Frequently Asked Questions

I'm new to Great Ball Contraptions - What is it and where should I start?


What’s a GBC:
Of all the things made with LEGO, our favorites are inevitably the Great Ball Contraptions. GBCs, as they are known for short, are a kind of Rube Goldberg-style machines designed with the sole purpose of moving tiny GBC balls through a circuit. In this way a GBC is an elegant ballet of moving GBC Balls and each module of the machine has been carefully designed to efficiently move the balls individually or in groups on to the next component. The mechanisms that move the balls through the loop are generally as complex as possible, using clever actions that are reminiscent of the workings of a factory right out of How It’s Made. At the end it all starts over again.
Learn more: click here.

Where to start:
We have made it really easy for you to get started with your very own GBCs. We have many GBC Models build from existing LEGO sets which you can build yourself using our building instructions. In our models you will learn common and unique building techniques, cool and complex mechanisms and much more. We have a GBC Starters Pack which includes everything you need to start rolling. Also check out the rest of our GBC family, the GBC Balls and other GBC Accessories.

 

Search all our products by LEGO set/number, product name, categories and more. Give it a try :)

 

 

Help! My model doesn’t work!


No worries! We want to make sure that everyone gets our models working. Just like a famous NASA flight director once said: “Failure Is Not an Option!”
Before reaching out to us, please check these troubleshooting tips below.

  • Double check the building instruction to make sure you haven’t missed/mixed a step. Mistakes are human :) Our Technic Ruler can be a handy assistant during building.
  • If applicable, make sure you carefully follow the fine tuning/calibration tips in the beginning of the building instructions to set every mechanisms to pitch perfect.
  • Friction can be an enemy. In general GBCs are more complex and advance and include a lot of moving parts. Try loosening up all the gears and mechanisms first. Then try to power the module manually by hand so you can feel the resistance if any. Tackle one part/sub module/mechanism at a time. If it works as expected continue to the next one.
  • Are you using a fresh pack of juicy batteries? Some models need all the power there is to make the magic happen. Rechargeable batteries can only deliver up to 1.2 Volt where as disposable batteries can deliver up to 1.5 Volt which makes the latter provide more power. If running the model for a long time, or you don’t want to mess with batteries anymore, you may consider using an adapter powered power box. Our USB Power Box is an easy and efficient way to go.
    Did you know that with our Power Controller for LEGO you can even adjust the motor speed. This makes running your model even more convenient!

 

Still encountering problems or you have questions? Please feel free to reach out to us via our Support Desk and we are happy to help you were possible. It helps us a lot if you include a video showing the problem.

 

Shipping Information & Handling


To where do we ship:
We ship to every country in the world.

Shipping costs:
For actual shipment prices please add the required product in the cart. No account is yet needed. On the cart page you can enter your address to check the shipping costs.

Delivery time:
Our standard for parcel shipping is DHL or PostNL, depending on your order. We ship from our HQ in the Netherlands. Shipping overseas to e.g. America can vary from a couple of days up to 15 business days (max*).
You will receive a “complete order” email when your order has been shipped. Don’t like waiting? Follow our FREE Waiting Therapy.

*Note that due to Customs at the country of destination it can happen that the arrival of your package is delayed by a couple of days.
However this is most of the times not the case and you should expect the package at the time described above.

Priority Shipping:
If you want a faster shipping method for your order, contact us in advance before you place an order and we will look up the appropriate shipping price. Then your order can be there the next day!

Pickup orders:
It is also possible to pickup your orders at our headquarters in Posterholt (The Netherlands) or Heythuysen (The Netherlands).
Please first get in touch with us to make an appointment.

How we pack your orders:
For small shipments we use waterproof envelopes with bubble wrap on the inside. Most of the time these will fit through any normal sized mailbox so you don’t have to be home upon delivery. Larger shipments or bigger orders are also packed in bubble wrap and shipped in a box.

 

Still questions about shipping or you want priority shipping? Please get in touch with us and we are happy to help you further.

 

Download & opening building instructions with password


We made it really easy! After your purchase you will receive an email with the download links in it. You can also download your building instructions via your account on our website. If new updates are available for your building instructions you will be notified about it by email. Note that previous download links may expire if an update is available. Get the latest version and download links on your download page.

 

Our full HD pdf building instructions can be opened on every device you own (Smartphone, tablet, Iphone, Ipad, Mac, PC and many others).
All your purchased building instructions are linked to your account and password protected. When opening the building instructions you will be prompted to enter a password. The required PASSWORD for opening the building instructions = your email address of purchase (lowercase)!
By default you get a few tries to download your building instructions (for security reasons). So make sure you save the files on a known location on your local device. If you ever run out of download tries you can always get in touch with us and we are happy to extend your download permission again.

If you have problems with downloading your building instructions we advice to try using a different device and/or browser. We advice using Google Chrome on a desktop with wired internet and no VPN active. Also make sure you get the latest up-to-date download links from your account on our website.

