GBC General Discussion

[dr_spock]

Those look like 16mm rubber balls.  GBC standards uses the 14mm balls if you want your module to be compatible with others at events and shows.

 

 

[Maico]

 

[MartinAFOL]

Hi,  I'm Martin a new member on Eurobricks and a new AFOL.  About a year ago I discovered that I loved Lego particularly Technics. I've made a few small sets and the CLAAS Tractor but what really fascinates me is GBC.  I've made a fairly simple circuit which works (after much rebuilding) but I love  complex designs such as this  excellent one.  My question is where can I see such GBC circuits "in the flesh", talk to their brilliant creators, and get ideas for my own creations.  I live in UK but would be prepared to travel a little to see the right show.   Where do I need to go?  Netherlands?  Denmark?  Germany?   I went to to London Bricklive but there was little to appeal to an AFOL interested in Technic and absolutely nothing GBC.  

 

[Lasse D]

I suppose both Maico and I (and many others) will be running GBC at LEGOWorld in Denmark in week 7 of 2018. I have heard rumors of a Guiness World Record sized GBC layout and I expect to contribute with 50 modules myself. 10 of these modules were built yesterday alone! Perhaps @Maico knows more about this?

[RohanBeckett]

Come to Brickvention in Melbourne!  it's not that far away! ;)

 

Lasse: Hope you're not just building 10 identical modules!!

I'd love to see an alternate record for GBC layouts, that only could unique modules :)

[dr_spock]

On 8/6/2017 at 7:06 AM, MartinAFOL said:

Hi,  I'm Martin a new member on Eurobricks and a new AFOL.  About a year ago I discovered that I loved Lego particularly Technics. I've made a few small sets and the CLAAS Tractor but what really fascinates me is GBC.  I've made a fairly simple circuit which works (after much rebuilding) but I love  complex designs such as this  excellent one.  My question is where can I see such GBC circuits "in the flesh", talk to their brilliant creators, and get ideas for my own creations.  I live in UK but would be prepared to travel a little to see the right show.   Where do I need to go?  Netherlands?  Denmark?  Germany?   I went to to London Bricklive but there was little to appeal to an AFOL interested in Technic and absolutely nothing GBC.  

 

Welcome to Eurobricks.  One good way to learn about GBC modules is to baby-sit other people's modules at the shows when they take breaks or go to the LEGO Store, etc.  I learned quite a bit about Akiyuki modules at the last show with all the constant fixing.  You also get to hone your repair creativity since the show must go on.

 

[Lasse D]

10 hours ago, RohanBeckett said:

Lasse: Hope you're not just building 10 identical modules!!

I'd love to see an alternate record for GBC layouts, that only could unique modules :)

Unfortunately that's what I will have to do for a large percentage of those 50 modules since it takes me roughly a month to create a new module. And often my new modules don't even come with new ideas - just fresh decorations. Fortunately I can try to do something cool even with duplicate modules, such as power as many modules as possible using a single motor.

For perspective. We are now already in August and even though I have spent a lot of time on GBC starting from January, I have only managed made these modules:

 

The Yellow Submarine, which is a set mod and a simple ball pump. The only new idea here is the anti-jamming mechanism. It took most of January to figure this mechanism out:

 

Most of February went with improving the pump mechanism and I presented this simplified module early on:

 

In March I updated the Hamster wheel. It, however, needed a lot of additional fine tuning to become reliable:

 

For April I was delayed with my presentation of the Easter Bunny module. It was based on an old module of mine:

In the same thread you will see my module for May with a mechanism similar to that of the Easter module.

 

With no new module in June, the updated conveyor was posted in July:

 

I have now created 10 additional conveyors which brings me to a total of 17 new or refurbished modules (There we already 2 conveyors including the colorfl prototype). 

 

But I agree with you that it would be nice to see a record based on different modules. But then we also have to define when two modules differ. Do my bonny wheel and 1984 modules differ? They use the exact same lifting mechanism after all.

