Volvo Articulated Hauler (42114) doesn't operate the bucket I cannot get the rams to lift or lower the tipper body I suspect its something to do with the clutch mechanism since all the shafts and gears rotate freely until the clutch is connected. The white clutch mechanism seems very stiff to turn. Is this normal for this clutch in a new kit?
I can get the truck to drive and steer ok but it won't operate the lifting rams.

Two steps below taken from first instruction booklet for 42114 set. Since one end of clutch is locked it basically tells, that under normal conditions, clutch should not be spinning at all. Clutch is used as a safety feature within the build, when something get stuck, not to cause further damage to gears or human flesh. So in this case it should only begin spinning if the rest of gear train is having issues.

I'm not entirely sure what could be causing your issue of bed not operating, but I suspect one other tricky place could be the reason. Please pay attention to location of 20 tooth bevel gear for each side (highlighted in blue) in pictures below. One of these needs to be on top on one side and on the bottom on the other. If placed in same direction, one side will pull while the other will be pushing.


How would I make a decal for a 2x2 dome brick or a 2x2 round slope brick? I am looking to make a decal for a custom droid using either the R5-series head or the regular dome R2/R3/R6/R7/R8 head. However, I do not know the process for creating droids. Does anybody know how?

The problem of creating a flat sheet that could be fitted onto a (semi)spherical surface (a dome head) is known to be impossible to solve perfectly, but there are viable approximations of varying precision. This matehmatical paper details one such approximation (for spheres, but the process can be modified for domes) using petal shaped pieces. By varying the number (and so the width) of the petals the approximation gets closer to ideal, but even with three petals a reasonable quality can be reached. Of course, much trial-and-error can be expected.

AFAIK The LEGO Group uses pad printing, this can be quite expensive to set up but produces the best quality prints.

For the R5 heads the process is much easier since the surface of this head piece can be flattened into a shape called an Annular Sector. With some measuring and calculation (and maybe some trial-and-error) it should be possible to design a sticker that fits this kind of head.


Where can I buy older sets, such as the 10187 VW Beetle? A few years ago LEGO issued a wonderful set of a classic 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, for an selling price of $120.

A few years have past and I can't find it anywhere except on eBay where it is sold for $400 and above because of its uniqueness and rarity.

Does LEGO still sell older models anywhere in the world? If not, where can I find them?

Assaf, please note that this is not part of LEGO's website. StackExchange doesn't sell LEGO sets. In regards to your question, you are right; the #10187 LEGO Volkswagen Beetle is no longer available directly from LEGO. It was a set that was released back in 2008.

LEGO usually keeps sets on the market for a couple of years, sometimes a bit longer if they are very popular. The VW Bettle has been retired quite a while ago, and as you have seen, it is only available on the secondary market.

Besides checking on eBay as you have already done, you can also check on Bricklink. Prices are high, but occassionally someone may sell one for less if the set is used, missing the box, etc. Here is the link to the current listings: #10187 Volkswagen Bettle

LEGO usually doesn't re-release a set, but sometimes may come up with a model similar to the earlier release with improvements. I don't know if this interests you, but currently LEGO sells the VW Camper, which is an absolutely deligthful set. See here: #10220 Volkswagen T-1 Camper Van


How should I prepare one (currently built) LEGO set before selling it? I have a large used LEGO set that I'm hoping to sell or gift onwards (Scorpion Pyramid). It's currently built (and therefore complete, and not mixed up with any other LEGO), but I'm not sure what to do to prepare it for passing on.

Do I take it apart? (I'm assuming yes)
Do I try to sort the bricks back into build-order bags (i.e. the mixture of pieces that comprised bag 1, bag 2 etc), or do I sort them some other way by type of piece and colour? What would a buyer expect to see?

I have bought several used sets and it's a mix - sometimes people send the entire set built, sometimes split into larger chunks, and sometimes broken apart into individual pieces. It all depends on the current state of the set (fully assembled, partly assembled) and on the dimensions and availability of the shipping supplies. In the US it is easier to break the set apart and fit it in one of the pre-priced USPS shipping boxes that give you a uniform rate.

As a buyer, I always break the sets I receive down to the individual items and then inventory the sets using the full set inventory. Time intensive but it assures me I get the full set, and that there are no short-cuts/substitutions etc.


On Lego Mindstorms EV3, is there a way to change the input parameters of a My Block? I am writing a program for which I did a My Block. I later realize that I need to add a new input parameter and I can't find a way of doing this without creating a new My Block. This seems it should be trivial but its driving me crazy not being able to find out how. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks

Unfortunately, there is no way to add a parameter to an existing MyBlock in both the NXT and EV3 series. You will have to create a new one with more input parameters.


Did LEGO recently change Millennium Falcon with a smaller kit? I have been interested in a Millennium Falcon kit but was holding back because of the price.(It was about €500) This was about two years ago.

Recently I saw another, cheaper Falcon for about €150, but I think this is a different, smaller kit, and unfortunately the only available Falcon.

Did LEGO really swap the Falcon kit for a smaller, cheaper version?

The Millennium Falcon has been so popular there appears there are six known sets, and seven versions. Four of which share the exact same product name.
Millennium Falcon, 2000 (7190) 600+ pieces
Millennium Falcon, 2003 (4488) Microscale version with only 87 pieces.
Millennium Falcon, 2004 (4504) 900+ pieces (New minifigures with the flesh skin colour).
Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon, 2007 (10179) 5000+ pieces
Midi-scale Millennium Falcon, 2009 (7778) 2nd microscale MF with 4x more parts then the 2003 model.
Millennium Falcon, 2011 (7965) 1200+ pieces
Millennium Falcon, Advent Calendar Day 21, 2011 (7958) 13 pieces
There also appears to be some Minifig variation, R2D2 and Darth Vader only appear once on the 2000 and 2011 sets respectively.


Can someone identify these Ninjago face mosaic sets? I have 2 built 6x16 sets that appear to be Ninjago portraits. Each built on a Light Bluish Gray 6x16 plate with 1x1 colored bricks on top.  I suspect they may be Toys R Us builds but i just can't find them.

Does anyone know the set name or # or link to instructions?

Apparently it's from a 2015 Toys R Us building event, in which there were 5 different mask kids could choose to build. There does not appear to be an item number associated with these builds.

All 5 designs and 3 of the instructions can be seen in these images (click for full-size).

I also found a video where all 5 are built and the booklet is flipped through.


How to describe a building set which is like LEGO without using the "LEGO" word? We are sellers of building toys like LEGO online. But their website does not allow using the word "LEGO" directly to describe the products. Are there any other words that could describe the building sets like LEGO? It seems that LEGO is the representative of all kinds of building sets.

The usual phrases I've seen include some mixture of the following:

Universal interlocking bricks
Modular building system
Plastic construction toy blocks

and so on...

But don't forget adding "Compatible with leading brands" if it is indeed the case :)


Why do Technic beams have an odd number of holes? Why do LEGO Technic beams tend to have an odd numbers of holes?
Is it for making it suitable for designing models? Or does the owner of The LEGO Group love either odd or even numbers?

It's to make them fit with the original Technic bricks which have an even number of studs and the holes go in-between.


What is the best way to sell sealed LEGO sets? My kids have inherited a massive LEGO collection. 90%+ is in mint condition, still sealed. There are thousands of sealed boxes - currently kept in storage. There are plenty of open sets that the boys will keep, but the bulk we are looking to sell. What is the best way to do this? Any advice would be appreciated. A large amount of sets are Star Wars.

If you really have that much (hundreds or more sets to move), you have some options:

Set up a Ebay store:
    Up front cost: None
    Profit: ~80% of net (Ebay takes a cut, Taxes, shipping materials)
    The slow burn option. You will eventually get rid of everything, but it will take some time, and many trips to the post office.

Go rent a table at a local Lego convention:
    Up front cost: probably a few hundred bucks
    Profit: After the booth /table cost, all the money is pretty much yours.
    This will get rid of stuff fast if you go to a sizable convention and you price reasonably. People buy a lot of lego at Lego conventions. You will have to plan this in advance, since tables might require being reserved months in advance.

Find a reliable Lego collector to sell it for you:
    I had a good friend who is an active member of the local Lego community do this for a family who acquired a huge vintage Lego collection. I think he took about a 20% cut and had most of it sold off in a few months. The upside of this approach is that you don't have to do anything but count the money you make. Make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing though. Older collectors are good choices, since they know a lot of the history of sets and themes.

I don't know how good sites liek Bricklink are for selling sets. It is a fantastic place to buy sell loose parts, but I don't know how quickly sets move there.


Dimensions of Mindstorms NXT pieces I don't have access to my NXT boxes at the moment (they're stuck behind a wardrobe that won't get moved for a week or so) and I'm working on this project where I need to know the dimensions of the NXT, motors and sensors in mm. I did a search but couldn't find anything on the net and was wondering if anybody knew what the dimensions (height, width, depth) of the NXT brick, motors, US sensor, color sensor (the one in NXT 2.0 that works as a lamp and light sensor also) and touch sensor?  Thanks

Just measured them myself. Some of the dimensions might be just a little bit off, but I hope this suffices:

NXT:

Length: 111 mm

Width: ~71.7 mm

Height: 40 mm (extra 8 mm if you have a rechargeable battery installed)

Motor:

Length: ~105 mm

Width: 40 mm

Height: ~45 mm

Ultra-sonic Sensor:

Length: 44 mm

Width: 44 mm

Height: 30 mm

Generic Sensor:

Length: 44 mm

Width: 22 mm

Height: 30 mm

If it's a touch sensor and the button is not pressed, then it's 47 mm long.

