Application of Simple Machines to Create Lego Garage Doors

My number one hobby is Lego building; although, I also enjoy electronics including Arduino and Raspberry. My favorite category within the Lego universe is Architectural Building. I am currently replicating my home using legos. The home is a full log cabin on the first floor with framing on the second floor and in the garage. I was about to work on the garage when the Simple Machines contest was posted. At the time I wasn’t sure how I was going to design the opening feature for the garage, so I decided to build four different versions (each based on a simple machine) and choose one for my project. I hope one of these options also works for you.

Legos:

Basic Garage (see images 2 and 3)

1 - Base Plate - 16x16 or 32x16 - White [I used white because my cabin will be in snow]

12 - Bricks 1x12 - reddish brown (or combination of bricks to two 1x14x6 side walls)

12 - Bricks 1x2 - reddish brown

12 - Tiles 2x4 - light bluish gray

5 - Plates 2x8 (or one 8x8 plate)

Lifting Lever Approach (see image 4)

1 - Tile, Modified 1x2 with bar handle - black

1 - Plate 2x10 plate - reddish brown

2 - Technic bricks 1x2 with hole - light bluish gray

2 - Technic bricks 1x2 with holes - light bluish gray

2 - Technic pins without friction ridges lengthwise - light bluish gray

4 - Plates 1x2 - reddish brown

2 - Slopes 1x3 - dark bluish gray

Wheel and Axle Approach (see image 5)

1 - Steering wheel - large, medium, and/or small

2 - Slope 1x3 - dark bluish gray

1 - Technic pins without friction ridges lengthwise - light bluish gray

1 - Technic axle 1 with pin 3L

2 - Technic bricks 1x2 with hole - reddish brown

2 - Plate, modified 1x2 with pin hole on the bottom - light bluish gray

4 - Plates 1x2 - reddish brown

1 - Plate 2x10 - reddish brown

Pulley Approach (see image 6)

1 - Plate 2x6 - reddish brown

2 - Technic wedge belt wheel (pulley) - light bluish gray

4 - Bushings - light bluish gray

4 - Technic pins without friction ridges lengthwise - light bluish gray

2 - Technic axle 12 - black

4 - Bricks 1x1x5 - reddish brown

4 - Bricks 1x1 - reddish brown

20 - Bricks 1x2 (dark tan in the picture) - reddish brown

8 - Technic bricks with hole 1x2 ( some are light bluish gray in the picture) - reddish brown

4 - Corner plates 2x2 - reddish brown

4 - Technic pin connector round 1L - dark bluish gray

1 - Plate, modified 2x2 with pin hole

1 - String 18” - black

Screw (Actuator) Approach (see image 7)

1 - Plate 6x8 - reddish brown

2 - Technic bricks with hole 1x2 - light bluish gray

2 - Technic bricks with hole 1x2 - reddish brown

1 - Technic axle 12 - black

2 - Tile 2x2 - light bluish gray

4 - Tile 1x1 - light bluish gray

3 - Brick 1x1 - reddish brown

1 - Bushing - light bluish gray

2 - Plates 1x2 - light bluish gray

4 - Plate, modified 2x2 with pin hole (any color)

2 - Slope 1x2 - reddish brown

2 - Plate, modified 1x2 with pin hole on the bottom - light bluish gray

3 - Brick 2x2 corner - reddish brown

2 - Slope inverted 45 2x2 - reddish brown

1 - Technic gear 12 tooth bevel - tan

1 - Technic gear 20 tooth bevel - tan

2 - Technic liftarm thin L-shape 3x3 - light bluish gray

2 - Technic liftarm modified L-shape quarter - dark bluish gray

1 - Technic linear actuator mini - light bluish gray with dark bluish gray head and orange axle

2 - Technic axle with pin without friction ridges - tan

4 - Technic axle with pin with friction ridges - blue

1 - Technic liftarm modified 1x3 with 2 axle holes - black

1 - Technic pin 3L with friction ridges lengthwise - blue or black

Build the basic garage for use with each approach:

1) Build two 1x14x6 (reddish brown) walls for each side of the garage (see image 1).

2) Place 12 2x4 tiles (light bluish gray) on the floor of the garage (see image 1).

3) Leave two 2x4 areas in the garage not covered by the tile (see image 1). This area will be used for supports depending on which approach (Steps 2 through 5) selected.

4) Position four 2x8 plates side by side with one 2x8 plate connecting them (see image 2).

The rear of the garage does not need to be completed to experiment with different garage door opening approaches. Also, for my home model, this baseplate lines up to a second baseplate on which the house is built. Therefore, the front wall of the house serves as the rear wall of the garage.

1) Attach handle to the front of the garage door near the bottom (see image 1).

2) Position two 1x3 slopes on the garage floor near the front to prevent the door from swinging freely (see image 2).

3) Attach each technic brick with a single hole to a technic brick with two holes (see image 3).

4) Place technic bricks with two holes on top of the side walls in the front (see image 4).

5) Attach the garage door to the studs of the technic bricks with a single hole (see image 5).

6) Attached two 1x2 plates on top of each technic brick with two holes (see image 6).

7) Place 2x10 plate on top of the 1x2 plates (see image 7).

The garage door is lifted using the handle. The farther the handle is from the top of the door, the easier the door is to open.

1) Position two 1x3 slopes on the garage floor near the front to prevent the door from swinging freely (see image 1).

