of the jig. Then it is bolted together, and the edge lattices are added in. The big holes are actually recesses so that the aluminum doesn't sink the heat away from the joint.

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB150135.jpg

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB080125.jpg

This makes assembly go pretty fast, and accurate. The time consuming part is marking and drilling the holes in the brass tube where the lattices solder in place. Building this monster was a pretty big task in itself. It's 2 feet long.

I built 2 new 40 foot (20 inches) boom extensions and put the original one in the jig for a chiropractic adjustment of some warpage. It's much better. The connecting ends weren't done, but that's when the weather got nice...

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB180145.jpg

It seems winter came back, driving me back to the workshop.:) For about 4 years now, I've had nothing but trouble with the base boom on this crane. It was warped and bent, and I've gone to lengths to fix it, with actually favorable results. But one more tweak was needed for an alignment issue with the other sections, and in so doing, it warped way out again. It was time to do what I'd been putting off. I built a new one. The new one is built on the assembly jig too, but set up a bit differently.

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2200192.jpg

It is lacking the large sheet metal spans at the bottom, something that I discovered after building the original rather back dated it about 30 years.

So with a shiny new straight and modern base boom, I need to be able to attach the extensions. The original connectors on the existing sections were difficult to work with and really fragile. New ones were fashioned more in line with 1/1 practice.

The old ones were kind of like stinger and receivers, you had to stuff all 4 corners at the same time.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2110154.jpg

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...Boomjoints.jpg

The new ones can be connected jut 2 at a time, and they allow pivoting, as in 1/1 cranes. Stronger, easier, and more forgiving of necessary handling.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2230217.jpg

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2260247.jpg

Making those connectors all fit accurately is just plain hand labor extensive, and time consuming, tedious. But it paid off. Now I can much more easily pin them together and take them apart as needed.

here's a look at all 7 feet, four inches of the boom, including the new base and 2 new extensions.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2260227.jpg

This shot is from a ways back, and then zooming the lense. It condenses the look, showing the number of lattices. (there are exactly 100 peices in a scale 40 foot section) I just like how it looks.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2260234.jpg

The day after I got it this far, I took it over to a friend's house where we played with it for a couple hours. It comes to within about 1/2 inch from his ceiling! Guess who forgot his camera:confused:

The mechanisms all work fine with the extended length, and the outriggers and counterweights really do their job well.

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2260233.jpg

A few more pictures...
These spacer-retainers keep the ends at exact tollerances when the connectors are being soldered in place.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2160173.jpg

The brass tube is clamped into place on the jigs by screws and wingnuts.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB180147.jpg

I intend to eventually build a couple more smaller extensions, a scale 10, and 20 footer. But at this point, I'm almost burnt out on boom construction, I'm moving on with getting the cabs built and other cosmetic improvements. More pics as progress is made. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Wow, what an amazing work. The jig is interesting too. I have to keep that in mind because I think I'll need something like this in future.
Keep up the good work.
Are you able to make a short movie of the crane in motion?

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

:eek::eek::eek: I was wandering where you were now that is really nice :eek:

IHSteve

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Awesome work! You have tremendous talent and patience.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Yea, I forgot about this build. I see you've graduated into boom building like me. On my boom I used a piece of all-thread to hold my center distance on the base.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Looks awesome! That jig is genius! When I get around to building another crane I'll definitely have to use your idea. My jig was a 2x4 with small nails sticking out 1/4" to hold things in place. It worked but I wasn't exactly thrilled with the results.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Awesome work to get that boom done. May have been tedious but the result is certainly worth it.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Thank you, gent's!

Hey, Sonoran... Enjoying 70 degree weather? You did catch a goodly dose of that cold spell, didn't ya? Not that I'd wish it on anyone, but they had snow in SF!

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

wow that thing is a monster!! very nice work! dunno how i missed this thread but im glad i found it!

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

I've been quietly working away at this thing, here are some updates. Long story short, I rather rebuilt the motor mounting setup in the upper unit, and rearranged a number of other things in there. I added another drum, and electronic speed control, and cleaned up a lot of the cluttered look.

