New Lego GBC Module - Laminar Flow

 

This is Laminar Flow, my latest Lego GBC module that I built for the 2021 Great Ball Pit Challenge.  The main constraint of this years challenge was to lift a ball to a height of 24 inches (64 Bricks).  I achieved the height with a twinned conveyor powered by a Lego PF-M motor.

This module features a Zamor Sphere (Part: 54821) filter that recirculates the Zamor's inside the module, while Lego GBC Balls are allowed to exit.  Well... this is what's supposed to happen.  Sometimes the Lego GBC balls are also re-circulated, which is something I will need to improve in the future.

The filter is simply 2 beams spaced apart at a distance that allows for the GBC balls to fall through.  The new beams with pinholes on all sides (Part:71710) seem to work well for this application.

The gearbox is fairly simple, with the medium motor clutched and geared down so it can move the large conveyor without any issues.  The conveyor is tensioned like my other Technic built conveyors using a pair of light-grey spring shocks.

In summary, I'm really happy to have been able to use up the following quantity of parts that were sitting lifeless in my workshop:

• Blue Zamor Spheres (Thanks VLC Diana)
• Blue Duplo Slides that were once used in my 8 foot long slide video VIDEO HERE
• Lots of LUGBulked Black 1x16 Technic Bricks and  Black 7x11 Technic Frames

This module is sure to have great table presence if I can ever get it to a live GBC event.  (Hopefully sometime in 2022). 

Thank you for visiting, and feel free to join the community Discord server located here https://discord.gg/YPwm9w7

New Lego GBC Module - S13

A few weeks ago I finished my entry to the 2020 Great Ball Pit Challenge, but did not have time to make a video for it.  The video has now been released and you can watch it below.

The module uses a serpentine lift which was originally built by Brian Alano.  I used Lawrie's revised instructions, and then made further changes. I increased the height, and used several 36T bevel gears to chain all the lifters together.

This was my first time building a serpentine mechanism, and my first time building a weighted tipper.  My original idea for a "13 batch" module was to use a PUP HUB and sensor to determine when to unload balls, but I wanted something even simpler.  By reusing my trapdoor switch (tutorial available), it allowed me to use the simplest way to batch balls, a weighted tipper.  Getting the balance right was fairly simple, but the mechanism is a bit harsh at times, and a ball or two may escape while a tipper is being reset.

We had 18 people build modules for this years challenge, and I'm expecting even more next year!  Join the GBC Community chat here! http://www.discord.gg/YPwm9w7

Updated Module - RISE+RUN Version 2

Recently while going through my collection of modules, I took a hard look at my RISE+RUN module and had to make a decision.  Tear it down, or rebuild it to work reliably.  I decided on the latter since the original had zero run time at BrickCon 2019 due to it jamming as soon as it was put on the table.

The main issue was the piston steppers at the front of the module: Brick built, poorly.  They would catch on other bricks, and then gears would jump and become desynchronized.  My solution: Do a "full technic" rebuild of the module, removing 90% of the system brick leaving only the transition ramps and input bin tiling.

The results are a sturdier, more reliable module.  I replaced the "piston steps" with smaller tipping ramps.   I've also added a phase adjustment knob, that allows for tuning the ramps to pass balls without any hiccups.

Please enjoy a short video of the module in action below.

Lego Boost Pachinko GBC - Star Wars Trench Run

Today I'm revealing the second of two new game boards for my Lego Boost Pachinko GBC module.  This board is themed after the Star Wars Trench Run on the Death Star.

This board took quite a bit more work then the Minecraft one, due to trying to get the board to look like the death star.  Simple things like the rotating auto-laser turrets needed refinement to get the balance correct on the spinners.

I used inspiration and the same design for the ships from my now disassembled Start Wars Trench Run GBC module.  The jackpot is triggered when a ball enters the thermal exhaust port.

I will be keeping this as my only game board for now.  Please enjoy the short video below.



