Rollercoaster Push Lift: a K'nex Ball Machine Lift

Here are the instructions for 1 of the 3 lifts that I designed for my ball machine Ribdul.

Click here to see the video, which I am unfortunately unable to post on Instructables.

Here is a list of all the pieces you will need to build a Rollercoaster Push Lift:

RODS

• Micro black: 1
• Long classic-to-micro: 2
• Green: 66
• White: 45
• White-length flexi: 1
• Blue: 78
• Yellow: 42
• Red: 55
• Gray: 42
• Black*: 1

CONNECTORS

• Micro purple: 1
• Micro light gray: 1
• Classic-to-micro: 10
• Gray: 4
• Light gray: 1
• Orange: 14
• Red: 31
• Green: 2
• Purple: 75
• Yellow: 43
• Blue: 35
• White: 27

OTHER

• Blue clip: 2
• Blue spacer: 46
• Chain guard: 11
• Hinge: 1
• Long micro rollercoaster track: 4
• Micro chain link: 132
• Micro chain sprocket: 4
• Micro rollercoaster car: 1
• Micro Y-clip: 12
• Short micro rollercoaster track: 1
• Silver spacer: 53
• Tan clip: 2
• Y-clip: 6
• Motor**

TOTAL PARTS: 862 (gray motor) or 891 (green motor)

*This is the same length as a gray rod. You could use a normal gray rod, but it might bend too much.

**You will need either a gray motor or a green motor (your choice), plus some additional parts that depend on which motor you are using.

If you are using a gray motor, you will also need:

CONNECTORS

• Yellow: 2

OTHER

• Gray motor: 1
• Silver spacer: 4
• Tan clip: 2
• White gear: 1

If you are using a green motor, you will also need:

RODS

• Green: 12
• White: 1
• Blue: 2
• Yellow: 2
• Red: 2

CONNECTORS

• Purple: 11
• Blue: 7
• White: 1

OTHER

• Green motor: 1

You will begin by building the shorter half of the frame.

You will now complete the frame.

Now it's time to attach the rollercoaster track and chain.

The tunnel keeps the ball on the rollercoaster track so the car can push the ball.

All lifts must have some way to get balls onto and off of them.

If you want to use a gray motor to power the lift, follow this step to build the gray motor's gearbox.

If you want to use a green motor to power the lift, follow this step to build the green motor's gearbox.

The Rollercoaster Push Lift can easily be customized. Here are some ideas:

• You could make the lift taller or shorter.
• You could build a full rollercoaster for the car to traverse on its way down the lift.
• If you want to make the lift taller or build a rollercoaster, you might want to add more cars. Beware, though: every micro rollercoaster car is unique, and each one coasts a different distance up the chain. Thus, you would need to design some way to keep the cars a uniform distance apart.