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In lugnet.technic, Kevin L. Clague wrote:
> In lugnet.technic, Mark Bellis wrote:
> > In lugnet.technic, Kevin L. Clague wrote:
> > > <snip>
> > >
> > > > I'd like to write a book on Lego pneumatics - I have a few ideas already sorted
> > > > into chapters, such as basics, building blocks and example systems.
> > > >
> > > > Mark Bellis
> > >
> > > Hi Mark,
> > > I've thought about this in the past, and ruled it out because it is such a
> > > specialty. Do you think there is a big enough market to justify a book on this
> > > topic?
> > >
> > > Kevin
> > Well, there are books about Lego Mindstorms and now a book about Lego trains,
> > both by AFOLs, so I don't see why not. Chapters may look like this:
> >
> > 1. Basics. Components and simple system.
> > 2. Larger basic systems, up to Backhoe Loader complexity.
> > 3. Building blocks. The concept of cylinders driving switches. Flip-Flop,
> > OR/NOR/AND/NAND gate, XOR/XNOR gate.
> > 4. using the building blocks. steam engine. parity checker. self-centring
> > pneumatic steering (for JCBs etc...)
> > 5. Pick and place robot (9 switches, 8 cylinders), including extended flip-flop,
> > XOR gate and enabling logic for 4 functions with 10-step cycle.
> > 6. Octopus arm that does four functions then reverses them. 4 switches on arm
> > and 24 switches on 32x32 logic board!
> > 7. Modular 6-legged robot. Each leg moves individually forwards then all 6 move
> > back together. Logic has 6 identical modules and 1 reverser module. Total 44
> > switches.
> >
> > In a book we could only put in example systems, with the aim of getting users to
> > experiment. However, the investment in tens of Backhoe Loaders would be
> > prohibitive (except on 3 for 2 at Toys R Us in the UK!)
> >
> > The ideas book 8889 had a number of pneumatic models in it, as well as a car
> > assembly line that very few people would have had enough parts to build, so it's
> > allowed!
> >
> > I think one place where people say Jake's train book has fallen down is that the
> > instructions for models require specific parts that are hard to obtain in the
> > colour used in the book. With pneumatic parts, the beams etc... can be any
> > colour, and the cost is no more prohibitive than for the ideas I'd put in a
> > trains book of my own! The only specialist parts are all in one set, other than
> > a £20 car tyre air compressor when you get into repeated cycles of movement!
> >
> > I think it would be good for us to write books from our areas of expertise, as a
> > permanent reference for AFOLs and enthusiastic teenagers alike. Perhaps it is
> > best to collaborate, though the list of complex models in the back would be
> > huge! If I did go ahead with a book in the next few years, I'd probably let you
> > write a chapter on Walkers, since you do a lot of those.
>
> That would be my fifth book, and my second that contains pneumatic models. I'd
> love to do more models based on a single 8455 set. It has enough switches to
> make a half adder, and some cool walkers. It is a challenge to live within the
> inventory of a given set, but it can really get the creative juices going.
>
> I've done two electromagnetic calculators (one is already in a book), and two
> kinds of reversible pneumatic engines. I'm just indicating that I do more than
> pneumatic walkers.
>
> >
> > Mark
>
> Kevin
Yes, I just noticed that it was one of your specialities - obvious due to the
picture on the Technic newsgroup page.
I also major in trains, which take a lot of time, so I haven't had time to
develop pneumatics much for a few years. However, the ten 8455s (so far) that
I've bought recently are part of a plan to push out the boundaries again. I
might have more time after July, when my MSc course finishes.
The thing is though, 8455s have lots of beams without studs, and ones with studs
generally seem to be declining. Perhaps I should build more with the beams from
8455s. The trouble is, using the right angle brackets to make right angles
introduces too much flexing into the joints. Beams and plates were much more
rigid. Rigidity is essential for efficiency, and efficiency increases speed.
I'm looking for applications for large amounts of pneumatic parts, as I can have
fun playing with a system diagram before building anything. I had a plan to do
a robot that built things, but the challenge was to find enough for it to do
that required something new in the logic. I think it would have to do something
physical, as it's really too slow for computing applications that already have
fast solutions. I don't yet have a ready-made robot that can build models!
Perhaps something that could stack 1x1 and 1x2 bricks in tens, as this is quite
time consuming!
Having done a few books already:
Do you write it first, then find a publisher?
How much does the book change once you've submitted it?
What sort of sales of them have you had?
Mark
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: Pneumatics book?
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| (...) Syngress found me, and then I co-authored in my first book. It was primarily a building instruction book, with little freedom, except in the model design itself. I wrote my first version of LPub for that book. Syngress had another "10 Cool (...) (21 years ago, 10-Apr-04, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Pneumatics book?
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| (...) I've long held the opinion that it is a lot harder to make rigid structures using studless beams. I have yet to build anything of worth entirely from studless, despite multiple attempts. Steve (21 years ago, 10-Apr-04, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.books)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Pneumatics book?
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| (...) That would be my fifth book, and my second that contains pneumatic models. I'd love to do more models based on a single 8455 set. It has enough switches to make a half adder, and some cool walkers. It is a challenge to live within the (...) (21 years ago, 9-Apr-04, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.books)
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