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.

Lego EV3 Program for a Lego GBC Ball Counter

Some people have asked if I could share the programming for my EV3 based GBC counter.  So I've cleaned it up a bit and added comments where I could.  It is now available for free download at my GitHub repository HERE.

Functionality includes the ability to save and restore your count, as well as reset the current BPS if you have a breakdown or stoppage in the layout that you want to ignore.

You will need a Lego EV3 Brick and a Lego EV3/NXT Touch Sensor.

You can see my original Lego GBC Ball Counter video here.



If you have any questions or comments on this you can email me @ matt@greatballpit.com or ask on the GBC chat on Discord which you can join by clicking HERE.

The Better Ball Bin

Not content with my smaller 30 ball bin, I went back to the drawing board and came up with something that is much more then just a ball bin.  I present to you the Better Ball Bin.

Features

• Holds 95 Balls Securely.
• Double Hinged Lid stays out of the way when opened.
• Easy Pour Slot provides a controlled flow of balls when emptying the bin.
• Flip up 10 brick tall measure for GBC Standard I/O compliance testing.
• Extra Parts and Tool Storage (25L Unjammer included).

Instructions can be found here on github, or linked from my instructions page.

Turntable Top for Ball Pump

I've just released some instructions for the turntable top I built for the BW2018 Ball Pump.  This should also work with any other ball pump.  I have not included an output ramp, but there is a Technic pinhole that is available to connect something.

With this top you can adjust which direction you want your output to face, as well there is several accessible technic pins, pin holes and the main gear rack so you can modify this to do whatever you can imagine.  (Maybe even motorizing the main gear rack to spin the output).

Instructions can be found on the instructions page or you can jump directly to the PDF on github here https://github.com/greatballpit/LegoGBC/blob/master/Instructions/turntable-top.pdf

Locking 30 Ball Bin

Now that I've joined a Lego club, I need a way to transport my GBC balls to meetings when I'm displaying a new module.  Previously I would just put them in a ziplock bag or a small plastic container.  That was not purist enough so I've now created a nice small locking 30 ball bin which conveniently holds 30 balls, the same size as the batch rule of the GBC standard.

This box is built using brick and beam techniques so it is very strong and shouldn't open on it's own.  It is locked using a 3L Friction Pin with Bush (In red).  The hinged lid has one extended beam to allow for easier opening.

I've also decorated a second copy of this box for Christmas.  If I saw one of these under the Christmas tree I'd be very happy!

I've created instructions for this box and they can be found HERE as well as on the INSTRUCTIONS page.

Building GBC Instructions in the Stud.io 2 Beta

Hey everyone,

I've recently built a fun little module which I'm calling Whirligig, and created instructions for it using the new Stud.io 2 beta from Bricklink.  You can get it HERE.

If you don't know, Bricklink has been developing it's own 3D Lego building software for a while and I've been using it for all of my previous instructions.  The big change in V2 is the inclusion of an instruction maker, and a photo realistic model renderer.  Previously I would have to use an additional application called LPub3D to make the instructions after building the module in Stud.io.

High Quality Render from Stud.io 2 Beta

The new instruction maker has a really great page editor that makes it easy to move things around, and insert images and text.

The biggest issues I have with the current Beta is that the Bill of Materials creator (The Parts List) is not as "Lego" looking as the one in LPub3D, as well it isn't that optimized yet to fit as many pieces as possible onto a single page.

Conclusion?
Overall I think the software is well on its way to becoming the premiere Lego Digital Design tool, especially with the ability to connect directly to Bricklink and set up a shopping list to order all the parts.

If you would like the instructions for Whirligig, they are available on the Lego GBC Instructions Page

GBC Tutorial - Where can you get GBC balls?

I know many of you GBP readers will know where to acquire GBC balls, but for people wanting to start building GBC I've uploaded a video showing where you can get them online.  I also share the reasoning why it's best to build with the official balls if you think you might eventually bring your modules to a collaborative layout.

If you haven't seen it before my online information on this topic is available here.

GBP - Workshop Module 01

Today I'm releasing the v1.0 instructions for my simple conveyor which I'm calling:
Great Ball Pit Workshop Module 01

Instructions for "GBPWM01" can be found on the instructions page.

It is built using 194 pieces which includes a Lego Power Functions M Motor.  Alternatively you can rig it up to run with shared power fairly easily (This will be shown in the upcoming video).

Output height is decent so you can rig up a nice ramp or widget to get the balls to the next module.  (I'll be showing a few of these in the video as well)

Some people have asked me why I called it Workshop Module 01.  Well I think it's so small and useful, I would use it as a workshop module.  As well I will be making a few videos showing it, modifying it, and whatever else I can think of.

Note:  This is designed to run at around 50-75% speed when using a PF M Motor, so I would recommend using a 9V Train Controller with this module.  Alternatively you could use the Infrared receiver and the IR Remote to set the speed as well.

The video will be out on the YouTube channel on Tuesday.

Enjoy, and please let me know if you find any issues with the module so I can iterate and update the instructions.

GBC Tutorial Series

Today I present the first of my GBC tutorial videos.  This new series will help answer questions people have about GBC, and how I built some of my mechanisms.  As well I plan on featuring simple, small module builds in these videos.

First up is a question I've been asked for a while now.  How is the trapdoor on Greylime built?  In the following video I'll show you how to build one.