Fixing the Crane

Look back through some of the images and you'll see the dock side crane with a skewer sticking through it.

After many visits to the floor the jib was a little busted.

My original plan was to replace the whole thing. There were a few other bits which had broken away as well.

I like Dapol kits but sometimes they need a lot of work. I had bought a new kit but as the packet says, the moulds are over fifty years old, which means that some parts aren't as good as they should be. This kit had bits that hadn't formed properly. I know that you could send them back but that would take a while.

A good inspection revealed that with a bit of glue, most of the crane is retainable. A couple of posts need to be replaced, a wheel needs to be added (this was one of the bits not right in the original kit), and the jib needs to be replaced. It could do with a good dusting and a coat of paint. A quick look on that magical search engine reveals that the most popular colour is grey or rust. This one will be yellow! Hopefully it will be more visible to those about to reach arms over it.

I made a start to the repairs.

Here's the added wheel and a bit of glue. The tape was needed to hold it in place while the glue dried. I also drilled out the holes where the jib needs to fit.

Tomorrow's effort will be trying to straighten the jib parts and replacing a couple of the poles.

Another task completed today was the addition of a life preserving ring on the pontoon. This was a Kibri bit from the marina kit. Bits were painted white and it has been glued to a toothpick which was painted white. I drilled a hole to fit in the pontoon to give the toothpick some stability and glued it in place.

I had to move the seat on the left.

Until next time.