When did LEGO Minifigure Leg mold designs change? I am trying to identify the changeover dates for different minifigure leg molds. e.g. a figure from 1978 has no visible seams on the legs
figures from the late 1980s have visible seams, but it might be earlier
a figure from 2018 has visible seams on the outside of each leg the leg, and ©LEGO imprinted under the toe. It sees to have happened after 2012

The legs with seams have a marginally larger hole in the base for studs, and so are easier to attach/remove to/from an attached plate than the older ones.

Does anyone know when these molds changed over more accurately
?

Further investigation reveals that 2013 was when the word '©LEGO' started to appear under the minifigure 'toes'  I am still unsure about the first appearance of seams in the leg molds


Issues with my LEGO Land Rover Defender - Rear Wheel Keeps Popping Off I just finished the assembly of the Land Rover Defender Technic model and it appears I have trouble in the rear... the rear left tire keeps popping off every time I try to roll forward. It is secure, then it immediately pops off after a very short run. I have tried to review online videos and reassemble the rear end and have also refitted the rear bumper and wheel well arches.

Do  I have something wrong with transmission or do you think it is something with the actual suspension assembly?

I've read about someone having exact the same problem with the 42030 (Volvo L350 F wheel loader) years ago. And basically, the wheels aren't that different with this model.

Apparently, people sometimes don't realize how much force they need to use to click the wheels on.

The problem is with these pieces:

fitting in these pieces:

You need to use much more force then you ordinarily do building a Technic or other LEGO set. You need to hear a very audible "click". Afterwards, its very hard to separate the pieces without damaging them.


Can anyone identify this small 1x1 round brown part? I have 4 of these unidentified parts and I'm not sure which set the originally came from (stud shown for comparison).

Those are Wheel 8mm D. x 6mm
Bricklink.com

In brown they were often used as wheels for cannons on sailing ships or castles.


How can I repair a red 12v train motor from Set# 7730? I have a LEGO 7865 Red 12 volt train motor from a LEGO 7730 train set.  The motor has stopped working as it has been dropped on one of the wheels.

How can I open the motor case to effect a repair?

According to Bricklink,  Set # 7730 has this motor :

bb12va Electric, Train Motor 12V Modern Type I with 2 round contact holes

For disassembly and repair you can look at this large post with pictures on Eurobricks by Andromeda


Identify which set these parts are from Help identify if these parts belong to a set.It was donated to us and it would be great if we could use instructionsto build

These parts are from

75202-1: Defense of Crait

Based on the Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 Curved with Gray Star Wars Skimmer Pattern


What is this 3 x 8 orange curved piece from? My dad recently gave me a large box of LEGO pieces that belong to sets. I found two pieces that appear to be the front of a car. I was wondering if you guys could help me out. I would love to know what it came from so I could maybe put it back together.

Those pieces have only been in the following 2 sets:

3830-1 - The Bikini Bottom Express

7706-1 - Mobile Defense Tank


Which parts are these? Large yellow and orange pieces with Technic pin holes In an effort to identify sets in a second hand random LEGO collection we bought, we found some really obscure parts. Do you know which parts these are? Thanks!

The two parts on the right are Cockpit 6 x 6 x 5 with Hinge (30619). These have been used to make cockpits in LEGO Juniors and other very simple, low-part-count sets such as 4652:

The part on the left is Engine Block 4 x 6 x 2 with Wedge Cutouts and Technic Holes (45407). It is used to make up the front section of the tow truck shown above and has been used in similar ways in a few more sets in different colors.


Combine Duplo feet with regular LEGO I would like to place this Duplo pig directly on Lego bricks/pieces. I tried an intermediate Duplo 2x4 plate with Lego bricks underneath, but it doesn't look good. The problem is that Duplo feet surround the studs. Therefore, Duplo feet don't fit onto Lego studs. Is there an elegant way to connect Duplo animals' feet with the Lego world?

@Uli found promising solutions, one of them is to use the Technic Engine Piston Round. It has some clutch power and at least transfers the issue into the regular LEGO world. Now I have to find a way to connect tow ball pieces to the rest of my MOC, Uli has provided some ideas.

I am still waiting for the bricklink delivery with 27448 tiles that Alex suggested in one comment of his answer. Therefore, I tried a less subtle solution:

This is the starting point: A DUPLO pig that needs to be put directly on LEGO pieces.

I decided to cut a DUPLO piece to regular LEGO size. A DUPLO 2x2 brick was converted to a ...

... 4x4 tile, modified, with 2x2 DUPLO studs. My methods were crude (metal saw and cutter), but it worked quite well. There is only little height difference to the surrounding LEGO plates, and the clutch power is really good:

This is an approximation of the final goal to use the DUPLO pig as a figurehead in a LEGO MOC/MOD:

Edit: The 27448 tiles finally arrived, but there was no way I could get clutch power. I measured 9.3 mm for the diameter of the tile ring, and 9.4 mm for the DUPLO stud. This difference is enough to loose any clutch power. Even with 4 tiles combined there was no binding strength at all. Other DUPLO animals showed same results. A DUPLO human figure, however, could at least have a little bit of bonding when the ring is pushed into the toe area.


What advanced railroad features are possible with the Lego PF train sets? I recently got my first train set, the Constitution Chase, and it has sparked my imagination for building train layouts. My 3-year-old son has a small collection of wooden trains and we enjoy building tracks together. His tracks include cross-overs, switches, and bridges, and I know there is a wide range of products in that family that we could pour money into: elevated tracks, etc. However, now that the Lego train has invaded our home, I feel that we'd be better served building Lego layouts.

I've seen from shop.lego.com that there are straight, curved, flexible, and switch tracks available for purchase now. However, there doesn't seem to be any of the following currently for sale:

cross-overs (there was a 9V crossover at one point)
bridges (presumably, we just build whatever bridges we need, whatever way we want)
sloping track
double switches (There was one for sale a few years back, but it's extremely expensive now)

So, given the rather limited track selection, but the otherwise infinite flexibility of Lego, is it possible to build what's missing? Can cross-overs or double-switches be built from parts? Can PF trains climb sloping tracks, or go down inclines (and how do we make the track incline properly)? Is there an easy way to achieve a figure-8 track layout?

Bonus points for solutions that stick to System pieces instead of Technic pieces, since I have more System than Technic. I am, however, willing to buy parts as needed (except that double-switch, yikes it's expensive).

Track Features

You can do most things that you can do with traditional model railroads using LEGO trains. This includes cross track, bridges, switches, and inclines.

Cross track

As far as I know, this was never released for either RC or PF trains. As you noted, there was a cross track part for the 9V trains. If you aren't aware, 9V, RC, and PF track is mechanically compatible, the only difference is that 9V track has metal rails. If you don't mind the look of metal rails on your cross track when the rest of your track is plastic, the 9V crossing should work fine.

Bridges

You are correct that there aren't dedicated train bridges. You are left to build whatever you like.

You can make anything from a simple bridge that just holds up the track like this one based on the Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide (source):

Or you can create something elaborate like this bridge from the 2006 NMRA show:

Sloping Track

LEGO does not produce sloping track for the common train gauge. There is sloping track for the 4-stud gauge, but I doubt you will have much use for it. Aside from the tiny gauge, it is also too steep to climb for normal trains. Here's what it looks like:

Monorails did use sloped track, so if you don't mind mixing those into your layout, they could be an easy option. Here's an example of elevated track from 6399:

You can also build your own inclines, but keep in mind that it takes quite a bit of space. You can't do much more than 2 plates of incline per track section for most trains.

Switches

Each era of trains has had switches, so this is not an issue.

Double switches

Other than the one you mentioned, I don't think this has ever been released before. It seems like it would be pretty difficult to build custom track from parts, and this would very challenging to build.

Example layouts

Sets often come with example layouts including which track pieces that you need. Here's one example from an old 12V set:

Here's a similar example from a 9V set:

I'll just leave you with this cool 12V layout video.


Can I find parts list for single fire truck in a fire station set? I'm trying to find the partlist for the biggest firetruck in the 7208 Fire Station. Is there a page that contains lists for each car in a set?

One easy way of getting a list of parts from individual items in a set is to download a fan-made copy of the set made in LEGO Digital Designer and remove the parts you don't need.

Eurobricks has a big list of sets that are available to edit in LDD, you may find some inconsistencies depending on which parts are available in the softwares library. Most stickers and decal bricks aren't included. The set 7208 is available here.

Once you've removed everything you don't want in LDD, go to File > Export BOM (Ctrl + B). You will be prompted to save a list of parts in a spreadsheet file. The list will contain the part name, picture, colour code and quantity required to build the model.

7208 Fire Truck Part List .CSV [?]


Is 'plate between studs' SNOT supported by one of the LEGO building software? Do any of the multiple LEGO building software supports 'plate between studs' SNOT assembly?

To build your example in MLCad (LDraw), I needed to switch to "Grid Fine" to move the element into the right alignment:

A couple of techniques to note when doing this when you finish with the SNOT modeling:

Set the grid back to coarse so that subsequent pieces are back on the grid.
Select a non-SNOT element (in this case the 2x3 or 2x2 plate) before placing the next element - grid alignment and rotation are inherited from the last selected piece, so this gets you back to "normal".

See also Joubarc's renderings for my Heroica Graveyard question, again from LDraw by the looks of things, with the elements are added within the clips or between grills in the radiators:


Long train Bridge tension and compression angles (minimum brick count) Hello master builders.

I'm working on my first large project (and first Lego stack overflow question).
I'm making a bridge that needs to be 3 feet long. Unfortunately I don't own tons of Lego bricks.

Working with what I can find, I've built a single supporting brace of #8 rods and #4 angles. (I have the most of these in my bricks tub). Along the top (where the train track sits) are plates. Each platform connecting the plates is a 16 stud gap. The platforms are 4x4 studs.

This doesn't seem to work out the same when trying to pin the connecting beams on the bottom. Below is an early photo, I've reinforced the top to support the weight of my train, but it still bows slightly because the holes in the Technic beams do not seem to line up to the gap length. I think it's off by some percentage of a hole. (That makes me question if the top is actually an even 20 studs between the connectors)

The new design is to have more beams on the bottom and use angled lift arms to shorten the distance by some percentage between the connectors.

The question is, what angle lift arms should I be looking for? And how many variations of lift arms might work. Assume I have enough #4 and #5 rods to pin it all together.

To note, I know that a balance beam for a bridge is probably not a great plan, but I didn't find enough pieces to make two beams across my 3 foot gap.
Other suggestions for bridge construction are welcome, but I did search around a bit and either lack the right bricks or am too high off the ground to build support columns (5+ feet high)

Thank you for thinking on this and reading.

The compression member in your design looks thin to me, and the tension member oversize (assuming they are the top and bottom respectively). I would use string for tension and the technic beams for compression as the first step.