Again, some of these may be a bit off since some dimensions were difficult to properly measure with the ruler I was using due to the geometry of some of the pieces. If you want a more accurate and precise measurement, someone else might be better equipped to answer your question.


What's the circle piece in this MOC? I saw a moc from here.

But have no idea what the piece it use on the arms of the robot, and on the guns.

The bit held in the mech hand is a Ray gun.

The bit on the forearms is almost certainly a short bit of Hose, Ribbed 7mm D. 2L like zovits said.


Frame Rate recommended for Stop Motion? I do Stop Motion with LEGO, (which is just great for SMA) and I was wondering (because you guys are the pros), what frame rate per second, (fps) you would recommend?

I use 15, and occasionally 33. Also I was wondering, how extreme I should take this Stop Motion Animation? Should it just be my hobby, or should I use to get me money?

The ideal frame rate is 24 fps due to the brain holding an image for .051... seconds

However in stop motion animation this can be quite tedious and time consuming.

So with that in mind I'd recommend a frame rate of between 15 and 18.

As for your ideas on making money out of it, I'd say go for it.


Submodel does not show properly in LPub3D I am new to digital LEGO models and building instructions with LPub3D. In order to find my way around submodels I have created this very simple dummy ldraw model:

0 FILE new model.ldr
0 Name: new model.ldr
0 Author: Undefined
1 4 10 -24 -90 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
1 4 10 -24 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
1 4 110 -24 -90 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
1 4 110 -24 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
0 STEP
1 4 60 -32 -90 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3666.dat
1 4 60 -32 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3666.dat
0 STEP
1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 roof.ldr
0 NOFILE
0 FILE roof.ldr
0 Name: roof.ldr
0 Author: Undefined
1 1 10 -56 -90 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
1 1 10 -56 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.dat
0 STEP
1 1 10 -64 -40 -0 0 -1 0 1 0 1 0 -0 3666.dat
0 Name: roof.ldr
0 Author: Undefined
0 NOFILE

It adds some red bricks in two steps and then references a submodel that itself consists of two building steps, too, adding some blue bricks. The file shows alright in LeoCAD, but when I open it in LPub3D it shows the expected building instructions for step 1 and 2, followed by the two steps of the submodel. But then when it should show the result of merging the submodel into the main model it only shows one blue box at some weird place instead of the submodel. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

It looks like I might not be doing anything wrong after all. If I switch the preferred renderer from native to LDView under Preferences everything looks fine.

Maybe I should mention that I am using LPub3D 2.3.6 under Linux. At least the Linux version seems to be rather buggy. It regularly crashes with a segmentation fault when you try to edit the configuration. So this behavior might be a bug, too.


Mindstorms 2.0 can't download to NXT brick with error 142023 Using Mindstorms education 2.0 on a Windows 7 computer I can't seem to get the program to see the NXT via USB or bluetooth dongle.

When connected by USB nothing appears in the NXT window with device turned on.  When downloading a program, error code: -142023 is thrown.  Cannot connect to NXT device

When connected by bluetooth the NXT device shows in the NXT window as available until I try the connect button.  The standard serial over bluetooth is created and a COM is opened but then the error code: -142023 is displayed.  Cannot connect to the NXT device

Other things I have tried:

NXT works with multiple cords on other computers but not on one other windows 7
Computer security settings have been decreased to allow devices to talk to programs
removing and reloading program

I believe that you need to run the Mindstorms Education program in Compatability mode.

The easiest way to do this is to:

Right click on the Mindstorms shortcut on either your start menu or desktop and select "Properties".
Switch to the "Compatability" tab.
Check the "Run in Compatability mode", and from the drop down that is then enabled select "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)".
Ok out of the dialog.

That should solve your problem.


Partial set identification Hi,

I bought a bag of sealed LEGO from the second hand shop. It is labelled 6 so must be part of a larger set. Is anyone able to identify it?

The "Red Support 1 x 6 x 5 Girder Rectangular" answers this.

It's only in two sets, and in 3368 there are 10, which your picture doesn't show, so this is probably 4430 Fire transporter.

EDIT: There are no "Trans-Light Blue Panel 1 x 2 x 2 with Side Supports - Hollow Studs" in 3368, so this is definitely 4430.


Mindstorm 2.0 & Chromebook? We have a Mindstorms 2 (not the new one, last gen) and chromebooks... can we use the current software (EV3?) on our old Mindstorm brick?  If not, will the old software run on our chromebooks to program the old boy or will I have to use the old software which is still on my macbook?

There's an FAQ that answers questions regarding the NXT <-> EV3 compatibility quite well:

https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/support?ignorereferer=true

The main problem is, that the EV3 software won't run on a chromebook AFAIK. Only Windows and Mac OS are supported. If you have a MacBook you can use the new EV3 software on that one and program the NXT.


Programming to get data from EV3 sensor and send it to a server? I am using EV3 with Linux V1.09 and I am doing a project in which I want to send the sensor data from the EV3 to a remote web server using POST method - is this possible?

Another possible method is to use I2C to communicate from the EV3 to an Arduino with a WiFi shield or module, then have the Arduino perform the POST.


What does this symbol on the EV3 Brick mean? I can’t figure out how to get my R3PTAR to open and close it’s mouth to bite. I keep getting this symbol. What does it mean?

You either have to recharge your battery (if you're using a battery pack) or replace the batteries (if you're using normal batteries). If this symptom persists after charging the battery pack, try to do a master reset on the brick. Failing which, you might have to replace the battery pack.


What is the power of Lego Powered Up motors (M, L, and XL) and the Move Hub motors? I am trying to build a set up that included two propeller that can pitch up and down. I am debating whether I should use two motor to power each propeller and the other two to act as servos for each of the "motor-propeller" set up, or the power of the motor is strong enough that I can use one motor/move hub to drive both propellers and the other motor can be the servo. Could you tell me the specs of these thing so I can decide which one to buy? Thanks

Philo is one of LEGO enthusiast and he did quite a number of tests with different motors produced by LEGO, which you can find  here. Table below is based on data measured by Philo:

Motor
Torque
Rotation Speed
Mechanical Speed
Electrical Power

PUP M
4.08 N*cm
270 rpm
1.15 W
2.66 W

PUP Control+ L
8.81 N*cm
198 rpm
1.83 W
4.70 W

PUP Control+ XL
8.81 N*cm
198 rpm
1.83 W
4.16 W

PUP Move Hub
4.08 N*cm
264 rpm
1.13 W
3.37 W


Augment LEGO City Mobile Command Center 60139 with Power Functions LEGO 8293? I have the LEGO 60139 set for my child. If I buy LEGO 8293, will I be able to motorize the truck in 60139 set?

You are not likely going to be able to add the power functions motor to this set without some major modifications. The truck in the set uses pin type wheel connections, the motors normally use technic axle style wheels, and there isn't really any extra room internally to place the motor.

For reference:

Set 60139

Set 8293


About selling old LEGO, by the pound or assembled? I was just wondering how much does a pound of bulk usually sell for. I also have tons of star wars mini-figs, including tons of clone troopers of different kinds, stormtroopers, battle droids, but some are relatively worn, are they worth anything? I also have some pretty destroyed sets that can probably be rebuilt but I don't have the instructions anymore, should I just disassemble them?

In general, a pound of LEGO goes $5-$10, depending on what's included and the condition of the parts.

As far as how much your minifigures are worth, you can go to BrickLink.com, find the minifigures you have in their database, and check the Price Guide. It will list all the currently available minifigs sold by shops around the world, and sales figures from the past six month. There are separate columns for new and used figures, so you will get a good idea of what minifigs in similar condition as yours are selling for. To get you started, here is the main page for all the Star Wars figures: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=M&catString=65&itemBrand=1000

In regards to sets, you can check the BrickLink Price Guide for those as well. Some might be worth selling assembled, while for others it doesn't matter. You can download instruction from LEGO's website here:  https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions


EV3 Folder not appearing on Windows I am attempting to load a UF2 file into an EV3 robot, however when I plug everything in, nothing appears. Windows recognises that a device has been plugged in, and it even appears in the Device Manager, however it doesn't point to a file folder.

This is from https://makecode.mindstorms.com/troubleshoot
Check that you have the newest firmware; on the EV3 brick:

Go all the way to the right to the wrench tab

Go all the way down to the menu called 'Brick Info'

The information dialog that appears should say something like:
Brick FW: v1.10E

If you have a version which is less than this, then you need to upgrade. Unfortunately, this can only be done from the very buggy EV3 Manager at https://ev3manager.education.lego.com/


NXT 2.0 speakers not functioning I have the NXT 2.0 set, and have owned it for about 5 years now. About a week ago, the sound coming from the speaker started sounding distorted, and eventually stopped working. That time I restored the sound by simply restarting the NXT, but now no sound plays, including the click and startup sounds.

I have had the sound go out on one or two NXTs. I was able to restore it by doing a factory reset.

On the back of the NXT, there are 12 technic pin holes. In the one closest to USB port, you will see a metallic button. With everything unplugged from the NXT and with the NXT powered on, press the button with a paper clip or other instrument that will fit in the hole. After a few seconds, the screen will go blank and the brick should start making a ticking noise. Then use the NXT-G software to reload the firmware on the NXT.

For more complete instructions with pictures, see http://www.neisd.net/et/robotics/documents/ResettingYourNXTBrick.pdf. Note: Step 2 is incorrect and should be skipped - there is no "soft" reset - the button in the battery compartment is for indicating that the rechargeable batter is being used.

UPDATE: Link above is broken, so here is a new one: http://www.legoengineering.com/clicking-brick-syndrome/. It is not quite as detailed, but still has nice pictures.


