Building a better lift

[joshgilson]

So, I've spend countless hours getting to this point. But I've stuck. I need to simplify this and get some help if possible please.

Our local LUG is doing a dungeon build and we each need to make a 32x32 MOC. I had this idea of diamond flooring like this:

So the idea is that the lift blends in, but when a wheel is turned it lift a secret area above the floor. Here's some photos and a video below. The biggest issue is it's tough to turn and move, and because everything has to be at a 45 degree angle the jumper plates make it hard to keep everything in place. Any help is greatly appreciated. 

^I'd like the wheel to be high up inside a mountain area.

 

 

[JonathanM]

By the looks your lift won't align with your diamond pattern as you have it?

Why not instead have the lift be a 4x4 plate (or larger if needed) aligned normally? The 1x1 cylinders would then be in each corner and in the middle, and it'd pop up a cross-shaped platform on the 45. That way everything is on grid so nice and easy to do.

[allanp]

I notice you have a black friction pin connecting the 2 halves of the scissor lift (the two grey 5M beams) which will increase friction. Replace that (and any other friction pins used in places that should pivot freely) with a grey non friction pin. Also, the red cross block that slides along the black 6M axle can twist very slightly on the axle due to how loose Lego axles fit through the holes. This can cause some issues with increased friction. To help this you can increase the length of the hole through which the black 6M axle slides by adding a second red cross block (and fixing them together with one or two 2x1x0.5 lift arms) which will help to guide it along the axle better. There's also a similar potential issue with the black cross block and how it slides on the dark tan axle. This may be trickier to solve with doing a more in depth redesign.

I'd try the 2 previous quick fixes first and see if that is sufficient. If not, may I ask how high do you want the platform to lift? Would you like the lift mechanism to be only a few bricks high to fit within the confines of the floor? If you only want a small amount of lift then a simple 4 point cam lifter (which can be placed either 45 degrees or 90 degrees) may be the way to go, with the platform guided up and down on vertical posts made from axles.

Edited August 10, 2019 by allanp

[joshgilson]

Thanks for the easier idea @JonathanM while it raises everything 1 plate, it's a lot easier to work with.

@allanp I honestly had no idea the gray pins were any different than the black pins, so thank you. It does work a lot better, however, as you can see in the video I took below, there's still a little resiant when first moving it. I just need the lift to move up/down 2 bricks and 1 plate tall. I'm open to other ideas, but I feel lost on stuff like this but I want to challenge myself. 

 

[allanp]

6 minutes ago, joshgilson said:

I honestly had no idea the gray pins were any different than the black pins

Same is true for the blue pins as they also have friction. The grey and tan pins don't have friction. I've had a go at building a prototype. I hope the pictures show the build well enough.

[joshgilson]

@allanpWOW! Well done! Thank you so much. How is the friction/movement? Can you take a video?

I'm going to focus on this tonight and rebuild! Thanks again.

[allanp]

There's not much friction. Those inverted slopes are needed to stop the 4x4 plate assembly snagging on the sides. Sorry for the vertical video!

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by allanp

[joshgilson]

haha! Thanks @allanp That's great! very helpful. :) 

[allanp]

No problemo 

[joshgilson]

@allanp So after hours of looking, I don't have any 2x2 technic piece like you show. So I just placed a BrickLink order for a bunch. I was wondering, if you haven't taken it apart yet, can I see under the 4x4 base to see the parts you uses there? Thanks again!

[allanp]

Sure. I added a 1x1 Technic brick from the previous one you saw to add a little stability and to limit its range of movement in the up position.

 

[joshgilson]

Ok, got the parts and put this together: https://youtu.be/Elf9_eRB0Bo

I’ll do an update once I finish the whole MOC

[allanp]

Sweet! Thanks for the update 

Edited August 30, 2019 by allanp

[joshgilson]

OK! I finally finished my MOC and wanted to share the final video. Thanks so much for your help @allanp

The lift gets a little stuck sometimes, but I'm OK with it.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2019 by joshgilson

[allanp]

Wow, looks great. Really like the lighting. the Glad I could help