Grum's Shed

[grum64]

Today’s Building time 5hrs 20mins - Total build time 45hrs 50mins

With today being free of appointments etc., I was out to the shed nice and early in the hope of getting as much done as possible and while I didn’t reach the target stage I’d set for myself I’m pleased to have gotten as far as I have.

The only real problem today was with the smallest of pieces, the trans red cheeses. I’ve had problems every time I’ve encountered these little buggers and there were hundreds of the flipping things, well 12 anyways. They took almost an hour and forty minutes to fit. As you'll probably know, their wedge shape makes it a job to put pressure on them without them shooting off, I nearly choked to death (possible overdramatisation ) on one after it flew back into my throat while I was trying to squeeze it into place with my teeth. Suffice to say I didn’t die and so will be back building very soon.

Today’s pics.

Edited February 9, 2019 by grum64
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[suffocation]

Drat, I missed all the latest updates!

You're doing a brilliant job, Grum, and as always seeing the build broken down into so many real-life steps is inspiring.

Cheers mate, I always love your pics and write-ups.

[grum64]

1 hour ago, suffocation said:

Drat, I missed all the latest updates!

You're doing a brilliant job, Grum, and as always seeing the build broken down into so many real-life steps is inspiring.

Cheers mate, I always love your pics and write-ups.

Thank you my Friend, you're very kind.

I'm not really sure why but progress has been slower on this build than almost any other I can think of. Mind you, it's a great build that I'm having a lot of fun with so I guess the longer it takes the longer the enjoyment 

Edited February 6, 2019 by grum64

[BusterHaus]

On 12/18/2018 at 4:41 AM, grum64 said:

In the screenshots below the parts indicated by the red arrows aren't fixed onto anything from below but rather 'float' and are secured by the pieces above as indicated by the blue arrows. Other than steering racks & Outriggers I'm pretty sure this is something I've not come across this before.





I just got caught up on this thread, nice project for the winter! I got stuck on these three pictures for a while, as I can't figure out why the floating parts are not a subassembly. Anything with an arrow could have been built off the model and installed using the two 3x5 L beams. This subassembly can also be split into two separate subassemblies, first one with the 11L beam and two L beams, second would be the two 11L beams attached to the 5L beam. 

Large models really benefit from being broken into smaller modules that can be built outside and then installed. It makes the instructions easier to read and a lot shorter, as you don't need to show the whole model for each few parts.

Sorry for the rant, I don't mean to derail your topic. Keep up the hard work. 

[grum64]

I know what you mean. I'm not worried about it as it doesn't seem to have any effect on the ridigity of the chassis. I snuck a few extra pins in where I could though just in case 

Edited February 6, 2019 by grum64
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[grum64]

Building time 5hrs 20mins- Total build time 51hrs 10mins

This session started well with the building of an assembly I thought would be difficult (pic one) going together really, really easily. Shortly after though the smile was wiped off my face by me making a stupid mistake.

After I’d fitted the first roof section I checked it was correct but inexplicably I failed notice I’d fitted it too far forward by one stud (you can just see it in pic 6). The mistake didn’t come to light until I came to fit the Black 11L Liftarm and found the pin and intended hole didn’t line up. I was so annoyed because I’d fitted the Blue 3L pins several stages before instructed to ease fitting the roof and then I go and do this and make it more difficult than ever.

Easing out the two 3L pins and refitting the roof, correctly this time, deprived me of over an hour of building time. All incredibly frustrating. I’ll be checking things much more carefully in future.

Thankfully the rest of the session went well with a few frustrations but no more mistakes.

Note: The much discussed Obsession with Build Time’s topic got me thinking that if this is the sort of mistake I make building slowly just think of the magnitude of mistake I’d make were I to build quickly.

Credit to technic_addict for his idea to fill the gap under the headlights.

One last thing. I was very lucky to receive a set of printed parts from Steindrucker.com. They’re so much better than fiddling about trying to get stickers correctly positioned especially as there are several very small ones. Also, I have to say the quality is excellent.

Today’s pics.

Edited February 11, 2019 by grum64
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[grum64]

Building time 9hrs 40mins- Total build time 59hrs 50mins

I've now finished building the Pimped GT3 and below are the WIP pics from the final couple of days building.

I’ve not posted pictures of the finished build as it’d make this post even more photo heavy than it already is. Also, and probably far more importantly, I’ve not finished taking them all yet. I’ll post them along with a bit of rambling tomorrow.

 

Edited February 23, 2019 by grum64
Corrected photo links

[suffocation]

Thanks for sharing, mate!

Of all the builds you've completed, which did you find the most challenging? And which the most inspiring?

[grum64]

1 hour ago, suffocation said:

Thanks for sharing, mate!

Of all the builds you've completed, which did you find the most challenging? And which the most inspiring?

Now there's a question.

I'd say the build that was the biggest challenge was the BWE due the sheer size of the thing.

The build that's been the most inspirational is the 8258 Crane Truck. It was the first Technic set I built and the one that started me on this joyful journey.

[1gor]

I really like that way you implement door locking mechanism with shock absorber 

[grum64]

It a good solution that holds the doors closed nicely and give more functionality which Jake and George love.

