# After a 9 month hiatus, Kenbo is back with a new build



## Kenbo

Well, it's true. I started another build today and I have to say, that after only one day of working at it, I'm enjoying myself.
I had forgotten how technical these builds are and how much I love the puzzle solving and head scratching of "how am I going to cut THAT safely"?
Either way, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I will say, that this project is actually 3 builds rolled into one so don't be fooled into thinking that it will be quick. In fact, I'm not sure when it will end.

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## Kenbo



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## Tony

You've got me intrigued! BTW, your shop is entirely too clean for my taste TA

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## Mike1950

HOT diggity Dog folks he is back in the shop

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## Kevin

I can already see what it is but I won't tell Ken.

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## ripjack13

A tank?

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## Tony

Kevin said:


> I can already see what it is but I won't tell Ken



You're smarter than me, I got nothing!

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## Sprung

Woohoo! Another Kenbo build! It's been a while - good to see you back at it. I'll be following along - I always enjoy your build threads!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## justallan

I'll be watching.......in hopes of figuring out what the heck it is, and to learn more stuff.

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## cabomhn

Looks good so far! I'll be watching. A tank was the first thing that came to my mind too.

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## TimR

Cool...looking forward to watching this one!

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## ironman123

Good to see you back at it. Keep on trucking.

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## DLJeffs

Death Star? Sorry, still stuck in my head from that other deal. I'm intrigued as well and will watch for future progress updates.

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## DKMD

It seems big compared to some previous projects... Looking forward to watching it(them) progress!

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## SENC

Kevin said:


> I can already see what it is but I won't tell Ken.


Me too.

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## NYWoodturner

Good to see you back Ken! Subscribed!

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## Nature Man

Some kind of robot? Chuck

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## Treecycle Hardwoods




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## Kenbo

Spent 7 hours in the shop today. Glued up the pieces that I made last week and started making some more of the pieces. These build are brutally time consuming and I'm hoping that tomorrow will show some more progress. Although I sank all those hours in today, it doesn't look like much got done.

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## Kenbo



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## Kevin

Yeah pretty sure my previous guess what correct. Want me to let the cat out of the bag?


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## Wildthings

I tank I got it now too

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## SENC

Kevin said:


> Yeah pretty sure my previous guess what correct. Want me to let the cat out of the bag?


Me too.


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## woodtickgreg

I'm in too, I thought you gave up wood working for off roading. That jeep has become your new mistress, lol.
I always enjoy your builds brother!

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## Kenbo

Kevin said:


> Yeah pretty sure my previous guess what correct. Want me to let the cat out of the bag?



Guesses are welcome Kevin. If you know what the build is, feel free to speak up. I won't ruin the posting or the build for me.


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## Mike1950

a crane


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## JR Custom Calls

I was going to guess a shovel... but I can see how a crane would work there too

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## Kenbo

Well, today was one of those days in the shop. I glued in the hitches that I made yesterday and decided that I would work on the tracks. For that, I needed walnut. GUESS what I couldn't find any of in the wood racks. I was shocked. No walnut. That's not like me. I was ables to scrounge up enough pieces to cut what I needed but that's not the point. 80 pieces, 320 chamfers and 320, 3/32" holes and I was done for the day. That my friends, took 7 hours.

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## SENC

Wow, Kenbo, what an amazing amount of work. Can't wait to see the rest!

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## Kevin

I was thinking crane at first now I'm thinking bulldozer or tank.

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## woodtickgreg

I'm thinking excavator. Fun to watch whatever it becomes.

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## Kevin

woodtickgreg said:


> I'm thinking excavator. Fun to watch whatever it becomes.



Maybe. But excavators don't have such a large car body (that big square piece of wood he has glued between what will become the undercarriage). Come to think of it neither do cranes so what do I know. 
:-/

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## ripjack13

A tankopter!!!!

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## JR Custom Calls

Kevin said:


> Maybe. But excavators don't have such a large car body (that big square piece of wood he has glued between what will become the undercarriage). Come to think of it neither do cranes so what do I know.
> :-/


I stand by my initial thought...

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## ripjack13

Mmmmm.......nay. the tracks don't match up. It has to be a tank. Just need to guess which kind...

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## Tony

Still no idea what the hell it is.....

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## SENC

Tony said:


> Still no idea what the hell it is.....


It's a wooden model. Duh. You're getting as thick as Tony!

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## Tony

SENC said:


> It's a wooden model. Duh. You're getting as thick as Tony!



Sorry Henry, I try but it comes with the name

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## ripjack13

Abrams m1?


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## Kenbo

ripjack13 said:


> Abrams m1?




Nope. Been there, done that.

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## ripjack13

Right! But it is a tank though? Yes?

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## Nature Man

That is one righteous toy! Chuck

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## Kevin

ripjack13 said:


> Right! But it is a tank though? Yes?



No. 





@Kenbo has anyone guessed correctly yet?


