HAPPY PI DAY!!!

A little something I whipped up in flash for Pi Day 2010.

Sears Tower Model Loses its Foundation

Today was 40 degrees and rainy. As a result, the model sears tower now has absolutely no foundation, except for the bricks in its base. When I arrived home today, I found the tower leaning at a dangerously steep angle, but not breaking. I could technically say that this structure was so strong, the earth itself failed before the tower did...

Anyway, I have since taken down the tower, as it will no longer be able to stand up to the wind without its foundation intact. I am working on plans for a much larger outdoor project to be started this spring, however.

K'nex Sears Tower (Willis Tower)

This 1:153 scale model of the Sears Tower (Willis Tower) was built in about 8 hours by myself, Sam Ihlenfeldt and Paul Davis. The tower stands 12 feet high and uses about 3,000 pieces. Details include accurate antennas, entrance at the bottom and even air conditioning units. The base of this tower is embedded in 6 inches of ice and snow, and weighed down with 100lbs of bricks, and with the inherently strong 9-column design of the Sears Tower, it is pretty much impossible for this model to tip over, even in the strongest wind.

We were able to build this tower without having to dissassemble the 25,000 piece Labyrinth ball machine.

More images:

New Project - Sears Tower Scale Model

I am attempting a rather unique and ambitious project this weekend. Not so much because the build itself will be difficult, but because I plan to construct a 3000 piece scale model of the Sears Tower (aka Willis Tower) without taking apart my ball machine, meaning I will be extremely short on some of the specific pieces I need. The tower will stand 1.5 feet wide and 12 feet tall (1:150 scale).

What makes this project unique is that it is my first attempt at making a knex tower with an actual foundation. Though the tower will appear to be resting on a blanket of snow when completed, the structure extends more than 6 inches below the surface of the snow, where it is embedded in solid ice and weighed down with 100 pounds of bricks, making the structure almost completely immovable in the event of a sudden gust of wind.

I have finished the foundation and the twin antennae at the top, so all that remains is the middle 8 feet, which should progress rather quickly, as no large amount of design or detail is required.

Labyrinth: FINISHED!

After 2 months and 2 days of work, the single largest structure I have ever built is completed. The Labyrinth contains 25,000 pieces, 261 feet of track, 19 paths, 13 switches, 4 lift hills and 4 motors. Click Here to watch the video!

Labyrinth Update

Winter break is over and work on The Labyrinth has slowed down, but it has not stopped. I have added 2 more tracks (with 6 unique elements between them) to the machine. The largest and most obvious track is a 8 foot arch bridge which spans the width of my room, crossing over my bed and desk. This track features several elements which I have never even attempted to build before, but it works perfectly.

right end of arch bridge

The second track is a pinball-type element consisting of a 5 foot long sloping pegboard. The ball drops on to the board and gradually works its way through the pegs, exiting in one of 3 slots at the bottom. These 3 slots then lead into 3 different tracks, which all deposit the ball at the bottom of lift #3. The pegboard alone contains 1300 pieces.

Pegboard

Paths exiting pegboard

Labyrinth: Almost There!

I missed my New Years Eve deadline do to piece shortages, but I continue to make progress. Labyrinth now has 14 tracks, 4 lift hills, 4 motors and an uncountable number of pieces. (I still estimate around 20,000. I will do a more accurate estimate later. I have also wrapped the entire structure in Christmas lights for the holiday season.