Teardown
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4010313.jpg

The new motors and drum are behaving nicely. While in there, I relocated the main power switch that turns all the RC circuits and motor supply power on. Before doing this, I had to remove one or the other side panels to access the switch, that gets old. So I decided to hide the switch in plain sight, where it's real easy to get to. It's mounted high on the back of the unit.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4010315.jpg

Here's with the body cabinet in place. Note the turned aluminum thingy there...
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4020319.jpg

And with a newly made air intake mounted to the switch, you simply slide the intake forward or aft to turn it on or off.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4020325.jpg

A month or so ago,I went to work on the cosmetics for a change of pace, here's how the carrier's cab is coming along.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3020268.jpg

This was another long story. I accidently stepped on this cab with an audible crunch. (and some other audible utterings we won't go into) But it was repairable. All the pieces were cut from .060 sheet styrene on the vertical mill. The window openings were channeled from the inside to make the "glass" closer to flush mounted. The partially assembled cab sitting there is for the upper unit. No new progress on it.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3020265.jpg

OK, I'll post this and continue in another reply to keep from over posting pictures.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Continuing from the last post...

With the new "whipline" drum added to the upper unit, the other end of the boom needed some attention. Some lugs were added to the tip of the boom. These were turned from brass and fastened with silver bearing solder, which was also used as a filler arount the pieces, filed to shape to look like fabricated steel.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3250298.jpg

This boom tip extension, also refered to as a horse head (I didn't make that up, read it somewhere) was fabricated from brass sheet, barstock, and tubing, with aluminum sheaves. I did this just Friday, a cold day outdoors, and I have a cold. Nice way to spend a day and evening indoors.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4090351.jpg

In the back of a 1/25 F-350
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4090353.jpg

Note how the 2 hooks are separated by a nice amount of space...
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P4090354.jpg

Another recent improvement was replacing the original plastic sheaves in the reeving with turned solid aluminum ones. The plastic ones were made from HO model train wheels thinned down and laminated together. It worked pretty well, but was a bit of a weak point.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3060282.jpg

That black one is an original, made before I acquired a lathe.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...P3050273-1.jpg

The live mast was changed to a more modern look, removing all the cross brace clutter and adding a simpler crossmember design. They are not soldered in, but are merely trapped in place loose. This allows the live mast to twist more freely, assisting in equalizing the pendants.

Old
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3070294.jpg

New
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P3080298.jpg

I was hoping to have most of this work and some more done by this weekend, to take to a big model show in Portland Saturday, but I've been sick with a cold all week, just didn't have the energy to go anyway. But I'm happy to say things are progressing along on this project, both with new items being added, and other things being improved on. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Looking good! What's this show in Portland? Not that I'll be able to go anyway, but still curious.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

You have been bus! Looks really nice!

Kerst

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

It's an NNL function. Model cars and trucks, not usually a lot of trucks. I've been going about every other year or so.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

That switch is ingenious!
The whole thing is a beauty - I did 1:24 scale display models (cars and trucks) - I can only marvel at your skills!
BTW, as you indicated that space is a premium (isn't it always?! #sigh#), your receiver looks quite big. You should be able to get a smaller one - unless I am fooled by the rather unfamiliar scale for me!

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Great work, I'm ready to see this thing make a lift. I like the single part line.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

I would need more powerful glasses to see and do that work on the horse head. 1/25th has got to be hard to deal with. It's nice to have a lathe to make those tiny sheaves Eh? Very ingenious way of attaching the little wire guards on the sheaves too.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

It's been a while since I posted any new progress, since I usually give the indoor hobbies the summer off. But I did get in the mood to bonk on some steel, and made a front bumper from 3/8x1" steel bar.
Welded it thusly:
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P9051260.jpg


Then ground a contour in the lower edge of it. Then recesses were milled into it for mounting purposes, plus a step for the driver to get in the cab.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P9051266.jpg

