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Robotics, Store Updates

July Promotion and Contest

We’re back with new promotions for July! Every order with $100 or more in custom aluminum parts or sets gets a free 25L Liftarm!

JULY CONTEST
Place the largest order of custom aluminum parts and/or sets in our store between July 10 and July 31, 2010 and receive a free Aluminum Screw-On Kit! This recently updated kit sports 16 custom pieces with a combination of Technic®-standard and threaded holes. We include plenty of hardware to allow you to fasten your creations together for extra strength and structural integrity.
Screw On Kit Assembly example Screw On Kit Assembly contents

Store Updates

Now Accepting the Intuit Payment Network for orders

You may notice that a number of items are now sporting a Intuit Buy Now Button button. The Intuit PaymentNetwork lets you pay us directly using your U.S. bank account. Your banking details remain secure with Intuit and payments typically clear in one business day versus waiting up to a week with Paypal.

For now, we’ve added the buttons to select items in the store. The button takes you to the Intuit website to process a payment for the item you are viewing with domestic shipping included. If you want to order several items and pay with our new method, please email me a list using our contact form and we will send a payment request with the correct total. We also accept payment by check and money order if you prefer.

Robotics, Store Updates

Come see us at Brickworld (sort of) :)

Brickworld starts tomorrow in Chicago! I’m actually NOT going to Brickworld. As much as I would like to, time and family commitments keep me from making the trip this year. However, Inanimate Reason is sponsoring the event at the Red Plate Level. Our sponsorship comes from donating three lots to the Esther Walner Charity Auction being held on Saturday night. The auction is held to support Make-A-Wish, Toys-4-Tots and InSciTe Illinois (a FIRST LEGO League managing partner). The auction is always a highlight of the Brickworld experience.

100% of your bid goes to the charities involved. If you’re attending, think of the children and bid generously. 🙂 Here is what to look out for from Inanimate Reason:

Also for Brickworld, we are having a special promotion! Look for special cards in all the goody bags from us. On these cards, you’ll see a special coupon code. Since the default Paypal cart we’re using doesn’t have any convenient way to redeem coupons or add freebies to your order, please use our contact feature, select redeem coupon as the topic, write in your coupon code and send it in. We’ll match it up to your order and you’ll get the gift along with your shipment.

Robotics

We are now a Mindsensors Authorized Dealer!

We are now an authorized seller of the full line of Mindsensors products! Expand your LEGO™ Mindstorms™ robots with some of the best electronics on the market today!

All our Mindsensors’ products are brand new and fully warranted through Mindsensors. If you are building the next big destructo-bot or even something more modest like a little sumobot, these high-precision sensors, controllers, and multiplexers give you plenty of options beyond the basic NXT sensor and motor options.

The 8 channel Servo Controller lets you control standard hobby servos like the Hitec HS-645MG Ultra Torque Servo and the Hitec HS-805BB MEGA 1/4 Scale Servo. Don’t forget the Servo Attachment Kit.

Or, control your PF motors with the PFMate. It lets you control speed, direction and braking/floating on PF motors from your Mindstorms NXT.

We’re also stocking sensor multiplexers for RCX sensors allowing you to connect up to four to a single NXT port.

We’re working to build the best stock of LEGO compatible products to let you build better, stronger, and faster! Feel free to send your comments and suggestions. If you have custom needs or want to special order items we don’t have in stock
yet so that you can have it all shipped together, please let us know.

Tech Nonsense

Building a 3D Liftarm Using Our New Aluminum End Beams

4L End Beam with low profile cap screw
We added a particularly interesting aluminum liftarm today. This beam has one flat end and is threaded on this end. This lets you attach it to any standard Technic-compatible part at a perpendicular direction to the existing beam. Using this new part, we can now build L and T beams of varying lengths.
T and L beams constructed using End threaded liftarm

The other really neat thing you can do is fasten the end beam at any angle of rotation with respect to the original beam. Because the end is threaded and the main beam is not, the included low profile cap screw captures the main beam between the screw head and the threaded hole in the end beam leaving you free to leave the end beam at any point of rotation you desire.

Finally, if you attach it at through the hole in the apex of an existing L-beam, you can build a three dimensional corner with liftarms extending on the X, Y and Z axes.

3D liftarm corner constructed using End threaded liftarm

Here is an example of a gear box build from two of the end beams and a few standard LEGO™ parts.

Gearbox constructed using End threaded liftarm

Robotics

Servo Integration for a Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

I’m pleased to announce several new products but I’m saving the best for last!

First, we are going to begin stocking our most popular items in both unanodized and black anodized aluminum. You can request any aluminum part be anodized at no charge, but if we stock it, you don’t have to wait! Today, I added 23L and the 5×3 T Liftarms in black anodized to my store.
5x3 T Liftarm23L Anodized Liftarm

We also expanded our liftarm line to include a 4L aluminum liftarm. That’s as small as we’ll get for standard liftarms since TLG already makes and sells the 2L liftarm.
4L Standard Liftarm

We’ve also developed a 3×3 L-shaped liftarm with tapped connection holes on the ends and corner. The remaining two holes are standard Technic holes for use with any standard Technic pin or our steel anti-rotation pins. The tapped holes fit standard 10/24 cap screws.
3x3 L shaped Liftarm with three holes tapped

The Long Awaited Servo Integration Kit!

