Battery Box 8881 not providing enough power I bought a used 8881 battery box. It doesn't appear to work with anything. When I test it with a multimeter, I only get a voltage reading of ~0.5V.
I tested each of the batteries, they each come out ~1.6V (as I'd expect from a AA battery).
It may be that I'm not using the multimeter as intended, and that both the lights and the motor I'm using to test this are broken, but it seems more likely that there's a problem with the battery box.
Any thoughts on what the problem might be?

In case anyone else has this issue - cleaning corrosion off of the connections solved the problem!
To clean the contacts, I used white vinegar applied with a cotton-swab/cue-tip. I dried it off with a dry one, left it for about half an hour, and after that it worked perfectly. I watched this video to be sure there wasn't anything I needed to do that I was missing.


Identifying two BIONICLE parts, white and dark grey curved shell What are these two BIONICLE pieces?

These are Bionicle parts, specifically the back spine of the 8588-1 Rahkshi Kurahk.

The individual parts are:

http://brickset.com/parts/design-44140
http://brickset.com/parts/design-44139


Hanging template for Large Minifig Case I've been happy to see LEGO came out with a way to display the myriad of minifigs out there:

And I was also very happy to find that I can hang these on the wall with the convenient eyelets on the back:

Yet despite earnestly searching I can't find anybody that has created a template for installing these.  How far should the screws be apart?  How far apart should the holes be if you want stack them like so:?

I'd prefer a printable template that I could drill through, but if you have measured these accurately that'd be a good start.

Since no answers were given for two days, I'll convert my comment to a full answer:

If you haven't found anything yet but have access to a photocopier, you could try making a copy of the back side that contains the eyelets. The resulting print will be a 1:1 paper version of the back side, which you can tape on the wall intended for hanging the cases and drill through the images of the eyelets:

Be sure to align the sheet correctly, using a bubble level or such.


What are the best options for building a LEGO RC car? I would like to build a remote controlled car. And if someone already has a good solution for that I would be glad to try it.

It's been a while since I had the time and material to build some LEGO creations. And now I am willing to start anew.

Last time I toyed with LEGO there were electric engines and such, but all I had was remote controlled with a cable and the functions were very basic. I am looking for a more advanced and wireless solution.

I am aware of the Power Functions. But I have no experience with these. Would these be a good start? What are the other options?

Edit: Mindstorms as suggested in a few answers could be the solution, but I am not sure it will be practical yet...

It seems there was an official line of LEGO RC cars at some point. I was thinking about something more like it.

Although I'd like to avoid cutting and gluing 3rd party components I don't mind hacking a few parts together to get something really cool.

As suggested by @pcantin there are adapters I could buy to interface LEGO with 3rd party engines etc... I will look into it. But I would appreciate some better pointers in this regard.

Edit I am already aware of the Power Functions IR remote control It's a good solution to start with (now), but I was looking for something more advanced.

I have never heard of Arduino before, but as a developer I am absolutely thrilled by this solution. I won't have the time to test it now. But it could become the answer I was looking for.

I use a Mindstorms NXT brick and an Android smartphone for my remote controlled tank. The downside is that the NXT motors are slower than the regular Power Functions motors, and connecting PF motors to the NXT brick requires additional components.

Personally, I am satisfied with NXT motors and don't bother kludging PF motors. (Yet.)

Here is a modular truck design as an example: http://www.nxtprograms.com/MTV/index.html
I use this app for my remote control: https://market.android.com/details?id=org.jfedor.nxtremotecontrol


Which minifigure is this? Angry face with a moustache and a green playing card shirt? Who knows what series/set this minifigure belongs to?

This minifigure is a mixture of several other minifigures.
Torso Western Bandit Card Suit Vest and Gold Fob Pattern / Green Arms / Black Hands

has been used for just one minifigure called Bandit 3. Legs are matching yours so these two most likely come from the same minifigure, which appeared in 5 sets.

However your example is missing top hat and is using different face - Minifigure, Head Moustache Thick Angry and Long Hair and Stubble Pattern - Blocked Open Stud. It appeared in 13 sets and could be part of any of these 5 minifigures.


Piece Identification, 3x6 white horizontal cylinder I have these 4 white pieces from a large lot of pieces I purchased. Any idea what set they may be from? Most of the other sets have been Batman, Superman or super heros.

These appear in 4s in many iterations of the Imperial Shuttle, and also many of the X-wing, as well as the
MT-201 Ultra-Drill Walker and the SP Undercover Cruiser. I can't say for certain which of these sets originally contained those pieces, but this should get you closer. This list also shows sets that contain the piece in smaller quantities.


Will my LEGO bricks discolor in indirect sunlight? I have a bunch of new LEGO sets because of my new status as an AFOL. I've got them sitting on the dresser in a room that gets indirect sunlight (see below). There is no direct rays hitting the LEGO sets. Do I need to worry about discoloration?

Here are some pics of the room:

I have to disagree somewhat with the other answer in that I do not think it is quite as cut and dried as a simple "no".

There are several factors to consider:

How old is the glass in the windows in the room?
Older glass tends to be less effective at UV diffusion/blocking though really if the glass has been made in the last 50-70 years it's probably fairly safe for UVA, but not necessarily UVB. UVB does not discolor things as quickly but still has an effect. Part of that as well is how many panes are there. Older and/or less expensive windows tend to have fewer panes while newer and/or more expensive windows tend to have more panes and thus more filtering.
What type of glass is in the windows?
If it's just plain clear glass then there is less protection then mirrored, tinted, or specifically UV filtering glass.
(Possibly most importantly) What is the exposure for the windows in the room?
If the windows in the room get a lot of direct exposure (Southern exposure in the Northern hemisphere/Nothern exposure in the Southern hemisphere) then there will just be more UV coming in and thus more discoloration over time. If the room doesn't have a lot of exposure then there will be less. Your pictures seem to indicate that you might not have a lot of direct exposure, but it's hard to tell and even partial exposure (morning or evening light) can make a difference.
Are there some predominant colors being displayed? Some colors, notably White, seem to discolor more noticeably over time. So if you've got a lot of white on display don't plan on it staying pristine for long if you've got a lot of direct exposure in that room.

That all said if you're really worried about it then run some tests to find out. Make a few small stacks of bricks in a few common colors, for example pairs of 2x4 bricks in White, Red, Bley, and Black. Try and make sure you use parts that are very similar in quality, age, and color at the outset. Then place the stacks in various locations. One on the window sill, one on your chosen display location, and one in a closed and opaque box somewhere away from heat sources. Then check on them every couple of weeks and see what results you get. If you haven't seen an appreciable difference between the stored stack and the one in your display area after a month or two you're probably fine. Comparing them against the one in the window sill might even tell you if you'd be safe closer to the window in that particular room. Adding stacks in other locations would just give you more data points to make determinations.

If you do run the test, I would love to see the results. Latitude would also be useful for calibrating your results with what someone else might expect to some extent. :-)


What are the names for these two pieces of a car chassis and a piece for above the wheels? I have the following pieces but cannot find their names nor precise usage on BrickLink or elsewhere

The black one has a wheel well on each side - sorry for the poor image quality.

Both the red and black will touch the wheels I have unless I stick a thin piece between them

Please show me an example on how I use them and what the blue piece is for.

[

: 3787 — Car Mudguard 2 x 4 without Studs
: 4211 — Car Base 4 x 5
: 4732 — Bracket 8 x 2 x 1 1/3

In the link for each piece, you'll find actual sets containing them, from which you can find set instructions. In particular, the two mudguard ones need to be one plate apart from regular wheel sets.


LEGO brick competitors? I'm trying to find all the competitors to LEGO. I know there is MegaBloks. What are some more?

The base idea is that they should be bricks and they need to connect to each other like LEGO. However, it does not need to be compatible with LEGO.

Also open source designs are always welcome!

Mega Bloks: the well-known Canadian brand
Oxford toys - review
Hasbro KRE-O
K'Nex - yes, they do bricks too (not sure about compatibility though)
Cobi
Best-Lock
Character Building from The Character Group, a range of licensed products including Dr Who, Deadly 60, HM Armed Forces and Ben 10 to name a few.

Disclaimer: some of these retrieved from the lugnet off-topic/clone-brands group; they also mention "Art Asylum’s C3 Brand" but the site doesn't seem to work.


Lego Bag Identification? My son has this bag of unopened lego with no instructions. Bag has numbers 135149 and says 2011. Colours are mostly brown and white. There are eye pieces included both open and closed with eyelashes.

According to BrickLink, only set 10692 Creative Bricks has all of:

Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye Closed with Eyelashes Pattern
Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye with Pupil Pattern
White Fence 1 x 4 x 1

Do those eyes look right?


Setting priorities in LEGO NXT Programmer For a sumo bot competition I made a robot that has a perfectly functioning ultrasonic senor. However, when I made a second branch on the program for a light sensor, I calibrated the light sensor and when I set it over the line so the robot would move correctly, it does not respond as expected.

My thoughts are that it has to do something with the priorities of the branches. How do I set the light sensor branch to have a higher priority over the ultrasonic sensor branch? I would like it to work so that when the light sensor doesn't detect something in the specified range of intensity that it goes to the ultrasonic sensor branch and go to the light sensor branch if an intensity inside the specified range it goes to the light sensor branch at a high frequency of resolution.

Branches run simultaneously. If you want to pause a branch until a certain sensor condition is met, use a Wait block.


Any reasons for the introduction of the new-style raised arch? The new-style raised arch (to the left, 92950) got introduced in 2009, and has been gradually replacing the old-style arch (to the right, 3455) across the board. However, after four years, not only haven't I run into a single set where it was structurally a necessity, but it also actually looks worse in all the sets I own. So I find myself constantly replacing new-style arches with old-style arches.

Just one of many examples: the wheel well of the VW Camper Van. The raised arch introduces a questionable corner on the back side, and an utterly hideous bump on the front side, both of which are completely uncalled for. Replace the new arch with an old-style one, and suddenly the curve is perfectly smooth on the back side all by itself, and on the front side you can easily make it smooth as well by putting that cheese slope onto a headlight brick with a 1×1 plate, thus effectively moving it ½ plate back.

