Captain Contractor

Hello, Apologies, but while I do have the instruction booklets (I think), I do not have the time to take pictures of the entire booklets and send them out. If you really need them, I can probably make an Ebay posting and sell them directly. Otherwise, you'll have to do what the person above suggested, and use the YouTube options to slow the videos down to 0.25x speed and pause when necessary.

Howdy, Before I begin, a bit of background to help y’all get into this review(?). Name’s Captain Contractor. I work as an abatement/demolition technician in America. Essentially, I have the licensing and training to remove asbestos, lead, and other hazardous building materials while also occasionally operating heavy equipment. A sect of machines that I use quite frequently is access equipment - boom lifts, cherry pickers, scissor lifts, etc. They are also one of my favorites, due to their ubiquitous nature and commonality across nearly all industries. Now, my interest in a LEGO version of them happened rather recently, when I came across a set of 3 designs on Rebrickable by user Brick Studs. https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-86422/Brick Studs/boom-lift-bundle/#details This is a review + MOC extension on the first of their creations: a standard Genie S-40 boom lift (middle). Telescoping Boom Lifts Group by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Simple, iconic (in terms of the American construction industry, I do not have any experience regarding the European side of things), and overall a decent design. The colors are not a perfect match, however that is a minor gripe with no real effect on my feelings about the design. It has excellent SNOT techniques in use and a secondary jib arm connected to the boom. Genie S-40 Overview by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Pose-ability is rather limited, unfortunately, due to the weight of the basket design and the lack of counterweights in the superstructure. It is also rather fragile, with the SNOT panels and jib being held on by single stud connections. Genie S-40 SNOT by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Overall, it’s decent enough for a static display or as a transport load. Here we see it being used by a workman to repair the sign of a department store. Genie S-40 in use by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Onto the second lift. Essentially, I just produced a recolor of the Genie with a slightly different jib design and some simple decals. This one is a JLG 660SJ in the colors of Sunbelt Rentals. JLG 660SJ Overview by Captain Contractor, on Flickr As mentioned above, I made a more accurate version of the jib, giving it the functionality of also rotating the basket while still retaining the other movement functions. JLG 660SJ Side View by Captain Contractor, on Flickr As with the Genie, my JLG’s basket design is rather heavy and thus will droop if it isn’t supported. Simple, yet effective in its presentation. Here we see it giving an A/C unit removal crew access to the roof of a warehouse prior to demolition. JLG A/C Removal by Captain Contractor, on Flickr The final lift I have to show is a “Clapped-Out” Snorkel TB42. My inspiration for this one is the commonplace 80’s era access platform with a rusted exterior and 10k+ hours on the odometer (a lot for an occasionally driven machine); used by factory maintenance workers and kept alive through sheer will and constant repairs. Snorkel TB42 Overview by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Like the Sunbelt JLG, this one features simple decals and a pivoting basket. However, it lacks the additional jib arm seen on the other lifts. This is my personal favorite of the 3 self-propelled designs, due to the angular superstructure design and beefed-up chassis. Snorkel TB42 Side View by Captain Contractor, on Flickr For the last picture, I decided to just have it parked in the background, while the prior mentioned A/C removal crews maneuver the shells of the industrial cooling units for recycling (using a proper crew of operator, loadmaster, and machine spotter.) Snorkel TB42 Background by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Oh yeah, before I forget, here’s the safe working height for all three machines. They have the same amount of reach (unlike their IRL counterparts), at about 40 studs. That’s 12.5 inches or 31.75 centimeters. Boom Lifts Height Comparison by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Thanks for looking! Part 2 of this post will be on the spider lift and my custom NiftyLift re-design; with a 3rd part being relegated for the trailer-mounted cherry picker. C&C appreciated as always! Capt. Contractor Abatement Technician by Captain Contractor, on Flickr

