Search the Community

Update: Information regarding modules from 2018 onwards are represented after @Blakbird's original post. I want to keep BlakBird's section of the post as he left it, to honour the immense amount of work he put into it. ( @Ankoku @9v system) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Post Start ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- G%$ #@&% it. Thanks to Akiyuki, The Rebricker, and the rest of you &%$*ers, I've now caught the GBC bug and it is going to cost me a lot of time and money. It all started with Akiyuki. Well, GBC didn't start with Akiyuki, but I was more or less "meh" on the whole concept until he came along. His ingenious mechanical solutions are mesmerizing, perplexing, and wonderful. Although I admired them from the start, I figured there was more or less no chance of me replicating them from the videos, especially since the one I was most interested in was also the most complicated: the ball factory. My involvement therefore remained stagnant (and non-existent) for a couple of years until The ReBricker showed up and proved that you really could reverse engineer the Ball Factory and then went one step further and posted video instructions for the whole thing. "Fine", I thought, "I'll just build that one." A few months of LDraw modeling, part collecting, building, testing, and display case building later I was hooked. It was one of the greatest building experiences I've ever had. This forum has repeatedly wished for a comprehensive set of instructions for the GBC modules of Akiyuki, and I've decided it is my responsibility to help make your dreams come true. With that in mind, I've compiled a list of all of Akiyuki's 31 non-Mindstorms modules with the goal of creating and/or finding complete PDF instructions for as many of them as possible and compiling the resources here. I've made a lot of progress already. Here is the list along with whatever I know about building material available. (currently 31 of 31 complete) Pinball PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 992 parts Presentation Topic IO file Zigzag Stairs PDF instructions available from Courbet 481 parts Presentation Topic IO file Cup to Cup - Type 1 v1 PDF instructions available from djm v2 PDF instructions available from Blakbird 1089 parts Presentation Topic Cup to Cup - Type 2 PDF instructions available from Courbet 1222 Parts Presentation topic IO file Elevator Module PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 1621 parts Presentation Topic IO file Marble Run PDF instructions available from Blakbird and legolijtje 1140 parts Presentation Topic IO file Catch and Release PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 711 parts Presentation topic IO file Ball Factory Video instructions available from The Rebricker PDF instructions available from Blakbird 4428 parts Detailed review by Blakbird Spiral Lift Short Version 876 parts PDF instructions available from Blakbird Presentation Topic IO file Tall Version 1455 parts PDF instructions available from Blakbird and 9V System Presentation Topic Pneumatic Module PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 543 parts Presentation Topic IO file Archimedes Screw - Type 1 PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 995 parts Presentation Topic IO file Archimedes Screw - Type 2 PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 739 parts Presentation Topic IO file Archimedes Screw - Type 3 PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 768 parts Presentation Topic IO file Zig-Zag Lift PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 800 parts Presentation Topic IO file Basket Shooter V1 PDF instructions available from Blakbird and djm V2 file from 9v system 2226 Parts Presentation Topic Train Module - Type 1 PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet Motor (157 parts) Switch (167 parts) Unloader (324 parts) Siding (106 parts) Loader (603 parts) Crane (3046 parts) Complete Set (4569 parts) Presentation Topic IO file of full layout Train Module - Type 2 PDF instructions available from Courbet Motor (160 parts) Unloader (751 parts) Siding (178 parts) Loader (835 parts) Presentation Topic Wheel and Steps PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 1198 parts Presentation Topic IO file Step Module V1PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr V2PDF instructions available from Ankoku and 9v system 1785 parts Presentation Topic IO file Fork PDF instructions available from Blakbird 878 parts Presentation Topic IO file Six Heads PDF instructions available from Blakbird 1696 parts Presentation Topic IO file Bucket Wheel Tower PDF instructions available from Blakbird 1415 parts Presentation topic IO file for 8 bucket version Lifter Triggered by a Stuck Ball Video instructions available from The Rebricker PDF instructions available from Blakbird 1068 parts Presentation topic IO file Spiral Staircase PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 1923 parts Presentation topic IO file Tilted Rotors PDF instructions available from Blakbird 1223 parts Presentation topic IO file Invisible Lift Video instructions available from The Rebricker PDF instructions available from Blakbird 3203 parts Presentation topic IO file Cycloidal Drive PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 2081 parts Presentation topic IO file Fork to Fork PDF instructions available from Blakbird and jesuskyr 1743 parts Presentation topic IO file Planets PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 1558 Parts Presentation topic IO file Strain Wave Gearing PDF instructions available from Blakbird and Courbet 2789 Parts Presentation topic IO file Zig Zag stairs V1 PDF instructions available from 9v system 469 parts IO file Here's a montage of some of the LDraw work I've done so far which also gives you an idea of the relative scale of the modules: I'm not going to post any actual instruction files until I (or someone else) has tested them by physically building the model and proving that it works. I'm a stickler for accuracy, so I'm trying to get as close to Akiyuki's originals as possible. I already have PDF instructions ready for 4 of them and just need to test them out. As I build each model, I'll post a mini review about what I've learned and then I'll post links to the instructions and parts lists so anyone else can build them too. (Update: See bulleted list above for which instruction files are currently available.) As always, help is welcome. If you have successfully built any of these modules and are willing to share your information, please let me know here. In particular, I need LDraw files to make instructions. In a pinch, I can make them myself if you have detailed photos. In an even tighter pinch, I'm making everything myself from the videos, but it is slow going. Enjoy! Akiyuki GBC modules with instructions available to buy from the man himself ( In 2018, Akiyuki started to create instructions for some of his modules. Some for free, some require payment. For anyone who has tried to reverse engineer one of his modules, the price he charges is more than worth it. ) Hockey Stick Lift (2018) https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1234 Catch and Spin Robots (2019) https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1423 Heart Chain (2019) https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1509 Peanut (2019) https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1587 Akiyuki GBC modules with free instructions Cars with adaptive cruise control (2019) https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1667 Spiral Lift GBC module compact type (2020) instructions by @FernandoQ https://akiyuki.jp/en/works/1841 New modules which currently don't have instructions available there are currently no new Akiyuki modules that need instructions Modules that were inspired or modified from this project Modules by @FernandoQ Serpentine PDF Instructions 1356 parts Pasillos/ Tilting ladder PDF Instructions 1140 Parts Modules by @Berthil Related threads Train System @Doug72 has created a dedicated thread for the Train System here: It contains many improvements, mods, additions etc. which anyone interested in the train system should check out! EV3 @9v system has created a dedicated thread for Akiyuki's EV3 modules: A thread dedicated to modules like the Ball Cleaner, Container Transporter and Fast Ball Sorter Robot.