Now, I understand that in the Tower Bridge, say, the old arch wouldn't work for the middle windows, as it is just a bit too low the way they are designed. However, here's the punchline: the new arch is a bit too high, introducing a gap that doesn't look right. In fact I only got rid of it by raising the middle windows by ½ plate, using some SNOT magic. That can hardly be the point.

So, has there been any kind of official statement explaining the redesign of this part? Or, failing that, do you own any sets that absolutely require the new-style arch for structural reasons?

Although I can't think of any sets that make use of this technique, I have found that the Slope, Curved 4×1 Double No Studs fits perfectly under the new-style arches.


Lego track switch doesn't close properly Just two weeks ago, my kid got a 60198 cargo train and we added a set of 60238 switching tracks. With two (out of three) switches we have the problem that the switch doesn't close properly anymore to perform the lane change (the position to go straight is fine). As you can see the movable rail part doesn't completely close against the fixed rail track, causing the wheels to miss the turn. The train either just goes straight (best case) or de-rails (worst-case).

Any idea what the cause is, and is there anything I can do to fix this? This happened with two different sets, bought about 5 months apart (but put in use at same time) with two different vendors across Europe, so I'd be surprised this to be a 'bad batch'. I've also tried reversing the locomotive to check it isn't because the wheels are misaligned, but both the powered and non-powered wheels give the same result. On first sight it looks like there is a spring in the switch which got stuck/compressed/..., but I have no idea how to open this without breaking the track.

The correct "go straight" switch position is:

Warning: LEGO pieces were harmed for this answer

How the switch works

So, how does it work then? Well, let's open it up!

The back plate is held into place by 14 pins. We'll carefully pry it open with a knife. Alternatively, we could use a drill bit to slowly scrape off the pinheads.

Both methods are destructive. The back plate needs to be glued back on later.

Once we can lift off the backplate, we already got the slider.

Next we'll unplug the switch. Let's take a pair of pliers and carefully -just a bit!- squeeze the peg, then push it out.

Yellow: The slider is of a soft plastic. Notice the oval hole with a nose. When you move the slider this bit gets squeezed and then snaps into position. There's two stops, they have a figure 8 shape.
Red: At the end of the slider there's a single tooth. This tooth flicks
the switch.
Green: The switch has a peg and a spring. The spring has two legs.
The tooth    is supposed to sit right between them.

What's next?

So much for starters. Now, what about your points?

In any case, use some compressed air first. Switch them repeatedly. Maybe it's just a grain of dust. Still not functioning properly? Can you still return them?

Okay. Let's triple troubleshoot:

Is the slider stuck?
Can it move freely? Does it 'snap in'?
Does the spring have enough tension?

If the slider's malfunctioning, you'd have to remove the back plate. However, if the spring's your suspect there's a less destructive way.

How to access the peg only

In theory, one could try to pry out the switch with a flat
screwdriver. I didn't dare it. Parts could warp, the peg could break
and I think LEGO did their best to prevent creative kids from doing
it.

But take a look at the back plate. You can barely see it, but there's a circle. It's right on top of the peg.

I took a drill bit and started to slowly scratch off some of the plastic. Once the tip was through, I finished off the rest with a scalpel.

Take your time! The plastic is quite thin and the peg's right under it.

I could now easily access the peg with my pliers and push it out. I adjusted the spring and lined everything up.

How to access the spring

This might also work, but I don't recommend it. I gave it a try. It's way too fiddly.

Take a scalpel and cut a hole in the side of the switch.
Now you can take a peek inside. See if the tooth is off-center. If so, try to lift the corresponding leg of the spring with a needle. Good luck.


How do you print on LEGO clone helmets? I was wondering if it is possible to use water slide decals to print on a LEGO clone helmet if so, how?

This question is a bit confusing. It mentions water slide decals, but then also asks about printing directly on the helmet.

Water slide decals are what their name implies; decals that can be slid on the item with the aid of water. It's not printing. They are basically very thin stickers.

Because water slide decals are so thin, they can easily mold onto non-flat surfaces. If they are larger, and the surface is very round or complex, you can score the decal with a hobby knife before applying it to eliminate any wrinkles.

But in general, yes, water slide decals can be used on LEGO pieces. The decals should come with instructions on how to apply them. You basically make them a little bit wet, and slide them onto the item from the special paper they are sitting on, then remove the protecting film from the top.

If the piece is going to be handled a lot, you should cover the decal with a clearcoat to protect it. Water slide decal supplies like clearcoat and application tools should be available at any hobby store.


What are the best LEGO storage options? I have several Lego sets and I usually build them and then make them small enough so they fit back in the box for long term storage . . . but my dream is that I can take apart my model and organize the parts and just keep the books so I can put them back together again later.

(I read you can get the books as PDF's from the official site now . . . I need to try that out.)

I figure I could use some sort of plastic organizers from IKEA or something. What methods have you used? Do you store them by size and color or just dump them all into bins and let the creativity happen?

I prefer what I call the "block" method. You can get to almost every piece in less than 3 steps.

I was inspired by this: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/efficientlego


What are those 6 extra studs for in 42000 Grand Prix racer? I recently purchased a set, Technic 42000 Grand Prix Racer, that I am very happy with. However, I am perplexed by the fact that the set came with 6 extra transparent 1x1 round plates (studs).

As you can see, this was clearly not a mistake, as they are shown in the instruction manual. So my question is, does anyone know what these are for? My guess was that perhaps the Designer is signing his/her name to the set in a quirky way. Can anyone explain?

Sariel's assembly video shows that he ends up not using those 6 studs for the car assembly

but wait! if you scroll down into the comments:

he explains that the pieces are used for the B-model:


Do all the 'balls' fit in the bowls? Will this ball fit in this bowl?

Only for a given value of "fit".

Both of these pieces are part of set 70156-1, Legends of Chima "Fire vs. Ice".  On the front of the box, you can clearly see the blue ball 'sitting in' or resting on top of the white bowl, in front of the orange vehicle on the left.  It does not sit snugly inside.


How can I prevent my train from derailing? I have motorized the Constitution Chase train by putting a PF train motor into the coal car. I disassembled the rest of the cars, down to the car bed, and let my kids build whatever train cars they want. This, plus a few cars from a City train let me run a train with the engine (which is a dummy), the motorized coal car, two short cars with fixed wheel trucks and two long cars with turning wheel trucks.

The problem is that sometimes this train works really well and other times it just cannot stay on the tracks at all.

The tracks are laid out on a carpeted floor, but I always put the train in the same place and it usually runs fine. But today's layout was just unworkable and I had to disassemble it and start over. The second layout works and I'm not sure what the difference is. The train rolls along and then whoops, the front wheels of the engine are turned, and the whole things falls down.

The layout itself is designed to withstand the perturbations of the train. This is accomplished by using a single piece of flex track every 1/4 turn and wherever there is a switch. This helps keep the track from shaking loose, as nothing is typically attached anywhere, except for the snap-together action of the track pieces.

Today I tried to settle down a particularly bad stretch of track by mounting it on some 10x20 bricks but that didn't really solve the problems.

Is there a way to reliably run the train on a carpet base? Or even to just improve the reliability over what I have now, which seems somewhat random.

One thing I would say from my model train experience is that shunting (pushing) is more likely to derail a train than pulling, especially at speed.

There are a few factors that influence this in models more than we see in "real life":

The force is usually transferred via the couplings rather than buffers. This means there is more chance that the force will be applied at the wrong angle, forcing the leading elements off the track
The elements are too light. In real "multiple unit" trains where the driving force is at the rear of the train, the front elements are still very heavy, which mitigates the effects of force distribution somewhat - if you can add more weight to the Locomotive build then you may have more success.

A simple confirmation of this would be to remove the Locomotive from the train and see if you get the same derailments?


How important is a center differential on a 4WD model? I am looking to make a 4WD, single-engine powered vehicle, and I have seen others such as this which use three differentials to distribute the power to all 4 wheels:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79535&st=0

I am not quite understanding the need for the center differential - what would happen if you simply had one gear drive two followers, i.e. one for the front and one for the back? traditionally a differential is used when one side would spin more/faster than the other, such as when a vehicle is turning, but I am not imagining a situation where the front end will travel more than the back end, so why was it designed like this?

P.S. - yes, there is all sorts of discussion in that thread already about the center differential, and the tldr version is that it's dead-simple to replace if you want to, and many people have their own opinions, but not so much "why" or where the forces go/what it would look like if you do remove it

Well, the center diff allows the front and rear axles to turn at different speeds, which is useful to put less stress on drivetrain parts that are constantly moving around. However, for a Lego model it is probably not required, since it most likely would not move at speeds required to necessitate one. Building one in would add realism, but you would need to keep in mind that with a center diff, the torque all tends to go to the axle with the least traction.

EDIT: Why the front and rear axles sometimes move different speeds, why it matters

Imagine a four-wheel-drive vehicle, with a center diff, moving at a decent speed. It encounters a bump in the shape of a half-sphere, approximately 2 inches across, on the right side. The right front wheel will encounter the bump first. As the vehicle drives two inches over the bump, the rear wheels both travel two inches. However, the right front wheel, following the shape of the bump, travels pi x 1 (the radius of the bump) inches, or approximately 3.1 in. Since the right front wheel covered a farther distance than the rear wheels during the same period of time, it went faster than they did. This translates to a slight difference in speed between the front driveshaft and the rear one, which is easily handled by the center diff. However, the same scenario applied to a vehicle with no center diff could bend or break the driveshaft, as the rear section and front section try to go at different speeds. At LEGO scale, however, this difference could probably be absorbed by the flexibility of LEGO parts without incurring any damage.


Port Splitter for EV3 motors I have searched all over the internet for EV3 port splitters for motors. I have got 4 large motors and 2 medium motors and I do not have enough motor ports for them all. I can usually only find sensor port splitters which is not what I am looking for. I am looking for a MOTOR one. I have found one but I am not 100% sure if it is what I am looking for or not. Would anybody out there be able to tell me if I would be able to use this
port splitter for NXT Digital Sensors?

