Motors
Motors
I'm playing about trying to make a windmill. I'd like to motorize it so the blades will spin, but I've never worked with Lego motors before. All I need is a simple motor to turn the blades. Any suggestions on what set I need to buy to accomplish this? I was thinking this would be a good pack to start with: http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=8293-1
Steve
Steve
[url=http://www.johnny-thunder.blogspot.com/]Travel with Johnny Thunder![/url]
- Ye Olde Republic
- Marquis of Brique
- Posts: 1041
- Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 1:50 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
- Contact:
Re: Motors
I think you're on the right track, that seems to be a decent motor pack but one thing I do know about LEGO motors is that they are FAST! Like you, I've been wanting to mess around with motorizing parts of my castle buildings just to add a bit more life but my experience tells me that you really need to gear the motor way down. Windmills and water wheels probably look better when they turn in a bit of a lazy fashion instead of looking like a prop engine on a cesna or something. I know that some builders actually modify their motor so they turn slower and I may be interested in doing that because I'm more inclined to use a motor with a low RPM than high rotations. Maybe like you I know that you can put in a series of gears that will slow it but it takes a lot of room to add that many (and large) gears inside of a MOC.
Was it Breadman that did the motorized blacksmith shop at Brickcon last year? Maybe he knows?
I'll sit patiently and hope that somebody here knows too.
Was it Breadman that did the motorized blacksmith shop at Brickcon last year? Maybe he knows?
I'll sit patiently and hope that somebody here knows too.
Trevor
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
- JoshWedin
- Chevalier de Chèvre
- Posts: 4995
- Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 2:35 pm
- Location: Pondering what you are pondering
- Contact:
Re: Motors
Its all about worm gears, gentlemen. You can set up your own or just buy this: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=46220
Its what I use to slow mine down anyway.
Josh
Its what I use to slow mine down anyway.
Josh
AFOL and his money are easily parted.
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ak_brickster/8 ... hotostream][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/85336074 ... 2a10_t.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.Brothers-Brick.com]The Brothers Brick[/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ak_brickster/8 ... hotostream][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/85336074 ... 2a10_t.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.Brothers-Brick.com]The Brothers Brick[/url]
Re: Motors
I can't tell what that thing is.
Steve
Steve
[url=http://www.johnny-thunder.blogspot.com/]Travel with Johnny Thunder![/url]
- Ye Olde Republic
- Marquis of Brique
- Posts: 1041
- Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 1:50 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
- Contact:
Re: Motors
Worm gears will slow a motor decently? I'll have to give it a try. A worm gear on a 40 tooth gear may be pretty slow.
Trevor
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
- evilnailman
- Peasant
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:51 am
- Location: Hampshire, UK
Re: Motors
This is what I use:
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=872-1
If I remember correctly it's a reduction of 40:1 and it's quite compact. I have mine from ages back though, don't know how often it comes up now.
Matt
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=872-1
If I remember correctly it's a reduction of 40:1 and it's quite compact. I have mine from ages back though, don't know how often it comes up now.
Matt
- Legoorci
- Apprentice
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:41 pm
- Location: Stuttgart, Germany
- Contact:
Re: Motors
I know a slow one: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=5225-1
I've got some of them and I was first very unhappy that its slow, but now I like it.
I've got some of them and I was first very unhappy that its slow, but now I like it.
You can see my MoCs on [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/legoorci/]my Flickr Account[/url] and you can see them also on [url=http://legoorci.wordpress.com/]my Blog[/url] where you also can read the stories behind the MoCs...but in german.
- JoshWedin
- Chevalier de Chèvre
- Posts: 4995
- Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 2:35 pm
- Location: Pondering what you are pondering
- Contact:
Re: Motors
That's a pre-built gearbox with a worm gear and 24 tooth gear all set up. Of course if you get a worm gear, you can use any size gear to get the speed you want. The gearbox is just easy, since its ready to go. I have also used a train regulator, since it has variable speed control.Athos wrote:I can't tell what that thing is.
Steve
Josh
AFOL and his money are easily parted.
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ak_brickster/8 ... hotostream][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/85336074 ... 2a10_t.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.Brothers-Brick.com]The Brothers Brick[/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ak_brickster/8 ... hotostream][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/85336074 ... 2a10_t.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.Brothers-Brick.com]The Brothers Brick[/url]
- Ye Olde Republic
- Marquis of Brique
- Posts: 1041
- Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 1:50 am
- Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
- Contact:
Re: Motors
A train regulator is good idea. I have trains so thoroughly blocked out of my mind that I never even considered that.
Trevor
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
Trust me, I think I'm funnier than you do.
Why do I have to add the word "minifig" to my spell checker every time I use it?!
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/old_republic/]flickr[/url]
[url=http://angrylegonerd.blogspot.com/]My blog[/url]
- Sir Nelson
- Old Wizard
- Posts: 848
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:15 pm
- Location: On Wizard Island, of course
- Contact:
Re: Motors
Yes, the train regulator is a champion in this arena. I built a windmill MOC about 3 years ago using an old 9v motor, and use of the regulator was perfect.Ye Olde Republic wrote:A train regulator is good idea. I have trains so thoroughly blocked out of my mind that I never even considered that.
"Old Wizards never die, nor fade away. They just kind of operate behind the scenes and in the shadows... doing all of their weird and wonderful Wizardy things and whatnot."