redneckrigger

Global makes nice stuff, I got the same cab from them at NNL as well! When I was fire chief of our volunteer department, we had a Bermuda cab on a Thibault/ FWD pumper. But, being in the mountains, we got lots of snow, and the canvas top was long gone by the time we got her, so we took a cab roof and doors from a Dodge LCF truck I had for parts at my shop and made her cab weather tight. Was nicer to use for sure!

I tried a proof-of-concept with the styrene boom a little while ago and it worked pretty well. I built a jig to build it in and use a chopper with a cutting length guide to make repeatable cuts. Gonna find out real soon how it works with ten to twelve inch long sections that have to pin together! The good thing is that this boom will be a lot easier to handle than the one on the real crane. That one was 210 feet long with a 30 foot jib. THAT was a beast!

Appreciate the good words sir! It’s only cutting and gluing pieces of plastic that is assisted by having all the manuals and being intimately familiar with the real machine. And it helps to have a background of being a fabricator as one of my former jobs. Got the drive covers fine turned today so at this point this part of the build needs some final gizmos and then all of the wiring and air and hydraulic lines and the counterweights, but those will be done later. Now the next step is perhaps the most straightforward but also most likely the most difficult to get right. The boom assembly is next. I asked for guidance from the best modeler I know, Charlie Rowley, on how to work with brass. He gave some superb pointers. So I figured what the boom would weigh and decided to go with styrene instead. I plan on making a scale 100’ of boom, which will be 4 feet long. In brass it would be way too heavy, so on to cutting and fitting a LOT of Evergreen tubing!

Got a few more things done. Fabricated the swing control lever. Added the rest of the controls to the upper cab. Made up the counterweight support structure and installed it to the rear of the upper house. Will make up the counterweight removal linkage next. Made the counterweight removal hydraulic power unit. Added dunnage to the carrier trays. I put a leash on the radiator so it doesn’t wander away again! Added the step to the carrier for the driver and the hexagonal hub extensions on the drivers side front axles that are used as a step to get into the cab. Still have to do some fine tuning to the drive guard covers and make the counterweight removal linkages. Have all of the recently added pieces held to the build with museum wax so the final assembly after paint will allow final alignment. Then unless my OCD finds something else to do before I get the boom under construction.

Yup, going out there Sunday, bringing the crane for the In Progress table. Looking forward to the show…… hope to see you there!

The big problem I always have doing a build like this from scratch is that I am never happy with some aspects of my work, whether it be from design or fit or finish. It's just a curse that adds a bunch of time to my builds as I so often go back and rework something to make it satisfy me. I am trying mightily to fight this "2 steps forward, 3 in reverse" issue, but it's hard to teach a really OLD dog new tricks! That hinge as well as about 15 other items are on my "do-over" list, that may or may not get done. I have SO much to do on this, (I hope I get it done in my lifetime), and every step I take, I find a tangent to go off on to add "just a few more details", so it's kind of a never ending spiral! But it's the most fun I've ever had when I get to building these things, as I can't remember that last out-of-the-box build I did!

Yeah, the piano hinge on this build is a bit oversized, but it was all I could find at the time. IF I find the time (doubtful) I will replace it with a home made one, but until then it will suffice.

Installed the carrier and operators cab doors, both rear side doors on the upper house, the rear sliding access doors on the house and all of the top covers. Added the outrigger control cabinets on both sides along with the outrigger hydraulic tank, and the hydraulic power pack for the counterweight removal system. Added upper and carrier battery boxes. Added the upper exhaust and air cleaner. Changed the bifold carrier engine cover to a one piece side hinge. It is all mocked together in these photos to check fit. And in the process of fitting it together I discovered that I misplaced the carrier radiator and presently have zero idea where it is! Oh well! Now have to fabricate the counterweight removal mechanism. It’s coming along! Maybe the radiator will show up…….maybe not! EDIT....And ten minutes after I wrote the post……I found the radiator!

