[MOC] Terex RH400 Mining Excavator (Obsolete)

[jantjeuh]

Is it possible you could work with sheo to improve the instructions, Blakbird? I think adding part callouts (i.e., what parts to use for a given step) would be a useful improvement, reading your experience.

[legolijntje]

Is it possible you could work with sheo to improve the instructions, Blakbird? I think adding part callouts (i.e., what parts to use for a given step) would be a useful improvement, reading your experience.

I don't think that is really possible. Sheo has made its instructions with LDD and taking screenshots. So, if someone wants to add parts lists per step or callouts, that would be a huge job since eeverything needs to be done manually. The only way to solve that is by making completely new instructions in LDraw and LPub and I think Blakbird has other things to do

I have considered to do that, but I figured I can better spend my time on models that have no instructions at all If I had endless time however, I would've liked to create "better" (Sheo's are already very good for such a model) instructions. But, I think the same is for Blakbird, afol1969 or anyone else who regularly creates instructions.

[Blakbird]

Sheo's instructions are very good, and in fact I'm not sure I could do better with LPub. He is able to show views from many different angles and zoom in on important areas. Parts lists per step would be useful, but in most cases I had no trouble. The instructions are different than what I was used to, but I got better at reading them as I became accustomed. It was kind of refreshing to approach building in a new way. I hope no one sees my experience as a criticism of Sheo's work. As I said, he has put an amazing amount of work into the project, and I still want to finish it!

[hrontos]

The structure and building style of this model is really impressive. I can't imagine, how long took the design with such huge density. Adding any forgotten part during design phase seems to be impossible without rebuilding significant portions. Only after seeing inside of the model a man has a feeling how much effort went into this model. And 2200+ pages of instructions in LDD is another huge effort.

[kamsohal]

has anyone built the base structure yetust be a heavy model with the motors and amount of pieces required.

[Blakbird]

has anyone built the base structure yetust be a heavy model with the motors and amount of pieces required.

There is no way for anyone to have built it yet because Sheo has not released any files or instructions of the base yet.

[afol1969]

After reading this topic, it's sure that this awesome and impressive excavator is on my build list. And what an effort to make instructions with so many pages!

To answer the question about instructions by LPUB with callouts and Submodels: I think the time which Sheo spent on creating instructions, we should appreciate this and take his instructions as they are. As they are good enough to build the model, there's no need to recreate "better" instructions. Only a part list in Brickstore format would be useful, and a CAD file, that blakbird can create renders. We should more concentrate on errors / for suggestions in the instructions, and for that we need to wait for the complete instructions.

Greetings

Alex

[Blakbird]

Only a part list in Brickstore format would be useful, and a CAD file, that blakbird can create renders. We should more concentrate on errors / for suggestions in the instructions, and for that we need to wait for the complete instructions.

I have actually already created the LDraw file and the Brickstore parts list, however it is incomplete until Sheo finishes the carrier base.

We haven't heard from Sheo for a while in this topic. How is it going? Last I heard you were making some changes to the carrier design to make the differentials more robust. By the way, your Harvey/Scorpius avatar is awesome!

[sheo]

First of all, thank you Blakbird for your efforts at building this model and for the review! It was very interesting to read!

Just wondering, is it necessary that all IR receivers are V2s? I only have 2. Those puppies are expensive.

I don't see why V2's would be required.

That's correct, it's not required that all the receivers are V2 version as soon as V2 and V1 are interchangeable. It's just a recommendation based on the fact that V2 is an improved version of V1.

Given that you are probably never driving and excavating at the same time, two batteries are probably not strictly necessary. However, they also act as counterweights. I am guessing your could save money by using only one battery and adding boat weights or coins to make up the difference.

Maybe 2 batteries are actually useful, because with 9 motors and 3 LEDs they probably get drained fast.

Another thought is that all the functions can be possibly engaged at the same time. According to lego.com, rechargeable battery box can be used to power 2 XL Motors or 4 Medium motors together. So adding the second battery may be treated as a safety precaution.