2) Place modified 1x2 plates with pin hole on the bottom on the back of the garage door near the top (see image 2).

3) Insert technic pin without friction ridges lengthwise into a 1x2 brick with pin hole (see image 3 right side) and insert technic axle 1 with pin 3L into a 1x2 brick with pin hole (see image 3 left side).

4) Place the 1x2 technic brick with a single hole and inserted technic pin on top of the right side wall in the front (see image 4).

5) Insert technic pin attached to brick 1x2 with pin hole to 1x2 modified plate with hole on the bottom attached to the back of the garage (see image 5 right side).

6) Place 1x2 technic brick with a single hole and 3L pin on top of the left side wall in front (see image 5 left side).

7) Insert 3L technic pin into 1x2 modified plate with hole on the bottom attached to the back of the garage (see image 6).

8) Attach two 1x2 plates on the each stack on the sides of the garage door and secure a 2x10 plate over the top of the garage door (see image 7).

9) Insert axle side of 3L pin into steering wheel (see images 8 and 9). You can select a small, medium, or large steering wheel.

The garage door is raised and lowered by turning the steering wheel. The larger the steering wheel, the easier it is to lift the garage door. If I choose this option, I would go with a smaller steering wheel in black.

1) Remove the 2x8 connection plate on the back of the garage door and remove one additional 2x8 connection plate (see image 1).

2) Attach a 2x6 plate on the back of three 2x8 plates to connect them (see image 1).

3) Tie string in a slip knot around the pin opening on the 2x2 modified plate (see image 2).

4) Make four stacks of four 1x2 bricks (dark tan in photo), position a 1x2 modified brick with pin hole on top of each stack, and insert one axle 12 through the modified brick, wedge belt wheel and second modified brick. Secure the ends of the axle 12 with bushings (see image 3).

5) Position two stacks on the last two studs on top of the wall (see image 3)

6) Position two stacks on the fifth and sixth studs on top of the wall (see image 4).

7) Position a 1x1 brick on top of a 1x1x5 brick (repeat four times). Position one corner 2x2 plate on top of each 1x1x6 brick stacks (see image 5).

8) Weave string through both pulleys (see image 6).

9) Position two 1x1x6 brick stacks with corner plates on the left side of the garage in front (see image 6).

10) Position two 1x1x6 brick stacks with corner plates on the right side of the garage in front (see image 7).

11) Insert one technic pin without friction ridges into a 1x2 modified brick with pin hole and attach a technic pin connector (1L) onto each pin (see image 7). Repeat four times.

12) Position each modified brick (with pin and pin connector) on the back side of the garage door (see image 8).

13) Attach modified 2x2 plate with pin hole to top back side of the garage (see image 9).

14) Insert garage door into the open space between the 1x1x6 brick stacks on each side of the garage (see images 9 and 10).

The garage door is raised and lowered by pulling and releasing the string. I found this option to be the most problematic - the string frequently slipped especially when I was trying to photograph the garage door in the up position. Perhaps, if I had three arms, there would not have been an issue. But, given that the pull needed to be near the house, this also would be a difficult option for my purposes.

1) Use the 6x8 plate for the garage door (see image 1).

2) Turn the 6x8 plate over and position the four modified 2x2 plates with one or two pin holes in the center (see image 2).

3) Connect a technic liftarm thin L-shape 3x3 to a technic liftarm modified L-shape quarter using two technic axle with pin with friction ridges. Then, repeat for a second connection (see image 2).

4) Slip the pins for one of the connections into the pin holes on the rear of the garage (see image 3).

5) Slip the pins for the other connection into the pin holes on the rear of the garage on the other side (see image 4).

5) Insert the technic axle with pin without friction ridges into the connection (see image 4). Place a 1x2 plate on top of the 1x2 technic brick with a single hole (see image 4).

6) Slip the 1x2 technic bricks onto the technic axle with pin without friction ridges on each side of the garage door (see image 5).

7) Insert small bevel gear on orange axle in the actuator (see image 6). Insert axle 12 through a bushing, then a 1x2 technic brick (single hole), the actuator, the large bevel gear, the other side of the actuator, the second 1x2 technic brick (hole), and the crank (see image 6). Insert a technic pin 3L with friction ridges lengthwise through the head of the actuator (see image 6). Attach the 1x2 modified plate with pin hole on the bottom on one side (see image 6) and the second 1x2 modified plate with pin hole on the bottom on the other side (see images 7 and 8).

8) Attach the actuator to the garage door (see images 9 and 10).

9) Remove 1x2x6 bricks on the front of each side side of the garage, 2 levels of bricks on each side of the garage, and and additional 1x2 brick on the now front of the garage on each side (see image 11).

10) Add two 1x2 45 slopes as shown in image 11.

11) Add two 2x2 tiles and four 1x1 tiles to the floor of the garage as shown in image 12.

12) Add brick 2x2 corners to each side at the front of the garage (see image 13).

13) Position the 2x2 slope inverted 45 on the fourth level of each side of the garage (see image 14).

14) Complete two additional levels of bricks to return to the original height of the basic garage (see image 14).

15) Attach the actuator and garage door to the garage sides (see image 15).

The garage door is lifted by turning the lever which turns the larger bevel gear which turns the smaller gear as well as the actuator. As a result the actuator is retracted and extended which raises and lowers the door.

Each of the garage door openers are functional and will work with lego home designs. I have selected "The Screw (Actuator) Approach" for my log cabin since it most closely matches the garage door opener in my garage.