[GBC] The Akiyuki Project (2010 - 2020)

[Blakbird]

There are way too many DBG parts in Akiyuki's GBCs, and it's getting 'pricey' to get DBG parts off bricklink ... unless one wants to build a 'circus' (colorful) version

That is one of the drawbacks of making free instructions available for everyone!

One of the Brickvention Melbourne Team (Lisa) just finished a Pink/Purple/White Friends-style Ball Factory! it's pretty crazy cool!

It is amazing how similar it looks to the whimsical Friends themed render I did a while ago:

If you would like to see the Akiyuki GBC or display with him, he is participating in Japan Brickfest organised by Kansai Lego User Group at Canadian Academy in Kobe Rokko Island , Japan on June 4th and 5th. He is such a talented person. He is also holding workshops to teach GBC .

That would be incredible! I'd love to meet him. I was in Yokohama last week but I have never made it as far as Kobe.

[OneMoreRobot]

One of the Brickvention Melbourne Team (Lisa) just finished a Pink/Purple/White Friends-style Ball Factory! it's pretty crazy cool!

Might see if she can upload a decent video (it's only on our facebook page so far)

the mixel eyeballs on the main back-forth section are pretty funny to watch go around..

Excellent work Lisa, thanks for sharing Rohan

[Blakbird]

Did LOTS of work on the spiral lift today. I couldn't accept the variable pitch of the ribbed hoses so I moved all the supports so there would be a uniform spacing of 40 LDU vertically between them. I also removed two stud lengths from the input hopper to be consistent with Akiyuki and to put the 8x16 tile partially under the belt so the balls won't fall out. Many other minor mods were made to make it all fit together right. I have some draft instructions ready and will post them once they are tested.

[9v system]

Did LOTS of work on the spiral lift today. I couldn't accept the variable pitch of the ribbed hoses so I moved all the supports so there would be a uniform spacing of 40 LDU vertically between them. I also removed two stud lengths from the input hopper to be consistent with Akiyuki and to put the 8x16 tile partially under the belt so the balls won't fall out. Many other minor mods were made to make it all fit together right. I have some draft instructions ready and will post them once they are tested.

are you planning to use my file to make the extended height version?

[Blakbird]

are you planning to use my file to make the extended height version?

I am still thinking about that. Since the version Akiyuki actually presented in his video is the single height version, I think the instructions will be that version. The taller version can always be made by extension if someone wants to. We did the same thing with the bucket wheel tower in which a taller version was later built.

I reserve final judgment until I have built the first version and tried it out.

[DrJB]

Fantastic work Blakbird and others. What I would really like to see reverse-engineered, is the multi-dof robot Akiyuki uses in the video below.

Edited March 13, 2016 by DrJB

[9v system]

I am still thinking about that. Since the version Akiyuki actually presented in his video is the single height version, I think the instructions will be that version. The taller version can always be made by extension if someone wants to. We did the same thing with the bucket wheel tower in which a taller version was later built.

I reserve final judgment until I have built the first version and tried it out.

I think you should give me some credit as I was the one who worked on it :)

[Blakbird]

I think you should give me some credit as I was the one who worked on it :)

Don't worry, I intend to.

[princeofgonville]

Is there still any testing of instructions to be done? I'd love to help (I have limited time, but plenty of enthusiasm).

Also, are there any other GBC builders in London, UK?

[9v system]

@blakbird I have built the spiral lift type 2, at the moment it is at the single height as I am waiting on more parts. I can confirm it works very well.

Next year's Brickvention circuit will be pretty crazy if we have Aron's, Steve's, Lisa's and your ball factory! That makes a solid four;p

so we have one that is candy coloured, one that is 100% exact copy of Akiyukis including the spiral lift gearing( yes I was able to figure it out), and two that are the Rebickers version.

[ThiagoMaster]

I was wondering (and I'm sorry if someone already asked this around here), are you considering to rebuild Akiyuki's GBC Train Module?

I found it to be amazing:

Even building instructions were available for it at PV-Productions...

Thanks!

[Blakbird]

I was wondering (and I'm sorry if someone already asked this around here), are you considering to rebuild Akiyuki's GBC Train Module?

I thought of the crane loader as version 2 of that module which is why I didn't include the older version.

[9v system]

@blakbird I finished the extended height of the spiral lift today, it works very well and can hold a lot of balls. Blakbird do your magic and turn my file into a set of instructions, feel free to make any changes you want.

[rasikaa]

I was wondering (and I'm sorry if someone already asked this around here), are you considering to rebuild Akiyuki's GBC Train Module?

