It has never been easier to build a complete Great Ball Contraption (GBC) loop yourself! It is way bigger than the original LEGO model and it features multiple GBC modules which all work together in harmony to make a full loop so the ball flow will never end. This GBC is entirely built using only parts from the LEGO 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler and can be referred to as Alternate Build of the 42114. When building this GBC it makes sure you master the GBC building techniques and tricks so that you eventually also can build your own GBCs. The whole machine is powered by multiple LEGO motors which comes with the LEGO 42114 set and controlled/programmed via the official LEGO Powered Up App.
Mill power for the win!
Have you ever wondered how in the olden days power was being generated? In the flat Netherlands often wind mills where used whereas in more hilly countries the watermills where put to use. Inspired by our own roots we decided to go all in and design a GBC based on various mills.
The GBC 47 Mill Madness has a footprint of 73 cm (29 inch) by 52 cm (21 inch) and a height of 50 cm (20 inch) which makes it much bigger than the original LEGO model.
The star of the show is for certain the big Windmill Module spanning 4 blades up to 50cm (20 inch) high in the air. With great control and precision a motor drives the 4 blades counter clock wise in a smooth motion. Each blade is slightly tilted forward just like the real windmill counterpart. Next to meeting the esthetics it also gives us 3 handy benefits. First each blade will pick up one GBC Ball at the time at the bottom of the module. Due to the forward tilted blade the ball will not fall off. Secondly, when the blade is rotated horizontal, it will force the GBC Balls to roll to the center of the drive shaft. At last, they will be hold until the blade is pointed upwards where the GBC Ball will roll off the blade. From there the GBC Balls will hit 3 green targets and go to the Watermill Module.
The 12 spoke Watermill Module is completely powered by the GBC Balls themselves! Only gravity pulls the GBC Balls down which makes the mill rotate. The shaft of the watermill is connected to a mechanism to simulate a real purpose machinery. Even though the GBC Balls are quite light, they can make heavy machinery move! How cool is that!
Next up, the GBC Balls are being queued for the Triple Cardan Gear Lift. This module features 3 perfectly in sync arms which pick up 2 GBC Balls at a time and roll them to the next arm. It is very satisfying to see this action taking place in front of you and the mechanism makes sure the arms rotate in a relative compact space.
From there the ball go to the optional GBC Funnel Module which gives a good spin on the balls. The GBC 47 Mill Madness has the unique feature that you can use our left GBC XL, Gravity Well or Turbo Spin Funnel, one after the other. In this way you can see and experiment with the different funnel shapes and their unique behavior. This module completes the loop and the GBC Balls are back in que for the Windmill Module.
Fun Fact
So many yellow panels in this set! We knew from the beginning we had to do something with these and we came up with various ways of using them in a creative, yet useful way. Studying the shape more up close we soon focused on creating a big windmill which would transport the GBC Balls up. Important with this module was to get it to resemble a real one. We think we did a great job in combining esthetics and functionality all in one.
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
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- GBC 47 Mill Madness
Work Together – Enhance building skills
The whole GBC is split into different parts/modules which are assembled together during the build. Ideal for working in groups as each builder can work on a sub assembly and later click everything together. Because of this construction and flexibility it is also always possible to separate the modules again and make your own unique configuration or use modules as separate machines. Due to the use of a separate motor for each module it is easy to rebuild them into your own GBC Layout Module.
It is not possible to move the whole structure at once and it’s required to take it apart in a few, easy to disassemble, sub parts. We advise to place the GBC on a solid plate. Footprint GBC 47 Mill Madness: 73 cm (29 inch) by 52 cm (21 inch).
Building Instructions Preview
Preview
Try before you buy. We completely understand. See the building instructions previews on the left or try one of our free building instructions.
Upgrade your GBC 47 Mill Madness
In the building instructions is explained how to easily upgrade the GBC 47 Mill Madness with various parts.
GBC Funnels
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USB Power Box
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Abel Minnema –
Im impressed by this gbc. especially like the 3 arms which feed the balls to the other arms. recommend it if you have this set!
Jim –
I recently purchased and built the new GBC 47 Mill Madness from the Lego set 42114.
Here is my review.
I enjoyed building this model. It used some very interesting and innovative techniques. The model made great use of the parts from the original Lego set. The Windmill was a clever build and I particularly liked the way the model could be finely tuned to work seamlessly. The programming for the controller was clear and the instructions were easy to follow. I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone wanting to add value to their Lego sets by giving them new life as a GBC model.