Berthil

"both kids happy" your wife probably said :)

Thanks @Jonas and welcome back. You can always build it again :) And also a big thank you @dunes for the LDD files and worm gear idea (sorry, thought that one was from Doug). @MajklSpajkl, I'm not sure what you mean but if it's the passing module make sure the gear racks are also half stud offset there, otherwise the train indeed derails. Listening to the motor I decided to remove a bit of weight from the counterweights so total weight is now bit less than train and carrier. Before that I could hear the motor had to work harder going down and work less hard going up with a train full of balls. Now it's equal.

Welcome Chip and thanks! See you at LEGO World Utrecht. Here's a detailed picture of my modest input to this great build. 24:8 is very simple, just an 8T gear directly on the 24T gear made possible by the new 34103 part. The upper switch is also very simple. As we have seen here, simple just simply works best :) (please note that most of my pins are put in with the slits perpendicular to the liftarms :) )

@MajklSpajkl Thanks! Just an elastic band and the bottom side. Lever is extended with 1 x 3 thin liftarms and axle towball (2736) for one end of the rubber band, other end of the rubber band just is around the axle that limits the switch as in your original design. I'll make a picture, it fits very well in your lift design. Good luck with rebuilding! Thanks Doug! I think you deserve the most praise! I just sat back and watched while you finished the improvements with perseverance :) The ball loader puts in a maximum of 33 balls per cycle and cycle time of the 24:8 version with high lift is 27 seconds so this meets GBC standard of 1 ball per second.

My updated rotator is finished. Very pleased with the result and now in my top 3 of GBC machines :) At 1 min. you can see my upper exit switch I had to use because of lack of space, works very well and cannot 'hang'. I also used a set of Technic pulleys to clear the counterweights from the base frame and use full length of wires as I didn't want to cut the LEGO wires. It runs 24:8 ratio, hence full circle with entry and exit is 27 seconds, 1 second longer than AKiyuki's version :) Thanks @Doug72 and @MajklSpajkl for the improvements! I now feel very confident to run it for 7 days 7 hours a day in about two weeks at LEGO World Utrecht. Would be nice if Akiyuki would also implement the improvements and run it at the next Japan Brickfest 2019 but that's probably not going to happen :)

I by the way use these very common ferro iron 25mm 'car body rings' as counterweight in the 4 x 4 x 4 cylinder containers. My carrier with Lithium battery train weighs 460gr. Believe it or not, when I fill the container completely with these rings it weighs exactly 115 grams, 4 x 115 = 460 grams! I also added one layer of duck tape around the rings to have a snug fit and no rattles. The center hole leaves room for the ball end of the black wire/rope. So if you have the normal AA battery pack train you have to revert to lead or bigger container because filled with iron rings the weight will be a maximum of app. 140 grams per container if you would be able to fill it completely with iron.

Nice work Doug. Also nice to see unity of colors :) I'm almost done integrating the new design lift with worm gear and counterweights in my design. I managed to use 24:8 to the worm gear by using the new modified plate with two studs part 34103 for half stud offset for the gear rack. I also had to design a new compact switch to release the train to the rotator as there is no room for the current one in my setup. It's integrated in the carrier so nothing sticks out and uses an elastic band instead of weights. I also made a visually attractive design for the counterweight wires. Tonight I hope to finish the counterweights and then do first test runs so depending on the results a lot still can change :)

On GBC exhibitions typical table width is 80cm. I'm working on ideas to use trains to have maximum coverage of table space which of course also should look interesting. Hence the two small radius turns in the video. But I'm also not sure what and it's only two weeks to LEGO World :) We now have two unloaders, may a good idea on a compact loader would be nice as Akiyuki is using the same one twice.

My take on the use of the narrow tracks for narrow radius turns. Original Akiyuki version lifts the train up on the inside creating unbalance on entry and exit (and uses a lot of slopes that get damaged). This version runs smoother but requires the tracks to be a brick high.

