Empty LEGO boxes: are they worth anything? I have 4 garbage bags full of empty LEGO boxes, at least 20+ years old. Are they worth anything? Is there somewhere to post them for sale?

On Bricklink.com vendors sell original boxes. You can see a listing of what's available here. For example, the King's Mountain Fortress from 1990 is offered for sale for about $65 USD. (I have the front and back flaps of that box, I wonder if I could list just those.)

Bricklink shows a price guide for products which have been sold recently; Some of the boxes show sales and some of them don't.  Whether you can get any specific price for a box will depend greatly on the condition of the box, how you manage your bricklink reputation, and how patient you are.


Why do many minifigures have printing on their neck pegs? Why do many minifigures have printing on their neck pegs?

For example:

I also remember most (if not all) of the minifigures from the classic Space, Town, and Castle sets from the 1980s having similar printing on the neck peg. (I don't have a good sampling of current minifigures, but I've seen some with and some without the printing.)

What is the printing for?  It is not visible when the head is attached, it does not seem to resemble anything (like a tie or scarf).  The only thing I can think of is to prevent the head from sticking to the neck peg (or to reduce wear on the plastic itself), but if that's the case, why do some torsos have them and some don't, and why would they be only on the front of the neck peg?

(My guess for the last answer is that their manufacturing equipment usually prints only on the front of torso anyway.)

It is explained and demonstrated in this documentary from the LEGO factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnRRDIFNxoM&t=3m33s

While the machines in Denmark use a sensor to detect the paint on the neck-posts to attach the arms correctly, the machines in China use a more sophisticated modern camera to detect torso print, and they don't need the paint on the neck-post. This is why minifigures made in China (collectible minifigures, magnet and keychain minifigs, etc.) do not have the paint mark on the neck.


Help me identify what set this bag of mostly white tiles and panels belongs to Can anyone tell me what set this bag belongs to?  It could be 2011 but not sure.

As Aziraphale hinted at in a comment, this is a bag from Tower Bridge (10214).

You can see this bag clearly in unboxing videos.


Can you help me identify the set? These pieces are part of a large box I received and I am thinking they belong to a Star Wars set, but I have searched fruitlessly and haven't found which one.

Top left:

Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator 7961-1

Top Right:

ARC-170 Starfighter 8088-1

Bottom Left:

Sith Nightspeeder 7957-1

Bottom Right:

One of 3 Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze sets. I think it's Ice Blade 4743-1, if that's the same sticker I see on the side.

Bottom Center:

No direct matches, but appears to be a sticker from a Hyena Droid Bomber 8016-1 on the wrong color of piece.


Any good Lego body decal templates or printing services I was wondering could anybody point me in the direction of a good online service that prints minifig decals? I have no problem creating the designs etc but getting somewhere to print them is very hard. I would be happy to have a full custom minifig made if anybody could recommend a service.

You might try and post a request on the ALPS Decal Yahoo group.  This is an e-mail group that discusses making water slide decals using the ALPS printer.  There are members of the group that do have businesses that produce decals.  I don't know how much people charge for custom decal sheets.  You'll have to ask.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alpsdecal/

Most decals that these folks produce use multiple layers of white ink under your actual artwork so that it allows the decal to be placed on a colored brick (not just white).  Your artwork also needs to be constructed using multiple layers that are lined up (registered).  Because the layers are usually printed in the "spot" printing mode, the actual layer art is black.  Think of each layer as a "mask".  When they print it, they tell the printer that where ever it sees black, to print say yellow.  Yellow is the "spot" color for this layer.  You start by printing usually 2 white layers, then spot yellow, cyan, magenta and finally black.  The unique feature of the ALPS printer is the capability of printing in overlay mode.  What this means is that you tell the printer to print a layer, but don't eject the paper.  The printer will rewind the paper back to the beginning and await your next print request.  Each print request is a separate layer printed on top of the previous layer(s).  This way, the final image is built up layer by layer.  On the last print (usually black), you tell it NOT to do overlay and when the layer is finished printing, the printer will eject the paper.  This type of printing is a lot of work and can use a lot of ink, especially white ink, which is expensive, but it gives the best results for the average hobbyist.

Like Joshua above noted, you can produce your own decals with a color laser (or inkjet) printer quite easily.  You are stuck with a big cutting job if you want to put the decal unto a colored minifig body (using white decal paper).  You can use clear decal paper if the artwork is black, because the decal shows fine on white, yellow, tan, red, green, orange, and blue parts.  Remember, if you are using inkjet decal paper, you must coat the decal with a clear finish (Krylon), prior to placing in water (to remove the backing) when applying to your minifig, otherwise, your artwork will smudge and wash off your decal.


Problem assembling wings as shown for LEGO Air Race Jet (Technic 42066) On Page 158 (Step #231) of the assembly instructions for the Air Race Jet, two red rivet bricks are shown being inserted into a wing.  But the pieces in question will simply fall through the holes in the wing, which appear to be larger than they should be.

Either this is a LEGO error, or else I am missing something obvious.  Does anyone have an answer?

The "rivet" bricks are length 2 axles (cross shaped diameter). Beneath the wings, there should be L-shaped 2x4 lift arms. These end in axle holes (also cross shaped) so the axle should fit tight in those, not fall through.
Perhaps you have positioned something erroneously, or you have skipped a step somewhere?


How do I install the Lego BOOST software on a phone instead of a tablet? Officially, the Lego Boost software is only available for devices with at least an 8 inch screen:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/device-guide/boost

However, it would be nice to install the software on an old phone rather than a tablet for my child to use. Is this possible? How?

Edit: LEGO now officially supports tablets and smartphones. This question is now mostly irrelevant, but it could still be useful as a guide to installing the app on an unsupported device.

You can install the software using an alternative App Store such as APKPure. You can alternatively download and install the APK and OBB files directly from various online sources as demonstrated in this video. Once installed, this software seems to work for me on my Galaxy S4, and I assume it would also work on other Android devices. I can connect to and control the Move Hub without any issues, but I haven't tested all features of the software.

I was unable to get this to work on an S3. The app crashes during the loading screen. This could be due to many factors, but I suspect screen resolution could be one culprit, as the S3 has a 720p screen and the S4 has a 1080p screen.

It should also be noted that these devices aren't officially supported by TLG, so this software may be buggy and/or stop working in the future.

Devices confirmed working:

ASUS ZenPad S
Google Pixel C
HTC Nexus 9
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3
Nvidia SHIELD Tablet (LTE)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S
Samsung Galaxy Tab A
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (Nook)
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet (LTE)
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (LTE)
Xiaomi Mi Pad 2
Samsung Galaxy S4
LG G3
Samsung Galaxy S5
Google Pixel 2
BQ Aquaris X5 Plus
Huawei P10 Lite
Motorola G5 Plus

Devices confirmed not working:

Galaxy S3


My 9398 crawler going in reverse way I built 9398 crawler set and everything seemed OK.

However, when I moved the RC tumbler up, the crawler went back, and when I moved it down, the crawler went forward.

On the battery box I saw tumbler and changed its position, but nothing changed.
I also changed the order of connection motors to box, which also didn't help.

P.S. Turns work fine.

From the power functions FAQ:

  Why does my Power Functions model drive backward when I want it to run forward? You can change the direction your model runs by flipping
  the small black switches located on each side of the channel selector
  of your IR Remote Control.


What is the best way to sell a nearly complete large set? I found a UCS Imperial Star Destroyer 10030 Set at garage sale. It looks complete (90% of it is still in sealed plastic bags). How can I confirm the pieces are all there, and how can I sell a set like this effectively? I'm not currently a seller on eBay.

Welcome! Here are a couple of suggestions:

a. Find a review of this set online, ideally one with pictures which shows all the bags included in the set. This will allow you to verify which bags have been opened (you already know which ones are still sealed).

b. Then, download the instructions for 10030 from LEGO.

c. Here comes the tricky part. Find out which steps contain parts from your opened bags, and check if you have all of them. If this is somehow impossible, you have two alternative options:

Open all the bags, build the 10030 and see which pieces are missing, then order those from Bricklink.com and complete your set. List the set as Used, Like New, Built once to validate completeness and you should be able to get a price relatively close to the New price.
Sell the set as Used, 90% Sealed bags, possibly some missing pieces. Depending on how complete it actually is (you won't know) you might get some good offers, especially if box and stickers and such are still present.

To sell LEGO on EBay, you don't need any special priviliges. Just create a listing and sell. However, if you have never used or sold on EBay before, and you have zero or low feedback (<50), starting off with listing a high-value item like UCS 10030 is bound to set off scam-warnings in many of your potential buyers. You'd need to sell other items first before putting this one up for sale. Of course you can always try to sell it via Craigslist, OfferUp, LetGo and other garage-sale apps, but you'll likely get less money for your set (even taking into account that EBay/Paypal will take 12-13% of the sell price and CL/OfferUp etc. take nothing).

Good luck!


How can I use 1 motor for grabbing/lifting and another for moving? I am really stuck on how to use the three motors for better functions. Is there anyway in which I can use 1 motor for efficient/quick movement while turning left and right?

Another thing is whether I could use a single motor for turning objects 180 degrees on one side and lifting objects on the other end of the robot, is that possible? alternatively, is it possible to lift and grab using a single motor?

Lastly, would it be less efficient to use two NXT bricks to increase motors capacity?

Is there anyway in which I can use 1 motor for efficient/quick movement while turning left and right?

Yes, if you use one motor to drive a wheel and another to steer the vehicle. Using an NXT motor for steering would be quite wasteful however, you should at least use gearing to convert the jittery, fast movement of the NXT motor into slower, more balanced steering. You could also look into using Power Functions parts, the servo motor being the obvious choice for steering applications.

  Another thing is whether I could use a single motor for turning objects 180 degrees on one side and lifting objects on the other end of the robot, is that possible?

If these two need to operate separately, then you will need to sacrifice some functionality. It is possible to split a motor's output into two axles in a configuration that drives only one axle depending on the direction of the motor. See this setup: How can I make a precise one-way clutch using Technic elements?
This will only allow either axle to turn in one direction only, so if you need lifting AND putting back, you'll need to solve it as a circular function. Driven by the only input axle that is turning in one direction, the lift would need to raise and lower back to the original position without any other input.

  alternatively, is it possible to lift and grab using a single motor?