Below an overview of all my GBC machines with correct links and background information with newest on top. All image thumbnails link to the Youtube video. Green title means the GBC is present in my collection, with red title is demolished and no longer exists. Bold text is the Mould King set, all licensed. All machines are 100% LEGO and 100% mechanical. If a machine has a building instruction it is for free and linked below the video. About 25 machines survived as I only keep the reliable modules that are suitable for events. When put after each other the length would be about 16 meters. I will be updating this post when I create new machines (or demolish one). Some machines have a dedicated topic on Eurobricks but most of them not. Feel free to comment or ask questions about any module. This Youtube Playlist will show all GBC machine videos. I started eight years ago with building GBC machines when I saw a big circle of machines at LEGO World Utrecht while being an exhibitor myself with a modular squash center and RoscoPC F1 models. After that I started building the more difficult Akiyuki machines, for fun and to learn from them. This would not have been possible without the Akiyuki project thread here on Eurobricks! It wasn't long before I designed my own GBC and actually that first one has been the most successful one to date (Rainbow Wave). Since then I've build over 30 machines and exhibited all of them on several events, mainly LEGO World Utrecht. A highlight was the invitation to show 3 machines to Eva Longoria in a very popular Spanish live TV show called El Hormiguero. Snake Circle 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. Length 34 cm 1842 parts Building Instructions Speeder Bike Ball Pump 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. Length 45 cm 3106 parts Building Instructions Crane Loader Type 2 Re-design and modernisation of the Akiyuki Train Loader for the Type 2 train. Many modifications were needed to run the bigger Type 2 train. Drive and timing system replaced by a long gear rack and a clutch switch. Length 99 cm (with three train tracks) 3298 parts Building Instruction Wall Wave A Wave up a Wall. This LEGO Great Ball Contraption has a switch to drive by hand and an option to re-route the balls into the inbox. Length 34 cm 1945 parts Building Instruction Rollercoaster Fully mechanical Rollercoaster with 24 Carts and one Power Functions XL motor. Only Light Bluish Gray tracks were used, tracks gaps to align the tracks correctly are filled with rigid hoses. Length 119 cm 5011 parts Building instruction not available. Inception Machine with three flipping cubes and steppers create a never ending ball path for four balls. Based on the Penrose Stairs from Yosuke Ikeda. The machine is operated by hand and needs a soft touch to let it work well. Technically not a GBC but the intention was/is there to create one with the same concept. For this version the x45 GBC balls were too light so the 18mm steel balls from Mindstorms were used. It took wo years of trail and error to create this machine. 1707 parts Building Instruction Push Ups Based on the Serpentine by Akassin, runner-up in the Eurobricks TC23 GBC contest. This compact machine has an option to switch to hand crank and has a reroute to the inbox. With this it is possible to run it by hand as a stand alone machine. Length 35 cm 1670 parts Building Instruction Container Transporter V3 'Akiyukification' of the Container Transposer by Geoff. The original Container Transporter by Akiyuki was controlled by a NXT, three motors and three touch sensors. The version from Geoff is 100% mechanical and timed via differentials and a timing disc, a masterpiece in engineering with 136 gears! This 'V3' version lifts these genius mechanics into a GBC frame. Length 97 cm 3686 parts Building Instruction Ferris Wheel Entrant and winner of the TC23 GBC Competition. The wheel is held together by 128 strings and has 63 ball pods. 64 were planned but the strings had too much tension with 64. Currently eight strings have been replaced by axles to make transport in a flat position to events possible. Length 84 cm Building Instruction not available. TC23 entry topic Planetary Lift This is the feed module of the Ferris Wheel but as a stand alone GBC module. It has a straight line mechanism based on the idea of ord and others. The stepper ball feed timing has a fine-adjustment through a differential. Length 37 cm 687 parts Building Instruction Mould King 26015 Parallel Steppers A mix of my Rainbow Stepper and the Switchback idea by John Sherman. A reliable module suitable to use as a corner module and including a build-in recycle gate. Length 29 cm 1350 parts Building Instruction Rimo Buckets Original design by Rimo Yaona, reverse engineered and build together with NDL-GBC. Main principle is locking the tower turn movement which initiates the bucket turn, after the bucket turn, the tower turn movement is unlocked. Length 76 cm 1796 parts Building Instruction 26011 Mould King Logarithmic Ball Counter Original design by JK Brickworks through a ball clock which is based on the wooden ball clock by Harley Mayenschein. Ball feed idea based on the double Serpent by Fernando Quintara but rebuild to a studless back frame. Every 10th ball on the ramp is passed on to the ramp below. Length 52 cm 881 parts Building Instruction Eurobricks topic 26012 Mould King Shoot the Loop Entry for the 2021 Great Ball Pit height challenge on Discord (runner-up). A rollercoaster GBC attempt to loop at very high speed, only six weeks of (allowed) development time! The rollercoaster cart is loaded with one ball and launched by high speed spinning wheels. The ball is unloaded at the top. All within about one second! Length ? Module has been demolished as it was not reliable enough for events but a great learning moment to may be create another rollercoaster GBC in the future. Building Instruction not available. Staggered Lift Series of ramps that lift to move balls from left to right onto other ramps. Length 43 cm 1541 parts Building Instruction Akiyuki Five Tilted Rings Rings with pods placed under an angle pass on ball to the upper Ring. Blackout version, inbox turned 90 degrees, Lime accents. Length 63 cm 2966 parts Free building instruction not available because original building instruction is sold by Akiyuki under copyright. The Zebra Entry for the 2021 Great Ball Pit Spring Into GBC Contest on Discord (runner-up). In this contest the trapezoid flag (44676) and Technic crank shaft (2853) had to be used, preferably functional. Build in 3 days from stock parts and uses 66 of the mandatory elements in a functional way. This module has been featured by TLG. Length 59 cm Module has been demolished to make room for other modules. Building Instruction not available. Framed Robot Dreams My version of the very attractive Robot Dreams, 1st GBC by JK Brickworks. This version is using normal gears instead of splat gears, has six robots and is build on a frame. Module has been demolished as I unfortunately after many attempts could not get it reliable enough for events. Length 88 cm 3353 parts Building Instruction Mechanical Container Transporter Original design by Akiyuki which is controlled by a Mindstorms NXT, three motors and three touch switches. This version has one XL motor and a mechanical gearbox controlled by gears and clutches only. Length 85 cm Eurobricks topic Module has been demolished as it was not reliable enough for events. A new attempt based on the Container Transposer by Geoff will be ready soon. Building Instruction of this version not available. Tensegrity Based on the Tensegrity concept by JK Brickworks. The balls going down create unbalance in the Tensegrity structure