Contents of the Servo Integration Kit

Our servo adapter kit lets you power your MOCs using standard hobby servos. It provides LEGO standard attachment points for both the housing and the servo horn. The kit works with many popular Futaba and Hitec standard size servos.

LEGO Beams attached to a Hitec HS-645MG Servo
Imagine powering your robot or vehicle using a motor with 7x the stall torque of a LEGO XL Motor! Of course, the kit works equally well with most other standard sized Futaba and Hitec servos. Our servo connection plate can adapt to Lego plastic axles or 3/16 steel axles (one 4L sized axle of each material is included. We include set screws for both types of axle.

The plate also features integrated mount points for LEGO liftarms and our custom aluminum liftarms.

You can also attach our custom liftarms or other Technic® compatible elements to the face of our proprietary horn. The horn is designed to mount to either Futaba or Hitec servos (or other brands who conform to their designs). Our unique horn design gives you the option to use either size standard without having to worry about which horn or servo you happen to have available.

Robotics

Drive Train Tutorial Using The New Miter Gear Set

I’ve been playing with our new Miter Gear Set for a little while now and I can’t believe how easy it is to build a drive train! Following is a short picture tutorial on how I did just that.

Step 1 Using the miter gear box, the middle size steel axle, and one of the miter gears, insert the axle through the gear box and one of the miter gears. Once the axle is centered, lock the miter gear onto the axle by tightening the set screw on the side of the gear. I chose the middle axle size so that my wheelbase would match the other end of my vehicle using a 15L liftarm. If you wanted to use the drive train with the Crossover 19L Aluminum Liftarms for your steering mechanism, the longer axle would be the better choice.

Step 2 Take the second miter gear and slide it into place where it mates with the first gear and then insert the short axle into the top of the gear box. Once it is fully inserted into the miter gear, lock it down as well. Here is the finished result from steps 1 and 2:

Step 3 Attach the wheel hubs to the ends of the drive axle. These wheel hubs are made to be used with any LEGO wheels that support the triple pin connection. In this tutorial, I happen to be using the 62mm wheels from the Silver Champion Formula Racer. 🙂 This is what the wheel looks like with and without the hub:

And this is the assembly with the hubs on the axles.

Step 4 Attach the wheels to the hub. The hubs can be attached to the wheel using standard LEGO pins or they can be through-bolted using the included 10-24 cap screws.

Step 5 Attach the gear hub to either a 24 or 40 tooth LEGO gear. A 24 tooth gear is included in the set. This assembly will drive the wheels through the miter gears. Attach the assembly to the drive shaft locking it down to the axle with an allen wrench. Here is your final assembly.

Overall, it took about 10 minutes to put it all together. It would have been less, but I had to find the wheels. Below, I’m including another example build displaying an entire vehicle frame made with the gear kit and a mix of LEGO and aluminum elements from our shop. The drive shaft is being power by two Large Power Functions Motors. You may notice the gear box is slightly different. This was an earlier prototype. The new gearbox included with the miter gear kit is designed to be sealable to protect it from dirt and grime outdoors.

Play well!

Nautical

The Transformaran

A very good friend of mine, Wes Stephenson, part inventor/part entrepeneur, sent me some pics of his latest project. This little personal catamaran breaks down to fit in the trunk of your average sedan. No more trailering or lousy gas mileage just to enjoy a day on the water. Pretty nifty! Now I need to figure out how to turn it into an RC boat. 🙂

Digressions, Low Finance

BLACK FRIDAY SALE at our Bricklink Store!

In our Bricklink Store, we will be selling quite a few items, including our custom aluminum liftarms, at discounts from 10 to 40 percent.
This is a one day only sale for Friday, November 27, 2009 from midnight to midnight Bricklink time (same as Eastern Standard Time). Our store will close on November 21 and reopen for the sale.

All aluminum parts and kits will be discounted from 10% to 20%. Most items will be 15% off. If you are hard to shop for, notify your friends and family to give them some great gift ideas!

We will also have LEGO on sale!

* 15% off all minifigs
* 20% off all used LEGO parts
* 20% off all gear
* 35% off all panels
* 40% off all instructions, books, and catalogs

No coupons please. However, we will honor all three of our existing promotions during the sale!

GIVEAWAY PROMOTION #1
Repeat customers receive 2 free 5×5 135 degree Custom Aluminum Liftarms with total aluminum orders of $100 or more.

GIVEAWAY PROMOTION #2
In addition, any single order with at least $100 in aluminum gets a free 25L standard liftarm (or any other aluminum item of equal or lesser value–buyer’s choice)! (while supplies last)

I’ll add the freebies to your order automatically, there is no need to add it in your order. Just let me know your selection in the notes when you place the order.

GIVEAWAY PROMOTION #3
Finally, through the end of November, I will be giving a free Screw-On Kit to the person who places the largest order for custom aluminum parts.

FREE AND DISCOUNTED SHIPPING OFFER
And… Just to sweeten the pot, all orders over $10 will pay actual postage only–no handling charges! Orders over $250 will ship free WORLDWIDE.

Prices are good while supplies last.