Using some clever mechanics, it is certainly possible. The 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig/Materials Handler used something like this to automatically grab an object, raise its arm, open the claws, drop the arms and start the cycle again. All this using a single motor (and some pneumatics). In this way though you won't get any control over the details (how high it lifts, etc) or over the sequence itself (you can't grab and release something without lifting it).

  Lastly, would it be less efficient to use two NXT bricks to increase motors capacity?

You could certainly use two NXTs and have control over 6 motors. This would however require more batteries, result in a larger and heavier model and necessitate some kind of synchronisation between the NXTs. All of these drawbacks can be mitigated, so if you can't seem to solve the problem using engineering (or have proven that it is impossible to achieve your goals using only 3 motors) then feel free to throw in another NXT.

If you need to increase the number of available motors, you could look into using third party parts, like this motor multiplexer that allows you to use two motors on one sensor port.


Lego bags missing sets I have some Lego bags that I do not know which set they belong to. Can you guys help me?

These are from
42098: Car Transporter

Key parts

24116 - Technic, Panel Curved 3 x 5 x 3 in Blue and Light Gray

15458 - Technic, Panel Plate 3 x 11 x 1 in Dark Azure


Please help me identify this yellow part with four arms and an axle hole This is part of a set (that's in a bag of partially built pieces) that I'm trying to identify. This seems like a unique part, and if I can identify the part, then maybe I can cross-reference it to the set.

That's a Technic Knob Wheel (32072):

https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=32072&in=S

It's not especially rare, but hopefully it will help you to narrow down your set identification search. Feel free to ask other questions if there's anything that we can do to help out.


Rifle across the back I'd like to build a hunter minifig with a rifle slung diagonally across his back.

I thought about using the dual katanas armor  but it looks like it would only fit a flat blade, right?

Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, what would be a good torso for an outdoors/forest/hunter type?

You could use

Minifigure, Neck Bracket with Back Stud

28974 thick /  42446thin

With
Tile, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip

15712 / 2555


Is it possible to repair LEGO box creases? Has anyone tried ironing or flattening a creased lego box to diminish the appearance of the damage?

Since creases in cardboard are not mere folds but instead constitute real damage to the box, I don't think you can undo a crease to make it look new again. Even "sort of" straightening it out will not do much good for a box - the damage (compacted internal structure) will remain visible and the area will remain a weak spot for further damage to develop. Finally, the printing is likely also damaged in the creased spot and this damage will show clearly if you manage to straighten out the crease.


Price of EV3 education software After looking around on the Lego Education website, I failed to find the price of the education software.  I currently have the retail version of the software, but I want the extra features and blocks in the education version.  Does anyone know how much the education EV3 software is?

The LEGO Education website does indeed not list prices, as you have to go through a distributor and get a quote there.

However, it seems that LEGO acts as its own distributor in the United States, which is slightly confusing, especially considering it's on a separate website: http://www.legoeducation.us/. There you can get prices, and you'll see a single-user license costs 99.95$ and a site license is 399.95$ (not sure how many installations that covers, though). Of course, outside of the United States you have to find a local distributor and request a quote.


How should I get started with LEGO trains? I'd like to get started with LEGO Train. I understand the PF system is The Way, and the tracks are generally mutually compatible, but the exact interplay of trains & power components eludes me.

Is there a "Just the train, PF control system, and tracks" set available?
Would that be set 60051?

That set would work, set 60052 would work as well (although it has a few more parts that are not actually needed if you are really focused on trains, in that regard 60098 might be better)

Those sets (including 60051) are from 2014/2015, rumours have it that new trains will come out this year (probably around august), and apparently (I hadn't heard it before @TheBrickBlogger wrote it in a comment here) they won't be completely compatible.


How do I export LEGO Mindstorms programs on the Chromebook There is now a Chromebook app to program LEGO Mindstorms.  I have multiple kids collaborating on programs for FIRST LEGO League.  Can they share the program between their Chromebooks?  I don't see a way to import or export the programs in the app.

One of my students figured it out.  I have highlighted the buttons in the picture below.  The symbol with the arrow pointing to the box is import.  The send symbol allows you to email or store the file on Google Drive.


Where do I find thousands of blue & yellow bricks for an art project? I'm an artist and I've started a project where I need around 4000 blue and yellow bricks, specifically bricks and plates that are 2x or 1x any length, but the longer the better. Any suggestions on where to find these for the best possible price?

NOTE: I've purchased several used bulk lots on eBay, but on a price per brick I need basis, this isn't very cost effective. I've also gone to the LEGO store, but I you really can't get many larger bricks in those little cups, plus I actually prefer the look of used bricks. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. I don't have a lot of money as I'm a college professor, but I am having my first solo museum exhibition next fall and I'd really like to include this piece. (Sadly, unless you're world famous, museums don't pay a penny for artists materials.)

Try BrickLink.com, the Online LEGO Marketplace. It works like eBay, with buyers and sellers from all over the world. You can buy the exact pieces you need, in the quantity and condition you need.

Since you want a large bulk of parts, I would suggest that you post your request on the BrickLink Forum first, as there may be sellers who have a very large quantity of what you want, but haven't listed in their stores (sellers like to focus on listing their more expensive stock first).

Most BrickLink sellers are good people and they would be happy to help out with a project like yours and offer very reasonable prices. It is also beneficial for them, as they can get rid of a large quantity of their stock at one time (especially if you are happy with used elements). So it's a win-win for everyone involved.


What is this Lego piece - Yellow with handles and an octagonal section? It clearly says Lego on it, but I have no idea what it is.  The only number inside is 4-01.

This is a "Underwater Scooter". It's a handheld device to propel a diver forward.

Similar devices can be seen in the James Bond movie "Thunderball".


What is the name of this set with projectiles and large gray wheels? What is the name of this set? It appears to be castle or medieval themed.

It is set 7020 named Army of Vikings with Heavy Artillery Wagon


How do I see which stores have all the parts I want on Bricklink? If there are four different parts I am wanting on Bricklink, is there an easy way to see if one shop has all four? I would want to get it from one shop to reduce shipping. I know I could do it the long way, but if I don't find one early it could take a while.

The way to do it is to make a wanted list in BrickLink, selecting all the different pieces and quantity of each that you want.

Then select all of the items by checking the boxes next the items you want or selecting the upper box to select them all and then click the green buy items button, this then brings up a list of stores selling the items.  The list is sorted by which store has the most of your selected items available to sell.  The two important columns on this list under each store is "unique lots" which is how many of your different parts the store has followed by "item count" which is the quantity of those items they have.

If you then click on the individual store, their shop will have a wanted list tab, which will show you everything on your wanted list that they have to sell.

It's not uncommon to have to purchase from multiple shops to get everything (different items and quantity) you need/want.  So it often requires checking multiple stores to combine it into the smallest number of purchases, I am not aware of any automated method of doing this, I just end up opening multiple tabs in my browser from the list of stores generated by my wanted list query and figure out the best option myself from there.


Have LEGO stickers changed materials over time? LEGO has produced a lot of stickers over the years.  In a LEGO discord someone asked

I wonder if LEGO has always used the same adhesive for their stickers, it seems like the colors, sizes, and texture of stickers determine how well they age.

So, has LEGO changed their materials for the stickers over time?  Has the paper gotten thinner or thicker?  Has the glue changed?  Does any of that change how well these things survive over decades?

Note. Speaking from my experience from year 1990 onward. During this time I can distinguish at least 3 periods of different experience with stickers.

From 1990 till sometime before 2000 (or early 2000's) there was period of superb stickers. Plastic was thick and glue was superb. I don't know what else LEGO used by then but most of them have survived my childhood abuse. Yes, they look rough, but they are there where I've placed them about 30 years ago. Both, clear and opaque.
Now second period begin somewhere early 2000's. Cannot tell exact period, speaking from experience of used sets I bought from that period. This is the worst time. Stickers applied onto sets during that moment not only cracking, but also peeling off badly. Plastic used for stickers seems to be thinner and glue is not as strong as it was before. Another odd thing is that different colors of the same stickers peel off differently. Some colors (like black) stick a little better (than white).
Last period is what I would call "modern" days. Must have started somewhere before 2013 when I have returned from dark age. Plastic for these stickers feels to be same thickness as previous period, but they seem to behave a little better. Perhaps not that much time has passed for them to deteriorate yet.
Looking at pre-1990 sets and minifigures some of them seem to have had paper based stickers (like minifigure torso prints). I have none of these, so cannot tell about their properties.


Are wheels from Duplo numbers' train set 10558 compatible with bridge 3774? Are the wheels from Duplo set 10558 compatible with the railway bridge set 3774?

I have a number of older wheel bases that are too large for the bridge. According to Brickset, the wheels in set 10558 have the same design number as parts from 20 years back but the design is visibly different with small embossed details on the side of the wheel. Also the wheels on pictures seem a little bit narrower than my older wheels.

Can anyone confirm whether the wheels are indeed narrow enough for climbing the bridge?

No, the wheels are too wide. You'll have a similar problem with the DUPLO points as well.

If I recall correctly, the wheel base on the trucks is too long for the DUPLO track corners as well.

You'll need one of the trains from 10507 or 10508 to use that bridge.

Sadly my kids have outgrown their DUPLO and it's now at the back of our loft otherwise I'd post a picture (and confirm the issue with the corners).


Lego Boost Variable setting I'm trying to program steering for a Logo Boost Model. Motor B spins a certain angle and the steering works. To get it running the model - the app - needs to know the current position of the wheels in order to spin the motor correctly. I created several macros where i decide on, and set, a variable. I initialize the model by setting the variable in the main screen of the program interface. But if I go into my steering macros this variable is not known. Instead I can set the variable within. It means, I cannot have a global variable which can be read and set from within macros?

Can anybody clarify or elaborate this?

Looking at this site:
https://legoboost.blogger.de/stories/2709388/

It is in German but I think this picture:

is the important one.

After these settings you have a global value in the white program block.