but not enough to let them collapse. Module has been demolished, it was reliable but for events it took up a lot of space and (by design) could not be moved without collapsing of the ramps. Length 92 cm 2156 parts Building Instruction 26006 Mould King Akiyuki Hockey Stick Lift XXL Original design by Akiyuki. This version has almost triple the amount of pass points to get the ball higher for purposes shown in the video. Length 35 cm Free building instruction not available because original building instruction is sold by Akiyuki under copyright. Bling Color Sorter Geneva drive ball feed with manual ball color switch through Power Functions remote and servo motor. Module has been demolished because the ball exit with colored hoses was too cramped and too many balls dropped. Also kids tend to overpush the PF remote, a remote lasted only one event day! Length 76 cm 1964 parts Building Instruction (by 9V System) Akiyuki Peanuts Original design by Akiyuki, changes to the original design are turning the upper part 45 degrees and adding a frame for sturdiness. Length 60 cm Free building instruction not available because original building instruction is sold by Akiyuki under copyright. Turntable Cup to Cup My version of a Cup to Cup module using six 60 teeth turntables. It took a few years to get this module reliable for events. Length 67 cm 1153 parts Building Instruction Eurobricks topic Rainbow Stepper At most GBC events there are many modules with steppers (and belts) as main mechanism. This is my attempt to make an attractive but simple stepper GBC. Length 52 cm 946 parts Building Instruction 26004 Mould King Akiyuki Ball Factory V3 Original design by Akiyuki. Without doubt one of the the most iconic LEGO Great Ball Contraptions which has drawn me into building GBCs. With 15 synchronized components the Ball Factory is also one of the most complex LEGO GBC ever designed. Originally placed on two big baseplates, it was hard to relocate and reliability was a concern with balls dropping into the complex mechanisms causing jams and need for time consuming resynchronizing. This version is an attempt to make it more reliable and easier to relocate. Length 73 cm 4381 parts Building Instruction Centipede Original design by Great Ball Pit making good use of the well known Brick Separator. Length 60 cm Module has been demolished as it was not reliable enough for events. Building Instruction not available. Vertical Train Loader Unit Vertical Train Loader for the Akiyuki Type 2 Great Ball Contraption train system. This is a compact and reliable GBC to work together with any Type 2 Train Unloader. Length 38 cm 1234 parts Building Instruction Pneumatic Scissor Lift Unit with compact Akiyuki train layout Module to lift the balls over the train tracks with pneumatics. Inspired by the Akiyuki train layout but made much compacter to be able to run on events on a single table. Length 70 cm, complete circuit minimum of 280 cm Building Instruction not available, building instruction for the Compressor is available. Rotary Dumper &Train Elevator Original design by Akiyuki, heavily modified with a new timing system by Doug72 and counterweights to save battery and speed up the cycle. My version uses the original and faster lift but with a lock at the bottom to be able to make full use of the counterweights which in turn saves battery power of the train. Length 80 cm (with 1 track) 2640 parts Building Instruction Train Loader Unit Original design by Akiyuki. Modified (more open) version of the train loader working with V2 Akiyuki train system. Length 58 cm (with 1 track) Building Instruction (by Akiyuki). Train Unloader Unit Original design by Akiyuki. Modified version of the train loader working with V2 Akiyuki train system. Length 49 cm (with 1 track) Building Instruction (by Akiyuki). Train Unit V2 (rechargeable) Original design by Akiyuki. Modified version of the train designed around the rechargeable 8878 LiPo battery. 234 parts Building Instruction Roulette 100% LEGO version of a Roulette wheel with full set of 37 numbers (European style). This GBC is a buffer at the start of a full GBC circuit dispensing two balls per two seconds. The spring loaded shooters have been replaced by weights for reliability (see below). Length 80 cm Building Instruction not available. Hammers Feed module for the above Roulette with a vary large Inbox to hold many balls. Weights (part 73090b) are dropped and shoot the balls in the Roulette. Building Instruction not available. Ball Counter 100% mechanical counter based on the 1 to 10 ratio design by Parax77. This module has been featured by TLG. Length 57 cm Module has been demolished after a few events where the counter mechanism jammed repeatedly. Building Instruction not available. Eurobricks Topic Ball Shooter Marble Run V2 Complete re-design to make this module GBC compliant. The balls are launched by a rotating wheel at 3000 rpm. A first version with two spinning wheels (video here) was not reliable enough. Improvement over the V1 after more than 300 hours of running; Elimination of half plate offset in the drive line, one L motor (M motor gone), longer inbox, centered exit and optimized ball gate with return lock at the top. 2362 parts V2 Building Instruction Building Instruction (by Dunes) without the improvements 26002 Mould King (uses flexible hoses) Solaire Original design by Great Ball Pit. The module uses the 40385 skateboard ramps as pathways. Length 30 cm Module has been demolished as it was not reliable enough for events. Building Instruction (by 9V System) Ball Catcher Platform together with the Paternoster and Ball splitter. In de video is a mouse as Ball Catcher. The mouse is controlled by Power Functions. The mouse has been replaced by a motorized Wall·E of set 21303 (not in the video). Future plans are to convert this platform to the robot pathways of the Pixar movie. Length 90 cm Building Instruction not available. Paternoster Designed after the Paternoster in the Pixar Wall·E movie. Length 33 cm 2357 parts Building Instruction (by 9V system) Double Bucket Wheel Having bought two 42055 Excavators for parts to get started with GBC, this module was to see if I could put the buckets to work. It worked. Module has been demolished, basically because it did not get much interest during events and I needed the storage room for other modules. Length 44 cm 999 parts Building Instruction (by 9V System) Ball Shooter Marble Run Original design by Akiyuki. First attempt to transform the Marble Run to a stand alone GBC compliant module with two high speed spinning wheels.. Building Instruction not available (for V2 available). Demolished as it was not reliable enough, especially the ball intake and uncontrollable ball speed at the top. Rainbow Wave My first GBC. Balls are surfing on a wave of 38 Lego colors. This GBC has app. 1150 moving parts! 1988 parts Length 93 cm Building Instruction (first version by Courbet). Eurobricks Topic Akiyuki Invisible Lift Original design by Akiyuki. I have modified this GBC up to a point where it is reliable and transportable enough to take to events. All modifications are listed here on Flickr. After about 7 days of running on event days the Power Functions XL motor breaks down and needs replacing. Where possible the red axles and blue pins were replaced by black ones. Length 68 cm Building Instruction (without my modifications) available in the Akiyuki topic. Akiyuki Ball Factory Original design by Akiyuki. First GBC build for me, for fun and to learn from. It was hard to relocate and got out of sync when balls dropped. Module has been demolished and replaced by my V3 re-design (building instruction available). Building Instruction available in the Akiyuki Topic.