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## Kenbo

Several people have guessed correctly but then again, no one has asked me what I'm building. Let's just say that your original thought was pretty much on the mark Kevin.

It is NOT a tank however. I did really enjoy building that tank though. It was a blast.


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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> . . . . no one has asked me what I'm building.



Ken. What are you building?

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## ripjack13

Awe.....that's no fun if he tells us. :)


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## Kevin

ripjack13 said:


> Awe.....that's no fun if he tells us. :)



Well he told us that I already told us, so why not let him tell us what I told us? . . . . . .

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## ripjack13

JR Custom Calls said:


> I stand by my initial thought...



Ok....here's my new guess...


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## ripjack13

Kevin said:


> Well he told us that I already told us, so why not let him tell us what I told us? . . . . . .



You did? I need to put my spectacles on....

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## Kenbo

It will hopefully be a entirely wooden, completely awesome, fully functional, part one of three.........................aw, who am I kidding? It's gonna be a boom crane.

The fun part is not necessarily guessing what it is. The fun part is watching it develop

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## Kenbo

Well, all in all, it was a pretty good day in the shop. I got all the track tread cut. I think there were something like 80 of them. And then I cut about 180 more small pieces. Those ones ended up being 1/8 X 3/16 X 1/2" with a 40* angle at one end. A lot of hand sanding for those pieces. I then had to make a marking jig and start cutting the track links. I'm going to be cutting all the links on the scroll saw, which means that tomorrow, I will be completely in my element as I sit for hours at the scroll saw. Looking forward to tomorrow.

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## Kenbo



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## SENC

Kenbo, you are one patient bugger! I would go CRAZY! 

You do need to work on better aligning the grain and figure on those tracks.

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## Kevin

SENC said:


> You do need to work on better aligning the grain and figure on those tracks.



He didn't even bother book matching them. Must not be building this one for a run at the red ribbon.

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## SENC

Kevin said:


> He didn't even bother book matching them. Must not be building this one for a run at the red ribbon.


Yep. I'm thinking he has an apprentice ghost-building this for him. Definitely sub-Kenbo work. And the sawdust left on the scrollsaw is a dead giveaway.

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## Kenbo

You guys kill me. Now I'm going to be paying attention to the grain in the track. When I cut these pieces, I was using up a bunch of scrap so I don't think that I will have any luck matching grain at all. I'm not too worried though........after all, I have about 20-30 extra pieces to play with just in case i don't like the look of one of the links. We will see how it goes tomorrow. 

And for the record..............my apprentice is a SLOB!!!!!!!!

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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> And for the record..............my apprentice is a SLOB!!!!!!!!



How did you manage to talk Henry into going that far north?

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## cabomhn

Wow this is awesome! I know I can be a little anal on my projects but this is a whole new level (in a good way!) lol. I can't wait to see how things come together. This is what I was initially envisioning

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## woodtickgreg

Oh yeah, scroll saw, the ultimate therapy!

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## Kenbo

Today was another 7 hours in the shop working on the tracks for this build. I unclamped the marking jig and went to work. I marked and cut all of the track links and then sanded each and every one. I then had to glue the track guides to the underside of each and every track at 9/16" in from the inner and outer edge of each link. For that, I used my setup blocks. This process took way longer than I thought it would and before I knew it, the day was done. I'm not sure if I will be able to get the tracks finished tomorrow or not but I'm still hoping.

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## Kenbo

My apprentice's OCD kicked in and he couldn't stand to have the scroll saw covered in dust, sooooooooooooooo............


 
I might keep him around. I think he gets it.

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## Kevin

Ken I can't wait to get my scroll saw but I can almost guarantee I won't be using it for the projects you make lol. Can't wait to see this finished.


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## Kenbo

Kevin said:


> Ken I can't wait to get my scroll saw but I can almost guarantee I won't be using it for the projects you make lol. Can't wait to see this finished.



Don't sell yourself short my friend. The projects that I make are nothing more than a little ingenuity and practice. You'd be surprised what you can do on a scroll saw. Remember the days when you thought that they didn't count for woodworking?

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## SENC

I noticed a tad bit of OCD in matching shades of walnut in track 1 and track 2, too.


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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> Don't sell yourself short my friend. The projects that I make are nothing more than a little ingenuity and practice. You'd be surprised what you can do on a scroll saw. Remember the days when you thought that they didn't count for woodworking?

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## Kenbo

SENC said:


> I noticed a tad bit of OCD in matching shades of walnut in track 1 and track 2, too.



I didn't know if that would get noticed or not. I tried to get enough dark pieces to make it all dark but when that wasn't possible, I layered them with 2 dark, 1 light, 2 dark, 1 light etc. Then I laid them all out that way so that they would be assembled that way in the final assembly. Apparently, you are examining these pictures a little too closely.

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## Tony

Dude, that crosses my eyes just looking at it! No way in hell could I pull that off. Hats off to you man!