What is the Bluetooth PIN for the LEGO train PUP remote (88010) I'd like to use the Powered Up train remote, #88010 as a simple controller (bang-bang only, obviously).
It's Bluetooth, and it shows up as a device, but the PINs 0000 and 1234 don't appear to work.
Once paired, it presumably operates as an input device (?) so would "just work" with Brickcontroller 2.

The remote control uses Bluetooth Low Energy rather than Bluetooth Classic. This means you do not pair the device and there is no PIN.
The remote control is not an HID input device, but rather uses a custom protocol that is documented at https://lego.github.io/lego-ble-wireless-protocol-docs/.


Feathered Headdress from the Islander, female figure Is there a way to attach the feathered head dress from the Islander, Female figure to any other headpiece? (I'm trying to make a Vegas showgirl.)

Sometimes ignoring a problem yields its own solution - like the Cabaret Singer.


Connecting EV3 to Mac over Bluetooth without Lego Mindstorms software I am trying to connect the EV3 brick over Bluetooth to a Mac so I can use direct commands to send bytecodes.  However, the Bluetooth connection remains active only through the Lego Mindstorms software.  I can download programs from Mac over Bluetooth within the Lego Mindstorms software.  However, once I close that app the bluetooth connection goes away.  Without the Lego software open, if I try pairing EV3 to Mac, it pairs briefly and stays connected (according to Mac's preferences menu) for 2 seconds and then says "Not connected".  I am using Macbook Pro early 2014 with Yosemite.  I also upgraded the firmware on EV3 to 1.08. Please help.

Bluetooth communication from the Mac to the EV3 is done using RFCOMM. This means that the EV3 appears as a serial port on the Mac. Namely /dev/tty.EV3-SerialPort. To send and receive messages from the EV3, you read and write to this virtual file. Bluetooth will show as "connected" as soon as you open this file. You can find some code examples here.


What are these part numbers? Can someone help me figure out what both of these LEGO part numbers are?

The first two pictures are the same brick at different angles to show it's strange design, while the third picture is the second brick, which also needs part identification.

1)

2).

3).

Looks like:

Part #47458 - Brick, Modified 1 x 2 x 2/3 No Studs, Wing End.

Part #4081a - Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Light - (Thin) Ring.

or

Part #4081b - Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Light - (Thicc) Ring.


Bluetooth will not connect Error code: -142016 NXT 2.0 Error code: -142016

The Bluetooth does connect. I am not having these issues with any of my other Bluetooth devices running off of the same dongle.

Where do I find the meaning of any other error codes that I may encounter for the NXT?

LEGO's Bluetooth support page has a limited amount of support for Bluetooth errors. It mentions further Bluetooth support can be found in the user guide on:

Pages 36-45 for NXT 2.0
Pages 28-37 for NXT 1.0

Where can I find instruction booklets?

You may also get in contact with LEGO's customer support.


Why are minifigure wrenches tapered at the end? The common minifigure wrench is tapered at one end.  Why?  None of the other minifigure tools are shaped this way.  Is the wrench meant to also serve as a minifigure pry bar?  Or perhaps as some sort of flathead screwdriver?

Your second guess was correct. It's not just a wrench. It's listed as a Screwdriver/spanner on Lego.com:

This part was also included in several sets in the Games line as a human tool to remove tiles from the dice. It's unclear (at least to me) whether this part was intended to be used for tile removal when it was introduced in 1979. Here's an example from the Creationary instructions:


What is this notched or angled 1x2? It looks old. the only markings on it is LEGOS stamped on the top of the stud holes, and a number 2 stamped on the bottom. It looks like a normal 1x2 with a slight triangle taken out of each side.

I couldn't come up with the right words to describe this piece to determine on my own what it's called or what set it might have been from. But maybe someone else has seen this before?

Old style minifig legs (70s). Sets that have it


Identify rug pieces in this library scene Can anyone identify the roundish pieces that make up the rug in this scene?

It's hard to tell for sure, but I believe that it is Bar Holder with Clip (11090).

The size and shape look about right to me, and it is widely available in those colors.


Does the Mindstorms EV3 software run on OS X El Capitan? El Capitan was released a few days ago, and I want to upgrade. Will there be issues with the software, or will it run nicely on El Capitan?

My Mac:
Retina MacBook Pro 13", Early 2015

I've recently upgraded to OS X 10.11 El Capitan (as a matter of fact, I have the exact same model of computer). I've done some basic tests with the EV3 software without running into any issues. I've downloaded programs to the brick using both USB and Bluetooth.

Base on past experience with OS upgrades with both the NXT and EV3 software, the problems have usually been with Bluetooth. The fact that this is working is a good sign.

I have not used the EV3 software extensively yet on OS X 10.11, so there could be some minor issues I don't know about, but at least I can say that it is usable.


Which head piece would be the cheapest? I would like to fill a vase with LEGO heads to decorate my living room so I am looking for the best option to buy bulk heads.

I have been looking at Bricklink but I can't find a good way to tell. I want 200 (not sure about the number for the moment) yellow heads, don't mind what the face painted looks like but I want to find the cheapest option.

Has anybody got any clue on the best way to do that?

One way to do this on Bricklink is to run an advanced search over the "Minifig, Head" category. Here's an example showing all yellow parts in this category with a minimum lot size of 200 sorted by price, lowest first.

This shows you the cheapest stores to order 200 of the same yellow head from. If you want a little variety, I'm sure those sellers have other heads available as well.


why isn't lego updating the 9V train sets to the current system? My son is getting to the age where he is ready for the Lego trains. I looked through the City and Train sets. It seems that Lego really recycles the Fire and Police themes over and over again, while the single train segments are still from 1991-1993, making me bid for them on eBay.

Why don't they sell single segment railcars anymore for $20-30? Would love to see the 45xx series refreshed and expanded.

It is all a matter of cost versus demand. For tens of years LEGO had a separate train theme, with transformers, special metal rails, lights, switches and individual train cars and full sets. But the cost of maintaining and developing these components did not weigh up against the limited demand there was for these sets. Not many kids (90% of LEGO’s demographic) will want to splurge on all these sets (a single complete set plus some extra track is often enough for them), and the adult audience is loud, but not large enough to make such a complete line profitable.

That is why LEGO scaled back and just releases a few full train sets every few years, plus rails and switches made with a very simple design (involving only cheap plastic). AFOLs can and will design their own train cars/waggons anyway, so that is an avenue you can explore with your son.


How is the neck of the green velociraptor 10757 connected? I found a green velociraptor in a box on the curb, presumably from the "rescue truck" 10757 box. The head is detached from the body and there is no obvious way to attach it.

I found a light sabre handle that fits as a "neck", as would a basic round pin (on one end).

I can't find what the proper connector is. From official images of the box it looks like it must be a type of stick that is virtually invisible.

I'd appreciate any suggestions to connect the head correcttly.

PS. I may not know the right terminology I don't claim to be a lego expert by any stretch.

Looking at inventory for Velociraptor, included in 10757 set you've mentioned, there is a Technic Pin. Since all of the limbs have half of the pin molded into the parts this leaves us with Technic Pin that is used to connect body with a head piece.

Better pictured by this step from LEGO building instruction (thanks Syberion for the tip):


How to eliminate a gap of an offset in a corner So I need to build a layer with offset bricks, which I have managed to figure out. However, the corner is a problem. The dark bricks in my pic need to be in that position. How do I fill the gap between them around the corner? I'm assuming i will need to use a headlight brick but how?
(I have managed to work out what to do in straight line, but now the corner is a problem.

Update:

Thanks, that makes sense, it was the half spaces I was wondering about. A bad attempt at clarifying but here it goes.

UPDATE: Attempt Number Two.

Okay, everything's set up almost like your first uploaded image:

Stone Gray 1x2 jumper plates as the base is the same.
The three Black 1x1 Bricks are still in those key positions, except they're all modified Headlight Bricks, instead.
All bricks have been skewered through with a combination of Light
Sword Blades and Shafts.

LEGO Digital Draw won't allow placement of a brick on a stud-less surface.  To get around this I used 1x12 and 1x6 plates for temporary
staging, and then deleted them after the shish kebabbing.

There's still a gap, but the gap number has been reduced to one, and
made less noticeable.

Let me know if anyone wants the build file (Minus Picasso's Junk Lighthouse behind it.).


What sort of college education is best to become a LEGO designer? I'm a big fan of LEGO and I would love to know about what kind of college I should apply to so I can get a degree to work with TLG. Also, I was wondering if I wanted to be a LEGO Set creator, would I have to move out of the United States and move to Denmark, or would I be able to work in the United States and create sets?  I'd love to get feedback because I am in 10th grade, and I am going to college soon.

Try for an industrial engineering degree. That would be the best fit for a set designer. An art degree would work too.

If you want to be a LEGO set designer, you're gonna have to move to Denmark. Of course, you need to be accepted first. You can stay where you are while you work on your degree and become more proficient in working with bricks.


What's a good base collection of tiles? I recently picked up a copy of the LEGO ideas book, and been inspired. As a novice builder, I've noticed that almost every model makes use of tiles to provide a finished look, which seems like a great idea.

Accordingly, I'm interested in buying some tiles in bulk for assorted building projects, but I'm overwhelmed by the options. Bricklink has many kinds of tile. What would be a good starting set of tile pieces to aim for, and roughly how many? And what's the difference between tiles with and without grooves? Is the groove on the bottom? Is one piece much more useful than the other? Argh! So many options! Can anyone recommend a sensible way to proceed?

Looks like there are really two different questions here. Allow me to address the question regarding grooves on the tiles:

  What's the difference between tiles with and without grooves?

Basically, on tiles without grooves, the vertical edges run continuously straight from top to bottom. On tiles with grooves, there is a small lip at the bottom of the tile just large enough for a fingernail or a separator tool.

