Lego Technic Help!

[Knight3]

Hello everyone,

Its been 4 years since I started playing with Legos once again. Starting from NXT, I've bought lots of sets - 9397, 8110, 9398, 8043, to name a few. Even if I didn't post anything, I've been a fan of this site. I've been busy with my studies then, so I've disassembled the pieces in the hope of building something cool like everyone. 

Getting used to the studless system was hard. I realized my knowledge of lacking, so I read Sariel's book and Lego Technic idea book. (Skimmed through, as I didn't have much time back then.)

I took a break from legos starting from 2014 - I had to go live in my grandmother's place (So I had no choice but to leave most of my legos at home, but I took some important parts like Pneumatics/Power functions/NXT/beams, etc). Recently, out of the blue, I started collecting it again - I've bought the EV3, 42053, 42049, 42043, 42055, and a race car which had a pull back motor. 

Anyways, while building, I always seem to have this problem of not following how it works. I'm not talking about easy sets like 9398, or 42049. Something like 42043, 8110, 42055, 8043 - I just have trouble understanding the complicated gearbox. I try playing around with what gear is connected to what, and turn the axles to see how it will work, but as it becomes gradually more complex, I lose sight of what happens. So, all I do is, turn on the motor, and see how it performs. I turn on the other switch. Then I see how it all rotates like magic. "Ohhh!" I say that, but am not satisfied. Since I can't recreate the inner mechanism, I've not understood it clearly. (Yes I'm talking about the ones with the 16 tooth gear with Clutch, like 6542a and 18946 (rebrick ID))

 

So my question is,
1) How do you guys deal with the gearboxes? How do you understand it? Is there an easier way to do so?
2) How does one come up with such a thing?

And if you could give me any other tips, that would be helpful!

Thanks in advance. :)
 

Edited September 30, 2016 by Knight3

[allanp]

for help understanding 42055, have you seen Blakbirds review?

It shows many diagrams of the internal workings, some of which are colour coded which allows you to follow the drive trains.

[syclone]

I am not an expert in gearboxes, but having built a few of others, all I can say is that it takes some time to understand how everything works - just like mathematics or anything else - the first time you see a something complex you don't know what to do, but as you practice, you just understand it and can solve it.  It's like learning another language. 

 

 

Edited September 30, 2016 by LXF

[knotian]

Rotsa Ruck - Grasshopper

All kidding aside, you have found the greatest site for just what you want. Browse and especially follow the links some of the people have posted. There are several books available from "no starch" and they have some good sales. As to understanding what happens - build one and test it as you go. Look on line also for public domain references.

As far as 'how do they come up with these', your guess is as good as mine, but seriously they study 'real' transmissions, gear boxes, vehicles etc and then go bonkers as they build a Lego equivalent.

Welcome to the fold. Happy building.

[Knight3]

9 minutes ago, allanp said:

for help understanding 42055, have you seen Blakbirds review?

It shows many diagrams of the internal workings, some of which are colour coded which allows you to follow the drive trains.

Yes, I did read it before buying the set - that was one of the best reviews I've read! 

Surely, it helped alot while building. ^_^

[Victor Imaginator]

Best way to learn how gearboxes work is build one from scratch.

[1980-Something-Space-Guy]

Some people design gearboxes for a living. It is not a trivial thing in real life.

What you were trying is the way I have managed to understand the gearboxes in my sets. I've just never been in the position of needing to make one in a set. Then we'd see if I learned anything in college.