The low-part-count solution that occurs to me is going to kill the clearance under your bridge, but if that's acceptable a single column down from the centre with string/rope tension members to the end will work. You can use two columns with lateral bracing to get similar strength but better clearance, at the cost of needing more parts.

You miay also be able to do a modern single-pillar suspension design that looks exciting, especially if you're willing to cheat a bit with a non-Lego weight. You may be able to extend your beam and tie to that instead of using a weight, but I suspect you will struggle to get enough strength.

You can buy 100m rolls of string that look a lot like Lego thick string for next to nothing from sewing supply places. I have two, because the waxed string slides more easily over plastic for times when I can't use pulleys or rollers, but it's also less bendy so in low-tension situations often looks bad.


What is the purpose of the Technic Axle 6 in set 6847? In set 6847 (Space Dozer, http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/6847-1) there is a black Technic Axle 6 that has no structural or cosmetic function in the set. I don't have the original instructions or box, so it might have been included to build one of the alternate sets. Or some other reason?

When weight is applied on the structure, the wheels are are creating a twisting motion that will eventually dissasemble the 1x6 beams.

With the extra structural part when a load is applied there is a lot of flexing but the 1x6 beams are staying in place.

Effectively, the axle is preventing the beams from rotating out of place.


Types of instruction manuals I noticed there are 4 different types of instruction manuals (at least for large sets):

Type I: Similar piece colors are not very distinguishable (especially Dark Gray and Black). Some building steps could be clearer (for example, adding arrows or changing the point of view). Similar-looking pieces are sorted in the same bag. Bags are not numbered.
Type II: Same as Type I but with numbered bags.
Type III: The piece colors are a lot closer to the actual pieces and are easily recognizable (Black has even a white outline). All building steps are better described. Pieces are better sorted in the bags. Bags are numbered.
Type IV: Same as Type III but with the pieces to be added in a given step outlined in yellow or red.

One could think of a type to be an improvement over the previous one, and when a new type is released, the old one wouldn't be used anymore. But that's not the case.

Here are some sets with their corresponding type:

Mobile Crane (8421) released on 24-Oct-07 is of Type II.
Death Star (10188) released on 21-Jun-08 is of Type I.
Pet Shop (10218) released on 12-May-11 is of Type II.
Town Hall (10224) released on 03-Mar-12 is of Type IV.
Palace Cinema (10232) released on 01-Mar-13 is of Type III.
Mobile Crane MK II (42009) released on 27-Jul-13 is of Type II.
Maersk Line Triple-E (10241) released on 01-Jan-14 is of Type IV.
Parisian Restaurant (10243) released on 01-Jan-14 is of Type III.

Do you know why the manual types are not in strict chronological order?

I remember that in the 80's black technic parts where always hard to recognize in the instructions, in those years you had to count the studs yourself. Over the years black became a little lighter in colour to a dark grey. This was also shown on one of the first pages of the instructions.

This stays OK until the introduction of dark grey parts. At that point LEGO struggled again with colours in the instruction. This was around 2008. In the year later this was solved by making black darker again. This current colour scheme is used in for example 42009. So this set is not a type II but another type. Also LEGO nowdays try to keep the same parts both in black and dark grey to a minimum per set.

Until now I never noticed that LEGO uses two different ways to show black parts. With and without a white outline. And also on the PDF's instruction it look like the shade of black is different. I don't know the reason for this and if the white outline is only used for non technic sets.

Numbered bags are used through the whole line of sets. And make the building a little easier by reducing the number of parts to look through while finding the part needed.

The coloured outline on the build steps are used at least from 2000. These are often used in larger models like 3723-1: LEGO Mini-Figure, where it can be hard to see where a part go. Often because of the uniform colour of a model.


Are these old car models legit sets or MOCs? Are these 4 historic car models legit sets or MOCs? If official sets do you know the set numbers?

How can I add more pictures then one?

These are indeed legit sets of the 70's.

390-2: 1913 Cadillac

391-1: 1926 Renault

395-1: 1909 Rolls-Royce

Only the red car in the top right looks like a MOC version of the red Cadillac  set


Link 1 x 6 with Stoppers Part 2739b Will Link 1 X 6 connect to Liftarm 2 Axle Holes and Pin / Crank (Part 33299)? The Link will be attached to a coke can, that needs to drive a crankshaft.

2739b from Peeron

33299 from Peeron

The half pins on the ends of the lift arms will fit into the round holes of the steering link, yes, but they will obviously have full rotation within that - it's not a "locking" connection.

The idea with the link is to lock a pair of those arms together so that they pivot in unison.


Set identification - 4 bags of mostly yellow grey and black, some Technic bricks? Any ideas which set(s) these 4 bags belong to?

Based on the yellow windscreen and the red tiles 1 x 4, these bags belong to:

6753-1 - Highway Transport


1 x 2 brick with square hole on top identification Hoping somebody can help identify this part. It's a 1 x 2 brick, but has a square hole on one side.  Many a part has got me stuck, but rebrickable has helped me many times.   Can't seem to find this one.

Well, between my comment and zovits "seconding" the idea, I think it's safe to assume we've established what this part "was".  I did a lot of searching earlier online, looking through people's collections of non-production and prototype rare parts and couldn't find this "version" of the part.  So, whatever the story of how it came to be, I would certainly consider this to be a rare keepsake.  Here is a photo of the inside of these bricks with the square insert from the "finger" easily identifiable.

I couldn't bring myself to attempt a disassembly since I apparently don't have many of these and they aren't the more common color of Black and Dark Gray.  Perhaps Rin Rio-Oki will happen upon this question and take the initiative of dissecting one?  Fingers crossed ;)


Identify soft lego wings I wonder in which set the following piece appears (the soft plastic wing).
It is most likely in year 2012-2016.

That would be 76039-1: Ant-Man Final Battle from 2015.

The blue and yellow-green marbled parts don't go to the set though, they are from one of 3 Ninjago sets that are also from 2015.


Need help to identify minifigure Can someone help me to identify minifigure linked below:

I´ve been searching now about three hours without luck :)

Knight's Kingdom II - the guardian (picture taken from bricklink)

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?M=cas264

I searched on Bricklink catalog under, 'minifig leg assembly' using the keyword, 'brown,' using thumbnails.  Only had two pages to look through.


Is it worth to start with Dimensions now? From what I know Lego will cancel the Dimensions game soon. Right now it is possible to find on ebay very cheap starter kits. Is it still possible to play the game after Lego is closing down all activities or is a Lego server essential for the game functionalities?

The Lego Dimensions game is actually a console game available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 3. So as Shea stated, once you have the game, you can play it whenever you want. All you have to do is insert the disc into your console and load up the game.

About your concern of buying the starter kits, getting the one on eBay could be a choice, as long as you trust the seller. Another way is to get it at Target or Walmart before they don't sell it anymore. Another suggestion for you is to get all the current available sets for Lego Dimensions that are available in store, as once they are no longer being sold at stores, the value will skyrocket. After you have gotten the desired in store sets would you then get it off eBay.


What is the centre hole for in modern train tracks? LEGO train tracks have 3 holes in each of the segments:

I understand the two outer holes are used with a throw-away piece to keep  them stacked while shipping, but what is the center hole for? Is it just for saving a bit of plastic? Or perhaps just a planned 'shipping' feature that was never used?

The larger hole is present in older 9V track as well:

I've never actually done this, but I've always assumed that the hole is there so that the track can be screwed or nailed down if desired to create a semi-permanent layout. This is common practice with traditional model railroad track:


A wired data logging brick I need a data logging brick where I can wire an input to the file name. Is this possible? and if so how would I do this?

It is possible, but I'm not sure this is the data logging brick you expected.

The File Access Block provides the option to wire the filename.  Click on the upper right corner of the block and a dropdown will appear, select "Wired".

For example:


Can i change the way the ir remote works? I bought an EV3 and the first thing that I want to do with it is control models with the remote.

I finally discovered how to do this after a long search.

It can control the Formula EV3 racing car with rack and pinion steering (where the angle of the 2 front wheels change instead of the 2 back wheels turning in the opposite direction to turn the car) When you use wheels it doesn't turn like when you use the other type of tires.

I'd like to use the remote that comes with the EV3 to do this, but I'm not sure how to modify the remote to support this type of control?

If I understand your question correctly, you are asking how to use the following remote to control traditional car that has front wheel rack and pinion steering rather than a vehicle that skid steers using the rear wheels. Here's the remote:

This isn't ideal for controlling steering because both sets of buttons point forward. The easiest solution is to attach a wheel on the side of the remote that actuates one set of controls like this. Here's an example using the PF remote that could be adapted to work with the EV3 remote.

I don't know what your vehicle design looks like, but you may also want some sort of return to center steering system on the motor controlling the orientation of the front wheels if you haven't already built one. Here's one simple example of this:


Why are LEGO minifigures getting more and more expensive? I am a big fan of LEGO and collecting for 30 years now. But while the "normal" sets seem to hold their price, LEGO minifigures are getting more and more expensive.

I can remember, when in Germany one of them was at 2.49 Euro, then they went up to 2.99 and the latest series (with the highest amount of 20 figures) now cost 3.99 Euro. The whole series is now roughly 80 Euro for a hand full of LEGO (if you don't have doubles)...

Have I missed some price rallies on the plastic markets or do they sell that good and LEGO wants to optimise profit as long as they have customers willing to pay (almost) any price? The amount of plastic and the custom parts are comparable to previous collections.

I live in the U.S. so I cannot comment on the German Lego market. That being said, the answer to your question must lie at least in part to the European market for CMFs and not in the inherent price of each mystery bag.

What I mean is the price of a CMF in the U.S. has remained at a steady $3.00 since Series 3. While distributions within boxed sets have appropriated the inherent value of the figures above or below that price, a lucky person could still theoretically get whatever figure they wanted for the standard price (if they are as crazy as I am and feel up all the bags in the Lego aisle.)

Now please correct me if I am wrong on this, but I believe the value of the Euro has depreciated in the past several years. Certain principles of microeconomics may maintain local purchasing power even through this drop, giving the illusion that funds go just as far. Increases in the amount of paper that goes in a wallet at the end of each pay period may even make it seem -- on a local level -- that a person is actually making more than they used to, when the extra amount is due to adjustments in inflation.

Now the value of a CMF as stated before has not changed, but perhaps the numerical price associated with that purchase may adjust for inflation. Could this be the reason it appears that the theme has grown more costly over time? If not, please tell me I'm just a nosy American who shouldn't be commenting on European economics. You won't hurt my feelings.

Bonus content: here are the apparent values of minifigures thanks to uneven box distributions, as well as a link to a very useful forum topic.

Hope this helps!


Which resolution is necessary to print bricks with a 3D printer? I would like to print LEGO compatible figures. Which resolution is required for the 3D print in order to firmly fix the figures on LEGO bricks?

Depends on your tolerance. :)

  In the manufacture of LEGO bricks the machine tolerance is as small as
  10 my (0.01 mm).

