We love a good LEGO build as much as anyone, but Technics takes it to the next level in terms of creating working mechanisms. And nobody takes Technics as far as [Nico71], as evidenced by his super-fast Technics rope braiding machine.
The last time we saw one of [Nico71]’s builds, it was also a LEGO Technics rope-making machine. At the time, we called it a “rope-braiding machine” and were taken to task in the comments since the strands were merely twisted to make the final product. [Nico71] must have taken that to heart, because the current build results in true braided cordage. That trick is accomplished by flying shuttles that are not attached to either of the two counter-rotating three-spoked wheels. The shuttles are transferred between the two wheels by a sweeper arm, each making a full revolution with one wheel before being transferred to the other. Each shuttle’s thread makes an intertwining figure-eight around the threads from the two fixed bobbins, and the result is a five-strand braided cord. The whole machine is mesmerizing to watch, and the mechanism is silky smooth even at high speeds. It seems like a much simpler design than the previous effort, too.
You’ve got to hand it to builders like [Nico71] that come up with fascinating machines while working within the constraints of the Technics world. And those that leverage the Technics platform in their builds can come up with pretty neat stuff, like this paper tape reader for a music machine.
Thanks for the tip, [Gavin]
This looks amazing. The only problem I have with it is that you waste a lot of thread at the beginning (I definitely couldn’t have made anything close to this though)
It’s easy to fix: just use a thicker thread (like the braided result) to “connect” the end knot with the big roller.
this is amazing, i love how fluid the motion was, especially at higher rpm.
i wonder if one could weave in conductors or do hollow weave for cable sleeving.
Obviously one could, since these things exist at the commercial level. The only question is do you have enough Technic pieces to follow the patents?
Hollow plait is basically this pattern with more shuttles and generally an even number.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSAAl4HODHU#t=3m20s
or
http://prumihimo.com/resources/braiding-patterns/hollow-braid/
LEGO Technics and Dacta are and have always been an amazing proof-of-concept engineering tool, despite its freaking astronomical high price. I only wish those plastic pieces were more accessible to the masses…
I recommend buying legos in lots on ebay. Loads of people sell them by the pound. Buy from a few different sources, and you’ll have a wide assortment of legos for far below the sticker price.
The technic legos people sell always have the gears and little studs chewed to bits, literally, because of kids.
I have thousands of Lego parts! I actually have all the directions too for the different “sets” I bought for my then young son. He was into Legis until he was about 14! I have the train set & the monorail set, among many other sets that I can’t recall!! I would really like to sell these Lego pieces and parts to someone who does things like what’s in this video and article! So cool!
I prefer fisher technik. Is little bit expenser than Lego but has the advantages that it can easy built 3d models like a 3d printer or scanner.
LEGO ‘Technics’?
don’t you mean
LEGOS Technic? or LEGOS Technics?
No s.
Could’ve done it with
a 555Mega Bloks, haha. JKBrand, models, Chevrolet Impalas, not Chevrolets Impalas. Unless you’re making it possessive Chevrolet’s Impalas
I find it strange that the refusal to use lego instead of legos disappears when talking about technic, but you have to put that extra s somewhere right?
its just lego technic. singular and plural. you don’t need to keep adding s to everything.
Also, everyone who says ‘LEGOS’ when referring to LEGO bricks deserves to be shot. Sorry – we’ve been polite about up until now, but it’s been a long time coming and frankly you guys brought it upon yourselves.
“Lego” Rail Gun???
There’s an official statement somewhere by Lego … stating that the plural for “Lego brick” should be “Lego bricks”
The general rule, possibly law, is that brand name trademarks (like LEGO) are adjectives, not nouns or verbs. So it’s a LEGO brick, Kleenex facial tissue, Xerox copier, etc. In English, the adjectives don’t inflect with number, so it’s LEGO bricks, Kleenex tissues, Xerox copiers, etc, not LEGOs, Kleenexes (or Kleenices), Xeroxes, etc.
LEGO Technic is also a brand name, so it’s LEGO Technic gears, LEGO Technic beams, LEGO Technic parts, not LEGOS Technic or LEGO Technics.
wow someone who gets it thank you
What? no Arduino or Pi?
Someone had to say it!
Not a hack! :P
If you are too scared to talk on a video. Dump the music so I can hear the machine. Another useless audio video on youtube. :-(
Cool machine though. My nephew will love it.
Useless? Hardly.
I learned quite a bit from that video, and I’ve been using Lego Technic for over 30 years.
If you pay attention, you can always learn something new.
I agree with the machine noises; I want to here all the zips, bops and whirrrs.
I have actually manually braided wires for neat cable management in some projects. it is easy for three or four, but gets very complicated when you increase the number of wires further.