Video: Check Out This Working Six-Speed Gearbox Made of Legos
Young builder constructs working transmission with swappable input and output shafts.
We all grew up with Legos — building castles, creating worlds, and dreaming of the bigger and better things we could create if we just had one more kit or a few more pieces. You can make just about anything from these interlocking little blocks. Adam Savage of “MythBusters” made an automata of the mythical Greek figure Sisyphus. More recently, an Apple engineer built a fully functional replica of the Antikythera Mechanism, the oldest computer known to man. It was only a matter of time before Lego builders replicated car parts as well.
YouTube user dgustafsson13 used the little blocks to create a fully functional six-speed gearbox. When attached to a Lego motor, you can easily see the axles spinning. The gearshift on top smoothly moves the pieces between each gear, even at high speeds. It comes complete with input and output shafts that can be switched as needed.
The gearbox in the video is slightly larger than one that could be incorporated into a design, but that’s because a couple of extra pieces stabilize it as a free-standing item.
If you’re interested in building your own Lego gear box, you’re in luck: The author of the video has provided step-by-step instructions on his web page, so feel free to give it a try.
While it might look like a toy, this Lego gearbox can be a great tool for aspiring mechanics to learn how individual automotive like gearboxes work. Of course, you could also use it to make a really tricked-out Lego car for your guinea pig, too. Only your imagination limits you with this build.
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