Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Mobaco with round towers

When I first knew about Mobaco, I was dreaming about creating big castle's, with towers and gates. But how to add these elements gently into the Mobaco ecosystem? Mobaco is having floor plates with square hole patterns, fitting columns and wall panels. So basically only retangular type buildings + tower segments could be created. It's […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Mobaco - Doors & Gates

It's still funny to see what the boys are creating with Mobaco. The doors & gates are always used. Somehow they like this simple addition. So after a request for new wall pannels, it's also time updating the gates: The wooden parts from the left 2 buildings were already made. Main concern: "The double doors […]

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Robotics
Pico/mPython - smart car DIY

Time for a new robot approach: building a 'smart car' platform. Having some Arduino Uno experiences some years back, it's time to learn something new: After reading this inspiring medium article: "Pico Bot" by Doug Blanding, there is no reason to wait any longer. This post is about: Major software upgrade: The Build It's the updated version, […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Dom Tower & Church

Project: Swiss cheese. It's finaly time, recreating a Mobaco model on my own. After visiting the beautiful Dom Tower in Utrecht, we bought a puzzle version for our kids... That's a nice start, understanding the properties of the church, at least, that is what I was expecting.. Dom Tower - Top section Since the Dom […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Pulko Patent Baukasten - Reproduction

Pulko Bauhause style... Enthousiast about the new findings of the Pulko patent, it's nice to re-create these Bauhaus style panels in real. Since I'm less interested, in rebuilding the whole system, it's scaled to Mobaco, so baseplates & columns could be re-used. Besides that, the difference in bay size is only 2.5 [mm] width. With […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Mobaco 100 Years

This year Mobaco celibrates its 100 years of existing, turning a vintage toy into an antique toy... So it was time for creating nice presents for both Nick & Caspar during this special 100 years Mobaco. Not only for their part of researching Mobaco, but also organising some Mobaco exhibitions, still sharing new Mobaco findings […]

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Robotics
Pi Wars 2024 - Dynamometer

For Pi Wars 2024 we are using RTClib-lite board. (team blog) This is semi-open hardware/software solution for controlling differential drive robots. It's having ao. good working odometry on board, enabling deadreckoning. This configuration has proven itselfs already multiple times (like many RoboRama tournements) as a high quality robust drive platform. But driving a robot precisly […]

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Robotics
Pi Wars 2024 - Distaster zone

Ever heard about Pi Wars? Pi Wars is a non-destructive, Raspberry Pi-based robotics competition with both autonomous and remote-controlled challenges. It takes place in-person over a single weekend and features teams of school students, families and hobbyists as well as solo roboteers. The event open to anyone on planet Earth! I joint a small group in The […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Reconstruction Model-Z

Model Z was issued around 1931. Unfortunately this set is never produced. Together with C. Mol, we reconstructed these exciting 'new' elements. There are 3 examples found, where the new constuction elements were used. And simular LeoCAD models were created: Or see this 3D model: After some iterations it was time build these parts in […]

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Vintage Toys - Remakes & Builds
Elba - Remake

I just have to reconstruct & try the Elba construction toy! So time for another DIY project.Since the exact dimensions were unknown -at that point in time- parts are scaled from pictures found. After some laser cutting, both wood & acrylic plates, this was the result: The trusses are interesting, because they differ from many […]

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