how to build with technic and gears

[Josh]

I’m trying to teach myself how to use gears again.  When I was a kid, I had all kinds of moving objects…

anyway, here’s some nice write ups on how to use gears:

Gears Tutorial

http://www.clear.rice.edu/elec201/Book/legos.html

http://cs.wellesley.edu/~rds/rds02/handouts/Gears.pdf

http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/robolabatceeo/K12/building/gears_info.shtml

I may share some more as I find them.

[Greg Schubert]

Technic question: What is the difference between the purposes of the gray technic pins and the black ones with the slots in them? I know the description says something about “with friction.” Does that mean the gray ones are meant to spin and the black ones don’t? If I am using them just to hold technic bricks together, other than availability, does it matter which ones I use?

[Josh]

you accurately described the difference. friction pins prevent spinning.

[Greg Schubert]

I just opened a rather new LEGO motor from a sealed bag and with or without a no load, it is rather loud. It seems to be working fine, but it makes a high-pitched sound when it is running. Are the new motors all like that?

[Dan]

The newish ones I’ve got all make the same noise regardless of load.

[Rich Millich]

Thank you Josh! Subbed for later reference, as gears are Greek to me.

[Greg Schubert]

Everytime I’ve built a MOC with a LEGO motor, Ive found that the motor goes really fast and exerts very little force. So I have to “gear down” MOC’s by using a small gear directly attached to the motor to drive a larger gear that spins more slowly. Often you have to do several in sequence going from a smaller gear to large gear to slow down the rate of spin and increase the output force. The fewest steps in gearing down involve using a worm gear, as can be seen in the gear ratios on this table:

Print-friendly gear ratios table

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