I found it to be amazing:

Even building instructions were available for it at PV-Productions...

Thanks!

Here's another site that has instructions for the train loading and unloading modules.

http://www.moc-pages.com/search_RESULTS.php?query=akiyuki&total=6&page=1&sort=best_match&filter=moc&personid=

There are two unloading module instructions which mirror the unloading station. Two people have got different instructions for the actual train module. There are still no instructions for the reversing station and the track changers, but are easy to implement once you have studied the loading and unloading stations.

[Blakbird]

@blakbird I finished the extended height of the spiral lift today, it works very well and can hold a lot of balls. Blakbird do your magic and turn my file into a set of instructions, feel free to make any changes you want.

Thanks. Since I have already drafted the single height instructions and ordered parts, I will build that one first and see how it goes. It shouldn't be too much extra trouble to add the double height version. I'll try to make them as common as possible to it is easy to switch from one to the other.

Here's another site that has instructions for the train loading and unloading modules.

Your link doesn't seem to work, but I found the information. This seems like it would be a good start for someone trying to replicate the GBS train system, even for the crane loader.

[Killermike]

Does anyone have any suggestions for setting up the timing on the Cup to Cup? I can't get Spiral lift to 1st cup drop even close... where SHOULD I be making the adjustment? With the Worm gear underneath?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Blakbird]

Does anyone have any suggestions for setting up the timing on the Cup to Cup? I can't get Spiral lift to 1st cup drop even close... where SHOULD I be making the adjustment? With the Worm gear underneath?

I made my adjustment 1/4 turn at a time by using the u-joint driving the spiral lift.

[Johan49]

Hi

I think I would post here some video about my project status.

I thank all of you that made it possible.

After some more tuning, i will show this machine to a Lego exposition in France.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6d5QGR_HYA

.

[Philo]

i will show this machine to a Lego exposition in France.

Where and when?

[Johan49]

Where and when?

It is not yet decided until the whole system is able to run several hours without failing.

But I will let you know.

[bj51]

Where and when?

Yep, interested as well. I'm planning to build this for Mennecy in May, I hope to have all the parts by then.

[Thunderthumbs]

When I was 16 years old, I reverse engineered the large truck model that can be found on pages 38 to 41 of LEGO Technic Idea book 8889. It had to be built with elements from sets 8860, 8859 and 8848, but I managed to build it even without set 8859...

My biggest builds are mosaics (e.g. this one) but my main interest has always been LEGO Technic. When Akiyuki released a video of his "

" back in August 2014, it definitely triggered me to finally do something with my huge collection of LEGO Technic parts. During my Christmas holidays in 2014, I watched the video over and over again until I figured out how it was built. I tried to build it with parts in my own supply (I even used an old style turntable in the

) but decided quickly to try to approach the original as much as possible: I still didn't buy new parts but had to take apart another creation to come to the second version:

I showed it on an event where it ran continuously for about 4 hours before starting to show first signs of unreliability. So I took it apart again... very slowly to make an MLCad-file of it. It is not a perfect approach of the original, because Akiyuki mentioned that ball spill was not zero... However I haven't found the time to turn it into actual building instructions.

A few months later Blakbird announced the release of an MLCad-file of Akiyuki's Ball Factory. With a few (lots of) modifications I still have this model running (e.g. two parallel motors hidden underneath the bucket wheel):

Thank you for all the hard work! I'll definitely make some more modules.

Maarten

Edited March 20, 2016 by Thunderthumbs

[nychase]

I'm sorry but your name just cracked me up! Every time I take apart a large model or many small models in one day (3-4 hours worth) my thumbs hurt like crazy. Not sure if thats what you meant but thats how I took it.

[Thunderthumbs]

I'm sorry but your name just cracked me up! Every time I take apart a large model or many small models in one day (3-4 hours worth) my thumbs hurt like crazy. Not sure if thats what you meant but thats how I took it.

I'm sorry to disappoint you: my first big LEGO-mosaic was a portrait of Level 42, my favourite band of the eightees. The nickname of bass-player Mark King was "Thunderthumbs" because of his special "slap-bass" technique.

[Courbet]

Hello everyone,

I have built Akiyuki's Archimedes Screw Type 3 as close as possible to the original (not the reworked version seen in latter videos).

Blakbird, I have got a LDraw file for you. It is complete except for the ribbed hoses, I don't know how to handle those. The spiral is 12L purple and 14L black.

Being relatively inexperienced with MLCAD, I have struggled with all those weird angles. I hope you will be able to get something out of what I've done. Can't wait for the result !