If you haven't seen it, here is my original Trench Run conveyor.

New Lego GBC Workshop Module - Worm Mill

Today I'm presenting the newest module in my "workshop" series.  The Worm Mill (WM02).  This module uses a compact double vertical sweeper to lift the balls from the input area to the output ramp.  The drive unit is connected to the module with a pivot point at the rear so that it won't "snap or pop" if balls get caught under the lifting arms while it's in operation.

The throughput of this module is what I would call "very high" which is common for most vertical sweepers.  It's powered by a lego Power Functions medium motor because it has the anti-studs on the bottom which allows it to connect to the system built drive unit / worm gearbox.  A Powered Up medium motor should work as well since it also has anti-studs.

The gear train is built using the system gearbox, which contains a 2L worm and 24T gear.  You can rig it up for shared power between duplicate modules, but I have not included instructions for that.  There is a bit of trial and error into getting the output to work with the motor removed.  The motor in the regular build is actually part of the output ramp, guiding the balls out.

Free instructions have been added to the Lego GBC Instructions page.

New game boards for my Boost Pachinko GBC module.

While setting up my new Lego room, I took a moment to dust off most of the GBC modules I still had assembled.  My Lego Boost Pachinko GBC module debuted at BrickCon 2018, and has been sitting in its crate ever since.  So I decided to make a few new game boards for it, the first one I revealed today is a Minecraft themed one.

The module itself had a few tweaks, I braced the conveyor gearing, and added some more support to the aiming mechanism, but other than that, it's mostly a cosmetic refresh.  The jackpot on this board is triggered when the ball passes into the Nether Portal.

I've also built a simple stand for my phone while it runs the Lego Boost application.

The second game board is a Star Wars themed one that will be revealed soon.  If you want to know how my Boost Pachinko module works, you can take a look at the original video where I reveal the insides.

New Lego GBC Module Video - Catamaran Remix

Today I'm doing the official reveal of my 42105 Catamaran Remix Lego GBC module.  This module uses parts from the Lego Technic 42105 Catamaran set, and has resulted in a vertical sweeper module that actually floats! (Video linked below)

It was challenging trying to figure out how to incorporate the sails into a GBC module, and in the end they ended up being used as part of the input bin and output ramp.  The worm gears included in this set allowed for a proper gear reduction, and the pontoons worked as a large stable base for the module.

In order to achieve the floating, I had to add a few Lego boat weight pieces to help balance the weight in the stern of the boat.

I've run this module at a few events now both live and virtual and it has had no issues.  The input bin does not meet the standard for 30 ball batch, but smaller batches of 10 or less seem to work okay.

Instructions will be available in the boutique soon, so check back later if you are interested!

Updated Module - Shared Power Circus

Here is a video showing my updated shared power circus which ran flawlessly during BrickCon 2019.  New to the shared power circus is Lasse Deleuran's Stackable Wheel module which sits at the front.  The remaining 3 modules have had their positions swapped to fix a few issues that were happening during BrickCan 2019.  (Balls dumped from DROP into Whirligig would spill occasionally.)




I am very happy with how this setup has been performing, the only thing I may change in the future is rebuilding the modules with a more cohesive colour scheme.

New Module - Splatiyuki

Here is my latest module which is called Splatiyuki.  It is based off the Akiyuki designed loader for his "Cars with ACC" GBC module.  Differences are that I've replaced the Boost Hub with a Power Functions M Motor and some gearing.  I have also added a second counter-rotating splat lift.

I wanted to do something "interesting" for the output so I used up a bunch of engine intakes pieces to create a zig zag ramp.  The output ramp is designed to sit on the next modules input bin.

Big thanks to Akiyuki for releasing the instructions for the splat loader and making this module possible!

