redneckrigger

That is a superb replica Charlie! A neighbor has a junk one in his yard and looking at it, you have hit it out of the park! Your work continues to amaze sir!

Here is an overview of where this project is right now. This is all of the sub assemblies that are done so far. There is a whole lot more to go, but it might be getting close to seeing a pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks. Don't know how she put up with me for over 50 years. She has a bucket list as most do. One of the things was to see a Broadway musical, so we checked that off her list, twice! Had no idea that I would also enjoy it so much either! I f I knew how great it would be, it would have been on my list as well!

Thanks for the great words. The boom is all styrene, so is ultra light, but still incredibly rigid. It is for static display only so it won't be posed with any loads on it. So, with the light boom, and static display only, no real heavy counterweights will be needed. The entire boom assembly weighs less than 3 ounces! Nevertheless, the counterweights will be made from Ren Shape material, which is heavy enough that the upper counterweight alone will most likely weigh more than the entire boom. Ren Shape is an awesome material that can be cut or milled to about anything, that was recommended to me from Charlie Rowley, probably the best modeler I have ever known. So, there is still lots more to do!

Thanks. Finally able to give it the time it needs to try complete it!

The details are amazing. You have a real knack for it. I think the window rubbers came out great. On my crane, I’m going to have to make the actual rubbers and make them overlap the window opening. I then paint them black and assemble to the cab with the glass going in behind it. Kind of a pita but it works. I like your work better! Looking at your build, if photographed with a realistic background it would be about impossible to tell if it were real or a scale model. Cant ask for much more than that!!

Well, if it hadn’t folded as planned, it very well may have been quite ugly! Actually, I do not intend to have it folded but want to show it raised and extended, but I just had to try it at least once! But, all kidding aside, as with all huge projects, planning is important. I really think I have spent almost as much time researching and planning as building! And I think I enjoy the research/planning as much as the building.

Well, reached a milestone in this project today. I got the boom folding points all done and installed and for the first time, got the entire 100’ of boom all assembled and pinned together. And then, of course, I had to try the hinge. And it folded perfectly. Shown is the boom attached to the upper assembly, which I have mounted on a work board instead of the carrier. And then it finally hit me, where the heck am I going to put this monster when it is done?a. Sure am happy I decided to only build 100’ of boom! I still have to make all of the pendant attachment points, the bridle, the live mast, the boom backstop, the bail, the counterweights and their removal system, and an endless list of little stuff! But this is a huge point in this build. Thanks to everyone’s words of encouragement! I hope to display it with the boom raised, and for transport I am thinking of quick attaching cables etc, so that the boom can be in one 4’ piece. Time will tell……LOTS of bridges to cross before that!

Just finished up the folding boom joint assemblies, the offset joint pieces on the 20’ section are removable so they can be put on any section. Added the offset male parts of the joint to the short folder section. Just gotta wait for all the glue to dry and will pin it all together and see how it looks and works. This is totally a static model, and the boom will be assembled and not folded, but what’s the fun in designing all the working parts into it if you can’t prove they work?!

Your build photos literally look you were taking them at the REAL factory that truck was built at. Absolutely stunning work. You have the finishes even looking in scale, incredibly done!

This is the boom folding tire assembly in place. It attaches to the very end as shown and when the boom is folded to where the folding end is vertical, the boom is lifted and the two wider attachment points are detached, rotated around the axle and reattached to the other side of the head gear, boom is then lowered and folding continues until it is folded, then a link is attached from the center point in the end to the main boom. The axle will be trimmed and finished after painting. I don’t intend to have this on the finished crane as the boom will be in working position, but it will be stowed on the carrier. Also shown is the actual crane I am trying to replicate, with the boom folded. This was taken last fall on a local job. It has 100’ of boom in place in this photo, as I am building this one to match. It is capable of 210’ of main boom and a 30’ jib totaling 240’.

Made up the boom folding tire assembly tonight. Needs some finishing touches but you get the idea. Glue has to dry before I can do that. Taking my bride out for a short 50th Anniversary jaunt, so it has until Monday to dry!

Added all the little attachment points to the head gear for the folding tires, the jib, and the lifting link. Feels great to be getting things done with this build. Appreciate all the good words from everyone!

Here is the complete boom, not yet pinned together but to give an idea of size. Finished all the lattice work on the boom head. Still many many more bits and pieces to add to just the boom sections, but it is definitely looking the part! Going to add the jib mounts and the boom folding tires next. Lost a day yesterday, went out into the woods bright and early to prepare for upcoming deer season. Walked smack dab into a tree branch and badly scratched my left eye, my good one of course. Thought I was gonna have to pick the eyeball up off the ground! Got to the eye doctor and spent from 10 AM yesterday until 8 this morning with both eyes shut and lying on my back. But, still better than working! Much better now!

Actually, all of the boom sections were stored right on 40’ flats and brought to the job site as needed. The butt section seldom gets removed and can be carried behind or out over the front on the rests over the grille. Sometimes it will be driven to the site with 60-80 feet of boom folded up behind it. Any boom 60- 180’ in length can be folded for carrying behind the crane. Wow! Makes a long load too, even when folded. And if necessary it can have the crane operator in the upper cab to slightly swing the boom for clearance while the carrier is being driven similar to a tiller fire truck. Simply very cool and interesting machines.