Update - December 02, 2023 Finished the model and ordered the pieces through BrickLink. I had to make some compromises, mainly with removing the idea of having the axles be extendable, and some issues with the safety bars of the manbasket. However, I am working with a company that makes decals for the real machine so that my MOC will have a full sticker set. Here's a few more pictures, showing how the side panels open, as well as the SNOT (potentially illegal building techniques) that I used for the glazier kit on the underside of the basket. JLG 1250AJP MOC Digital by Captain Contractor, on Flickr JLG Basket Underside MOC by Captain Contractor, on Flickr JLG Basket Underside by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Anyways, thanks for looking once more! I can't wait to share the completed thing with y'all! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Figured I'd share some progress of a build I've been working off and on in Studio 2.0. This is a scaled-down version of a 125 ft/38m boom lift built by JLG. I'm building it in the colors of Sunbelt Rentals, which is a nationwide North American machinery rental company. So far, it has both side compartment access panels functioning, with plans to include the extendable axles just like the real machine. I hope to have this model complete and built by the end of December. Lego JLG 1250AJP WIP by Captain Contractor, on Flickr And here's an image of the real machine for reference. Sunbelt JLG IRL Picture by Captain Contractor, on Flickr Thanks for looking!

Hello. Recently left another mini Dark ages stint (this is either my 3rd or 4th lol), and am looking to share some MOCS based on my employment in the abatement and demolition industry. However, this profile currently features my legal name, which is a no-go in this day and age. I humbly ask to have my profile rebranded to my current social media name: Captain Contractor Thank you kindly and have a pleasant day/evening.

Hi all. Back when it was a thing, I used to be a fairly active member on the Brickarms forums. Sadly, that place died a death, I guess. But, some of us still live on and continue to mod. Here are some of the weapons I've recently done up: I call this first one the MKG. Like the weapon in Far Cry 3 (from which I took the name) this gun started out in life as an M249 SAW. I gave it a PKM stock, Surefire casket mag, night vision optic, and a muzzle brake. This here is a QBZ-style of rifle, fitted with a marksman scope, M203 grenade launcher, and suppressor. This is the pinnacle in squad support weaponry: The M107 Breacher Edition. Full-auto, and fitted with a CQB length barrel, AN/PEQ laser, vertical foregrip, Eotech holosight, and of course, an M249 belt box. An alternate name for this could be the M107 Cheatsie Doodles. This is my attempt at the bullpupped PKP Pecheneg from Rainbow Six Siege (called the 6P41 in-game.) I gave mine a M4 stock, M4 carry handle. and the trigger guard from a Steyr AUG. I tried my hand at making an M26 MASS shotgun. Whatchu think? Here it is, mounted to Buck's C8-SFW. I originally attempted to make the iconic breaching muzzle on the actual shotgun, but it was waaay too fragile. Last, but certainly not least, we have Dillon showing off his new M60 GPMG. It has been fitted with a folding skeletonized stock, M145 MGO scope, vertical foregrip, and an AN/PEQ laser. C&C appreciated! Cheers!

The year is 2035. War rages across Europe and Asia. NATO is struggling to keep the peace. The Middle East is riddled with pockets of biological radiation. To deal with the challenges and hazards associated with the new breed of warfare, NATO updated their legendary M1A3 Abrams Main Battle Tank. The resulting armored vehicle was designated the M1A4 SEPV5. Upgrades include a new unmanned turret, vehicle defense package, and heavy weapons suite. The most prominent feature of the new turret is the pair of "rabbit ear" missile tubes. The missiles are based off of the Titan MRPL Compact from ArmA 3. Mounted all around the main chassis are Active Protection System grenade launchers and their infrared targeting cameras. The APS launches chaff/smoke grenades to confuse guided anti-tank missiles. The tank's cannon has been upgraded to a 120mm cannon with a rate of fire of about 15 rounds per minute. At the end of the barrel is the gunner's primary sight, with a muzzlebreak fitted to keep muzzle flash from interfering with the gunner's sight picture. The 7.62 coaxial machine gun has been replaced with a 12.7mm (50 Caliber) machine gun. The driver's hatch on this tank has been replaced with an aftermarket one, as the standard version does not have any periscopes fitted. It appears that the crew of this tank are fans of classic PC gaming. Looking at the rear of the tank, we see the rear mounted CROWS turret. This is an automated weapons system designed to protect the tank from rear attacks. It features a mounted M2 50 caliber machine gun, MAAWS anti-tank missile launcher, and two blocks of tear-gas launchers. The writing reads: How's My Driving? 1-800-Screw-You. The interior of the tank has been upgraded with more controls and sensor screens for the commander and gunner. Additional rounds for the MAAWS and boxes of 50 caliber Raufoss rounds can also be seen. Finally here we see the crew of the tank wielding their chosen weapons. From left to right, Gunner (H&K MP7 PDW), Driver (L22 Carbine), Commander (XMP PDW). Thanks for viewing. Comments and crits are appreciated and I'm always happy to answer additional questions.

