Gear boxes, motors, vehicles and track drives from Tamiya

The Tamiya company produces a whole line of interesting mechanical components for model makers. These can be really useful for understanding key concepts better -- gear ratios, worm gears, and drive trains. Better still, they can integrated directly into your mechanical projects. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tamiya Tracked Vehicle Chassis Kit
Use this kit as a stand-alone or combine it with other accessories making a more complex machine with more capabilities. The gear box can be built with two possible gear ratios-Standard: 203.7:1 or High Speed 58.2:1. The motor is included.

Tamiya Planetary Gear Box Set
The Planetary Gear Set from Tamiya features a highly versatile system for reduction of high RPM electric motors to high-torque low RPM applications. RC-260 motor operates on 3 volts. Combining the gearboxes in various ways enables 8 different gear ratios -- 4:1, 5:1, 16:1, 20:1, 25:1, 80:1, 100:1, and 400:1.

Tamiya 70168 Double Gearbox L/R Independent 4-Speed
Suitable for use with remote controlled robots. Left/right independent design means you can set different gear ratios for either side. This set can be assembled for 1 of 4 different gear ratios -- 12.7: 1, 38.2:1, 114.7:1, and 344.2:1

Tamiya 72008 4-Speed Worm Gearbox H.E.
The gearbox features four gear ratios (84:1, 216:1, 555.4:1, 1428.2:1). The gear ratio can be easily adjusted by altering the middle and final gear attachment positions.

Tamiya 4WD Chassis Kit
The 4WD Chassis incorporates a four-wheel shaft-drive system similar to those in full size 4WD vehicles. A hex shaft transfers power from the center gear box to the outer gear box giving 4WD power.

Here's a full line of tools, materials, and kits offered by Tamiya.

[ Thanks Mike! ]

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The Busted Bricks Marble Machine #2 kit has a wheel elevator and two tracks

A while back, I posted about a new laser-cut marble machine kit from Michael Henriksen, the man behind BustedBricks.com. His second marble machine design is shown in the video. It is is now available as a kit also.

Marble machine #2 is a larger, more complex machine than his first. It has a 150x150mm base and stands 170mm tall. It features a wheel lifter to elevate the 7mm chrome steel balls, which come with the kit. A track switch distributes the balls between the two independent tracks, one of which has a collector that dumps the balls when three have been collected. The lifter wheel is pre-assembled to make sure everything operates as it should.

If you would like to get a good sense for what is involved in making the kit, here is where you can download the assembly instructions.

Here is where you can get the Busted Bricks Marble Machine #2 kit.

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Mechanical universal Turing machine uses ball bearings for memory

This charming contraption is described a "mechanical universal Turing machine". According the all-knowing Wikipedia:

A Turing machine is a hypothetical device that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules. Despite its simplicity, a Turing machine can be adapted to simulate the logic of any computer algorithm, and is particularly useful in explaining the functions of a CPU inside a computer.

Here is a presentation by the maker, Jim MacArthur, describing the background of the machine. I gather the catch with this machine is that you have to assume that the length of track is infinite.

The machine was made mostly out of scrap metal and wood. The components include magnets, springs, cams and levers. It uses ball bearings as its memory. No electrical components were used, other than one small motor used to drive it.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Unique design of colorful cubes allows you to create marble maze sculptures

December is in full swing now, and I had better start making more recommendations for mechanical toy gifts. Here's an interesting one that's come to my attention recently. Basically, it is a toy that allows you to make a customized marble run. The pieces are a bit like LEGOs, so you can easily reconfigure them into any shape your imagination can come up with. This starter set includes 72 cubes in five different colors and 20 steel balls.

From the product description:

Q-Ba-Maze 2.0 is a unique system of colorful cubes that interlock to form a marble run. The big difference? You can create marble maze sculptures in the form of animals, geometric shapes or any other design! Configurations are unlimited, allowing for unpredictable action when steel balls travel the various routes. It's a live demonstration of probability, physics and art, all in one!

So far, the MindWare Q-Ba-Maze Marble Run Starter Set has gotten great reviews by users on Amazon. That's always a good sign! Here is where you can get the MindWare Q-Ba-Maze Marble Run Maze: 72 Piece Set. Here's a page I put together with a assortment of different marble track toys.

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Model car integrated into wall mounted kinetic gear train sculpture

Check out this new wall mounted kinetic sculpture by Brett Dickens. We're not unfamiliar with the his wooden gear sculptures, but this one has an interesting addition: a 1:25 scale model of a 1948 Ford Woody Wagon. The Woody is situated above a ramp, which is set into motion by the gear train. Once the ramp meets the wheels, the car goes for a ride.

See more kinetic sculpture by Brett Dickins on his YouTube channel.

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Hand-cranked machine passes a coin from one hand to another

Here's a short video featuring a nifty donation box installed at the Havant Arts and Heritage Centre.

A visitor/donor drops a coin into the machine and turns the hand crank. The coin is deposited into a small carriage mounted on a belt system. Turning the crank raises the coin to the top of the box where it is sent down a track. From there the coin falls into a waiting hand which, having caught the coin, tips over to drop the it into the next hand. It's a nice symbol of giving and how many small contributions can add up to something substantial.

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