Well, I was amazed by this GBC, when I first saw it last year, and decided to try to reverse engineer it. Thanks to a few good pictures from the creator: ykuramata05, I started work on it... That was over 6 months ago.. and I got stumped on a few bits.. so it got put aside Finally had a clear workbench the other week, so decided to get back to it, and managed to finish it off.. funnily enough - 2 other builders - @alanburchill and @Courbet had decided to tackle it at the same time! I will say it is 95% true to the original creation.. I only needed to change a few minor things - I added a Clutch gear in, just before the pot-stirrer, as I had a couple of times where balls jammed in there I also believe that I don't have something right, as the 'shutter' rising up and down the picker column, hits the output chute from the ball input.. it touches it slightly.. but so far, doesn't seem to affect the machine too much it seems to be quite reliable too - 1 ball dropped every few hundred, maybe? and sometimes, it doesn't pick up a ball.. but the next arm around will get it, and any build-up of balls will be cleared very quickly the input bin doesn't seem to like a full dump of 30 balls.. but is fine with 10-20 in there I also took this opportunity to have a good play with Bricklink's Stud.io editor.. and have enjoyed using it.. Therefore, there is now a digital file of this GBC: Stud.io Format: http://bricksafe.com/files/rbeckett/gbc-stuff/eggprocessgbc/GBC Egg Process Machine.io LDraw: (export from Stud.io - hope it's OK!) http://bricksafe.com/files/rbeckett/gbc-stuff/eggprocessgbc/GBC Egg Process Machine.ldr @Courbet has generously offered to create instructions for this - so hopefully he will add to this thread, when done! :) Stud.io reports that this model uses 635 bricks, and apparently will cost $75USD to build! I should probably buy a few Angry Birds Lego sets to decorate it!!! :D