[grum64]

Total build time to completion - 59hrs 50mins

Please Note: This post contains more than the usual amount of rambling and many, many photos.

It’s gotten to the time when another build comes to an end. To tell you the truth I’m a little sad I'll not be spending time with the GT3 (or Jaffa as I've christened her) but as they say, all good things must come to an end.

This one, like those before and I suspect those yet to come, has had its difficulties and frustrations none of which takes anything away from the satisfaction I've gotten whilst building it. It's been said that the fun with this set ends once you've finished Box 1, the chassis, but I've enjoyed every bit of it.

Now I’m no fan of the real 911, never have been, and with this build being such a good representation of it you’d think I wouldn’t like it either but, strangely, exactly the opposite is true. I do like this model, I like it very much and contrary to the opinion of many, I think it looks great from most any angle. It's one of those sets that looks far better in the brick than in photos (especially mine). It may have a few gaps in the body reminiscent of something from the less than golden age of British Leyland, have blue & tan pins where black would have been the obvious choice and have the steering wheel at a daft angle but I don't care about any of this, I'm absolutely cuffed to bits with it.

There’s one thing the GT3 has in spades and that’s presence. It's so much bigger than I thought it would be, I'm going to need to have a good shuffle in my shed to find space for it (and the Chiron when built) on a shelf.

Much has been written about the 42056 and its flaws but, thanks to efforts of a group of very talented people, in this the Pimped version (v1.3), most if not all of those problems have been addressed.

The paddleshift & oft stalling, out of sequence gearbox both work flawlessly and entirely properly and there's now very little friction in the drivetrain. The saggy suspension has been sorted out so it now holds the weight of the car nicely and the seemingly ever open doors now stay shut. HOG steering and gearshift mounted on the dashboard are a great addition and make the car so much more playable.

In my opinion though, the best mod is the removable body. Afterall, what's the point of all those lovely, now properly working parts if you can't see them in action. It's just a shame you don't get to see but a glimpse of the engine doing its thing.

Whilst on the subject of the removable body. A little advice if I may.

When marrying the body to the chassis ensure that the 3L Pin with Centre Pin Hole (Stage 97 v1.3) is correctly orientated so as to receive the blue 2L Pin with Axle that sticks up from the top of the paddleshift unit. Failing to do so will stop the body sitting correctly and thus the red 3L Pins with Stop that fix the body in place at the front of the car will not locate. As the protruding Pin Axle and the 3L Pin with Centre Hole are obscured by other parts you’ll not realise that it’s this causing the lack of downward movement so you’ll apply more and more pressure to the area in an effort to move the last few millimetres and in your frustration give it a harder than needed Grum Knock resulting in the drivers door coming off of it’s hinge pin and left hanging at unflattering angle. After a few hellfire and damnations you’ll then spend an hour and twenty minutes trying to refit it. As I said, just a little (hard earned) advice.

I’d almost finished this build when anti roll bars were added to the Pimped mods. If a rear steering mod gets added I'll get mine dismantled and upgrade it to v1.whatever. I’ll also take the opportunity to change all the offending pins to black and change the steering wheel’s angle, both things I’d intended to do during this build but completely forgot about until it was just about complete. They’re only little niggles and I can live with them so I’ll attend to these if and when Jaffa gets her upgrade.

Thank you to all who contributed to the Pimped GT3 project and to jb70 for compiling the mods into a great set of instructions (I'd salute you all were it not for my stupid wafty arms making it likely I'd take an eye out!). You’ve all played your part in making the 42056 what it should have been from the start. 

Magnificent.

Finally, thank you for your support and kind comments throughout this build.

Finished Build Photos

Edited February 26, 2019 by grum64
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[JGW3000]

Grum - another excellent journey, thanks for sharing, and again, we all live vicariously through your builds!  But each end is another beginning - so, what's next? 

[suffocation]

Love the write-up and the pics - I think you could make drying paint sound exciting

Like JGW3000 - and many others, I bet - I'm also looking forward to your next build. What are you planning on?

[1gor]

It ended up very nice; original set wit very good improvements; something like long review 

[grum64]

16 hours ago, JGW3000 said:

Grum - another excellent journey, thanks for sharing, and again, we all live vicariously through your builds!  But each end is another beginning - so, what's next? 

That’s nice to hear. Thank you. I’m not sure what my next build will be. I’ve a few in mind but I’ll take a few days to think about it.

15 hours ago, suffocation said:

Love the write-up and the pics - I think you could make drying paint sound exciting

Like JGW3000 - and many others, I bet - I'm also looking forward to your next build. What are you planning on?

I’m not sure about my posts sounding exciting but if that’s how you feel I’ll take it  . I don’t know what to build next I’m going to take a few days to decide. I won’t be long making my mind up and so will be back building and posting soon so if I were you I’d enjoy the break .

8 hours ago, I_Igor said:

It ended up very nice; original set wit very good improvements; something like long review 

Thank you Igor. I’m really pleased with it. The mods really do make a big difference to the finished build and jb70’s excellent instructions enhanced the whole build process. It was great to have to really study each page when building, having to your brain and your eyes. LEGO’s instructions are becoming ever more simplified and as a result at risk of becoming of War and Peace proportions.