I Didn't know about the worm gear but already have seen the lift is rather slow. I've timed your video and it takes 36 seconds from train entry to exit. That's too long for me as I use a one train setup in a GBC circuit. The original lift is just fast enough with one train and some tracks to reach 1 ball per second, I tested this for 4 hours in a small circuit. It can be solved by using two trains and the passing module but I would like to avoid the use of the passing module because it would require me to have 4 trains with Lithium accu pack and as you probably know, the Lithium batteries are quite costly (although I might stack up a few in case LEGO stops selling them). I will however try the counterweights and ideas of the updated switches to see if I can smoothen the lift and make it a bit more reliable. Thanks!

Very nice work and idea with the counterweights, excellent and simpler (and therefore more reliable) solution for entering and leaving the lift. The counterweights prevent the lift from dropping down I assume? I can't see any other mechanism. For counterweights one could use the metal balls also used as counterweight for the rotating dumper by Akiyuki if one would like to use 100% LEGO. Not cheap though but I have eight of them so I might have a go and try this, I'm using the Lithium battery pack in the trains so less weight/balls is needed.

My version of the Rotary Dumper with integrated Elevator and the Doug Rotator :) (of course). I am worried about the reliability of the lift to run a whole week, I'll take the regular dumper with me as backup also. And my 'charging station' version of the Loader. We don't have a lot of room at LW. Soon I will have enough balls to run my own circuit on smaller events if I am the only one with a GBC. I plan to use two trains (or even three with two passover switches) to transport the balls back to the beginning of the GBC line if making a circle of GBCs is not possible.

Nice compact layout Courbet! Haven't heard from you for a while and we now can see why :) Everything looks to be running very smooth (apart from the 1x2 brick below the containers which falls on the floor in the end of the video)

That’s too large. Use the 3,2 mm hose of Modular in Germany. They also sell brass rods that fit inside so you make the bends. Otherwise making the bends is not possible as the tubes from modular are much harder that the original.

@Frequenzberater I found the ditch is the main problem, it’s picking up too much speed. Akiyuki’s original version does not have it. Also take one ball in your hand and slide over the entire track and see if you feel obstructions if you used modified plates to connect tubes. I’ve rebuild it into my own version which is more reliable.

He will be very happy with your collection when he comes out of his 'Dark Ages' :)

It's all show, the green one just stands there being charged. I thought it would look better than just a train on a table being charged :) Input and output ten studs high and ten studs wide (with walls so leaving 8 studs for a container), 1 ball per second. That's it. Also named 'Ruby Goldberg', the first one to come up with this standard. One ball per second during a whole event is not really needed, there will always be waves of balls. Sometimes no balls come and than a wave. Thumb of rule is it should be possible to dump 30 balls in a GBC without problems.

Looking good Doug. It will still be quite some work to integrate in the train circuit with a high enough input and output. Since I am now using rechargeable trains I thought I add an electric power station to the loader :) Ik wanted to use only parts that I already had as a challenge, no Bricklink orders. It shows I also like Modular buildings and it is completely different from the technical work done here but I hope you like it.

@Ankoku, I've seen it, thanks. It shows it even works well on low speeds although it seems the inbox is not correctly build and at the end there is small pile-up because of the lower speed.

I can wait, my fingers still hurt :)

It doesn't need more power or torque if build well, but here is Sariel gear calculator including PF motor selection

I like the new module but not the fact he is selling now. Of course it's up to him but it does not benefit GBC in general. Also to TLG he is now considered a commercial party, not just a GBC builder. And this module can be build just from the video, no instructions needed.

I subscribe to Rohan, including the welcome :) I have build the Ball Factory as my first GBC just to see if GBC was something for me, it's fun but can also be frustrating. It's not a module to do events with. If you look at the modules of Akiyuki you see a certain design theme. So when buying parts for the Ball Factory (which is grey and most others from Akiyuki are black) keep that design theme in mind and already buy bricks for your next GBC if you plan to make more. This will save on shipping costs and waiting time, especially if you want to start to design your own GBCs. I also bought two Excavators on sale for parts, it is an excellent part donor but with lots of light and dark bluish grey, no black.

Excellent build! And I already worry if putting two motors in series in a GBC is good for the motors or not :)

Nice builds and nice to see! The Duplo train was great and I still have it in a box on the attic for the next generation :)