I am also don't want to buy a
Multiplexer for NXT/EV3 Motors because it is too expensive (and I need 2 of them).

If the one I mentioned above which might be a sensor one is not right can somebody out there give me a suggestion on a cheap and efficient port splitter for Lego EV3 motors?

It depends on what you're doing, but for this purpose the Mindsensors motor multliplexer is the device you are looking for - not the port splitter.

A multiplexer (in this context) allows you to independently control/communicate with multiple devices over a single port, one at a time. A motor multiplexer will also need an external power source because a single EV3/NXT motor port cannot power multiple motors simultaneously.
The Mindsensors port splitter simply joins the 6 wires from each plug to each other plug. This is generally less useful, because all connected devices simultaneously share the same power and signals. Analog sensors will behave unpredictably, I2C sensors might work (if the device supports reassigning its I2C address, and if you keep under the EV3 port's current limits). Motors will all receive power simultaneously, none of the rotation sensors will work, and you risk burning out the EV3's motor port.


Space Shuttle 10231 Stability on base I just got (finally) Space Shuttle (10231) and finished building it.  It was a great build and I love it, but the way the Shuttle stands on the base scares the SH*T out of me.  I cannot believe they designed this to just stand on four points (the two SRBs, and the base of the thrusters).
I can just imagine my cat hopping onto the bookcase (or someone bumping into the bookcase) and the shuttle falling to the floor in a 1,000 piece pile of bricks!
Has anyone done any modifications to try and lock this onto the base better?

According to Brickset there were indeed stability problems with set #10213, which was originally intended to be a strictly display piece for the 16+ age group.
As a response, the 10213 was retired, and a reinforced version (#10231) has been sold instead. If you are stuck with the first, unstable edition, you could try applying these alternative instructions.
You'll need these parts:

According to Brickset commenter Enosh_Kasra this service pack can be acquired through LEGO customer service (at least it could be in 2011).
And this is the disassembly and reassembly instruction sheet:

This seems to strengthen the External Tank and its connection to the Shuttle, and does not address the four points of stability you mentioned, but I might be wrong. And the extra strength will definitely reduce the number of sub-assemblies after an Unplanned Rapid Disassembly event.


Vision Command and Exploration Mars software for Mindstorms RIS 2.0 I recently bought a set 3804 LEGO Mindstorms RIS (Robotics Invention System) v2.0 very well maintained but did not have the installation CD of the RCX program and IR tower. With some research on the Net, I managed to find the RIS v2.0 software and the expansions Extreme Creatures and RoboSports.

This set also includes the USB Camera from the Vision Command expansion but without the installation CD and the problem is that I can not find the software nowhere. Where can I download the software in English for the 9731 Vision Command and 9736 Exploration Mars??

I found a similar question here which was answered by another user with the links for the download of the software Vision Command but one was in German the other in French.

As it just so happens, I'm physically in possession of an English Vision Command CD. I've uploaded the iso here:

https://www.mediafire.com/?xo6xfjvnbzaaf7u

I didn't upload and post it in that other question you mentioned since I wasn't aware none of the Vision Command ones were English, but I've also updated the answer in that other question with this link for completeness.

Note that this software was originally designed for Windows 98. The very first thing you should do is run the install file in compatibility mode for Windows 98, otherwise you'll get an error telling you that your version of Windows is too new. And if you keep getting warning messages saying that this software has known compatibility issues, click "Continue anyway" for every one of them. I'm also wanting to say that you sometimes get an error when the camera itself is installing. In this event, just keep clicking "ignore" or "retry" or whatever until it finishes. I've been able to get the software to install and run on Windows XP, Vista, and 7, although the camera won't be recognized by your computer if your operating system is 64-bit. I'd be interested in seeing if that driver David Lencher linked you to would fix this problem for 64-bit operating systems.


Which Lego Police set or sets do I have? We were given a big bag of Lego pieces.  When sorting through them my son found a bunch of police pieces but we can't figure out which set or sets they belong to.  I've tried looking up a few individual pieces but that hasn't helped and I can't seem to find the right set or sets by looking at googled images.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Most of the parts are of set 7288.
I see at least the following:

Window / door with the gates
Big wall parts with stickers.
Cop minifig & white shirt criminal
Computerdesk and front of the truck
Red front of the small car

I also see parts of 7279:

Gray shirted criminal
Part of the ATM terminal
Parts of the little car (lights and front with sticker)
Maybe the dog, it's hard to see the print of the head on the photo.

Then remains the stick of dynamite, the minifig in front of the red car parts, the second dog and bigger white bricks, that are not of these 2 police sets.

Maybe you can take a look for yourself on Brickset.com. The remaining set(s) are probably from around 2011, as these 2 are. Maybe look for a kind of plane / helicopter, because of the slope pieces.


Identify 2x2 chrome/silver emblem I want to know which sets this piece is from.

It's 2x2 in size, no writing on it except for an S or 8 in the hole.
I've tried googling terms such as chrome/silver indian emblem/plaque to no avail.

It's apparently called a "Sun Disk" (named such in an old magazine) and it appeared in 5 different sets from the 1999 Adventurers: Jungle theme.

Minifig, Utensil Sun Disk Item No: x276

Also it's supposed to be gold, but I think I've seen the old chrome gold discolor like this before.


NXT shuts down in 5 minutes I have an NXT brick that will always shut down after 5 minutes. No, it is not the sleep timer. Documentation from the NXT Hardware SDK, page 17, states that if the ARM7 processor does not send back communication to the AVR microcontroller within 5 minutes of power up, it will shut down the ARM7. Here is the message: "\xCC" "Let's samba nxt arm in arm, (c) LEGO System A/S"

Has anyone had a 5 minute shut down problem not solved by resetting the sleep timer and have you solved it?

I did not have that problem but I checked that error from programmer's perspective. The source seems to originate here athough it can be also found mirrored on GitHub where the complete package can be downloaded. After short analysis of few files it looks that the message you quoted is sent on re-initialized link (connection). The link is reinitialized automatically if its state is either uninitialized or failed.

If you can observe exactly the same time till each failure, then it looks this can be rather software issue than a hardware one. It can be still related to what you wrote in the question (one end of the link shut down after 5 minutes) or it can be related to some other software-based conditions. Try with trivial scenarios first. Also ensure that the firmware of all involved devices is up-to-date.


Serial tower stopped communicating with RCX 1.0 I recently bought a RIS 1.5 with brick 1.0 and serial tower (no CD). I got a cheap USB adapter and installed the RIS 2.0. It worked almost fine for a few days. Everytime I started RIS I had to autoconfigure tower, which used COM2. I had to try two or three times to download programs, but it worked.

Later, I installed Bricxcc and connected as well, although I downloaded no program. I did download the original lego firmware with Bricxcc and since then RIS is not able to connect to the RCX.

I have tried with new batteries, uninstalling Bricxcc and then RIS. Installing RIS again, with reboots in the process. Nothing seems to have changed. I cannot connect.

Any previous experience?

I was thinking about buying an USB tower, but I don´t know if it will work with RCX 1.0.

Thanks for your help

You could try with NQC.  By default it supports the Serial Tower and you can specify if you are using a USB Tower with -Susb .  It works on Windows, Linux and Mac.

The man page (documentation) can be found here or the in pdf format here.


Which set does this flywheel-like assembly belong to? Please help me identify the set this part belongs to.

This assembly consist of two parts. Well, technically, four parts, as there are two Technic 2L pins in Black, but these come in multiple sets so out of interest.

Top one in Orange is Flywheel Fairing Lion Shape with Gold and Blue Feathers Pattern (70102)

And the bottom one is Flywheel Plate 2 x 8 with Metal Flywheel and Dark Azure Tire (Chima Rip Cord Base)

Top part was available only in 70102, CHI Waterfall set. And the bottom one was included in 22 sets.


Design of record-breaking builds This is more a theoretical than practical question...

If one wanted to build a 40-metre tower out of only Lego using the fewest pieces or cost, what design would be a good one, e.g. types of pieces and overall shape?

I've just read that some builders in Budapest broke the world record for the tallest Lego tower at 34.76 metres. It looks like a simple elongated pyramid.

The previous record holder used a cross-shaped cross-section.

BBC has also featured some research to calculate the maximum theoretical height.

If you could design using Technic Axle 32 as your primary member that would probably be cheapest. You can get 500 of them for under $1 each on BrickLink, and making an Eiffel Tower shape out of those could be fairly strong. You'd be using axles in compression which isn't ideal so you'd need to be careful about bending forces, but in terms of cost per metre of height that's about as good as you can get. 32 studs is about 25cm, so your 40 metre tower is about 160 axles high. Assuming four legs (because Lego makes rectangles easier than triangles) you'd need 480 axles for the legs, plus another hundred or so for bracing. If you could work out a way to use only 3 legs the structure would be lighter.

You'd use axle connectors to join them end to end and either Technic liftarms or string for bracing (compression and tension respectively). There are Technic link parts in a few lengths that are lighter than liftarms, like this 15-long one and the tension member at the bottom would be a baseplate (or several baseplates)

If you made it modular using a "platform" that was, say, 16 studs square you'd end up with extra internal legs but a very easy to build structure. Say you make a tower that's two metres tall (8 axles) and tapers from 32x32 to a point. Four of those next to each other would support another similar tower on top of all of them. And so on, but the inside towers will end up with 2,3 or 4 towers sitting on top of them. A better design would make set of four symmetrically located parts "unique" and thus use fewer total parts but at the cost of the whole model being significantly more complex. On the other hand, I think you'd be able to get more than 2m out of each stage of such a tower.

I might have a go at a short version of this tonight if I can find my collection of long axles and see how stable it is. Somewhere in the garage is about 20 of them, so I should be able to get a metre tall fairly quickly and easily... if I can find those axles.

