fishertechnik

The image above shows a variety of operating models from different fischertechnik sets, under Archie's supervision. Right front is a carousel from the former Universal set, left front is a windshield wiper mechanism from the older (but still new style) Basic Mechanics set, while the larger amusement park ride in back is from the current Universal II set. All operate by turning cranks - the rides via bevel gears and drive shafts, the wipers via an eccentric crank.

The gray-block scale at left is a from an early 1970s set 50, while the black-block hut next to it is again from the Universal II.

The conveyor belt model at lower right has a more complicated lineage - the plan is from the caterpillar track expansion set for the old Master series, but it expected most of the parts to come from the core Master set, which I don't have. Not a problem at this point: I could borrow all the parts from sets I do have - in the correct colors, except for the X-strips bracing the vertical elements, which I had to borrow from on older gray-era set. The horizontal braces are from the same source, for color match,.

It's a fun model: you stack 30mm blocks in the vertical rack, turn the crank, and the blocks feed onto the conveyor, move across to the right end, and are dumped off. I should have borrowed a toy wheelbarrow from my wife to pose there to catch them. Or better yet, built a wheelbarrow from the old 1960s manuals - though it might have been too high.

Aside from having to scrounge the parts, this was the most problematic ft plan I have done yet, with part count inaccuracy and the finished model showing a tendency to malfunction (I straightened cattywumpus blocks for the photo). It was still fun.

I haven't done a fischertechnik construction yet that wasn't Good Block Play.