Source: Company Profile. An introduction to the LEGO Group (2010)

For me, 3D printing resolution would need to be pretty close to that.


Help finding number so I can find the set I am looking for the codes of these 2 bricks. I inherited a big box of LEGO, but can't find the number to identify the set they go in.

That's 772p01 - Brick 1 x 2 x 2 without Bottom Tube with Window Pattern was available in one of these 4 sets.

And 3145 - Vehicle, Tipper End Flat with Pins in White color could be found in just 2 sets.


I am looking for robot constructor general plastic parts I do not know how call it, but I mean something like these pics:

Can I find something like this plastic parts in general or I must design them in solidworks and ordering for mold production by myself?

My goal is to build some educational robot kits for kids by this parts.

The first picture is from Elector,
 the second is kai robot.

They are both robotic kits from Iran, you can order kits from their site.

If you are looking for a Lego solution,
the Lego Eduction program has robotic kits like  Mindstorm and WeDo, or you could look at Lego Boost


What is the first day of the 2011 Star Wars advent calendar supposed to be? I opened the Star Wars Advent Calendar 2011 early and I don't get what the set on the first day is. I'm not much of a Star Wars fan I guess. I can't identify it as any particular ship and my only guess is it's a part of a bigger set for later.

And the worst part is I can't find it on the box anywhere. Lego is usually really good with the imagery and usually exaggerates the final product (by making it look bigger or whatever) but it seems only a fraction of the 25 mini models are shown on the box.

Has anyone else opened it up?

I don't have it, but BrickLink already has inventories of all submodels.

According to them, day 1 is a Republic Cruiser. This is a mini version of 7665 — Republic Cruiser.

They do look quite similar for sets of a such different scale:

Sadly, Wookiepedia doesn't have a picture of a republic-class cruiser, but I suppose that's what it is.


Emerald Night Piston replacement + jamming issue I'm just wondering if I can get replacement piston rods for my Emerald Night, since the rods are easily the least impressive part of the model. I'm wondering if there is a form of kit that can make the rods look more like one of a real train? (Shown Below)

Also, anyone have a fix for the jamming issue? I think I have a temporary fix but I'm not sure.

There is a Bricklink store that sells custom-made train driver rods. I've never bought any so I can't speak to the quality. There are supposedly limitless varieties possible but given that you're looking for one that matches a set you should be able to find some already-made for that set.

Regarding the jamming issue, the most common problem is when the wheels aren't properly quartered. When building, the pin holes for the pistons on one side should be at 12:00 (top) and on the other side at 3:00 (front). This helps prevent jamming.


Is there a reliable way to determine what minifigure is in a LEGO Minifigures series package? I would love to have one of each minifigure from the various LEGO Minifigure series.  Unfortunately, as you receive a random minifigure in each package, this is more difficult than it should be.  I either have to purchase a lot of extra packages and hope that I eventually span the entire set, or I have to pay exorbitant amounts on the Internet for the minifigures I need to complete my collection.

Is there a simple and reliable way, when I am in the store, to determine what minifigure is in the package?

It can be done, but you need to be able to handle the packages.  Different minifigure series may require different approaches, from barcodes to patterns of dots or dimples to feeling for certain characteristic parts in the bags.  Those approaches have been documented in a number of places:

Series 6 (feel + dots)
Series 5 (feel)
Series 4 (bumps)
Series 3 (dots)
Series 2 (barcode)
Series 1 (barcode)

Also, since every box has a set quantity of each minifig, if you buy a full unopened box of 60, you will get a full set of the minifigs.  (More than one set in fact, but you'd have to look at the per-box quantities to see if it's 2 or 3.)


How can I tell if my NXT motor is faulty? I pulled my old Mindstorms NXT out of storage (it's been there for a few years). After patching together a test robot, I noticed that my motors behave strangely.

At first, one of the motors did not respond to move commands. After disconnecting/connecting a few cables, another motor stopped working (with a different cable, on a different port). While troubleshooting, the behaviour erraticaly switched between all three motors working (rarely and for a brief time), two not working, or one not working.

Now it's stable, with one of the motors not working, always the same one, no matter what port I plug it in. I suspect that it may be faulty, however I'm not sure due to the strange behaviour described above.

Does anybody know how I can test the motors, see which are faulty, if any? Or any other tips troubleshooting this? Thanks.

If the one motor exhibits the same behaviour on any port with any cable and the other motors are working on all of the ports with any cable, then it is safe to say that the problem is definitely with the motor itself.

Make sure you swap cables as well as motors to rule out a faulty cable.

Also, check for signs of corrosion on the pins of the cables, motors and NXT. This kind of erratic behaviour is indicative of poor electrical connections.


Extract Bricklink or Brickowl parts list from LDD (on OS X) I've got some models .lxf and I'd like to order the parts. Is there a way to extract that information from LDD on OS X? All the solutions I have seen so far go via a Windows application.

Bricklink Wanted List Uploader

It is very simple to upload a parts list to Bricklink. You can directly upload your LDD file through the Bricklink wanted page uploader.

The wanted list uploader supports the these four file types:

LEGO Digital Designer (.lxf)
BrickStock/Brickstore (.bsx)
LDraw (.ldr)
Stud.io (.io)

If the Bricklink uploader doesn't work, you can also use LDD also lets you export a list of parts from within the application.

In LEGO Digital Designer, open your model. Go to File > Export BOM (Ctrl + B) to save a spreadsheet/zip copy of all the parts used in your model.

The file will include information include part name, ID, colour, quantity as well as a thumbnail photo of each piece.


Simple way to build large circular plates? I was wondering if there is a simple way to create a large circle or circular plates. I want to build a MOC of the Hero Factory assembly tower (In LDD first) but most of the pieces that form circles don't give enough clearance for a decently sized CCBS model. I was wondering if there were any bricks or techniques that would help for this specific MOC.

The largest truely round base plates in the LEGO system fit in a 8x8 square. You can build them from two LegoPlate, Round Half 4 x 8 or from four quarters.

For a bigger (and thicker!) base plate there is a Duplo version of the above mentioned base plate, fitting into a 16x16 studs LEGO system square: LegoDuplo, Plate Round Corner 4 x 8 Double

EDIT: For a thicker base, you can use these bricks: Brick, Round Corner 10 x 10 with Slope 33 Edge. They make a base fitting into a 20x20 square.


Round window on Wolfholm There is a round window in the Wolfholm build by Jonas Kramm.  It's on the left side, top floor. Can anyone identify the round white piece and the smaller round black piece inside. (might be a pulley).

The obvious part is Technic, Wedge Belt Wheel (Pulley) as Phil mentioned in the comments.

Other, not so obvious piece is Brick, Round 4 x 4 with Recessed Center, which comes in new Minions set. It only comes in Light Bluish Gray [BL] color at this moment.

Jonas has confirmed this over his IG post:

It's a Minion Eye.


Unable to turn on NXT. Completely Frozen I recently downloaded a file on my NXT and when I used it, it didn't work as intended. The motors started to make sounds like they were jammed, one got stuck and now the NXT won't even turn on. I tried pressing the reset button in the battery compartment but it doesn't help matters.

P.S. The thing I built was the NXT Mindcuber by David Gilday.

The button in the battery compartment is NOT the reset button - it's a switch meant to be depressed by the NXT rechargeable battery. The NXT reset button is inside one of the technic connector holes on the underside of the brick - you can push it with an uncoiled paperclip or a pencil lead.

The reset button only toggles the power, it doesn't actually "reset" anything. The best way to reset the brick is to reinstall the firmware (this can be done from inside the Lego NXT-G programming software or from a 3rd-party utility like BricxCC). However, doing this requires that the brick has power and is able to turn on.

Try charging your batteries (if they're rechargeable) or put in new ones (if they're not). Your symptoms sound like the NXT was on the brink of the low-power threshold - putting load on the motors drained the batteries below a critical level and now the brick won't start.

Be sure to report back if fresh batteries don't work for you.


Are there more instructions for LEGO Architecture Studio? I have a LEGO Architecture Studio set of 1210 pieces. The set have a book about architecture and techniques but it have no instructions for, e.g. build a pyramid, building or others. So I want to know if exists instructions for this, and where could I find them.

I don't think so.  I've found a few places that show nothing but the original book for it in terms of official LEGO content:

http://lego.brickinstructions.com/lego_instructions/set/21050/Architectuer_Studio
https://www.repubrick.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=451&virtuemart_category_id=38&lang=en
https://www.reddit.com/r/architecture/comments/1k108y/the_lego_architecture_studio_manual_via_legos/

Tom Alphin's book

While it isn't entirely instructions it does include lots of instructions: Tom Alphin's book The Lego Architect.  It has been a while since I flipped through it so I just gave it another skim.  I'd say that a third to a half of the pages are dedicated to detailed instructions.  The rest of it is lovely inspiration so it isn't like filler.

Brick Architect blog

Tom Alphin also has created a blog that has lots of LEGO architecture designs in it: http://brickarchitect.com/ but I didn't see any instructions there.  It is still probably worth checking out for inspiration.


Mindstorms - want to perform various tasks, but never two of the same in a row (and other restrictions) I want to make a program that does a few things in a random order: I have this so far:

The problem here is... I have set the switch block with the random number block to 3 different programs to run. So of course they run randomly. But I want to make it like this: When program 1 on the switch block has finished the random number cannot be 1. 2 can run twice but not three times, the same for 3. 2 can never run after 3 or 3 after 2. So when 2 finished the program, all of the numbers can be the case. If 2 comes after two, the next step should be 1. Not 3 because I made number 3 the reversed of 2 which I don't want to make run after eachother.
This is an example of how it should act in the loop that's going 6 times:

This looks like a state machine.

Save the "state" of your program in a variable. The state will be which program to run, so 1, 2 or 3.

You will also need some more variables to track the previous state and how many times a program has run.

Code flow will be something like this:

next_state = 1
prev_state = 0
run_count = 0
begin loop
    compute_next_state
    switch next_state
        case 1: run program_1
        case 2: run program_2
        case 3: run program_3
    end switch
    if next_state == prev_state
        run_count = run_count + 1
    else
       run_count = 0
    end if
    prev_state = next_state
end loop

I left out the implementation of compute_next_state since you have that spelled out quite well in your diagram.


Who is this minifigure: black trousers, blue shirt with id and rescue item, sunglasses Who is this minifigure: black trousers, blue shirt with id and rescue item, sunglasses?
What set can it be from?

Looks like this guy but without the hat.


Where or how do I get replacement stickers for my LEGO set? I have a BMW Williams F1 LEGO set 8461 that I built when I got it several years ago.  I unfortunately let it sit out on my shelf for a long time.  The stickers have peeled and cracked and some have nearly disintegrated.

How or where do I get a new sheet of stickers so I can rebuild the model properly and then have it put in a case so I can help keep this from happening again?

