Berthil

I have made free instructions of complex models with over more than 5000 pieces and all of them are for free. LEGO is a hobby for me and the enjoyment out of positive comments is much higher than any financial compensation could be. I like making instructions, I would not like the administrative hassle around selling instructions. I've sold designs to Chinese manufacturers from which sets in real boxes with printed instructions were created, they handle the support as it is their set. These were created because I wanted to make them before there was interested from the clone manufacturers. When I'm the sole designer of a MOC I ask for a donation but unfortunately not many do that. I agree with a lot of comments here. It's a free world (for most) and anybody can do what they want but for me personally selling instructions is a no-go as I would not consider myself an AFOL anymore, just a commercial designer selling instructions which would be the end of a hobby for me.

My Snake Circle GBC ready and added to the index. The best of two GBCs with lots of ball action. The Snake (redesigned Serpentine by Fernando) from the Logarithmic Counter and the Circles from the Wall Wave. The module can be run by hand (without PowerFunctions motor) and can return to its own Inbox. 18 balls will make a nice continuous loop. As always with free building instructions.

I've used IKEA cabinets and MOC Technic stands to display RoscoPC Historic F1 1:8 models, meanwhile 14.

PoweredUp and Mindstorms 51515 hub and motors with Pybricks. I'm planning on controlling it manually with three train remotes and automate later in the train layout.

@Seo-onDaddy Nice layout! This weekend I've run the Crane Loader for a full event day without any issues. The train with the rechargeable PF battery worked for 5 hours straight with the Crane Loader. My tweaked Rotary Dumper also worked great. Many positive comments on this public LUG event day with 600 visitors without fences at the exhibition tables. For LEGO World in October I plan to do more with the trains. A digital design for a 6-arm robot to work together with the trains is ready which I will build after LEGO World.

Google Stud.io and go with that.

First post updated with the Speeder Bike Ball Pump GBC with a Brick build Speeder Bike and a Ball Pump ‘powered’ by the Storm Trooper. Inspired by Scout Trooper Speeder Bike but no parts are the same. The tree was inspired by 10236 Ewok Village. I know a Scout Trooper is commonly seen on a Speeder Bike but I had a 75114 Storm Trooper lying around. Any of the large SW buildable figures can be used but the inner frame must be replaced to articulate the figure. With a special thanks to @fhareide for creating the helmet and chest plate with prints as a LDraw file for use in Stud.io. The ball pump mechanism is based on a design by Sam Friessen. Free building instructions on Rebrickable.

@jazzlover How much was the working current please? As I have some resistors and can measure current at the earlier mentioned voltages. If I up resistance current should go up right? I read 600mAh on the back of the battery so is 600mA the current I should be aiming for? I know the 9V train power supply can handle up to 1000mA or shuts down when it goes higher. I have three of these SPIKE Essential batteries and TLG advised to dispose of them in the correct recycle bin but that seems such a waste. I tried to get the voltage down to 7.4 with the resistors but voltage was constant so the 9V power supply must have upped the current but I didn't check. If I know what the current should be I maybe can try with resistors to get there.

I tried today with the smaller SPIKE Essential battery but I did not have such a power source. I used a 9V train power supply with 6,6V and 7,7V on position 4 and 5. That didn't work. I checked voltage on a working battery and that was near 8 Volts but positive and negative on the battery was reversed compared to your connection info. So I reversed poles and upped to maximum of 9 volts on position 6 of the train power supply but nothing worked. I'm wondering of the exact voltage of 7.4 does the trick and if I should buy such a power source.

@jazzlover Thank you for that feedback! I got three new SPIKE Essential batteries directly from LEGO.com that had the same problem. Out of the box totally flat and not charging. Production dates on the back of the battery showed that all of them were produced in 2021. I got replacement batteries from 2022 that were 70% charged on arrival and they are charging in the hub. I will try to save the other three batteries with your method. Can you please give an indication what side was plus or is it visible what is the right one by the illuminating charging LED and applying power to the wrong side is not a problem for the battery?

On Pybricks is the similar Gyro Boy, you can get the Python code for it and links to the Mindstorms building instruction: https://pybricks.com/ev3-micropython/examples/gyro_boy.html

???, I have over 40 on floating IKEA shelves without problems, here behind my WIP

I haven't looked into the model in detail but very good of you to make your work available for free! The red 24t red gear can be purchased at the LEGO Pick a Brick for 96ct so isn't rare. On the programming topic, you could also consider using Pybricks to control the model, that way you can share the code via Rebrickable. But maybe another builder will make it when building your model.

@Fyredog I'm still using original 8878 batteries, they are holding up very well. I also have spares from LEGO.com when they were available at discount during phase out. I haven't build the pneumatic Akiyuki module but other pneumatic modules. Mostly they don't last 7 event days during LEGO World, the cilinders tend to fail.

