knotian

RohanBeckett Thank you!

What are the curved pieces that for the bottom?

Being heat deform-able might be an advantage, allowing the making of more realistic foliage. Lego forests look like clones, not natural.

A further note on the mechanism. I built two and one would work and the other would not. Finally figured out that the problem was lack of torque to 'flip the switch'. Using a large motor solved the problem. Thanks y'all

Orcman, What an ijut !!!! I am really embarrassed. For some knuckle-headed reason. I thought that there would not be enough torque to flip the switch unless I had both drums linked. You were right on with using my original drums. Gravity does bring the skips down, but I put a cable around a bpully from the rear of the skips so one pulls the other down. works like a charm once you get the cars arranged properly on the cables. Thanks a lot.

If you take Nico's, make the track 36 " long and 60 degrees up you will have it. http://www.nico71.fr/gbc-tipper-trolley/

I built Nico71's mechanism (With CONNECTED drums) and it works well as he has it set up with a SHORT run. When I tried to extend the amount of string on the reels to function on my skip hoist it will not work. Nothing wrong with the design except with a large quantity of 'rope' on the reels, their circumference changes as the rope winds from one to another at will eventually tighten the loop and force a reverse. Nowhere near the length that I need. So I am back to square one. I need a mechanism where the drums are NOT CONNECTED. HELP Any other ideas??

Check out the MILS and PennLug standards for a way to get really solid baseplates.

Maybe a silly question, but-- What parts are used for the rail system? Thanx

I just got lazy and left my rechargeable battery box plugged in.

Thanks for the ideas! Some good concepts that I can double up to get the two cars going in opposite directions - or just use one.

I can't take a picture. Google blast furnace and you will see a skip hoist used to take the ore and coke to the top of the furnace.

I currently have a skip hoist operating with an EV3 controlling the up and down motion of two cars. I have a two barrel drum arrangement with reversed cables so the motor, when it turns the shaft ,is raising one skip and lowering the other. Then the program reverses the motor and the cycle continues. I would like to do the same thing with a PF motor but cannot think of a way to reverse the motor automatically. I can do it with a single dog for each skip car that catches the skip car and raises it then disengages at the top BUT!! then the car drops to the bottom unrealistically fast. The only way I can think of is to have a lever on the side of each car that flips a power function reversing switch at the end of each cycle. Anybody know of another way to accomplish this? Thanx

I do this all the time. An art supply store has foam board. I use two layers of 3/16" board with carpet tape between them. MUCH lighter than plywood and stiffer.

Does anyone know of a supplier of Lego compatible power function connectors? I'd like to make some long custom cables rather than stringing short ones together for a fixed display.

Yes- there are 4 sensor ports.

I got some and for slopes it's ok, but won't hold upside down. works best on 2x4+ bricks as there is not much grip.

What front page??? My bookmark is to this forum where I can see all things technic. Good, bad, and indifferent.

Physically the limitations on Mindstorms EV3 may prove it's downfall. Four motors and sensors does put a crimp in developing large displays and even larger MOCS. Expanding with multiple EV3's is the most expensive expansion available. If Mindstorms and EV3 wants to remain viable then a 'dumb' expansion device, chained to the master, must be made available. You mentioned MIT. They have developed SCRATCH for use as a learning tool for programming. IMHO a lot more conducive to learning than the Mindstorms graphical blocks. (Yes you can use other languages with EV3 but---) Scratch in conjunction with sbrick has STARTED to develop an environment that allows greater control and sensor utilization. I say started because, although sbrick states four bricks can be used with scratch, the interface, S2Bot, has not provided that yet, nor has the Scratch templates been provided for this expansion. I am hopeful that this development continues. The one t

Excellent work. I agree wholeheartedly is your decision to expose the workings. It will be an excellent teaching tool and may stimulate more interest in automation of models. It is ironic that when I asked for comments from our local group on a coal loading and unloading model, most people wanted the motors and wires hidden for a cleaner look. I like your way better. Ed

I have used the large treads as in the Excavator model. I don't know what you want to use as the belt. I've seen rubber bumpers used. I would not sweat the 'crusher'. looking at the design you could space the 'jaws' so that small pins drop through and the illusion would still be there. I use 1x1 round tiles (black and grey) as coal and limestone in my build. They won't fall through the belt, and if you space things right they won't jam up either. I had a bottom feeding hopper for a coal tipple loading into the cars. EV3 color sensor to determine if there was a car present and a timer block to load a set amount of product. Just use bricks and tiles on the side to make a channel in which the belt would run.

I would really like to see a repair train with technic elements for a crane and shovel,and conventional elements for gondolas, flats, engines, small rail mounted trucks. The market should be considerable as I would see all train people wanting one, even if it just sits on a siding.

I was not aware of any MMO that was strictly building. Which one are you referring to? I was not envisioning a game but a tool.

They might look at VR as an adjunct to the physical toy. Just think of the fun you could have in a "VR-LDD" with an never ending supply of legal bricks and any color possible. Building 3-d Buildings, sculptures, never ending Rail Roads through gigantic mountains, Space ships going ' where no man has ever gone before'. Mind boggling. Minecraft on steroids.

Ah So!! I'll edit the post later on this morning. Thanx, Ed