UPDATE (put this here as it would not fit in the comments).

I got my response back from LEGO.  The set is too old and they do not carry that set of stickers any more.

  Dear Scott,

  Thanks for getting in touch with us.

  We're sorry we no longer have the stickers you need. We try really hard to keep as many replacement LEGO® parts as we can, but sometimes we run out of pieces from old sets. A second hand toy expert or collector might be able to help, or you could even try searching at flea markets or second hand shops.

  Thank you again for contacting us. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this email or call one of our friendly Customer Care Advisors at 1-800-835-4386 (from within the US or Canada) or 1-860-749-0706 (from outside the US or Canada). We are available Monday through Friday from 8AM - 10PM EST and Saturday through Sunday from 10AM to 6PM EST.

  Daniel
  LEGO Direct Consumer Services

You can either buy them on BrickLink, or contact LEGO Customer Service directly. BrickLink might be the cheaper of the two options, but if LEGO has them in stock, they are guaranteed to be factory-new.


What is the biggest LEGO-compatible one piece wheel? I am wondering what the biggest LEGO one piece wheel is? (the inside part and the rubber part counts as one piece in my world)


How to run two LEGO electric trains at the same time? I have a LEGO city built with a train encircling it. The track is the classic style with metal railings running through it. I have a switch track as well that is connected to an NXT robot to switch the track each time a train comes by.

The problem is, there are areas where the trains run into each other because there isn't enough power running through certain areas of the track or too much power. I have 2 of those power consoles connected to the tracks.

Does anyone know how I can have these two running at the same speed without slowing down and crashing into each other?

This probably isn't going to be solved without either changing to remote controlled PF trains or creating a complex control system.

Even if you were able to supply the exact same constant voltage to both trains, they'd both need to have precisely the same motor characteristics, weight, and aerodynamic properties. That's going to be difficult.

One way to address this is to create track blocks that are electrically isolated and can be controlled independently. You can isolate the track sections using tape at the joints, or you can physically cut the metal rails. You could then connect these blocks up to your NXT and build some sensors to determine what speed the trains need to run in these sections in order to not hit each other.


Got a weird trans-purple cone part as extra in 71043-1 Hogwarts Castle I bought a 71043-1 and one of the extra parts is this trans-purple "cone" with the smaller through-hole, which couldn't identify since there is no element number, only the mould number which is 05-B01.
Here's a picture, (normal stud as a comparison) - please help me identify or give an element number for this!

It looks like a "short shot" of Minifigure, Utensil Bottle, Erlenmeyer Flask with Trans-Purple Fluid Pattern (pictured below) which is included in the set. I would even say it lacks the Trans-clear "coating" around Trans-Purple piece of the combined element.

Short shot - is a term used in LEGO community to describe an uncommon occurrence of plastic element production, where element is produced with insufficient amount of plastic. There could be various reasons: temperature is too low, lack of plastic supply and other errors during production.


Looking for information on a Lego manual I had as a kid I had a lot of Lego when I was younger (late 80s/90s), and in a flash of nostalgia I recently remembered having a great instructions/ideas book which I loved to ready through - I can't remember the number, or even if it was an official instruction manual, all I can remember is that it contained information on a 'line plotter', which used a roll of paper and a few pens to draw lines, which at the time I thought was amazing - I may have even built it.

I've been able to find out some information - it appears that the plotter was built by Larry Page (yes, of Google fame!) , and have also managed to find this picture from the book...

Does anybody else have any information on this book? A PDF would be amazing, but any information would be of interest to me.

Many thanks,

The book you're looking for is the "Expert Builder Idea Book (8888)". The complete book is available on Peeron.


How to connect chain links in LDD to make tank tracks I need help trying to connect chain links (in LDD) around a set of idlers and drive wheels. This is to be used on a tank design, and therefore is not using actual chain. It is using "Chain Link m=1" connectors, as well as there being 2 drive wheels to mount on. I have tried many different ways, but none of them worked.

Here's a picture of the tank and its threads

This issue is one of LDD's most prominent shortcomings. Unlike other CAD software, the simplifications that LDD makes in exchange for ease-of-use restrict some creations from being assembled with any degree of ease. However, the treads in this model are possible to apply, although I cannot say how easy it would be to get them the way you would want.

A quick search from more experienced LDDers on YouTube turns up that the process is very redundant and tedious. Each link must be adjusted individually, and when needed, certain gears must be turned to accept the chain. However, getting the initial link on the system requires a crafty Technic device used to mount a five-hole tread to a bar suspended just above the gear in question. From this five-hole link, the smaller links can be added, as shown in this video.

I tried the process myself and while it is painfully difficult, the end result is achievable. Here is a photo with the Technic system in place, and another after I removed it and added the correct link.

Of course, I had to try this in real life where dexterity is on my side. I ran up the exact construction as I see it in your provided picture and have determined that the perimeter of this design falls just over an even multiple of links. Twenty-five links are just barely too short to connect at the ends, and twenty six is much too baggy to stay seated on the gear teeth.

For another example of adding treads in LDD, you may also want to see this time-lapse video. Hope this helps and happy building.


What are some creative uses of the orange brick separator tool? I have these piling up around my LEGO corner:

Any suggestions for creative uses? Especially multiple?

I have seen a number of very creative builds with the orange brick separator. Here are some examples:

Spaceship by F@bz: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabz71/12434428513/

Mech by Lewis Meeny: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tr0jinh0rse/11318913594/

Deep Sea Explorer by Keith Reed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithreed/12943153094/

And my favorite is this Clown Fish X-wing by dr-spock-888: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_spock_888/20558633496/

And there is also the super secret worship room of the cult of the Followers of One Long Orange Object or FOOLOO by cimddwc: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimddwc/24779936911/


What is this grey LEGO light and sound element with neon green attachments? I consider my self to be somewhat of a LEGO collector, and have amassed quite a collection over the years. Recently, while looking through a few of my boxes I found this thing:

I got this years ago from a family that gave me all their remaining LEGO's when I was a child. It takes AA batteries and has 3 noises with accompanying lights when you press either of the three buttons. It has no part number that I've been able to find, and Googling "Lego green and grey lazer" is not very helpful. :P The only from of identification is the printing "LEGO group 1998" on the inside of the battery cover. I just thought I would ask if anyone knows what this is and what set this is from?

That looks like the "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top". The part number is x239top on bricklink.  It was only in 4 sets in 1998.  The whole Insectoids product line was terminated less than a year later.


Where can I find a list of all LEGO sets ever released Can I get a full list of every set LEGO has ever come out with?

Brickset.com is an excellent website with an inventory of sets stretching back as far as 1966.
The list is not 100% complete and the site is not an official site of the LEGO groups so it relies on contributions from fans for its updates.
The information below is from the site itself:

What's in the database? The database does not contain everything that LEGO has ever made or that carries a LEGO logo. The completeness of the database is roughly as follows:
1958-1965: No coverage. The era is too complex to cover adequately, and of insufficient interest to justify spending time researching.
1966-1969: Most regular sets, but excluding brick and service packs.
1970-2006: 98% of sets, and also many extended product lines.
2007-date: 99.9% of sets, and most extended product lines sold at shop.LEGO.com.
Although the database contains many non-brick items ('Gear') that are LEGO branded, it does not contain them all: there are too many to keep track of!


Export LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Lab Code I was wondering if it was possible in any way to see the actual code that is generated by the Lego Mindstorms IDE.

I know there isn't a direct 'export to code' option within the tool but I wondered if there was a third party tool by any chance.

On a related note, it seems the files that are saved (.ev3) are just raw data. Is there any specification for the file format?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Update:

I have written a tool to disassemble EV3 programs. The EV3 software compiles the .ev3 file to a .rbf file and sends that to the EV3 brick. The disassembler can convert the .rbf file into a .lms file, which is a sort of assembly language that can be used to create programs for the EV3.

Here is a simple example using a trivial .ev3 project.

To create the .rbf file, we have to download the program to an EV3 brick. Then we can upload the .rbf file from the brick using the Memory Browser.

Running the disassembler on the .rbf file will result in this:

    // Disassembly of C:\Users\david\Desktop\Program.rbf
    //
    // Byte code version: 0.57

    DATA8 GLOBAL0
    DATA8 GLOBAL1
    DATA8 GLOBAL2
    DATA8 GLOBAL3
    DATA8 GLOBAL4
    DATA8 GLOBAL5
    DATA8 GLOBAL6
    DATA8 GLOBAL7
    DATA8 GLOBAL8
    DATA8 GLOBAL9
    DATA8 GLOBAL10
    DATA8 GLOBAL11
    DATA8 GLOBAL12
    DATA8 GLOBAL13
    DATA8 GLOBAL14
    DATA8 GLOBAL15
    DATA8 GLOBAL16
    DATA8 GLOBAL17
    DATA8 GLOBAL18
    DATA8 GLOBAL19
    DATA8 GLOBAL20

    vmthread OBJECT1
    {
            DATA8 LOCAL0
            DATA8 LOCAL1
            DATA8 LOCAL2
            DATA8 LOCAL3
            DATA8 LOCAL4

    OFFSET1_0:
            OUTPUT_RESET(0,15)
    OFFSET1_3:
            INPUT_DEVICE(CLR_ALL,-1)
    OFFSET1_6:
            MOVE32_32(0,LOCAL0)
    OFFSET1_9:
            ADD32(GLOBAL12,1,GLOBAL12)
    OFFSET1_13:
            MOVE8_8(GLOBAL20,LOCAL4)
    OFFSET1_16:
            ADD32(GLOBAL8,1,GLOBAL8)
    OFFSET1_20:
            JR_FALSE(LOCAL4,OFFSET1_29)
    OFFSET1_23:
            ADD32(LOCAL0,1,LOCAL0)
    OFFSET1_27:
            JR(OFFSET1_9)
    OFFSET1_29:
            ADD32(GLOBAL4,1,GLOBAL4)
    OFFSET1_33:
            CALL(OBJECT2,1123418112,0,1117126656,1065353216,0,1)
    OFFSET1_58:
            ADD32(GLOBAL0,1,GLOBAL0)
    }

    subcall OBJECT2
    {
            IN_F LOCAL0
            IN_F LOCAL4
            IN_F LOCAL8
            IN_F LOCAL12
            IN_32 LOCAL16
            IN_8 LOCAL20

