Metropolis - Knex Ball Machine Elements and Lifts

Hello everyone,
I wanted to post a selection of elements that I used in my latest ball machine metropolis. I can't post all of them with step by step instructions. But you should be able to make most parts by looking at the pictures in this instructable.

Table of contents
Step 1: The Official Video
Step 2: Flat Spiral
Step 3: Spinning Basket
Step 4: Five Ball Basket
Step 5: Ball Seperator
Step 6: Rattling Stairs
Step 7: Free-fall Spinners
Step 8: Zigzag
Step 9: Catcher
Step 10: Halfpipe
Step 11: Red Double Spiral
Step 12: Two Ball Dropper
Step 13: Small Ferris Wheel
Step 14: Flexible Path
Step 15: Rollercoaster Path
Step 16: Quadruple Arm Lift - The wheel
Step 17: Quadruple Arm Lift - How to set up the wheel
Step 18: Wheel Lift - The base
Step 19: Wheel Lift - Middle part & Motor
Step 20: Wheel Lift - The top
Step 21: Fast Corner 


Feel free to comment, criticize or ask anything.


Thanks for looking and have fun building!


~Kairah

Step 1: Metropolis

If you haven't seen Metropolis, go to this link for the slideshow.
Or watch the video here:

Direct link to the video

Comments

[yardking]

Thank you immensely for the credit!

[firebombfury]

can you post the big ferris wheel??

[Kairah]

I already took it down but here's a large picture of it: link
There are a total of six white connectors in the center of it.

[Fr-Pa-Co]

I built it but yours seems to spin faster than mine

[cooljupjup]

he ik ben ook nederlands. heb jij fotos van het platform ?

[OZKNEX22]

wish i hade that much pieces

[radknexman]

Im so using it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=^..^= (cat).

[Knexest]

Do you know if it works with the Black/White balls?

[radknexman]

IMNO HELP TO YOU

[Knexest]

O.o Btw i tested this a while ago and they work on this :p

[Lego Andrew]

Can you also use a big gear instead of 2 medium?

[radknexman]

try it

[rrobinson1999]

Do balls ever fall off the ball machine?

[www139]

Nice job I really like metropolis it has helped me come up with ideas for my ball machine!I don't need help with the path Deviders anymore I was able to make my own!

[www139]

hi I was wondering if you could give instructions on how to make your path deviders?I like them a lot!

[rrobinson1999]

(removed by author or community request)

[Kairah]

Is anything else, besides the ball, touching the basket when the ball lands in it? Or is it off centre?

[rrobinson1999]

No, nothing other than the ball is touching the basket. Also, it is perfectly level. It seems like whenever the ball lands on it, it pushes the basket too far on one side causing the ball to fall off. I have tried many adjustments but nothing seems to be working.

[Kairah]

Hmm, I'm not sure how it could go wrong then. Perhaps you could try to make the basket a little more stable by adding some weight to the bottom of the basket.

[cubesquaredtothe1]

Cool, I use that track a lot so that will help.

[radknexman]

good

[cubesquaredtothe1]

Oh god I haven't been on instructables in a long time haha :D Sometime last year.

[radknexman]

wow

[cubesquaredtothe1]

I'll come back...been doing a lot of YouTube videos since I got an amazing computer :D

[Fr-Pa-Co]

"Version blue with blue rods". I think you meant version two with blue rods

[Kairah]

Yup, edited :)

[Orangeprofessor]

Version blue sounds better

[Fr-Pa-Co]

It probably does but I was just following the pattern. The coolest would be version white is with white rods and version blue with blue rods

[Orangeprofessor]

Makes Sence

[Fr-Pa-Co]

Cool, btw could you make the video so that you can watch it on iPod iPad and iPhone. I think you do it on settings from YouTube from your computer

[firebombfury]

how do you build the middle panel in the tower? and how do you install them

[Kairah]

I just used a lot of white connectors instead of rods, to reinforce the tower.

[firebombfury]

is the middle necessary??

[Kairah]

Nah, it's just for looks. You can just use a normal frame.

[firebombfury]

every time i put the motor directly on the axle and turn it on, the wheel turns really really fast not like yours in the video, what do i do?

[Kairah]

You can reduce the speed with a small gear on the motoraxle and a large yellow gear on the wheelaxle.

[firebombfury]

thax

[Lego Andrew]

It also makex the strength of the motor bigger

[I_am_Canadian]

On the wheel lift, is it necessary to have the one side made of solid snowflakes, or can both sides be made of the blue rod frame?

[Kairah]

Sure, you can have it open on both sides. Also the remaining side does not need to be filled with snowflakes. If you replace half of those with blue rods, or 3/4th with red rods, it will probably still work!