Added the brass sheave guards before turning in for the night. These are to protect the sheaves when the boom is laid flat on the ground when assembling it. One of only a very few pieces on this crane that is not styrene or resin.

Finished up the rest of the head gear support housing tonight with a bunch of flat pieces cut to fit to replicate the photos and measurements I have of the real one. Now have to add the rest of the lattice bracing, make the sheave guards, the jib boom mounting brackets, and the boom folding tires and their support. The tires are used if it is decided to fold the boom. The boom is lowered to the ground. The tires are attached to the end of the head gear and the folding point on the boom is opened. Then the boom is lifted and the boom folds as the tires roll toward the carrier as it folds. When the front section reaches vertical, it is moved past center toward the carrier and the boom is lowered as the tires continue to roll toward the carrier as the boom folds. When completely folded the upper boom is attached to links that support it off the lower boom and then the boom is raised enough to clear the road and the carrier can then travel with the boom folded. Hope my description can be understood. Had to find two small skinny tires so off to the parts boxes. In a former life I built cars. I used to also buy bunches of built stuff to take apart for parts. So I had a small bunch of tires to look through, (see the photo)! Unbelievably, when I took the lid off, sitting right there next to each other there were two of the exact size I needed. Should have gone right out and bought a lottery ticket! Amazing! Then I had to sort through a bunch of wheels to find the right ones. Only took me about an hour to find what I needed! The fun continues! My retirement has been good for this project!

One of the 20’ sections complete, weighs 0.3 ounces. And just for hoots and whistles, when I was figuring out how to build these, I made a prototype and tested its ability to take a vertical as well as a torsional deflection. It took over twelve pounds of force to bring it to failure. Anything less and it finally deflected but went back to shape when released. It broke at just over 12 in the vertical direction. The geometry, engineering and physics involved in the design carries right over to this mini version in styrene. One reason the lattice cranes are still used is even though they take time to set up as opposed to a hydraulic boom crane, which is very quick, lattice cranes can often allow a physically smaller, physically lighter unit to accomplish a similar task. Hydraulic booms of lengths similar to a lattice boom are HEAVY. Lattice booms are also very often the choice for extreme heavy lifts due to many of these factors, though the hydraulic cranes are also available in mind blowing capacities as well. And if it’s a task that is going to take a while without breaking it down to move it, lattice can excel. Lattice cranes can also take shock loads better as encountered in dragline or wrecking ball work. The hydraulic boom cranes have very heavy booms, especially as their capacity increases. That is one reason I chose this monster to build…..not only has it challenged the daylights out of me, but I already built a hydraulic crane. Gotta keep trying something new!

Amazingly, these little flimsy styrene boom sections are incredibly stiff once fully constructed with all of the lattice work installed. That’s the beauty of a lattice crane, light weight booms that have superb lifting ability.

Here is the final section of boom with the start of the headgear installed. The five sheaves and the housing around them has been added as well as the two attachment points for the boom pendants. This was just simple making shapes and fabrication work, much like working with the real deal, only in 1/25 scale plastic. Still have a lot more to go just on the head gear, probably about 75 tiny pieces to make. More to come…..!

That crank and joint assembly is beyond words! There is no way that I could even think of making something like that, it is just amazing! Keep up the incredible work, and keep giving the rest of us something to strive for sir! WOW!

All just one more reason, besides keeping my sanity, for choosing not to replicate the real one with 240’ feet of boom! I simply cannot imagine having a boom that is 9’ 7” long, 240’ in scale! One of the logistical issues will definitely be how to move it if I take it to a show. There are so many cables etc. that will be involved in setting it up, it actually will be like setting up the real one, many hours of effort. Of course, I have to finish it first before I worry about showing it! I will cross that bridge when I get there! I may just have to make the boom assembly be self standing with all cables and pendants attached, then attach it to the crane and fasten the cable ends to the drums etc. Gonna be just one more challenge!

Finally seeing the size of 100’ of boom…..!

Finished adding the main latticework for the top section of boom. Still need to add the headgear with the sheaves, sheave housing, pendant supports and pendants, links, turnbuckles, swivels, folding gear and innumerable tiny teeny parts to the boom assembly, but at least I have 100 feet of boom built. I simply cannot imagine what this would look like with the 210 feet of boom and 30 feet of jib so I am happy with the 100 feet in my original plan. But, if I ever find myself with nothing better to do, I can always make more sections as I’ve had plenty of practice making them! I am trying to keep this authentic and not to fall to the temptation of artistic license with the details. Every night when I get done, I review the operators, parts and maintenance manuals and all of the photos I have amassed to see what is needed for the next step.

Thank you, but my work pales to your attention to replication and details on your builds. Holy COW! Started the end boom section which is doubly interesting as it tapers both vertically and horizontally as you can see in the photos. Made up the cable deflector rollers for the two 20’ boom sections. Started putting the crossbrace lattice work in the boom. Still have to do some more research on the construction of the head end of the last boom section. Also found another oversight that had to be corrected……the end of the carrier chassis had to have 6” more taper put into it. Missed it somewhere along the way! Like it was, if it were the real crane, the base boom would not be able to lower to touch the ground to assemble the rest of the boom to it. All better now!