Liebherr R984C Multi-User (Long Reach) boom

There have been a number of after market boom kits over the years from companies and individuals like the Model Excavator Company and Miniature Demolition Company to name a few. The last couple of years have been quiet on this front until recently, with the launch of a new range of boom kits from Gaz Evans.

The Liebherr R984C long reach kit is a recent addition and comes complete with all the parts needed to convert either the R984C backhoe or shovel from Conrad. The resin boom and stick are accurately shaped with pipework cast into the back of the boom and stick. Flexible tubing is supplied in the kit for additional detailing and the white metal bucket linkage and very detailed digging bucket make this an interesting conversion. The hydraulics from the original model are required and, taken from the backhoe, are a perfect fit.

I have investigated the options and, because I am also working on a long reach boom for the R954C, the bucket, linkage and bucket hydraulics from the R954C are perfect for the R984C conversion. Stripping down the original model is straight forward, requiring a 2mm drill to drill out the rivets. Metal pins are supplied in the kit so the rivets can be discarded. The two white metal boom castings need to be glued in place and, due to the stress that will be on them from the main hydraulics, it is a good idea to use a two part epoxy glue which should give a good bond once cured. Once all the parts have been drilled and dry assembled to check fit, it is time to start the painting process. The booms were thoroughly cleaned in soapy water and left to dry completely. Then they were primed with Halfords white primer and left to dry for 24 hours before applying the white top coat. The paint I used was Appliance white from Halfords and this turns out to be a very close match.

There are a couple of options regarding the hydraulic hoses. On this version, I have chosen to add the curved pipe work on the back of the main boom and paint it white to match the rest of the model however, you could add black hose between the two rigid mounting bars. The flexible plastic hoses from the base model are utilised by cutting and filing a slot in the resin boom so that the lip of the plastic piping insterts into the slot, where it can then be glued once the boom is painted.

The flexible hosing is from a reel of single core wire where i have scored the length of tube required and removed it from the metal core. Suitable sized holes have been drilled in the boom to accept the hoses which have had the tips painted in silver to simulate the connections. Small holes have also been drilled in the hydraulic cylinders where the singe guage wire has been bent at a 90 degree angle and glued in place. The tubing is then inserted.

The base model has been modified by painting the side walkway structures grey. This is a relatively easy modification requiring dismantling of the body and a fair bit of masking tape to ensure the only exposed parts are the walkways. The silver platforms are glued into place and it is impossible to extract them by prising them out. The solution is to drill several small holes on the underside of the body in line with the walkways until you are through the base metal without going through the walkways themselves. Using a pin inserted into the holes, gently tap the pin head and the silver walkways will eventually come loose, allowing them to be removed. This is a simple change which gives the model a more interesting and updated appearance.

The grey paint used on the walkway platforms was obtained from Liebherr and is a very good match to the Conrad grey colour. This has been a relatively easy conversion and the results are certainly impressive.