A visual comparison between the 1 x 2 tile without groove (red) and the 1 x 2 tile with groove (grey) shows the continuous vertical sides vs. the lip that forms the 'groove':

  Is the groove on the bottom?

Yes, it runs all the way around the bottom of the tile.

  Is one piece much more useful than the other?

The difference is mainly in the ease of removing the tiles once attached to another Lego element. As I mentioned above, the groove leaves enough space to prise the tile away from whatever other LEGO element it is attached to. In the case of the 2 x 2 Tile without groove that you reference in the question, according to bricklink, it was discontinued in 1978 after the 2 x 2 Tile with groove appeared in 1973, so I would guess that LEGO considered the 'with groove' to be a better design.


Is there any easy, documented or official way to replace pullback mechanism with Motor Set 8293 There are many Technic cars with a pullback mechanism, like 42059, 42073 or 42072.

Is there any systematic, easy, documented or official way to replace the pullback mechanism with the LEGO Technic Power Functions Motor Set 8293?

I dont't see how a standard way could exist. That would pretty much require a setup with a PF motor, gears, etc. having the same size and interface as the pullback
motor, which according to bricklink (I don't think I have any) is 6x5x3. As far as I remember the only PF motor shorter than 6 studs (there has to be room for at least one gear) is the XL, but that's 5 studs wide.

For any given set, it's quite possible that you could find a solution, and even that the same solution would work for a lot of sets.


Lego Racer kit with Chargeable Cars I have an old Lego set that I've lost all the documentation on. It's about 10 years old (I see ©2003 in various places). The set built a track and contained two charging stations that integrated into the track. The charging station also counts laps with the green LEDs on top when an infrared beam is broken. The racers were small and electric, but, rather than requiring batteries of their own, they were charged by pushing the racer down on the charging station.

Something has broken in the motor, and it no longer turns, even if I apply 3V directly to it. I haven't been able to find any replacements, but looking without knowing the model number is difficult.

What set is this? Where can I find a replacement motor/car?

The set is 8364, and you can see it here: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=8364-1

The motor is part 5313a: (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=5313a)

Unfortunately, they do not seem to be widely available. The current inventory has one guy selling one as-is (untested) for $10 in the US, and one guy selling a working one for $40 in Israel. You can replace the whole set for a substantially higher price. Sorry I couldn't be of more help for replacing it, but hopefully now that you know the set and part numbers, you can search elsewhere.


Do regular Lego trains fit onto Duplo tracks? I have a small kid and a bunch of LEGO Duplo train track. (Like what's in this set.) Would "grown up" sets, like the Emerald Night or Maersk trains, work on that track? They look pretty close (the wheels are a little more than 4 studs apart)  but I'd love to hear a definite yes or no from someone who owns both.

The answer is kind of.

I own the Emerald Night and a bunch of Thomas Duplo track.  The wheelbase of the Emerald Night is wide enough that the "rails" fit inside the wheels.  In fact, the passenger car fits perfectly on the track.  Unfortunately, neither the engine nor the tender fit as well, due to the fact that both have pieces on the bottom that are too low to allow them to sit properly with the rails inside the wheels.

This means that the engine will not move on its own.  In fact, I have my doubts it would move well even if the wheels reached the track, as it would require the flanges of the wheels to have enough traction to pull the train.


Damage Boiling LEGO Bricks I bought some LEGO bricks from shop on Bricklink and received them yesterday. In order to make sure that the pieces were nice and clean (they were used) so that my two year old can play with them, I boiled them for a minute first. I've done this several times before and never had any problems, however this time, I think I had some pieces warp significantly and I think one was discolored (black piece that turned half white). They warped so bad that I had to throw some of them some away.

I've seen people on this forum talk about boiling LEGO bricks before and I've personally done it before without problems. Was this just a fluke or did I boil too long (maybe 2 min max)?

The boiling temperature of water is 212 Fahrenheit (100 Celsius). The melting point of ABS plastic (the material LEGO is made of) is 176 Fahrenheit (80 Celsius). Therefore LEGO should NEVER be put in water that reaches boiling point or anywhere close to it.

If you want to clean your LEGO, the best way is to just put it in a tub with luke-warm water and a mild soap. Let is soak overnight, then rinse it off with clean water. Here are some further references you can use:

http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/cleaning-dirty-lego/ and
http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/cleaning-dusty-lego/


LEGO Mindstorms NXT projects I have a LEGO Mindstorms NXT set and since I bought it I almost never used it. Sometimes I think I could do something interesting with it, but I usually either feel like just copying a previous made project or stuck with no ideas of what to do. The obvious answer probably is

  "If you try some project of other people at some point you start
  connecting the dots and come up with your own ideas"

I would like to know if other people had this feeling in the past what they ended up doing.

As for background information: I have no experience with Technic sets, but have experience with computer science and math.

I think your "obvious" answer is right.  Given that you have a background in computer science and math, I'm certain you will be pleasantly surprised how fast you can go beyond connecting dots and come up with unique and innovative designs.  I admit being in the same position, but with an EV3.  It sat for almost six months before I really started working with it.  Based on my experience, I encourage you to commit to doing a few small projects to understand the potential.  Start small for some immediate gratification.  Log some experience, and you will start seeing ways to hack this little device.  This is a necessary step to doing something cool and innovative.  You gotta commit to building!


Trouble with 42110 Land Rover Defender transmission I just got the 42110 Land Rover Defender and assembled bags 1 and 2. I tested everything before joining the front axle and rear axle, and the friction was quite low, not nearly high enough to get gears to skip or practically stall an PF XL motor.

When I joined the two halves, the lower gears worked just fine, but there was slightly more friction generated than I expected. However, on the higher gears (3/lo and above) the friction increased way more than expected, rendering 4th/lo somewhat unusable and 4th/hi completely unusable. Strangely, all the gears work flawlessly if the car is pushed backward. Also, the rotation of the output of both the 4-speed and the 2-speed transmissions is uneven, the output of the 4-speed transmission being way more uneven than that of the 2-speed transmission.

The friction certainly is not the sum of the front and rear axles together, it is far more. Also, it is worth noting that I modified the 3:1 gear ratio between the axles and central differential to a 1.667:1 ratio, as with the 3:1 ratio the problem was way worse, but not because of the gear ratio, but because both of the U-joints were out of phase. Any explanation for this strange behavior or tips on how to fix it are welcome.

10/10/19 update: I watched RacingBrick's video on this subject, and it turned out that PART of the problem was that my U-joints were out of phase. I fixed that problem and it is working a lot better, but the problem still persists, although to a lesser extent.

10/11/19 update: I switched the 1.667:1 ratio for the 3:1 ratio while making sure that the U-joints were in phase. The unevenness issue is virtually gone, but the skipping of gears still persists, but to a lesser extent. I can post another YouTube video if it helps.

10/11/19 update 2: I added bag 3 and both of the problems are back, though somewhat different. Before, the gears started skipping immediately, but now it works just fine for the first 5 to 10 feet, then starts to skip. I checked the U-joints and they're in phase. I'm very confused.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNyK0ZDi-pE

Just figured it out by rebuilding it. I had pressed the "walls" of the transmission too much, resulting in very high friction.


Will non-Lego remote controls work with Lego IR receivers? I bought a KAZI model of a Chinese bullet train CRH400F a month back and want to use a remote control. I bought an IR receiver and remote control, but the other IR receiver is lost in the post.
So I'm thinking of buying a Lego IR receiver instead. Does anyone know if the Lego IR receiver (code 8884-1) will work with a non-Lego remote control (photo below)? In theory, so long as they are both on the same channel number it should be fine, right?

It depends on how faithfully the remote was copied, specifically if the electronics was copied as well as the form factor. If KAZI just took a four channel IR module that uses another protocol and stuck two of them into the casing, the sent signals would most probably be incompatible with LEGO's PF system.
The channel number is only a manufacturer convention, without any inter-corporally agreed upon standards, so there is no universally accepted "channel" for IR remotes.


LEGO-compatible suction cups? I'm looking for suction cups that are compatible with the LEGO pneumatic system.  I've seen people who have built things with them (on YouTube videos, etc), but haven't found anything on eBay or BrickLink.  Short of drilling a hole in a normal suction cup and popping a pneumatic tube into it, is there anything out there I could buy?

From the post about Vertigo (the precursor to Rory's answer), TrilogyGlenIvy (the creator) stated:

  Suction cup hangers were easily located in stores. Drilling a small hole and inserting a short section of copper tubing (1/8 “ or ~3 mm diameter) along with some vinyl glue produced the feet that I used.

Basically they are usually found in DIY/Home stores as metal or plastic hooks wrapped around a transparent suction cup so you can easily affix them to tiles or windows.

There is also a picture showing three variants that were tried, with the preferred option being those in the bottom left I think:

Depending on the weight of the model you've got you may also need to invest in some additional custom air bellows:

  An internet search finally pointed to a “Climb@tron Vertibug” toy that contained two air bellows (~23 mm in diameter). I bought one of the toys, removed the air bellows, and designed a “worm gear slider” system using NXT parts to stretch and compress them. The vacuum system was then installed in Vertigo and has worked reasonably well.


What Lego part(s) would hurt the most to step on? We've all heard (and probably experienced) the long-running joke that stepping on a Lego is the absolute worst.

People have determined this is due to the bricks' high compressive strength, small size, and sometimes sharp edges.

As far as edges are concerned, consider a standard 2x2 brick:

While the 6 faces are fairly harmless, if the brick were somehow angled such that a person put all their weight on an edge, or (god forbid) one of the 8 corners, it would really hurt.