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## Kenbo

Another 7 1/2 hours on the build today. I needed some 1/2" dowel and those that know me, know that I like to make my own dowel in the router table dowel making jig that I made. It works really well and I'm always pleased with the results. I try to avoid purchasing dowel if I can help it. The track has taken me 4 days and I'm still not done. There is another problem with the track now........it has developed a twist. I'm pretty sure I know what is causing the twist, but I have to think about it to decide how to fix the twist. I'm not liking my options. If I can't fix the twist in the track, I will be scrapping the track that I have made thus far and starting over with a new track. I'm hoping that that won't be the case, but you never know. Either way, here's the pictures from today.

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## Kenbo



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## Tony

Just an amazing thread! I just am in awe of the precision and your patience to get it that way. TA

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## DLJeffs

Enjoying this thread a ton. Thanks. That dowel maker is pretty cool. I've made dowels on my lathe before but that looks faster. It looks like you spin the blank using your drill motor and then push it through a guide that holds it against a half round bit in the router. Is that right?


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## Kenbo

DLJeffs said:


> Enjoying this thread a ton. Thanks. That dowel maker is pretty cool. I've made dowels on my lathe before but that looks faster. It looks like you spin the blank using your drill motor and then push it through a guide that holds it against a half round bit in the router. Is that right?



That's pretty much it. I made the jig a while back and have been using it ever since. The centre block is removable and each size of dowel requires a separate block. The out feed hole matches the size of the dowel that you are making. The height of the 1/2" straight bit determines the dimension of the dowel and it only takes a slight up or down adjustment to alter the diameter of the dowel. I chuck the blank up in my cordless drill and run it at full speed through the jig. Once the initial setup is done (takes about 1 1/2 minutes) I can produce dowels as fast as I like. The set up for this one took longer than what it took to make the 2, 14"x1/2" dowels.

I made a video on how to use it a while back on my youtube channel. Here ya go.

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## Wildthings

Kenbo thanks for that video
@SENC Hey Henry notice on this video how Kenbo's OCD kicks in when he first grabs the cordless drill and he wipes the dust from the top of it. hehe

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## Kenbo

Wildthings said:


> Kenbo thanks for that video
> @SENC Hey Henry notice on this video how Kenbo's OCD kicks in when he first grabs the cordless drill and he wipes the dust from the top of it. hehe



Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That would be at the 2:30 mark. I didn't believe you so Mrs Kenbo and I watched the video and burst out laughing when I did that. So I like my tools to be clean........sue me. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

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## Kevin

Wildthings said:


> notice on this video how Kenbo's OCD kicks in when he first grabs the cordless drill and he wipes the dust from the top of it.



I haven't watched the video but I bet the slob just wiped it off and let if fall right on the floor!

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## Wildthings

Actually I think he wiped it and then off camera pulled his handkerchief and cleaned the dust from his hands. Love ya Ken!

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## Kevin

Wildthings said:


> Actually I think he wiped it and then off camera pulled his handkerchief and cleaned the dust from his hands. Love ya Ken!



Actually he probably swallows all his shop dust so it ends up in the Toronto Municipal Waste Treatment Facility all nice and tidy. Got to maximize those tax dollars. Saves money on fiber supplements too, eh?

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## Tony

Wildthings said:


> when he first grabs the cordless drill and he wipes the dust from the top of it



@Kenbo , that's just wrong man. You need help...........

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## Wilson's Woodworking

Wildthings said:


> Kenbo thanks for that video
> @SENC Hey Henry notice on this video how Kenbo's OCD kicks in when he first grabs the cordless drill and he wipes the dust from the top of it. hehe


No way!!! Did you see that terribly dirty router table he laid those jig blocks on! If he had a bad case of OCD he would have dusted the table off before he ever laid anything on it.

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## Kenbo

Sorry for being away from the build for so long guys. Bottom line is that I had to travel to the coast for a while. I was there for almost a month and flew back home on Monday. I spent the day in my shop yesterday, just tidying up a bit and mulling over the pieces that I've already made. I have come to the difficult decision, that the track that took me 4 days to build, has to be destroyed and I will start the track all over again. I can't have a twisted track and repeated attempts to repair the twist just made me think "what am I doing?". I don't like to half a$$ my projects and this one is no exception. I will be starting construction on a new track this weekend. Hopefully, you guys won't find the pictures too boring as I repeat the last 4 days of posts, but at least the track will be done correctly. I just can't live with it the way it is and I would rather do another 4 days work, than to compromise the quality of my project.
Hang in there guys and wish me luck on this new track.

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## Kenbo

I managed to get out to the shop today and after looking through the track pieces, I attempted to find some of them that were salvageable. After checking about 10 of them, I gave my head a shake and scrapped both tracks. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right and I wasn't about to half ass the project now with pieces that were sub standard. With that being said......................TWISTED TRACK? WHAT TWISTED TRACK?

