Tanks4me05 Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Ok, I've been working on a new coaster called Switchblade, (supports inspired by Jogumpie's Project 2007) and since I kept running out of parts (and slacking off on ordering them) I spent two months just making the first two elements and the station. I spent about $133 on extra pieces (some from the traveling K'nex Show that was in town, where they were about 50% cheaper than online) and now I have enough of the right pieces except for the chain, which I need about $10 worth. But, I have pics! Here is the station. If you look carefully, you can see that the roof is slanted. A closer look at the gates in the station. Here is the first element (one of my signature elements) - The Turning Roll. It is like Hydra's Jo Jo Roll, but it turns 180 degrees as it traverses the inversion. Here is an over head view of the Turning Roll. Proof that it goes upside down. Here is the lift hill and the vertical drop. POV of the first drop. If you look closely, you can see that the lift leans slightly to the left. I don't know why it does that, but at least it's holding itself up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trustkill22 Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Not Bad, Not bad at all. I have been in the same situation too with pieces but I didn't really want to spend that much on them so I just stopped working on Knex. But good work. I wish a traveling Knex thing came by my place. P.S. With the lift hill leaning left problem, Just blame it Akon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Thriller Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 I wish THAT was a real coaster! I'd go on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted September 3, 2007 Author Share Posted September 3, 2007 Well, seeing as I plan to be an amusement ride designer, it may very well be. (I'm not even in college yet, but I am going to take engineering courses, I have high grades, and I will take this seriously, and properly educate myself. If I don't get hired, I will just make my own company. I know it will be hard, but I am willing to stick through it to be an amusement ride designer.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfie Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Isn't a JoJo roll only on 4 dimension coasters when both the track and cars flip 360*? Looks more like a heartline roll to me. Anyways, you're doing a really good job - much more than I can do with K'NEX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vekoma Fan Boy Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 ^No, A JoJo roll is a heartline roll right out of the station. You're thinking of a full-full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xascher Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Not bad, but I will say the lateral braces(?), or whatever, the diagonal tubes on the support structure jut out at a painfully awkward angle. Consider making it a bit more acute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollerdude Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 A couple of tips to help you out...First, the roll out of the station. You should raise where the train is upside down so the track is 'heartlined' to a certain extent. Now the lift. I would say that you don't use the tubular supports and build towers instead. It would be a lot easier to build. You're building them wrong anyway. Lastly, wherever you have a straight part, use a stiff grey rod instead of a green flexi rod. This will add a lot of support. Also, you have a great station for a beginner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 ^^ I know. Trust me, I want them to be at an angle about half as wide as they are, but as you know, K'nex makes angles only at 45 degrees, not 22.5 degrees. ^ I do use stiff Gray (or blue, orange, or black, but they are the same size) pieces instead of the green flexi ones for straight track. They are even on the vertical drop. I even did that on my last one - Gravity. The ting is, I will try to raise the mid point of the Turning Roll, but I'm worried that the train won't have enough speed to make it through there. Also, raising the station would be a bad idea because it probably won't have enough speed to make it into the station at the end. Although I will try to use the boosters somewhere in the course (I will have to actually saw off part of the booster so the train can fit.) I don't know how to build the supports correctly because this is not only the first time I used them, but the second time they have ever been done, and I don't neccessarily have a lot of pieces to make whatever I want, and I already spent about $133 on parts alone. I wanted a more realistic look to the coaster, but I will try the tower idea for just the lift, Alpengeist style. Come to think of it, it will save a lot of pieces, and I might be able to make the cylinders with 8 rods instead of 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanakers Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 ^^ I know. Trust me, I want them to be at an angle about half as wide as they are, but as you know, K'nex makes angles only at 45 degrees, not 22.5 degrees. I haven't used k'nex in some time, however you should be able to solve this by using one of those gray connectors that are one sided with a hole on the other. Use one on either end of the brace so it can pivot to whatever angle you need on either side so it can pivot on both ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted September 5, 2007 Author Share Posted September 5, 2007 ^I took a closer look at Jogumpie's supports on Project 2007, and I saw that he used a similar strategy to your gray connectors, but on the orange connectors. I'll try to use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AznShortBoi8021 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 The colors are hideous. They make me want to puke. You should choose better colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vekoma Fan Boy Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 ^How about a little courtesy? If you knew anything about K'nex, you'd know they only come in a limited number of colors. It is worse when someone only has so much of "x" color. Don't listen to him. Just do the supports like Jogumpie and it'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giovanolafan Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 yep... and remember he's only nine ^^ he isnt spossed to be on this site anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted September 8, 2007 Author Share Posted September 8, 2007 I know some people try to color code their K'nex sets, but I don't want to spend all that money on pieces that I already have, but are a different color. I care for functionality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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