PF: One battery block, one IR receiver, two motors on same port I have a heavy train with Power Functions. Now I want to use two train motors on the single loco. But as I understand, this is not possible with original LEGO parts? Do I need something like a three-way cable to connect two motors to the red pin of the IR receiver? If I connect one motor to red pin and second motor to blue pin — I will not be able to control both motors from one RC simultaneously, right?

UPDATE: Hey, I can stack connectors? Didn't notice that before.

You can attach (stack) more than one motor on the same connector (red or blue) of PF IR Receiver to control them at the same time. This is exactly what is being done in 9398 set, for example (although it uses V2 of PF IR Receiver). They will be spinning in the same direction with a push of a single button. If you need to reverse the rotation of one of the motors Pole Reverser comes to the rescue.

At this point of time there is no option with Powered Up to control both ports on the same receiver with a single button. Each port accepts just one motor, so you cannot make both motors attached to same receiver spin at the click of a single button - you need another receiver (on the same channel as the first one) for second motor to be controlled simultaneously.

Edit. Stacking motors on the same PF port/connector doesn't provide unlimited power and has its limit. Usually, couple of motors doesn't cause overheating protection to kick in, unless they are strained.


What components can be decorated in LDD? I was recently working on a UCS Republic Gunship MOC and was wondering what pieces are the best ones to decorate. Meaning, I would like to put in tiles with prints to look like the Republic Insignia and I know that that print is not available. What is a list of pieces able to be decorated?

If you want to add custom decorations to your moc, the eastiest option is to use Stud.io
It has a partdesigner program that can be used to add custom decals


Identify these (Technic Steering) parts? These three parts do not have part numbers on them, but it is clear they are LEGO parts (they have LEGO printed on them).  I am trying to track down the set that these belong to, or at least a part number.  Any help would be appreciated.

These parts were used for steering in many Technic sets between 1988 and 2001. They are the following parts:

Technic Steering Gear Holder (2790)
Technic Steering Rack (2791)
Technic Steering Top (2792)

Here's an example of how they can be used together for steering from set 8022:


Are there any LEGO "MacGyvering kits" for the on-the-go LEGO fan? I keep a small box of electronic parts in the car, for times when I get an idea I want to try out, or have a quick gizmo that I need to solve a problem.  I also have a box of mechanical parts, like strings and pulleys and weights, that I'll use sometimes.  When I hang out with my engineering friends, we'll often come up with ideas that we can quickly build and test.  It seems that I should put together a similar set of LEGO parts.

I'm looking at a target volume about 3200 cm³ (200 cubic inches, 3.4 quarts), including space for organization.  No individual element should be larger than 140mm×230mm (17×23 studs).  The most important goal is versatility.  I'm mostly orienting this towards engineering tasks, but may also throw in a few minifigs for decorative builds.

The best idea I currently have is to use the Creative Suitcase, and augment it with parts from one of the smaller Technic kits that's almost entirely general-purpose Technic parts, like the Compact Tracked Loader.

It seems likely that people have built similar "on-the-go" kits, or have their "hotlist" of LEGO parts that are always at hand when prototyping.  Any thoughts on the matter?

It seems like you have the parts in mind, but really just need a case.

I have used fishing tackle boxes and artist supply boxes, but the compartments were too narrow.

Pros: Versatile, cheap, stackable, configurable.
You can use the removable compartments as parts trays during builds. You can find them in various colors at the major discount retailers in the U.S.

Cons: No handle. Not durable. If you drop or step on them, the hinges will crack.

Dimensions

13 3/8" L x 10 3/4" W x 2 1/2" H
34 cm x 27.3cm x 7.9cm

Listing at the Sterlite website


How to connect an NXT brick to the LEGO programmer application on an iPad? Can you connect a NXT brick to an iPad via either USB cable or Bluetooth? For me neither seem to work even though the EV3 brick (and the LEGO programmer application) should be backwards compatible.

I can connect the NXT to the iPad: both are displayed by the other device as connected. But in the LEGO programmer, the NXT does not show up as an available brick.

I have also tried to connect with 2 USB cables that have a male to male  connection in between. There seems to be no option for that at all in the LEGO programmer.

Does anyone have another idea how I can get these two devices to communicate and download files?

The NXT only works with the EV3 desktop software (for Windows and Mac) and only via USB.

I'm not aware of any way to program NXT using an iPad (or Android, or Chromebook).


Are the X-Pods balanced? I own a few X-Pods and want to play the X-Pod "Play-Off" game again. While I want my game pieces to look neat, I also want to win.

Does each X-Pod have the same chance of winning? If not, then I would be interested in knowing which one is superior.

Link to rules

It's been a while since I've played, and looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the individual pods does seem to make them look fairly equal.  However, I distinctly remember that some sets had units that gave a slight advantage over other sets, at least for my style of playing.
For instance, the Aqua Pod has several units that can deconstruct and eat, but could not move very far.  (Deconstruct reduces your opponent's unit by 1 level.  Eat deconstructs an opponent's level 1 unit and raises your unit up 1 level.)  While the Aero Pod has several that can move far and deconstruct, but do not have the special ability to eat.

In several games between these two Pods, I was able to win by moving next to my opponent's unit, battling till he was down to level 1, and then just eating him, thus raising the level of my unit back up by 1.
It may be that certain combinations of sets are more equally matched than others, or it could be that I was just better than my opponent :)

Edit:
(For a copy of the rules, starter kits, boards, and strategy guide see this question.)
The Advanced Rules and the Advanced Strategy Guide give a few pointers that can help your game.
For building a board, the Advanced Rules suggest:

You should probably have at least 5 obstacles and no more than 9 for a balanced game.

As for strategies, they vary based on the abilities of the Pod you have chosen, and your opponent.  (For complete strategies for each Pod against all other Pods, see the Advanced Strategy Guide)
Aero Pod

Using Obstacles to Your Advantage
The chief advantage of the Aero Pod is that most of its units can fly or jump. This means that yellow units are much less restrained by obstacles than units of any other Pod.  On an arena filled with obstacles, Aero Pod units are, at their best, able to avoid getting boxed in and to score quickly. On less blocked arena, the Aero Pod has less of an advantage, but its jumpers and fliers can move over enemies, while its raiders can move through them.

Aqua Pod

Undersea Dining
Similar to the Wild Pod, the Aqua Pod has a well-balanced set up units and a few different strategies from which to choose.  Pay attention to what team you’re up against to determine your strategy. Fast opponents require deconstructing units that have block them at choke point; slow opponents should be outrun with quick moving and jumping units. And don’t forget about your eat ability. Eating gives you an edge in deconstruction stand-oﬀs, so be sure to have some level-one units of your own on the board to rebuild and preserve your powerhouses.

Arachno Pod

Getting the Opponent in your Web
Arachno units are pretty quick, so you’ll probably want to play an aggressive game where you try to score early and often. The web ability is a great aid to this strategy. Since web has a range of two, you’re able to maneuver your units easily to freeze opponents before they get near you. Use web to incapacitate oncoming units and either zip your faster units by to score, or moving into your deconstructing units to ﬁnish the job. Arachno works particularly well on open boards, where you can web opponents without blocking oﬀ your paths to the opponent’s row.

Auto Pod

Quick Scoring
Auto Pod has the fastest units in the game. It has very few jumpers or ﬂiers, but it makes up for that lack in raw speed. What this means is that an Auto Pod player has a good chance of getting control of the board and scoring points earlier in the game.  This strategy works best on open boards with few obstacles to block your units' movement. On more crowded boards, Auto Pod players have to rely on their pushing, carrying, and limited deconstruction abilities to break the opponent's line and create a path on which to score.

Dragon Pod

Winning with Super-units
The center of a Dragon Pod team is its dragon unit. These four level units are easily the most powerful in the game, so using them eﬀectively is the key to victory. First, the number of units you can use with any individual dragon is limited, so picking a dragon will basically determine your strategy for that board. Your secondary units are fairly weak, so use the dragon aggressively and don’t be afraid to lose a level if it means taking out a key opponent. Still, be sure to have a couple good back-up cards and maybe even some Build and Place X-tras in case the dragon goes down.

Monster Pod

Scaring Your Opponent Stiff
Monster Pod is a slow, steadily moving team with a powerful special ability: scare. What makes scare so powerful is that scaring happens automatically at the end of a turn. This means that every scaring unit freezes all adjacent opponent units every turn, even if you didn’t activate it. As a result, scaring units are terrific to leave near important intersections on the board to stop enemy movement. On the other hand, combining a scare unit with a carrying unit will give you an engine you can march across the board, and deconstructing frozen units is an easy way to clear the board.

Robo Pod

Keeps Going and Going...
Robo Pod units have the most deconstructing units of any Pod so a lot of Robo Pod strategies are about taking apart your opponent's pieces. Use this advantage to guard your home row and hunt down enemy units to keep them from scoring.  Robo Pod units also have an additional advantage that aids them in deconstruction - almost every Robo Pod unit continues to function at its lowest level. This means that your units have to be removed from the board to stop them from moving. Robo Pod works best on boards where there are choke points that its units can guard, and from which it can slowly march its units to victory.

Wild Pod

Eating and the Value of Food
The Wild Pod has the most diversity of all of the Pods, which means that you have a few strategies to choose from. You'll want to tailor your units carefully for the Pod you're facing. The advantage that you have is that your units can eat. This means that any Wild Pod unit on the board can potentially reconstruct itself and that you have a unique edge in deconstructing others. Be sure to make use of the level one "food" units that the Wild Pod has. More powerful units can be accompanied by a couple of level one units that can restore its levels and make it safe from deconstruction.  Using eat well can decimate your opponent's units and allow you to keep your super units for the duration of the game.

Summary
The important thing is to know both your and your opponents strengths and weaknesses, but even the best strategy can be overcome by someone with no strategy.  You must be prepared for anything and have a full knowledge of your own capabilities and how to use them.


Some of these Blues are not like the other Blues I'm sorting through used Lego bricks and found that in some stacks of blue bricks there are slightly different shades.  I can't find a common shade of blue that matches and I'm not certain that it's not just fading or discoloration due to time and exposure.  However there seem to be only 2-3 distinct shades which makes me think they're actually different colors.

Can anyone help identify what color they might not be if not Blue?