An alternative part that would involve a lot of SNOT techniques would be single train rails. Or even the modern click-together rails. I can't think of a good design for those off the top of my head, though.


Technic axle corrosion? What happened here? I got my LEGO from storage from when I was a kid (1980s) and while almost all bricks are in good condition, the Technic axles are in a pretty bad shape. They seem to have corroded(?). Please see the attached picture. This has happened to almost all the axles but with different degrees of severity. None of the other bricks, technic or not, black or not, has suffered this.

Any idea what might have happened and how to prevent this?

EDIT: They were stored in plastic bags sorted by color (one bag per color) inside a larger canvas bag in a non-lit, dry environment (garage). All other bricks seem to be fine, regardless their color. Stickers that had been applied survived very well (bright colors) and still hold strongly. Once I got the collection back I mixed the bricks and ran them under warm tap water and let them dry on a towel on the floor for a day. These were the only bricks that were affected.

It appears from the photo that there may be some "blooming" where the axles have changed color? You say you rinsed them, but I wonder if you noticed whether the axles felt oily or sticky at all beforehand?

This would be consistent with the kind of deterioration that is common with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), a kind of plastic that was once common in toy manufacturing. I don't know for certain that these early axles were made from PVC, but I do know that LEGO did formerly use PVC for some non-brick pieces, and I have seen similar deterioration on other PVC items. This is a known problem with Barbie dolls, for example.

PVC typically has a plasticiser added to it to make it flexible, usually dibutyl phthalate. This plasticiser gradually "leaks" out of the plastic, leaving it discolored and vulnerable to deterioration and creating gasses (like hydrogen chloride) that will attack other PVC and hasten the process. Heat and light will accelerate the breakdown, and you indicate that these were stored together in a plastic bag. That might have contributed, as the gasses and plasticiser were trapped in contact with the pieces.

Phthalates are toxic and are now regulated in the US, EU, and many other countries. LEGO no longer uses PVC except in some limited applications like the insulation for electrical wiring. LEGO was one of the first companies to begin phasing out the use of PVC, in the 1990s.

To slow the deterioration of PVC, keeping it away from heat and light will help, as will keeping it ventilated to remove the harmful gasses produced by the plasticiser.


Can anyone identify this strangely shaped piece (1970s?) I bought a tin of old Lego second hand - most of the pieces date from the 70s and very early 80s. These definitely say Lego on them. They may be damaged. I cannot find them on other brick identifier sites. Can anyone help?

All help gratefully received. The image isn't great but they are the classic red colour. The holes in the side fit the old style metal pins in Lego wheels.

It's a "Vehicle, Tipper End Flat with Pins". It was used in trains (but not only trains) a long time ago (1969-1982), and I actually have a couple from a train I owned as a kid.


How to import an unofficial parts archive into LDraw? I recently created a basic EV3 robot in Lego Digital Designer and exported it as a LDraw file. When I opened the LDView file, the EV3 elements were missing. I then proceeded to download an unofficial parts archive from here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=85317

The ZIP contains the folders "parts" and "p".  How do I import this into LDraw?

You have no need to use these unofficial parts, all EV3 parts (except for the stickers) are now LDraw official parts, and should already be in your library if it is up to date (otherwise, download and install complete.zip from here). The problem you most probably have is that the file LDraw.xml that directs conversion between LDD and LDraw doesn't support EV3 parts. For more details on this file, see here.


How can I separate an 8H antenna from a modified 1×1 with ring? I have two parts which are stuck together:

4081b: Plate, modified 1×1 with clip light – thick ring
2569/25699/47094: Antenna whip 8H

The parts have been assembled like this for about 20 years and may have dust in between them. They have been cleaned with water and mild hand soap. They were stuck firmly before cleaning. Other instances of the same assembly were not so difficult to take apart.

I have tried gripping the antenna and pushing it through, prying my fingernail against the lip where the antenna gets thicker near the base, and prying between the base and the ring with fingernails. I've also tried flicking the tip of the antenna to try to knock it loose and twisting while holding the shaft, but it's really in there. Before I try prying with stronger tools that could gouge the parts, I wonder if anyone has any tricks for separating these parts.

Ah, yes. I have had this problem a few times. Here's what I do:

The first thing you're going to want is leverage. Connect one 1x6 plate to the underside of the Modified 1x1, one on top of the previous plate (but adjacent to the Modified 1x1), and one on top of both pieces.

Next, slide propeller piece 32125 over the tip of the antenna.

Hold the antenna upside-down (vertically), with the 1x6 assembly in your right hand. Move the propeller piece all the way up, but stop before it gets to the section the Modified 1x1 is on. Maneuver the antenna's stem into one of the four sides of the axle hole on the propeller piece, tilt it at an angle, and push up. There should be a slight pop and the 1x1 will move down the antenna.

Now that you have something to push on, simply remove the propeller, grab hold of the 1x6's with your right hand, and press into the base of the antenna with the propeller piece. It should pop out the rest of the way and then you're done!

Why does this work? Well, the propeller piece is perfect because it had a proper diameter to fit over the round tip, and the sides of the axle hole are a prefect dimension to hold the smaller thickness of the antenna stem, thus giving you a contact point for applying pressure. I suppose it's a bit over complicated, but it works for me. :)


Is it possible to fix a broken EV3 Port? I have an EV3 running RobotC version 4.55.

The medium motor connected to Port A does not run, but if I connect it to another port (B,C,or D) it works. I tested it manually through the EV3 motor tab and with a program. I also tried connecting other motors to port A and they do not work there.

Is there something I can do to "revive" port A?

It sounds like the polyfuse (the fuse that protects the motor circuit) or the motor driver (the chip that switches power on and off to the motors) has failed.

You can contact LEGO customer support and let them know about it. They will probably replace the EV3 if it is determined to be defective.

Or, if you are the do-it-yourself kind of person with surface mount device soldering skills, you could attempt to replace the components yourself.


What is the official maximum PAB part limit? I would like to order a large quantity of different pieces from Pick-A-Brick. When I click through Pick-A-Brick and choose all my bricks, it always stops accepting new pieces after I have 95 distinct pieces in my bag.
Is there an official limit to how many distinct parts I can order from Pick-A-Brick? I saw another answer (https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/6021/15632) that says Pick-A-Brick has no limit.

On the U.S. Website, it says that there is not a limit. Are you in, say, Great Britain or elsewhere in Europe? If so, maybe different regions have different limits due to availability and population.


What causes these 'bite marks' that appear consistently on new bricks? I purchased a set (second hand) which has the following defects on the 75°-sloped, inverted 2x1x3 blocks:

I assumed they were teeth-marks and asked the seller for replacements, and he found and ordered some online. But when they arrived, they all had the same defect. Is this common on these pieces? Is it just a manufacturing quirk, or actual damage?

As said, this is the point where the injection happens, usually known as a gate.

Sometimes, LEGO tries to have in a non-visible place, but the process of moulding is extremely complicated and forces specific requirements on the gate placement which mean it's sometimes impossible to hide it. The basic rule of thumb is that the gate is usually near the center of the part (in terms of quantity of plastic) so that the molten plastic reaches all ends of the element at the same time. Sometime a part even requires two gates.

In the case of your slope, it's probably annoying, but sometimes it's worse. In this glass panel for example, the gate is right in the middle. It wasn't really a problem in the beginning, since that glass panel was used in combination with a three panes window frame and the gate was hidden behind one of the bars of the frame.

Then they released Cafe Corner with full window frames and the gates were in plain sight. In the middle of windows. Now that's what I call ugly.


Can anyone tell me which set this LEGO plane is from? Im looking through my old LEGO sets and discovered this plane and I have no idea which set its from or the details. Could anyone help me out please?

Searching Bricklink.com for all sets that have Part # 30056 - Fence 4 x 4 x 2 Quarter Round Spindled with 2 Studs.

We get the image of your plane, which is from Set #3451 - Sopwith Camel.

Looks like your model needs a serious dusting.


How do the train wheels turn so smoothly? After assembling a train or its companion wagons, I'm always impressed at how smoothly the wheels glide over the track.

When putting them together, it's just a metal axle with two wheels on each end inserted into the slot of the wheel holder.

Is there a special coating on the axle to limit friction?  What makes it so smooth?

Physicist Richard Feynman explains how train wheels work on this Youtube video. It's not necessary to coat the wheels, applying a generous amount of coating may decrease, traction which will effect the trains performance.


Is my Lego Star Wars "Jabba's Sail Barge" set a one of a kind? Back in 2006 or 2007 I bought a Lego Star Wars "Jabba's Sail Barge" set. When I opened it and took out the instructions, it had an additional piece of paper. It showed that the piece 4299023  had been replaced with a normal solid piece. I am writing to ask if this makes the set I own worth more, as it is rarer, and is it desirable ?

The short answer is no, this does not make your set more valuable.

You have recieved a set that contains what Bricklink calls an "Alternate Item".  These are alternate pieces/stickers/colors/etc. that are packaged into normal sets by LEGO in order to ship out the sets in the event of a part shortage.  They are perfectly normal.  And, usually, they are more common pieces than the pieces they replace, so there is no added value for the part.


Which "Real World" Company was the first to have its' name featured in an actual (numbered) Lego set? Excluding the Lego company, which "Real World" Company was the first to have its' name featured in an actual Lego set?

The 1955 Bedford Esso truck sets that oddTodd refers to were the earliest appearance of a company name/logo on a product in the LEGO system, however these trucks were sold separately as part of the Town Plan, without bricks (although some versions of the 1251 set came with 1x1 bricks that were used as oil cans). An accessory set from 1955 included gas pumps and a printed Esso sign, but no building elements.

The first regular building set to include a company logo or name was 1310 Esso Filling Station from 1956. The next building sets to include a company name and logo were 306 VW Garage and 307 VW Auto Showroom, both released in 1958. (The first use of the VW logo was on the first 1:87 scale car LEGO produced in 1956, the VW Bus.)

