Link-Belt HC-218 Truck Crane

[David G.]

This will be amazing when it's completed!

David G.

[redneckrigger]

Still lots of pieces to add to the boom sections such as pendant anchors, boom stops, pivot points, pin connectors, deflection rollers, folding hinge points and more, and still need to make the 20’ boom head section, but this gives an idea what it will look like.  Total length will be 48” which equates to 100’.  The one I am modeling has 210’ boom and 30’ of jib.  I’m going to be happy with 100’ in scale.  I can’t even think about making another 67” of boom and jib to match the original! 

[Biggu]

This is a magnificent build. And SO many small details the average bear wouldn’t see or know about, but it is  the small accurate details that make the model complete. I hope you give the small detail list as you build to teach us how this huge machine works. They are an amazing feat of engineering and physics. This SO interesting, Tom. I love what you are doing. I am very interested in this. 

[BK9300]

At 48", the boom sections will be even more impressive, once all assembled!  I may have missed you saying earlier, but will you be making the boom foldable?

[Rockford]

This needs to go into a museum or something when it's done. It's just unbelievable. My dad drove mobile cranes in the UK and this brings back so many memories. Fantastic stuff. 

[redneckrigger]

15 hours ago, BK9300 said:

At 48", the boom sections will be even more impressive, once all assembled!  I may have missed you saying earlier, but will you be making the boom foldable?

Yes sir, they will fold exactly like the real one.  Trying to make it as authentic as possible.  Just mounted the boom foot this morning to see how it fits.  It still needs a lot of reinforcement pieces added and such, but it looks pretty good.  

Edited August 25 by redneckrigger

[redneckrigger]

Today’s chore, and maybe spread out over a few days, is making 20 each of the female and male boom connector parts. Still trying to perfect the method of making them as they seem to love to take flight across the cellar while I’m shaping them! It is for these kind of repetitive parts that 3D would be awesome! But for me it is a piece of 5/32 tube with a rod inserted into it to make a 5/32 rod, Dremel tool with cutting disc, files, sanding sticks, drills, a jig to hold them, and a chopper to make them up!

Edited August 25 by redneckrigger

[Biggu]

Fantastic ! This is just so cool! 

[Rockford]

That's dedication. 

[redneckrigger]

Quick mockup to ensure the boom fits with the cab and upper enclosure.  So far so good!

[ShakyCraftsman]

1 minute ago, redneckrigger said:

Quick mockup to ensure the boom fits with the cab and upper enclosure.  So far so good!

Absolutely spectacular!

Ron G 

[Biggu]

Along with the magnificent build and build techniques, there is one other thing that should be commented on................. the FABULOUS drawing behind the model, with precise measurements included, that is spectacular in itself and should be framed as part of the model display after the build......  very impressed with this whole thing....

[redneckrigger]

3 hours ago, Biggu said:

Along with the magnificent build and build techniques, there is one other thing that should be commented on................. the FABULOUS drawing behind the model, with precise measurements included, that is spectacular in itself and should be framed as part of the model display after the build......  very impressed with this whole thing....

Not a bad idea! I have another sheet with all of the drawings for all of the outrigger parts etc. Knew I kept them for a reason!

[Straightliner59]

25 minutes ago, redneckrigger said:

Not a bad idea! I have another sheet with all of the drawings for all of the outrigger parts etc. Knew I kept them for a reason!

 

That's an excellent idea! Given the size, this beautiful beast will be should provide lots of backdrop space, too.

[redneckrigger]

15 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said:

That's an excellent idea! Given the size, this beautiful beast will be should provide lots of backdrop space, too.

Ha! That is a problem yet to be figured out..................just WHERE I am going to park her!

[redneckrigger]

Got the boom connectors all done...........WHEW! That took a toll on my arthritic hands, but they are done. Next step will be to finish detailing the boom sections, make the boom head section, make the folding joints, and then get the connectors installed to pin the boom sections together. The connectors are all match marked because they were drilled assembled, but they will still have to be fitted to each boom section so they assemble properly. I hope to make it so it can come apart easily enough for transportation, with brass pins to hold them together but with all the rigging and drums and cables etc., that may be a bit of an issue. No matter, I'm not at that stage yet, so it's a problem that does not need solving yet!

[BK9300]

Sounds like a very productive day!  Your drawings and schematics should definitely be displayed with the finished model - there is a ton of work in those!

[Biggu]

“Arthritic hands “ ……… and ……” folding joints” 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤭🤭🤣

Another thought for displaying your drawings… originals made a touch smaller as there is more than one sheet and frame it under glass and lay flat on a shelf with the crane on the glass.  Or just one sheet under glass with the crane displayed over it. Just another silly thought. 

[redneckrigger]

3 hours ago, Biggu said:

“Arthritic hands “ ……… and ……” folding joints” 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤭🤭🤣

Another thought for displaying your drawings… originals made a touch smaller as there is more than one sheet and frame it under glass and lay flat on a shelf with the crane on the glass.  Or just one sheet under glass with the crane displayed over it. Just another silly thought. 

All good thoughts……and I like the idea.  Good thing is drawings are done, but no idea when the crane will be!!

[Straightliner59]

5 hours ago, redneckrigger said:

Ha! That is a problem yet to be figured out..................just WHERE I am going to park her!

In the new Museum Annex to your house!😂

[redneckrigger]

Finished the reinforcements for the boom foot and did a quick mockup to see what it looks like.  Next step is building the boom head section and then the folding joints and then install the joints. Happy with what it looks like! Good thing is, when and if I ever finish it, if I want to stretch the boom, just gotta put in a work order to the fab shop and pin them on!

Edited August 27 by redneckrigger

[redneckrigger]

Well, I made all kinds of blueprints after taking actual measurements on the actual crane. And it worked out incredibly well, with almost no “two steps forward, three in reverse” scenarios in the five years this project has been underway………..BUT all good things come to an end. When I went to take the measurements, the boom was up in the air about 150 feet. So I could not take actual measurements of it but took plenty of photos.  I made some educated guesses, took scaled measurements from the photos and thought my boom construction was going well.  Until last night, when I started putting the pivot joint onto the boom foot. Seems that the actual boom foot is just a bit longer than I thought, which turned out with the pivot joint end of my boom foot being about one foot too short and it crashed into the carrier operators cab. So, I ended up having to lengthen the boom foot by about one foot. No biggie……if it was a straight section of boom.  But it is a tapered section and by making it longer it was now too tall on the sides to properly mate with the straight sections. So, out comes the torches and welders, (sprue snippers, razor knives and glue), and I lengthened the main tubes, but now the sides had to have all of the latticework that was in place changed to make them all shorter to account for the taper.  So tonight’s project will be about another 50 pieces of latticework made up and installed to AGAIN complete the boom foot! Photos to follow…….!

Edited Friday at 07:55 PM by redneckrigger

[BK9300]

7 minutes ago, redneckrigger said:

  So tonight’s project will be about another 50 pieces of latticework made up and installed to AGAIN complete the boom foot! Photos to follow…….!

That's got to be frustrating, but you've clearly got the solution under way!  Hope this mini project goes quickly for you.

[redneckrigger]

Well, it was not too bad, just about 5 hours of re-do. But it came out well and now clears the drivers cab as it is supposed to. And while it was in the shop, I made a few other changes to the diagonal boom supports at the base to make them more prototypical. 

Edited Saturday at 12:25 AM by redneckrigger

[Straightliner59]

Having to redo stuff is frustrating. I feel that pain! Every time I look at this, it gives me the same feeling as when I see any other beautiful artwork--you know, it just make you feel like you're smiling, inside? This is fantastic, and you should be very proud, Tom.