Clyde Whirley Crane

thingiverse

This is a model of a c.1942 Clyde Whirley Crane, commonly used in shipyards and ports. I've included pictures of the crane that this model is based on, which is still in service today. I designed and built this model as a going-away souvenir for a co-worker. The scale of the model is 1:133.333. I created this design using Sketchup and printed it out with my Monoprice Mini printer, which has a limited build area of 120mmx120mm. To make the model fit within these constraints, I had to break it up into smaller pieces that need to be glued together for final assembly. A tab was added to the boom to ensure secure attachment. The model is printed out of PLA and the individual parts were welded together using a hot screwdriver. If you have access to a larger printer, you could print the wheels directly onto the bottom of the structure as one piece. I opted to print them separately and glue them on instead. I encountered some challenges while printing the cab, specifically with getting a hole in the bottom for rotation. To resolve this issue, I printed a separate flat blue piece with a hole in it and then glued it to the cab after drilling a hole in its bottom. The original design of the cab included the mast and crow's nest, but it lacked structural integrity. As a result, I decided to print the mast separately (in pink) and glue it into place. One piece that is not included with this model is the pin used to attach the boom to the cab. Instead, I utilized a piece of brass tubing for this purpose. This is my first upload to this platform, so please bear in mind that it may require some adjustments. If you have any comments or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them. I would also love to see anyone's interpretation of this model if they decide to build one themselves. There is a similar crane being restored as a museum piece at Baltimore Harbor, which I drew inspiration from when designing this model. Update: 9/7/16 - Separate .stl files have been made available for each component.