welcome to the mindstorm section of the Akiyuki project, this topic is for the modules of Akiyuki that have mindstorms in them or use mindstorms in any way. as always I would appreciate any information (pictures/videos) of these modules working or built here's what I know so far: Ball Cleaner EV3( in progress by @Juroen) program by Akiyuki (stud.io file available instructions coming soon) Container Transporter NXT instructions available here by @Courbet program by @9v system available here Fast Ball Sorter EV3 instructions by Courbet, built by Courbet and Mogwai, program also by Courbet and Mogwai, Render by Blakbird(instructions available) building instructions, program for the ev3 any help would be good to get these modules made into instructions (programs will also need to be made) 9v system

A new topic to attempt to centralize information, improvements and discussions about the most iconic Great Ball Contraption made by Kawaguchi Akiyuki, The Ball Factory GBC Version 0, July 2008 by Superbird28. Akiyuki stated himself he was inspired by Superbird28 when designing and building the Ball Factory. Why can be clearly seen in this video dating back to the pre-digital age. Thanks @Jonas for noticing. Version 1, June 2011: with color sorter as input: Version 2, november 2011: picker for 2 balls and optimized for higher speeds (1.3 balls/s) Februari 2016, @Blakbird and @TheRebricker reverse engineered the Ball Factory over a period of two years and posted the below: Video instructions by The Rebricker PDF instructions by Blakbird 4428 parts MOC Review by Blakbird LEGO Digital Designer file by @TheMagician The Akiyuki Project topic by Blakbird April 2019: Ball Factory New Style GBC compliant, reliable and easy to move: A big thank you to Blakbird and TheRebricker for all their hard work! This reverse engineered version adds the option to circle balls within the ball factory, here my build from December 2016 Many have build the Ball factory in various colors and versions. Below an overview of suggested and quoted improvements with pictures out of the 77 pages in The Akiyuki Project topic, up to you what changes you want to make. Feel free to add your builds, improvements or questions about The Ball Factory to this topic. ___________________________________________________ Spiral Lift platform improvement by Jonas: used a SNOT technique to get a stronger platform. It allowed me to remove the gap and to fix the superstructure to the studs. Moreover, I used the remaining stud of the 30414 brick to stabilize the tower column by a vertical 1x6 tile. Now, each column is fixed from 3 sides and the tower is really stable. It will survive even an accidental kick.  And, I added another (third) black pin to strengthen the vertical support (shown on page 186 in Blakbird's manual) ___________________________________________________ Ball picker improvement by Jonas: I have also made a small improvement of the ball picker - the part that picks a pair of balls and puts them into a bucket. It happened quite often that the right ball dropped before it reached the bucket. When I analyzed the construction of the picker, I noticed that the rightmost axle is significantly looser than the other ones. While the other two rear axles are attached to the rail construction, this one is not and cannot be attached. In my version, I fastened this axle to the rest of the assembly by replacing a 3L liftarm by an L-shape liftarm (not necessarily in yellow color). -> Since that time I have not observed any earlier drop. ___________________________________________________ Back pivot point by @Ankoku I have used the 5.5L Axel with Stop just like the original. You could probably get away with a 5L, but the connection may be hanging off slightly. The main piston rod has been changed from 20L to 19L in complete length. I used the "Technic, Plate 1 x 5 with Smooth Ends, 4 Studs and Center Axle Hole" which Akiyuki used, just because I did have them kicking around spare. A 6L Plate would be fine. I have gone with a 11L and 7L lift arm. Akiyuki went for a 15L and 3L, thus far, I haven't seen any reason for using those particular lengths. One bonus with using the plate to connect the two lift arms, is that the connection is rock solid, so you no longer have the wobble of the altered version. As you can see on the right, the connect on the end of the 8L axel is flipped. In the ReBricker instruction video, he has it this way round and then adds a later correction to show it the other way around. This way round is the way it is in the Akiyuki video and it is required to make this pivot point work. ___________________________________________________ Bucket shift timing mechanism by Ankoku Here is the piston itself. I have changed it to the original format. This is obviously the left one of the two in the video, as you can tell by the connector end, but other than that, the two pistons are identical. The crucial change is Technic Beam 1x3 Thin between the two year 1x5 Technic Beam Thick. The reverse engineered solution doesn't have that. That provided the extra travel I was looking for. As you can see, the connections for the yellow beam on the right aren't as pretty and you lose the symmetry. That said, the new motion is as smooth as butter, which is immensely pleasing in comparison to trying to make the other method work. ___________________________________________________ Bob improvements by Ankoku The initial changes to the height didn't do much to improve smoothness and I found that the paddle seemed to now be an issue. It was also the source of quite a bit of friction. As you can see in the image, the paddle is 3 deep in total. You can tell this from the light grey 3L axel. The bottom part of the paddle is a Technic Beam 3 x 3 L-Shape Thin. Using that piece makes a lot of sense and seems far better than using 3x Technic Beam 1 x 3 Thin, where the 1st of those completes the light grey 3L axel length and the other two are at 90° to create the L shape. Unsurprisingly, this approach is smoother as there is less friction. ___________________________________________________ Bucket unloader by Ankoku So I was playing with it and it didn't seem to work very well and certainly didn't reflect the motion I was seeing in the Akiyuki video. Having watched the video more times than I care to remember, I noticed that the lift motion seemed to be in a single motion, not two. I also noticed that the lift arm used seemed shorter than the one in the instructions. So in the end, I changed it from a Technic Beam 1 x 5 Thin with Axle Holes on Ends, to a Technic Beam 1 x 4 Thin with Axle Holes on Ends, using yellow ones to reflect those in the video. This seemed to work well and reflect the video. Then I checked on Bricklink and it seems that Technic Beam 1 x 5 Thin with Axle Holes on Ends don't come in Yellow. So yeah, that bit needs to be a 4L not a 5L. ___________________________________________________ Back slider by Ankoku, There is definitely these two beams there, length unknown. Below I am using 2x Technic Brick 1 x 15. You can see both in the Akiyuki video, although only 1 at any one time. This also explains why the bottom Technic Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular is attached differently to the two above it. For the forward back motion you see in the video, this is not possible with the use of a pin instead of an axle. The axle you can see here, allows full motion in one direction, but slightly limited in the other, which is exactly what you see in the video. It is only possible to put the top Technic Brick 1 x 15 in there if you remove the plates from the bottom of the slider. If you look in the Akiyuki video, those plates are not there. I still don't know how either piston connects to the slider exactly. I am still hoping to hear back on that. That said, these two beams seem to be correct and answers a few questions. ___________________________________________________ Bucket slide by Ankoku The area that the buckets slide along for the shifter is actually offset by half a stud in the Akiyuki version. This is not reflected in the instructions. This answers why the shifter itself is half a stud over the sliding area at maximum backwards reach. I always thought the shifter didn't do full travel, but it does, it is just the sliding area which is misplaced. Here you can see how the sliding shelf is connected to the conveyor with a Technic Brick 1 x 2 [2 Holes]  Anyway, changed the length of the slider my one, so that is now correct. Removed the plate from the bucket stopper just before the slider, so that is now working correctly and is the same as the video. Bob now actually aligns correctly with the buckets at maximum reach. ___________________________________________________ Shifter changes by Ankoku This removes the need for any universal joints and thus removes the variable speed of the conveyor. ___________________________________________________ Shifter changes by Ankoku It seems Akiyuki has reworked the pivot mechanism and beam length. This new approach removes any potential bend in what would have been an 8L axle. The new approach requires a shorter piston beam, a longer beam under the shifter. The brace is 2x Technic Beam 1 x 6 Thin. Here, you can see the positioning of the pivot point, the indentation in the conveyor tower, which is 2 bricks deep to allow the pivot arm to travel that far. You can also see the black axle instead of the grey one, as it requires that extra 1L for the back and forth arm to pivot one. At the top, you can see where the slider platform connects and how it is moved 0.5L across. Shifter Changes in action: ___________________________________________________ Ball dumper by Ankoku It sits at the right height, the ball router works well and the axle housing is aligned correctly. As you can see above and below, I have added blockers to either side, which means that a renegade ball can't escape up hill. Balls can only pass when the router is in the correct position for that route. Inside is only 2 wide now and doesn't have any pins etc. ___________________________________________________ Ball unloader by @smdzucladoc After seeing Ankoku's mods as well as his detail photos of the bucket shifter, My ball factory has been much improved. I was still having a lot of friction in the ball loader until I add these mods. Now the ball loaders is very smooth. I add a 1x3 liftarm in between the two Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular Triple and it seems that the loader doesn't bind to the axles anymore and it is very smooth. I also added some additional bracing to the back of the ball loader. I added two additional Technic, Brick 1 x 2 with Hole and a 1/2 bush to the bottom axle. I also change the axle 3L to 4L and added 2 Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1 and then a 6L axle perpendicular to try to brace the 12T and 40T gear as perpendicular as possible. ___________________________________________________ For inspiration, this extended version by @Jonas and black version by @Thunderthumbs And Steampunk version by @OneMoreRobot

