Tower Crane - CyberBrick

Introduction

A crane is a type of construction equipment designed to lift and move heavy loads, materials, or objects. In real-world construction, cranes are essential for building tall structures, moving materials across sites, and handling tasks that require both strength and precision. The model you are about to assemble is inspired by these real machines, offering a similar operating principle, but in a playful, educational format. While not a scale model, this 3D-printed crane is designed as a toy, it should provide hours of fun both during assembly and in use—especially when built together as a family.

Although the project isn’t particularly complex, especially now that it’s complete, the whole documentation side took a long time and had to be done gradually. Looking back, I realize that much of that time should have been spent with my family, especially with my son, who’s still a child, needs a lot of attention, and whom I love playing with. So, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for their support — not just for this project, but for many others as well. It’s thanks to them that you’re now able to enjoy this work.

As it is, it measures approximately 670 mm in length (about 26.4 inches) and 580 mm in height (about 22.8 inches).

Before Begin

Before you begin, it’s helpful to have a few tools at hand . You will need:

- Hexagonal Key, H1.3 and H1.5; an electric version can be a real time-saver, as there are many screws involved. - A pair of tweezers will also be useful in several assembly steps, helping you handle small parts with greater precision.

All the materials required are listed in the Bill of Materials (BOM). Most components are available from Makerworld, but you are free to purchase them wherever you prefer. With the exception of the control modules, all parts are standard.

And if you have the Beginner or Ultimate kit…

I've added a "Price Comparison" document that shows the difference between buying the components individually or as part of a kit. Here, I compare the two kits.

You can find out which additional components you should buy if you choose either of the kits. I can tell you now that the most economical option is the beginner kit plus some parts that are missing from it. For more information, please consult the document.

This is why both kits are listed in the Bill of Materials (BOM). In this way, and under the current conditions offered by Makerworld, I can provide three possibilities:

- Individual Components - If you prefer this, deselect both kits from the list; - Beginner Kit + missing components - Here, you should add the components mentioned in the PDF document; - Ultimate Kit + missing components - Here, you should add the components mentioned in the PDF document." In addition to the items listed in the BOM, you will need:

- Super glue (Cyanoacrylate). The glue I used is this one: super glue for plastic , which is both effective and economical. - If you can find glue applicators like these glue applicators , they will help you control the amount of glue applied and speed up drying.  As for the printed parts and their materials

These are also specified in the BOM. The prints are almost entirely in PLA , with a small amount of TPU . The recommended material for each part is clearly indicated at the top of each Build Plate in the corresponding 3mf files for Bambu Studio.

The parts are divided into two groups, so there are two 3mf files:

- TowerCrane_JorgeRui.3mf - Profile 1 - RemoteController.3mf - Profile 2 Information about the materials used for each build plate

It doesn’t matter which section you choose to start. However, I recommend printing all the parts in advance, as the build plates are organized by color and printing strategy rather than by the crane modules. Of course, you are free to proceed as you prefer. All parts are clearly identified, so it won’t be difficult to print them as you go along with the assembly, in case you don’t wish to print everything at once.

Important notice

Occasionally, a screw or nut may have a manufacturing defect—this is rare, but it can happen. Signs of this include a screw that won’t tighten or a hex bit that feels too small or too large for the hex socket in the screw head. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to have a few extra screws and nuts on hand.

Assembly instruction

Cyberbrick part testing before assembly

Before you start assembling, it's always a good idea to verify that your modules are working correctly .

Therefore, it might make sense to skip ahead to points 22 and 23 of this tutorial to test them . This involves assembling all the electrical and electronic components on top of your desk. Often, simple issues like a broken cable, or a depleted battery, are the reason things don't work as they should. This process acts as an initial toubleshooter. Remember that it's also necessary to transfer the program to your cyberbrick via PC/Mac or mobile app ; without its logic, the components won't know what to do, and everything will remain in “dark”.

1. Foundation and Feet

In this first step, you will need the "Foundation" part and the "Feet" pieces, which should be printed in TPU. You may have noticed that the feet were printed one at a time—this is intentional, as it helps to prevent stringing during the printing process. If you still observe stringing or oozing, the most likely reason is that your TPU filament has absorbed too much moisture. To resolve this, follow the recommended procedures for drying your filament, which you can find here: How to Dry Filament – Bambu Lab Wiki .

What you will do in the video

This video will guide you through preparing the foundation and attaching the TPU feet, ensuring a stable base for your crane.

Special considerations

Pay close attention to the quality of your TPU prints. If you notice stringing or poor surface finish, drying your filament is essential for achieving the best results.

Materials needed

Printed parts:

- 1x Foundation (PLA) - 4x Feet (TPU) Hardware:

- 4x | AA044 | M2x8 BHCS Machine Screws - 4x | AB013 | M2 Carbon Steel Square Nuts Tools:

- Hex 1,3 bit Step-by-step video

2. Glueing Stairs

In this step, you will be assembling and gluing the stairs onto the crane section.

This is a situation where tweezers can be particularly helpful, as well as a capillary glue applicator for precise application. The video demonstrates the assembly for one section; each section of the crane has a single area with stairs, and each of these areas requires 4 "Tower Stairs Protection" pieces.

What you will do in the video

The video will guide you through the process of positioning and gluing the stairs and their protective elements onto the crane section, ensuring everything is aligned and securely fixed.