 

 

Q: I get the message “Sorry, you have reached your download limit for this file. Go to Shop”
A: By default you can only use your download link a few time, after which it will expire automatically. For that reason it is important that you save your building instructions on a known location on your local device. You can always reach out to us and we are happy to extend your download permission.

Q: I get the message “Invalid download link. Go to Shop”
A: Due to updates of building instructions, previous download links may expire. Visit your download page to get the latest version and download link.

Q: I get a message similar to “Failed – Network Error”
A: This can be caused by multiple reasons.  Can you try using a different device and/or browser. We advice using Google Chrome on a desktop with wired internet and no VPN active. Here’s also a handy guide which handles the most common problems: Helper Guide

 

Where can I buy the LEGO Sets?


All our building instructions require you to get one official LEGO Set. Below we have listed our preferable LEGO Shops.

Next we have also included direct shopping links on every product page so you can easily get the required LEGO sets for the best price.
Simply visit one of our building instructions product pages.

 

Difficulty levels explained


For every building instructions we have listed the building difficulty level on the product page. This indicates how the balance lays between “plug and play” and “fine tuning” models.
In the end everyone should be able to build all our models as our building instructions carefully explain how to fine tune every mechanism.

In general GBCs brings you more than e.g. building a model truck (etc.). More construction is required and fine tuning, learning and understanding advance techniques and mechanism in GBC modules is an unavoidable, but for sure fun and educational, part of the build to make them work properly.

 

Easy Small models focusing on a single mechanism which helps new builders getting started in the wonderful world of our alternate builds.

Medium A nice mix of multiple mechanism and interactions of which some you have to fine tune after you have finished building.

Hard Fine tuning and understanding every mechanisms and interaction is required after you have finished building the model.

 

Pricing


Our prices are based on the size and complexity of an alternate build and the LEGO Set. This always goes hand in hand with the time it takes to develop a truly Great Ball Contraption or other model.
Making a model out of an existing LEGO set takes way more time then designing normal models. Next to that we digitize the model in 3D, make building steps, film/edit/pictures, maintaining and improving our website, service and so much more. You save tremendously on parts costs and time by the ease for you only having to buy one LEGO Set.

 

Did you already give our FREE Building Instructions a try? :)

 

Display your models - Tips & Tricks


When you are displaying your models on events, in stores and other public displays you have to keep a couple of general things in mind.

 

  • If you are running your model for a long time you may consider using an adapter powered power box. Our USB Power Box is an easy and efficient way to go. Learn more.
  • LEGO is made from ABS plastic and over time it will wear out on axles which generates plastic dust etc. (after thousands of  hours). This increases the frictions which can sometimes make models fail. To prevent this it is highly recommended to use a silicone spray on all moving parts which makes everything run much smoother. You will notice the difference immediately. For GBCs try to prevent that the GBC Balls get in touch with the spray. Amazon.com: Silicone Spray
  • Make sure your model stands on a flat surface.
  • For GBCs it’s always handy to have some kind of “fence” on the table around your GBCs. If GBC Balls escape they can’t roll of the table.
  • If you are not always around your GBC it’s good practice to put an extra fence in place so that your bypassing visitors cannot touch the models and/or the balls. You can also install some kind of a Plexiglass dome over the GBC so the public can still look closely and investigate all the interesting mechanisms.
  • The use of voltage regulators can help keeping the GBC in sync with other GBCs (if in a loop configuration with other GBCs). Note that when using the GBC as stand-alone module it will also increase the reliability when you turn the power down just a notch. It should not be necessary with our GBC models but sometimes it can help.
  • We also made a PV-Productions Media Pack available which shows and explains the GBC concept for your bypassing visitors when put next to your GBC.
    Learn more and get the PV-Productions Media Pack here for FREE: PV-Productions Media Pack.

 

Gift Card questions


Please see the Gift Card product page for all related questions.

 

How do I run my models autonomously


The bigger LEGO sets use the motor(s) which come with the LEGO set. The smaller LEGO sets are by default powered by hand. However for all models we designed we have made it really easy to upgrade your model with a LEGO motor. Learn all the ins and outs of upgrading your model with a LEGO motor here.
Or get our complete Motor Power Pack here.

 

Opening & Installing EV3 Software


For security reasons all our .EV3 software files are by default packed in a .zip file. After downloading the .zip file you first have to unzip this file using e.g. a free tool like WinRar (PC) or Unarchiver (Mac). Often your system already has an unzip tool installed. See what works best for you.

 

After unpacking the .zip file you will see the .EV3 project file. You can open this file using the default LEGO Software (from original LEGO Set). Note that some of our .EV3 project files may contain multiple programs, each with different functionality. You can install these programs separately on your EV3 Brick by clicking on the desired program (tab in upper left corner ) and click the “download” button in the lower right corner.

 

Don’t have the required software anymore? Get the latest version of the LEGO EV3 Software for free here.

 

Not finding what you were looking for? Get in touch with us and we are happy to help you further.