MiniArt 3-Ton Service Crane (35576) 1:35

[Mike]

3-Ton Service Crane (35576)

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd.

 

 

Cranes are quite handy for lifting things and on the back of a vehicle they're mobile, so even more so.  This set from MiniArt arrives in a figure-sized end-opening box and inside is a small sprue in grey styrene, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) parts and a length of chain.  It's a small kit, so rattles around in the box a bit, but is protected from harm by its bag, and the PE is in a card envelope with the chain inside another bag.

 

 

The instructions are printed on the rear of the box and construction begins with the cropped A-frame that holds the gearing and forms the base of the crane.  The jib is equally simple, consisting of curved angle-iron with a pulley at the end, and some PE cross-braces along its length, plus more on the base of the crane.  The jib attaches to the top of the base and is held at an angle by two sliding braces, which on the rear thing are adjusted by sliding past each other with pegs holding the new angle. If you want to adjust the angle of your model however, you will need to cut and adjust these yourself.  The chain is wrapped around the cylinder at the apex of the crane's base, then threaded along the jib and over the pulley at the end and finally down to the hook, back again and up to the last hook at the very end of the jib.  A large winding handle is fitted either to the top bobbin or by using an additional long rod to the small cog at the bottom of the gear set.

 

 

 

Markings

There are no decals, just a PE maker's plaque that reads "Weaver Auto-Crane, Weaver Mfg.Co., Springfield Ill USA".  The box art shows the crane painted red with a black plate and yellow or brass raised lettering, but whatever colour you want to paint it should be fine.  Many of the photos online show either red, a red/brown colour, grey, with greater or lesser quantities of rust but there are others that have been renovated and painted quite "bright" colours.

 

 

Conclusion

A nice addition to a flat-bed model in this scale, or anywhere else you think a crane such as this would look good.  Detail is good and it looks just like the real thing.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of