            DATA8 LOCAL21
            DATA8 LOCAL22
            DATA8 LOCAL23
            DATA8 LOCAL24
            DATA8 LOCAL25
            DATA8 LOCAL26
            DATA8 LOCAL27
            DATA8 LOCAL28
            DATA8 LOCAL29
            DATA8 LOCAL30
            DATA8 LOCAL31
            DATA8 LOCAL32
            DATA8 LOCAL33
            DATA8 LOCAL34
            DATA8 LOCAL35
            DATA8 LOCAL36
            DATA8 LOCAL37
            DATA8 LOCAL38
            DATA8 LOCAL39
            DATA8 LOCAL40
            DATA8 LOCAL41
            DATA8 LOCAL42
            DATA8 LOCAL43
            DATA8 LOCAL44
            DATA8 LOCAL45
            DATA8 LOCAL46
            DATA8 LOCAL47
            DATA8 LOCAL48
            DATA8 LOCAL49
            DATA8 LOCAL50
            DATA8 LOCAL51
            DATA8 LOCAL52
            DATA8 LOCAL53
            DATA8 LOCAL54
            DATA8 LOCAL55
            DATA8 LOCAL56
            DATA8 LOCAL57
            DATA8 LOCAL58
            DATA8 LOCAL59
            DATA8 LOCAL60
            DATA8 LOCAL61
            DATA8 LOCAL62
            DATA8 LOCAL63
            DATA8 LOCAL64
            DATA8 LOCAL65
            DATA8 LOCAL66

    OFFSET2_7:
            CP_EQF(LOCAL12,0,LOCAL66)
    OFFSET2_12:
            MOVE32_32(GLOBAL16,LOCAL36)
    OFFSET2_16:
            AND32(LOCAL16,LOCAL36,LOCAL48)
    OFFSET2_22:
            CP_GT32(LOCAL48,0,LOCAL65)
    OFFSET2_28:
            OR8(LOCAL66,LOCAL65,LOCAL64)
    OFFSET2_35:
            JR_EQ8(LOCAL64,1,OFFSET2_45)
    OFFSET2_40:
            JR_EQ8(LOCAL64,0,OFFSET2_48)
    OFFSET2_45:
            JR(OFFSET2_139)
    OFFSET2_48:
            MULF(LOCAL12,360.0F,LOCAL24)
    OFFSET2_56:
            CALL(OBJECT3,LOCAL0,LOCAL8,LOCAL24,LOCAL4,LOCAL58,LOCAL60,LOCAL20)
    OFFSET2_68:
            MOVE32_32(LOCAL16,LOCAL52)
    OFFSET2_72:
            MOVE8_8(LOCAL60,LOCAL59)
    OFFSET2_77:
            MOVE8_8(LOCAL58,LOCAL57)
    OFFSET2_82:
            MOVE32_32(0,LOCAL44)
    OFFSET2_86:
            MOVE32_32(GLOBAL16,LOCAL40)
    OFFSET2_90:
            AND32(LOCAL52,LOCAL40,LOCAL32)
    OFFSET2_97:
            CP_GT32(LOCAL32,0,LOCAL62)
    OFFSET2_103:
            OUTPUT_TEST(LOCAL57,LOCAL59,LOCAL56)
    OFFSET2_110:
            CP_EQ8(LOCAL56,0,LOCAL61)
    OFFSET2_116:
            OR8(LOCAL61,LOCAL62,LOCAL63)
    OFFSET2_123:
            SLEEP()
    OFFSET2_124:
            JR_TRUE(LOCAL63,OFFSET2_137)
    OFFSET2_128:
            ADD32(LOCAL44,1,LOCAL44)
    OFFSET2_134:
            JR(OFFSET2_86)
    OFFSET2_137:
            JR(OFFSET2_139)
    OFFSET2_139:
    }

    subcall OBJECT3
    {
            IN_F LOCAL0
            IN_F LOCAL4
            IN_F LOCAL8
            IN_F LOCAL12
            OUT_8 LOCAL16
            OUT_8 LOCAL17
            IN_8 LOCAL18

            DATA8 LOCAL19
            DATA8 LOCAL20
            DATA8 LOCAL21
            DATA8 LOCAL22
            DATA8 LOCAL23
            DATA8 LOCAL24
            DATA8 LOCAL25
            DATA8 LOCAL26
            DATA8 LOCAL27
            DATA8 LOCAL28
            DATA8 LOCAL29
            DATA8 LOCAL30
            DATA8 LOCAL31
            DATA8 LOCAL32
            DATA8 LOCAL33
            DATA8 LOCAL34
            DATA8 LOCAL35
            DATA8 LOCAL36
            DATA8 LOCAL37
            DATA8 LOCAL38
            DATA8 LOCAL39
            DATA8 LOCAL40
            DATA8 LOCAL41
            DATA8 LOCAL42
            DATA8 LOCAL43
            DATA8 LOCAL44
            DATA8 LOCAL45
            DATA8 LOCAL46
            DATA8 LOCAL47
            DATA8 LOCAL48
            DATA8 LOCAL49
            DATA8 LOCAL50
            DATA8 LOCAL51
            DATA8 LOCAL52
            DATA8 LOCAL53
            DATA8 LOCAL54
            DATA8 LOCAL55
            DATA8 LOCAL56
            DATA8 LOCAL57
            DATA8 LOCAL58
            DATA8 LOCAL59
            DATA8 LOCAL60
            DATA8 LOCAL61
            DATA8 LOCAL62
            DATA8 LOCAL63
            DATA8 LOCAL64
            DATA8 LOCAL65
            DATA8 LOCAL66
            DATA8 LOCAL67
            DATA8 LOCAL68
            DATA8 LOCAL69
            DATA8 LOCAL70
            DATA8 LOCAL71
            DATA8 LOCAL72
            DATA8 LOCAL73
            DATA8 LOCAL74
            DATA8 LOCAL75
            DATA8 LOCAL76
            DATA8 LOCAL77
            DATA8 LOCAL78
            DATA8 LOCAL79
            DATA8 LOCAL80
            DATA8 LOCAL81
            DATA8 LOCAL82
            DATA8 LOCAL83
            DATA8 LOCAL84
            DATA8 LOCAL85
            DATA8 LOCAL86
            DATA8 LOCAL87
            DATA8 LOCAL88
            DATA8 LOCAL89
            DATA8 LOCAL90
            DATA8 LOCAL91
            DATA8 LOCAL92
            DATA8 LOCAL93
            DATA8 LOCAL94
            DATA8 LOCAL95
            DATA8 LOCAL96
            DATA8 LOCAL97
            DATA8 LOCAL98
            DATA8 LOCAL99
            DATA8 LOCAL100
            DATA8 LOCAL101
            DATA8 LOCAL102
            DATA8 LOCAL103
            DATA8 LOCAL104
            DATA8 LOCAL105

    OFFSET3_8:
            CP_LTF(LOCAL8,0,LOCAL100)
    OFFSET3_13:
            JR_EQ8(LOCAL100,1,OFFSET3_24)
    OFFSET3_18:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL4,LOCAL56)
    OFFSET3_22:
            JR(OFFSET3_40)
    OFFSET3_24:
            SUBF(0.0F,LOCAL4,LOCAL72)
    OFFSET3_33:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL72,LOCAL56)
    OFFSET3_38:
            JR(OFFSET3_40)
    OFFSET3_40:
            MOVEF_8(LOCAL56,LOCAL97)
    OFFSET3_45:
            CP_NEQF(LOCAL56,0,LOCAL101)
    OFFSET3_51:
            MATH(ABS,LOCAL8,LOCAL68)
    OFFSET3_56:
            MOVEF_32(LOCAL68,LOCAL88)
    OFFSET3_61:
            MOVEF_F(2.0F,LOCAL32)
    OFFSET3_69:
            MOVEF_32(LOCAL0,LOCAL84)
    OFFSET3_73:
            PORT_CNV_OUTPUT(LOCAL84,LOCAL99,LOCAL98,LOCAL104)
    OFFSET3_82:
            MOVE8_8(LOCAL98,LOCAL17)
    OFFSET3_86:
            MOVE8_8(LOCAL99,LOCAL16)
    OFFSET3_90:
            AND8(LOCAL101,LOCAL18,LOCAL103)
    OFFSET3_96:
            MOVE16_16(0,LOCAL92)
    OFFSET3_100:
            JR_FALSE(LOCAL103,OFFSET3_108)
    OFFSET3_104:
            MOVE16_16(1,LOCAL92)
    OFFSET3_108:
            MOVE16_8(LOCAL92,LOCAL96)
    OFFSET3_113:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL12,LOCAL40)
    OFFSET3_117:
            MOVEF_F(-100.0F,LOCAL36)
    OFFSET3_125:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL40,LOCAL44)
    OFFSET3_130:
            MOVEF_F(100.0F,LOCAL52)
    OFFSET3_138:
            CP_GTF(LOCAL44,LOCAL52,LOCAL102)
    OFFSET3_145:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL44,LOCAL48)
    OFFSET3_150:
            JR_FALSE(LOCAL102,OFFSET3_159)
    OFFSET3_154:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL52,LOCAL48)
    OFFSET3_159:
            CP_LTF(LOCAL48,LOCAL36,LOCAL105)
    OFFSET3_166:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL48,LOCAL24)
    OFFSET3_170:
            JR_FALSE(LOCAL105,OFFSET3_178)
    OFFSET3_174:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL36,LOCAL24)
    OFFSET3_178:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL24,LOCAL20)
    OFFSET3_181:
            MULF(LOCAL20,LOCAL32,LOCAL28)
    OFFSET3_186:
            JR_EQ8(LOCAL104,1,OFFSET3_197)
    OFFSET3_191:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL28,LOCAL60)
    OFFSET3_195:
            JR(OFFSET3_218)
    OFFSET3_197:
            MOVEF_F(0.0F,LOCAL76)
    OFFSET3_205:
            SUBF(LOCAL76,LOCAL28,LOCAL64)
    OFFSET3_211:
            MOVEF_F(LOCAL64,LOCAL60)
    OFFSET3_216:
            JR(OFFSET3_218)
    OFFSET3_218:
            MOVEF_16(LOCAL60,LOCAL94)
    OFFSET3_223:
            OUTPUT_STEP_SYNC(LOCAL99,LOCAL98,LOCAL97,LOCAL94,LOCAL88,LOCAL96)
    OFFSET3_236:
    }

Being a disassembly, this can be a bit hard to interpret since there are not any helpful variable names. You can find information on EV3 assembly language here.

Original answer:

The .ev3 file is actually just a zip file. You can use any zip utility to browse the contents or unzip it. It will look something like this:

├── Activity.x3a
├── ActivityAssets.laz
├── Program.ev3p
├── Project.lvprojx
├── ___CopyrightYear
└── ___ProjectTitle

The ___* files are just plain text files, ActivityAssets.laz is another zip file and the rest are xml files.


What set is this LEGO pack from? Grey pieces with 10x10 octagonal plates in grey and green? I need to know what set this LEGO pack is from as my friend gave me his packets but without the box and manual and said he lost it.

LEGO Kingdoms - King's Castle 7946.

I see the green and gray plates and other pieces the look like that


How to Download my orders from Bricklink I know you can log in to Bricklink and download my orders as Excel or many other formats, but I am trying to do it programmatically. Does any one know how to do this though Powershell perhaps?

Check the Bricklink API feature. I personally have not tried it, but it looks like it should have all the features you need, namely downloading the order list and orders themselves.


