Jennifer Clark

Absolutely! I'd love to see the model updated with newer components. Jennifer

Just as long as I don't have to get the pink Lego as well! Jennifer

Hi Folks, Many, many years ago I started the process of creating instructions for one of my models, the JCB JS220 excavator. Unfortunately I was unable to convert the complex CAD files to instructions due to technical problems, but Eric Albrecht (Blakbird) has stepped in and made it work. So after an incredible amount of work from Eric and myself, it is with great pleasure I finally announce they are ready, and can now be downloaded. Eric has done an amazing job on the rendering, and the instructions are of the highest quality. They can be downloaded from Crowkiller's website for a small charge at the following link; http://www.crowkille...F-JCB-excavator Enjoy! Jennifer

Thanks for posting this review, what a nostalgia trip! I think this is my all time favourite Lego set, not just for the quality, which was amazing in 1980, but memories of getting it for Christmas when I was ten years old, and the hours spent immersed building and rebuilding it. I made it so often I was eventually able to construct it entirely from memory. No chance of that nowadays! Jennifer

Great! After publication, I made some subsequent modifications to the battery power on the crane carrier. The original had power coming from a single 9V PP3 type battery box, which I discovered was limited in the current it could provide. Using 6 AA batteries delivered more current, and consequently drove all the carrier functions, i.e. drive, steer, outriggers and slew faster and more powerfully. Several of my models could be powered by the standard 9V 6 AA battery box, but in the case of the crane and another, I could swap in a non-Lego battery box from Maplin that held 8 AA batteries. The advantage of this was that I could use 8 rechargeables, at 1.2V each, giving a 9.6V total. As well as saving money, because of the square law with motors and voltage, it gave a not bad wee kick of power too :-) When I figure it out myself I'll let you know :-) Jennifer Thank you, good to see you here too. I've made several posts but they keep on being automatically put together into one :-) Jennifer

They are all still here, except for the original red crane that I disassembled many years ago, before building the others. A couple of them don't work properly anymore, however, due to broken 9V mini motors. These are embedded so deep in the models I am not confident I could rebuild them if I took them apart to replace the motor :-) For studded and studless building, I don't think one is easier than the other. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and in the latter stages of my model building I had started using both systems to get the best of both worlds. Jennifer Glad you liked the models :-) No new MOCs on the horizon I'm afraid, I don't have time nowadays to build models of that level of detail. At the moment I enjoy the models others are building! Jennifer Thanks for the compliments Nychase! It was the initial post about Eric's collection that got me reading this thread too. It truly is incredible. Jennifer

Indeed! I read these forums from time to time to see what's happening, and was surprised by Richard's model! Brilliant achievement, and I think it's marvellous that you've upgraded it to use the modern Lego parts. I look forward to seeing more photos and perhaps videos of it working, especially with the newer components. I realise the use of custom components on the one I built is not to everyone's taste, but if I remember correctly, I wanted to build the model without too many compromises while staying within the limits of what TLG might realistically do in terms of new parts :-) Jennifer