Thank you. I’m glad too! Spent most of the last year totally on liquidating my business so we could retire. And finally able to spend time traveling and building stuff! Hope to have more photos tomorrow.

Thank you. The fit and finish will get much better as it approaches the finish line. At the moment, actually, a lot of it needs filling, sanding and much attention. But it’s getting there!

Just did these hinges last evening. The two side access doors on the upper house are the #15259. They come assembled. The ones on the carrier cab and the upper house operators doors are #15256, and the long one on the upper winch cover is #85816. The #15256 have to be assembled, which for an old guy with arthritic fingers can be a challenge. Do it in a box so when the parts go flying they don’t disappear!

We may not see parts from Moluminum again, but we should not bemoan that fact. What we SHOULD do is try to support Jamie in their time of need. If we see parts from him again, it will be a bonus. If Jamie gets better, THAT will be the true gain here!

I use the Micro-Mark #15256, the #85816, the #15259, and the #15258, all dependent upon where it is being used and how big it has to be. They work wonderfully but are TINY! Be ready to chase the tiny parts all over your bench, or floor, or wherever you build. Fortunately, we rid our house of the dreaded carpet monster a few years back!

David, I might suggest that if anyone has ordered from Jamie in the past and they have his address, that they contribute directly, or to his PayPal account, as that way they will realize more from the donation than thru go Fund Me. Just a suggestion, Jamie is the best there is, a great guy with a great family who can use his supporter's help in his time of need. Tom

Thank you..................it is all consuming! They are from Micro Mark, www.micromark.com.

It’s a 95 coupe with the 6 speed. Just a driver but a heck of a lot of fun. Had a 91 Mustang GT for 30 years but when I got the Vette the Mustang went off to a new home.

That steel desk is a beast. And there is a second identical one back to back with it with the same shelving you see on it as well. Guy built it for a reloading center. Got it got free just had to move it. Works well!

Well, got back home on 1 April from our winter trip south and then west to Texas, weather was nice so even got my Corvette out for a ride. The next day it snowed and almost every day since then at least enough to stifle Corvette fun. So…….got some much missed and needed bench time. Worked on the upper crane works. Made a jig with false sides to allow me to make the guards so they all lined up with the house sides when I put them on. It also lets me rotate the house to work on it without being attached to the carrier. Makes it easier to work on house and carrier. Was able to get the house and all guards, covers, and upper doors figured out. Also got the operators cab all roughed in. Lots of detailing to do now. After the last year of being so busy trying to sell my business, which fell through about 9 days from closing, we decided to get on with retirement and liquidate it in pieces instead of selling as a going business. Couple that with TRYING to retire, and didn’t get much time at the bench. But working on that now! Cleaned my bench off, for the second time in two weeks, holy cow it gets cluttered FAST! Now more details for the upper works, then boom time! Oh boy!

Well, leaving for three month road trip to warmer climes, but it will give me some time to formulate plans and diagrams to complete this beast! Thank you all for the great encouragement and support!

That is a beautiful old dog!!!!

Will be back here with more updates in about 3 months …….time for a cold weather road trip to somewhere warmer! Carry on!

More work on the upper house.

Yeah you’re probably right! Not like it hasn’t been keeping my mind occupied already! Most likely this will be still on my bench when my ticket is punched, but it is getting closer!

Yes sir, the engineering always works. I have no concerns with using styrene either, as this is not being built to handle a load. But as a proof of concept to try out the assembly method, I’m quite pleased.

The one thing in this whole project, now going on 5 years, that was daunting, is the boom. I don’t know how to work with brass, nor do I have the knowledge to make it in 3D, so it is old school for me, lots of Evergreen shapes. So, it is about the time to start at least the butt end of the boom and its associated parts. So……I just jumped in with both feet and made a trial piece to see how it would go together. The actual lattice boom is 60” wide and 50” deep, made of 3” tube for the chords, and 1” tube for the lattice. I made a jig to hold the parts as they get assembled. And what you see in the photo is the result. It actually is quite rigid, and light. I hope to build 90 to 100 feet of boom. So far so good!