Please identify the sub assemblies Can you please identify the sub assemblies from the pictures. Is this part of a set or something someone just build? As you can see there are a lot of missing pieces. Do they ring a bell to anyone?

(A)

(B)

(C)

Assembly A comes from 75103-1: First Order Transporter

See instructions 75103-1 page=30

Assembly C is from page 65
(thanks @ LegoSonicBoy)


What is SNOT building? I have seen reference on LEGO forums to "SNOT building". This sounds gross! Are there really squishy-sticky LEGO bricks, or what?

SNOT stands for Studs Not On Top and it means building structures where you use hinges or other techniques to change the direction of the bricks, so they are not one on top of the other as it's done traditionally.

This is a very simple example of SNOT:

The technique is particularly useful for spaceships and even some LEGO sets rely on it, for example, look at the wings of the Imperial Shuttle (10212):

as well as any of the star destroyers, like the latest one, the Super Star Destroyer (10221) (the surfaces near the borders are placed at an angle):

There are many ways of performing this technique. Swooshable's SNOT reference tool has many more practical examples.


What set do these large white pieces with Technic pins and an orange winch come from? I found this at home with many other scattered parts and set, but I'm unsure what this one belongs to. What set is it from?

It looks like part of a Jack Stone 4618-1: Twin Rotor Cargo


How to control a 88004 Servo Motor with a Raspberry Pi? I am able to control a simple servo motor such as SG90 by using pulse-width modulation. However when it comes to controlling a 88004 LEGO Servo Motor it is simply a nightmare.

By using PWM all I managed was bringing it to its normal position. It seems the pulse length doesn't play a role at all - I've tried several ones...

Another difference between a SG90 and a 88004 is that the first has only three wires (PWR, GND and Control) whereas the LEGO servo has 4 (PWR, C1, C2 and GND).

Which of those wires (C1 and C2) should be used with the PWM?
How long should the pulses be to move the motor through its 15 positions?
Is there another way to control a 88004 directly from the Raspberry Pi such as I2C?

EDITED

It works!

#Importing the necessary library
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
from time import sleep

#Reference by GPIOs IDs
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

#Assigning the GPIOs to the Lego's command wires
C1 = 21
C2 = 26
moveFactor = 14.285714286

#Setting up the necessary GPIOs
GPIO.setup(C1, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(C2, GPIO.OUT)

#Setting up the PWMs - (GPIO ID, Frequency)
pwm1 = GPIO.PWM(C1, 1200)
pwm2 = GPIO.PWM(C2, 1200)

def setPosition(position):
    pwm1.stop()
    pwm2.stop()
    i = round(position * moveFactor, 2)

    if position >= 0:
        print 'Position: ' + str(position) + ' at a Duty Cycle of ' + str(i)
        pwm1.start(i)
    else:
        print 'Position: ' + str(position) + ' at a Duty Cycle of ' + str(i*-1)
        pwm2.start(i*-1)

#Testing the commands with a LED
try:
    setPosition(-7)   #180 Degrees
    sleep(2)
    setPosition(7)    #0 Degree
    sleep(1)
except:
    pass

pwm1.stop()     # Back to the normal position (90 degrees)
pwm2.stop()
GPIO.cleanup()

LEGO "Servo Motor" has little to do with a RC servomotor. To drive it, you need to:

Power it at 9V (probably works at 5 volts, but with less torque) through PWR/GND terminals
To move in one direction, send a PWM signal (1200 Hz, 0 to 100% duty cycle) on C1 and keep C2 at GND level. As duty cycle varies, servo motor will move along 7 positions on one side. See this video.
To move in the other direction and reach the 7 other positions, send PWM to C2 and keep C1 at ground level.


Does the Mario Starter Course require a smart device? I've seen that the Mario Starter Course (71360) requires a smart device to play:

I'm trying to limit the amount of screen time that my child consumes, and I'm wondering exactly how required the smart device is for this set?

Yes, a smart device is required. The box says the following:

Smart device required but not included

However, this set is not like Boost, where the intelligent brick just adds weight to your model without a smart device. Mario functions without being paired to a smart device. He can complete the course, collect coins, etc.
The most significant limitation without a smart device is that you can't update the firmware on Mario. The current factory firmware is fairly limited. It was missing several of the sound effects present in the current firmware, but most importantly, the factory firmware was able to recognize elements in the starter course only. Any elements from expansion sets were not recognized, and Mario would display the Bluetooth icon indicating that a firmware update is needed instead of taking the expected action:

This is resolved by pairing Mario once with a smart device. These features are then permanently available without the need for a smart device to be present.
Another important limitation for many sets like this that require a smart device is that there are no paper instructions in the box. Instructions are certainly helpful, but these sets are meant to be adjusted and rebuilt. The courses are made of very simple elements that you can likely put together by looking at the box. This might be challenging for a small child, but if an adult is willing to help out, it is possible to put these together without the on-device instructions.


Replace brick inplace in Studio 2.0 I'm using Studio 2.0 to design my MOC.
Is there a way to replace a brick in my design by another other than removing it an setting a new brick on the old place? Best would be when the replaced brick keeps the properties (color, rotation) of the old one.

In Bricklink Studio go to File > Export As > Export as LDraw...
Open the file in any text editor such as Notepad
Find the Bricklink part ID you want to replace it. It will be a number followed by a .dat extension.
If you have multiple identical bricks with different colours, check the colour id in the second column. Bricklink has a list of colour ids for reference.
Replace the part ID that precedes the file extension with a valid Bricklink part ID.
Save the file (as a .ldr file)
In Bricklink Studio open the file with File > Import > Import Model...

In this example I replaced the Green (ID 2) #3003 2x2 brick with a #3941 2x2 round brick.

The rest of the data includes rotation, transformation and meta data which you should leave unless you know for sure how it works. There are no guarantees connections will be valid, as each part has their own unique geometry and fixed pivot point.
In this case I could safely replace these two parts as their geometry is very similar.
0 Untitled Model
0 Name:  Block Tower
0 Author:  Ambo100
0 CustomBrick
1 4 20.000000 -24.000000 -60.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 3003.dat
1 14 20.000000 -48.000000 -60.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 3003.dat
1 2 20.000000 -72.000000 -60.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 3941.dat
1 1 20.000000 -96.000000 -60.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 1.000000 3003.dat

Notes
This may interfere with generated instructions, it is recommended to replace all parts before creating instructions.
Many text editors have a 'Find and replace' feature you can use to replace all parts as each line only refers to one part. I would recommend using regex expressions if you are familiar with them, I have created an example that can be played with here.
Add the following replacement expression in the 'Replace' window on the bottom of the screen. NEWPARTID must be changed to the new part you want to replace with. (3941 for example). Make sure you don't remove the 1 at the start.
$1NEWPARTID.dat

For finding only certain colours you can use this search expression.
((?:\d+\s+)(?:COLOURID)(?:\s.*))(?:(PARTID).dat)

Replace COLOURID and PART ID (14 and 3003 for example).


70728/2 Ninjago piece too short? My son is putting together the 70728 set and the grey tall pieces in book two at step 8 seem to be too short, they leave a gap. By about a mm. Has anyone else had this experience?

As this set is built on a plate-built base, it is quite possible that they are not pushed together tightly. I have ran into this numerous times when building the LEGO Modular Buildings as the second and third floors have a plate-built floor. Look through everything that has been built so far and make sure that the plates are pushed together all the way. LEGO does have some tolerance and viggle-room, but it is much less than a millimeter.


Megabloks need help identifying what set On the bottom it says mega bloks I tried finding any type of castle with it I don't see anything can anyone identify it please

This is a part of the tower from
Set # 3618 : Privateer's Lighthouse


Help with popcorn cart wheels Can someone identify the wheel attachments for a LEGO popcorn cart wheel like this?

How do we connect it to the axle? Is there a good tutorial on LEGO wheels somewhere I can read?

The "wheels" are really the hubs, mostly from the various Speed Champions cars among others.

The inside of the wheel takes a standard stud, so you should be able to use:

Plate Modified 2x2 with Pin Hole
Technic Pin 1/2
Wheel Cover 5 Spoke

Beyond the primary question of how to build these particular wheels, there are a few common themes among wheels and axles across the system (there are clearly more than those shown here, but these cover most of the typical "official" connections you'll come across at the moment):


How many motors can be controlled using the Powered Up system? I'm wondering how many motors I can control at the same time using the LEGO Powered Up system? What components are required to make this work?

With current hardware, the answer is 10. From the trains FAQ:

  You can run up to 10 trains at the same time from one remote control. There are 5 channels on the remote control (you can tell them apart by their different colors), and with each channel you can control 2 Smarthubs in separate trains with motors plugged in – as long as on one train the motor is in port A of the Smarthub, and on the other train, port B.

Each Smarthub provides two ports:

There are 5 channels available on current remotes, so you can pair up to 5 remotes with Smarthubs and control 5×2=10 outputs at the same time.


How to make a Lego Mindstorms ev3 self driving car? I recently got the Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit. I wanted to make a self driving car, but I got stuck on the building part. I saw another question like this, however it was for NXT and had no decent answers. I need to make a rotating disk on top of the robot for the Ultrasonic sensor; otherwise I would need 2 more sensors to avoid hitting walls. Remember that it needs to fit on top of a moving robot, not be a stationary stand! I got the self driving car to work, but because the sensor was not rotating, it could only see in front of it. I do not know if this is possible with the EV3 kit, but if you know how, please let me know! Anyways, thanks for reading this! :D

I don't have a Lego EV3, but I have created a self-driving car with my NXT brick. I found the instructions from nxtprograms.com, but they are for the NXT. (I'm sure that you can adapt them for the EV3 though). The program is also for the NXT, but nxtprograms provides enough comment blocks that I think you should easily be able to build your own program with the EV3 software.

Here are the instructions:
http://nxtprograms.com/NXT2/explorer/index.html


Are 10682 "Creative Suitcase" and 10695 "Creative Building Box" compatible? I just wanted to be sure if these two sets 10682 and 10695 are compatible.

Yes. These two sets, and basically every other LEGO set that has been produced, are compatible with one another. The major exception to this rule is DUPLO, which is twice the size of regular LEGO system bricks. However, even DUPLO is compatible in some ways.

These two sets are both essentially just boxes with lots of bricks in them. They may include some instructions and ideas, but they are designed to allow children to build creatively. Combining pieces from both of these sets will only add to fun!


How do the 61927 actuators work in MK II crane set (42009)? I don't own a 42009 set (MK II crane). But I have modelled it in LDCad in order to understand how the set works. There is something I don't understand related to the actuators - as I don't have two pieces either I have come here to ask.

The 61927 actuator.

I see the two pieces of 61927 actuators attached to a gearing comming from  one L motor, the gearing seeming to eventually produce a rotation for the two actuators in opposite direction. So, I expect them to be antagonic, meaning one extending and one contracting at the same time. What is wrong in my assumption? Where the rotation is synchronized for the two actuators?