New Lego GBC Module - Tiny Stepper

Here is a 10x10x10 stepper.  It was actually a bit of a challenge to get everything to fit in the small footprint.  It meets most of the GBC Standard but can only take around 20 balls, a little short of the 30 ball batch.  Having said that, it can clear balls quickly.

It uses a Lego Power Functions M motor, and a simple stepper lift.  Be sure to watch to the end to see the module BATTLE!

New Lego GBC Module - Multipath

Presenting Multipath, my latest Lego Great Ball Contraption module!

This module was built with utility in mind, and its output can be split into two separate paths.

The lift mechanism is a stepper that loads 4-5 balls into the sports ramp half-pipe, where a vertical sweeper raises the balls to the output ramps.  Both output ramps can be set to recirculate if desired.  If only one output ramp is set to recirculate then this module behaves like any other, with one input and one output.

It's powered by a Lego Power Functions M motor, but you can hear it slightly straining in the video.  I may replace this with an L motor in the future depending on its performance at the next convention.

This module took a little while to get working right, the most challenging part was building  the linkage that swings the sweeper in a back-forth type motion.

BrickWorld Chicago 2019 GBC SAWTOOTH Lego Great Ball Contraption Module

Today I present my version of SAWTOOTH.  A Lego GBC Module designed by John Brost.  This module was created for use as the BrickWorld 2019 Chicago GBC Workshop Module.  It uses a Jigsaw style lift and is powered by a Lego Power Functions M Motor.

I've skinned my version to be mostly light and dark grey, I also added a rainbow colour to the lift mechanism.  I call this variation "Grainbow".

I built mine only using the parts list, a video clip, and a cover image.  No instructions were available at the time of the build, which made this quite challenging yet satisfying.

Please enjoy the video.

Lego Old Town Road GBC Module

I'm gonna take my lego to the old town road 🎶 I'm gonna build 🎶 until I can't no more.

Today I'm sharing my Old Town Road module based on the #1 song from Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.

The module starts with a custom conveyor designed to look like an old wooden grain elevator.  It was based on my WM01 small conveyor, but I increased the height so that it could reach the "Old Town Road" part of the module.  I had to add a tensioner to the conveyor due to the increased height which  left some slack in the conveyor.

The balls exit the conveyor onto a ring of old racer track, where Lil Nas and Billy Ray are circling the Old Town Road indefinitely.  The balls are pushed around the track until they reach the split which allows them to go down a track segment and out of the module.

 

Since the Grain Elevator isn't physically attached to the Old Town Road, it can be placed anywhere around ring.  This allows this module to be used as a corner module or a U-Turn module depending on what's needed in the layout.

  

Lil Nas and Billy Ray have custom mounts with Lil Nas riding on a horse with his loot, and Billy Ray riding in a Red Sports car with his guitar.

 

They are driven around the track by an XL motor which powers a simple gear train to spin the 32L axles from the middle of the ring.  I put all of this into a mountain / mine type structure which is physically connected to the ring ensuring that is remains positioned correctly. 

The utility of this module being able to be a corner or U-Turn is something that I really needed in my collection of GBC modules.  I'm planning on keeping this one in my permanent collection.

New Module Rise and Run

Today I'm sharing one of my latest modules I call Rise and Run.  This module uses two mechanisms to move the balls along.  The first mechanism is a small step, which raises up to 3 balls to an awaiting ramp of steps.  The second mechanism (the ramp) then tilts upwards allowing the balls to tumble down the stairs and out of the module.

It is powered with a Lego Power Functions L-Motor, because I needed the speed of the M-Motor along with some more torque.  It is not clutched and I found the M-motor would sound strained when pushing up one of the ramps.

This was a fairly quick module to build, it was finished in 2 days.  It's using a fairly common power train that has been used in many other modules by other builders.  There is a long axle that runs along the bottom of the module and power is branched off once for the tilting ramps, and again for the steppers.  Using worm gears to take power off the driveline increases the torque and keeps things running smooth.  The downside being that it really slows things down, and that's why I went with an L-Motor instead of an XL-Motor.

