[GBC] The Akiyuki Project (2010 - 2020)

[Blakbird]

On 1/21/2016 at 0:54 PM, nychase said:

Also, it would appear as though we HAVE to have the elevator lift (yes I'm aware there are plenty of other ways to lift the balls) for this marble run. Who's stepping up?

The elevator would be awesome, but in the short term I was hoping to feed the marble run with the bucket wheel tower. I did a quick computer image for sizing, and it looks like the tower is too short. I may have to add two more levels of buckets like Akiyuki did in his most recent videos.

Edit: Problem solved! With another course of buckets it lines up very well. This is an easy mod to make.

[Blakbird]

Something surprising has happened. I actually designed something. I finished building the pneumatic module yesterday, and while I got it working very nicely, it had to be pumped manually. I started by building a small external compressor, but I really wanted it to be housed inside the model. There is very little available space so it had to be sandwiched under the tower. I was able to make it fit and it works great.

Now I am left with the question of whether or not to include this compressor in the instructions. It is certainly NOT Akiyuki and furthermore it is rather crude because I have no talent. On the other hand, anyone can simply elect not to build that part. Thoughts?

[OneMoreRobot]

Thoughts?

Keep it, add it to the instructions since it makes this another atonimoius module.

[jesuskyr]

Now I am left with the question of whether or not to include this compressor in the instructions. It is certainly NOT Akiyuki and furthermore it is rather crude because I have no talent. On the other hand, anyone can simply elect not to build that part. Thoughts?

Great^^ please make the instruction for me^^

[RohanBeckett]

... it is rather crude because I have no talent.

I think you are being a little harsh on yourself! You are plenty talented! (in other areas!)

Just think WWAD (What would Akiyuki Do?)

I think a compressor in the instructions is fine - those that are ultra purist can just omit it... everyone else, who is happy to build 'close enough' will use it

[lcvisser]

Thoughts?

Add it as "bonus material". It seems that you'd have to decide early on if you want to include it, since it's under the tower. If you'd put it somewhere else, you can have it as an "add-on" and put the instructions for it at the end (like the steps for motorization of TLG models, those are also at the end of the booklet).

[kieran]

Defiantly include the compressor

[Mogwai]

Mhm,what is better work with this nice module !!!

I think one pump is not strong enough for this , better work with two ?

or one pump incl. the Airtank ?

Anyone try this ?

[Blakbird]

Keep it, add it to the instructions since it makes this another atonimoius module.

Great^^ please make the instruction for me^^

I think a compressor in the instructions is fine - those that are ultra purist can just omit it... everyone else, who is happy to build 'close enough' will use it

Add it as "bonus material". It seems that you'd have to decide early on if you want to include it, since it's under the tower. If you'd put it somewhere else, you can have it as an "add-on" and put the instructions for it at the end (like the steps for motorization of TLG models, those are also at the end of the booklet).

Defiantly include the compressor

Sounds like the consensus is in: include the compressor. I should have these instructions done this week.

Mhm,what is better work with this nice module !!!

I think one pump is not strong enough for this , better work with two ?

or one pump incl. the Airtank ?

The air tank is only useful for storing pressure for intermittent use. In this module the need is continuous so it wouldn't do any good. My compressor uses two pumps. I was prepared to use as many as four, but I wanted it to be the right speed with a single M-motor. With 2 small pumps, the speed is just right. Any faster and you start getting impacts which slide the whole module around the table.

I also finished building the step module tonight. I had to make substantial modifications to get it to work right, so those instructions will take a bit longer. I also have the marble run drafted and will test it in a couple of weeks.

