Gi-ant

If you like it, please like it on Rebrickable

This is an alt build of set 42009 Mobile Crane Mk II.

More pictures below, including some work in progress.

Hardly any straight corners

If you’ve followed my designs and blog posts, you’ll know that I am very fond of non-rectangular building techniques for Technic. This model has plenty of that.

Body tension

As you can see, in these pictures, the gaster ( the hind part ) is actually hanging. Moreover it is pulling on the back shield, which in turn has the head attached at the front end as a counter weight. I.e. the head and the gaster keep each other in place as they weigh about the same ( 220 grams )

Friction techniques for posing

The design uses the friction technique that I describe on this page. See the picture on the left below, which shows the sliders to keep the head up. The design also introduces a much simpler technique when friction does not need to be high, but needs to be higher than that provided by one friction pin. It is applied in the antlers ( middle ) and the knee joints of the legs ( right ).

Seemingly fragile but strong legs

The legs look fragile and they bend quite a bit, but they can support much more load than they carry now, as the following two pictures show. Each bowl weighs 390 grams, whereas the model weighs about 950 grams, so it is carrying almost its own body weight. This means there can be plenty of extensions and improvements.

Mark II ?

I make no promises, but I see this as Mark I. The 42009 set contains many more elements, both structural parts and gears and axles, and includes a PF motor and battery box. My plans include making some body parts not just pose-able but also automatic. Ideally, there would be a walking mechanism, but I do not see how that would work with only the parts of 42009.

Secondly, I have ideas for more round shapes of the main body and the hind part, using panels to close up the body and give more shape to the legs. But like I said, I make no promises, because I have other ideas for different MOCs which I want to do first.