So the question is: What Lego part, or assembly of Lego parts, would maximize both
 (a) small size, and
 (b) sharp edges/points pointed upwards when laying on the ground?

I think this one would be in the top 5:
Tile, Modified 2 x 2 with Pin (part 2460)


What plastic do Quatro blocks use? I recently picked up a heap of Quatro blocks, and noticed that the plastic seems to be much softer than the normal ABS-based Lego and Duplo blocks. Does anyone know what kind of plastic was used in these blocks?

If it is intended to mate with other LEGO products, it is ABS. Just tweaked to be more elastic. Any discussion of materials published by LEGO always says LEGO and Duplo are ABS, with some SBS for tires and rubbery things.

There is some sort of polycarbonate used for the clear pieces, but these are rare, and they don't mate well with each-other, so LEGO actually tries to limit these in production kits.

I can't find a specific statement to this effect, but Quatro is almost certainly some tweaked ABS recipe, if only because they have to mate with other ABS pieces, and the tolerances are very tight for LEGO. Mixing plastics would be tricky (as it is for the PC pieces). Additionally, getting the colours just right so they match the colours in the other sets would be a nightmare if it was anything other than ABS.


How do I run the LEGO Technic V6 engine using a Lego electric motor? I am not into LEGO, don't know anything about it, so I will try to be as specific as possible.

My goal is to spin the LEGO Technic V6 engine (preferably at some realistic RPM's like thousands).

Since I can't combust air and gasoline inside, my simple idea was to run it with LEGO electric motor from LEGO Technic Power Functions Motor Set 8293.

Obviously, I need to connect them somehow and make them run. I don't have any other LEGO pieces available. What do I need to buy (the minimum) to get this running?

Here's the type of V6 that I'm referring to:

Hope that explains what I want and I hope someone can help me, I will be very thankful!

Assuming that your motor already has a Technic axle available, you'll need:

Any Technic motor. You probably want an M motor (8883).
An appropriate battery box or other power source. If you selected the above motor, you probably want the PF battery box that uses AA batteries (8881).
Any Technic elements that you want to actually mount the motor onto the V6. In the case of the above, you could get away with a shorter axle and a few Technic pins. If I were you, I'd either purchase a small Technic set (e.g. https://brickset.com/sets/42088-1/Cherry-Picker), or an assortment of Technic elements on Bricklink.

Most Technic motors aren't especially fast (~400 RPM). If you want an RPM up in the thousands, you'll need at least a couple of gears as well.


Round 2x2 piece that goes underneath plate I am trying to create a modular building with roofs.
I saw this Youtube video and I would like to know what is the round 2x2 piece mentioned by the author.
https://youtu.be/3oq3XPN8brQ?t=165
What is this piece's name?
Thanks, Benoît

Well, that tile wouldn't go underneath a plate. But a 2x2 round plate with rounded bottom has often been used in official sets to allow vehicles (such as boats) to easily slide over carpet, and might be just what you're looking for.


LEGO Boost Windows application malfunction When I like to run an external driver, my LEGO hub is driving B driver when driven from PC (Windows 10 app installed).
When I try the same application using a smartphone it works as expected.

Have you encountered a similar situation?

The issue is connected with that Lego stopped supporting and developing Windows application.


Is "public transport" train compatable with Lego City track? Among other things, set 8404 contains a train but it doesn't come with any track pieces (see set 7499). Is this train compatible with these Lego City tracks? I see where it's more of an electric trolly and if it's not track compatible, is it at least wheeled?

It uses train wheels which means it should work on Lego track.

Sources:

Bricklink set inventory

LEGO Building Instructions lookup


Identify these window panels ~4x3 These window panels came in a bulk buy and don't fit any of the accompanying windows. I would have dismissed them as not LEGO, except the greenness exactly matches other trans green elements. They are approximately 4 studs wide and 3 high, therefore they do not fit inside a frame of that size, and are too small for the next size up.

These glass panels are

Trans-Green Glass for Window 4 x 4 x 3 Roof

from  6940-1 - Alien Moon Stalker

they fit with

4447 -  Window 4 x 4 x 3 Roof

4741 - Window 4 x 4 x 6 Outward Sloping


Chromebook Lego Mindstorms EV3 trouble I want to make a crane in LEGO Mindstorms EV3 and I've already downloaded the software but as you can see below some coding pieces here are not in the Chromebook version.

Should I download the software on a Microsoft computer or can I work around this issue.

The fact that certain coding blocks cannot be seen on certain devices (esp. mobile) is usual. Most people, including me, do not understand why these blocks are not shown on these devices. I believe that some of these missing blocks are the following:

•Loop Interrupt

•Custom My Blocks

•Messaging Block

•Timer

•NXT Sound Sensor

•And way more.

Because of this, you can only make simple programs on these devices. Trying to make the Mindstorms software think you're on a desktop when you're really on an iPhone would probably be too sophisticated for an average person. I can show you the screenshots of how limited you are to programming on my tablet, too:

https://pasteboard.co/J2khG1i.png

https://pasteboard.co/J2khY6Q.png

https://pasteboard.co/J2kikuo.png

It seems like Desktops are the only devices that have all the programming blocks.


Where are these BIONICLE sets? I'm from Norway and I wonder why BIONICLE sets creature of jungle and stone are nowhere to be found around here.

I'm not sure why you say "are nowhere to be found around here" - perhaps you mean Brick & Mortar stores? Both these BIONICLE sets are available from the Norwegian shop.lego.com site:


Boxes for individual sets What are good boxes (in USA or importable) that would allow young (5 years) Lego builders to store single sets, keeping all the pieces for single build together, while keeping younger sisters (1 year) from exploring?

I've been parting out some of my old Technic sets for my son to play with, and I've found that tackle boxes work nicely for individual sets. It doesn't matter too much which brand you go with. Most of the major brands offer a variety of sizes. Here's a set I just parted out using a Plano 3700 series box:

I also like the parts bins with removable internal sections for storing sets. These are great while building as you can take the bins out and place them in convenient places.

(source: harborfreight.com)
Stanley makes great bins like this, but I've found the cheaper knock-off bins work fine for LEGO at about half the price.
If you are looking for a free solution, I sometimes use pick-a-brick cups or plastic jars such as the ones peanut butter is sold in for storing smaller sets or groups of parts.


Which are the most expensive LEGO sets? Which is the most expensive LEGO set at sale price?

And which one is the most expensive ever sold, even considering old ones at auction?

The most expensive (and second largest) LEGO set to date is the #10179 LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon released in 2007, with 5,195 pieces, and the cost of $500. Equally expensive (also $500), but much smaller is the recently released #75159 LEGO Star Wars Death Star with 4,016 pieces.

As far as what is the most someone paid for a LEGO set in a private transaction would be impossible to tell. You could use the BrickLink Price Guide for prices sets sold for in the last six months, and you can also do something similar for eBay, but there are many other places people buy and sell LEGO (social-media sites, forums, commercial websites, auction sites, and more). You would really have to narrow down what data you are looking for, and go from there.


Please identify these two Star Wars ships I need help identifying these completed ships. I need names or set numbers to match my minifigures.

The top one is 8087: TIE Defender

The bottom one is 8099: Midi-scale Imperial Star Destroyer


What is this 11x6 white and dark grey motorized LEGO piece with blue buttons and a transparent blue panel? My brother bought a big tub of LEGO recently and found this piece inside. He doesn't know what it is and we can't find anything about it online so we were wondering what it is. He says it isn't in any of the instruction booklets he received with the LEGO so it doesn't seem to be a part of any of his sets.
It appears to be a motor, with a white front, grey back, a display and blue buttons. When you turn it on it displays the word LEGO one letter at a time on the display. It also makes sound by bleeping and stuff when you turn it on and as it runs.

It has the LEGO logo in each of the holes and underneath so we assume it's an authentic LEGO piece, but it doesn't have any sort of identification number on it that we can see.

Thanks for the help.

This part is called

Micro Scout with Dark Gray Base

the white version on your photo comes from

9748-1: Droid Developer Kit

(pictures via Bricklink)


Custom extension cables for Light Stax? Recently, I got the S-12012 Light Stax kit with 50 (!) light bricks. They are different from those described in this question, but they are much cheaper, colorful and with blinking/pulsating effects. However, there is one disadvantage: all bricks have to be attached to each other to lighten up. So if I wanted to light up different areas of my set I would need several of the 4x4 battery bricks (there is only one in each kit).

My question: Is it possible to to connect/solder wires between the bricks to extend the range?

The lights are LEDs, and it does not matter how the bricks are connected as long as one stud is connected to the underside of the next brick. There are contacts on all studs and undersides. I want to avoid damaging the bricks with my limited soldering skills.

I tried to use the 8886 PF Extension Wire, but that did not work.
The contacts don't match.

Pictures 3 and 4, respectively, are close up photos of the studs and undersides of the bricks. Does this help to tell how extension wires could be attached?

I have also little soldering experience, but I managed to create custom extension cables:
First: open the cover with a small screw driver:

Remove the PCB by lifting the small notch to open the light block

Then you drill a small hole into the opposite side of the metal plates, insert a small 2-wire cable (~0,25mm) and solder it to the PCB.
The outer ring is Vin and the inner ring is GND.
Then put it together and have fun.


What is known of the capacities of the MINDSTORMS EV3 when it comes to interconnection with a network (WiFi, bluetooth) What is known of the new MINDSTORMS EV3 capabilities when it comes to netwoked functions. What type of interface can be plugged to interact with a PC or portable device (smartphone/tablet)?

In term of interconnection (WiFi/bluetooth) and in term of protocols available what are the options?

Are there any libs (C/C++) which are already available and compatible with the brick?