For comparison, I've put some of these blue bricks next to my color board of common blueish colors: from left to right Bright Light Blue, Sand Blue, Medium Blue, Medium Azure, Dark Azure, Blue, and Dark Blue

Note the one with the arrow seems very similar to the one 2 to the right of it and is duller & darker than the reference Blue piece, though not as dark as Dark Blue.

It looks like these darker are the same bricks in Blue that have simply "yellowed" over time, which changes the shade of the color. Another answer explains the reason behind this process.


Not detecting motor port D We are trying to program in LabVIEW, using all 4 motor ports. On the port selector, port D is not even showing up.

I think LabVIEW only works with 3 motors. You could use EV3-G instead.


How can I make a Lego heroica scale gladiator arena? Sorry all my questions are about heroica, but this needs to be easy so that I can build in a few mins. I will make gladiator micro figures as well, if someone can make a Lion too!

Let's assume that the Heroica figures are exactly half the scale of the normal LEGO minifigure.  That would be roughly 1:100.  At that scale, 1 meter would be roughly 0.75 studs long or the height of a standard LEGO brick.

Now let's convert the Coliseum dimensions:

Height: 50 meters  ~ 50 bricks high
Length: 189 meters ~ 142 studs
Width: 156 meters ~ 117 studs

To calculate the real dimensions of this LEGO construction, let's remember that a brick is 9.6mm high and the distance for 1 stud is 8mm (= 1 stud radius + the distance between two studs).

Using these values we get:

Height: 50 bricks = 480mm (~18.9 inches)
Length: 142 studs = 1136mm (~44.7 inches)@
Width: 117 studs = 936mm (~36.9 inches)@

@Those two distances are calculated by multiplying 6.4mm with the number of studs, and then adding 1.6mm for the last little bit of beam left after the last stud.


Grey Clone-Brand Brick With a Single Short Tube on the Bottom? I've had this brick for a while, and I've long wondered what it is.

It's a LEGO-compatible 2x4 brick, colored almost exactly the same as the old medium grey. There are no identifying marking, and the only marking of any kind is a single line on the bottom, which I assume is a 1.

The most distinguishing feature is that it has only 1 tube on the bottom, and it doesn't reach all the way down.

I originally found it in a bucket of otherwise genuine LEGO pieces years back, so no clues there.

I'm quite certain it's not a genuine LEGO piece, but it is an odd piece and I've long wondered what it's from?

As luck would have it I stumbled upon your answer today sorting through my own mess. It's a Tyco brick. Although the picture doesn't show it, the one I have has a white sticker with the word "DANGER" in red on one side. Hope someone finds this useful.


Identify lego Set that includes a caravan I have this set that was given to me, but I cannot locate a caravan like this anywhere.  Is this part of a set or something someone just build?  As you can see there are a lot of missing pieces.  Does it ring a bell to anyone?

Thanks a lot

This is a small build, slightly altered, from set 4997 Transport Ferry from 2008.


Gunner bot programing I just build the RCX Gunner Bot using the instructions from this web site.

I had to build something different to the one we built in the class, I added a touch sensor and light sensor, so the bot will avoid any obstacles on its way, and shoot when it sees a black dot.

I am wondering if anyone has a program for a basic gunner bot, or at least for shooting the bullets. If somebody can help me, It would really appreciated.
I am not an engineering person but I need to pass that class.

Your code handling the behaviours like "Shoot 3 times if the touch sensor is triggered" or "Shoot if the light sensor is triggered" should use 'if' statements.

Then, instead of always being called, the "shooting" code would append only on sensor events.  After shooting, the robot would then go back to the "Driving around" part of the code.

This page is a good visual reference for all the RCX programming components


Is there a way to convert a 3D model into a lego sculpture? After researching this question for a few days, I want to post it here so I can share what I learned in an answer, and hopefully learn some new techniques too.

If anyone has found another way to do this, please share! If anyone has used Legolizer for 3ds Max, an answer explaining that process or that has examples of it being used would be useful too.

I found a few ways to convert a 3D model into a Lego sculpture. The first is a program called Dolphin Brickr. It works very well, as you can see in this image of Yoshi:

The downside to this program is that it only runs on Macs, This runs on both Windows and Macs now and the output format is a series of images, one for each layer. So you can't import it into MLCAD or your favorite Lego building software. I was looking for something that uses the .ldr format.

Another program is LSculpt. This worked okay but I couldn't seem to get great results.
I'll been using a 3D model of Nautilus for my examples. Here is a picture of the LSculpt results:

The black version was created from LSculpt and the blue version was creating using my alternate method. It is also worth mentioning there is another technique, a 3ds Max script called Legolizer. Unfortunately, I don't have 3ds Max so that wasn't an option for me. I wanted to do this using only open source software on Windows. Here is how you do it:

Step 1 - Scale your 3D model

You need to scale your model down by a factor of .833. I used MeshLab and the process that it described in the Dolphin manual.

Step 2 - Convert a 3D model into a binvox file

This is done using a program called binvox.exe. You can read about it and find the download link on this minecraft wiki. All you need to do is to download binvox.exe and then copy your 3D model into that folder. Open command prompt, cd into that folder, and run a command that looks something like this:

binvox nautilus.obj -d 128 -rotz -rotz

nautilus.obj is the name of my 3D model, -d 128 specifies the size (128 x 128 x 128 voxels), and -rotz and -rotx will rotate the model. You will have to experiment to get the right rotation, or your bricks won't face up at the end. You might want to start with -d 32 to speed up the process until you get the orientation right, which you won't find out until the end. The output from this is a file with the name nautilus.binvox.

Step 3 - Install Cygwin (optional if you know what you're doing)

I would recommend installing cygwin for the following steps, since that is what I used, but you don't necessarily need it. You just need a way to run c++ and Perl programs. When you install it you can select packages, make sure you install the package named perl and the package named gcc-g++.

Step 4 - Convert the binvox file to a readable txt file using read_binvox

Download this program called read_binvox. Make sure it is saved as read_binvox.cc. Then copy your .binvox file into the same folder. Open Cygwin and cd into that folder. Then run

g++ read_binvox.cc -o read_binvox

to compile the program. Next, you can run it with

read_binvox nautilus.binvox

This will create an output file called voxels.txt.

Step 5 - Convert voxels.txt into your .ldr file

I wrote a program in Perl that will convert the voxels.txt into a .ldr file. Create a new file named binvox2ldr.pl in the same directory as your voxels.txt file. File it with the contents from this pastebin.

Then go back to that directory in cygwin and run the command:

perl binvox2ldr.pl voxels.txt > nautilus.ldr

This may take a while to run, depending on what size you made the sculpture. The program uses a very basic algorithm for combining bricks together. It may have floating bricks, so I wouldn't recommend just using the parts list from that and expecting a secure, perfect model. But I think it could be a good way to start a design for a sculpture. The script could definitely use some more improvements, but it's a basic start.

Step 6 - Editing and Render

You can use these instructions from ldraw.org installing some tools for editing and rendering the sculpture. I used MLCAD to change the color and then rendered it using POV-RAY. Here's what it looks like:


How can my daughter turn her horse into a unicorn? Short of gluing the horn to the purple bow, which fits in the horse’s forehead, is there a LEGO piece that would enable her to connect the horn to the horse?

A 1x1 cone with an inverted positioned screwdriver just might work here.

So, I'm saying just might based off the the halved cast line of Peggy's head.

The base peg of the horn/drill-bit would be too wide for the hole, but based off the cast fault line, which I hi-lighted in blue, there is a greater chance for the plastic halves to ease the slimmer screw driver in versus the blunter horn/drill-bit peg.  I don't have this Pegasus on hand, but... it just might work here.

This Pegasus first appeared last year and is in only two sets.  I'm thinking the LEGO group just hasn't had the proper time to release a FRIENDS-line compatible accessory.

I see three choices:

We can gingerly test an illegal connection.
We can perform a Blasphemer's Lobotomy.
We can wait on LEGO to provide a piece.

EDIT:
While we wait for option three, let's play with what we got...

    PEGGA-BOO!


Using a remote control for an EV3 robot? I have just started to get into using a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot. I know you have to create a program on the laptop, then it has to be downloaded to the EV3 block.

Can you use a remote control to start the downloaded program with cable disconnected?

I have the Education 45544 EV3 set, but I do not want to buy a remote control if it will not work.

You can't start a program with the remote (8885) or beacon (45508), however you can certainly have your program respond to a remote or beacon if you have the IR sensor (45509). So what you desire can for example be achieved by embedding your base program in one big loop and at the start of the loop have the program wait for a button pressed on the remote or beacon.

Unfortunately the education version does not contain the IR sensor (it is distributed with the commercial version 31313) so you will have to buy that one separately as well...


How can I contact LEGO set designers? I would like to contact some of the set designers of the LEGO group to take part in a professional design forum, but I can't find any contact information. Is there a way I can contact them, or find more information on how to contact them?

Considering individual designers would need to ask for permissions from LEGO to do this, it may be more efficient not to contact them directly, but to go through the community team.

If that doesn't work, it's true that some designers do have an active online presence (check the answer to Are there any great LEGO designers that are well-known?) and shouldn't be too hard to get in touch with. There's always a chance they'll have to send you back to the community team or a legal team somewhere, but I suppose it's worth a try.

Anyway, we need them to spend their time on designing sets, so let's hope you don't demand too much of their time.


Is it a stupid idea to buy every brick in an end of sale set? There's a set I want that is currently available on eBay for around 8-10 x its original price.
I was wondering if I could just buy every piece needed and if you guys thought that made any sense whatsoever - be aware I'm expecting several 'you're dumb' responses :)

It's a good idea, but it often doesn't work well in practice. In general, rare parts from rare sets are more expensive, so you will frequently spend more money buying all the parts for a set. As a classic example, let's look at the Airport Shuttle:

This set is expensive on the secondary market, so it could be tempting to buy the parts for it instead of the complete set. However, many of the parts are very expensive individually. The motors and monorail track are specialized parts, relatively rare, and haven't been produced in 25 years, so they are priced accordingly.
Perhaps the most egregious example of this is the single molded piece of plastic that covers the motor:

That piece is currently $67 USD used on Bricklink.
These same economic factors apply to current sets as well, so it is often hard to save money buying the parts.