Then it was mounted.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB111403.jpg

Now attention could be given to the deck and such. Sheet styrene was used to fill in the rest of the deck. Since it has a big steel bumper, I decided magnets could be used to hold the deck down, and make for easy removal. Theyre the dark gray items
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB121408.jpg

The grills were made from some venting holes on an old DVD player that was discarded. This engine hood has since been moved back some (still working on that). Note that there is a lifted section in the middle of the deck behind the engine. That is the counterweight lifting mechanism, in it's raised position. It lifts the counterweights so that the upper unit can swing in under them. Then the platform lowers, setting them on the upper.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/PB191433.jpg

The headlights are just drawn on with a pen for now, they'll be replaced with scale model ones.

Other progress not visible on camera includes getting a 6 channel transmitter on eBay for a song, and getting it dialed in, replacing the need for the 2 radios I was using to run the upper unit. Also, the boom attaching pins were corroding and making it very hard to move them, so I made all new ones fron stainless steel. A few other adjustments were done in the lifting platform, now everything is working smoothly. I'm exited to be moving forward on this again, and I'll be focusing on the cosmetic scale aspect of it, cabs, deck, etc. I'll be posting as new progress is made. Thanks for looking. Dan

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Wow, that is an awesome built. :cool:
Unfortunately you don't see this much on the dutch forums.
Keep up the good work.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Whoa! :eek: A 16V71 in the carrier? That thing should be able to burn rubber! It's looking great; looking forward to more!

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Don't know how i missed this one!!!!, but I'm glad i found it :eek::eek: fantastic job.....this is an amazing build!

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Wow! I'm glad you are still going strong on this project! It's been a while since I first saw it, and you've made some incredible progress! The boom looks awesome, but so does everything else on this build. I'm amazed at what you've been able to accomplish. How do you like your Sherline mill? I bit the bullet and bought myself a Sieg SX2 clone and look forward to getting the bugs worked out of it soon, so I can start making some chips as well. I looked at Sherline mills but they just seemed a little on the small side. With the trouble I'm having getting my mill trammed properly, it makes me wish I would have seen the Sherline 2000, as tramming that would be a cake walk! Anyway, great work. Keep the updates coming.

Re: 1/25 6 Axle Lattice Crane
 

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Jared, The 16v was the only engine I could find that looked proportional, except some super expensive resin models that I haven't seen in person. I thought the twin turbos would add a look of even more power. This carrier would probably weigh in at around 70 tons without the upper unit, around 140 with it, not including the counterweights. Truckin' that down the road is gonna take some serious power! Counterweights add up to 78 tons, always transported on tractor trailers over the road. (These figures based on 1/1 Link Belt crane transportation weight charts for a comperable sized crane)

The model, by the way, weighs in at around 32 lbs, when set up with all boom sections and counterweights.

Nathan, I bought my Sherline 2000 because of it's alleged versatility before I really knew anything about it. It has proven to be beyond my imagination for what it can do, especially as small as it is. Since it is a small machine you have to work steel slowly, just give it time to feed and cut shallow passes. But it will do the job. Aluminum and plastics are a snap. Being able to tilt the head makes it capable of cutting angles that would normally require a tilt table. The cool thing about the 2000 over other Sherlines is it has a far greater workpiece size capacity, since it has such a deep throat. And when the throat still isn't deep enough? Offset the head laterally so that the workpiece doesn't have to pass throuth the throat.

Another use for this feature is when I had to mill some off the baseplate but didn't want to dissassemble the whole unit. Note in the picture below, all the mechanism is on the baseplate, up side down.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o...x/P2120047.jpg

If anyone's interested, here's a link to my photobucket with pictures of the crane's progress from the very beginning. Many of the ideas and components seen here have been omproved on and scrapped. That crude boom was only for test purposes. Most however, give an idea as to how the pieces were made and how the project evolved. The most recent are at the top, getting older as you go down.
http://s343.photobucket.com/albums/o...pix/?start=all

I still have a long way to go, but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.