GBC General Discussion

[Maico]

Our small circuit at Skaerbaek Fan Weekend...

 

As you can see we had a lot of these small skaerbaek2017 modules available. about 190. These were driven by 19 motors, So one motor is driving 10 modules. On LEGO World Copenhagen I will NOT put something like this n the table. Just a max of 20 to show the idea of motorising more modules with just one motor. I also have seen some others who picked up that same idea to use one motor to drive several modules.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Maico

[Frequenzberater]

How much M motors can I run with one train power supply unit? 

(The usual one with the yellow wheel) 

Edited November 12, 2017 by Frequenzberater

[RohanBeckett]

this question invariably depends on: "How much load are the motors under"

For entertainment, I once did this:

 

But as you can see.. no load...

later on, I retried this, and attempted to stall some of the motors... it didn't take long for the safety-trip on the battery box to cut power!

 

in terms of 'Average, well designed GBC's' that don't strain the motors too much.. I recently did this little setup, off 1 Train controller:
7x  M Motors, and one old 9V... running without any issues for half an hour....

 

[Frequenzberater]

Thank you very much! 

[dr_spock]

In an effort to save some wear and tear and motors, I've created The Button. 

 

 

[RohanBeckett]

yeah... I'm SO going to use my expensive mindstorms kit to replicate the functionality of a $5 timer switch...

ok.. so now that's got me thinking... I wonder if I can use a windup/pullback motor to archive similar.... with a big 'clockwork' style key for kids to operate it...

[Cadder]

3 hours ago, RohanBeckett said:

I wonder if I can use a windup/pullback motor to archive similar.... with a big 'clockwork' style key for kids to operate it...

If you build it, they will come..

(...and probably fight over it, overwind it and end up breaking the spring.) 

[Maico]

 

[Frequenzberater]

I really love the idea combinig Duplo ball rails with a classic GBC module as seen at 04:05. Nice!

[Maico]

A new World Record at LEGO World 2018 in Bella Center in Denmark:

 

 

[MKJoshA]

So, I've been doing some looking around the Technic forum for GBC information. My LUG has challenged me to build a model or two and I'm trying to get some specific details. I'm good on ideas, what I need is information on the engineering and physics behind how to make certain things happen. Is there somewhere I can look?

My first question is how to I create a gentle rocking motion? I'm using a standard XL motor, but it spins too fast. Do I need to use certain gear combination to "slow down" the rate of turn on a gear?

[dr_spock]

3 hours ago, MKJoshA said:

So, I've been doing some looking around the Technic forum for GBC information. My LUG has challenged me to build a model or two and I'm trying to get some specific details. I'm good on ideas, what I need is information on the engineering and physics behind how to make certain things happen. Is there somewhere I can look?

My first question is how to I create a gentle rocking motion? I'm using a standard XL motor, but it spins too fast. Do I need to use certain gear combination to "slow down" the rate of turn on a gear?

Are you making a rocking GBC pirate ship?    You could use a gear and an lift arm attached it off-center.

There are a number of ways to slow down.  You can do it mechnically with gears,  small gear to big gear.   I find worm gears pretty good at that.  You can do it through LEGO Power Function with the IR Receiver and Train speed controller.  Or using the old 9V train speed controller.

There is a GBC wiki that might be a good source of info. 

 

[RohanBeckett]

You really need to sit down and play with gears... there's almost no times, (esp in GBC building) that you will ever connect a motor directly to a mechanism/motion

Some Resources:

http://gears.sariel.pl/   this lets you play with gears.. 

 

http://www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/toranomaki/en/download.html

Isogawa's PDF (and printed Books) are an excellent primer on basic Lego mechasnisms

 

and best of all - try building other people's basic GBC's first, so you get a feel for how various mechanisms work.. and you get to see how GBC balls behave (how they bounce, how they jam.. how they fly all over the room!!)

Maico has some excellent starter modules, many use very common parts.. and are easy to substitute other parts, as you build them..

http://www.greatballcontraption.nl/

Best of all.. GBC's are not colour-sensitive!! build it in rainbow, and it'll work just fine!! :)

 

[rasikaa]

1 minute ago, RohanBeckett said:

Best of all.. GBC's are not colour-sensitive!! build it in rainbow, and it'll work just fine!! :)

 

Great comment. I really have pity on people trying to Bricklink parts in the same colours as the instructions show. One reason I put my modules in rainbow is to show people that you can build modules with what you have in your collection. 

[MKJoshA]

3 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Are you making a rocking GBC pirate ship?    You could use a gear and an lift arm attached it off-center.

