1:13 tracked excavator - Kobelco SK210 HLC

[dmaclego]

Hello there!

 

This is my first entry in this part of Eurobricks Forum, so... hello again!

Please, let me present my latest creation - a 1:13 scale model of Kobelco SK210 HLC tracked excavator.

 

 

 

 

 

Why Kobelco? Because of the color, of course. Pretty much everywhere except USA the company sells these excavators in "Kobelco blue-green" livery, which happens to be  remarkably similar to LEGO Dark Turquoise. So it's beautiful, it's not yellow and it's challenging enough, since only 216 Dark Turquoise parts were available when I started building it (and most of them unusable like Martian heads).  The model includes some custom made parts but the most obvious ones are long pneumatic cylinders - and that's where you can see the similarity, because they are painted exactly that color: Kobelco blue-green. I made them myself, using aluminum, brass tubing and rubber parts from original LEGO cylinders. The other - not so obvious - modification is battery box. I modified it to use 3.7 V li-ion batteries (the same size as regular AA batteries) in two groups, giving it altogether 11.1 V at 1600 mAh.  The model worked just fine on regular batteries, too, but now it works faster, as the new battery power both compressor (8 pumps altogether). Other than that, there are only cosmetic modifications: chromed fences, custom stickers and LED lights (these also could easily be LEGO but, strangely enough, I much prefer paying $1 for 10 lights and not $10 for 1 light. The other unusual - but perfectly legal :) - solutions are: hidden winch that supports the enormously heavy arm (so that it doesn't fall like rock) and LEGO tires acting as extra support for the arm. And again: it would work without them but works better with them.

And some statistics:

10 motors (plus 2 for the nibbler attachment)

8 small pneumatic pumps

maximum reach - 75 cm

maximum length - 101 cm

width - 25.5 cm

ground clearance - 3.6 cm

maximum depth of digging: 44 cm

total weight - 5.5 kg

I'm very glad to write that most of these parameters are very close to the original (considering the scale, of course ;) ). Admittedly, this was partly why I took up this project: to finally overcome the limitations of LEGO pneumatics and create realistic reach for the arm.

And that's it, I guess. Thanks for reading and If you feel like commenting on my model - just shoot; I'll try to handle the critique ;) .

 

For more pictures search flickr.com for dmaclego.

And substandard video (due to my cameras being unable to record Dark Turquoise - correcting it degraded the picture):

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by dmaclego
Link fix

[JunkstyleGio]

WOW! I had to look twice to see it's Lego..

 

[captainmib]

1 hour ago, JunkstyleGio said:

WOW! I had to look twice to see it's Lego..

 

Same. I thought the first picture was a scale model.

Impressive build.

[suffocation]

Hi, this is a Lego forum, not a die-cast mod... oh, wait...

This is just mind-blowing The level of detail is astounding and the functions are superb. I especially love the quick coupling mechanism.

Hats off to you, very talented sir.

[Maaboo the Witch]

Great work! Looks exactly like the real thing from a distance. 

[AMX]

When I first saw this I was like “wait that’s not LEGO”

congratulations on this beautiful model !!

[mpj]

It is simply perfect! I like very much also the subject choice, very unusual.

[Jubuilder]

Wow, I also thought why would you post your die-cast model in this Lego forum.

Truly amazing model! I love the tracks you made. 

Thank you for sharing!

 

[BusterHaus]

What a beautiful model. I had to count the 2L beams on width of a track to finally understand the scale.  By the way, nice trick with the linear actuator for the arm. 

[AFOLegofan66]

this is just fantastic!! what a great job you did on the MOC!!

[dmaclego]

Thank you all, guys. If it really looks like a die-cast model, then mission more than accomplished ;) .

 

About the quick coupling - it may look nice and smooth on film but in reality it's damn hard to find the right angle to grab the bucket :) . It was easier with regular batteries but now, at 11.1 V, the arm moves too quickly.

 

About the linear actuator - it's not there anymore :) . I was sure an actuator would be sufficient as "brakes" for the arm but in the end it wasn't; it's too delicate. I used a simple winch instead.

Edited June 7, 2020 by dmaclego

[neonic]

Indeed, what many others already said ... I saw the excavator and thought 'Lego??'
If you look longer you recognize some technical parts on the boom, but further ... Looks indeed like a scalemodel.
Also like the 'step' next to the cabin. I had to look twice again  then I saw what it was, some fences.
the Cabin itself looks great too. 

[efferman]

4 hours ago, JunkstyleGio said:

WOW! I had to look twice to see it's Lego..

 

Me too.

I guess you could sell these pneumatic actuators in high amount. 

[Bartybum]

hell yeah that’s the stuff

[KevinMD]

I will echo what everyone else said. I let out an audible “holy shit” that startled the wife and kid. Looks amazing!

[MinusAndy]

Likewise. I was perusing this forum whilst in the loo and it caused a premature “nip-off” when I zoomed in on the cab pic and realised that it was Lego.

[trinitechnic]

Impressive!

[Polarlicht]

THat looks awesome! All the teal :O

Had to look twice as well if it is really lego :O

[dmaclego]

Once again, thank you all very, very much.

 

Efferman:  considering how much time it took me to build these cylinders, that is not a viable business idea :D . Granted, with some practice I could speed up the process but that's not exactly how I'd like to spend my life :) .

 

 

[allanp]

The look and performance of this thing is incredible. Very well done 

[Surffikoira]

Like many others I was at first wondering what this is doing in a Lego forum and then my eyebrows shot through the roof.

The dark turquoise (among so many other things) is what really makes this as a) it's a lovely color b) you're not used to seeing it in Lego models. The Lego pieces are well camouflaged just by the scale – which I still can't quite grasp – of this behemoth. Well done!

[dmaclego]

Thank you!

 

2 hours ago, Surffikoira said:

The Lego pieces are well camouflaged just by the scale – which I still can't quite grasp – of this behemoth. Well done!

 

This is very true and your remark motivated me to take another photo of the model - this time just to ilustrate the scale :) :

 

 

[MajklSpajkl]

I saw  this on FB and thought why people post diecast models in LEGO groups - and now I see it is actually genuine LEGO model . Mindblowing looks - congratulations. With no disrespect to many fantastic models out there, I can say that this one beats them all. 

 

 

[allanp]

This really deserves to be on the EB front page 

[Lego David]

I love the addition of that Scala Doll as a Driver!