Introduction Time for another clone bricks review. No not the Star Wars™ soldiers. Today I am looking at a Chinese clone. Specifically the Kazi M1A2 Abrams main battle tank. While I have seen a few video reviews of it, I could not find any in-depth written reviews of this set. I aim to change that. Set Information Title: M1A2 Abrams Number: KY10000 Released: 2016? Part Count: 1463 Price: Varies Links: Amazon AliExpress Packaging My tank was shipped to me without a box. It took roughly 15 days to process and ship from China to Idaho, USA. The bags and instructions were tightly wrapped in bubble wrap to protect them during shipping. With the exception of the tracks and some larger pieces, all of the bags were numbered. I also received a small bonus sticker sheet, for some reason. There were two instruction booklets, one for the tank, and for for the all-terrain humvee (review coming soon). There is no DSS, as all of the details are printed parts. Instructions The instructions are clear with excellent parts differentiation and directions. Minifigures Five minifigures are included with the set. They are (from left to right): Militia Grenadier Militia AT (Anti-Tank) Gunner? Driver Commander? The Militia grenadier is armed with what appears to be a M32 MGL. The Militia AT is armed with a RPG-7. The gunner has a UMP 9mm with removable(!) suppressor. The driver and commander are unarmed. The figures only have front printing and good articulation. The M1A2 Abrams SEP It is a a very large tank coming in at 27cm long (35cm to tip of barrel), 10cm tall, and 14cm wide. Here it is compared to a Sluban/Oxford tank and the taxi from set 60233 Donut Shop Opening. It absolutely dwarfs the taxi with it's menacing size. The turret spins 360 degrees and the M256 120mm smoothbore gun moves up and down. The turret is also fitted with a small rod to represent the gunner's coaxial M240 machine gun (mounted beside the cannon). The side mounted smoke grenade launchers and commander's independent thermal viewer (the drum-thingy in front of the loader's hatch) are also present. The tank commander has access to a M2 Browning 50 Caliber machine gun while the loader has a LSAT caseless light machine gun mounted over his hatch. (A Brickarms M60 would have been a better choice for the loader's weapon). Unfortunately, the hatches are too small for minifigs to fit in. There are also 4 slightly larger-than-life ammunition boxes for the M2 machine gun mounted on the rear of the turret. The Coalition Identification Panels (the panels with black angles on them) and the battalion markings (F2 panels) are the only printed pieces in the set. Interior The driver's position is well detailed, but there is no way to easily remove/put in said figure without taking apart the front of the tank. The tank does not feature a turret basket, instead it has a space for two minifigures in the middle of the hull. The pair of white tiles are supposed to be data screens/controls. The minifigs can only fit if the are reclining backwards. A small rack of what appears to be SABOT anti-tank shells is also modeled. Behind this is the engine compartment. The gas turbine engine (similar to that of a jet) is well detailed and includes some minor details. I do not particularly like the inclusion of the transparent blue tile, as it seems to clash with the rest of the tank and feels out of place. The only way to open the top engine hatch is to remove the turret. The engine can also be accessed through a pair of doors on the rear of the tank, like the real thing. Exterior Looking at the bottom of the tank, the is no working suspension, even though it is modeled. The tracks roll very smoothly, but only on rough surfaces, like carpet or cloth. Having no suspension, the tank simply rides high over obstacles. How it should actually happen. Here we see a short scene following the crushing of the car. One of the road wheels is swapped for a new one by a repair team. Meanwhile the commander berates the driver for his reckless behavior that damaged the tank. A special forces team provides 360 degree protection throughout the whole process. Not wanting to interrupt the commander, the gunner chats with the leader of the special forces team. With the repairs done, the special forces team escorts the repair crew back to the forward operating base (FOB), while the tank returns to it's original mission. Destroyed Building Included with the set is a destroyed building, in which a pair of militia men have set up an ambush. The building has three floors and looks excellent. A stoplight(?) has been modeled as well as a barrel and signpost. Some TNT and a backpack are provided for the hostile soldiers to presumably use as a makeshift IED. Amusingly, the position of the soldiers will result in the grenadier being back-blasted by the RPG when it is fired. The building has some minor structural details that make it pop and look unique. Summary As far as tank sets are concerned, this set is amazing. It has tons of detail, plenty of playability, and overall good looks. The figures could be better, as well as some of the accessories provided. The mold quality of the parts is rather high, however one of my parts was melted. Do I like the tank? Heck yeah! It is bada** and looks great displayed on my shelf next to it's 1/16th scale brother produced by Tamiya. Would I recommend it? Definitely, as long as you can find it for a reasonable price. Pros Realistically detailed Well made Tons of playability Cons Lack of suspension Odd minifigures Melted piece Score How do I rate this set? Design - 8/10 Looks like the real thing and features plenty of realistic design details Building Experience - 5/10 Not too boring, but not very exciting either. Building the tracks was rather laborious, as expected. Features - 8/10 It has all of the functions that the real tank has and even includes multiple minifigures. Playability - 7/10 I had fun setting up the repair diorama and enjoyed rolling it back and forth when testing the tracks. Parts - 7/10 This set is a decent parts donor with a good variety of unique pieces and accessories Value for Money - Variable I got mine on sale for $35 with free shipping. Your experience may differ. 8/10 - A fantastic replica of the venerable M1A2 Main Battle Tank and good addition to any fighting force. Thank you for reading through my review. C&C are always appreciated and needed, as I am constantly working to improve my review and presentation skills. I leave you now with the view that many Republican Guard tank crews experienced during Operation Desert Storm.