[Jeroen Ottens]

Another great build. I enjoyed reading your progress reports like always. I did the pimped v0.something with only the gearbox fix, so it was nice to see the current state of the pimped version. And 60 hours... That is a lot of determination.

[grum64]

2 hours ago, Jeroen Ottens said:

Another great build. I enjoyed reading your progress reports like always. I did the pimped v0.something with only the gearbox fix, so it was nice to see the current state of the pimped version. And 60 hours... That is a lot of determination.

Thank you Jeroen. As I’ve said many times, it’s as much stubbourness as it is determination. I find a healthy mix of both gets the job done.

[suffocation]

The red crane (42082) is a great build and a nice throwback to the "let's see how much fun we can squeeze out of a single motor" spirit. Do be prepared for bucketloads of colour vomit, though.

[grum64]

18 minutes ago, suffocation said:

The red crane (42082) is a great build and a nice throwback to the "let's see how much fun we can squeeze out of a single motor" spirit. Do be prepared for bucketloads of colour vomit, though.

I'll be building the 42082 some time soon and when I do it'll be Jurgen Krooshoops Ultimate version . I built his 42009 and it's terrific.

[grum64]

Hello My Friends

I’ve spent the last few days sorting out the extra parts needed for MODs on my next 3 builds. The Pimped Chiron, Jurgens Ultimate 42082 and the Volvo L350F Front Loader.

Whilst doing so I've been debating which of the 3 to build first. They're all sets I've been really looking forward to building but I couldn't make up my mind which one to build first. Thankfully the decison was made for me by young George (7), bless him, who saw a front loader working at a major infrastructure project not far from here and was fascinated by it. Anyways, he asked if I’d build the one I’ve had sitting on the shelf in my shed for the last 3 years. So 42030 Volvo L350F Wheel Loader it is then.

Having read many reviews and watched many build videos it’s clear that using the servo for the steering leaves room for improvement. With that in mind I’ll be including effermans excellent steering MOD using an M Motor and a pair of Mini Linear Actuators. Along with smoother steering it’s closer to that used on the real L350F. Thank you effie.

I’ll be replacing the receivers with an Sbrick (A huge thank you to Tamás and all at Vengit). I did this with the Ultimate 42009 and 8275 and Jake, George & I have had so much fun with them. With the 42030 so equipped we can enjoy our very own construction site.

I'll also be adding PF lights front & rear and, if I can remember where it is, a flashing beacon made for me a couple of years ago by Zmei_gorini4. 

Building didn’t get off to the best start as when the contents of the box were emptied onto my sorting try it was clear that the previous owner had been less than honest when he assured me that the model had been completely disassembled. It was anything but. The guy had broken it down only enough to fit in its box.

After being repacked it was taken over to my lovely Sister-in-Law to be taken completely apart. It’s something she really enjoys doing and of course it wouldn’t be fair of me to deprive her of that. I know, I’m all heart

After a night spent in a bowl of Milton Sterilising Fluid it was dried off and was ready to assemble. 

I wasn’t happy about losing a days building. I know should have checked the contents of the box when first it was delivered but I didn’t so I’ve no one to blame but myself. Hey ho, lesson learnt. On with the build. 

This one’s for George.

Build Day 1 - Building Time 6hrs 20mins - Total Build Time 6hrs 20mins

With my car taken in for service I’ve had plenty of time to build and as all’s been pretty straightforward I’ve had a fairly productive day.

There was only one thing that had my blood boiling (actually that should be two things) and that it was that which almost always causes me grief. Building the diffs. You wouldn’t believe the trouble just these few parts give me.

Now I’m not a paranoid man, far from it, but I’m starting to believe that 12T Bevel Gears we’re designed specifically to annoy me. An irrational statement maybe, but there are times when I’m convinced it’s true. They’re evil little sods. I swear I can hear them mocking me while I struggle to get them where I want them to go. I‘m also of the opinion that they’ve got suicidal tendencies because as soon as I do get them in place they take that as a cue to hurl themselves off the table! The ramblings of a mad man? I think not.

You may notice that the four 3L Yellow Liftarms that are supposed to join the 7x5 Frame and Steering Portal are in the wrong place or rather are orientated incorrectly. This has been rectified.

Apologies for the lack of pics of the first few stages of building. To be honest I got so absorbed in it I clean forgot to take them.

Today’s Pictures.

 

[Zerobricks]

Grum, you forgot to insert one 16 tooth drive gear!

[1gor]

Yesterday I was just looking on my 42030 in the box (sections are taken apart to fit in box) to see what i can use on my one (of few parallel) projects from 42030. It is actually very realistic set with lots of very nice details. Looking forward to see your improvements 

[grum64]

42 minutes ago, Zerobricks said:

Grum, you forgot to insert one 16 tooth drive gear!

Bugger! I don't know how I missed that one. It's going to be a job to correct.

Very well spotted my Friend. Thank you for pointing it out.

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by grum64

[suffocation]

The kids are going to love playing with it. Efferman's steering mod really takes it to the next level.