The gearing, stripped.

So, why do they work in the same direction while they are turned in different directions at the same time? Or aren't they?

THe actuators both turn in the same direction, as there is a gearing “bridge” between the two axles driving the actuators that consists of 3 interlocking gears. 3 gears that interlock cause the 2 outermost gears to spin in the same direction. You can easily validate this with a small test setup using a Technic brick with holes, a small axl and a few gears and axle pins.

EDIT: For clarity, this picture shows how each of the key gears spin in this setup.

The two flat bevel gears marked with #1 spin in opposite directions from eachother, but this is possible because even though they are on the same axle (#2), they are not attached to this axle as the gears have a pinhole, not an axle hole, and hence they can spin freely (see part 87407 on Bricklink). It is likely gear #3 (marked in yellow) that is the gear that is driven, and its power and rotation is transfered to its twin gear which drives the other actuator (and spins in the same direction).


What part is a big blue hot tub piece? I was wandering around on Bricklink the other day and I found a very large round transparent blue (light or dark?) basin that could be used to do a hot tub party.  I can't find it now. I think it was 10 X something.  Does anyone know this part?

This one 47674  or this one 47674
These are X-POD containers.


Does the LEGO Star Wars Holiday X-Wing (4002019) contain any unique pieces? The 2019 LEGO Employee Gift 4002019 is a holiday-style Star Wars X-Wing Fighter.

From what I can tell, this set is based on the current LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Fighter, with some different colored pieces and a few extra models like Yoda's hut and sleigh.

Does this set contain any unique pieces (and thus likely as expensive as the set on BrickLink), or would it be possible to build this set by redesigning the current X-Wing set with pieces from my collection and/or other sets which are widely available? If it does contain unique pieces, what are they?

Checking part inventory for this set on Rebrickable I found following part to be unique:

10169 - Minifigure, Utensil Sack / Bag with Handle in Green

Review posted on New Elementary also suggest pilot's torso and legs are new/unique prints.

The rest seem to be released in other sets. Some parts are quite old or have been produced in small number of sets.


Can you identify the set these white vehicle elements come from? We got this big box of Lego bricks, and we don't have the manuals, please help!

I'd hazard a guess for 3661-1 Bank & Money Transfer, based off your Minfig, which shows up in only one set.

Free build instructions here at LEGO.com if you have all the pieces to this set.


How can I rotate an EV3 motor an exact number of degrees using RobotC? I'm trying to rotate the motor of an EV3 by an angle of 50°. I can't.
How I can rotate a NXT/EV3 motor by a given angle using RobotC?

The command that you are looking for is setMotorTarget as shown in the documentation here.

Essentially, you need to set the target rotation for the motor in degrees and then wait for the movement to take place:

//Sets motorA target to 50 degrees at a speed of 100
setMotorTarget(motorA, 50, 100);
// Waits for movement to complete
waitUntilMotorStop(motorA);


I have several sets of unidentified Lego bags with no part number. How can I figure out what to build? I have a photo but it is too large to post. These were donated to me.

In fact, I have a huge tub of random Legos that were donated to me and I have no idea how to organize the parts. Most were not in Lego bags. The bags say @The Lego Group 2007 and each one has a single digit on it ( 2,3, 6, 9). There are no directions.

You must classify parts first and find out which parts you have. You can always use Rebrickable website which is a great system that gives you the sets you can build with your parts. Most difficult part of the answer is of course classifying the parts and upload them to your Rebrickable account but once you done you can find out what you have and google the instructions.


Is there a documented process in 'Jamming' an NXT Ultrasonic sensor? Just trying to gather a bit of information for a competition between a few other NXT builds, I was wondering if there was a way to make the ultrasonic sensor completely useless for the competition as I'm sure it would put a new spin to my opponents.

Since everything is fair in love and war, you could do this:

Using an Arduino and this NXT compatible shield, you could program it to send a continuous burst at 11494,253Hz creating noise in the frequency range of the NXT Ultrasonic sensor.

This site shows how to use the Shield with the sensor.  All you have to do is modify the code to create a long burst instead of a controlled ping.


My poor minifig's head is stuck in his helmet! Recently I made a LEGO race car with a driver who wore a helmet. Unfortunately, after the race, I tried to take off his helmet and his head came off inside the helmet. Any suggestions about getting it out so he can see again?

You can use some sugar liquid to use as temporary glue to make the head stuck to the torso. Then wait till the sugar is sticky and then try to remove the helmet. Once the helmet is loose you can put the head and torso in warm water to loosen the sugar glue and take it off. Then wash thoroughly to remove remaining sugar.


A custom LEGO velociraptor I would like to make a custom paint job on a LEGO velociraptor (to look more like the one in the LEGO Jurassic World game), but I don't want to paint it myself because I can't paint for the life of me so it would look bad and it probably wouldn't move. So I looked for a website to see if I could have one printed but I can't seem to find anything. Could someone help?

In my understanding of the question, you want to take an existing LEGO velociraptor and repaint it, but you are afraid that doing a custom paint job will rub off quickly.

There is no easy solution for this, but here are a few tips:

You could send an email to the guys at minifigs.me and see if they would be willing to help you with this, either as a one-off job (but it will cost you) or as an offering they wish to add to their collection. Their contact form is [here].(http://minifigs.me/make-me-a-minifig/contact/)
You could try and do this yourself. Removing the existing print from
a raptor fig should be relatively easy (this article at
Eurobricks
recommends Brasso and a paper towel/rag/cotton ball) even though
that is very mildly abrasive and hence might leave some minor
scratches. Brickjournal ran a series
of articles back in 2008 about minifig customization - I found this
online
copy that explains how to give LEGO pieces a new paint color - they
recommend acrylic paint. I also found this link describing how to prime & paint LEGO minifigures. They recommend priming and sealing on top of an acrylic paint job.
To get the finer details, consider using a Sharpie pen.

Net - Customizing your velociraptor is definitely possible, but there is no "ready-to-go" customization service for this yet. Doing it yourself can be done, but it is not easy nor quick to do this, especially not if you're doing it the first time. Definitely not a job for kids.


How to protect my LEGO city from the dust? I have a LEGO city with all the modular LEGO in my bedroom. But the dust is killing me at nights. How can I protect them? Where can I get those display domes?

Where I'm from it's called Plexiglas. Other tradenames are Crylux, Acrylite, Lucite or Perspex...
Anyway, you can get sheets of it cut to size in D.I.Y-shops or hardware stores to build your own domes.
If you are less handy, you can find lots of shops offering standard or custom solutions.
If I google "plexiglas", I find dozens of solutions near where I live.
I know of one person who had a custom pyramid shaped Plexiglas dome made for the 10181 set (Eiffel tower)


Can custom content be imported into LEGO Creator? I was reading this Wikipedia article that states:

  Some people have uploaded custom (Lego) model creations for others to
  download into their version of Lego Creator. Tools used include LDraw,
  LegoDigitalDesigner and other LCA model format model software.

Is this possible, and can custom shaped or coloured bricks be imported?

Unfortunately, that's not a factual statement.  I contacted the Wikipedia user who added that content, and he informed me that that statement was in error.  You can add custom models, but not directly from LDraw, LDD, or similar tools.


How can I connect the RCX 2.0 to an external power source? I want to build an auto-feeder with the RCX 2.0 for my cat. The problem is, that I often had to exchange the batteries. Is there an adapter for the RCX to connect it to a power point?

The older RCX 1.0 had a power plug inbuilt. However Philo has shown how to create one yourself in a fairly simple way:
LEGO® 9V Technic Motors compared characteristics, scroll down to the section "Getting maximum mechanical power from RCX output" towards the bottom of the page.

The idea is to create two fake batteries and draw a wire from each, creating a +9V and a ground from a separate source. You would need a voltage regulator though. WARNING: supplying incorrect voltage can destroy your RCX.

Image and technique by Philippe "Philo" Hurbain © 2000-2009, used in accordance to "You are free to use it for any purpose, just give me credit...".


Please help identify LEGO from this picture of the base Difficult to find which set this piece belongs to.

Could anyone give me more information?

Baseplate, Raised 32 x 32 Three Level with Ogel Center Pattern


Need help to identify a piece - two 1x2 plates connected by curved lines Bought a used collection and got many of these  in different colors. Wasn't able to find a set containing similar pieces.
It looks like the top of a cockpit.
Can you help me?

This is part 47755 Wedge 4x3 Open with Cutout and 4 Studs.


My Own Train vs. other 9v trains Does My Own Train series have any pros and cons (or pitfalls) against other 9v trains?

Seems that is a rich series but less popular comparing to, for example, Santa Fe or regular City sets. Why?

The "My Own Train" series only lasted from 2001 - 2004, so it had a relatively short life span.  For the most part, they were very nice sets with rich details.

It most likely didn't resonate with collectors since the trains were available in various different colors, with or without a tender — this made it prohibitively expensive to own the collection since the price of the blue train was the same as the green train, and yet the only difference between sets were a few bricks that were switched from blue to green.  I, myself, bought a small and large train with tenders and the wagons, but I didn't bother with all of the other colors.

The other minus for the "My Own Train" series was that it didn't include any mini-figs, so it made it felt geared toward adults and yet, they weren't any more challenging in building than normal 9v trains.


How much do you think these Lego's are worth? I've got some very old LEGO brick from the 50's, and am wondering how much they are worth. I'd like an estimate because I know that they are now collectors items that might be worth something.

Here are some of the items:

Three Lego Beatles that are in plastic very good condition in red black and grey
A plastic red fire truck and a tanker that is red with written "Esso" on it and other small size Lego plastic trucks
The Lego set 810 with all the items inside
Another big box of Legos that is in wood
Box number 750 containing some architectural buildings

Instructions are included with each box.

My answer to this kind of question is always "it's worth exactly as much as someone is willing to give you for it."

That said, one could look up prices on BrickLink (assuming there are any for sale there) and go from there. Failing that, put them on eBay with a reserve/starting bid of whatever minimum amount would make it ok for you to part with them.


What is this Duplo-like Playmobil bag called? I bought some random Duplo secondhand and can't figure out what set or name this piece is from/called

With thanks to RSchulz,
This is  a Playmobil part
It belongs to : Playmobil 6774 - Garbage truck


What are some 3rd party mini-figure gun makers that distribute in Canada? I'd like to buy some flint-lock era mini-figure guns for my collection, something like these guns. What I don't want is to pay the outrageous customs fees to get them to Canada. Does anyone know of either some Canadian makers or Canadian distributors?

I have never paid customs fees on orders from BrickForge or BrickArms. The key is to ship via the US Postal Service. Shipping via couriers like UPS usually results in customs brokerage fees which is what drives up the cost.


Is there only one lego Rohan soldier? Why? As far as I can tell, Lego has released only one set containing a regular rank-and-file Rohan soldier, that is Uruk-hai army.