[Blakbird]

Instructions for Akiyuki's Pneumatic Module are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

• 48 pages
• 543 parts

Most of the credit for reverse engineering this module goes to jesuskyr who did the work making the LDraw file based on Akiyuki's video and creating most of the instruction steps. After building the module, I made a significant number of changes:

• Most obviously, I added a motorized compressor under the support stand which contains two small compressor cylinders and a PF M motor.
• I moved the position of the tower with respect to the hoppers one stud because there was some interference during motion.
• I changed the tilt angle of the output hopper slightly to improve performance.
• I replaced the yellow #5 and #6 long panels on the output hopper with the shorter #3 and #4. These are much easier to get and work just as well. Alternatively, you could replace all the yellow parts with another color.
• I used pneumatic tubes of several colors in the instructions to make it easier to see how connect them. You can easily choose to use all black in you actual build (I did).

I was worried that this model wouldn't be very sturdy since there is no double railed frame like most of the other modules. While it is true that the model is not very rigid, because it is so light (especially at the ends) it is really not a problem to move it around.

The timing on this module is very touchy and is largely controlled by the parts shown in red below. These can be slid along the axle to change the point at which the pneumatic valve is operated. It is also important to use the right tooth on the gear racks. There is really no way to describe in advance where these need to be; you just need to experiment with them until it works. It is very obvious once you get it right because it works perfectly.

The rare Technic handles shown in green are just used as stops. You can easily substitute the new 1L DBG liftarm instead.

This model is very sensitive to friction in the turntable. I started by going through my pile of turntables and picking one that seemed smooth. As I built the module, I tested it regularly to make sure it was working. When the top was held inverted, everything seemed fine. Then when I turned it over and rested the weight on the turntable, it wouldn't work at all. The pneumatic actuator did not have enough power to turn the arm. At first I thought I had a bad actuator, but I removed them and tested them and they were very powerful. Next I took the turntable apart and spent the next hour using coarse sandpaper, fine sandpaper, and then steel wool to increase clearance and polish. After that, it works very well. I suspect that the new Type 3 turntable would work much better and could be dropped in as a direct replacement with no other changes.

This module is really fun to watch. The complexity of the motion while being driven by only a single pressurized input is very clever.

[Mogwai]

@Blakbird

Super instructions , thanks

and very nice idea to add a motorized compressor under the support stand

Perfectly

[Blakbird]

Instructions for Akiyuki's Step Module are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

• 129 pages
• 1785 parts

Most of the credit for reverse engineering this module goes to jesuskyr who did the work making the LDraw file based on Akiyuki's video and creating most of the instruction steps. After building the module, I made a some changes:

• The entire output hopper needs to be tipped sideways to allow the balls to flow properly. The hopper is already hinged on the front, but figuring how to support it on the back without screwing anything else up took a while because there are no views of the module from the back.
• The chevrons in the output hopper which are made of cheese slopes did not fit. This is an example wherein everything looks fine in CAD but doesn't work at all in real life. The chevrons fit so tight that the whole assembly exploded and threw parts all over the room. I had to do some SNOT work with headlights to make it work. I can't be sure that this is how Akiyuki did it, but I suspect it is since it works perfectly.
• The spiral tower would simply pop off if you tried to pick up the module. I added some additional external supports which required moving some parts around. Now that I look closely, I see that my render shows the old version. The instructions contain the updated version.
• The spiral lift turned backward so I had to change some gears around.
• The balls tended to get jammed at the input of the spiral lift and sometimes even resulted in damage. I removed one of the 2x3 slopes and replaced it will cheese slopes and that seemed to solve the problem.

This is an unusual model in that the most interesting part of it is not the middle but rather the output hopper. The balls follow a 5 direction path in the output hopper:

1. roll down a long ramp across a half pipe
2. roll down a lateral slope
3. roll backward down to the half pipe
4. roll along the length of the half pipe
5. roll down and output ramp

It's quite fun to watch the balls do their dance in the output. Occasionally there will be a collision, but this doesn't hurt anything. Another unique aspect of this model is that it is modular. The input ramp, the spiral lift, the steps, and the output can all be easily disconnected with a couple of red pins.

