The Ultimate Guide to K'nex Ball Machine Elements

by Darth Trainman in Living > LEGO & K'NEX

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The Ultimate Guide to K'nex Ball Machine Elements

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Here it is - a giant guide to masses of different elements for your ball machines. This technically is not an instructable per se, rather, it is an add-on to HOW TO MAKE A BALL MACHINE.

The Path

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This is the simplest Element. It is, in fact, hardly an element but rather a connector of elements, though it can be used as an element when combined with Path Curves.

The Orange Slide

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This is also a pathing of types, but it allows balls to travel at higher velocities and allows for many more twists and turns.

Loops and turns work well, however, at high velocities ball fly off the track on curves, so add guard rails.

Ferris Wheels

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Ferris wheels are big cheeses - they take up large amounts of space and pieces, but in the end they turn out fickle. If you can get them to work well - good for you. It all depends on the way you build yours.

Freefall

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Possible the dullest element around. Here, the ball simply falls down a chute. it's mainly used for connecting Elements.

The Classic Spiral

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This is a spiral originally seen in the Big Ball Factory. It can be extended or shrunk to your needs. It is a fine and classic addition to any ball machine.

The Dual Windmills!

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This is an original that I am allowing to be modified. In this, balls go though a boxy maze in which it passes though freely rotating wheels.

The Maze

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This one is from the Trampoline tower, i believe. it's a vertical drop with failures that allow the ball to slip though.

The Pathing Spiral

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This is a derivative of pathing - essentially, curved pathing wrapped around a single tower.

It only works on a blue rod tower, however.

The "Flippers"

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There's no better name for these anyway...
The ball falls onto this and flips over directly underneath the other side. It looks cool in rapid sucession as well.

The Trampoline

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Featured in the "Trampoline Tower". Balls bounce off these and into a designated target (Hopefully a Basket).

Baskets

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These are often useful to catch flying balls(No pun intended).

Green Roller Coaster Pathing

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This is basically 3-Railed Green Roller Coaster Pathing from the Screaming Serpent. It works Okay, but I prefer Orange Tubing.

Red Ball Dropper

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This is a small (tiny actually) element which receives a ball, lowers its arm, and deposits the ball on the opposite side. Featured in NANO.

Gray Slide

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Another novelty path. This uses far too many pieces and is pretty useless outside of a short transport.

Ball Arm

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This is an element originally viewed in the Big Ball Factory. In this, the ball falls onto a platform, which then falls and deposits the ball further along.

Them Red Stairs

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Yes, here is another element from the BBF featured in my -xXxXx-. Here is a slope, without much freedom for turns. It sure looks pretty cool though.

The Tilted Orange Path

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This path is really useless, but it was shown in the -xXxXx-.

Horizontal Path Seperator

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This is similar to a Regular Path Separator but it is tilted Horizontally.

Ball Alternators

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These are like very simple red ball drops. They receive and deposit balls, usually onto other Balll Alternators.

Seen in the -xXxXx-.

Path Derivatives

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Not exactly an element, but rather it's to say that paths can be used as elements.

Fiinishing Statement

Again, these are not ideas to be directly copied. Rather, they are ideas to be toyed and tinkered with, ideas to be developed.


Thank You For Reading,
Trainman 2000