The Mindstorms EV3 brick uses Bluetooth 2.1EDR. What protocol they use on top of that is still unknown, but will probably be released publicly by LEGO at some point. It's likely some compatibility with the NXT is possible (that is, an EV3 and a NXT bricks should be able to communicate together), but this is pure speculation and I doubt they just reuse the exact same protocol without at least expanding it.

For USB, apparently the regular USB port is 2.0, but there's also a host USB port which, according to the previous link, is only 1.1 (which seems strange to me, and the official PDF product sheet for the EV3 brick specifically mentions "USB 2.0 host enabling brick daisy chaining, wifi communication, and USB memory sticks") and can be used to daisy-chain up to 4 devices. The very fact they state a limitation hints that their software itself has this limitation, as I don't see any hardware reason to do so. This means that with an alternate firmware, you can probably do more.

WiFi is only possible using a WiFi dongle connected to the USB port, which seems to be allowed. If the host port is really 1.1, that may limit the speed to 12MBit/s. You can find  its PDF product sheet here which says:

The EV3 Wi-Fi Dongle fits with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 platform and uses wireless communication. It plugs into the USB host port of the EV3 Intelligent Brick and provides wireless communication with a computer. A wireless access point is required between the LEGO EV3 Intelligent Brick and any Wi-Fi -enabled computer as well as your Apple or Android device. All you need to do is set up the connection inside the software and you’re ready to go!

Also, considering the OS is linux-based (on an ARM9 processor), and considering LEGO's history of letting people hack Mindstorms in any way they can think of... there'll probably a lot of other possibilities (USB Ethernet, for example).

APIs and/or libraries aren't available yet, and probably won't be until the kit is released, but it seems there'll be at least an official iPhone & Android app to control all robots you can make with the kit.


Any way to track a light source in 1 dimension using one color sensor? I would like to know if there is any workable way to use a single color sensor to track a light source in one axis of rotation?

Would rotating the sensor back and forth within a few degrees, every few seconds, to check differing light levels work?

Yes this is doable.

The typical use is with a robot, a lamp/light placed some distance away, with the goal being: navigate towards the light.

Assuming a robot that can spin (turn in place without moving forward or backward);
mount a light sensor in a tunnel that shield the sensor from most of the light except light coming from straight forward.

Spin the robot until the light sensor sees the light (anything above 80% is reasonable).

Drive forward while the bright light is visible, when it isn't stop, spin until it is visible.

The color sensor has an ambient light setting, use that.

There are a number of line-following algorithms that can be modified to handle moving toward a point of light.


What is this piece? 2 axle and 1 pin? I've been looking around for this piece, google images etc, cannot find it.  Any ideas on a part number?

I found it:

6632

It's the Technic, Liftarm 1x3 Thin piece.


Website to help identify set(s) from approximately 20 bags of LEGO? I bought a storage unit at auction. There were approx 20 sealed bags of LEGO in the unit. Each bag has a number on it. I'm trying to find out if I have a complete set so I may sell them. Is there a site I can go to to find out? Thank you.

Brickset is a database of Lego sets. You can search for set numbers and see if they match what you have. It also provides full parts lists so you can see if your kits are complete or not.


Ultrasonic problems with the red and blue balls? I'm still new to NXT, I try to make the robot locate a ball using the ultrasonic sensor, while there I should be in a square area marked by white color.

How can I make the robot locate the object (by ultrasonic), stop, get the distance, then move until it stops exactly in contact with the object?

Here is my project

The ultrasonic cannot detect the color of objects. It's just to detect the distance between the sensor and an object in it's line of sight.

To find objects in the surrounding area of your robot you have to look all around. This is simply done by rotating your robot or your sensor. When you measure a distance in a certain range (best results between aprox. 10-50cm) you can stop rotating and you have your direction. Then you start to move and check for better results every 10cm or something like that again if you are still facing the right way.

Stoping exactly in contact won't be possible unless you can say I am Xcm away and now can move exactly Xcm in this direction since the ultrasonic sensor cannot measure distances below a certain level (around 5-10cm depending on the size/shape/material of your object).


How do I remove a racing helmet from a garbage can? We have a red Lego racing helmet that has become wedged with its round side up in a 2 handled Lego garbage can. I cannot access any of the visor indentations, the face slot or the neck circle. I tried banging on the upside down can, prying at the helmet with the little crowbar brick separater and broke a toothpick off between the helmet and the garbage can. I'm about to tell my kid that this can will just have to be considered full unless someone has a way to remove the helmet from it.

If the helmet were jammed head-down, you can use a needle-nose pliers to grasp the edge of the tube in the inside of the racing helmet, as shown, and then pull them apart. You may need to twist them apart as you pull.

In your case, since the helmet is jammed head-up, you need a way to push it out from the bottom. I suggest drilling a small hole through the tube recess in the bottom of the trash can. Unless you are intending to hold liquid in the trash can, there will be no functional impact whatsoever. The aesthetic impact is also minimal. I used a simple 3/32 wood drill bit I found in my garage. After drilling the hole, just push the drill bit through, and it should dislodge the helmet with minimal scratching. You can also pull the drill out and try pushing with another thin object. A wood skewer, for example, would be sufficiently rigid and less likely to scratch the helmet.


How should I transport my big LEGO sets? I'm moving and I have some big LEGO sets (Police Station, Fire Station, and Ultra Stealth Raider).  How should I pack them so they won't get shattered to pieces in transit?

You should disassemble the buildings to smaller parts, then pack these parts with bubble foils. After that, you can place them in massive plastic boxes. LEGO bricks aren't really fragile.


How do you interrupt a MyBlock? I have a "general-purpose" line-follower encapsulated in a MyBlock that runs an infinite loop.

Now, in a client program, I would like to interrupt that MyBlock if some condition is met; what the condition is should be determined by the client, so I don't want to put that logic into the MyBlock.

I also don't want to terminate the program altogether, and I want to keep the loop in the MyBlock.

Is there a way to break out of the MyBlock?

You can use the Loop Interrupt block. Just make sure the name used in the Loop Interrupt block matches the name of the loop inside of the My Block.


EV3 bluetooth controller for mac Is there a suitable EV3 controller for mac? It should be a compatible alternative from the official EV3 controller in the iOS app store or google play.

You could try the MonoBrick Communication Library.  It is supported for Mac OS and does use Bluetooth as a way of communicating with the EV3 brick.

MonoBrick was listed by IntroRobotics with three other software development resources for EV3.


Identify unknown LEGO set bag 2, clear tubes with blue center and blue minifig with clear helmet? Everything is grey and blue, there is a robot/alien type guy with a clear helmet, there are 2 oversized light blue hands and some long rubber, flexible things leading us to believe he's controlling a robot. Possibly from a Marvel or Star Wars set. Lots of small clear blue pieces.

This is part of  70901-1: Mr. Freeze Ice Attack


Looking for ideas to make wire connectors compatible with Lego Functions I like to make custom battery packs for Lego Power Functions. Is there any simple way to make wire connectors?

The only option that comes to my mind is to buy LEGO Power Functions Extension Wire # 8886, cut the wire, and connect it to my custom battery pack. Would that work? Is there a better idea?

The only option comes to my mind is to buy LEGO Power Functions Extension Wire # 8886, cut the wire, and connect it to my custom battery pack. Would that work?

Yes it would work, and people have done it.

Here's a YouTube video someone has made on their own custom Power Functions batteries.

  Is there a better idea?

I don't think it would really be possible to produce a Power Functions compatible connector for less that the $3 LEGO charges for their cable at a small scale, so that's probably your cheapest option.


Help Identifying a LEGO Set from bag 7 I have a sealed bag of LEGO bricks that I am trying to identify. The bag is labelled with a large number 7. The pieces are dark blue, light gray, dark gray. It looks like there is a smaller bag of pieces within the larger bag. I took photos, but can't figure out how to add them to this post. Can anyone help me?

Without pictures it would be extremely hard to tell, especially since both dark and light gray are very common colors. However you might be able to identify some of the dark-blue color pieces to see which set the bag is from. Dark-blue is a much less common color than the grays, so it would be quicker to identify what you have. The fact that it is a #7 bag seems to indicate that it is coming from a larger set.

What I would do is look at the dark-blue pieces and find one that is NOT a common piece (so anything that is NOT a plate, tile or brick). Then go to the BrickLink color-guide for dark-blue pieces, and find the one you have. From there you will see which sets the part comes in. Identify another 3-5 less common pieces, and you should be able to see which set the bag is from. Here is the list to all the elements that come in dark-blue: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=P&colorPart=63&v=3


How to distinguish between objects using a sonic sensor? I am trying to find a ball in the field, grab it, and drop in the specified area. I'm using an ultrasonic sensor on the front of the robot.

My current solution for locating the ball is: Turn 360 degrees and find the closest object. This part works.

After obtaining the ball it needs to be dropped in the reserved triangular area.  What can I do to make the sonic sensor distinguish between the ball, walls, and the triangular drop area?

It's been quite a while since I've programmed a robot, but using only the sonic sensor does make it a bit more challenging.  Also, not knowing anything else about the robot you've built (it's size, other sensors & their location, the ball grabbing mechanism, etc.) it further complicates any possible advice.

That being said, the only solution I could think of would be to use the opening/doorway to the room as a reference point for the robot.  The sensor should be able to locate it since it's "open", and the robot sent towards it.  The line on the ramp leads me to believe your robot has a color sensor for line following, therefore should be able to detect the line at the doorway once it arrives.  This will also allow the robot to "true" its location, which would allow rotating "x" degrees to have you pointing directly at the drop-off point.  Then straight forward and (?) because I have no idea how your robot even picks the balls up or drops them.