@Seo-onDaddy Why don't you use Lithium PowerFunctions lookalikes/clones like the CADA Lithium ion battery box (500 mAh, 7.4V)? It has half the capacity of the LEGO PF 8878 but with the rotary dumper and crane loader it should last 2 hours and is also lighter than batteries. I'm not sure if you can use it without the remote though as I use PF 8878. Mould King also has a Lithium battery box. LEGO PF is discontinued and for GBC it is okay to use 3rd party components to keep the GBCs going. You can also charge the batteries while in the train so you don't have to take the trains apart every time. I have four trains and when fully charged at the start of the day they will last an event day of 7 hours. If you can't get them I would alter a cheap LEGO standard battery box and put the 2-cell lithium polymer battery (1500 mAh) in as you suggest. 1500mAh will not be enough for a full event day with the Rotary Dumper and Crane loader but just a few hours short. Also take some spare motors with you. The M-motor doesn't like to be switched every time and lasts about 50 hours in my trains. Also there it is okay to use 3rd party like Mould King. I use dry Teflon PTFE to lubricate. I don't spray on the LEGO parts but use a small brush to apply the teflon where needed and spray in a cup first. I also lubricate the liftarms/beams where the train is dragged over and the underside of the train but it must be cleaned and re-applied before a show. All small things helps battery life. Good luck with your show and post a video here to show your setup.

In principle the wheel is a passing unit where the trains cannot collide and have to wait for each other if two trains are used. My double functioning passing unit works that way but I imagine it will be difficult to use that mechanism in the Falkirk wheel. I expect with two trains, one train will empty in the rotary dumper but that train has to wait until the bottom train is back with marbles. Depending on what the other train receiving the marbles is doing, it could take quite some time and the train on top is idling a lot waiting for the other train to be back. Why don't you make it easier on yourself and just use a counterweight instead of a second train or start with that setup to get it working? With a second train the filling process must be quite fast or a third train must be added. With one train in the 'Falkirk' wheel you have more control over balancing the train action with the position of the passing station.

I have this specific part in Black and DBG and the bar does NOT go through all the way.

I use all hubs and Pybricks is the way to go. I just bought a few small Spike hubs and am using the large hubs more and more because I like the fact that they have a rechargeable battery so the use of AA or AAA batteries can be avoided (even when rechargeable). I also use Technic hubs but in fixed applications with a 3rd party USB power adapter. Together with a few extensions cables the power supply are the only 3rd part components I use, simply because LEGO does not have them. With Pybricks and Control+ and don't need 3rd party hubs or controllers, it can do everything I need. On my Rebrickable are the VW T1 Crawler and Load Zone project as Control+ examples with free instructions, and even a mouse jiggler: https://rebrickable.com/users/Berthil/mocs/ In Eurobricks Technic competitions I have also used Control+. My latest project is also a Control+ project with a large Space Solar Mining layout and 8 motors, in this WIP 4 of them are build and in operation controlled by Pybricks.

Just tried with real pieces, Fez piece (cone) goes in all the way and looks like it will clamp the last mm. I didn't try all the way because getting it out again will be a nightmare or even not possible. Putting round bricks 1 x 1 under the Fez should help but Fez will wiggle.

Is also use up to 4 modes with the PU remote and Pybricks with the center green button as a mode switch button. That's 6 x 4 = 24 options to control. You can also use pre-programmed motions like I also did in my Load Zone project. One button press moves the fork-lifter to fetch or put a pallet using 3 motors. Recently support for Xbox controller has been added by Pybricks. So may be it's time to learn a bit of Python. Worst thing that can happen is that you learn something.

The trial case was today and the verdict is there, in short: HA Bricks has to stop sales within 2 days and has to share all sales data with TLG. If HA Bricks does not comply, a fine of EUR 1.000 a day has to be paid. TLG could also demand a fine of EUR 500 euro per sold product. HA Bricks has to pay the EUR 16.000 legal fees. Main points: Printing of bricks and minifigures without permission of TLG. Adding metal bearings to LEGO bricks. Printing and bearings alter the LEGO bricks permanently and are used in combination with the LEGO trademark in products and on the website, this is not permitted. Full verdict (in Dutch) here with English quotes. TLG has done a test purchase of a HA Bricks train to support their case at court. If I understood correctly the trains are not the only business of HA Bricks, there is also a large Bricklink store.

Nice one @Appie! Hope to see the video soon.

I've made this one for this competition, it will participate in the LUG meeting in August. Free building instruction on Rebrickable. I'll probably only use the Pick-Up configuration in the competition, that one worked best.

I run my trains with M motor and rechargeable PF battery at 7 day events. The trains running the Rotary Dumper and Crane Loader run for 4 hours before they need recharging, the trains with the lighter running modules sometimes a full event day.