[GBC] The Akiyuki Project (2010 - 2020)

[Ankoku]

This is basically what I am thinking about for the Akiyuki Ball Factory support structure.

I am going to be doing it in black, but that is a lacking colour for illustrative purposes.

The red represents where the ball factory touches the base plates.

Triangular pieces sit below the top Technic bricks and above the bottom ones.

[Ankoku]

Don't worry, I know this approach is OTT. At this point, I want to be able to bounce it down the stairs and it not fall apart.

That said, it is already half a kilogram in weight O_o;

Might shrink down the triangles down to 3x3 instead of 4x4 and thus reduce some brickage as well.

Still way lighter than the wooden board it currently sits on :P

[Ethan M]

Good Evening!

Today, I present to the Akiyuki fan community the Akiyuki Workshop Module from JapanBrickFest that I just finished reverse-engineering. 

Overall, it is just the original module. I made some noticeable changes to each individual piston structure and to the input bin to improve reliability and decrease friction being conducted. It has been tested for a good chunk of time and has been repeatedly ran in test loops. It has ran perfectly and has proved itself to be very reliable. After some consideration, I have decided not to publish building instructions for this module since it is not my original design. You still can easily build it from the picture below and others floating around in GBC layout videos. I hope you all enjoy!

You can see this module in action at the 12 minute mark in the following video. 

Ethan McCain

Edited October 12, 2019 by Ethan M
Added Video Content

[Ankoku]

@Ethan M  Which module are you doing?

At what point in the video? Or is it from a different year?

[Ethan M]

@Ankoku

I believe it was from 2018. Shown in the BrickWorld videos from a builder who went to JapanBrickFest. 

[Ankoku]

Got a video/timestamp?

[Ethan M]

@Ankoku

Added to original post above. 

[richmond202008]

Can give me part list for this ?

http://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1019#abc

[Ankoku]

@richmond202008 You can import any of the MPD files into Stud.IO and that will give you a parts list.

[Juroen]

Almost done!

 

[Ankoku]

Are you using a non-LEGO compressor there?

The two things I have always loved with the ball cleaner is:

The hopper design (It looks really clean and works well)

The rotation of the ball holding trolley. As it rotates the 2 sets of 4 balls round 180 degrees, it always looks so precise, like a proper robot.

Great work on getting it up and running!

[Ankoku]

So I have been busy building the Catch & Spin module recently and came across something rather odd.

Akiyuki is usually fairly meticulous with his choice of colours and aesthetics of his modules.

Here though, he colours suddenly get all over the shop and I don't know why:

I built these pieces and was left thinking: Couldn't all of this be black? Literally every piece apart from the tan axle. You could even use an old black 3L Axle. So it left me puzzled as to why it was a mishmash of colours. It seems so unlike him. Also doesn't seem to be a case of going with more common, cheaper pieces.

So I went and had a look at his video for it and there they are, all in black!

Now, for the Yellow version, he uses some yellow bits.

That said, why do the instructions not match his original when it comes to this bit? I just feel as though his colour choices for the instructions are worse than his original.

Anyway, since it is still partially built, I am going to change them to black, like the original, since it looks better.

As a side note, I should say that even the pin alignments bother me with these things, so I am a little OCD with that kinda thing.

[9v system]

1 hour ago, Ankoku said:

So I have been busy building the Catch & Spin module recently and came across something rather odd.

Akiyuki is usually fairly meticulous with his choice of colours and aesthetics of his modules.

Here though, he colours suddenly get all over the shop and I don't know why:

I built these pieces and was left thinking: Couldn't all of this be black? Literally every piece apart from the tan axle. You could even use an old black 3L Axle. So it left me puzzled as to why it was a mishmash of colours. It seems so unlike him. Also doesn't seem to be a case of going with more common, cheaper pieces.

So I went and had a look at his video for it and there they are, all in black!

Now, for the Yellow version, he uses some yellow bits.

That said, why do the instructions not match his original when it comes to this bit? I just feel as though his colour choices for the instructions are worse than his original.

Anyway, since it is still partially built, I am going to change them to black, like the original, since it looks better.

As a side note, I should say that even the pin alignments bother me with these things, so I am a little OCD with that kinda thing.

you could replace that whole assembly with the 28 tooth gear

[Ankoku]

Anyone tried that yet?

[9v system]

9 minutes ago, Ankoku said:

Anyone tried that yet?

i think someone did and it works the same as the riging on that is only there because there was no other 28t gear at the time

[Ankoku]

Would be interesting to see if there is any difference between using a soft plastic gear, like the new one and the hard plastic one provided by the turntable. Unfortunately, the construct on top of the turntable to hold it in place kinda nobbles any comparison in that respect.

[Juroen]

Done!

 

[Ankoku]

What is the sensor at the start for?

[Juroen]

15 hours ago, Ankoku said:

What is the sensor at the start for?

To detect balls which start the servo motor for the cleaning procedure. I might adjust the program to stop the cleaning procedure if during a specific time, no balls are detected.

[Ankoku]

Got my Catch & Spin built.

Only a few cosmetic changes.

I did actually change a piece, going from Trans-Clear Tile, Round 1 x 1 to a Dark Bluish Grey Tile, Round 1 x 1 Quarter. You can just about see it in the image, within the drawn red circle. I am kinda surprised that no one else has done this. I was starting to wonder if it impacted the rotation, but no. Works fine and doesn't look as messy and out of place.

Changed the Red Technic, Gear 16 Tooth with Clutch on Both Sides to Dark Bluish Grey ones.

Changed the Light Bluish Grey Technic, Liftarm 3 x 3 L-Shape Thin to Red ones. I can't see why he used a different colours, since the red ones aren't that easy to get. I just happened to have 2. (This brings it in line with the Akiyuki original and I have seen a few other people do it.)

[Ankoku]

Not sure if this is of any use, or you have already seen it, but this guy seems to have built the ball cleaner and has various photos and an EV3 file for it:

https://bricksafe.com/pages/gbcbuilder/akiyuki

( @Juroen )

Just been going through the old pages of this thread.

( It seems to be @9v system's BrickSafe page :) )

Edited October 29, 2019 by Ankoku

[9v system]

 

[Juroen]

On 10/29/2019 at 12:54 PM, Ankoku said:

Not sure if this is of any use, or you have already seen it, but this guy seems to have built the ball cleaner and has various photos and an EV3 file for it:

https://bricksafe.com/pages/gbcbuilder/akiyuki

( @Juroen )

Just been going through the old pages of this thread.

( It seems to be @9v system's BrickSafe page :) )

@Ankoku It is :) 9v system hasn’t built it yet. But I’m sure he will. :-)

[PDK151]

Black bird.

Could you on rebrickable publish the parts lists so I can see what I need and what I am missing. Or should I do that.

[Berthil]

3 hours ago, PDK151 said:

Black bird.

Could you on rebrickable publish the parts lists so I can see what I need and what I am missing. Or should I do that.

Go ahead and do that for all models, curious I am.