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## Kenbo

I did a bunch of resaw of some walnut and planed it out to the thickness that I needed and started in on making the new track pieces. This time, instead of doing all the steps at once, I just cut all the blanks for the track pieces and then drilled them and cut out the recesses in groups of 5. I then attempted to dry fit them together and if there was any twist at all, I got rid of the offending piece. I managed to get 21 good track pieces today and only scrapped 6 of the new ones. I have attributed the twisting to using my large floor model drill press. I believe I was applying too much pressure and causing the drill bit (3/32") to deflect in the stock, making the hole off centre. I checked and double check my set up for drilling and it was bang on. Unfortunately, I didn't get any more than 21 pieces made today, but I am well on my way to a nice straight track. I wouldn't have been happy with it any other way.


 

 

 

 

 

 



Here is a picture showing the twist of the original track. Totally unacceptable.

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## NYWoodturner

Welcome back Bro- Good to see you back in the shop.

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## JR Custom Calls

Dude... you've got more clamps than I have turning blanks...

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## Kevin

What do you think was the cause of the twist?


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## Wildthings

Kenbo said:


> I have attributed the twisting to using my large floor model drill press. I believe I was applying too much pressure and causing the drill bit (3/32") to deflect in the stock, making the hole off centre






Kevin said:


> What do you think was the cause of the twist?




@Kevin Just don't look at the pretty pictures - read the stories too it'll make more sense!!

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## NYWoodturner

Well i missed it too. I know he identified the twist earlier but not the cause. The dowels is my best guess.

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## woodtickgreg

Chubby checker.


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## Tony

You're sharper than me too Barry, I was waiting to see Kenbo's response.

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## Kenbo

I think that there were several reasons. 

1) I think the larger weight and size of the 1/2" chuck and a heavy arm put too much pressure on the small bit and caused it to deflect in the wood.

2) I started off by using a 3/32" bradpoint bit. I noticed today, that the bit jumps around a little in the larger chuck until it finds it's place causing some of the holes to start off centre.

3) I didn't take quite enough time in the original set up to ensure that I was drilling perfectly in the centre of each piece. I may have only been off by 1/128th, but over 30 pieces, that's enough to twist a track to an unusable state.


I checked and verified my setup several times with test stock. Measured and remeasured. Replaced the breakpoint bit with a twist bit. Used a smaller table top drill press and took my time, making sure that I cleared the bit after drilling each 1/4". Seems to have worked for me.
I love the problem solving in these builds, but if I would have taken my time with the original, it wouldn't have been such a costly mistake. It's not my first track and I should have known better. Live and learn I guess.

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## Kenbo

I spent 9 hours in the shop today trying to get the new tracks done. I'm pretty pleased with the progress that I made today. I was able to finish drilling the blanks and cutting them on the scroll saw and the piece them all together to make sure that there was no twist. I then had to cut 120 new track guides and 60 treads. Once they were all shaped and sanded, I managed to get the track dry fit together and all 120 track guides glued into place. That was my entire 9 hours. I didn't think that I was going to be able to do it, because at some point in time during the drilling process, my drill press belt started to come apart. I don't have a replacement for this one so I made a temporary repair with duct tape and continued drilling. Luckily it held. Hoping for another awesome day in the shop tomorrow.
I've got a pretty special lady, who doesn't whine a bit that I spent all of Valentine's day in the shop.........but then again, we don't go for the Hallmark Holidays anyway.

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## Schroedc

About the belt, I keep a section of cut to length belt that uses a metal clip for emergencies. I've used it in drill presses and table saws in a pinch. Most farm supply stores used to carry it.

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## Kenbo

Schroedc said:


> About the belt, I keep a section of cut to length belt that uses a metal clip for emergencies. I've used it in drill presses and table saws in a pinch. Most farm supply stores used to carry it.




I thought of that as well. The problem with this one, is that it is my table top drill press and the belt is only 1/4" wide. Most belts that I've seen are 1/2" wide. I'm just not sure of the availability of a 1/4" wide V-belt.


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## Schroedc

Kenbo said:


> I thought of that as well. The problem with this one, is that it is my table top drill press and the belt is only 1/4" wide. Most belts that I've seen are 1/2" wide. I'm just not sure of the availability of a 1/4" wide V-belt.



Gotcha, I didn't realize it was that small a belt.


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## Kenbo

Schroedc said:


> Gotcha, I didn't realize it was that small a belt.




Thanks for trying though. I do appreciate it. I might look into that for the other tools though. I thought I was going to be screwed yesterday and not able to finish the track.


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## Kevin

Keep some anti-vibe link belt handy. They are better than regular belts anyway. Not cheap but if you keep some on hand you'll never be stuck without a spare belt of any length.


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## Kenbo

Kevin said:


> Keep some anti-vibe link belt handy. They are better than regular belts anyway. Not cheap but if you keep some on hand you'll never be stuck without a spare belt of any length.



I was going to pick some of these up from Lee Valley Kevin, on the day that the belt tore, but again, they are only in 1/2" width. The small drill press is a 1/4" wide belt.