Hello all, It has been a few years since I've posted on here, and I thought I might celebrate my return from the Dark Ages with a review, or two. This review is mainly pointed towards individuals looking to increase their armies, without spending a whole lot of cash. I found this set on Ali-express for $5 USD. It consists of twelve (12) minifigures kitted out with a variety of weapons and gear. It took about 10 days for the set to arrive through E-Packet and then USPS. Each figure was individually wrapped and the weapons were still on their sprues in a separate bag. The guns appear to be clones of official Brickarms weapons. Each figure has detailed front printing and comes with some variation of helmet or headgear. All of the figures have realistic skin tones. Here is the full group as geared in the store pictures. I re-kitted them out as a few different groups. First up is a 5 man SAS team with custom HK23E and L22 weapons. Next is a shotgun group. The last 3 were geared up to match the CIA hit squad that shot up the house of Bruce Willis's character in the action movie Red. Overall, the set is of high quality and does not match the common stereotype of low quality knock-offs produced in China. I would highly recommend this set to those who wish to increase the size of their armies, while still paying a low price. C&C welcomed and appreciated. Ryn Labrie

Eh. To each his/her own. If I decide to rework my model, I will see about getting some TLG barbed wire rings, and brick-building the sandbags.

Thanks for all of the kind comments. The barbed wire is actually a part from the Mega Bloks Call of Duty sets. I have found that some of those parts, despite their origins, are quite useful.

