Help with elevator and doors

[marshall]

I am not experienced with technic, but I've got a ton of technic pieces from various mixed lots I've acquired over the years. I'm currently working on a Cloud City MOC, and I'd like to add in a couple of sliding doors (one that slides to the side, one that slides upwards), as well as an elevator (the elevator would go up/down a height of 20-bricks). Everything I've seen from searching around has motorized techniques, which is not what I'm looking for. I'd like something more simple that I can operate by turning a small dial/crank.

Can anyone point me either to some basic techniques that would be applicable, or to some example sets (official lego or MOC) that I could drawn on?

Thanks in advance!

[Someonenamedjon]

You can use string for the elevator, connected to a crank, gear racks connected to a gear for the door, and the same goes for the up and down door.

[rumpletump]

Yep a string and crank and some gears sounds like a good idea. But I would use a worm gear in there somewhere if I was going to do it that way to stop it free falling back down..

Edited May 21, 2013 by rumpletump

[Doc_Brown]

I was planning on building an elevator later this year hopefully with nxt or Ev3.

There is an awesome vid on youtube somewhere where a worker above the elevator records in HD how everything works. If I find it I will link it here.

Apart from that all I know is you will need a counter weigh the the lift itself.

[Someonenamedjon]

Could you show us the progress you have on Cloud City, or give us the link to it?

[Nazgarot]

Using a loop of string/rope connected to your lift/doors and through a pulley system on a motor you would get full control of both up and down motion. By using a counterweight you could make it a lot easier on the motor, and a mini motor might be enough, and that would save space. To control it with a dial/crank you could simply put a axle through a PF switch and hide the switch while you connect the crank to the axle. Using mini motors should make it a lot easier to hide the whole contraption.

If you give us pictures we can probably help with the design and make examples for you to implement...

-ED-

[marshall]

Thanks for the help everybody! I'm hoping to get some work on this done this weekend--I'll post progress pictures then.