This Construx creation was a ton of fun. I wanted to build something with a large rotation structure and the kids came up with the idea of a Ferris Wheel. This was also a great chance to use the huge quantity of seats that I have.
The challenges for this build were
- Determining a gondola width that could be built and still allow the wheel halves to connect
- Sizing the wheel based on the ability to make a circle. Construx generally build in straight lines. You have to convince them to be other shapes.
- Keeping the gondolas right side up. All of the gondolas rotate, but the weight of the figure alone wasn't enough to overcome the rotating piece friction. The glowing bells were added as a cool little hack. They glow in the dark which looks great. They add a little weight to help the rotation. Finally, they are just low enough that they scrape the ground if the gondola isn't level. The scraping rights the gondola for another trip around the wheel. It really looks cool when the wheel spins.
Step right up and buy a ticket!
