Stop Paying Department Store Prices for Rope,  and Just Use Lego to Make Your Own

Making rope is a deceptively simple task since most people don’t realize it’s actually a complex weave of smaller strands. But thanks to Lego master Nico71, if you’ve ever thought about making your own, you can build this intricately choreographed Lego braiding machine.

The machine uses five different string-filled reels that are passed back and forth between a couple sets of spinning arms that ensure the strings are tightly woven together as they’re drawn to the top. The end result is a thicker rope, albeit one you probably wouldn’t want to use for mountain climbing.

Nicholas has provided the building instructions for this machine on his website, if you want to try your hand at building one. But unless you’ve already got a mountain of Lego at home, don’t actually expect this to be a cheaper way to bolster your rope stocks.

Or you can always just buy some rope....