 

 

[RohanBeckett]

Oh.. I'm well aware you have made a lot of very original modules...

and I'm always in awe of those who can put on 100+ module layouts - I know full well the work that goes into large layout.. having participated in many over the years..

and I also know, that GBC workshops that many Lego conventions hold, are really great at getting kids interested in this weird sub-niche of lego building that we love! :)

Thus, I know the reasons why you often see 20 of the same module...

 

But I guess.. I just got a bit 'meh' when I see another record that has more than 20% of the same module repeated

in my humble quick opinion (and not something I've thought long and hard about!) but a 'great' new GBC record would be a large amount of participants... 90% original/unique modules... so yes.. allowing for some duplicates with minor decoration changes... but not 40 of the same one.

and I agree fully.. it's a very hard thing to define - and I don't think you'd ever get everyone to agree anyway..

 

I have also spent the last few weeks going though all my existing modules, and fixing/improving/refreshing them... quite a few worn gears/axles to replace!

[Lasse D]

Hey. Then it seems like we agree completely :)

The reason why I'm running for the number's game this year is for the World Record attempt. To maintain this many modules is a nightmare. My plan is to get to 50 quick, then slowly replace those modules with new inventions.

And with inventions I mean GBC modules consisting of large wheels... which is kinda my thing :D

[msk6003]

This is not lego(Vex robotics) but working like GBC module. In my GBC knowledge range, that type module don't appired. Anyone know that type module or can make that?

[ALittleSlow]

13 minutes ago, msk6003 said:

This is not lego(Vex robotics) but working like GBC module. In my GBC knowledge range, that type module don't appired. Anyone know that type module or can make that?

Bryan Bonahoom wrote a Vex Ball Contraption (VBC) standard. You might also check with Steve Canvin, who coordinated the VBC at Vex Worlds 2016 and Philippe Hurbain (Philo), who developed a Vex CAD package.

 

[Maico]

I agree I don't like 100 of the same modules to get a World Record, especially a Guinness World Record. Some of the same modules is ok, also depending what their purpose is. A stackable module is nice but it becomes awesome when you have plenty of them so one can build a real tall stack! Or two stacks to close a walk through gap. To to be able to do so you need a lot of modules.

On august 3rd I have uploaded a video of a GBC circuit. The miniature picture shows you my interpretation of one XL motor driving several modules.

And I also know it is very difficult to come up with a different module with new building techniques. It will almost always be a renewal of an existing one. Or using different parts to reach the same goal. I don't have the knowledge to create machines or modules in the way like Akiyuki does...

In a couple of days I will upload a video of last weeks event at Museum Buurtspoorwegen in Boekelo. In this video you can find a couple of new modules. When uploaded I will post a link here.

About LEGO World Copenhagen: for now I only know we are planning to do a new Guinness World Record and as Brickworld Chicago had 220 modules (if I counted the modules correctly from their video) we need to beat that!

 

On 6-8-2017 at 1:06 PM, MartinAFOL said:

Hi,  I'm Martin a new member on Eurobricks and a new AFOL.  About a year ago I discovered that I loved Lego particularly Technics. I've made a few small sets and the CLAAS Tractor but what really fascinates me is GBC.  I've made a fairly simple circuit which works (after much rebuilding) but I love  complex designs such as this  excellent one.  My question is where can I see such GBC circuits "in the flesh", talk to their brilliant creators, and get ideas for my own creations.  I live in UK but would be prepared to travel a little to see the right show.   Where do I need to go?  Netherlands?  Denmark?  Germany?   I went to to London Bricklive but there was little to appeal to an AFOL interested in Technic and absolutely nothing GBC.  

 

Hi Martin,

For me it was not possible to attend to Brick in London this year. On www.GreatBallContraption.com I try to keep the list with upcoming events up to date with events I will be attending:

http://greatballcontraption.com/wiki/Main_Page#Europe

I love to see more people into GBC...

 

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by Maico

[RohanBeckett]

@Maico I know - I was trying to be very tactful - as I know a lot the layouts you attend have a lot of the same - and the stackable modules are very neat - although I will admit that I will skip that part of the video, rather than wait for the ball to traverse 400 steps ;)

Don't be so hard on yourself - you have created a lot of very good modules - I point a lot of people who are new to GBC's at them, as they are robust, reliable, easy to build, and easy to modify!  Only yesterday, I was chatting to a fellow IT Administrator near me, and he recognised my name from in here (he's only a lurker! :) and I suggested he try a few of yours, to get a feel for building them. He had been trying to tackle the Ball Factory as his very first module - not something I recommended!!

