Do you like Legos? Go-karts? How about Lego go-karts? If not, we have a video that should convince you that they’re the perfect pairing. It comes from Matt Denton on YouTube, where he’s chronicling the progress of his efforts to build a life-sized 3D-printed Lego go-kart. His latest upload shows him detailing the design and engineering process, though the highlight of the video is him taking the go-kart out on its first test drive.
Denton 3D prints the oversized blocks using a variety of different PLA plastics for various pieces, like using PolyLite PLA for non-mechanical parts and PolyMax PLA for those more integral ones like the chassis. Denton details the electric motor, axels, and braking system, too, pointing out where the batteries sit along with the control unit. He plans to add an LCD screen later that’ll display the battery levels.
Toy Legos are fun, too:
All of that is a bit over half of the video. The rest is Denton and his friend taking the Lego go-kart out for its first test drive inside a large warehouse. It was a great success with only a few minor technical difficulties, like the steering wheel popping off at one point. They were able to up the power, putting the ride’s top speed out of reach inside the warehouse.
There are parts of the build that need improvements. One issue facing the go-kart was the wheels, which spun on the rims and made braking less effective. Earlier in the video, Denton mentioned the possibility of adding a differential to improve power delivery and handling.
This, for now, is his Mk 1 Lego go-kart as there’ll be subsequent models with different tweaks, upgrades, and improvements until it reaches its final form. It looks like a blast to drive, and we’d wager there’s more than a few out there willing to pay for such tomfoolery. This writer would.
Source: Matt Denton / YouTube
