Any tips for building 42055?

[teos]

I've read that many people seem to have issues with this set and was wondering if anyone had tips or suggestions for building 42055?  Maybe you encountered something you would do differently (regular gear instead of clutch, etc).  Beyond the scope of take it slow, pay attention, and check your gear connections.  Hopefully, I'll find time to build it soon, though finals are next week.

BTW- this looks like the craziest set I've ever seen and the largest in piece count for me.

[TechnicRCRacer]

Hi,

Although i never had any problems building this set, I recommend making sure that every beam is in the right place, otherwise the whole thing will break (like my old UCS sand crawler ) Otherwise, just pay attention!

[aminnich]

Follow the instructions 

[Aventador2004]

instead of putting the 8t:24t clutch reverse them. leave the rest.

 

[teos]

1 hour ago, TechnicRCRacer said:

Hi,

Although i never had any problems building this set, I recommend making sure that every beam is in the right place, otherwise the whole thing will break (like my old UCS sand crawler ) Otherwise, just pay attention!

People seem to have issues with functionality, though I don't know if this is due to builder errors or poor model design.  That's why I'm asking for tips.

[RohanBeckett]

ensure that all framework is as tight as possible.. particularly around the bucket wheel.

all sections need to be firmly pushed together, to ensure that the wheel itself is as straight as possible... any wonky-ness will introduce friction, and slow it down even more

 

you do need to accept that even when working perfectly, it is a SLOW machine.. it moves slow, it rotates slow.... But that's true to real life... it's not a dragster! :)

It also won't pick up the 'dirt' pieces, sitting on the floor very well.. find a low, curved bowl, and you might have more luck.. in real life, these machines scoop ore from a wall of a pit, not from the ground.

Once built, it is very strong, and sturdy.. I had no problems picking mine up and moving it around... I also converted mine into a Great Ball Contraption, which worked ok..

[ifilin]

Last weekend I've built 42055 with my son. No any problems. All woks good.

[TheMindGarage]

I've found that it works better with the two 24-tooth clutch gears next to the motor replaced with regular ones. You can also gear the system up considerably - replace the 8/24 gearing with 12/20 or even 16/16. If you go for 16/16, the whole thing will run at 3x speed but you'll have to reduce the speed of the bucket wheel otherwise objects will miss the conveyor belt.

[HallBricks]

Make sure all gears and axles can rotate smoothly. I checked that every time I added a new gear or other moving part and made sure I hadn't built those parts to tight. 

[aeh5040]

6 minutes ago, HallBricks said:

Make sure all gears and axles can rotate smoothly. I checked that every time I added a new gear or other moving part and made sure I hadn't built those parts to tight. 

I second this.  It is good practice with any technic model, but especially important with this one.  It really pushes the limits of what is possible, in terms of weight, torque, friction, etc.  (It's quite amazing that it works!)  So any extra friction anywhere is especially likely to cause problems.  Every time something new is added, check that all parts still turn easily.  If not, go through everything carefully and find out where the resistance is coming from.

[evortigosa]

21 hours ago, aminnich said:

Follow the instructions 

Oh yeah ! :D

[sama]

I see reviews for this set online and every one of them seems to be a bit choppy to flat out 'slide-show like' in movement. It looks like no matter how much people try to keep the drive train loose and friction free, its sheer size and possible slightly misaligned parts cause the rough nature of its circular motion. It's hard for me to explain this movement, but just think about the boom on 42009 mobile crane. It extends smoothly, but it seems to retract with choppy motions sometimes, I don't know why. Best advice is to ofcourse keep the gear train loose, meaning add millimeter gaps between the gear wheels and its surroundings. And to make sure all beams, pegs, and connectors are fully pushed in, and you hear that little "click," to prevent anything from being misaligned and increasing stiffness in the structure.

[teos]

Okay, I finished building the main model, though I have a question about a function.  What does the lock/ neutral/ unlock feature do?  Neutral allows the lower conveyor to move freely, but I don't see the functional difference between lock and unlock.

[doug72]

27 minutes ago, teos said:

Okay, I finished building the main model, though I have a question about a function.  What does the lock/ neutral/ unlock feature do?  Neutral allows the lower conveyor to move freely, but I don't see the functional difference between lock and unlock.

Put it lock position and rotate the upper part of the machine - then put in unlock position and do it again.

In the lock position the conveyor swings with the upper part rotation - in the unlock position the conveyor doesn't swing as the upper part slews so contents can discharge into the truck. There is a bit of backlash so it moves a bit then stops.

Try it and you will see how it functions.

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by Doug72