Is there a guide that has the number and kinds of pieces per set? Is there a guide that has the number and kinds of pieces per set - for example 8 pieces of this and 14 pieces of that?  I am trying to sort out a large container of multiple sets.  I have thousands of pieces, and would like to put them back into sets.

As mentioned by @gev, Bricklink is a great place to go. It is, however, not the most intuitive site to use. Here is how you can easily get the item counts:

Start with the Search box at the top of the page. Before typing in the name of the set, make sure the selector is set to search the Catalog.
Enter a term from the name of the set (e.g. "Millenium" or "Falcon").
The Catalog results will pop up. You might find sets or individual pieces listed, or even several (regional) variations on the set.
Go to the entry that best describes the set you (think you) have. The entry will start with a number (e.g. 10179-1 for the Millenium Falcon UCS) and after the number, in parenthesis, you will find a link to the inventory (labeled "(Inv)"). Clicking on this link gets you to a detailed inventory with item counts for the particular set.

Rinse and repeat for other sets you have ... good luck!

Alternatively if the set is from 2002 or later, you can go to http://service.lego.com/en-us/buildinginstructions to download the building instructions, which contain a detailed inventory at the end. Unfortunately, the resolution and color palette of these instructions is not the greatest (at least on the ones I've tried) so it might require some sleuthing to decipher the different pieces (studs are not showing very well, and it is difficult to tell the different color shades apart, like light grey, dark grey and black).


Buy new lego tires/tyres and treads I'm part of a Lego team making competitive bots, and noticed that newer tires have better traction than our tires which are 5 years old.

Any ideas where I could buy new tires?  I've tried lego.com's "Pick a Brick" but they do not have them.  I can find "RIM WIDE W/CROSS 30/20" for example which would be the rim of the wheel I'm looking for, but not the tire.

I'd also be interested in buying tank treads, but I cannot find anything like that either in the "Pick a Brick" search.

Any ideas?

LEGO’s Pick-a-Brick service has only a limited amount of the total range of pieces ever produced. It contains a subset of the pieces available in current sets.

The Bricks and Pieces service (on the LEGO website under Customer Service) has a slightly larger range of pieces, but still limited to those that are currently produced by LEGO. This service is unfortunately only seasonally available (during busy seasons it goes offline).

For a broader range of pieces you have to go to third-party websites. The main ones are:

Bricklink: This site contains all the pieces ever produced by LEGO, and provides a marketplace where sellers all over the world sell these pieces either New or Used. Depending on the age and rarity of the piece, prices can be quite high or sometimes way cheaper than what LEGO charges. Just beware that shipping and handling costs are added on to your order, and those costs vary from seller to seller. Also, BL uses slightly different nomenclature for pieces than LEGO does, but searching by mould number (the little 4-6 digit number printed on each piece) should work. The rim you mention is this piece: Wheel 30.4mm D. x 20mm with No Pin Holes and Reinforced Rim and its listing shows all the tires that fit with this rim.

Bricklink has a competitor called BrickOwl, which offers a similar service.

Finally, you can also look for specific pieces in lots listed on auction sites such as Ebay, as they sometimes contain pieces you need at lower prices (especially when part of a bulk lot of other pieces that might be useful for you).


Why does the Erling brick have a ridge below its outward facing stud? Why does the Erling brick (#4070) have a ridge below its outward facing stud?

Whereas the more versatile and less common #87087 does not? The #87087 piece also has a better use in SNOT usage, as it can accomadate larger bricks.

The ridge is there to make the base the standard 5LUs wide (see also "What is an Erling Brick"), enabling it to accept the standard stud.

I believe the rest of the brick was thinned out so that the combined "depth" of the Erling brick and a 1x1 plate (its common usage as a headlight) was the same height as a standard brick.

From the HoMa's World of Bricks page on the Headlight Brick:

  If headlight bricks are turned over by 90° and a plate is attached to the stud then this construction is as high as a standard LEGO brick or a layer of three standard LEGO plates.

It also helps to keep the 1x1 plate straight to the bricks edge.


Is the LEGO Racers 1 game available for free now? I would like to get the Lego Racers 1 video game. I am wondering if it's free now off the internet because it's 21 years old. if the game is not free why are so many people not being caught for illegally hosting a copyrighted video game?

It's "abandon ware", however the game is still under copyright, so you cannot legally obtain a copy of it. However if the owner of the IP (LEGO) doesn't care enough to enforce the copyright, the chance you will be sued or fined is close to zero.

Something else you need to consider: There is no guarantee that the game you download from an abandon ware website is unmodified. It might contain malicious code, compromising the security of your system.


Software to help inventory set Are there any software applications to help check the inventory of a lego set?

Currently I load the set-up as a bricklink wanted list and then delete each part one by one until I have only the missing parts left. This works okay but can be a bit cumbersome when checking about a hundred sets.

I have had the same problem there are 2 ways you could do it.

Way One is to use rebrickable

Go to http://rebrickable.com/home Create an account.
Then go MYREBRICKABLE and select My Sets.
Then click Add set to this set list and search for the set you want.
Now you can add all the sets you have.
IF you like you can go to the My Parts section and add any parts you
might have bought.
Now if you want to find out how many red 2 x 2 bricks you have you
can simply go to My Parts. Then tick the tick box where it says 'Set
Parts' and click update. All your parts from your MY Sets and My
Parts will now be shown below. You can see and example of this below.

Way two is to use  brickstock .

So what I do is open brick stock.
Then Click Import and chose Bricklink Inventory.
Search for the set I want and then click ok. It
    then will create a file listing all the parts that make up the
set(You will see a small hard hat icon at the top right as it
download all the part images).
Do this for all your sets and combine the files and you will have
one master file.


What are the size of Lego Technic Parts? I'm creating a LEGO Mindstorms catalogue for a school project. I measured the LEGO parts and I made an average size. My goal is to create new parts with a Rapid prototyping machine and I wanted to make sure that I used the good dimension.

I don't know where you got that image, but you could always try and print the brick using the dimensions shown.

Using the brick (#32316) shown in your example it might be possible to produce a 3D model using the 32316.dat file that's available in the LDraw library. The next problem would be placing the brick in a model and exporting it as a file type that is actually compatible with CAD software.

I'm not sure how accurate the bricks in the LDraw library are as they're primarily for illustration purposes as digital models.


Older compatible/clone brand with PB initials I have quite a few bricks from a LEGO-compatible brand and would like to know more about the brand these are from. I have them since the very early 90s, if not earlier, so I would think they are a leftover of either a GDR brand or any other former Soviet Block company that produced a clone/alternative to "Western" LEGO.

They are fully compatible to LEGO (and can fit rather tightly) but generally look a little more irregular or just older. They come (or I have them in) white, red and bright yellow (which I think is not just older white) and they seem to have largely just 2-wide bricks (although, I spotted an occasional 1x2, which I guess could also be interpreted as 2-wide). They also have slopes, but different to LEGO only the actual slope without the brick part at the back. They also have windows, but seem to have rarely any plates (I only spotted a 2x8 in yellow, similar colour to that 10x20 base brick they stand on in the photo).

The do have a company logo on the back of the big yellow base brick and on at least one of the studs on each brick, which says PB, but I don't quite know what to make of that.

These are quite literally Pebe bricks made indeed in GDR.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebe
https://www.inverso.pt/legos/clones/texts/pebe.htm

They are not too uncommon in east german second hand vintage batches, since they blend in quite well, just found this one last week:


Lego Star Wars ship identification, white and grey body, grey wings, dark red and yellow trim? I really appreciate the help from you all earlier but I have one more LEGO set I need identified. I tried looking up by parts but couldn't find what I was looking for any suggestions from you all? I am even wondering if they are all from the same set.


How do people build large collections of bricks? How have people built up such large collections of bricks?

I would like to get into building Lego Great Ball Contraption modules, but this needs a lot of parts to play with. I've got some Lego from (30ish) years ago, but not much seems to have survived, and I've bought a couple of bug Technics sets - but I need a lot more Technics, plus more standard bricks, plates, smooth plates etc.

Buying sets is one way, but expensive and I don't like to just make them and then instantly dismantle again.

Buying on a site like Bricklink is great for specific pieces, or when I have something to get it all in the same colour etc.

I've seen random "1Kg lego parts" on ebay which I can try to use that to build up a load - has anyone tried this?

Or is there another way I'm missing?

I keep my eye on Craigslist and Facebook Martketplace. There’s always someone selling a collection or a bucket of pieces. There’s also a subreddit /r/legomarketplace that sometimes has good deals. I’ve had success with all of these this year and have put together a great supply of parts and sets.


How To Deal With Hydrogen Peroxide After De-Yellowing? I was able to remove the annoying yellowing effect from old white and lightgray bricks with the usage of hydrogen peroxide. With great results I have to say. Now I wonder what to do with the remaining fluid. Is there a danger to poison someone when it's used in my household? Is it ok to drain it down the sink? Any advice on how to deal with it is welcome.

Another thing, when do I have to change the fluid? Will the effect gradually decrease?

After doing a simple search, it seems that the general consensus is, it's okay to pour the used amount down the drain.

Most of us get it.  The stuff's been sitting in your house taking up space, and because of the unfamiliarity with this chemical, you and environmentally conscious thinkers such as yourself, would never want to further harm our shared environment.

Bottom line: No new bubbles means no more potency, the green light to pour away.


Is anyone able to identify these two pieces? I'm struggling to identify these two parts. I have searched all parts on Rebrickable, but without any luck. Is someone out there able to help me?

These are Skeleton Arm #4:

and Skeleton Leg:


Part Identification: Black Bionicle Foot Piece? I saw this piece used as a foot in someone's MOC and I can't figure out what it is. It kind of looks like a Bionicle foot but it doesn't match any that I know of. Pretty sure that the axle going through it in the picture is separate and not part of the piece. Can anyone help me identify it?

It's a "Sports Hockey Skate" mostly from LEGO Hockey although it has appeared in some BIONICLE sets also.


Is it possible to build Lego bricks with a makerbot replicator 3D print? Is it possible for plates, tiles or small pieces ? Is it possible to use MLCAD with a Makerbot replicator?

