Author Topic: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12  (Read 7429 times)

Offline horst.b.0

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2022, 09:24:39 AM »
I'm full of admiration for anyone who builds a model steam shovel.  Is the full size machine from which you are working near to you? If so could you post a few pictures of it please?
@Jerry: There are two engines left. One is an exhibit in a “Monsterpark” (collection of large earth moving machinery) near Bamberg, Bavaria, the other one was acquired by a group in northern Germany. They wanted to restore it to working condition, but it looks as this might not get completed because of cost and the size of the engine (>50 tons), which would require taking the boom and house off to move it over public roads. The attached pictures were taken in the “Monsterpark”.

I made the model after measuring the “Monsterpark” engine. The overview picture shows the layout of the shovel. It’s equipped as face shovel. Crab and dragline attachments were optional, the engine had actually worked with a crab bucket at a quarry near Heidelberg (almost visible from my home). The crab bucket and boom are now restored with the second engine. The Menck IV model was also available with electric and diesel power. This shovel has three steam engines, the crowd engine mounted on the boom, a vertical engine for the swing mechanism and the main engine for winding drums and drive. On the overview pictures you can see the levers for clutches in the crawler frame (operated from outside). The screws for the brakes (one for each side) below the levers are hardly visible.

The second picture shows the operator’s seat. The three levers on the left are for swing, main engine regulator and steam clutch (main winding drum). The regulator lever can also be opened by a pedal. The lever on the right was originally for the steam clutch of the second winding drum, later modified and linked to the crowd engine regulator. The 3 pedals engage the winding drum brakes and open the bucket brake. To the right behind the seat are levers for engaging the dog clutch for the drive gear and a swing brake (apparently not used). Under the roof on the left is a lever originally used for controlling the crowd engine, a lever on the right moved the gearwheel for lifting the boom.

The view of the winding gear shows the left hand cylinder of the main engine and the winding drums above. The vertical steam engine on the right is the slew engine. The winding drum above the main engine cylinder was not used with the face shovel configuration, therefore the steam clutch valve is not connected.

In the back of the house is the vertical boiler. According to eyewitness reports it did was too small for long continuous work. In 1:12 scale I didn’t see a chance to operate the model with steam, so my model boiler only hides the compressed air connection. To the right of the boiler was the bunker for coal and ballast, to the left was the water tank and ballast bunker.

The next picture shows the crowd engine. Crowd and slew engines could be reversed by a valve reversing the steam flow.

The last picture shows the bucket with it’s band brake. A spring held the band brake tight. To open the bucket the brake was opened by pulling the lever below the brake wheel. This was done by a pedal in the cab. The rope connecting the pedal with with the brake was wound up by a drum on the crowd engine crankshaft when the crowd was moved. A mechanism on top of the bucket kept the brake open until the flap closed by gravity.

On my model I have made almost all mechanical functions operational, but the slew and crowd engines are to weak to move under load. I might try to improve this in a second ‘optimisation’ project. I’m not sure this will eventually work, because I don’t want to make engines too much bigger than scale size.
Kind regards, Horst

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #16 on: January 02, 2022, 04:48:46 PM »
Great photos! Thanks for posting them. :cheers:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Kim

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #17 on: January 02, 2022, 05:37:48 PM »
Thanks for the pictures, Horst!

This looks exactly like Mike Mulligan's! :)

Your model is quite the undertaking!
Kim


Offline horst.b.0

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2022, 10:22:43 AM »
The bunker for coal and ballast is now finished and painted with primer.

There will be a maintenance door behind the boiler.

The next item to be made is the second winding drum with steam clutch. I want this drum to be “functional”, but not connected to the rest of the winding gear. As in the original engine the second drum is not needed for the face shovel option. I will also make the exhaust pipes, but just as decoration.
The outside walls of the house will be painted blue similar to the original shovel. There are very few traces of paint on the original, but the exact colour can’t be determined. The inside of the house will be left in grey primer, which means “not painted or unknown colour”.
Kind regards, Horst

Offline propforward

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2022, 12:41:24 PM »
Wonderful - what an amazing model. Impressive work!
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #20 on: January 09, 2022, 03:20:49 PM »
Lovely work here and its good to see actual models of prototypes being made !! Wonderfull workmanship and attention to detail. thanks for sharing this with us !