 

Akiyuki modules are amazing - but it's just as boring if you see 20 Lift-Trigger-Stuck-Ball modules in a row too!

 

I'm amazed at how many shows you do all around Europe! how do you travel around so much?? 

 

 

[Maico]

The circuits I attend often show the same modules because I am contributing most of it...

Most of the shows are not that far away from my home. Taking just the friday evening and the weekend. So it doesn't cost me any leave from work.

The video of last event as promised.:

 

[Maico]

This weekend I was attending Texels Bouwblokje:

 

[Captainowie]

2 hours ago, Maico said:

This weekend I was attending Texels Bouwblokje:

Wow, that's a dense layout.

[Maico]

that's an easy thing to do with small modules and a must do on a small surface...

[Berthil]

Waiting for parts is never easy. MOC, newest Akiyuki train version (thanks to Courbet and Yoann) and a module designed by Maico:

[Berthil]

The train is finished and running wel (after some further improvements) and I also finished my latest own design. It was suggested to me to also post the link to my new Double Bucket Wheel GBC so here it is:

 

[RohanBeckett]

On 1/31/2017 at 8:06 AM, Courbet said:

Hello everyone,

I have made instructions for Finn’s Steering Cup GBC module

 

Finally got around to building this one - very nice.. thanks for the instructions!

However, I've noticed it does jam a bit - mostly when there's a full (30ball-standard) dump of balls at one time... a ball will wedge in between the 2 4L thin liftarms, that the Steering cup is attached to, and usually up against one of the cheese wedges on the outer side of the bottom area

Fairly certain I've built it accurately... and with only a few balls in, it works fine (although I caught it jam once, with only 5 balls in play)

Will keep tinkering to see if I can solve it...

[RohanBeckett]

ok.. despite a valiant attempt at using djm's nifty reverser.... altering the cup pickup, and removing the 4L thin liftarms made this module MUCH more reliable

I can now dump 30+ balls in at once, and it empties them flawlessly... no jams at all.

This is the change I made to each pickup scoop - note that it keeps the bottom most section very clear... the extra parts at the back of the scoop/cup don't interfere at all

and actually.. just thinking about it now, while I look at this post.. I'm thinking that rotating cup 90' might work just as well!

Note: I haven't tried this one yet.. but I can't see why it wouldn't work!

[Lasse D]

I have now finished building instructions for a third starter module (a simplified pump module similar to the two other pump modules this year):

Building instructions here!

This complements this starter module (instructions here)

And this (Instructions here)

They are all on rebrickable and c-mt.dk, but apart from that, I don't know if people will be able to find them or be interested in using them in order to get started with GBC.

[RohanBeckett]

good stuff... should get them listed on planet-gbc.com  since that seems to be becoming a central repository for a lot of them...

[Courbet]

On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 3:08 AM, RohanBeckett said:

ok.. despite a valiant attempt at using djm's nifty reverser.... altering the cup pickup, and removing the 4L thin liftarms made this module MUCH more reliable

I can now dump 30+ balls in at once, and it empties them flawlessly... no jams at all.

@RohanBeckett, thanks for your feedback on the Steering Cup module.

 

I have made the changes you suggest (the first option) on one arm of my module and have tested it in a small loop of two modules with 60 balls to make sure there were around 30 balls to scoop at all time. It did not jammed a lot but when it happened it was always from the unmodified arm so it is clear than your modification is a big improvement and I will modify the building instructions accordingly.
 

https://bricksafe.com/files/Courbet/akiyuki-project/GBC_Steering_Cup_par_Superfin619.pdf

Edited September 30, 2017 by Courbet
link added

[RohanBeckett]

and just as well... I did try the 2nd variant.. but over a short period of time, the blue axle/pins slipped slightly, and caused the cup to scrape the bottom of the module..

No such issue with my first version.. has worked fine every time I switch it on, and let it run for 20+mins...