[POC] Solid ball joint

[Didumos69]

I don't see immediate application of this concept, but it is a nice fact that you can make a perfectly fitting socket with half pins. It has practically no play.

Edited October 25, 2019 by Didumos69

[doug72]

25 minutes ago, Didumos69 said:

I don't see immediate application of this concept, but it is a nice fact that you can make a perfectly fitting socket with half pins. It has practically no play.

Out Rigger feet.

[Bartybum]

Anyone think of an alternative without biscuit feet?

[Sariel]

Oh, it has quite a lot of applications. Similar concept here:

Edited October 25, 2019 by Sariel

[Didumos69]

20 minutes ago, Bartybum said:

Anyone think of an alternative without biscuit feet?

I think this should work too:

[romashkaman]

It could be implemented in strut-based suspensions where standard lego suspension levers with ball joint mounts are too big. Very good idea, thanks! You deliver great ideas constantly)

[aol000xw]

Anything requiring weird angles in more than 2 dimensions can benefit from this. Thinking in architectural models like bridges.

 

[ludov]

2 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

I think this should work too:

 

The 3x1 connectors could be replaced with 2x 1x3 lift arms with a half-pin in them, so you have again a half-pin on four sides.

[Didumos69]

Just now, Ludo Visser said:

The 3x1 connectors could be replaced with 2x 1x3 lift arms with a half-pin in them, so you have again a half-pin on four sides.

Yes, but those would be friction-locked, which is why I left them out, but it is an option of course.

[Philo]

3 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

I think this should work too:

Yes it works fine, though the two axises are not as symmetrical than with the "biscuit" version. OTOH it is closer to something even more useful: a manually controlled lever on top going through middle hole to move some mechanisms (as achieved is Sariel micro ball mount). But I see no towball part with exensions on both sides...

[ozacek]

What a great find! In fact I will check if I could use this concept to improve the tail of the Ripsaw vehicle I'm currently designing (which is bent in two directions).

[ozacek]

It can be used to make awkward things like car windschield frames. I have a feeling there's a wealth of possibilities.

[T Lego]

@ozacek Great find!

I think it can also be used as a second mounting point for panels at 'crazy' angles to prevent them from wobbeling about.  Currently working on a 1:8 scale car myself and this just gave me a lot of inspiration! Thanks for sharing your idea @Didumos69 

[Mechbuilds]

Very good find indeed! 

[ozacek]

34 minutes ago, T Lego said:

I think it can also be used as a second mounting point for panels at 'crazy' angles to prevent them from wobbeling about.  

Good idea! I also have that problem in my current project, I think I can make use of that right away.

UPDATE:
it works! Panel secured at crazy angle:

I think Didumos69's find is a gold mine :)

Edited October 25, 2019 by ozacek

[Jim]

 

 

 

1

58 minutes ago, ozacek said:

It can be used to make awkward things like car windschield frames. I have a feeling there's a wealth of possibilities.

...

Wow, that is an outstanding setup!

[Didumos69]

Wow, great to see so many applications, where I did not see anything obvious. Probably because you can not really use it to operate something, which can be done with @Sariel's micro ball mount as @Philo pointed out, but for outrigger feet and crazy bodywork connection it seems to be quite useful. Keep them coming!

[Attika]

Very impressive applications, good to have this in the toolbox, thank you all. 

[Bartybum]

How rigid is the connection? Could it be used for suspension arms?

[ozacek]

6 hours ago, Bartybum said:

How rigid is the connection? Could it be used for suspension arms?

I can't say about suspension arms, but it seems pretty rigid thanks to the 'pin with pin hole' parts, which are much tighter than regular pins. I was surprised when disassembling the dummy windshield frame I showed earlier, that when I tried to pull the ball out, the axle joiner came out first, even though the ball has only two contact points instead of four.

If you use 'axle with pin hole' parts instead, and use a stiff anchor like two liftarms 1x3 with axle holes, then it takes a lot of force to pull out.

Edited October 26, 2019 by ozacek

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Someone give this man a medal! (or these men medals!)

[nicjasno]

This is amazing!

[Didumos69]

57 minutes ago, nicjasno said:

This is amazing!

Thanks! You must be thinking this could be of use in some advanced suspension/steering setup . Especially strut-based suspension, as @romashkaman already pointed out.

[nicjasno]

2 minutes ago, Didumos69 said:

Thanks! You must be thinking this could be of use in some advanced suspension/steering setup . Especially strut-based suspension, as @romashkaman already pointed out.

Yes. This has many suspension applications and i will use it in my Defender rebuild, if i may :)

[Didumos69]

9 minutes ago, nicjasno said:

Yes. This has many suspension applications and i will use it in my Defender rebuild, if i may :)

Cool! Of course you can, that's what I share this for.