(fair warning: I work for a 3D printer company [Type A Machines])

I thought this cross-posting up on the RepRap forum would be useful here.

Summarizing that post:

It is possible to 3D print LEGO-compatible parts on desktop 3D printers, but with caveats:

The fit will likely never be as tight as real LEGOs. Those are tough tolerances to match. LEGO Corp are (I've heard) the masters of injection molded plastic.
The fit we achieved is not bad though, but to make it work you can't just print the holes at the exact diameter and just hope it works.
I did my models in CAD software and (CRUCIAL POINT) had to expand hole sizes by about 1/2mm to get the right fit.
I added 1mm chamfers to the holes as well.
I also widened the holes after printing with a 4.8mm drill bit. No power tools needed, just a few turns manually.

...but with those caveats, it's totally doable.  The holes I printed stuck quite nicely to the top of a standard LEGO 8x8 plate. Of course, it's crazy to try and print any standard LEGO/Technic brick. LEGO corp does that so much better than you ever will. The interesting thing is making custom pieces that you'll never see from LEGO. There are a lot of interesting 3D designs out there that - with the methods above - allow you to turn them into a LEGO component.


What is the male:female ratio of gendered minifigures? For many years now, Lego has provided more detail on the face and bodies of minifigures. One of the effects of this is that the usually visually gender-neutral minifigures of my childhood (with the rare exception of a sloped piece as a dress) have been replaced by clear male and female faces and body shapes.

But in packing away my Atlantis sets to make room for my wife's new Super Star Destroyer, I've noticed that there's only one woman. And yet, oceanography and marine biology have some of the highest ratios of female graduates and employees in scientific fields, approaching 50%.

So of all the minifigures who are gendered (either explicitly by Lego in character biographies, or via secondary sexual traits like facial hair, or via cultural traits like wearing a dress or lipstick), what's the ratio of male to female minifigures? How does it break down year-over-year, theme-by-theme, and by recommended age group?

(As you might guess, there's an ideological agenda behind this question, and yes it's inspired by the ridiculous new "Lego Friends" line of figures. But what I'm most interested in right now is hard facts.)

I found this interesting comment by J on a blog post about LEGO female oriented sets.

I did a count of male and female mini-figures by theme in the 2011
releases for which we have visual evidence. The modular house line
always tends to be more balanced so there’s still potential there but
the City theme is particularly bad this year. Here’s the results
(aliens/creatures are excluded except where male-female
differentiation exists:
Alien Abduction: 9 male, 1 female
Atlantis: 7 male, 1 female
Castle: 15 male, 1 female
City: 59 male, 5 female
Collectible Mini-Figures: 37 male, 10 female (omit 1 alien)
Creator: 2 male, 0 female
Dacta: 33 male, 19 female
Duplo: 16 male, 4 female
Harry Potter: 20 male, 3 female
Ninjago: 30 male, 3 female
Pharaoh’s Quest: 9 male, 1 female
Pirates of the Caribbean: 32 male, 4 female
Star Wars: 43 male, 7 female
Trains: 3 male, 0 female
TOTAL SYSTEM: 299 male, 55 female
TOTAL DUPLO: 16 male, 4 female
TOTAL: 315 male, 59 female
That’s greater than a 5:1 ratio and if you remove the Dacta and
Collectible Mini-figure sets from the equation, you get a pathetic 8:1
ratio (245 male, 30 female). I’ll say it again. If Lego wants girls to
take interest in their products, they should make a better effort to
include figures through which girls can identify.

The survey only takes into account 374 minifigures of the last year. It would be interesting to compare this data to minifigures released, 10, 20 and 30 years back to see how the gender ratio has changed.

Collectable Minifigures Series 1-9 & Team GB
I've performed my own test, this time with Collectable Minifigures.
(Feel free to correct me on any of the ambiguous minifigures.)

Series 1: 10 male, 2 female, 4 ambiguous (Tribal Hunter, Circus
Clown, Robot, Demolition Dummy)
Series 2: 12 males, 3 females, 1 ambiguous (Mime)
Series 3: 11 male, 3 female, 2 ambiguous (Mummy, Space Alien)
Series 4: 13 male, 3 female
Series 5: 11 male, 4 female, 1 ambiguous (Small Clown)
Series 6: 9 male, 5 female, 2 ambiguous (Classic Alien, Clockwork
Robot)
Series 7: 11 male, 5 female
Series 8: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Evil Robot)
Series 9: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Battle Mech)
Team GB: 6 male, 3 female
TOTAL: 91 male, 30 female, 11 ambiguous
The ratio can roughly be simplified as 9:3:1 (m/f/a)

Download .CSV [?]
Collectable Minifigures REVISITED (December 2014)
All the genders of ambiguous minifigures have been confirmed using the gender pronouns used on the official LEGO Minifigure minisite character page.

Series 1: 14 male, 2 female
Series 2: 13 males, 3 females
Series 3: 11 male, 3 female, 2 ambiguous (Mummy, Space Alien)
Series 4: 13 male, 3 female
Series 5: 12 male, 4 female
Series 6: 11 male, 5 female
Series 7: 11 male, 5 female
Series 8: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Evil Robot)
Series 9: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Battle Mech)
Series 10: 11 male, 5 female
Series 11: 10 male, 5 female,  ambiguous (Evil Mech)
Series 12: 11 male, 5 female
Team GB: 6 male, 3 female
The Simpsons: 13 male, 3 female
The LEGO Movie: 10 male, 6 female
TOTAL: 166 male, 22 female, 5 ambiguous

The share of unique female Collectable Minifigure from the main series have improved from 1/8 in Series 1 up to ~1/3 in Series 12. Collectable Minifigure that are not part of the standard series (Team GB, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie) tend to vary.
Download .CSV [?]


What set are these large quarter circle curved bricks from? I got a random box of Lego!  I'm trying to figure out what set these bricks are from:

Few pieces to be certain, but I believe it's from the set Maula's Ice Mammoth Stomper (70145):

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=70145-1


What is a good third party battery box and receiver? I got the LEGO 4x4 crawler for my birthday and I love it. But there is one slight thing which I hate: it has terrible range when using it outside. I know there is BuWizz which is a third party receiver but it can only be used with a phone. So I can’t use that, because the whole reason why I got the 4x4 crawler was to get me off of my iPad. Does anyone know a 3rd party remote, receiver or battery box?

I’m 12 and unable to do any electronic modifications, like using tools and modifying electric components.

As you have mentioned, there is BuWizz and SBrick which, while primarily are intended to work with smartphones, are said to be able to work with joysticks or gamepads, albeit possibly with bugs.

I don't really see why would your age mean that you can't do modding, but assuming you have budget restrains or parents who would not allow it then these are valid reasons. Anyways, I'm sure you have your own reasons, just don't underestimate your abilities just because of your age.

There is of course the new Powered Up system from Lego, on the right side of this image you'll see the controller and the motors currently in use:

Drawback: There are no servo motors available for it yet, so you can't fully control the 4x4 crawler without extensive modifications to either

use a second motor for steering or
settle for a tank-style drive with a separate channel and motor for the left and right wheels.

Another third party solution I have managed to find is the CADA controller. The main selling point is exactly what you are asking for:

  The most interesting feature is indeed dedicated controller, unlike buwizz/sbrick there is no need for smart phone.

According to one reviewer:

  The range is limited to 10-12 meters

so it should yield better results as the PF infrared remote.


Please help identifying these parts, brown and dark grey base with light brown feet I recently got hold of a huge box of mixed LEGO Star Wars.
Any idea which set this piece is from?

These parts are from:

9491-1 : Geonosian Cannon


What do these numbers on the top of these mini linear actuators denote? I'm building 42082 and there are 4 of these but 3 unique numbers in the tops.

20X8 on two
29X8 on one
35X8 on another

I'm guessing they are serial numbers from machines that made them but I wondered if someone had a better idea.

First two digits represent week of production followed by a year.

20X8 - 20th week of 2018.

These codes used for quality control. LEGO Customer Service may ask you to provide this number if there were an issue with a set or particular part.

Similar code exist on box seals too.


Does the Mindstorms RCX Input Ports have a Pull-Down Resistor? Sorry for the strange question. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the internals of the RCX mindstorms brick. Specifically, does it have a pull-down resistor (if no sensor is connected, will it read 0)?

The RCX input port has a pull-up resistor, not a pull-down (so it reads high: 1024 in raw mode). You can see reverse engineered I/O port electronics here: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=109570


Does anyone have any successful techniques in searching for lego bricks in a pile? We typically tip our box of Lego bricks onto a giant sheet (so that it can be easily picked up) but searching for bricks becomes really tricky and time consuming. You often remind yourself, "you'll find it once you stop looking," but is there more to it than that?

Are there ways to look through the collection more closely? I guess in a sense, are there ways of skimming the collection that help you spot that particular piece? The easiest trap I find is to look for colours because there aren't that many colours... looking for the shape would be better, but it doesn't seem to help.

Likely the best option would be to spread the pieces out so that they are all visible, flat on the ground, but that isn't practical space wise.

Properly sorting is the best solution, although it doesn't seem like that is what you want.

Before starting, it helps to have a quick look through the pile and pick out any interesting bricks you might use. If you don't have your mind set on an exact design, it can be just as much fun to build using parts picked out before hand instead of constantly searching.

Once you start building I recommend building as much of your creation before searching - keep track of a list of pieces that you need. If you can't immediately find an important piece, then use a temporary one that has the same functionality. Once you're done, go through the pile looking for each piece you need. It will be faster to look for several pieces at the same time as opposed to one.

For the actual sorting, I use the most distinguishing feature of the piece. If it's a unique color, then use that. If it's a strange shape look for that. The method I use for searching in a random pile is to focus on a small area - once I have verified that the piece isn't there I'll separate the area from the pile and move onto the next area. This prevents looking over the same area twice.


Pull back motor 552 x2 I have these wheels and want to find a set/booklet where it is used.
No combination of the numbers give any result.
It says Lego Group 2011
522 x2

Found it

It looks very much like pullback of the promotional LEGO sets with ferrari an shell from 2012.

They have got the set numbers 30190 to 30195 and there is an additional crew pack (30196).