Sioux Technologies and PV-Productions organize a free GBC workshop for kids, age 7 - 14 years old. The date is during the holidays of the Netherlands, Wednesday 23 October. Location will be Sioux Labs in Eindhoven (NL). Entrance is free. More information can be found here (in Dutch only): Hot-or-Not: The Next Generation workshop | Sioux Technologies Questions? Please let me know. Warm regards, Hans

Hello, a few weeks ago I made a molding factory GBC module but it was not very reliable. This new version is much more reliable and uses even less parts. It is made to look like a lego molding machine with the marbles taking the place of the bricks. Free video instructions.

Today I present you with my "G-Model" of the 42049 Mine Loader Set. It is a Layout ready GBC module created entirely out of parts that are found inside the 42049 Mine Loader set. By default it can be hand powered, and it has a recirculation function for stand-alone play. You can upgrade it with a motor and disable the re-circulation and run it with other GBC modules. Having said that, the inbox doesn't meet the GBC standard rule for accepting a batch of 30 balls. I had to rebuild the module 4 times before the final model was realized. The first 3 times were failed lift mechanisms, and the 4th was rebuilding the module mirrored because with the addition of the recirculation ramp, it was too hard to see the mechanism when it was running Left to Right. My favourite part of the module was the success of adding the engine and working piston after I had already completed the module.

This lego great ball contraption module uses "forks" attached to a conveyor belt to move the marbles. The forks are just tight enough to hold the marbles while still being loose enough for them to come out easily. Here you can see the unload mechanism:

Hello. Here is my latest creation: a Legophone. A what ???… The name is inspired by Gaston Lagaffe's Gaffophone, and like him he makes music (but does not destroy anything). More clearly, it is a mechanical xylophone (metalophone for purists). It is quite simple: pins arranged on caterpillars come to turn knob pairs. These release a ball falling on the xylophone. Voila for the operating principle. To be able to play a melody you have to go up the balls as you go, which makes the whole thing look like a gbc. Here are some photos : A general view: The inertia motor on the right of the photo has been removed for the video: too noisy. On the upper plate, there is a small black separator on the right: it is for condemned the last note: On this same plateau there are several small arms that serve to distribute the balls to ensure the feeding of each note. Unfortunately it works well only if there are enough balls, and of course I do not have enough. So I palliate this problem by playing a music that has only 5 notes (it's still limit: it would be necessary that the plate is full at the beginning) The lift system of balls: The lift is in two stages: the wheel makes it possible to recover the balls at the lowest level. Otherwise I would have had to raise all the moc. The screw is made through a pneumatic hose. Note that I did not want to motorize this system, and connect it to the crank Legophone. But between the length of the transmission and the multiplication for the screw, everything became too unstable. A more precise view of the Legophone: The xylophone blades are suspended and rest on the rope (made with my braider). The small yellow flip-flops are used to stop the knobs to prevent several balls being released. The video should be more telling than my explanations: Did you recognize the music?