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## Kenbo

Another 8 hours in the shop today. I managed to get the track mounted temporarily, but it still needs quite a few adjustments.

I started off having to make a jig to be able to glue the treads on the track segments. The hole is for the guides to fit down through.


 

I then used my set up blocks to get the spacing right and glued all the treads into place.


 


All 60 treads glued in. This took surprisingly longer than I thought it would.


 



I then had to start turning the wheels. These particular wheels have a 3/8" hole for the axle. I don't have a 3/8" spindle to turn them on, so I had to make one. I started off with a 3/8" bolt.


 





I then centre punched the threaded end.


 





And then I cut the head off of the bolt.


 





I then filed any rough edges off of the section where the head of the bolt used to be.


 





I then installed it in the lathe using a 1/2" chuck and a live centre to test to make sure that it was spinning true and not wobbling. So far so good.


 





I then marked and drill 5 blanks for the wheels (1 extra in case I screwed up.)


 





They were then rough cut on the scroll saw. I didn't really care if they were round or not, as the lathe would be rounding them anyway.

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## Kenbo

I then had to make some spacers for the mandel. I later decided that they should be rounded and I did that.


 







Set my callipers for 1 1/2" to get the correct diameter of the wheels.


 





I then mounted everything on the lathe and started turning the wheel.


 






One turned wheel. 4 more to go.


 




All five wheel turned.


 




I then had to mark the 2 rear wheels for routing.


 





I then set up a primitive jig to rout the rear wheels of the build.


 






One wheel routed, one more to go.


 











Both wheels routed. Now for some test fitting.


 






Both tracks, dry fit to the chassis. I still need to make some adjustments.

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## Kenbo

Another view of the tracks.



 








And, of course, before I left I had to tidy up so that it would be ready for my next day in the shop.



 







And THAT, was 8 hours work.

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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> I was going to pick some of these up from Lee Valley Kevin, on the day that the belt tore, but again, they are only in 1/2" width. The small drill press is a 1/4" wide belt.



Ken you can use a 1/2" belt in a 1/4" v-pulley in a pinch. Think about it . . . . .


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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> And THAT, was 8 hours work.



Ken THAT was a lot of excellent work.

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## Kenbo

Kevin said:


> Ken you can use a 1/2" belt in a 1/4" v-pulley in a pinch. Think about it . . . . .




Right..........because the anti-vibe belt wouldn't lie flat. It would crease itself and form into the 1/4" groove. Of course!!! What was I thinking? Thanks Kevin.

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## Kevin

Kenbo said:


> Right..........because the anti-vibe belt wouldn't lie flat. It would crease itself and form into the 1/4" groove. Of course!!! What was I thinking? Thanks Kevin.



Sort of. You actually need to build up the narrow bed of the pulley to a certain extent first but you have the general idea.

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## Kenbo

Well, it was one of those days. I was hoping to get more done today but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. I started off the day by gluing the pins into both tracks and getting the tracks mounted on the chassis. Something just didn't seem right and I spent about another 4 hours tinkering with the tracks to get them right. I ended up drilling out a couple of links and remaking them to suit my needs. I also made some retaining caps for the cogs so that they would be permanently mounted on the chassis. I also made the side steps and glued them in place. The last task of the day, was to resaw some poplar and thickness plane it down to 3/4" for tomorrow's adventure. Hopefully it will be a more productive day in the shop. Enjoy the video of the tracks too.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Here's the video............. https://www.dropbox.com/s/l9k5flav76tswas/MVI_6178.MOV?dl=0

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## SENC

Superb, Ken!


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## Wildthings

Really Cool!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Treecycle Hardwoods

Nice work

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

Cool stuff man.

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## Tony

That is way cool, too meticulous for me!

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## Kenbo

Another day...........another 8 hours in the shop. I didn't seem to get much done today, although I had a great time doing it so I guess I can't complain. I managed to get the base of the vehicle cut and glued together. I kind of enjoyed using the cabinet scrapers to level out some raised grain after everything was glued up. I also cut some of the pieces for the body of the vehicle. It really takes me a long time because I have to set up for every process that I do. One day, before I leave this earth, I'm going to have a shop where everything is set up all the time and no set up is required from me, other than to set my fences, start my machine and work. I was also having some issues with my left hand which slowed me down today, but that's okay. Next weekend is going to get interesting to say the least. Stay tuned guys..........this is either going to get really pretty, or REALLY ugly.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 5


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## Kenbo

Got out to the shop again today. Surprise, surprise. Spent a lot of time waiting for glue to dry and cutting tiny little pieces and gluing them into place. Here's the progress pictures. Nothing really exciting.

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## Kenbo



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## Tony

That is so cool man! I look forward to these updates!

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## Kenbo

Another day in the shop today and a little more progress.

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## Kevin

Thanks Ken maybe you'll distract enough bidders in these last few minutes I can win a few. I'll send the bribe PP in a few minutes.