There are a number of ways to slow down.  You can do it mechnically with gears,  small gear to big gear.   I find worm gears pretty good at that.  You can do it through LEGO Power Function with the IR Receiver and Train speed controller.  Or using the old 9V train speed controller.

There is a GBC wiki that might be a good source of info. 

 

 

3 hours ago, RohanBeckett said:

You really need to sit down and play with gears... there's almost no times, (esp in GBC building) that you will ever connect a motor directly to a mechanism/motion

Some Resources:

http://gears.sariel.pl/   this lets you play with gears.. 

 

http://www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/toranomaki/en/download.html

Isogawa's PDF (and printed Books) are an excellent primer on basic Lego mechasnisms

 

and best of all - try building other people's basic GBC's first, so you get a feel for how various mechanisms work.. and you get to see how GBC balls behave (how they bounce, how they jam.. how they fly all over the room!!)

Maico has some excellent starter modules, many use very common parts.. and are easy to substitute other parts, as you build them..

http://www.greatballcontraption.nl/

Best of all.. GBC's are not colour-sensitive!! build it in rainbow, and it'll work just fine!! :)

 

 

3 hours ago, rasikaa said:

Great comment. I really have pity on people trying to Bricklink parts in the same colours as the instructions show. One reason I put my modules in rainbow is to show people that you can build modules with what you have in your collection. 

Wow, great feedback. Thank you all! I'll take a look around some of these links and get started!

And no Phred, not a pirate ship  But that is the general motion I'm going for.

[dr_spock]

5 hours ago, RohanBeckett said:

Best of all.. GBC's are not colour-sensitive!! build it in rainbow, and it'll work just fine!! :)

 

 

I don't know about the working fine.  I've tried a rainbow and it still breaks down from time to time. 

LEGO GBC Ball Pump Module by dr_spock_888, on Flickr

[Defaultsound]

Hey, quick question.

Has anyone ever used this part in a GBC? x153

Looking at the image it seems the diameter won't fit a ball, but has anyone used this before?

EDIT:

Answered my own question. Looking here it seems it has been used before

 

 

Edited March 24, 2018 by Defaultsound
Found an answer

[RohanBeckett]

I have experimented with some of those orange tubes that I own.. and a ball does fit nicely... haven't actually used them yet

I've had ideas for year or more, to have some form of spectator-interaction.. where a ball can be 'injected' back into the layout, via the Mars Mission air pumps.. but since the tubes are an odd shape.. they lose a lot of air pressure around the round ball

[dr_spock]

Balls do fit in the tube.  I had to mount it upside down so that the balls will roll through in my old GBC setup from 5 years ago.

GBC Modules by dr_spock_888, on Flickr

 

 

[Berthil]

On 24-3-2018 at 12:04 PM, Defaultsound said:

Looking at the image it seems the diameter won't fit a ball, but has anyone used this before?

On 25-3-2018 at 12:03 PM, RohanBeckett said:

I have experimented with some of those orange tubes that I own.. and a ball does fit nicely... haven't actually used them yet

On 25-3-2018 at 4:34 PM, dr_spock said:

Balls do fit in the tube.  I had to mount it upside down so that the balls will roll through in my old GBC setup from 5 years ago.

I bought some of the x153 in trans black out of curiosity but in my tubes the balls don't go through because of the indentation. They get stuck. Have the hoses been 'modified' to lift some of the indentation? It only needs a little less indentation to make the balls go through, not much. Or are the hoses that were delivered to me too tight?

By the way, to connect these tubes to anything you also need the connectors:
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=30585

 

Edited March 28, 2018 by Berthil

[Ankoku]

@Berthil

The Bricklink URL doesn't work for me.

[Berthil]

Sorry, here complete link

[dr_spock]

5 hours ago, Berthil said:

I bought some of the x153 in trans black out of curiosity but in my tubes the balls don't go through because of the indentation. They get stuck. Have the hoses been 'modified' to lift some of the indentation? It only needs a little less indentation to make the balls go through, not much. Or are the hoses that were delivered to me too tight?

By the way, to connect these tubes to anything you also need the connectors:
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=30585

 

Do you have a pic of your setup?   I mounted my tube and tube holder upside down and the balls roll right down from the bin with the net.

 

[Berthil]

9 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Do you have a pic of your setup?   I mounted my tube and tube holder upside down and the balls roll right down from the bin with the net.

I haven't used them in a GBC yet, just tried them right out of the received package. I will try to flex them up, I suspect they got compressed until the point where no balls pass through.

[Great Ball Pit]

Those tubes are pretty wacky, someone should use them to make a rollercoaster for duplo balls. :P