My other solution would be to have a mechanical release lever for the ball.  The lever would be positioned so only the low wall of the triangle could push it.  This would be a much more simple solution in theory.


Can you help me identify this part? After a lot of circus and calisthenics with a magnifying glass and lamp, I'm still unable to read the part number. I've also clicked thru' about 180 pages of LEGO 'Pick a Brick' and didn't find it there.

Could someone please help me identify this part number? Apologies in advance for my failing eyesight :)

This is part 11458 Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Pin Hole on Top. Much easier to find on Bricklink than by scrolling through Pick-a-Brick. Welcome to Bricks.SE!


Identification of Batman / Joker Set I went through the DC Comics Super Heroes and Batman categories of Brickset without being able to identify the origin of this bag of pieces.

The only information are 135149 and a year, 2011, written on it, but, apparently, this does not give any concrete information. The number 6062861 is written on a white box, and numerous pieces should give hints to identify it (Joker, Batman, 4 wheels, dynamite, flame, a big red "catapult").

It looks that it is not inappropriate to ask here for such an information (cf. Jourbac comment), and I don't know how to use Bricklink.
Is it the first part of a larger set?

This specific piece, a Tile 2 x 4 with Batman Logo Pattern,

turns out to be one of the first piece that comes out when looking for Batman at BrickLink, and appears only in one set, the "Batman: Defend the Batcave" set:


Help Me Identify This Brick / Bracket I'm trying to recreate the building in the picture (Berghain by Matteo Plateroti), but I'm having trouble finding what bricks, tiles, or brackets were used at the bottom layer with white stripes.

I assume those are 1x2 tiles at the front but what are they attached to?

Close-up (cut from a larger resolution image):

Picture little blurry, but this is what I see...  The builder attached the tiles to Part Number Forty-Seventy.

Part #4864a, the (black) window piece is really trans-black in color, but the way it's used here, with it being reversed and all, obstructs the proper identity of the white 1x1 bricks, causing some viewing tricks on the eyes...


LEGO and fuel company commercial relationship? Over the years LEGO has used a number of real-world fuel company names on its products:

ESSO
Shell
Exxon.

I'd be interested to understand the commercial relationship between LEGO and these companies. I see several possibilities:

LEGO pays these companies to use their name, or
These companies pay LEGO to promote their brand, or
The companies enter into a mutual understanding with no cash exchange.

LEGO switched to a fictional fuel brand, Octan, in 1992. Was this at the behest of the other companies or a decision made by LEGO? What were the reasons behind the switch from real-world companies?

The exact details of the business agreements between LEGO and the companies whose names and logos it has license to use are confidential, but we can infer some general information.

The sets LEGO has produced that feature an oil company name or logo fall into three general categories:

Sets produced by LEGO with only the branding of the oil company and without any LEGO branding on the package. These were used as promotional items by the oil company.
Sets produced as promotional items and distributed through the stations of the oil company that had both LEGO branding and the name/logo of the oil company
Sets sold in the LEGO catalog and regular retail stores that included oil company names and logos

In the first category were the 1:87 vehicle models LEGO produced for Esso in 1955. These were given away at Esso stations with a 3-liter minimum purchase of fuel. The packaging was a printed cardboard box featuring the Esso brand and its "oil-drop" man mascot. The LEGO name appeared only on the underside of the model. Because these sets did not have prominent LEGO branding, it is possible Esso simply contracted with LEGO to produce them and purchased them directly from LEGO.

At the same time Esso was giving these LEGO-made models away, however, LEGO was also selling them in its catalog with co-branded packaging:

In a typical license agreement, a company will pay an agreed amount to use another company's trade name and logo on its products. The agreement will usually indicate what products will carry the logo and the length of time the agreement is in effect. Since it appears LEGO was producing sets for Esso at the same time it was using Esso's logo on sets it sold to the public, there may have been a reciprocal agreement between the companies where LEGO "traded" its truck models for the license to use the Esso logo on its retail sets.

In the second category are sets like 1255 Shell Car Wash. These were LEGO sets with the Shell brand that were sold only through Shell stations and not made available in the LEGO catalog or at regular retail stores.

As with Esso, however, LEGO was also producing regular retail sets that included the Shell name and logo at the same time it was producing exclusive promotional sets that were sold only at Shell stations. Since both companies stood to benefit from the arrangement, it is possible they had a reciprocal agreement where LEGO produced exclusive sets for Shell in exchange for license to use the Shell name and logo on retail sets. LEGO stopped producing Shell branded sets in 1992. In 2004, the Shell brand reappeared on some promotional sets like Ferrari F1 Racer, which include the Shell logo as well as several other sponsors of the Ferrari racing team.

In the third category are the regular retail sets that have oil company logos and names. All of the Exxon-branded sets fall in this category, as it does not seem LEGO ever produced any exclusive promotional Exxon sets that were sold only through fuel stations. In the case of Exxon, it may be that a regular license agreement was in effect where LEGO paid Exxon for the use of its name and logo for a certain length of time.

A typical license agreement also names the geographical areas where the licensed products will be sold. Prior to 1986, LEGO only sold retail Shell products in the UK, Europe and Australia. It is likely their agreement with Shell only covered these geographical areas. From 1986 to 1992 Shell-branded sets became available in the United States, suggesting that the license agreement was expanded around 1986. Exxon-branded sets were sold only in the United States from 1979 to 1982.

With the exception of some promotional sets, LEGO stopped using actual oil company names and logos on its sets in 1992 when it introduced the fictional Octan brand. At that time it appears Shell was the only oil company LEGO had an active license agreement with. It is likely its agreement with Shell had expired and the two companies agreed not to renew it. The switch to Octan has obvious advantages to LEGO as it is not restricted by any license agreements as to where the products can be sold or which products carry the logo.


Are there plans to release new trains for AFOL? I just built the Maersk train, what an amazing model! I did a little research and found that it was released in 2011 and the Emerald Night was released in 2009. Given the two year gap it seems reasonable to assume there will be new train in 2013. Does Lego have a schedule or patterns for this kind of thing?

With the exception of evergreen themes like CITY and Duplo, it's not easy to predict when sets are released. Based on trends of the last 11 years, I've included the last 20 train sets that have been released in a table:

At least one train set has been released each year apart from the year 2008. The table marks an average of 1.66 train sets per year. It's fair to assume that a new train set will be released in 2012 or 2013.
Duplo, accessories, motors and track sets not included. I've included the Western Train Chase from the Toy Story theme, The Constitution Train Chase from The Lone Ranger theme and The Ghost Train from the Monster Fighters theme which you may wish to exclude as anomalies. The right-most column marks which sets were sold with track.
Set data gathered from Brickset.
Download .CSV [?]


Alternative to LEGO CONTROL+ app My son just received the Liebherr R 9800 excavator 42100 LEGO set.

It would seem the Control+ app that is recommended for it simply won't work. It doesn't even connect to the blocks.

What are the available alternatives? And if this SE allows it, any recommendation/comparison between them would be greatly appreciated.

We're just looking to control each motor individually, no fancy achievement, scenarios, etc... We'll be able to compile from source, if needed, on MacOS or Ubuntu. We'll be able to run Android and IOS apps too (although I'd prefer to stick with official app stores), but the house has no Microsoft OSes available.

Edit: apparently control+ Android Pixel 3 simply doesn't work, but the app works on IOS. In my case, using BrickController 2 on Android solved the issue.

There is an alternative app called BrickController 2. It is available for both Android as well as iOS. This application is actively developed and its maintainer can be reached on Eurobricks forums. You can also report and discuss any issues there.

The application is universal compared with solution offered by LEGO since one device allows you to control more than just LEGO Power-UP electronics. The following receivers are supported, by the time of this answer:

LEGO Powered-Up HUB
LEGO Boost HUB
LEGO Technic HUB
LEGO Power Function infrared receiver (on devices having infrared emitter)
SBrick and SBrick Plus (3rd party devices)
BuWizz 1 and 2 (3rd party devices)


LEGO kit 42082 step 1041 issue Gray part will not fit into black pieces labeled 1 and 2. Tried them all, doesn’t fit right. If I put the gray piece in the other end it fits, but that’s not how it’s supposed to go. It’s like the hole on the one side is too small... Help please?

I'm assuming all parts you have are not damaged as this is possible, but highly unlikely, event.

I've tried to connect both parts myself. And this piece

is indeed harder to push into desired location as pictured in step 1041. Unlike the same hole from the other side of the panel. I've encountered this myself quite a few times while building other models. If you check both ends of the hole on a panel you'll notice that one has outer ring, which helps centering the connector, unlike the spot in 1041 step. I find it just a little harder to center the piece, but eventually it goes in and feels like it supposed to be there.

You can use something to help you with a task, like a 3L Technic pin, which can be attached to connector to help with a task.


Identify these non-LEGO vintage building logs I found these little brick logs. Mum said they were sticklebricks but they're definitely not! Does anyone know what they are?

These look like

I found a few ebay listings for this item, they seem to be from the 60's, but no luck on finding further information.


How many different colours of LEGO bricks are there? Excluding translucent pieces, how many colours of official LEGO bricks are there?

The official LEGO color chart at Peeron has 111 colors listed. There are 14 listed as "transparent" (or "tr"), so - 97.

The Peeron guide also lists CMYK, RGB, HTML Hex Codes (displayed as the sample), and Pantone numbers for each.


How do I get unlimited color options on LDD? The title says it all.  I believe there is an unlimited option?  I just want to use it to make digital models.

To use the unlimited option of LDD, when you start the program and the little window pops up that lets you load or start building a set, click  the tab at the top of the window that says extended version and click add new!  then, you'll have unlimited brick and color selection.