Usage of the Esso name ended in Europe and Australia in 1965 and in the US in 1966. In 1966 the Shell brand name was first used in set 325 Shell Service Station


Adding Power Functions to LEGO Mack Anthem Truck (42078) Does anyone have experience adding Power Functions to set #42078 LEGO Mack Anthem truck?

It’s a Technic set, but only features manually actuated functions.

I have seen it motorized on YouTube, even though a Power Function option is not mentioned on the box. Any details on how to do it would be very much appreciated.

There is this thread on Eurobricks:

42078 Mack Anthem Mods and improvements

Also this youtube video

KlikBriks Lego Technic MACK Anthem (RC MOD) l Instructions


How much weight can a handle of Technic pegs and beams support? Some Lego spaceships have handles attached, made out of Technic beam and pegs, and attached to the model using Technic bricks, pegs, and axles.

For example, 7644: MX-81 Hypersonic Operations Aircraft has a handle on the top (circled below), and the shuttle in 7690: MB-01 Eagle Command Base has a small handle on the bottom side.

This handle is great for play, transport, and mounting, and I'd like to incorporate this feature into my own designs. However, I don't know what a safe number of pegs and beams is relative to the weight of the model. To be really useful, it needs to support not just the weight of the model, but a reasonable amount of centrifugal force caused by rapid course adjustments as it flies around my living room. Are there official Lego Group guidelines on this, or has someone done a study of the strength of peg-and-beam constructions?

Tristan Lostroh did an exhaustive test of both studded beams and stud-less beams with and without connections. Here are his results:

  Studless beams are better in tension than studded
  Studded beams are better in transverse than studless
  Studless beams are stronger in transverse with the pins on the side
  Connections to other components will fail before the beam (Either connections themselves  or the connection area of the beam)(IE the
  (unstressed) centre of the beam    will not fail)
  Pin connections will probably pull apart before they fail catastrophically
  The more pins, the stronger the connection
  In transverse 3 pin overlap, with 2 pins used is almost as strong as 3 pin overlap and 3 pins used
  Beams in transverse conditions won’t fail (but will bend) if the pivot points match the end of  the connection
  Lego is quite strong for its weight

From the report it looks like two beams linked with 5 pins will break at about 57lb of transverse force.

Edit: Just for the fun of it I calculated this 'real life' scenario. Imagine a kid with 40cm  arms spinning around a 2lb Lego ship.  To create the 57lb of centrifugal force necessary to break the handle he would have to turn at 252rpm.  I don't think any amount of sugar can do that.


Third power functions train runs backwards, why? We have the passenger train and freight train, both run from a single controller - one through the red and one through the blue side. At Christmas we got the holiday train, and with the power functions kit coming back in stock with Lego, we just added power to it.

Having set this train to red on channel 2, its forward is counter clockwise. Both trains on channel 1 go forward when the dial is turned clockwise!

How do I reverse the controls of channel 2 without affecting channel 1?

There are little black switches on the train remote control which you can use to invert the direction.


What was wrong with monorails? From this answer:

  Then there's the whole problem of parts which are simply not in production any longer, and for which the cost of reproducing them would offset the potential benefits of reissuing sets. (In other words, don't expect monorails to be reissued ever).

And this comment:

  The cost for producing an old element again is presumably lower than the cost to develop a new element altogether, as long as the molds still exist (monorail parts molds are rumoured to have been destroyed, for example)

I'm getting the impression from these comments that there were issues with the monorail sets.  What problems did they have?  Were they too expensive to produce?  Why would LEGO destroy their part molds?  Why wouldn't they re-issue monorail sets?

For the molds: An injection mold is made for a specific injection molding machine. I very much doubt Lego is still using the same machines as they did 20 years ago. So to keep the molds, they would have to keep the old machines, including the service teams and infrastructure.

Also, machine parts are rarely made out of stainless steel, some old Lego ones clearly weren't. Stainless steel is just too bad at conducting heat, which is needed in an injection molding machine. In order to keep the molds for 20 years, they would have to keep them in shape, which means additional effort.

With regard to play value, and here it is becoming subjective, the monorail never added up. Monorail trains are only 4 wide structurally, while trains are 6 wide. Making monorail 6 wide would end up in a very unstable situation when manipulating the inside / load whatever. A robust, universal toy, they weren't.


How do I get the Mindstorm EV3 software to recognize an NXT brick via Bluetooth? I'm trying to program my NXT brick via the EV3 software over a Bluetooth connection.

I can connect it via USB (although that too failed initially, but has since been resolved; not sure why) but I'd really like to do it via Bluetooth as I could with the NXT 2.1 software.

How do I get the EV3 software to recognize my NXT brick over Bluetooth?

Here is a copy of the connection area in the EV3 software showing that the NXT brick is available via USB but not Bluetooth:

And here is the same NXT brick available in the NXT 2.1 software:

Communicating with the NXT from the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 software is not supported.
From http://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/support/faq/:

3.10 Is the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 Home Edition Software backward-compatible with NXT Hardware?
Yes. You can program your NXT Intelligent Brick using the new LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition Software. However, not all Software features are supported by the NXT Intelligent Brick.

It does not explicitly mention Bluetooth, but it is one of features that is not supported.
References:

Compatibility EV3 software with NXT brick - known limits?
http://robotsquare.com/2013/07/16/ev3-nxt-compatibility/


What is the quietest LEGO motor? What is the quietest LEGO motor? I am trying to make a sort of LEGO dolly for filming videos, but the motors emit a lot of sound. I noticed the train motor is quieter than the other motors I have, but it is still too loud and it doesn't fit my needs too well. Any help would be appreciated.

I don't think it would be practical to evaluate every LEGO motors sound output, almost all LEGO motors are fairly noisy so I think it is best to address the problem of a noisy motor in general.

My first suggestion would be to remove the source of the noise first, by using a purely manually operated dolly, if this isn't an option (perhaps you would prefer to have the precise motion given by motors) then I would consider moving the motor as far as way as possible from the microphone, perhaps using axles to distance the power drive (similar to the long steering axle used in the video I linked above).

The faster you run a motor, the louder they will be, so it might be possible to run the motor at a fairly slow speed, using a high to low gear ratio from input to output you can increase the speed without loud motors. However the sound of too many moving parts (gears, axles, etc...) may contribute to the noise.

As others have suggested in the comments, could you use a separate microphone instead, positioned away from the motor? Think about how you could possibly insulate the motor from producing too much noise using sound absorbing material.

Consider using video or audio editing software that can remove the noise. Adobe Audition for example has an amazing Spectral Display feature that allows you to visually identify certain frequencies and remove them, the results will vary based on the quality of the audio.

Motor noise will always be a problem, consider 'out of the box thinking'. In summary:

If you can build something without a motor, do.
Move the noise away from the microphone
Reduce the speed of the motor (adjust speed with appropriate
gearing)
Use a separate microphone (or dub audio)
Use software to remove motor noise


Brick-built sails for a pirate ship I am building a Sea-Cow(70810)-like ship that of course needs sails. The sails should be larger than the Technic fairings used in the LEGO movie set, but I want to avoid cloth sails and strings.

My idea is to connect rows of white 4x6 modified tiles with studs on edges (part 6180) with hinge plates. That would give a curved rectangular sail. However, sails usually are not rectangular.

Do you have experience with sails made out of tiles or plates? How do you create the shape/curvature you have in mind? I appreciate any ideas.

EDIT:

After very useful suggestions by @jncraton I was able to create a prototype of sail. I found some hinges (4275/4276) to connect the rows of tiles. The brown plates are not the final solution. Now I still have to figure out how to make the sail less rectangular.

Great question. It sounds like you are building a fairly large ship. If the scale is large enough, brick-built sails can look quite nice. You can add shape, contour, and texture using various building techniques.

If you want to keep things simple, you could just use a single layer of bricks as was done in this basic sailboat model that was an in-store build back in 2009:

That example obviously isn't the most detailed. It's challenging to develop sail-like contours with studs on top.

Here's one example just using plates that is similar to what you mentioned in your question:

Notice how it uses wedge plates to round off the square corners of the sails. Wedge plates come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so that gives you some flexibility in the shape of your sail. Here's another shot showing that technique more clearly:

Here's a second example of that technique in a physical model to try to show how the sail sections can be connected using hinges:

Here's another where layered plates are used to provide more depth and contour:

And one more example of the same technique:

I personally like the aesthetic of studs showing in those examples, but you could also smooth your sails out using tiles and curved slopes if you'd prefer.


How easy is it to sell on BrickLink as a non-dealer? I have been looking at a few of my old LEGO sets on BrickLink and they seem to sell for a lot ($500-$1000) - the information also suggests they actually are being sold periodically.

However, I've never sold on there before. I know that with most sites like that (Ebay, etc) it's really hard to sell without any reviews/feedback and particularly for expensive items.

Is this something which is even reasonable for me to even attempt to sell on BrickLink?

In general, it is considered best to first build up a reputation (i.e. feedback) by selling smaller items, before offering up rare and expensive items. When a new seller (low or zero feedback) offers up an expensive set, the following might happen:

Buyers will be afraid to purchase from you as offering expensive sets for sale by low feedback buyers is associated with scams.
You expose yourself to fraudulent buyers who are preying on new seller and try to pull a fast one (e.g. claiming something never arrived, or claiming something arrived damaged, or even returning something opened and replaced).

This is not to say that those things will always happen, but low feedback raises warning flags.

Of course, with proper research and careful shipping you can avoid all of this, and especially if you are competitively priced you might sell sooner rather than later.

Being perceived as a scammer, or being scammed yourself, is something that is unfortunately a regular phenomenon on any marketplace, be it Amazon, EBay, BrickLink or Craigslist.

So net, just be careful and do proper research on how to best cover yourself against potential scams. Selling LEGO can be a very exhilarating experience!


How could I provide power and/or data coupling between train cars? I'm trying to find a way to create a power/data coupling between train cars that can be connected/disconnected like the car coupling magnets.  Has anyone done anything like this?

Background: This is so that I can supply power and control to LED lights (and maybe other devices) in the cars being pulled behind the engine, which will provide the power and control unit (Arduino based MCU)

I've tried using a micro USB magnetic connector, but they are too bulky and don't flex easily enough for this.