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## David Van Asperen

what an amazing build I need to learn to be that exact. thanks for sharing.
Dave

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## SENC

David Van Asperen said:


> what an amazing build I need to learn to be that exact. thanks for sharing.
> Dave


I need to learn to be 1/100th that exact!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## justallan

Simply awesome work, Ken.

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## Aurora North

Omg... Just saw this thread. You're my hero dude. That tread is SICK!

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## Kenbo

Spent a full 7 hours on the build today and only got some work done on the cab. I'm still not done the cab yet. I had to make a bunch of templates to complete the pieces for the cab and I decided that I wanted the door to open, so I still have to make a set of hinges and mount the door. I may put some supports in the door as well. I also have some controls to make. The control sticks on the seat were fun considering that I turned them on the lathe. Either way, it was a good day and I'm looking forward to some more progress next week.

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## Kenbo



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## Aurora North

I'm speechless dude... I want to see a B2 bomber now; just sayin.

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## SENC

The ergonomics in that seat don't look quite right. Maybe it needs a little more lumbar support and a slight rise at the thighs.

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## SENC

Seriously, though, off the charts great work.

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## justallan

Simply incredible, Ken.
I'm in awe of how you can dedicate the time involved in this thing. I'd go nuts-worse!

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## thrainson

This is an amazing piece of work! Wow!!!

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## Kenbo

Spent some more time in the shop today but didn't really get a lot done. Made and mounted the hinges for the door (which took forever) and made and mounted the inner controls for the cab. I also made the top cab panel and started in on making some pieces for tomorrow's shop day. Hopefully, tomorrow will provide more progress than today did.

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 5


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## Nature Man

More insanely cool! Chuck

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## Kenbo

A large portion of my day was taken up making small little parts that really amounted to nothing. Although I will be able to use these small parts next week and assemble some of the larger parts of this build, today was a finicky day of turning and scroll saw work........sounds like it was right up my alley.

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## Kenbo



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## ripjack13

Looking good Ken....

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## Tony

Absolutely mind-blowing!

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## woodtickgreg

I have no idea why I stopped getting updates and notifications on this build, but they did stop. All's I can say is wow! You have made major progress and it looks really cool!

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## Mike1950

Nice work Ken!!

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## thrainson

Amazing detail on those hinges...

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## DLJeffs

It is entertaining, fascinating and humbling watching you make this. Some just incredible detail - like Joseph mentions above, the tiny hinges that actually work. Are you working from a plan or do you figure out the dimensions and shapes as you go?

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## Kenbo

I do have a set of plans for this particular model. However, they are pretty sub standard. I think there is more of my hand writing on them than the original printing of the plans. I add a lot of my own ideas as well. For instance, the door was supposed to be a routed groove to outline the door. I decided that I wanted it to open so I came up with the hinges and cut the door out. A lot of the parts that they call for are store bought but I make all the parts myself which is time consuming. I use the plans as a general guideline and then branch out from there.

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## Kenbo

I'm a little tired of writing how many hours I spent and what I did..........so today, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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## Kenbo

Angles, angles, angles. My head hurts.

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## SENC

Super duper cool!

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## NYWoodturner

You are a very patient man!

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## thrainson

I look forward to these updates... wow

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## GeorgeS

I am in awe! I have been following this since the start and I really look forward to seeing the updates! Do you make these to sell or just as a hobby for yourself? I. Ant imagine what it would cost to make it worth your while in labor!


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## Kenbo

I don't sell them. I just keep them for myself. I stopped accepting commissions for my woodworking quite some time ago and I just finished my last commission a couple of weeks ago. (a commission that I accepted over 2 years ago) I just can't do it for others any longer.

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## ripjack13

Looks great Ken....good way to keep your mind occupied. I like your progress on this.

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## David Wright

A track crane?

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## Kenbo

Well, today was another day of small parts and tons of angle cuts. My mitre fence definitely got a workout today. Unfortunately though, with all the angles and all the glueing that needed to be done, 7 hours of work didn't seem to yield a lot of production. At least the main frame of the boom is done. Tomorrow is another day and I will hopefully get the trim pieces made and installed on the boom. We are still quite a way from being finished this build.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 5


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## woodtickgreg

You have no idea how much I enjoy watching your builds Kenn, I know the work that goes into them and Your attention to detail is second to none. Great work my friend!

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## dycmark

I am so glad you do these step by step posts. I see your work and thing WOW, I should try that. It looks fun and I think I could do it. Then I watch the process as you step through it and you are successful in snapping me into reality.. I don't have time to finish a pen these days let alone something that may actually take me 5 years to finish. 

THANK YOU for saving me!!!! I owe you one.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 1


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## Kenbo

Only got to work on the build for about 4 hours today but I managed to get the boom mount, mounted to the boom and I also got a bunch of trim pieces cut and installed. Once that was all said and done, I did a dry fit of the boom to the body of the crane to make sure that everything was fitting correctly. So far, so good. More to come next week.

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## DLJeffs

Still very cool. Will you be making a head block?

