[WIP] Kenworth T600

[JLiu15]

Hey guys, here's another project I've been working on alongside the Monster Bike. This is going to be a much bigger project, and will very likely be my first MOC going to BrickFair VA in August.

It will be a truck and trailer MOC - the trailer will have several motorized functions and a pneumatic crane, and the truck will contain no electronic components - it will be all about the details, just like the 42078, and it will be built at a similar scale.

At this point I have finished the distribution gearbox that will control all the motorized and pneumatic functions. The gearbox is set up similar to that of the 8110 (or 42070) - the "main" side will determine whether the motor drives the pneumatic compressor or the 2 motorized functions, and the "dependent" side will determine which of the two motorized functions the motor will drive. The motor is only connected to the main side, as the dependent side requires the main side to direct drive to it.

As for the truck, I'm planning on a Kenworth T600 in black. The trailer will have a platform made of 5x11 panels in light bluish gray. 

The functions of the trailer will be: (This plan is tentative)

• Motorized functions:
  • Trailer stabilizers
  • Crane rotation (will have a worm gear somewhere in the gear train as this prevents manual rotation)
• Pneumatic Functions: (all will be on the crane arm)
  • Elevation
  • Second Section
  • Extension (if space allows)
  • Grabber

If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below.

Photos:

Edited January 27, 2022 by JLiu15

[Boulderer]

Are you planning a manual pump or motorised compressor?

[JLiu15]

6 hours ago, Boulderer said:

Are you planning a manual pump or motorised compressor?

It’s a motorized compressor. It’s already incorporated into the gearbox (sorry i forgot to take a bottom pic of it; it’s hardly visible from the top)

[JLiu15]

Hey guys, since I've just recently finished the Monster Bike, I found some time last night to work on my Kenworth T600. I've made some progress on the trailer's central gearbox - I've added the sides of it (with the control levers, of course) and done some structural work on it too. 

Here is my current plan:

• The gearbox will be driven by a M-motor, which will be the only motor in the entire MOC. (the truck part won't be motorized)
• The red output will be controlling the stabilizers. Drive from it will be connected to 2 mini LAs that lower the stabilizers.
• The white output will be rotating a knuckle boom crane sitting in the back of the trailer.
• The pneumatic compressor will provide air for 2 pneumatic functions, both used for controlling the knuckle boom crane.
• The trailer will consist of 6 wheels - part 15413 with gray rims and part 2958 in light bluish gray inserted into each.

So this means, for a truck roughly the scale of the 42078, the trailer will be much longer than in the 42078, and heavier due to the mechanisms and electronics. There will be, as said in the first post, that there will be a platform on the trailer, which will be made of 5x11 panels in light bluish gray and will have railings made of axles running around it. The platform will sit literally right above the gearbox, so it could also potentially serve as a structural element. The black 5x3 L-beams seen on top of the gearbox are placed there just for me to see how I can do some horizontal reinforcement without having to rely on the panels - they probably won't be there anymore in the next WIP update.

If you have any suggestions for me, let me know.

Photos:

Edited January 27, 2022 by JLiu15

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 2/9/18

Since school got cancelled today because of snow, I had some time last night to get some work done on the trailer. I was able to finish a good chunk of it, with the front stabilizers and the attachment point (that part that connects to the truck) now in place.

As you can see in the photos, the stabilizers are deployed by two mini LAs connected together. (Fun fact: this is the first time that I've used more than 1 mini LA in a MOC, and the first time I've used them in more than 2 years). The attachment beam is about 15 studs long, kept simple but robust. It can still bend a bit when enough force is exerted onto it, but generally remains pretty sturdy.

Any suggestions? (BTW what do you call that attachment beam thing)?

Photos:

Edited January 27, 2022 by JLiu15

[TechnicRCRacer]

Very cool! So many gears! I think the attachment beam thingy is called the trailer arm.

[JLiu15]

2 hours ago, TechnicRCRacer said:

Very cool! So many gears! I think the attachment beam thingy is called the trailer arm.

Thanks! 

BTW I looked up trailer arms on google images and I don't think that's what it's called (I didn't see any pictures of it) but I'll probably call it that for now

[JLiu15]

UPDATE 2/12/18

Over the weekend I've finished the chassis of the trailer. I decided not to use a worm gear to drive the turntable, because it puts so much stress on the gear and the surrounding pieces. As promised, I've put 3 axles on the trailer, and this thing is long! Almost the length of my Airport Crash Tender.

I've updated the central portion of the trailer - the 15L beam through the middle is perhaps the most important piece in the entire model, as it prevents the trailer from bending.

The battery box is placed in the very back, and acts as a counterweight for the trailer (the knuckle boom crane will also act as a counterweight). I've added simple outriggers in the back that lock in place when lowered, and can lift the wheels off the ground slightly when the front stabilizers are also deployed. I also have the valves in place, with one on each side controlling the pneumatic functions on the knuckle boom crane.