I'd love to find if anyone has engineered anything similar.

Power and Data

The classic solution to this for model trains is Digital Command Control (DCC). Basically, when you provide power over the rails, you also include a data signal riding on top of it. Each locomotive or car with a remote controlled function needs an electrical connection to the track and a modest microprocessor to decode DCC instructions. You can do something similar with LEGO trains, but it requires some customization.

For example, here's a modification that I made to one of my 9V motors to include a small microprocessor that controls the wheels instead of driving them directly:

This solution requires that you are using either 9V or 12V powered rails, and is also very expensive as it requires a number of motors that are no longer in production and are expensive on the secondary market.

Data Only

Assuming that you are just powering a few LED lights in your cars or perhaps a small unloading mechanism that is used infrequently, you can probably get away with using a small lipo or similar battery for your cars. In that case, you just need to figure out a way to get access to control data.

If you just need one way data, you could use a very basic RF receiver/transmitter pair (e.g. receiver, transmitter). This gets tricky to scale up, as you need a separate frequency and transmitter for each car, but could work with a small number of controlled cars.

The solution that I would probably use if I were trying to do this would be to put an ESP8266 in each car:

These parts are quite cheap ($2 - $5) USD, can consume very little power if programmed properly, and provide a ton of flexibility. They provide and 80 MHz CPU and connect to Wifi networks, so you can control everything from a computer if you'd like. They also provide plenty of I/O pins and are more than fast enough for PWM, so you can have fine-grained control of everything and integrate sensors into locomotives and cars if desired.


What's the thing between the pant legs? What is the piece that holds the pant legs together called? Is there an "official1" name? Or is there just a commonly agreed on term?

1Official meaning something mentioned, even in passing, by Lego in some way.

They are referred to as "Minifig Hips" almost everywhere: [partlink:970:4].

The LEGO Pick-a-brick service doesn't sell them without legs, and just refers to the whole construction as "Mini Figure Mini Lower Part":


Importing 3ds file in ldraw (LeoCAD) I designed a model in LDraw/LeoCAD and exported it as .3ds file. I thought that I can import .3ds file to edit it later. Now I want to edit the model but I don't see any option to import the .3ds file in LeoCAD. I tried my best to open it but useless.
How can I open a .3ds file in LeoCAD?

.3DS is a 3D image file format, a rendering of what you designed in LeoCAD.
All information necessary to recreate your build (i.e. what bricks to use) will be stripped from it. I suppose that theoretically this information can be recreated for small builds, but for medium-sized to large builds, this will simply be infeasible.
Hence I think it quite unlikely that it's possible to import .3ds back into LeoCAD.


What kind of Lego-compatible figures are these? Can anyone tell me about these Lego-compatible figures? They clearly aren't Lego brand, they don't look like Mega Blok figures or Tyco figures that I have seen (not that they couldn't be one of those brands potentially). They have no brand markings on them anywhere that I've found, but they can attach to standard Lego bricks. (bonus: how valuable are they? not very?) edit: some of the football characters (but not the coaches/plain people) have levers on their back and one locking leg.

My first guess is that these are early generation Oyo Sportstoys (http://www.oyosports.com). The legs on the current version of Oyo figures are different (they have an articulated foot) but perhaps there was an earlier iteration of them that looks like the ones you have?


Why don't inverted brackets (99780) work in this SNOT 180 configuration? I've been working on a MOC and tried using the following configuration of inverted brackets to achieve studs out SNOT 180 in a tight space:

As you can see from the photo, this doesn't quite work. I can force the parts to lie flat, but it feels like this is putting a lot of stress on these elements.

What is causing this to not work, and why weren't these parts designed to work this way?

The short answer is because the combined height of the two mini inverted brackets is greater than the interior space of a tile (or brick for that matter.) But you knew this already.

I realize it isn't considered standard by the rest of the world, but because the only quality calipers I had access to tonight are customary, all these values will be in inches.

An average of several measurements gives me the following values for the dimensions of several key parts:

average height of a 1x2 - 2x2 bracket............... 0.7221
average height of a 1x2 - 2x2 inverted bracket...... 0.7278
average height of a 1x2 - 1x2 bracket............... 0.4079
average height of a 1x2 - 1x2 inverted bracket...... 0.4131
average exterior width of a 2x2 tile................ 0.7239
average interior width of a 2x2 tile................ 0.6028

Now, we all know that item 1 and 2 will fit flush onto a brick evenly if a plate is added to the other side.

We also know that in practice, if you put 3 on a brick and 4 directly under that same position, the SNOT faces will adjoin where plates may be legally connected.

But here's the catch: adding the heights of 3 and 4 does not get 1. That sum does not even get 2.

It has to do with where the gap is. On items 1 and 2, the gap is under and above the SNOT part of these elements respectively. But the combination of 3 and 4 leaves the gap between those two plates. You can see this easily by attaching 4 to a brick and then laying a plate behind. You can see that the corner is square and there is no clearance like we see from hanging 1 off the side of a brick-and-plate.

This clearance, by my measurements, is 0.07 inches. This is the height of 4 that is placed at the corner (that leaves a gap between it and 3) This corner is what makes this technique fail. This corner also explains the reason that 3 and 4 are different heights although they suit similar purposes.

Finally, this explains why you can affix two 3 elements to the underside of a tile. Twice the sum of the height of the 3 is still less than the interior measure of the tile once horizontal tolerance is accounted for.

As a closing solution, I recommend using two 3s attached to a tile as that works in reality. But just to prove how complicated this measurement really is, LDD still thinks that your original problem is a legal connection.

Hope this helps.


How do I convert an .lxf file to an LDraw file for bricksmith on Mac? How do I open an .lxf file in LDraw's Bricksmith on a Mac?

If you have a LEGO Digital Designer file (.lxf) and want to convert that to an LDraw compatible format so that LDraw-based tools such as Bricksmith can read it, your best bet is to use LDD's Export functionality to save your file as a .ldr file. The full details on this procedure are located here.

This post covers both LDraw to LDD as well as LDD to LDraw conversion.

Basically, there are 3 key steps:

Make sure LDD has an updated ldraw.xml file. This resets part origins, colors and part numbers.
Use the 'Export model' (CTRL-E) functionality in LDD to save your model (after you have saved it as a .lxf first). Make sure to pick the right file-type, and heed the warnings from the article about making sure you don't accidentally overwrite your .lxf.
Open the exported model in your LDraw tool of choice.


What is this? Is it LEGO? Dark Green, detailed mouldings, roughly trapezoid shaped I've been sifting through a few gifted bins of LEGO with a small percentage of trash and clone-brands stuff.  I've had pretty good luck with finding new and strange LEGO pieces on bricklink, but this one has me stumped.

I don't see LEGO printed anywhere on it.  Another discouraging factor is on the bottom where I see numbers that would suggest it is not LEGO:

But it fits Technic pins perfectly so maybe it is something LEGO that I've never seen before:

So have I been lured in by some clone part or is this a real LEGO thing?

That's LEGO piece - 47299 - Bionicle Toa Metru Knee Cover. You can see © sign in LEGO font as well as "47299" part number on the bottom, both of which confirm this is legit item.


Who can use "LEGO Official Store" for an online LEGO store? Recently I visited a LEGO shop on an e-commerce platform, mainly for local market in Vietnam, what caught my eyes was the shop name: "LEGO Official Store". Although there was no information about this shop, I found out later that this shop owned by Viet Tinh Anh (VTA) - a company claims themselves as an "exclusive LEGO distributor" in Vietnam.
I have thought that only LEGO can use "LEGO Official Store" e.g. they said here "We also sell directly through LEGO Shop and our LEGO Stores (the official LEGO shops)." but not their wholesaler/distributor, is it correct?
More information, VTA (aforementioned distributor) actually is also a retailer and has their own brand name for their toy stores (brick and mortar) as My Kingdom. They sell toys from many brands, not just LEGO, so I'm sure they cannot use this name for stores on the street. But can they use it for an online shop that only sells LEGO products?

LEGO has some arrangements in Asia (I think currently it's only in Asia, but I don't think anyone has said it can't be done elsewhere), where third parties get a permission/license to call stores official.


Need help identify a piece It's some kind of tile with a bench shape.

It looks like this, this, or this

Personally, I would say it's the 3L version in dark gray but it's hard to tell without a better picture of the parts on the page around it.

Hope that helped.


How to motorize Technic 42040 Fire Plane Where can I find instructions on how to motorize the Technic Fire Plane.  We have the kit 8293 which contains a motor, battery box, lights and switch, but we have no idea how to attach them.  Will there be instructions online somewhere, or do I need to improvise?

The retail box does not show the usual "+Power Functions" decorations on it so I doubt there are official instructions. Time to get your build on.


Are these 1x1x5 and 1x2x5 bricks LEGO? I bought a bulk box of LEGO and about 10% were mega blocks. I am unsure of these pieces. They seem to match in color.

These are the Blocked Open Stud variants of

Part # 2453a : Brick 1 x 1 x 5 - Blocked Open Stud or Hollow Stud

and

Part # 2454 : Brick 1 x 2 x 5 - Blocked Open Studs or Hollow Studs


When and why were pieces 3651 and 3652 discontinued? Bricklink has piece 3651 as Axle and Pin Connector, while piece 3652 is Engine Piston Square 2x2. You could attach them to each other to form a piston.

Service pack 5260, Connecting Rods and Stop Bushes, has them together in a set.

When were they discontinued?

Why were these useful parts discontinued?

3652 Technic Engine Piston Square 2 x 2

This part was included in sets from 1977 until 1995, but it began to be replaced by 2851 starting in 1990:

The main advantage of the newer piston is that it allows more pistons to fit in a smaller area of space. The piston is able to fit into the 2850 2x2 cylinder:

The old piston required a brick-built 4x4 cylinder, so the new part allows for either smaller engines, or engines with more pistons in the same amount of space.

