2. Install your line on the block hoist drums by threading it through the hole. Using a little bit of a sewing product called Fray Check on the end of the line helps. On this crane we did not use the supplied Conrad line, but instead used Cortland’s Musky Master fishing line.
3. Pull it through and tie off using a square knot. After tying off the line, put a drop of Fray Check on it to lock the knot.
4. Wind the line on the drum, turning counter clockwise, ensuring that the line will come off the back side of the drum.
5. Install enough line on the winch drum so that you can extend your hook block to the ground. You can use a “power assist” tool to help wind the line , but go very slow, not fast.
6. A slow steady application yields the best results.
7. After filling the drum, cut your line from your master spool and then use tape (any kind) and stick the line on it and wind the tape a couple of times around the drum.
9. These tools will help with the next process-the rigging of the A frame. They include a good pair of tweezers (or two), a pair of scissors, some Fray Check, and most importantly the silver hair clips.
10. Line has not been installed on the main hoist drum as of yet. Install some fray check on the line from your supply reel.
11. Thread it on the drum, tie a knot, put a drop of Fray Check on the knot and wind clockwise this time so that the line will come off the drum over the top, facing reward. And wind on 8 or 10 turns worth of line.
12. Again use the Fray Check on about an inch of the line. Rubber band the main mast and the A frame together to lock the frame in place. The whole key is to lock everything in place to keep lines from jumping of falling off. Count the number of pulley’s that are there then double it. Then measure the distance between the A frame and the pulley’s on the car body. Multiply the distance by your doubled number and that is the amount of line you are going to need to reeve the A Frame. After measuring the line needed I usually give myself another 48 to 60 inches as an added safety. Remember it is better to have extra than not enough. Now take your line and run it over the top of the first pulley and pull it back underneath. All of the line. It is long at first but each reeve shortens the line. Now here is where the hair clips come into play, clip them on the top and bottom of the line and pinch it on the pulley. This keeps the line tight and allows you to go and reeve the next pulley without having to worry about a line jump.
14. Take your end and go underneath the first pulley and come back over the top. Keeping the line tight with your hand, undo the hair clip at the top and move it to the bottom, again pinching the line together.
15 The first complete reeve
16 Now repeat this process again back up top, and after threading move the hair clip.
17. And back to the bottom, again moving the hair clip after each reeve.
18. Now comes the tricky part, after reeving the 6th pulley, you need to reverse the reeve and skip pulley 7. After coming off the top of the bottom pulley heading back up to the top, instead of going over the top of the pulley on the A frame, go underneath it, making sure to skip pulley 7, to pulley 8. To make sure you got it right look at your reeve from the side and you can see the line cross the established pattern.
19. Here you can see the reverse of the reeve and the skipped pulley.
20. Now come back over the top of the bottom pulley and follow that pattern all the way till the end, moving you hair clip each time you have come through a pulley. You will also start to notice you line becoming much shorter.
21. Now take you line end and put it through the other whole on the drum and tie with a square knot, adding a drop of Fray Check again. Trim off excess line and give the drum a clock wise turn and watch as line is taken up on both sides of the same drum (that’s why the reverse of the reeve)
22. Assemble the main mast and the luffing jib. One note on the main mast, make sure the head piece has the small eyelets facing down when your done with the assembly.
23. Attach the lattice sections to the main piece on the crane. Use some wire ties to hold the A frame to the mast again. Don’t want all that reeving to come undone!
24. Add five pennant lines to each side and attach to the main past, five to the luffing jib, and five to the front of the luffing jib.
25. Wire tie the two luffing jib frames together, again to prevent movement during reeving.
26. Add a block of styrene to prevent any movement in either direction. Bring your line up from the rear lift drum (as seen in the next picture) and go over the top of the first pulley. We pulled all the line needed to do all the reeving and brought it up and over the first pulley. Then just do a back and forth reeve, looping around, using the hair clip each time you get around a pulley. When you are on the last pulley you will take your line and tie it off to the rear luffing frame on the provided cleat on the outside of the frame.
27. Come off the rear hoist drum on the car body, go under the small idler pulley and up over the skipped pulley (number 7) and take up to the luffing jib.
Finished Product (still need to hang the hooks - only one comes with the model).