Replacement Crank for Cranky the Crane

thingiverse

We acquired Cranky the Crane several years ago in a large collection of used wooden train parts. It was clearly well-worn when we got it, but I've been consistently impressed with how well it's held up. It has lasted 10 years through 2 boys without sustaining any damage. My third child is notorious for breaking toys, so if I thought Cranky was indestructible, he would prove me wrong. He managed to break both cranks on the side. To replace them, I designed these parts myself. I'm fairly satisfied with the result. The axle/shaft component is a bit tighter going onto the base than I'd prefer, but it works. I have some concerns that the teeth mating the axle/shaft with the crank might come loose, but I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make a part function without supports. I considered printing it on its side, which would have made the head smaller and potentially less appealing. Instead, I chose to print in two colors, which turned out nicely. This replacement also addresses a long-standing issue with the original design: both cranks were indistinguishable from each other despite having different functions. Now, each function has a distinct color: the blue crank rotates Cranky around, and the yellow one raises and lowers the magnet. I attach the crank to the shaft using superglue. If it breaks again, I might consider redesigning to use a longer screw that can secure both pieces. However, I'm confident he won't break this version... or so I hope.