Imagine how much space it would take to build this V8 using the old style of piston:

3651 Technic Axle and Pin Connector

This part was technically available in sets from 1977 until 2003, but it was generally replaced by 32013 starting in 1997:

This was part of a general overhaul of Technic axle connectors that replaced 4273 with the angled family of connectors (32013, 32034, 32016, 32192, 32015, and 32014).


What's the purpose of the decoration on the BrickHeadz piece? I just bought a BrickHeadz set (the Captain America one) and it comes with a piece to put on the models base. The part number is 6188632 and is described on a few sites as a black 2x4 with decoration. What I don't get is what the purpose of the decoration is. Here is a picture of the piece.

The decoration looks like a generic BrickHeadz head with a speech bubble with the number one. So is that all there really is to it or is there something I'm missing? I thought it might represent the models number but this particular one is number five in the series not one.

What am I missing here?

According to LEGO, it's the BrickHeadz icon with the series number.

  He also stands on a buildable baseplate with series number and BrickHeadz icon for easy display -- Batman Brickheadz LEGO Shop page

If they release another series of Brickheadz, those sets will probably have a similar piece with a "2" on it.


Personal part collection on the web (Bricklink or alternative) I started using Brinklink a few months ago and although I like it, the interface is quite terrible. I'm looking for a specific feature but don't know if it's unsupported or just I cannot find it.

How can I create my personal parts collection on Bricklink, something like a catalog of parts that I have? Other options I require would be adding parts from whole sets and adding bricks from my placed orders.

If this cannot be done please suggest alternative websites or even desktop applications that can do this?

An alternative to using BrickLink for those purposes would be http://rebrickable.com. I personally find the interface to have some warts, but definitely better than BrickLink in a lot of ways. In particular to your requested features it does support importing parts from sets (Look for the "Add to my Parts (Part out set)" link on any set description page) as well as importing from Bricklink Orders in XML format and a few other sources. If your long term plans involve selling some of those parts on BrickLink it also supports a decent set of export options that can help out with that as well.


Help identify this white and medium grey ship section Can you help identify this ship section from a box of LEGO parts we have now?  It looks like it was in an epic battle.

Based on Engine 3X3X6 in white, this is from 7166-1: Imperial Shuttle

Or as Syberion mentioned it can also be
7264-1: Imperial Inspection

Which has almost the same build. The only difference I could find is the color of the 6 x 12 plates on the bottom of the build.

7166: Dark Gray Plate 6 x 12
7264: Dark Bluish Gray Plate 6 x 12

Based on the photo, I think its Dark Bluish Gary so it's 7264.

If you still have the minifigs for this set they will also tell you which set it is, as 7166 had the yellow faced figures and 7264 had the flesh tone figures.


Please tell me what tunnel-hull boat set this is? I cannot figure out what this set would be...I like it and want to find instructions...but tried different wording and looking at images without luck.

After zooming the image and identifying the windscreen, I searched the Bricklink catalog and found the #4402 Sea Riders set in the list of sets using that windscreen in trans-black:

More details and instructions can be found here.


Why are pat pending bricks rarer and treasured more than patented bricks? My mum and I share a love of LEGO, but she is a huge collector of LEGO with easily 100kg spread across the garage, her room and my nan's garage.

When she gets time to sit down and sort through her immense collection, she's always more excited when she comes across a brick which has "pat pending" written on it. She has spent hours searching for pat pending bricks to complete an entire retro set out of this brick type.

I want to know why two otherwise identical bricks can be so different in importance - a standard brick vs a pat pending one - to an avid collector of LEGO, when to me, they are otherwise the same and I'd probably mix them up by accident.

As I understand it, "Pat. Pend." bricks were made in the 1960's.

Later around 1970 they removed "Pat. Pend." by carving it out of the molds, so there is a lump in place of it. These are sometimes called "Pat. Pend. removed". Those ran until 1976-ish?

I don't think any of these bricks are much more valuable than the others. Old generic bricks aren't generally worth very much. If one wanted to have genuine 1970's pieces for personal reasons, I guess they might look for these markings.

I don't think all pieces had those markings though.


Is it possible to power Boost or Powered Up hubs using wall current instead of batteries? I'm working on a project using LEGO Boost that I'd like to keep it powered on for a long period of time. The Boost hub itself does not move, so I'd like to power it using an AC adapter instead of using batteries to save myself time and money changing them out.

This isn't possible out of the box, and there aren't currently any adapters available from TLG to support this as far as I know. I did come up with a modification to make this possible, though.
My goal was to allow me to modify the hub to receive external power in a way that did not damage the hub and would be totally reversible. Ideally, I wanted a solution that could also still work with batteries without having to undo the modifications.
I started by removing the contacts that connect the battery holder to the main hub. These could probably be left in, but the next step is to solder wires to them, and I wanted to make sure I didn't melt any plastic.

Now we solder on some wires. I chose to use Dupont connectors here so that I would have a very small and detachable connection.

Now we put the battery terminals back.

A nice feature of this setup is that in its current state, batteries can be installed and the box still fits perfectly inside the hub.

From here, you could probably get away with running wires directly out of the hub if you didn't mind it not closing completely. If you didn't mind damaging the hub, you could also cut or drill a small notch at the bottom for the wires. I opted to run the wires out of some holes that already exist in the bottom of the hub.

From there, it's simply a matter of connecting the two wires to a suitable 9V supply. If you attempt this yourself, it is critical to match the voltage and polarity of the batteries, or you risk damaging your hub.


Which set does this windshield piece with a hanging green head come from? This is a windshield piece 2x 4 x 2, 4594. It has a printed green face on it. What set does it come from?

That would be
Part # 4594 : Windscreen 2 x 4 x 2 Vertical with HP Shrunken Head Pattern
from Set # 4755: Knight Bus


Overview of Engineering Principles incorporated in Technic LEGO sets I run an after-school technology education program and want to expose kids to real-life engineering by means of having them build commercially available Technic kits which we then deconstruct and analyze.

I am looking at 42042 Crawler Crane's second model as a good example of how to build a strong vertical structure, plus it serves as a good example of how a weight & counterweight works.

I would have loved to use 9398 4x4 Crawler as it showcases differentials, steering principles, a servo motor as well as suspension, but unfortunately that model is no longer for sale (I'm not willing to pay the ~$300 some sellers ask on Amazon.com), so I think I'm settling for the smaller, non-motorized 42029 Customized Pick-up Truck.

I assume both models will give me plenty of gearing examples.

I am looking for your advice: What other engineering principles does Technic LEGO showcase, and which (ideally current) model(s) would you suggest I use to illustrate these?

This depends on how deep engineering principles do you wish to teach. For simpler, shallower things, like the inherent stability of a triangle based construction versus a square based, the crawler crane already offers a lot: the relation between force and leverage, skid steering, gearing, pulleys, gearboxes, electronics. Pneumatics and shock absorbers are missing from this set, but you can get some pneumatic parts from the 42008 Service truck.

For advanced concepts like Ackermann steering, Camber, caster and toe it would be hard to find official models to demonstrate, but you can always build simple models to display one or more of these features.

There are a few other things that I can think of, like fiber optics, but these are really hard to find nowadays.

Of course besides mechanical engineering there is also computer engineering, for which the Mindstorms sets offer an admittedly expensive introduction.


How should I model a Heroica Banquet hall? My son had a great idea for his Heroica game: Convert one of the desks from the Fortraan set into a table with food, and then your Hero could stop there and eat to regain health.

I pointed out that the kitchen already had a table with meat on it (the chicken leg), but we decided that a banquet hall with a long table would be better.

I'm therefore looking for some advice on modelling something similar to the Hogwarts feast but at a Heroica Microfig scale rather than Minifig.

I fear I have delusions of grandeur on this one, since this is my starting point:

One table partially built to show the fences underneath. You can also add a third table in the centre, but I felt it would be weird to have only one bank for two tables.

It's too big anyway, isn't it?


Why the use of different colors for the inner bricks? I'm currently building the set 10221 and it's not the first time I notice that the colour of bricks used for the inner parts (parts that aren't visible) of the set are different from the main colour of the set. For example: the main colour of this set is light grey/light bluish grey but bricks for the inner parts are in blue, red, tan, etc.

Is there any reason for LEGO to use different colours (some are difficult to find if bricks are bought separately) for those sections of the set?

LEGO uses different colors on interior (non-visible) parts of a build to make the building process easier. Different colors (especially contrasting colors) are easier to recognize in printed instructions. There might also be a cost-saving factor involved, as those colored bricks might be in larger supply at the factory and hence easier to source for a given set.


Utility pole and angles I am using the following MOC from the Internet:

http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/8435

This model is fine if the sets of power lines are all in a straight row. But what about at an angle? How does the model need to be adjusted if the lines meet at, for instance, a 90 degree angle? 45 degrees? Thanks.

The pole itself can be rotated on almost every level, so that’s nothing you need to worry about.

Additionally, you may want your cables to be parallel. To achieve this, you need to increase the width of your bars, or more specifically, the distance between the cable supporters.
If your distance between the supporters for a straight line is d and you want an angle of θ, you need a distance of d/cos(θ/2) at the angle, which can be obtained using trigonometry:

So, for an angle of θ=45°, you need to increase your distance by a factor of 1.08. For θ=90°, it’s a factor of √2 = 1.41.

The obvious items to adjust the distance are 1×1 round bricks and plates. Also, you obviously can only approximate the perfect distance with bricks in most cases, but the inaccuracy will be negligible.


Programming the NXT brick using an ipad app for the past few years, I have been using netbooks to program the NXT. I would like to move into the 21st century and use ipads.  Is there an ipad app for programming the NXT brick?

You may want to try these:

nxtBlock
iNXTG-Lite

None of these are offical and you will have to use bluethooth to download and run programs.


LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Can't find MyData Block While going through the challenges of the Gyro Sensor Investigation I came upon the issue that I do not have the MyData Block (It's a dark blue block with a graph on it) on the coding program. Could someone include the download for this block or assist me in retrieving it?