Is it possible to non-destructively open the SPIKE Prime smart hub? I'm referring to this part from SPIKE Prime:

Note that this is the same hub that will be used in Mindstorms Inventor.
There are four Torx screws on the back side that can be accessed by removing the battery. I have removed these:

Even with these screws removed, the top is still tightly secured. I can force a spludger in under the ports on either side, but prying seems to only bend the top and not release it any way.
I've tried prying in the cracks at the corners, but there was no give.
Does anyone know of a way to open this part while minimizing permanent damage?

No, but the damage can be limited and is not externally visible.
I don't know the technical name, but each of the 4 corners are held in place with these fasteners:

Using a tool of the same diameter (2mm), they can be pressed out by applying force to the end of the fastener at the point shown below:

This does damage the plastic slightly where it contacts the fastener, but if it is only done a few times the fasteners should still hold securely when reassembled.


Are there LEGO plates without the word “LEGO” on the studs? Yes, this question has already been asked here. This time, however, I was wondering if anyone can point to official LEGO web page on which this fact is confirmed. I've already read "Fair Play" document and "Fair Play Brochure" but all what they say is that "the LEGO logo is a trade mark and cannot be used w/o permission" meaning that if I have a brick with LEGO logo on it then I can be 99,99% sure that this is a genuine LEGO brick. What I need, however, is the "opposite" i.e. a sentence claiming that "a stud on a genuine LEGO brick has always had the LEGO logo since the year 19xx" or even more: "a stud on a genuine LEGO brick has never had this round cavity on the top" (cavities I mention are present e.g. on studs here).

I've already asked the same question via the contact form on the official LEGO support page but received no answer yet.

Context: I'm currently having a dispute whether a set of bricks that some guy sold me were genuine LEGO bricks. He claims that they were, I know that they were not. I will, however, have to provide evidence to the police. Information on lego.com page or answer from lego.com would do in my opinion. High resolution images of the 42009 set (battery part) on official LEGO page would also be good but this set is no longer present on lego.com this set does not have the close up of the part I need. High resolution images of 8293 (Power Functions Motor Set) are there but are they a proof I don't know yet (one can always say that these parts have LOGO lego now but they didn't in 2013). There is a movie with 42009 on lego.com but it is rendered and does not present real bricks and not sure if can be used.

EDIT: yes, all the pieces of the brick set I received (the supposed 42009 set) are forged. I can tell this because the bricks I received differ in many aspects from bricks from original LEGO sets I've assembled so far (more than a dozen sets, mostly > 1000 bricks): some of them connect poorly, some of them connect so hard I struggled a lot to disconnect; the surface of liftarms is not as straight as LEGO liftarms; the liftarms have this extra filling around holes (google "lepin liftarm" and choose "large images" in "adv search" to see what I mean); some pieces are not cut properly e.g. the bushes have thin pieces of plastic connected to the hole on the side; and the main one: there is no LEGO logo on any of the parts: not only the studs but also the battery box and motor. However from legal point of view I can't just say that I am sure that these are not LEGO bricks. Moreover I cannot even prove that the bricks I present are indeed the bricks that the other guy sent me. So I took a closer look at the pictures from the auction (the pictures the seller made himself = the pictures of actual brick set he sent me) and found pieces with studs with no LEGO logo (Black Plate 2x3 (3021) , Motor 9V Power Functions L (99499c01) ). I was extremely lucky that this seller made pictures with such high resolution. And yes, I contacted the LEGO support and sent them exacly the same pictures as below and they confirm that these are NOT original LEGO bricks. I will post their full answer and some more content soon.

If you would like to get an official statement on this, your best bet is to contact LEGO's customer service. Here are some pointers you might consider when communicating with them:

It seems like your question is about some of the electronic components. So, let's narrow down your question to those. The battery in the #42009 LEGO Mobile Crane has two studs on top with the LEGO logo on them. In addition, right above the studs their is a "2006 The LEGO Group" moulded into the lighter colored plastic. And there are also larger LEGO logos moulded into the sides of the unit. So, five LEGO logos in total.

This battery box has no alternates. It only came in this one version as evidenced by the BrickLink database, which is the most comprehensive database of all LEGO parts every made: ELECTTRIC 9-VOLT BATTERY BOX

I would also add to this that smooth LEGO studs always have the LEGO logo moulded into them, and this has always been the case since the earliest days of the company. There are hollow studs (like in some electronic pieces, LEGO Technic pieces, LEGO windows, hollow 1x1 round studs, etc.), however in such cases the LEGO logo will appear on some other place on the piece. The very few exceptions to this rule are when pieces are so tiny that it was simply not possible/practical to print a LEGO logo on them (i.e. hollow 1x1 round stud, some very small minifigure accessories, etc.)

Rather than being too generic like you did in your question above, when contacting LEGO's customer service, I would suggest to focus on two points. This can result in a quicker response and faster action.

Ask them whether the specific electronic parts you are concerned
about (list exact set and part numbers) were ever produced without a LEGO logo (the answer will be no,
but for your legal case it's best to have this in writing directly
from LEGO).
Alert LEGO that someone is selling fake parts and claiming that
they are genuine. LEGO's legal department will be very interested in
this, which can help your personal case. It's even possible that
this seller has been on their radar already, and the information you
provide will be helpful to their case.

There are lots of imitation LEGO out there, but the companies making them do not claim that their products are genuine LEGO. They sell under their own brand names for cheaper prices than LEGO can provide. LEGO's legal department is fighting these companies already. Someone selling fake LEGO and claiming that it's genuine is a whole other level of criminal.

Please keep in mind that if this is someone like a small eBay seller, they may have been duped themselves and they really believed that the parts they acquired are genuine LEGO. So keep your communication professional and you may be satisfied with just a refund. If, however, the seller is a larger online store specializing in fake LEGO parts and selling them as genuine, definitely let LEGO's legal department know and you may pursue your own legal case as well.


Where can I get the rest of the bags for the Helms Deep set? I have a LEGO set that has 9 bags total I only have 4 of those. Does anyone know where I can buy the bags? This set is the Helms Deep from Lord of the Rings.

I don't know of anywhere that sells bags of parts for sets, but you could try BrickLink - you might be able to pick up a second incomplete set for a bargain - or more realistically, you can "Part Out" every component piece to a wishlist, remove those that you do have, and then look to buy the missing parts. It sounds daunting, but you can sort according to which sellers have the most parts from your wishlist, and hopefully get the bulk of them in one hit.

Your mileage may vary on prices. Like anything, rarity and availability dictates asking prices. Common blocks should only cost a few cents each, but anything unique to this set is likely to be hard to find and/or expensive.


How long are Star Wars exclusives usually in stock for? I'm currently looking into purchasing the Super Star Destroyer, but I'm wondering how long they will be in stock for.  The reason I ask is I know that LEGO used to have a Tie Fighter in their exclusives that they no longer have in stock.

Are exclusives usually in stock for a few years?  A couple of months?

I don't think there's any rule about that, and most probably various factors influence the length of time for which a set is available. From experience, I'd tend to say that most sets last around 2 years, but it's certainly not fixed in stone, so don't take my word for it.

Considering exclusives usually mean more benefit for LEGO, it would make sense for example that well-selling sets are produced for a longer time - if it sells, there's less incentive to stop producing it, apart from production issues (the number of set in production at a current time being limited, and the same is true for parts so if the set has specific parts maybe it'll be phased out faster).

In the past, LEGO has even reissued sets which were in high demand, the best example being the Maersk ship for which LEGO had said there would be no more of them because they hadn't any granulate left of that colour, until Maersk intervened and a reissue was possible.

However, there is now another help for that, as LEGO recently created a "retiring soon" page which should give an good indication of soon-to-retire sets. It may not always be accurate, it seems to be limited to the US at the moment, but if your set is on the list, it's probably a good idea not to wait too long. But if it's not on the list, it doesn't necessarily mean you can sleep on it too long either.

Of course, some sets land in the Sales & Deals page at the end of their life, and when they do, you better act real fast or risk having to pay more than list price (example: the modular Green Grocer, which had been heavily discounted before selling out in a matter of hours, if not minutes. Good luck finding a cheap one now.). It may actually end up that way with the "retiring soon" page as fans hurry to buy the sets there, and there are indeed a few which are now sold out.

So, in short, don't wait too long if you can avoid it. Just because LEGO has sent a retired set to a kid doesn't mean they'd do the same for you :-)


Please identify the set(s) that these come from I have bought an auction lot of LEGO packs. I thought that I'd be able to identify the instructions from the QR codes on the bags, but apparently not. Is anyone here able to help?

Slightly better photos:(http://www.imagebam.com/image/f8759e1346605880)
(http://www.imagebam.com/image/9b92721346606001)
(http://www.imagebam.com/image/6a46d51346606118)
(http://www.imagebam.com/image/89c6771346606190)

Ho Ho Ho!

Your four sealed bags (from first through third images) are Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus

Item No: 40274-1

Building instructions at lego.com


Looking for a torso piece I'm looking for this white torso piece here on Aladdin:

I've searched Brickset, Peeron and Bricklink for white torsos and haven't been able to find it anywhere

Does anybody recognize it?

That's Torso LotR Shirt with Ornate Silver Fabric and Gold Clasps Pattern (Saruman) / White Arms / Light Nougat Hands


How to verify authenticity of smaller LEGO parts? Can anyone help me identify the logo or mark on some smaller LEGO pieces?

I have many 1*1*2/3 slope with no LEGO stamp but do have a (C) copyright symbol (full circle not just brackets) and a number
Dark green - 3 with no number, n.o 31, n.o 3, n.o 5
Red/brown - n.o 29, 2 with n.o 15.
Trans orange and red - 8 with different or no n.o

The colours are spot on and I can't fault the quality, so I assume these are genuine however I would like to know if this (C) symbol and the general quality is a solid identifying method.

Also with the 1*1 round brick and nose cone - are there ANY markings usually?

Also with the weapons and tools - I have many with a (C) but some with nothing...

Any hints or tips?

I have many 1*1*2/3 slope

On this piece the LEGO marking should be seen on the flat, semicircular part on the bottom:

  Dark green - 3 with no number, n.o 31, n.o 3, n.o 5

I'm sorry, but I can't identify this piece, a photo would be helpful here.