At this point, I have some questions regarding the rest of the trailer:

• Do you guys think I should use the old metal hook (like on the 8258 or 8421) for the crane's winch, or should I make one out of some pieces, like on the 42009 or 42042? 
• I will be building the knuckle boom crane that will go in the back of the trailer. It will be something like that of 8258 except the linear actuators will be replaced by pneumatics. The only problem I have is, none of the pre-cut sections I have fits really well, so I will need a long roll of pneumatic hose and cut it into sections. Do you guys know where I can get a long section of pneumatic hose, or where I can get custom hoses that are cheaper? I'll try to stay away from using custom hoses as this is a MOC I'm taking to BrickFair.

Because I'll have to order some parts off Bricklink at this point, I will probably move on to the truck until I get the parts I need.

Photos:

Edited January 27, 2022 by JLiu15

[brickless_kiwi]

I am enjoying watching this build, very dense and packed, I like how your doing the front landing legs.

 

[JLiu15]

5 hours ago, brickless_kiwi said:

I am enjoying watching this build, very dense and packed, I like how your doing the front landing legs.

 

Thanks :)

[Ivan_M]

Looks good so far. Regarding the worm gear - the 60z turntable (new one, without inner tooths) is working with new 1L wormgear only, and at 1/2 stud offset, so pretty useless. Only the old 56t turntable can be driven with 2L worm gear.

I have bought hose from here: http://www.blokbricks.com/contents/en-us/d2.html

I'm not able to recognize it from original one. But it is from europe

[1gor]

trailer is not bad at all 

[JLiu15]

45 minutes ago, Ivan_M said:

Looks good so far. Regarding the worm gear - the 60z turntable (new one, without inner tooths) is working with new 1L wormgear only, and at 1/2 stud offset, so pretty useless. Only the old 56t turntable can be driven with 2L worm gear.

I have bought hose from here: http://www.blokbricks.com/contents/en-us/d2.html

I'm not able to recognize it from original one. But it is from europe

Okay thanks! I'll check it out 

4 minutes ago, I_Igor said:

trailer is not bad at all 

Thanks 

[Erik Leppen]

I only come across this topic now, haven't seen your earlier updates, but it'\s looking pretty cool I must say. When I saw only the gearbox I was thinking, it looks very large for what it does, but that's before I noticed there's a pneumatic pump in the middle. Not sure why it's in the middle though, it looks like you had some trouble working around it. I feel the gearbox itself could be smaller, but your current layout does give you the switches nicely at the sides.

 

One thing I noticed though is you used the driving ring extenders with the new gears. Officially this is not "in system" because extender + red gear is slightly longer than 2 studs (not sure it gives friction?) You can solve this by using the dark-gray 16t gears.

 

Anyhow. Seeing everything built in in the trailer, it comes together great. A lot seems going on in a small space, which I like. I like the front "stands".

The rotation mechanism for the turntable seems to take up a lot of room though. Is there anything functional under it? Do the axles do anything? Did you use double tyres? Curious to the underside of the whole thing 

 

Also, as I understand it, you want to be doing 4 pneumatic functions. Do you have any idea yet where the switches will be, and where you will route the hoses?

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Erik Leppen said:

I only come across this topic now, haven't seen your earlier updates, but it'\s looking pretty cool I must say. When I saw only the gearbox I was thinking, it looks very large for what it does, but that's before I noticed there's a pneumatic pump in the middle. Not sure why it's in the middle though, it looks like you had some trouble working around it. I feel the gearbox itself could be smaller, but your current layout does give you the switches nicely at the sides.

 

One thing I noticed though is you used the driving ring extenders with the new gears. Officially this is not "in system" because extender + red gear is slightly longer than 2 studs (not sure it gives friction?) You can solve this by using the dark-gray 16t gears.

 

Anyhow. Seeing everything built in in the trailer, it comes together great. A lot seems going on in a small space, which I like. I like the front "stands".

The rotation mechanism for the turntable seems to take up a lot of room though. Is there anything functional under it? Do the axles do anything? Did you use double tyres? Curious to the underside of the whole thing 

 

Also, as I understand it, you want to be doing 4 pneumatic functions. Do you have any idea yet where the switches will be, and where you will route the hoses?

Thanks! I placed the compressor in the middle because it seemed to save space that way - there was some extra space in the gearbox as I was building it that I found perfect for a 6L pump.

As for the turntable, What axles do you mean? I get that it takes up a lot of space lol - seeing as there won't be much going on in that space above the rear axles, I just spread out the gear training a bit more in that section. There's nothing functional underneath the trailer, and I used single tires. I might update an underside view in the next WIP update to the trailer.

BTW, I never knew using extenders with the red gears is not a "valid" solution - they are more thick than their dark gray counterparts? There doesn't seems to be any friction though. If I can get in there without taking apart too much of it, I'll try to replace them with the dark gray gears.

For the pneumatics, there will actually only be two functions, not 4. The crane will be very similar to the one on the 8258, except with pneumatics in place of the linear actuators. The valves are also in place, one on each side of the trailer. Look between the mudguards and the rear outriggers, and you will notice a pneumatic valve with a red ball on the lever. I still have to get the hoses routed - I'm planning on getting a long roll of pneumatic hose, like on the 8868 set.

Edited February 13, 2018 by JLiu15

[JLiu15]

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've updated this thread, but I've made lots of progress on this MOC since my last update. In fact the entire trailer is finished at this point, with a total build time of 30 hours.