At one point in the model I had to remove a motor to move a wire which wasn't fitting.

Later I found a pair of 2L thin liftarms in a picture that I realized I had never installed.

At that time I found that I had used an 11L liftarm when I should have used a 9L.

Could you point the building step or exact position in the model of those troubled parts so that I could try to improve the instructions at least this little bit?

That means this model can never be disassembled and you can never screw up! If you screw up there is no recovery.

To be exact, the model can be disassembled primarily by following the instructions in reverse order. As far as I remember there are no steps that can't be reversed.

As far as I can tell, the 2 PF rechargeable batteries are permanently entombed in the model. I usually swap my batteries between all my models as needed. Those are the only 2 Li-Po's I own. But I don't think you could get them out without totally disassembling the model. This means a potential builder must be willing to sacrifice those batteries to the model at least until they are willing to break the model to get them out. Maybe I am wrong and there is a non-obvious way to remove them.

Unfortunately those rechargeable battery boxes aren't designed for easy removal. For example, in Lego trains the batteries are mounted inside the model and only access to recharging port is provided. Nevertheless, you may indeed replace the batteries by something else for counterweight and use external batteries connected by extension wires.

Arm lift: This uses an L-motor and 2 linear actuators. The motor struggles to lift the arm, partly because there is quite a bit of friction in the drive train which consists of a bunch of brackets and bevel gears.

I should point that it's essential for this model to maintain the gaps between the gears and the casing through the drive trains. However, the arm is indeed quite heavy.

Is it possible you could work with sheo to improve the instructions, Blakbird? I think adding part callouts (i.e., what parts to use for a given step) would be a useful improvement, reading your experience.

To answer the question about instructions by LPUB with callouts and Submodels: I think the time which Sheo spent on creating instructions, we should appreciate this and take his instructions as they are. As they are good enough to build the model, there's no need to recreate "better" instructions.

I admit that my instructions are far from perfection and I don't mind if someone would improve them. However, I imagine a great effort that it would require.

We haven't heard from Sheo for a while in this topic. How is it going? Last I heard you were making some changes to the carrier design to make the differentials more robust.

Unfortunately, my inventory lacks some pieces required for the test build of the new design. I've already ordered the missing parts and expect them to arrive in 3 week's time.

[jantjeuh]

Thanks for the update! I greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into making instructions for this beauty

[Blakbird]

First of all, thank you Blakbird for your efforts at building this model and for the review! It was very interesting to read!

Thanks for designing it and taking the time to make those complex instructions. I always enjoy building new and different things, especially when the style is also different.

Could you point the building step or exact position in the model of those troubled parts so that I could try to improve the instructions at least this little bit?

Unfortunately, I do not remember the exact step. I do remember that there was nothing missing in the instructions; I just missed the parts. The issue was due to the fact that the steps do not say which parts are new in each step, and sometimes it takes quite a bit of searching to figure out what has been added. In many steps there is only one part added, so sometimes when there is more than one part I might add one of them and then think I am done.

To be exact, the model can be disassembled primarily by following the instructions in reverse order. As far as I remember there are no steps that can't be reversed.

Some steps can only be reversed with some difficulty. For example, many times something is anchored by pushing in a long axle, but there is no way to push the axle back out from the other side.

Unfortunately those rechargeable battery boxes aren't designed for easy removal. For example, in Lego trains the batteries are mounted inside the model and only access to recharging port is provided. Nevertheless, you may indeed replace the batteries by something else for counterweight and use external batteries connected by extension wires.

Some time before BrickCon I will have to extract my batteries because I need them. I will report back on how much work it was.

I should point that it's essential for this model to maintain the gaps between the gears and the casing through the drive trains. However, the arm is indeed quite heavy.

