[WIP] Volvo ECR145E

[Hurri]

Hello! I'm Hurri, and first I want to apologise if my text have some misspellings (I'm from Finland so english is not my mother language :D ). I'm 18 years old forestmachine driver student from Finland. I start this topic because I want to show you my creations and if I get problems when I build something, I think you guys will help me! So let's start to tell something on this volvo. When I was 11 or 12 years old ( Oh boy It feels so old to say that) I get 8043 to christmas present. I love it, it was awesome, I play it like everyday but couple years later I take it apart and I start to desing new excavator with six power function engines. One night I was looking videos on youtube, and I see Teclem8 Volvo excavator, I look that and I was like "Wow, I want to build something like that". I change my plan little bit and now my plan is build a Volvo EC160e with bucket tiltator and quick bucket attachement. I'm tryint to make it fit same scale than Mercedes Benz Arocs, but now, some pictures!

So tell me if you see any weak points or something else on my buildings, If you hava building tips, tell me! :) 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Hurri

[suffocation]

Hi Hurri, welcome!

I'm a rookie myself but from what I can tell, it looks like you're off to a good start. In any case, don't be afraid of test-building, tearing down and rebuilding - it's a great way to learn and quite a common one, too.

[Ivan_M]

Any particular reason for 1:17 (Arocs) scale? The accurators are not long enough for much smaller scale. I have build EW160e using pneumatics in scale 1:21,5 and pneumatics have better range and even with that some movements were slightly limited. The range of movement in 1:17 using LA's will be half of real machine's range.

[Hurri]

6 hours ago, suffocation said:

Hi Hurri, welcome!

I'm a rookie myself but from what I can tell, it looks like you're off to a good start. In any case, don't be afraid of test-building, tearing down and rebuilding - it's a great way to learn and quite a common one, too.

Thanks! Yea! I use this tactic a lot, I also look my old lego technic building instructions to found different building styles! 

Ivan, reason why I want to build it on 1:17 scale, is it I want my excavator is same scale than my trucks are, you are right when you say pneumatics are better than LA, but I want to make my excavator run smooth so I will use LA. I'm going to build two autovalve pneumatic cylinders, one for tilting bucket and other for bucket quick attachement. I also have been think to build in future forestmachine like John Deere 1110E, and I think it will fit to 1:17 scale very good.  

[mpj]

1:17 is also my scale, I think it is ok for medium sized machines like the EC 160 E  . Linear Actuator extension is good in my opinion at this scale, and you can always work on connection point to increase the range of movement of the arms.

Concerning the progress so far, my suggestion is to check gear reduction of the tracks, and also tracks tension (they look a little "soft")

Keep us updated!

[Hurri]

Hello! Little update what I did on thursday! Colors are not match to real model, but I'm going to change them, I just test does my ideas work, and I think they work very good! I need to order more motors and pneumatic pumps and cylinders to make boom ready. I also look my lego storages and found some lego tools, so I think if I found some space I build a tool box there and something else details, like computer on cabin etc, If you invent anything cool, let me know!  

Mpj, I check track gear reduction and it was little fast but I think I can solve that problem when I change some gears, reason why tracks look soft is that because other side doesn't have yet track tightener.

[1gor]

On 9/19/2018 at 2:21 PM, Hurri said:

I also have been think to build in future forestmachine like John Deere 1110E, and I think it will fit to 1:17 scale very good.  

Perhaps you could make Deere 843 with CLAAS tires in 1:17 scale 

[Hurri]

Hello! It's long time about last update but now I have time to write! First I change building plan little bit, we arw now building ECR 235. I change plan because I want little bit more challenge and I think most construction excavators are present compact. 

Bottom on the excavator is not ready, I need to make it 2 stud more wide and put track tensioner. 

[Hurri]

Hello! First, I apologise that I haven't update that topic, I have been busy at work so I doesn't have time to build, but now I have! That build what I was build on last two updates was broken in storage so I make a fresh start with new little bit smaller model, ECR145E. Scale is same scale than Arocs have, I start build that bottom on yesterday and there is some pictures where building progress is now. There is one little issue, where I would need help, I need to figureout how to build good autovalve system to drive bucket quick coupler   But now some pics, If you have any good idea etc. let me know it! 

Edit; How I can change topic subject? 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Hurri

[Mechbuilds]

Loving the chassis! Great work! 

