Good builds start
with a little curiosity.
Practical guides to moving mechanisms, better experiments, and your next build. Read an idea, build it, then see how it works.
- Getting started
Do larger Technic-style wheels turn faster on the same axle?
Build a two-wheel comparison bench, predict rim distance and separate equal axle turns from unequal millimetres traveled around each wheel.
- Gears & cars
Four-wheel drive explained: 4WD vs AWD, and when it actually helps
Answers to common four-wheel drive questions: what 4WD and AWD mean, why a centre differential matters, and why 4WD climbs better, with Technic-style builds.
- Gears & cars
Belts, chains or gears? A Technic-style lesson on moving power
A ready-to-run lesson: why belts and chains carry turning across a gap, why a crossed belt reverses it, and why a belt slips when a chain can’t.
- Getting started
Does a second Technic-style gear output change the ratio?
Build an original two-output gear bench, predict each branch’s turns and discover why a second load changes effort without halving the tooth-count ratio.
- Getting started
Why does a Technic-style crank move unevenly along one axis?
Build a new crank orbit bench, predict its 32 mm projected excursion and discover why equal angle steps give unequal straight-axis travel.
- Gears & cars
Five motor myths: is the strongest Technic-style motor always best?
The XL motor is the strongest, but it often makes a slower car. Five common motor myths, tested with measured motor data and a lab you can try first.
- Getting started
Why does a hand-spun Technic-style wheel slow down?
Build a retained coasting wheel bench, predict stopping turns in a simple lab and compare three gentle trials without confusing speed with energy.
- Getting started
How far does a Technic-style rack move when you turn its gear?
Build a new rack travel bench, predict millimetres from pinion angle and run a three-trial experiment within a reviewed short stroke.
- Gears & cars
Tracks vs wheels: which is better, and when?
Tracks win on soft ground and steps; wheels win on smooth floors. Two floor tests with Technic-style builds, and a lab on why long tracks are hard to turn.
- Mechanisms
What is a worm gear, and why can’t it turn backwards?
Why a worm gear holds its load when you let go, when it can slip after all, and five Technic-style builds that use the lock.
- Building groups
Five Technic-style projects you can finish in one afternoon
Five 20 to 35 minute builds for builders past their first models, each with a test to run afterwards so the session ends with an answer.
- Getting started
Why do two Technic-style gear reductions multiply instead of add?
Build a new two-stage counting bench, predict its 25:1 reduction and test why gears sharing a shaft change the final turns.
- Mechanisms
Catapult vs trebuchet: a stored-energy experiment you can aim
How a spring catapult and a counterweight trebuchet store energy, why 45° is only best in theory, and a predict-and-launch range game.
- Getting started
Gear ratio worksheet: count teeth, predict turns and test a build
A hands-on gear ratio worksheet with worked examples, blank test records and answers. Compare two gear pairs using a free animated building guide.
- Mechanisms
How do linkages make walking legs? Trace a foot path and build a walker
See how a turning crank and a few pinned beams draw a step: trace foot paths on screen, then build a pump jack and a walking spider.
- Gears & cars
What is torque? Feel the trade between speed and strength
Torque explained with a hand winch you can crank on screen, then four Technic-style builds that let you feel speed and strength trade places.
- Getting started
How can a fast middle gear leave the final speed unchanged?
Build a 40–8–40 gear bridge, predict each shaft’s turns and use an interactive experiment to discover why an idler cancels from the final ratio.
- Gears & cars
How to test steering and suspension on a Technic-style car
Use a turning-circle test and a one-wheel bump test to separate steering geometry, suspension travel and ground clearance on small builds.
- Gears & cars
How to test speed and torque with a two-speed gearbox
Build a small two-speed mechanism, count its wheel turns, then compare flat-floor speed and ramp climbing with a repeatable test.
- Gears & cars
Why won't a Technic-style car climb? Torque, grip and balance
Diagnose a climbing car by separating motor stall, tyre slip and tipping, then run a controlled ramp test using small Technic-style builds.
- Getting started
Easy Technic-style builds for beginners: where to start
Six first builds for beginners, from a 5-minute roller to a pull-back racer, plus how to help without taking over.
- Getting started
How gears work: four builds to try
A simple way to explain gears, gear ratio and direction for beginners, with four hands-on builds and questions to ask.
- Gears & cars
Pull-back car science experiment: a practical fair test
Build a pull-back car, then run a real fair test: how far does it go when you pull back further, add weight or change gears?
- Building groups
How to run a Technic-style building club or STEM lesson
A practical guide for teachers and club leaders: groups, timings, sorting parts, choosing builds by experience and keeping everyone involved.
- Mechanisms
Simple machines: 6 builds that show levers, cams and cranks
Levers, counterweights, cams and cranks explained through six hand-powered builds, from a 12-minute see-saw to a trebuchet.
- Gears & cars
What is a differential? An explanation you can build
Why a car’s wheels need to turn at different speeds in a corner, and a push-along build that lets builders see a differential work.