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## Kenbo

DLJeffs said:


> Still very cool. Will you be making a head block?



Definitely. The boom is only dry fit on there for now to check for alignment. The pulley assemblies still have to be made. Who knows, maybe I'll get to that next weekend.

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## Kenbo

Well today, was a tedious day to say the least. A lot of work, but little progress as I started turning the pulleys that will guide the "cables" through the hook mechanism. It's amazing how time consuming this really is. I also managed to get the boom supports made and connected to the boom and the drum mount. The build will continue tomorrow with another 8+ pulleys and some more small parts. I'm hoping to start rigging this thing soon. I guess I should start considering what to use for the rigging.

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## Kenbo



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## ripjack13

Looking good Ken!!

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## DLJeffs

Excellent. I can see the pulley mechanism for the head stock now. What about something like 30lb braided Dacron for cables? I think it might have the right diameter to be proportional, it is supple (compared to monofilament or something) and it would lay down nicely on the take up drums. If you want something stiffer I've got some old fly lines you can have. Either the braid or the fly lines could be dyed black or dark grey.

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## Kenbo

DLJeffs said:


> Excellent. I can see the pulley mechanism for the head stock now. What about something like 30lb braided Dacron for cables? I think it might have the right diameter to be proportional, it is supple (compared to monofilament or something) and it would lay down nicely on the take up drums. If you want something stiffer I've got some old fly lines you can have. Either the braid or the fly lines could be dyed black or dark grey.




I think the only way for me to decide, is to take the mechanisms into the local craft supplier and see what kind of chord they offer. They might have the perfect stuff, you never know. It does have to be the right diameter and be pliable enough. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with.


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## SENC

Kenbo said:


> I think the only way for me to decide, is to take the mechanisms into the local craft supplier and see what kind of chord they offer. They might have the perfect stuff, you never know. It does have to be the right diameter and be pliable enough. I'll be sure to let you know what I come up with.



Too easy. I think you should do it the "Kenbo Way". Drive that Jeep up into the mountains, fimd some sheep, shear some wool, make a miniature loom, and make your own rigging.

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## Kenbo

SENC said:


> Too easy. I think you should do it the "Kenbo Way". Drive that Jeep up into the mountains, fimd some sheep, shear some wool, make a miniature loom, and make your own rigging.




Now you're talking!!!!! Wanna join me?

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## Kenbo

Another 8 hours in the shop today. I got quite a bit done today as I worked on the pulleys and their assemblies. I didn't really like the support that the original base supplied for the crane, so I added a couple of extra supports to the unit. I kind of like the way they look as they kind of finish off the base. I got all the pulleys turned and installed and even had to drill out some of my previous work due to an oops. No big deal. As long as you are careful, you can drill out the dowels rather easily. Either way, it was a productive day and I'm in the home stretch now. Some rigging to do and a couple of extras and I will probably call it done at that point in time.

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## Kenbo



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## Kenbo

I was able to make the hook for the boom assembly today and let me tell you that it was a pain in the butt to make. Either way, I made it and I was happy with how it came out so I installed it. I also started in on the rigging of the boom and just as things were going swimmingly, I ran out of the "cable". Being that this is Easter Sunday, all the stores in this area are closed so I had to move on. I was running through the process of how I was going to rig the rest of the boom, and I realized that the current design doesn't allow the boom to raise and lower. The hook is fully functional but the boom goes nowhere. What the heck is the fun of that? So, bottom line is that when I get some new "cable" I will be disassembling parts of the boom and reworking the mechanisms so that the boom is fully functional. Shouldn't be too big of a task, but I'm just not happy with it not raising and lowering. After all, I went through all the trouble to make the cab door open with hinges, so why would I be happy with the boom being stationary? Considering that I had nothing else to do with the crane until I had the "cable", I thought that a crane isn't any fun without a load to hoist. So what better load to hoist than cinder blocks? Hence the process began to mark out and cut mini cinder blocks. I managed to get 45 blocks cut today and I still have another 45 to go. That, will have to wait until next week.

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 2 | Funny 1 | Way Cool 10


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## woodtickgreg

Ok those little wooden cinder blocks are very cool, on a scale of 1 to 10 on the cool factor they are 11!

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## NYWoodturner

#1 - that 1-2-3- block is quite heavy in relation to the build. If I were to guess its at minimum 50% of the weight of the entire rig is not more? Testament to the quality of the build. 
#2 Thise cinder blocks are just way cool. how in the hell did you do those?

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## Tony

I continue to be amazed at your attention to detail and your work. Simply awesome!

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## Kenbo

woodtickgreg said:


> Ok those little wooden cinder blocks are very cool, on a scale of 1 to 10 on the cool factor they are 11!





> #1 - that 1-2-3- block is quite heavy in relation to the build. If I were to guess its at minimum 50% of the weight of the entire rig is not more? Testament to the quality of the build.
> #2 Thise cinder blocks are just way cool. how in the hell did you do those?




