Buy the set of all three books and save! The LEGO® Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines is a collection of hundreds of working examples of simple yet fascinating Technic models that you can build based on their pictures alone. Each project uses color-coded pieces and is photographed from multiple angles, making it easy to see how the models are assembled without the need for step-by-step instructions. Every model illustrates a different principle, concept, or mechanism that will inspire your own original creations. You’re encouraged to use these elements as building blocks to create your own masterpieces. The Technic models in Simple Machines demonstrate basic configurations of gears, shafts, pulleys, turntables, connectors, and the like. You'll learn how to create small, elegant machines like cranes, operable doors, motorized cars, a rubber band-powered rocket launcher, a hand-cranked drag racer, and even musical instruments. This visual guide, the first in the three-volume LEGO Technic Idea Book series, is the brainchild of master builder Yoshihito Isogawa of Tokyo, Japan.
Each title is filled with photos of Isogawa's unique models, all of which are designed to fire the imaginations of LEGO builders young and old.Now, what will you build? NOTE: The LEGO Technic Idea Book series uses parts from various Technic sets. If you don't have some of the pieces shown in a particular model, experiment by substituting your own parts or visit the author's website for a list of the special parts used in the book. Check Out Some "Simple Machines" in Action! Check out the other books in the series! About the AuthorYoshihito Isogawa is a LEGO luminary with 42 years of building experience. He began writing computer manuals while at the Tokyo University of Science and founded Isogawa Studio, Inc. soon after. He has twice won the grand prize in the Japan Manual Contest held by the Japan Technical Communicators Association and he has won outstanding performance awards many times. He currently lives in Tokyo. Table of ContentsPart 1 What is a gear?
Different kinds of teeth Pulleys are gears without teeth Various shafts and connectors Going from small to large gears Going from large to small gears Combining gears in different ratios Gears in a Turntable Using gears inside the cogs of a turntable Many gears in series Attaching different gears to the same shaft Using gears to change the angle of rotation Transmitting rotational power with chains Transmitting rotational power with caterpillar treads Transmitting rotational power with rubber bands Changing rotational motion into linear motion with rack-and-pinion gears Moving To and Fro Translating rotational motion into reciprocal motion Transmitting rotational power in any direction Transmitting power over distance using many gears Combining motors and gears Building in Any Direction Combining pieces so you can build in any direction What can we make with a simple chassis?
A car with windows A Formula One racer An paneled car (with tiles) What can we make with another chassis? A car with pipes A monster car—with claws! A car with a hood and a trunk Two doors opened by turning a handle A door opened by pushing a plate An automatic sliding door with a motor and rack gears A little garage door A door that closes itself A door with a key A door that catches like a “real” door Lifting a load with thread Making your own winches A crane using chains The mysterious crane using chains Launching a rocket with a rubber band A hand-cranked drag racer More Uses for Gears Changing the speed between two parallel shafts Increasing power between two perpendicular shafts Increasing power between two parallel shafts Using two crank shafts to move pistons Always rotating in the same direction Something like a bug foot Something like a bird feather
Linear motion with worm gears Growing and shrinking with worm gearsReviews"These are an invaluable set of books to have as a reference to build mechanisms." "I can emphatically state that no self-respecting LEGO fan should exclude this series from their library." —Bricks in my Pocket (Read More) "These are excellent books showing a lot of great ideas for LEGO mechanisms. Even if you're an experienced builder, there are surely some ideas in here you've never seen." "For those new to Technic building, the Simple Machines book is indispensable." —The NXT STEP Blog (Read More) "What I like about these cool little models is that they can be used to teach various science concepts such as gearing, Newton's Laws, and Potential & Kinetic energy—to name a few." —The Robotic Realm (Read More) "This is an eccentric but seductive book." —;login: The USENIX Magazine (Read More) "For anyone who loves Lego, prototypes in Lego, or loves mechanical assemblies, these books are definitely required viewing, and we're not sure how we lived without them for so long."
—Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (Read More) The LEGO® Technic Idea Book: Wheeled Wonders is a collection of hundreds of mechanisms for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles that you can build based on their pictures alone. You're encouraged to use these elements as building blocks to create your own masterpieces. The Technic models in Wheeled Wonders spin or move things, drag race, haul heavy gear, bump off walls, wind up and go, and much more. You'll discover how to build differential gears, implement steering and suspension, and design clutch and transmission systems to use in your own vehicles. This visual guide, the second in the three-volume LEGO Technic Idea Book series, is the brainchild of master builder Yoshihito Isogawa of Tokyo, Japan. Check Out Some "Wheeled Wonders" in Action!He currently lives in Tokyo. Tire size, torque, and speed of rotation Cars That Spin Something Push the car, and something spins Motorcars that spin something