If you have any questions about this module feel free to drop a comment below or on the YouTube video page.

New Module 💰 The Money Bin 💰 and 1000 Sub Giveaway!

In celebration of hitting the 1000 subscriber milestone on YouTube I've created this fun module based on Scrooge McDuck's Money Bin.  GBC balls are not cheap, and Scrooge is hoarding as many as he can!

The module meets the GBC standard for input and output, and the lift mechanism is a conveyor powered by a PF M-Motor.  It's a modified version of my "Tall Technic Conveyor".

 

The trap door is a fairly straight forward floor of beams that are counterweighted with some system brick.  The chute can be switched to either recirculate or output the balls, it is operated with the red lever attached to the 40T gear.  This drives a 8T gear that moves a flap inside the chute.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

‣ I am giving away a sealed copy of Lego Technic set 42071 Dozer Compactor.

‣ I will be picking one random person who has commented on the YouTube video page at 12:00PST May 31st, 2019.

‣ I will post the name of the winner in a pinned comment on the YouTube video page.

‣ They will have 72 hours to email their contact information to contact@greatballpit.com If that doesn't happen I will pick another person.

8 Foot Duplo Slide

A while back I saw a slide like this in a European GBC video and really wanted to try building one as well.  I ordered 20 of these Duplo slide pieces from Lego replacement parts and have finally gotten around to filming it.  The motion of the balls is quite interesting from certain angles.

I'm hoping to work on this slide some more and turn it into a bi-directional bypass module.

Quick Look - GBB-8C (Version 2)

Here's a quick look at the second version of my GBB-8C module.  The first one failed hard at BrickCan 2018, so I wanted to quickly fix it for BrickCan 2019 which is coming up in a few weeks on the May the 4th weekend.

The new version uses the rock solid BrickWorld 2018 Ball Pump designed by Brian Alano.  Instructions for the BW2018 ball pump can be found here: http://www.greatballcontraption.com/wiki/File:2018_Brickworld_Ball_Pump.pdf

Quick Look - Space Balls the Contraption

Here's a quick look at the Benny Space theme I applied to Ryk Field's REF03 module.



Instructions for Ryk's module can be found here: https://github.com/rykfield/REF03-16x16-Stepper/blob/master/REF03%20-%2016x16%20Stepper.pdf

New Lego GBC Module - EV3 Counter

I've recently completed my EV3 Counter GBC Module that I will be using at BrickCan 2019.  I consider it a utility module so I decided to leave it rather plain looking.  I may return to it at a later date to make it look a bit "nicer".

It uses a Power Functions M Motor to power the conveyor which is using the new extra large sprockets (part #: 6253463)

Battery life is yet to be determined, but I'm pretty confident the 6AA should last throughout the weekend since the EV3 Hub is not driving any motors.

If it ends up being reliable at BrickCan 2019 I plan on releasing instructions and the EV3 program.

New Lego GBC Module - Winter River

I've recently created the 4th and final module in my Minecraft theme series.  It's a tipping ramp module called "Winter River".  It uses my WM01 module as the lift mechanism, and the balls gently roll around in the river before falling out to the right.

I've always enjoyed seeing these table style modules where a large quantity of balls can roll around before exiting.  So I figured with WM01 as the conveyor this would be a great close to a series of four modules that use different lift mechanisms.

My Lego Minecraft GBC Series

• Morgan's Mine: Tipping Ramp
• Matt's Mine: Triple Stepper
• Chicken Pump: Ball Pump
• Winter River: Conveyor

The tipping ramp simply "Bolts on" to the WM01 module and is powered by the meshing of the 40T gears.  It took me a little while to get the right speed and amount of tilt correct for the table.  I used a bunch of pieces from the Minecraft Polar Igloo 21142 set for the decoration.

While this is not a complex module, I enjoy watching it operate with it's slow motion.