Willy

Offline crueby

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2022, 03:59:36 PM »
Wonderful work!


I notice the tracks in the picture, were they cast or machined from bar stock?

Offline horst.b.0

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2022, 04:42:07 PM »
I notice the tracks in the picture, were they cast or machined from bar stock?
Hi Chris,
The tracks are milled from aluminium bar stock.
Kind regards, Horst

Offline horst.b.0

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #23 on: January 19, 2022, 04:13:22 PM »
Today I finished the second winch, but still without bearing, clutch and brake.

As with the main winch, the rope drum and brake wheel (2nd picture right) run loosely on the shaft, which is driven by a gearwheel from the main winch (left in the picture). The clutch is (still to be made) mounted on the front disc, consisting of a band brake tensioned by steam cylinder. This band brake acts on the inner ring in the brake wheel.

In the original shovel you can see the two band brakes that act on the same brake wheel. The outer band is tensioned by foot pedal (e.g. to open an optional clamshell). The inner band is the clutch that connects shaft and winch.

The views from above and from the boom show the tight space in the winding gear. The two large rope drums have 30 mm diameter. The second winch runs at twice the speed because the lifting ropes have a reduction (roll on the bucket).

In order to install the clutch, I have to change the suspension of the main winch brake band, as it is in the way of the rotating steam cylinder.
Kind regards, Horst

Offline Kim

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #24 on: January 19, 2022, 05:26:30 PM »
Wow!  Things really are cramped in there!   :popcorn:
I'm looking forward to seeing you make the clutch mechanism.

Kim

Offline scc

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #25 on: January 19, 2022, 09:18:23 PM »
Amazing build :ThumbsUp:    My fingers would never cope with this :o        Following quietly     :popcorn: :popcorn:       Terry

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #26 on: January 19, 2022, 10:37:03 PM »
 :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline RReid

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #27 on: January 20, 2022, 01:23:14 AM »
Fantastic work. I'm another who's been following along quietly but with admiration.  :ThumbsUp:
Regards,
Ron

Offline Roger B

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #28 on: January 22, 2022, 08:22:44 AM »
Excellent work  :praise2:  :praise2: It's humbling to think that all those complicated mechanisms were designed in 2D on paper with a pencil, no CAD  ::)
Best regards

Roger

Offline horst.b.0

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Re: Menck IV steam shovel model 1:12
« Reply #29 on: February 10, 2022, 08:35:40 PM »
Since my last report, I have now built the belt brake of the second winch and connected it to the pedal at the operator’s seat, although if this is not needed for the face shovel equipment. The steam-operated clutch of these winch will come in a later construction phase. In addition, the levers for moving the gearwheel of the boom winch are now installed. Since the boom was not moved when operating with a face shovel, these levers were only needed when setting up the excavator. Via a lever by the driver's seat, the gearwheel can be moved on the shaft and coupled to the main winch. The steam pipes to the crowd engine (not yet built in the model) also had to be separated by loosening several flanges.

Furthermore, I have now covered the bunkers and provided them with hatches for filling coal and ballast. I also needed this part of the roof to install the exhaust pipes for the main and slew engines. The pipe goes through the roof into the blastpipe in the chimney. In the model, the pipes have no function, exhaust steam or exhaust air escapes directly from the valve chest. The exhaust of the crowd engine was also led into the chimney through the valve chest of the slew engine, which I only saw with Menck shovels. I wonder if more than condensate arrived there.

Back to the band brake. I made these from spring steel. Cutting worked nicely with the Proxxon machine with cutting disc, which I attached to the milling head. The cutting discs are extremely at risk of breakage, especially the version without textile layer. If they are not precisely guided, the fragments soon fly through the workshop. With the attachment and clamping of the spring steel on the cross table, I was able to cut very precisely. A disc went about 10 cm through 0.5 mm spring steel.

Next will be the construction of the house on the superstructure with removable walls and roof, so that the beautiful mechanics remain presentable.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2022, 08:39:50 PM by horst.b.0 »
Kind regards, Horst

 

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