My Gantry Crane Build

[av8or1]

This picture illustrates the gap between the inner support plate and the c-channel:


Finally, I plan on installing a shim on the outer plate between that plate and the spindle's mounting flange. I'll do this on the top side so that there will be a slight inward angle to the wheels. This will make the gantry roll and turn easier. Kinda analogous to the front wheels on those "old timey tractors" (to borrow a phrase from my 5 year old son!):


Though in the final product my wheels won't come near that much angle mind you. There will at least be some though and that will help.

[Rambozo]

I would think there would be a bit too much heat for the grease seals. You might have to change them after all the welding.

[av8or1]

I would think there would be a bit too much heat for the grease seals. You might have to change them after all the welding.

Yeah quite possibly. That was just the thing I was trying to avoid. I'll have to check on them after all is said and done. Thank you for the feedback!

[av8or1]

Well I finished up the gantry work today. Whew! A project like this can be physically demanding, even when doing something relatively small such as locking pins. I digress.

Since the suspension components can be fully rotated 180 degrees from parallel to the legs on the inside:


To parallel on the outside of the legs:


They tend to wander a little too much, as I mentioned previously. Thus something needed to be done.

[av8or1]

There is still some cleanup that I'll need to do, so a couple of those will need to be removed again to address that. However the bones are there as the saying goes; thus I can say that I have completed the project, even if only sorta. After the cleanup I need to find a way to lock the wheels in position so that they don't wander as you attempt to move the crane.


Overall the result is well within the ballpark of what I had planned. I attempted to move it just a bit:


And it was definitely easier to do so. The start was relatively easy and once it was moving my primary concern was gonna be how to stop it. Fortunately the hub wandering thing took care of that for me. Those definitely need to be locked down if you were gonna move this any distance. At least by hand. I suspect if I was to pull it behind the F450 that would be a different story.

Anyway thanks!