Is this correct? Why is it so?

This is correct. I double checked on the LEGO wiki. The reason is likely because they haven't had time to release more sets that take place in scenes where the Rohan soldiers are present. If they ever release an Edoras, Minis Tirith or Battle of the Pelennor Fields set, perhaps there will be more.


Where can I find the black crusaders horse barding? The question is all in the title. I'm talking about this: the second knight from the left entrance to the castle.

Good places to find parts include:

Thrift stores, car boot sales, jumble sales. Sometimes you get lucky.
eBay is a good general source for parts... as long as you can find what you're looking for.
LEGO's Pick-a-Brick (PAB) service is good for for common parts.
LEGO's replacement parts service is better for less common parts from newer sets. The range of parts is far greater than PAB, but doesn't come close to being complete.
BrickLink, the most comprehensive resource for parts on the internet.

Given that the part you're looking for is older, I suggest that BrickLink might be your best bet.

I couldn't identify the exact part that you wanted, but they do list a good range of horse barding.


What happened to Cuusoo set #6 Lego Cuusoo just announced set #7 Ghostbusters 30th anniversary.  Cuusoo set #5 is the Curiousity Rover.

Why is there no set #6?  What happened to it or did Lego announce it and then change their minds?

The sixth LEGO CUUSOO set is the upcoming Exo Suit. See announcement here: http://blog.lego.cuusoo.com/2013/10/21/results-of-winter-spring-summer-lego-reviews/


What was the 12v AC socket for on the 7864 transformer? The 7864 transformer had, in addition of the main regulated outlet for controlling trains and a fixed 12v DC for plugging in remote controls and lights, a third socket available which provided 12v AC.

This third socket was blocked with a plastic plug, as seen on about every photo of it I can find, and I've never seen any reference of it being used in an official, LEGO-endorsed way. Even the official instructions bundled with it don't mention the port, treating as if it doesn't even exist at all.

So I wonder, what's the story behind this? Did LEGO have something else in mind with it, which was later abandoned? Or did they just toss it in because they had it internally available?

Retro-compatibility could also have been an answer, but the two AC socket on the blue transformer are apparently 16v (for switches) and 3,8v (for lights), so I'm thinking that's not it either.

I had one of those, and afaik it was just used for the lights.  I had like 2 light poles in my set and they where used for that.   lights is about the only thing that could take AC current instead of DC in lego.  Those weren't LED's at the time.  I just can't find any pics online from the ones I have(had...).

Edit: Found it, it was powering this light brick: http://guide.lugnet.com/set/1140


Can someone help me identify this glitter dark-blue Mega Bloks part and possible sets it's in? I need help identifying the following part please?

It has AM 16956 4 printed on it, in addition to the Mega Bloks logo.

Set #96845 Covenant Brute Chopper.

Build instructions HERE.


What's the Difference Between an Open or Hollow Stud, and Solid Stud Brick? What's the difference between an open stud brick, and solid stud brick? Should I watch out on which one I use?

While the difference is most often cosmetic, an open stud can serve as a connection point for bar elements:

This type of connection is less common than simply using the stud as a stud, but if you are looking to buy elements to build a particular model, you might want to check to see if you need the open stud variety.

In addition to the obvious direct bar connection, open studs can also facilitate connections with the tubes on the underside of 1xn elements. Here's a nice picture showing the bar connection I'm referring to from New Elementary:

This can be used in combination with an open stud to allow elements to connect at a half stud offset. This technique isn't used frequently in sets, but it does sometimes come into play. For example, it is used to fix the top windows in place on the Parisian Restaurant:

The combination of bars on the underside of the 1x6 plates and open studs on the windows allow the windows to be held in place firmly despite the fact that their top stud is offset by half from the regular grid.


Is the 3rd party vendor Amazing Armory still around? I heard that he was a scammer, but he made some good stuff and quite a few people have some of the great visors and guns he made.

I realize that it's a late answer, but ToyWiz and BrickArsenal.com just started carrying this line, and Amazing Armory is active on Flickr. Also, Firestar in the UK carries it. I hope that helps.

Also, I work for ToyWiz.com and Brickarsenal :)


How to make a conveyor belt with LEGO parts? I am making a small robot with an Arduino and Technic LEGO powered by stepper motors. I am planning on moving small rocks throughout my machine. Does anyone have an idea of what kind of Technic LEGO parts I can buy to make a variable length conveyor belt? I have a lot of gears so it's the underlay that's my problem. Does some kind of elastic LEGO parts exist that I can use for this? Chain-like or rubber or hard plastic. IT Would be best if I could make it as long connected as I want.

Maximum size of the small rocks is about the same size as an 1x1 LEGO brick, so the conveyor does not need to have a width of more than 2 cm.

You will need to decide between 3711 Technic Chain Link and 3873 Technic Chain Tread, or possibly use them together.

Each link of chain is about 1 cm long and 0.8 cm wide

 and you can get them in packs of 108 (Chain Link Set Product Code: 2000645)

The Chain Tread are wider,

but seem to be available only in smaller packs, such as
Set # 9938-1: Conveyor Belt Links (Nominally 36 links)
Set # 1149-2: Bulldozer Chainlinks  (nominally 52 links)


Identifying some LEGO figures I just bought my kid these awesome LEGO figures. Can anyone identify them, since we are looking up their building instruction.
Thank you

Three of those sets are from "Legends of Chima" series and one is from "Hero Factory".
CHI Gorzan (70202)

CHI Fluminox (70211)

Frost Beast (44011)

CHI Laval (70200)


Help identifying black slope piece with printed knobs, dials, and gauges Can anyone please help with identifying the Design ID as well as the Element ID for this piece. It is a legitimate LEGO piece as can be seen by the name on the studs. However there is no information stamped inside like other pieces. Please help, Google search’s sometimes find the piece but no ID numbers that match with LEGO.

Just got off the phone with LEGO. The official answer to this missing piece is as follows:
Design ID#: 80405
Element ID#: 4251812
The official name, according to LEGO, is:
Roof Tile 2x2/45deg, Control Panel
This information was confirmed by set number 10151 and a photo of the piece(same photo posted here).
While I cannot say you will find this piece with the above information, I can say with certainty that it comes directly from LEGO themselves.
Hope this helps others and thank you for the assistance.


World Builder Game Units Do official sets  or models for units in the Lego games World Builder and World Builder 2 exist anywhere? I have great memories of this game (idk how many people here remember it) and I'd like to recreate the units.

Some example units are shown in the game title screen.

This game represented the LEGO Designer Sets (Make & Create) from 2003–2005, and so the majority of models are based on them (WB1 models are from the first and second waves, and WB2 the third wave). As someone who grew up with the game and the Designer Sets as a tween, and still has many of them built to this day, I believe I can answer this question mostly, though there is still some I'm uncertain about which I'll note near the end of my answer.
From WB1 (links point to BrickInstructions.com):

The Snail, Frog, as well as the enemies Crab (of which the Watercrab is a palette swap), Scorpion and Alligator are from 4101 Wild Collection. Step-by-step instructions exist for the Crab, Scorpion and Alligator; the rest are inspirational builds that are simple and therefore should be easy to reverse-engineer. Notably, the Snail, Frog, Scorpion and Alligator can all be built simultaneously from a single copy of the set. The proportions are also all wrong in case that bothers you; namely the Scorpion is monstrously oversized compared to the rest. Or... the proportions could all be just right, depending on your imagination.
I still have my Crab built from 17 years ago, so I hope you'll overlook the dust and grime still on it after a quick clean (click to enlarge):

The Buggy, Dirtbuggy, Forklift and Gas Station are from 4100 Maximum Wheels. Instructions exist for the Buggy's in-game model as well as the Dirtbuggy (which is actually a palette swap) and Forklift. The Buggy's info model is an inspirational build with no step-by-step instructions, and the Gas Station and Marina are different color variations on one inspirational side build seen on the cover art. The decals are exclusive to WB1 — Designer Sets don't have printed elements.
I rebuilt the Forklift a few months ago:

The Defender, Treebot and Repairbot are from 4099 Robobots. Instructions exist for the Defender and Treebot but not the Repairbot (you can see it on page 73). I built the Defender and Treebot when I was younger and I have to add that the Treebot is actually depicted in the set as an aquatic robot that operates underwater, and it can be configured to different positions and not just standing upright. Unfortunately, upright its two bottom/hind legs don't support its weight very well, the joints being little more than single-hinge connection points. It works much better on all fours.
As for the Defender, despite what the scale of the in-game models suggests, it is much smaller than the Treebot — though it's got a much bigger brother in 4508 Titan XP. I just went and built the Defender so I could show it to you next to a minifig for scale:

The Bulldozer and Dumptruck are from 4096 Micro Wheels. Instructions exist for both models.

Instructions for the Speedboat can be found in 4505 Sea Machines.

Instructions for the Tyrannosaurus Rex can be found in 4507 Prehistoric Creatures. It is one of the main builds.

Instructions for the Shark can be found in 4506 Deep Sea Predators (the predecessor of 31088 Deep Sea Creatures). It is one of the main builds. I rebuilt it in 2018 when I first exited my Dark Ages with 10404 Ocean's Bottom — here's a photo from my review of the latter:

WB1 units I couldn't identify:

The Steamshovel appears to have a body that's a palette swap of the Forklift's, but the vehicle as a whole doesn't appear to exist in any set. I can't identify exactly which digger bucket it's using so I might try to BrickLink it and see what set it might be. I'm guessing it's unique to the game.

According to Alexander O'Mara, the Robot Lab appears to be a palette swap of an inspirational model from 4098 High Flyers. Not exactly the place I would've looked...

The Guard Tower doesn't bear any resemblance to anything I've seen in a Designer Set or X-Pod (at least, as an owner of the first wave of X-Pods).

The Duck, Fish, Tugboat and Freighter appear to be from LEGO Creator buckets also under Make & Create. They certainly don't have the level of detail or part usage that Designer Set models are recognized for.
I was right: as Alexander confirms, they're from 4028 World of Bricks.

From WB2:

Instructions for the Freezebot can be found in 4881 Robo Platoon (which incidentally was Brickset's random set of the day just last week). It is one of the main builds.

Instructions for the House can be found in 4886 Building Bonanza. It is the main build.
However, despite being based on that same House, none of the other WB2 buildings actually appear in the set, except the Windmill, which only appears as an inspirational model with instructions for the actual mechanism for spinning the sails.

Instructions for the enemy Lion can be found in 4884 Wild Hunters. It is one of the main builds.

Notably, all the Designer Sets in the final wave were given the "new" Creator rebranding later in life. I wasn't there when it happened though — I had just entered my Dark Ages before that, and I never had a chance to own any of the final wave sets. 4886 Building Bonanza remains among my top 10 most wanted sets of all time.
Thanks for the opportunity to take us on a trip down memory lane!