EV3 software comes in two varieties, Educational and Home. The Educational version has a few blocks that do data operations that make sense in a science class.

Both versions are downloadable from Lego for free.

I think the MyData block is actually the data logging block.  It looks like this:

To get this block for use in your programs, you would need to download and install the Education version of Mindstorms.


Where do the pieces numbered 4255629 go in the Death Star (set 10188) I just finished up the Death Star set, and while it comes with the usual smattering of leftover pieces, I've got two pieces numbered 4255629 (shown below) that never got used.  I've scanned the manual three times now and just can't see where I missed the pieces.

Were they just included for decorating at my leisure, or is there a specific page that shows where to use them?

The piece looks like this:

There is one going in the small blue trolley on page 4. These pages don't show parts inventories, and the part is partly hidden, so it's very easy to overlook.

The other one is an extra, as explained in comment.


Is there a fix for an NXT reporting "File error!" when running an EV3 program? I downloaded the new EV3 software from Lego and installed it on Windows 7.  The EV3 software runs.  I plugged in an NXT using a USB cable.  EV3 can edit the memory on the NXT and remove programs/sounds/text files.

I created a program that uses the large motor to spin the B motor 1 rotation at 75% power.  The end program block finishes the very small program.

It downloads without complaint.  Run it and the NXT complains with "File error!".

Is this a known problem?
Is there a fix?

The NXT has firmware 1.05 loaded.

I needed to update the firmware. 1.05 was too old. 1.31 works.

Download from:
http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/support/files/default.aspx#Firmware

I did need to run the old NXT-G software to download the newer firmware.  I did not try to download the firmware using EV3.


Electric motors - what for beginning? I just got my first Technic joblot and now I am thinking about adding motors. I already have some - cheap ones from Amazon. I attached 1 axle pin to such motor with glue gun, works well except one thing - very often they are not powerful enough to run. I am thinking about getting starter set (8293), but at the same time I know I will enjoy adapting my own engines - question is which motors I should get in order to run builds that has lot of gears, hence lot of friction?

If you're interested in comparing motors regarding to torque and what they can deliver, I would recommend  reading Philo's excellent motor comparison page which has a lot of detailed information, very much useful for tinkerers.

Of course not all of these motors are readily available nowadays and depending on your project some may be less suitable; but there's a good chance PF motors are what you're after.

While 8293 which you mentionned is a simple way to get one motor, keep in mind you're also getting a lot of extra stuff which may or may not be useful to you. In particular, battery boxes tend to get superfluous very fast (YMMV on this). So buying motors only might be a cheaper route; they are available per piece on LEGO's online shop - 8883 is the same as the set 8293; 88003 is a more Technic-oriented version and 8882 is the "XL" motor: slower, but with a lot of torque. (Again, read Philo's comparison). On the other hand, if you do want a battery box, it might be more interesting to buy a full motorized LEGO set, in which case you also get tons of additional elements, and the added thrill of building an official set. Beware that some motorized sets also come with IR remote & receiver, which may or may not interest you.

Note that the Power Functions system itself is going to be phased out by LEGO in favor of the newer Powered Up; but so far it's not quite clear if and how you can control those without a remote or app, as there's no "dumb" battery box so far - only hubs with more or less smartness.

And of course, since you're a programmer, you may want to have a look at programmable solutions, either EV3 or the upcoming Spike.


Trying to find piece ID on instructions w/ no ID I've gotten online instructions and the above piece is required, but annoyingly the piece ID is not in the instructions and I can't find it on any lego websites. I just want to know what the piece ID is.

This is the ID 4211760 which in the LEGO movie sets holds the piece of resistance in place on Emmet's back. See for example instructions of set 70801 (Melting Room).

Bricklink lists it as "Minifig, Neck Bracket with Back Stud" (42446).


Good "freeware" mosaic creator I need to know of a decent "freeware" program that can take an image and turn it into a full color mosaic. It also needs to have a part count/listing.

PictoBrick is a good one. It works with real LEGO colors and parts and will give you a parts-list: http://www.pictobrick.de/en/pictobrick.shtml


Why are there extra pieces in my set? I bought an advent calendar, with a minifig or part of a scene behind each door.  Each piece is sealed in a plastic bag and needs to be assembled.  Almost every bag has an extra piece in it.  Is this a mistake when the pieces are being wrapped, a little bonus (yay, 2 crowbars!) or sloppy counting?

(It's extremely Christmassy - a police station, burglars with a crowbar and axe, police officers with handcuffs - oh, and a tree with presents.)

It isn't a mistake.

Lego weighs the bricks in each bag to ensure that the right components are present. However, it is difficult to weigh the smallest pieces accurately. (This is also why small bits tend to share one bag). If Lego tried to get the component count spot-on there is the danger that they would miss the very rare occasions when one of these small pieces was left out of a box. It would be bad for Lego if there were pieces missing - it would both damage their reputation and lead to expensive support calls. So rather than risk that they intentionally include more of the smallest pieces. That way, if the extra one is missing, nobody minds too much. At the same time, Lego knows that a couple of extra bits will make customers happy, especially as the small pieces are prone to getting lost.

So, you're right to consider the extra pieces as a little bonus.


What's the best way to start an 8 year old on Lego Technic building? I'm a grandpa trying to start my 8 year old grandson in LEGO Technic building. I am particularly interested in mechanical parts building and motorization. He already loves LEGO and attends after school and summer classes at school which focus on LEGO and coding.

Piecemeal I purchased all LEGO motors along with a bag of assorted bricks (I just don't understand if there is a difference between so called original bricks and LEGO Technic pieces). I also bought Crazy Action Contraptions for him, which seemed to me to be the most elementary.

I apologize to you pros out there, but I'm such a novice that I had to ask my question this way.

The best way would definitely be to appeal to his already existing preferences and show him how LEGO Technic can integrate into that or even enhance that.

Does he like cars? Let's build a simple car with him, later add a steering system, and still later a motor for driving.

Does he like robots? Offer to build a robot, with gears to move the arms, legs, head, etc. These can be motorized later as well.

The same can be done with planes, boats, farm machinery, animals, almost anything he might fancy.

You mention Crazy Action Contraptions, you could sit down with him and build some of the models included. Along this process you'd be able to gauge his interests both by area (i.e. does he like the Speedster or the Grabber more) and by general attitude (does he even like the whole building, or is he just waiting for you to finish it so he can play, or does he even care about it at all).

As alluded to in the last sentence, you should be mentally prepared for the possibility that you might not be successful, as he might not be interested in the topic. Don't take this personally, we all have different interests and forcing things usually don't turn out well.

  just don't understand if there is a difference between so called original bricks and Lego Technic pieces

This sentence hints at your own inexperience regarding the subject, maybe in this case you can approach the topic as a common learning process, where you both venture out to explore the world of LEGO Technic. Alternatively, you could get familiar with the terminology, basic building techniques and principles so that you can coach him. Either approach is viable, they just require different attitudes and preparations - you can switch between them however, if the need arises.


Is there a web service showing me the LEGO set with the most parts? I'm interested in a challenge building a set with very much parts. I thought of the Unimog U400. But is there a webservice, where the sets are sorted by number of parts?

Brickset has a data mining page which sorts sets by certain factors including new sets, unreleased sets, most minifigures in a set, best/worst price ratio and best British pound to American dollar exchange rates.

The sets with the most pieces can be found here. As of December 2018, the set with the most parts is the Star Wars 75192 Millennium Falcon, with 7541 pieces.


What are LDUs and how do they relate to LEGO bricks? What are LDUs? I see technical people talking about plans and designs in terms of LDUs. I understand it's a measurement unit.

What does it mean and how do LEGO bricks relate to them? Why are they needed?

LDU stands for LDraw Unit - the basic unit of measurement in LDraw, the open standard for LEGO CAD programs, and map to the "Fine" grid setting in applications such as MLCad.

Common measurements include:

1 brick width/depth = 20 LDU
1 brick height      = 24 LDU
1 plate height      =  8 LDU
1 stud diameter     = 12 LDU
1 stud height       =  4 LDU

A 1x1 Brick as 3 Plates in LDUs (via LDraw)

The typical LU (LEGO Unit) measurements are coarser at:

Brick height = 6
Plate height = 2
Stud pitch   = 5

Based on the physical dimensions of a LEGO brick, this means that 1LDU == 0.4mm, based on a stud height (1LU) of 1.6mm.


How much usage can a LEGO piece take before it loses its 'clutch power'? In this article it's mentioned that one very important feature of the LEGO bricks are their 'clutch power' which is "the ability of its bricks to snap together tightly while also being easy to separate, thereby readily allowing for de- and reconstruction"

Since a LEGO brick is ABS plastic and will wear with use, I wonder how many times you can assemble and dis-assemble two pieces before they no longer stay together.

37,112 times
Well I did it. I built a machine to test this. It took 10 days until the LEGO at the bottom couldn't stay on anymore.

>>> Check my blog for more details


Colors common to multiple parts? New AFOL here, learning the ropes of BrickLink searches.

Can't see how to do this, yet:

For which specific colors are all of the following parts available?

2 x 2 Brick (Part# 3003).

1 x 2   Plate (Part# 3023).

2 x 2 Tile (Part# 3068. Either 3068a or 3068b).

2 x 2 Inverted Tile (Part# 11203).

For bonus points (10000 thanks, give or take), is there a simple way to find these specific colors using the query capabilities in BrickLink?

The best way to figure out what colors a set of parts have in common is to use BrickLink’s Stud.io digital design software. I am unable to show screenshots at the moment, but here are the steps:

Open Stud.io
Place the parts in question on your virtual building workspace (doesnt matter in which color)
Select all the parts together, either by:

using the mouse to draw a selection square around the parts
using the mouse and the CTRL key to select parts one by one
using the parts list on the right side of the screen (the Step list) and with CTRL pressed selecting the parts there

In the Top of the right sidebar under “Color Palette”, click on the dropdown with the color name in it. This dropdown will show only the colors that the selected parts have in common.

You will have to check the “Hide unavailable colors” checkbox in this dropdown to make it work.