Another Unit Crane
 

Well it arrived in the mail today. Scott's build of the unit crane inspired me to build one myself. Mog and I have all the hauling down pat but nothing for loading! I got some 360 robotic servos on the way to that are about the same strength as Scott's.

They huge package that arrived!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10209-1801.jpg

It emerges!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10209-1805.jpg

TA DA!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10209-1811.jpg

I like the size!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10209-1820.jpg

Just wonder if a boom extension would be good.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

I think you started a trend Scott:D

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

just looking mine over right now. the string is rotten, there is rope around the rear axle, the front outriggers are bent on one side and the boom is held together with a nail and the end pully is all bent up. ebay's gonna love me... lol

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Go Dean!:D

It'll be cool seeing another Doepke crane run.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Wow, that gonna be nice.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

what i got for a bucket.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ane/bucket.jpg

"It's a brass, highly detailed dragline bucket.

It has one shive to work the bucket. The picture doesn't to the detail justice.

The bucket is fully functional. It has chains and a crossbar.

The scale would be 1:48. (works out to 1:16 for the Unit Crane)

The bucket open is three and a half inches.

The bucket is 1 1/2 inch wide, 1 inch high from the bottom of the bucket to the top of the side rail - not including the teeth, and 1 5/8 inch from the bottom of the teeth to the very highest part of the bucket.

It is also 2 1/2 inches long."

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

wow sweet bucket where did you ever find that

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

That may work out to be about 5/16 cu yd bucket. I wonder how well it will work. I was thinking about getting one of those some day for my extensive dragline bucket collection.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

well from the measurements scott got i think its about scale. might get a bigger bucket in the future but this has all the goodies. shiv, chains, etc.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

servos arrived today. just gotta wait for the bucket and string right now.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Yay! More cable machines! I'll be watching this. I've had pretty good luck with using braided fishing line rather than string. It's stiffer like cable and you can get different diameters depending on what test you buy. Just make sure it's fairly round and not the flattened stuff. I use Stren.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

I'm just catching up with the action here. Cranes are always cool in my book.

You might look into braided silk fishing line on eBay. I use it on my 1'25 crane, but it is strong enough for larger scales. It will cut your hands before it will break, if it's not rotton. And it looks like cable; black, round, not flat. Dan

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

the stuff i have coming is braided string. looks like cable. dunno strength yet. reason i got it was it comes with re-string instructions lol

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Dean, I use 2mm black nylon cord. As soon as you posted up that you bought a crane I searched all through my e-mails and paypal to try and find out where I bought the cord from and couldn't find the place. I think I bought it from a venetian blinds manufacturer.

The nylon cord is very strong and you can melt the ends. What is nice is you can make a single knot to tie it and just slightly melt the knot to keep it from coming loose.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

hmmm what i got coming is 18 feet long. should be enough for now i think.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...#ht_684wt_1139

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Hey dean Gona be a cool build with not having to break the bank to load those trucks you guys have ...Are you thinking of using that truck chassis and just mounting the house on it?

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

not really lol. i kinda like the idea of pulling it around lol. I do want to make an extention to put in at the half way mark. its a bit short at ground level.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Well a few updates today. Got out to Martins today to work on the Unit Crane. Think he just wanted to see it more then anything but then we started working on it lol.

first off we got the cab off the chassis
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1503.jpg

I noted the main up boom was bent. infact quite a bit was bent. hard to tell some places.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1525.jpg

Martin machined up some spindles
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1623.jpg

Got the servos mounted to some aluminum.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1628.jpg

mounted spindles
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1709.jpg

got the old hand driven cranks out
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1720.jpg

got a rough opening made and the servos sitting in there
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1820.jpg

got it stringed up temp
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1835.jpg

got the clam on
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1836.jpg

then we had to go play in the flax. took some vids but i gotta get them on the lappie
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...10221-1908.jpg

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

Great progress Dean & Martin! It will be cool to see vids.

Re: Another Unit Crane
 

lol putting them together now.

Hey Scott, I noticed our Unit Crane chassis are different. your had some ratchet or driven swivel for the cab? Also do we have the string ran right?