There is a little of timing to set. The 3 lobes on the crankshaft are all aligned to lift the balls at the same time. The counterweight needs to be 180 degrees out of phase with them as shown in the instructions. Finally, the output of the spiral lift should be timed to drop a ball when the lifts are down. The module will still work if you don't do this, but it looks messy because balls can pile up in the transfer ramp.

I was worried about the rigidity of this module because it does not have a double railed frame. It is actually reasonably sturdy but the best way to move it around is to separate some of the modules.

[9v system]

very nice Blakbird, I cant wait to see them all done, im building the spiral staircase right now and im about a quarter of the way through.

ps. I was the one who brought the 24 black triple connectors from your bricklink store.

[RohanBeckett]

this is one of my favourites too.. the simplicity of the steps up, and the cleverness/timing of the output ramp

[Ice Wolf]

If anyone was wondering how to integrate the new style turntable into the bucket wheel of the Ball Factory here is a solution I came up with:

You'll also need to adjust the height of the tower to take into account the wheel now located on top of the turntable rather than built around it and the difference in height of the old and new style turntables.

The neat part of this is that you end up with a more symmetrical looking bucket wheel.

[TheRebricker]

Ice Wolf, welcome to the forums and to the greatest building thread I've had the privilege of being a part of. I remember seeing these pictures from when you originally did this. (I'm hoping it was you that reached out to me early on in the project.) This is a great way to use this turntable style! Great addition and sharing of information!

[TheRebricker]

Blakbird, you need to add Spiral Lift Type 2 to the list.

[Ice Wolf]

Ice Wolf, welcome to the forums and to the greatest building thread I've had the privilege of being a part of. I remember seeing these pictures from when you originally did this. (I'm hoping it was you that reached out to me early on in the project.) This is a great way to use this turntable style! Great addition and sharing of information!

Thanks, yeah that was me, I still might revisit the bottom of the turntable but the bucket wheel is working brilliantly.

Edited January 27, 2016 by Ice Wolf

[9v system]

Blakbird, you need to add Spiral Lift Type 2 to the list.

plus the other types of spirals that akiyuki has done

[TheRebricker]

Timing video for the Ball Factory is up:

[Blakbird]

Blakbird, you need to add Spiral Lift Type 2 to the list.

It is already on the list: it is #6. This is an example of a module that changed considerably after the initial video. Later versions are MUCH larger and more interesting, though they share the same basic concept.

plus the other types of spirals that akiyuki has done

The Archimedes screw is also on the list. This exists in several versions but I'd probably include the most recent which is Type 3.

Timing video for the Ball Factory is up:

Excellent! I'll put a link to this in the PDF instructions. OneMoreRobot has also finished his test build so I will be able to post those instructions soon.

[9v system]

OneMoreRobot has also finished his test build so I will be able to post those instructions soon.

can I have a look at them and compare them with my ball factory? seeing I was one of the first to build it.

[Bill]

To all that have contributed to this thread - THANK YOU! Being slightly dim sighted and physically challenged I appreciate all your effort. This may have been in the posts but in the parts lists the quantity of the pieces is noted but would it be possible to show the part number as in LDraw? Those of us who have trouble distinguishing detail would appreciate it.

[Blakbird]

To all that have contributed to this thread - THANK YOU! Being slightly dim sighted and physically challenged I appreciate all your effort. This may have been in the posts but in the parts lists the quantity of the pieces is noted but would it be possible to show the part number as in LDraw? Those of us who have trouble distinguishing detail would appreciate it.

In the first post where there is a link to the instructions for each model there is also a link to a parts list. This file is a Brickstore file. Download the Brickstore (or Brickstock) software to view the file. This file has the part number, color, quantity, and average price for every part.

[Bill]

In the first post where there is a link to the instructions for each model there is also a link to a parts list. This file is a Brickstore file. Download the Brickstore (or Brickstock) software to view the file. This file has the part number, color, quantity, and average price for every part.

Thanks Blakbird - I wish my finger tips could read computer screens as well