[1gor]

@Hurri welcome back. You just have to edit first post that you made in topic and  you can change topics name

[Hurri]

Hi! Little step forward has been take, but I don't know, what do you think? Is underbottom too small? Or is top body too big?  I maybe can try to make top body little bit smaller, so it would balance size compared to underbottom. There is now 2x L motors, One autovalve to bucket quick coupler, and 1xm motor to turn top body. I need to order one L motor to move boom up and down. But tell me what u guys think, is it good or does it need redesing? If u also have good ideas, tell them! 

Edit; I maybe found solution! I lower the cab one stud, and make it 2stud longer. It would look much better, send pictures on new post!

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by Hurri

[steph77]

Hi!

Where are you going to locate the battery box?

On my own ECR, i had to move the motors for tracks to the undercarrige in order to get enough place for both battery box and IR receivers.

And my ECR is way bigger than yours...

Steph

[Hurri]

Oh I haven't notice u have ecr too! It look really nice!  I think i'm going to use this batterybox https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/lego-power-functions-aaa-battery-box-88000 and sbrick, batterybox is going to back to cabin, There is not gonna be enough space to ir receivers so that's the reason why i'm going to use sbrick!

Edited August 13, 2019 by Hurri

[mpj]

Your project is very ambitious, I like your approach! Good luck, don't give up when you will encounter some problems and you will have  (maybe) to disassemble part of the model.

@steph77 motors in the undercarriage means no 360° rotation of the turret? 

Edited August 13, 2019 by mpj

[steph77]

@mpj I answer you in my own topic ;)

@Hurri , I ask myself if the track length wouldn't be better with 2 studs more in each front/rear way and with one stud more in width both sides?

Edited August 13, 2019 by steph77

[Hurri]

@mpj thanks! Yep, I have been desing lego excavator so many years so now is time to finish it and build it! 

@steph77 That would look good, but first I try to change track wheels to these because if I want to make under bottom bigger I need to rebuild whole thing 



I make some changes, and build boom up and down gearing and cylinders, make batterybox fit back to cabin and move auto valve from top to side, I think it's pretty good now, also when I change track wheels, it give little bit more length and make it look bigger. I also ad some details from cabin (It's not finished yet) hourmeter and opening sunroof. That yellow box behind cabin is simulatin batterybox, I need to order that and some motors and brick to my next project 

If anybody know good small autovalve, show it. That what I have now gets stuck and doesn't work good

[ginger-snapped]

Seems quite compact. Nice progress. I agree that it would match the real excavator if the tracks were a few studs longer (and maybe a bit wider), but I think it looks good as is. Can't wait to see more!

[Hurri]

It's was very good idea to make track littlebit longer, it look so much better now, next I need to buy some motors and batterybox etc things, but I make some details last night and also change trackwheels! When I'm waiting motors and last parts, I desing boom. Thinkin about it give me some grey hairs because I have no idea how to get right angles and look it like real, oh. Does anyone good desing software to computer? My desing progress is now like "Build and learn"  I would like to desing my models with computer, I have try LDD but it feels complex, but maybe I'm just rustic with it 

Some pictures:

[ginger-snapped]

I like it! Definitely looks better with longer tracks. I personally use LDCad to do digital designing. This is the LDCad website: http://www.melkert.net/LDCad. I recommend using the LDraw All-In-One-Installer to download and install everything you'd need, and that can be found at this website along with some instructions and explanations: https://www.ldraw.org/article/104.html.

Hope it works out! And happy building!

[mpj]

It looks more and more accurate! Good job. Now on with the boom!

[Hurri]

Thanks!

I found software what called studio 2.0, I build a little bit and it feels good, maybe I'm gonna desing whole thing again with it, but we haven't work earlier for nothing, there is many things what I'm going to copy to finished model, under bottom is that where we need redesing and cahnges, some changes to top body, but I don't think anything big   Ah I need to ask that, when this model is finished, check everything work good and playability is good, would there be interest to buy instructions to this? I'm trying to build this with "cheap" parts, not expensive or rare parts, so it would be nice, fun and cheap to build.

[Hurri]

Hi again! Little progress has been happened, now i'm just thinking am I happy how it looks like or what i'm gonna do with it, functions work very well, and boom moving range is very good, but when I'm looking old pictures, I think it would look more realistic than now? Tell me what do you think about it and would you do something on diffrent way, or change something! ( all colors doesn't match because I dont find enough right color pieces, but I will order them in next time when I buy parts more  ) Boom looks little bit too massive, it would probably help if I redesing it and make it smaller?

Edited November 2, 2019 by Hurri

[1gor]

IMHO it looks very nice, specially using panels is very nice. 

[Mechbuilds]

I personally prefer buwizz because it has everything built in one. And it's more compact than that battery box. Perfect for smaller builds like these.