redneckrigger

Steering cylinders assembled and installed. Sometimes I wish I was building this in 1/12 scale!

The lettering is actually from a company called Kit Kraft. Here is the link: Don't remember seeing a brand name..........https://kitkraft.com/products/3-16-plastic-letters They are easy to use and come in several different sizes................perfect for the cast name plates these old machines commonly had. Kit Kraft has lots of neat items on their site that I have used for various things in several builds. Yeah, there are a lot of parts..............and a LOT more to come, though most of them will be detail parts. The larger sub assemblies are almost done, except for the rest of the drive train and the operators cab. This will absolutely be the most involved piping job I have ever attempted, but it sure will be fun!

Made up the tie rods and installed them so the steering works. Added the steering arms for the hydraulic steering cylinders and installed them to the knuckles. Made up the parts for the four steering cylinders. Little tiny things but a huge step in the build. After the cylinders dry, they will be assembled and installed to each knuckle. Also shown here are all of the subassemblies and pieces so far, AFTER a major bench cleaning, as it got so bad I couldn't even see the bench! Next to be done after the steering cylinders, will be the operator's station, controls, and the rest of the cab, and the rest of the frame with the torque converter and drive shafts. And............THEN the detailing..............which will most likely be more work than has been spent so far!

It's getting there.................everything is still in the rough stage, and will need lots of fine finishing, but it's starting to take shape! Thank you to all for the words of encouragement!

Made up the engine enclosure and installed the radiator. Also made a radiator guard of rod and strip styrene. Tried the half round softened by glue, and it seems it will work. Still have LOTS to go!

Fantastic idea Mike! Never thought of softening it with the glue.....gonna give that a try! That is the problem I was having.....trying to make a radius. Now THAT'S why I love this forum! Thanks!

I will give that a try. Thanks!

I thought about that but haven't figured out how to get it in the half round shape. Might try to make a mold in clay for each window using a piece of wire half way into the clay and pour resin in it with a wire reinforcement in it. Lots of ideas, lots of time!

Now that I have the cab roughed in, I am racking my brain to figure out a way to make the window glass rubber moldings. The windows do not have sharp corners, but have a radius to them. I have tried various things so far to get a half round molding to go around the opening with a radius at the corners, but nothing has looked right so far.............................

Operators cab basic structure, still needs back wall.....started this build on 16 June.....have put in an average of about eight to ten hours per week. Cylinders and cab took about two hours today. Tons of fun!

Made up the outrigger cylinders today and installed all of the 43 bolts that hold the turntable to the deck. Here is a shot of all of the subassemblies so far. Next big things to do are the engine enclosure, steering cylinders and operators station and cab.

Yeah, quite the gams, no? LOL!

Worked on the outriggers tonight. Got all four of them made up with the pivot bushings and made the pads as well with the pivot bearings and caps and bolts holding them together. Did a mockup of one of them to see how it works. Just need to make the cylinders now. Also installed the winch and the bolts holding it in place. Put the bolts on the turntable support and the boom support too. Also installed the bolts that attach the counterweight. The counterweight won't be installed until after all of the piping is done. The painting on this build will be done in many subassemblies and then assembled because of the complexity. Really is an adventure! Starting to look like something!

Those have a mechanism that locks the handle when at full clamp. It can be easily released. Cheap and effective.

Thanks! This scratch building itch just won't go away. Love it!

I drilled the cast in knuckles out with a regular drill bit, deep enough to accept a new ball. I then found a package of plastic craft beads at Walmart. These already have a hole drilled through them. I simply drilled another hole at 90 degrees to the existing hole, but only until it intersected the original hole, not all the way through. Then it was simply a matter of orienting the ball in the knuckle with the original hole vertical with the pivot point of the knuckle and drilling a hole in the top and bottom of the knuckle to line up with the hole in the ball. I then glued the ball to the metal rod in the end of the axle housing using the hole I drilled part way through. Then I installed the knuckle and pressed a styrene rod into the top down through the ball and through the bottom of the knuckle. Made a pretty good and extremely easily done working approximation of the real deal!

The front axle is controlled from the steering wheel. The rear axle is steered by a hydraulic valve with a control lever independently from the front axle. The rear can be left straight, steered conventionally like four wheel steering or steered crab style. There is a red warning light in the cab that indicates when the rear axle is not in the straight ahead position.

Finished up the counterweight by gluing the laminated sections together, shaping and then filling with auto body spot putty. I also reworked the winch to resemble the actual one by cutting cooling fins into the gear housing. Then I attached the letters onto the counterweight as this is a huge cast piece. I converted the Moluminum powered steering axles to working steering. I drilled out the knuckle ball and then used small plastic spherical craft beads and drilled them and attached to the axle ends. After drilling the knuckles and pinning in place, they made a great looking steering axle. It's definitely getting there one piece at a time!

Yup, so far those parts are the only kit parts used.............and even then, only PART of the part! LOL!

Just started the counterweight. Since it is a very heavy casting, I started by laminating several pieces of .080 styrene together which will then all be glued together and then shaped as needed. Also put the winch together which will have a mount made for it to mount inside the counterweight against the back of the main boom. Seems like it's never going to end, but, for as much fun this kind of build is, that would not be a bad thing!

That is a superb build you have going there...............................though I would not want to be the driver of the steer car! VERY well done!

Here's the assembled boom with all hydraulic cylinders, boom end block and boom extension rollers installed. Charlie, you're right......this IS fun!!!

Thanks for the good words Charlie! Means a lot to me! I stay awake at night thinking of the steps needed to make a tiny piece. It's amazing how it gets into your head. I have probably 300 kits waiting to be built, but they may not........it will be a letdown after the scratch builds I've done in the past two years.....all inspired by your great work!!! Already thinking what the next build will be.....!

Here is the boom end block, with details from the Galion parts book. Made my own pulleys by punching out discs, using empty cartridge cases as a punch, and gluing the discs together. The whole thing, tiny as it is, is made up of over fifty pieces. Will add some more details to it later.

Ha! You'll see it right after I do! Haven't gotten to that yet, but is soon to come. Going to make the sheave soon, as well as all of the boom guides and rollers, cable guides, winch, hydraulic piping, counterweight etc. Seems like there is never an end in sight! After that, install the powerplant, drive shafts, make the steering work, the outriggers, the operator controls, the cab, the engine compartment, all of the hydraulic lines and valves, and ...., and ...., and ....!!!!!