I had to disassemble the BWE and before I laid the parts to rest for a while, I create a quick GBC module. It's based on the Particle Accelerator MOCs and uses a wheel to propel a ball up a curved ramp. Since the wheel imparts a lot of backspin on the ball, it sometimes doesn't reach the end of the main track and instead reverses onto a side track exit mechanism. For funsies, I just connected the exit track back to the main track but I could just as well connect it to a different module. That way each ball could go for a couple rides before exiting to the next module. Badly lighted video here:

Our big yearly Lego convention here in Melbourne Australia, was on last weekend, and we managed to put on a pretty good GBC layout Thanks to @rasikaa this year for coordinating it! Here are a few videos: My video, on Sunday Saturday: (most modules running - 111) @9v system's Akiyuki-only layout: Everyone else in the team, incl @Captainowie, @Cadder and others did a great job keeping everything running so well... We only had 76 modules last year, and the jump to over 100, especially with so many brand new modules, is a lot of work! I was happy that a couple of new ones of mine (eventually) worked really well.. and I'll probably do a separate post on them all

Hey guys, Here is a small Minecraft GBC Module I made based on the GBCRamps module. Normally I would post my GBC in the Technic forum, but since this is a Minecraft module I thought I would post it here. I've been a Minecraft fan for many years and have played on both PC, Mac, and Console. I plan on making some larger Minecraft GBC modules in the future! Please enjoy the video.

This Miniloop has a "cup" attached to a lifting arm (the mechanism was inspired by Akiyuki) It can be powered by a motor or a hand crank, it is also very very reliable. I have free instructions here.

So I've seen a couple of vids like this one where a scotch yoke mechanism is used to create a lift module in GBC. Unfortunately, none of the videos include a clear view of the mechanism or an explanation, apart from the brief obvious one. I am looking to understand in-depth how this works, especially what pushes the loaded ball upwards to make the entire column rise. I understand the moving part includes some blocks to prevent the column from falling again, but I'm not getting how it rises in the first place. The movement seems entirely horizontal to me which makes the vertical motion perplexing. I'm sure more experienced GBC builders will think this is obvious but if anyone is able to explain the vertical motion part or model it in LDD, that would be awesome.

This lego great ball contraption module is designed to look like a lego molding machine. Their are flashing lights on the top and a screw mechanism to get the marbles back up to the proper height. The flashing lights on the top are powered by this switch (They are a bit hard to see in the video)

I'm completely fascinated by the marble oympics (Marblelympics), Great Ball Contraption (GBC) and Rube Goldberg machines. With 20 copies of this module, one NXT, a lot of chain links and several days trying to make overlays in new editing software, it is finally complete: LEGO GBC marble Race - Round 1: The race turns out to be quite nerve wrecking if you pick the right team before the race. Take a look: The layout is powered by only 2 NXT motors for 19 of the modules and an M-motor for the first separate module. I hope that this layout is also much ore fun to look at than the first, which looked like this: As mentioned, there are building instructions for the main module:http://c-mt.dk/instructions/models_gbc-GBCStarterConveyerBelt.htm I hope you like it :)

This is a lego great ball contraption wave module that I built, I wanted to build a wave module that looked nice. It is very reliable and never jams. Sorry that the photos are slightly low resolution, I am still learning how to use Eurobricks. Next time they will be better quality.

Hello, this I'm my GBC zig zag module inspired by Akiyuki. This is my first time using eurobricks and I am not quite sure how to use it properly, is this the correct way to post? Any help would be great :-) The module is here.

This is my latest GBC module: A stepper module is nothing new in the GBC world. Most GBC steppers have pistons and work like in a normal piston engine with a crankshaft moving pistons up and down. This design is a bit different from the typical designs in that it uses camshafts instead: There are 9 steps which lift the GBC balls: The driveshaft in the middle can be used to chain multiple modules: This is shown in the video. It also shows how to chain the modules in a gentle curve. Here the slopes on the top can be turned to make sure that balls are directed into the inbox of the following module. In the video you can also see this small circuit made from 10 modules. Two M-motors and one NXT motor power the 10 modules: There are building instructions here: http://c-mt.dk/instructions/models_gbc-GBCStepper.htm The module is based on this old one which I had at LEGOWorld back in 2011: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=461558 Up next: I should take a look at the conveyor module... it didn't work too well at the last event.

Perpetual motion GBC ??? Found this on YouTube see video between 1m 26s and 2m10s Does this really work or is there a hidden input behind the white background ? Going to see if I can build a technic version but use glass marbles instead of GBC balls which probably too light to turn the big toothed wheel.