Right this is always important and in this model it is especially important. There are many parts through which the long axles which drive the arm must pass, and they all be aligned carefully. My axles turn pretty freely, but it is still a lot of weight. I think the final installation of the wires may also put stress on the motor itself, perhaps pushing it to the side a bit and causing friction.

Unfortunately, my inventory lacks some pieces required for the test build of the new design. I've already ordered the missing parts and expect them to arrive in 3 week's time.

Looking forward to the final base!

[sheo]

Part list for the base. Edited August 17, 2014 by sheo

[Dafgek81]

Very nice looking mining machine.

And very complex, good job

[Blakbird]

Part list for the base.

Thanks for the parts list! This must mean the design is complete. I can see that you've used a bunch of the new parts that weren't available the first time you built the base.

For those of you keeping track, the base alone has 1083 parts and this brings the grand total for the model to 4305. I've posted the parts list for both the base and the entire model in Brickstore format.

[sheo]

For those of you keeping track, the base alone has 1083 parts and this brings the grand total for the model to 4305.

That's strange. Should be 1101 parts in the base and 4341 in total.

[Zimix]

I did also the Brickstore file for the base here . It has 1100 parts due to the turntable in one part.

Looking forward for the instruction of the base.

[Blakbird]

That's strange. Should be 1101 parts in the base and 4341 in total.

The difference is that part 15100 doesn't yet appear in Brickstore so I couldn't add 20 of them to the file.

Once I have the LDraw file complete with the base, I'll re-export and get a new count. It may be different than the LDD count because turntables, actuators, u-joints, etc. may count as 1 or more parts.

Having now looked more closely at the parts list and Sheo's original photos, I can see that he must have made a lot of changes. The red panels on the base have been changed to black, the differentials have been changed (requiring totally new gearing), and gray 12 tooth gears are no longer used as road wheels. Looking forward to seeing a picture of the new base.

By the way, I checked out your Flickr page and now see that "sheo" is short for "sheogorath". So you like both Farscape and the Elder Scrolls?!? No wonder you make such great models!

[jantjeuh]

You're still using Brickstore? Try Brickstock instead, it's an updated version and is still being maintained, as opposed to Brickstore.

[Blakbird]

You're still using Brickstore? Try Brickstock instead, it's an updated version and is still being maintained, as opposed to Brickstore.

Doesn't work at all on my computer (Win7 - 64 bit). Crashes instantly. I have a topic about it over in the Digital Tools forum.

[jantjeuh]

Ah, alright. I use it on Mac OS, no problems here.

Edit: I have 94.2% of all parts required. Time for a BL order.

Edited August 18, 2014 by jantjeuh

[Blakbird]

I've just updated the parts lists files to include the 20 ea 15100 parts.

[jantjeuh]

Merel (Blakbird): there are some light gray (i.e., not LBG) parts in your part list, are these the correct colour?

[sheo]

This must mean the design is complete.

I feel that it will never be truly complete. There's still much room for improvement. But at least the glitch with the differentials has been fixed. So the excavator drives slowly but surely. Its speed is approximately 1.5 studs per second. The real machine drives at maximum speed of 2.2 km/h which in this scale would be about 2 studs per second. Pretty close.

Merel (Blakbird): there are some light gray (i.e., not LBG) parts in your part list, are these the correct colour?

Unfortunately, those parts are very rare in LBG.

[jantjeuh]

Alright. I've just ordered most of the missing parts, can't wait to build it! The LBG frictionless axle pins aren't that rare by the way, there's some German who has 156 of them, for example. The 4 x 53533 is quite hard to acquire though That's a new part for me, first time I see it. I think I just bough tthe last one in The Netherlands Sorry!

Edit: ah, only missing 10 x 15100 now. Seems like they're no longer available at Pick a Brick, somebody must have been buying huge quantities of these.

Edited August 19, 2014 by jantjeuh

[Blakbird]

For the base, I ordered the regular 3x11 curved black panels (62531) instead of the newer version with 10 holes (11954) just because they are a lot easier to get (and cheaper). I hope they still work.