  Red/brown - n.o 29, 2 with n.o 15.

Just like here

  Trans orange and red - 8 with different or no n.o

Or here.

  Also with the 1*1 round brick and nose cone - are there ANY markings usually?

Yes, there are, but they are quite tricky to find. On the 1x1 round, you should be able find the marking on the inner side of the top ring, facing down:

While on the cone, it is similarly on the underside of the flat ring, but close to the bottom, so easier to see:

  Also with the weapons and tools - I have many with a (C) but some with nothing...

These are quite broad categories, so if you have any specific pieces, I'd love to help you :)


Is 9585: WeDo Resource Set compatible with 45300: WeDo 2.0 Core Set? As title, not sure if these two can work well together?

Or, should I wait for WeDo 2.0 Resource Set?

As far as I have understood from talking to one the people who developed WeDo version 2, it's not compatible with the old.


IR protocol for Duplo RC Dozer (2949) Does anyone know where to find the IR protocol for Duplo RC Dozer (2949)? I have the RC Dozer and no remote and wanted to use a universal remote to control it.

Actually, I have had some success through trial and error and found that a Spybotics remote will do the trick of controlling the RC dozer.


What piece has one prong on one end and four on the other? Yesterday I wanted to answer a question with this part in mind, but I couldn't find it in any of the databases I looked in. After finding this part in my collection, I tried to look for its part number to properly reference it, but to no avail. What's more, there was no LEGO marking to be seen either. So now I'm really interested: is this even a real LEGO part?

The material, finish, precision seem all correct, and it fits in the LEGO system in various ways, which is atypical for clone brands.

It is called Plant, Tree Palm Top. It used to be green or brown and was a part of the palm trees found in the Pirate kits. It was the part that the leaves joined onto. The four prongs pointed up.


Official instructions for 2018 LEGO employee Christmas gift 4002018? The 2018 LEGO employee-exclusive Christmas gift 4002018 has been revealed to the masses from various sources, by the people who have received them.

I could probably reverse engineer most of the set from image, but are the official instructions available anywhere?

As TheBrickBlogger said, you need to wait:

Even contacted their customer support and the reply was:

  I don't think those are every available publicly

  Not unless you are an employee

And after insisting repeatedly, answer from seniors was:

  So they confirmed they would not be available. Sorry!

Update: rebrickable have full detail of all individual pieces (281) and video demo too.


Why stickers instead of printed decoration and vice versa? I was recently just wondering why LEGO™ would use stickers in some cases and printed decoration in others. I understand it wouldn't be reasonable to put stickers on say, a 1-by-3 brick, but sometimes it appears to be just random. For example, on one of the smooth bricks in set 17101, there is a printed decoration of a code block but I recall seeing in other sets that such pieces related to it have you put stickers instead of printed decoration, such as in this image (with a sticker typo):

Also in set 31313, there are stickers you use on the white technic pieces, which I find quite reasonable unless I don't consider how in the world a factory machine is supposed to print on those curved parts. But now that I've thought about factory machines printing on curved bricks, I'm starting to wonder how they managed to print the decoration on that piece in set 17101.

Long story short, what circumstances cause LEGO™ to print decoration and what circumstances cause them to make stickers instead??

I think it depends on series, if set is licensed as well as targeting audience. Sometime printed parts are used in a place where sticker would be hard to apply.

Architecture series, is a good example where stickers are not used since series are advertised as premium product. Duplo and Juniors use printed parts too as these are targeted for young kids.

Licensed sets usually have stickers though. This may be related to the fact that LEGO treats licensed set a little different, where you cannot buy extra item in B'n'P or get a replacement of specific license related item. So it is better having it unprinted and have an option to replace/acquire a part.

Printed elements also limit their practical use (re-use). Stickers give you choice of applying them or not, while printed parts are there forever1. Good example is 42096 Porsche 911 RSR. It has white wheel arches/fenders with unique print for each of 4 included pieces. Non-printed counter part doesn't exist in this color yet, so these may not fit your MOC. The rest of the Technic Panels have stickers. This leaves a lot of room for using them in other creations (if sticker are not applied). Otherwise panels would be rendered useless if all of them would be printed.

Not really


Good EV3 iBook for programming or building I am a participant in a Lego mind storms competition soon using EV3. I would like to know if there are good, free iBooks for me to download (PDF or iBook from the apple iBook store).
Preferably the book should be about using EV3-G or building playing field style robots.

First answer is google: FLL EV3 PDF
EV3 and PDF are obvious. FLL is short for FIRST Lego League, which may or may not be for "playing field style robots".
Clinics for coaches and kids at HighTechKids.org use FLL Programming 101 as a starting point.
The EV3 is new enough, that some of the best programming advice for FLL is directed at the NXT.


LEGO item number for white racing wedge with printed #3 What is the LEGO item number for this piece?  What sets does it go to?

I'm not having much luck searching for it.

Looks like it's Part 6153, either 6153apb01 or 6153apb05 depending on whether there are stars on the sides. Both seem to originate from different editions of the Water Jet, Set 6517-1.


What pieces do I need to make suit swappers from the Lego Batman video game? My son has asked Santa to bring him Lego Batman suit swappers to use with his minifigures, both Batman and Robin versions. Can anyone advise as to what pieces are needed for these? All help is very much appreciated by Santa and his elves.

You mean one of these?

Basically, you'll need two circle of these 4 x 4 corner bricks:

Separated by some of these Plate 1 x 2 with Handle:

I don't think the centre red tile with an "R" on it exists, so I think you'll have to make one out of card or something.


Can someone identify this brick? I'm looking for a kind of brick, the brand or the model, which has this specifications: The top has studs. The bottom doesn't have tubes. However, the bottom has support walls in the middle. Here is the picture:

What is the brand for this brickset (definitely not LEGO)? Is there a term for this kind of interlocking system?

I would say it it cold come from a brand from China, I can’t identify this system, but it is the opposite of that of a normal LEGO brick. It is still a normal 2x4 plate.


Instruction for installing rc to LEGO unimog I'm searching for an instruction to install a remote control to my LEGO unimog.

There are a log of youtube videos showing completed unimogs but I can't find any instruction.

I found this utoob video as the first hit for a search using "install pf lego unimog" and also this thread on EuroBricks Which recommends a different video. So instructions are definitely out there.

I think you'd be better off trying it yourself. Don't be intimidated by the size or complexity of the unimog, have a go. Worst case you'll have to reassemble it using the TLG instructions and then try some of the online instructions.


What is inside the "weight element" brick? I own a few bricks that contain a weight inside of them. 52g according to Lego.

What exactly is inside of these bricks that makes them heavy?

I did the unthinkable!  ...I had to know.

I opened one of my two weighted bricks.  One of the two ends has a glued on cap that I've cut around using an utility knife.

The piece of metal it contains fit almost perfectly in the cavity.  I don't know metals but it has a rainbowish kind of sheen to it.  Here's a close up:

I'm now gluing it back with super glue.


Where do I find the program to go with the LEGO 51515? I got a LEGO Mindstorms 51515, and I have finished building my 1st robot, and now would like to program it. However, I cannot find any companion program to use. Where can I install the companion program? (Also if there is a Linux program that can be used I would like to know).

The "App" page does seem to be hard to find at the moment. I found it by clicking on this little icon on the MINDSTORMS "About" page.

The app is distributed through various app stores:

Microsoft Store (Windows)
Apple App Store (macOS/iOS)
Google Play (Android/Cromebook)
Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire)

There isn't currently any option for Linux, but there is a 3rd party project call Pybricks that is working on supporting the 51515, so keep an eye on that if you use Linux.


Can you identify these column decorators? I want to decorate some columns with these little round ionic scroll-looking things. Does anyone know the part number?

Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Scroll with Hollow Stud

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=20310&idColor=2


Small LEGO train sets on narrow gauge track? Will LEGO sets such as "LEGO Christmas Train" 40034 or "Emerald-Express" 31015 run (manually) on narrow gauge LEGO track? These sets use a wheelbase that is only 4 studs wide and wheels that have a groove in them.

It might work as is; but if not, you can certainly replace the wheels on 40034 with small train wheels, as seen in about every set featuring narrow track. Chance is, if you've got narrow track, you probably have some of these wheels anyway (unless you got the track from the flying saucer); but in any case these wheels aren't that hard to find. Not sure three sets of wheels in a row would work though, so maybe you'll need to remove the center ones.

For 31015 this might be a bit more complex to replace the big wheels, but maybe regular train wheels might work here. Again, having too many wheels in a row might be a problem as the narrow track curves are very short.


Unidentified #2 bag from 2007 with black and yellow pieces and many black 1x2 clip pieces! It's driving me crazy! I recently purchased LEGO pieces from a local Goodwill. It looks like there's several Star Wars sets from 2007-2008 that are missing lots of pieces. I was assuming this bag was from a Star Wars set, but I'm not seeing anything that resembles the yellow pieces.

Welcome to Bricks.SE, Amy!

Indeed, this bag is not from a Star Wars set. It is from Exo-Force set 8117 Storm Lasher from 2007. This set contains both the 2 yellow pincer-like blades as well as the concave windscreen in trans-black, and many of the hinge pieces displayed in the left bottom corner of your picture.


Rescued Minifigure ID, read torso with armor and yellow head with mustache and glasses I found this poor guy in a stream by a school. I assume the pieces are cobbled together, but I want the ID of the head and body, as I might be able to salvage them.

Keep being awesome, guys!

You are right,
the parts are from different minifigs:

The head is Minifig, Head Moustache Brown Hair, Glasses on Forehead, Raised Eyebrow Pattern - Blocked Open Stud
The torso is
Torso Armor White with Black Muscles Outline and White Belt Pattern / Red Arms / Pearl Gold Hands
The legs are Hips and Dark Blue Legs


LEGO Cleaning/Sterilisation I am just looking to see if anyone knows of a LEGO product that exists that allows you to sterilise your LEGO using your dishwasher.

Thanks

There is no LEGO product specifically meant for this, however you can use third-party laundry-bags, or even a pillow-case, to wash your LEGO in the dishwasher or washing-machine. If you use the dishwasher, make sure you use the top-rack, and the water should be luke-warm. You can use mild soap.