So I didn't even realize that this was a thing other people did when I started. Thrilled that I found you guys. I started building an RC crane after being into the cars and helicopters for awhile. The cars and helicopters went away over the years, but this idea persisted. I only have a small welder, tiny drill press, and recently acquired an old central machinery metal lathe. This is what I have come up with so far. It isn't to scale or as pretty as all of the projects I have seen on here so far, but it is original
It is a "friction" crane, in that it has clutches and "brakes". The clutches are electromagnetic ones I found on a surplus site for 2$ a pop, and the brakes are really just ratchet and paws I scrounged from a surplus site. It is for the most part chain driven, with a belt at the motor in case something binds up. It isn't officially RC yet, as I have yet to prove the concept before tackling the wireless problem. Ultimately I would like to have a setup with an arduino, load limiter, and tracks.
https://ibb.co/GJBhHMb
https://ibb.co/BjVT2qW
https://ibb.co/vHLrf1r
https://ibb.co/F6qLNw2
The pictures aren't showing up so I just linked to IMGBB, I hope that isn't against ToS.
As you can see I am not a welder, or a machinest, or a fabricator, but I am getting better. Let me know what you think.