After my experiences at the full week of Lego World Utrecht I decided to do a complete redesign and rebuild of my stand alone GBC version of the Akiyuki based marble run. Only the method of clamping the tubes as tracks is the same as in the previous version. The ball shooter had proven it's reliability during Lego World and because of the improved design only one shooter is used. Very pleased with the now reliable result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olx4JmtnVq4

Greetings all. I've recently been playing with Stud.io, and teaching myself how to create instruction .PDFs using LPub with the intention of modelling/creating instructions for some of the GBC Modules I have (physically) built, both MOCs and Mods. To start off while learning, I used something that 's quick to build and only uses a small number of parts. So I present Cadder's "Found Ball Bucket". Backstory: This is a little something I knocked together while displaying at Brickvention 2017 and fine-tuned at BrisBricks 2017. Originally it was a 'catcher' that I made for a high module displayed at BV2016, essentially because I had 4 spare Lego Sports arena corner units... but it quickly became more useful. Occasionally at GBC shows, a rogue ball will "escape" and be picked up by young kiddie spectators who will invariably try to reach across the displays with an ever-helpful "'Scuse me mister! I found this!" Rather than risk knocking over or bumping/misaligning the working GBC modules, it became really handy to reply "Awesome! drop it into the blue bucket!" This had the great side-effect that it engaged said kiddies.. and with an added "See if you can make it spin...", makes the GBC display somewhat interactive. It's also versatile enough that it can be placed pretty much anywhere on the GBC circuit and feed found balls back into the circuit without too much disruption. It's deliberately built high enough that the return chute is higher than the 10-brick standard GBC input size. Returned balls should just drop straight into any module's Inbox. I dare say it could be double-purposed for its original use as a catcher - for, for example, a tower drop, shooter or flicker module. So. At first I really wasn't sure where to post this, and although not strictly a GBC module itself, it *IS* a very handy tool (I've subsequently built more than one) for GBC displays that I hope other GBC organisers/displayers might like to adopt. I also intend making a sign to stick on the front, something akin to the "Hey!" logo on the back of the City boxes. (ie, Along the mines of "Hey! Find an escaped GBC ball? Drop it in here!") Instructions in form of PDF file here. Also, because it was modelled in Stud.io, you can use Bricklink's Step view builder instructions here. (and buy parts) cheers!

Acknowledgements I’ll start this post with two call-outs to Nico71. Firstly, he posted images of his ball counting GBC module (refer to text further below) which provided a substantial foundation on which to base my module design. Secondly, he was gracious in giving me permission to post the building instructions for my module online. I wanted to obtain his approval given my module is, ultimately, a derivation of his original work. Module video and Building related files Firstly, a video of the module and links to the building instructions, parts list and LDraw file. Building instructions: PDF Parts list: BrickStock BSX file LDraw MPD file Context I had a desire to have a ball counting GBC module as part of the GBC display for the upcoming 2017 Auckland Brick Show. The primary features of the module were that it would; be a mechanical device i.e. no electronics in the module have discrete digits to indicate the count preferably rotate all digits in the same direction Development I was aware that Nico71 had built a GBC Ball Counter and had posted both photos and a video of it running. It seemed a sensible place to start so, after studying the photos and video, I reverse engineered the module to help me to understand how it worked. I knew that Nico71’s module was not using discrete positioning for digits but I was also aware of Parax77’s video and building instructions of his Chain Holonomic Drive, which I thought I could use in place of the wheel dials in Nico71’s model. Using the Chain Holonomic Drive however proved to be too unreliable. While I could get it to work reliably with two digits (the ones and tens) I couldn’t get the required reliability for the subsequent three digits. I subsequently discovered another video of a GBC counter by Nicky Fitzgerald and a second video providing more information about the build. I attempted to adapt the counting mechanism to replace the wheel dials but this was unsuccessful. The counting mechanism uses the "Technic, Axle Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise" in what appears to be a means to prevent the “hammer” from falling due to gravity. I found the amount of friction when attempting to turn multiple dials concurrently (e.g. 99, 999, …) too great for the upper clutch mechanism. However, Nicky Fitzgerald’s design did point me in the direction of the solution I ended up implementing in my module. Module Design Commonality and Differences The following image uses a coarsely grained colouring to identify the main elements of the module. The input bin is coloured red, the primary ball moving mechanism is coloured black and the counting mechanism grey. The primary ball moving mechanism (black) is pretty much the same mechanism as in Nico71’s original module. There are a couple of minor tweaks but nothing that is too significant. The input bin (red) differs in the following ways; it is larger, the agitator mechanism is different (and driven via the addition of a chain) and it contains a mechanism to restrict the balls to drop into the primary ball moving mechanism one-at-a-time and in time with said mechanism. The counting mechanism (grey) is a “plug compatible” replacement for the original, displaying a discrete count of the number of balls. Next Steps and Additional References I have used this module in test mode. It occasionally seems to spin a dial a bit too far but then the next ball moves the same dial less. I won’t get to use the module “in anger” until late October. In the meantime, if someone else elects to build this module and has any suggestions for improvements to the design, you are more than welcome to post back to this thread. Should someone be interested in exploring more about the counter mechanism built by Nick Fitzgerald, in the last couple of days I came across two related videos. Of course, you could always reverse engineer that module and post the building instructions (although after checking with Nicky). Regards, David

I've designed and build this LEGO Great Ball Contraption for Lego World 2017 in Utrecht in The Netherlands. Last year almost over 100.000 Lego fans visited Lego World. This GBC will be part of a circle of over 150 machines. The kids control the Ball Catcher Mouse with LEGO power functions and are thus responsible to keep all balls circulating as part of the 150+ machines. I hope that is exciting enough for them :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ZZsKZlan4