The crane, which is the highlight of this model, is completely pneumatic. There are two pneumatic functions: the boom and the jib, and both utilize the large 11L cylinders from the Arocs set. It's also got some manual functions as well, such as the extension and the winch, and I ordered some stuff off Bricklink for the purpose of this MOC. This includes the gear rack casing in light bluish gray and the old metal hook, which I got for a whopping 13 dollars! The winch forms a pulley with the hook, which allows it to gain some mechanical advantage. There is also a ratchet attached to the spool that prevents the load from pulling the string down.

Another important part of the MOC, the rear bed, seemed easy at first but was in reality quite difficult. I had to make some changes to the trailer's chassis to allow the bed to attach to it, especially in the front where I had to significantly widen the trailer arm so the front of the bed can sit over the kingpin. In the end, the bed is made of 26 5x11 panels and some beams and it can be removed by pulling out 5 half bushes.

At this point, I'm starting the truck portion of this MOC. It will be at a similar scale to the 42078, and will have a black body and working fake engine. A lot of features/functions will be similar to the 42078. For example, it will utilize a good amount of System pieces and the fake engine will probably be done with half bushes as "pistons" as well. I'll work extensively on the truck throughout spring break, and I hope to get it done by late April.

Photos:

Edited January 27, 2022 by JLiu15

[kristl]

Hi, the crane seems a bit too massive and wide, you could look the 8436 set which has the pneumatic crane and just redo the last section to add a winch. Otherwise very impessive build!

[Aventador2004]

I agree it is bulky, but great anyway 

[JLiu15]

6 hours ago, kristl said:

Hi, the crane seems a bit too massive and wide, you could look the 8436 set which has the pneumatic crane and just redo the last section to add a winch. Otherwise very impessive build!

Yeah, I see. I was trying to model something like the 8258 but I think I may have gotten carried away and made it too large. I'll take a look and see if I can modify it if I have time after everything is finished, but I'll have to make sure it works with the 11L cylinders from the Arocs, but thanks!

7 minutes ago, Aventador2004 said:

I agree it is bulky, but great anyway 

Thanks! I'll probably do some work on it if I have time after everything is complete 

[JLiu15]

Hey guys, I've come to realize that the crane is too bulky and out of proportion with the rest of the trailer. And seeing that I'm taking this MOC to BrickFair in August, I need to make sure everything is as good as it can be.

At this point I need to plan out my build so I have time for my second BrickFair MOC, so if you guys have any honest suggestions to my questions that will be great 

• How big of an issue is the bulky crane? Is it not too big of a deal or is it so big that it's repulsive? If it's that bad I'll revise it immediately. If it's not a big deal then I'll probably hold off on it until everything is finished.
• How many studs would you say is too wide for the crane? This would help me limit to a certain width, such as 5 studs, if I were to make any revisions.
• If I were to redesign the crane, I need to make sure it works with 11L cylinders. I also want to make sure the jib extension uses the Arocs gear rack with the gray casing, as I specifically ordered it from Bricklink for this MOC and it would be kind of a waste if I don't use it. But if removing it is necessary to make it less bulky then I'll probably take it out.
• Any suggestions on making the jib sturdier with the winch drum and all that attached to it? Right now the jib tilts to the side when raised, which is an issue. The 8436 does not have a winch so it's hard to see how everything can go in.

If you have any suggestions, let me know down below. Thanks!

Edited March 4, 2018 by JLiu15

[kristl]

Hi, it is not hard to fit 8258 crane's last section (which gives you winch and extension) to 8436 crane (I have done ot myself) but 8436 crane was designed with shorter rams, so the challenge here is to fit the newer V2 rams, but that might even be more time consuming than starting from scratch. For me the main issue with your current design is that when folded it is wider than the trailer which in reality is rarely the case.

[JLiu15]

2 hours ago, kristl said:

Hi, it is not hard to fit 8258 crane's last section (which gives you winch and extension) to 8436 crane (I have done ot myself) but 8436 crane was designed with shorter rams, so the challenge here is to fit the newer V2 rams, but that might even be more time consuming than starting from scratch. For me the main issue with your current design is that when folded it is wider than the trailer which in reality is rarely the case.

Thanks for the advice! I've already detached the crane from the trailer and will spend the next week or so working on a better crane (I hope to get both the new crane and the chassis of the Kenworth truck done by the end of spring break). I'll post an update when the new crane is complete.

[Aventador2004]

10 hours ago, JLiu15 said:

• How big of an issue is the bulky crane? Is it not too big of a deal or is it so big that it's repulsive? If it's that bad I'll revise it immediately. If it's not a big deal then I'll probably hold off on it until everything is finished.

It's pretty important from my view, 5 studs or even 4 would be better.

[JLiu15]

1 hour ago, Aventador2004 said:

It's pretty important from my view, 5 studs or even 4 would be better.

Yeah, considering it's something I'm taking to BrickFair this summer. I've already detached the crane and I'm working on something simpler. I'd try to keep the base within 5 studs and the jib within 3.

[1gor]

Progress looks OK