I've been thinking about what to do for a load, and Mrs Kenbo actually said something about cinder blocks and that got me going on it. Basically, I measured a cinder block on my house, and scaled down the measurements. From there, I drew out one block and made a marking template. I then cut all the pieces on the table saw. From there, I mark out the blocks and cut them on the scroll saw. I'm not concerned with them not being perfect because I've never seen a perfect cinder block. I had to tape down a makeshift zero clearance table on the scroll saw because the blocks kept wanting to fall down the blade opening.
I'm not sure what the ratio is between the weight of the 1-2-3 block and the crane. But the crane is pretty heavy. Maybe I'll weigh it the next time I'm in the shop and compare. Either way, I was really happy with the way that the hook raised and lowered. It works like a charm.

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## SENC

Super-freakin' cool!

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## dycmark

HOLY CRAP!!!  you do amazing work!!!! almost speechless (I guess I should bold "almost")

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## GeorgeS

I am amazed at the work you do! How do you figure out the scale of everything? Do you have plans or do you wing it?

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## Kenbo

This model is being done from a horrible set of plans. I've spent more time calculating and figuring than I like to. That being said, there is no scale on the drawing either so I had to guess. I ended up measuring the operators chair in the cab and then measuring a normal chair that one would have in his living room. Then I calculated the scale and took measurements of real life items and converted the measurements. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is. It's really quite simple once you get into it.


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## GeorgeS

I was pretty sure that's what you were doing because I couldn't find anything on line. My hat is off to you sir!

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## Kenbo

I never got much of a chance to make anything today. Between playing with my new Sawstop and having family from out of town drop in, I only managed to get about 5 hours on the crane.
I did managed to get my cinder blocks finished and a skid made for them to go on. I have to tell you that it was painful for me to not be able to sand the skid and to glue the blocks down all willy nilly with no straight lines and nothing square. It was a serious struggle to not straighten them out while the glue was still wet. Oh well. More to come next weekend.

Reactions: Way Cool 8


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## woodtickgreg

Ken, you have out done yourself! The crane is way cool, but the miniature pallet and all the cinder blocks is just fricken cool!!! Very well done my man, very well done indeed.

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## Tony

Ken, I lost all respect for you when I saw you didn't chalk a line on that pallet for those cinder blocks!

Seriously, incredible work!!!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 3


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## SENC

Kenbo, breaking out the bling!


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## Kenbo

Thanks guys. I'm not sure on the chain thing. If I use the chain at all, it will have to be soaked in vinegar of something to tarnish it up and make it look used. I think it's a little large though and I'm toying with how to make slings for the pallet.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tony

You should build a tiny spinning wheel, get some wool and make tiny rope! Tony

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## Kenbo

Well, I worked on the crane for the last time today. I removed the gold coloured chain and replaced it with a chain that was a little more to scale. I then painted it black instead of the silver that it was. I finished all the rigging for the boom lift and toyed around with a few other things. Whenever you make these builds, you know when you are done and today, I knew I was done. Call it quits on this one and I'm pleased with the results. Although the chains may not be the proper way to lift this load, I like the way they look and the only person I need to please with this build is me. I might give it a coat of danish oil, just to bring out some of the contrast. I don't want to apply poly as I don't want the tracks to seize up on me. With that though, I am done and I want to thank all you guys for following along and giving me encouragement throughout the build. You guys are awesome.

Reactions: Way Cool 7


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## Kenbo



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## Tony

Incredible build, thanks for sharing! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg

This has been a fun one to follow as always Kenn, it is us who should thank you for your builds and the gift of you taking the pics so that we could follow you.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## justallan

Simply incredible, Ken.
Thanks for letting us follow along.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## SENC

Too cool for school! Just awesome work and attention to detail, Ken. Thanks for sharing!


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## NYWoodturner

I just keep looking back through all the pics and looking at the level of detail. Its mind boggling. This is another entry for the Museum of Modern Ken Art

Reactions: Agree 4


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## thrainson

First one I have followed, and I am amazed by the quality and clearly phenomenal skill! Any chance you will post the plans to your crane? :-) Also a short movie of it in action? Was a joy to watch this! Thank you!!!


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## DKMD

You, Sir, are a Canadian badass! Unbelievable!


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## SENC

DKMD said:


> You, Sir, are a Canadian badass! Unbelievable!


Unbelievable that there is such thing as a Canadian badass? Or unbelievable work? Either way I agree with you!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3


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## Sprung

Off. The. Charts.

Thanks for sharing this, Ken! Amazing build! (Not that we'd expect anything less from you.)


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## Tony

I agree with @thrainson, I'd love to see a video of it moving! Tony


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## Kevin

I like that chain much better. Looks good. Great build Ken. Amazing amount of patience you have there. You have more patience than Doc Bones Keller has patients and that's a lot.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mrfish55

Well done Ken, it's the little bits that really set it off. FYI last time I needed scale size webbing I found some shoe laces that were thin and flat, worked perfect.


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