I usually stay within the Town forum, however this truck that I am presenting to you today belongs in Sci-Fi. I used the Lego City 7213 Off-Road Firetruck and Fireboat as a base, and based it off of a Tatra T815 8x8 truck. 18 days after incident: Our gas was running low and we were nearly out of options. If we didn't find a new set of wheels or some fuel soon, we would never make it through the Sierra Nevadas safely. Chet suggested that we hit up a logging camp not to far away. The sun was just rising over the landscape when we arrived. In the far back of the camp, surrounded by looming cranes and harvesting equipment sat our salvation: a partially rusted 8x8 semi; it still had all of its wheels, and we were able to siphon enough diesel fuel from the nearby tractors to fill six jerrycans. Having reacquired transportation, we left our homes behind and headed towards the East Coast, or what was left of it. Finding the Technical by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr That was three months ago. So much has been going on that I haven't had time write up a proper report. Our small band of marauders has made good use of the truck we found in those mountains. We've armored it, weaponized it, and turned it in to a fighting vehicle that spits bullets like they're going out of style. Other survivors and bandits have smartly kept away from us as we roam about, looking for supplies and staying alive. Midnight Riders Technical Front Quarter by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr When we came across the smoking ruins of the largest survivor compound in the New Mexico Badlands, we gained the bulldozer blade from their barricade, and the stereo speaker. Johnny had the great idea of mounting the speaker to the roof, so we could "play some Wagner and freak the heck out of the locals." (a cookie to the person who names this reference) Midnight Riders Technical Front by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr The current armament of our ramshackle fighting truck consists of a pair of Browning M2A2 machine guns, a MK19 grenade launcher, an M1919 with Cobray 37mm flare launcher, a M60, a M134D minigun, a triple M16 turret, and last but not least, a Common Remotely Operated Weapons System (CROWS) fitted with another M2 machine gun. The .50 cals and the Mk19 came from a National Guard convoy, the minigun was found on a helicopter crash, and the other weapons were found on the road. Midnight Riders Technical Back Quarter by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Also worth noting are the Hiab/Palfinger folding crane with manbasket and all of the spotlights that we've attached to our truck; we don't want any sneaky buggers tying to sabotage us at night. To keep the lights working, we have 10 car batteries mounted beneath the cargo area. Midnight Riders Technical Palfinger Crane by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr I am including a "family picture" with this message. From left to right: Frank, Jaeger, Pops, Johnny, Ross, Archer (me), and Chet. A pair of local yokels took it for us before we left the Idaho territory. I will send out another message when I have time. This is 1st Sargent Archer, signing off. Midnight Riders Family Photo by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr C&C Greatly appreciated and as always, thanks for viewing!

*edit- I've actually found an implement that is very similar to my forklift mast. It is called the Tele-Fork and is made by Cheyenne Tooling. I've also discovered that the backhoe arm I saw:

I seem to be going on a MOC-ing spree! "The police have themselves an RV!"- Die Hard Mine is based on the MOC by Mocpages member Death Metal. The only major difference between ours is that mine has a smaller and simpler Common Remotely Operated Weapons System (CROWS) mount. Police APC 1 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Police APC 2 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Police APC 3 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Police APC 4 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr I also made a dual minigun turret for the times when more firepower is needed. Dual Minigun Turret 1 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Here is how I built the turret. The small pin is the charging handle for a Brickarms M2HB. Unmanned Weapons Station Disassembled by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Thanks for viewing and have a wonderful day.

Hello fellow forum members! Today I present to you yet another minifig-scale model that I have only seen represented in Technic; I have built a swing loader. Even though they are typically seen in around rail yards and train depots, swing loaders can be found in road only configurations. I decided to follow this approach with mine, as I did not have any train wheels or tracks. My MOC is a rather simplistic of the preexisting Lego City 7630 Front-End Loader. The only unique aspects of mine are the attachments . Swing Loader 1 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 2 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 3 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 4 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 5 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 6 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr I based this tool off of a digging implement I saw mounted to a mini loader being used by a landscape contractor. Swing Loader 7 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Swing Loader 8 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr This final image is mostly based off of a forklift toy that I'd seen in a store. I am unsure as to whether or not this attachment is real, however I felt that this model would not be complete without some form of pallet forks. Swing Loader 9 by Ryn Labrie, on Flickr Thank you for viewing and have a pleasant day.

Thanks for the kind words! I will update my posting. :)