Please identify this black 2x2 tile with sticker, sunset with 2 palm trees and boat Can someone identify the set origin of this sticker on a black 2x2 tile?

This is part #  3068bpb0183 : Tile 2 x 2 with Hovercraft Sunset Pattern (Sticker)

From 8485-1: Control Centre II


Have the model files for the LEGO Sonic head piece been released in LDD or LDraw parts library? I am referring to the "LEGO Dimensions" video game Sonic head piece. I can't seem to find the name of the model, assuming it even exists in these libraries. I've been looking for it everywhere.

I can answer half of this question. I have the latest version of LDD and after a thorough examination of the available head pieces, I can report that the Sonic mold has not been added to the parts library. If anyone else here has the latest LDraw parts library, they will be able to answer the other half of this question.

Here is a shot of all the non-standard head molds:


How to install NXT / EV3 software on Windows 8.1 RT I have a 64 GB Microsoft Surface running Windows 8.1 RT. I am trying to install the old NXT 2.0 software and new EV3 software, but when I try to open the .exe file it says:

  This app can't run on your PC

  To find apps for this PC, open the windows store.

How am I supposed to install this?

Sadly that's a limitation of Windows RT - there's no way you can install the EV3 software on there.

Windows RT can only run apps from the Windows Store (and some specially compiled apps that MS supply such as Office RT - however I don't think the typical user can install a correctly compiled non-Store app on the Surface - as a developer you can side load your apps for testing, but they are still Store apps).

Technical Aside:

Windows RT is compiled to run on ARM chips, which are similar to the ones in a Phone or other tablet device - as such applications such as EV3 which are compiled to run on "x86/x64" chips will not work - it's similar to the difference between x86 and amd64 - these were different chips, with different instruction sets.

LEGO would need to produce a Windows Store version of the EV3 software, alongside any other mobile versions and - sadly for you and me (yes I've got one too) - there probably isn't enough market penetration to justify it yet...


How can I find the unique parts in the 71040 Disney Castle? We've been having fun putting together the 71040 Disney Castle.  But we keep wondering: which parts are in this set that haven't been in any other set with these particular colors?

I've seen this information presented in other Designer Videos, but for the Disney Castle Designer Video they're spending their time playing with Mickie and teleporting from Denmark to Anaheim, CA so the unique parts are barely mentioned.  For instance, they don't talk about the 19121 Fence which is new to this set in white:

I also have found bricklink's part list for it but I don't see how to filter that down to unique parts.  Is there an easy way to cull this from bricklink or another LEGO set database?

According to the review from Rebrickable these are the parts in new colors:

Aside from the Minifigs, there are no new part designs. There are plenty of parts appearing in new colors though.

Dark Blue 3943b - Cone 4 x 4 x 2
Dark Blue 44375a - Dish 6 x 6 Inverted
Dark Blue 3685 - Slope 75° 2 x 2 x 3 Double Convex
Dark Blue 98560 - Slope 75° 2 x 2 x 3 - Solid Studs
Dark Bluish Gray 99301 - Slope 33° 3 x 3 Double Concave
White 18838 - Brick Arch 1 x 12 x 3 Raised Arch with 5 Cross Supports
White 20310 - Brick Special 1 x 1 with Scroll with Open Stud
White 19121 - Fence Ornamented 1 x 4 x 2 with 4 Studs


What is this black brick with red tubes inside? In an old plastic bag with heterogeneous Lego bricks, I found three or four like this.

I can't recognise them: does anybody know what they are? In which set(s) were they used? What for?

A few more details. The small red tubes sound like they are slightly loose inside the brick. The one that connects the long sides is unobstructed (while of course it interrupts the other two).
From above, the brick looks like normal 2×4 black one, apart for the holes on the sides:

This is a 7049b - Wheel brick. It was used with the first LEGO wheels back in the 60's to create vehicles like this:

This was a very common piece (in white and black) when it was produced between 1959-1992 and was used in 176 sets according to BrickLink.

Per @GalacticCowboy's comment: As shown in the inset, the wheels had a metallic axle that snapped into the holes. Because they were modular, you could use wheels in whatever configuration you desired.


Connecting "out of system" roads? I've been trying to figure out how to connect SNOT road models that are at varying angles to one another. You can see my efforts in this thread.

Are there any interesting methods of connecting roads like these that most people might not be aware of? I read up on integer triangles, but there are none for 45 degree angles, and probably none for 30 and 60 degree angles as well.

Are there any special parts that make this possible?

See also: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/2607147/is-there-a-pythagorean-triple-whose-angles-are-90-45-and-45-degrees

Here is an example that is fairly close, except that the road pieces are not connected to one another.

There ARE integer sided triangles that have angles of 60 or 120 degrees, see here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenstein_triple but I'm not sure how this helps you for building roads.
45 degrees there indeed aren't any.
A progress of going one stud forward one stud left will get you 45 degrees if working studs on top. In case of SNOT 2 studs forward, 5 plates will also progress in an angle of 45 degrees.
There are elements that let you progress half a plate, so 1 stud to 2.5 plates works also.
For 60 or 30 degrees, the tangent is irrational so no 'precise' or exact progression exists, but it can probably fairly well be approximated.
There are technic pieces called angular connectors that make angles that are multiples of 22.5 degrees. Also several connectors that make multiples of 60 degrees.
Also hinges that "click" in angles of 22.5 degrees...

Update: picture of angular connectors

you would additionally need technic axles and bricks having axle holes:

But there are lots of other ways to connect the connectors, e.g. bricks with pin holes and a half-axle pin, half pins with stud, axles with stud,...


Do the minifigure utensil cups stack like 1x1 bricks? Do Minifigure Utensil Cups stack on top of eachother?
bricklink

No. The diameter on top of the cup is larger than stud, but also smaller than the outer diameter of anti-stud.


How can I minimize the number of merchants for given set of requested bricks? This question should be answered in Bricklink FAQ, but I didn't find answer there.

I'm a casual Lego hobbyist, I have a few sets with random pieces missing, about two dozens of them. Some are truly rare. What is the best way to find smallest group of sellers having (collectively) all required bricks? It will minimize cost of sending packages overseas.

You can create a wishlist, then view sellers ordered by the number of lots they have of the items in that wishlist.  That should give you a good starting point.


Firmly connect bricks in a triangle I need to connect two bricks onto a plate such that the plate is facing up, and the two bricks are facing out from above it at an angle (say 30 degrees) but are connected firmly, at opposite ends with their studs facing out.

Ideally this would fit in around a 2 x 4 brick size, and not be too fragile.

The top image shows the two plates (assume 2x2) facing out at an angle from the 4 by 4 plate below.

The bottom image is the same from above.
What I'd like to figure out is what to put in between. Assume that there will be stuff attached to the 2x2 plates, enough that the standard 2x1 hinge will probably just flop.

How firm does it need to be? Wouldn't something like this be enough?

If not, you can try to lock the parts into place with "cheese" slopes, but it's not as neat:


Is there a functional difference between bricks w/ and w/o bottom tubes? For instance:

3040a - Slope 45° 2 x 1 - without Bottom Tube

and

3040b - Slope 45° 2 x 1

Are both of these always interchangeable? If not, what are the cases where you would absolutely need no bottom tubes?

Parts with and without bottom tubes are nearly always interchangeable in normal building scenarios.

However, there is definitely a functional difference. Not having bottom tubes generally does the following:

Reduces clutch power. There's one less surface for the stud to produce friction against.
Allows for lots of different connection points along the bottom edge rather than just at both ends. This can be useful in places where you aren't always working in whole numbers of modules. For example, here's one way that you could build a wall at 45 degrees to what you would normally build by exploiting 1x2 bricks without bottom tubes:


What's the maximum pressure one airtank can withstand and how to tell its limit? I bought a airtank and using it to support many v2 pneumatic cylinders, while I'm using a v1 pump and one motor to pump air to this air tank. Since another airtank or a lego pressure gauge is very expensive in my area, I'm trying to continue with my current installation. I also noticed that the speed of the motor is getting slower while air continue being pushed in.

But is there any way to tell if the airtank is at its limit, and can it explode by using just one pump and one motor? And what's the pressure limit approximately if you have a gauge to measure? Thank you very much!

You will not destroy the air tank using standard LEGO components. I don't know what it's structural limits are, but I can tell you that the weakest link in the pneumatic system in my experience is the connection between the rubber pneumatic tubes and plastic inlets. Under high pressure, the tubes will simply pop off before any of the components will actually break.

I believe that the most pressure you are going to be able to achieve using standard LEGO components is around 40psi. All of the components can easily handle this pressure.

If you'd like to do some exploration of this on your own, you might want to get your hands on the pneumatic pressure gauge that has been available in the LEGO Education line:

If you really want to know the maximum pressure limit of the tank itself, you'd probably need to somehow attach it to real compressor and wait for it to break. I like my pneumatic components too much to do this myself. :)


What is water displacement value for LEGO solid hulls? I'm building a boat model out of LEGO and I need to decide which boat hull to use. I need the smallest that can carry 485g of load. Where can I get information about water displacement of unitary LEGO boat hulls? I can compute upper bound based on the dimensions, but I'm afraid that will be a big overestimate.

It looks like the simpler problem would be to evaluate the boat hulls you could possibly find to see if any would displace 485 grams of water with enough free board to stay afloat.
Here is a list of all of the unique boat hulls I could find on bricklink that looked to me likely to hold water:
Boat Hull Unitary 16 x 8 Base
Boat Hull Unitary 22 x 8 x 2 1/3 (Set 6429)
Boat Hull Unitary 24 x 6 x 3 with Red and White Racing Stripes Pattern on Both Sides (Stickers) - Set 4002
Boat Hull Unitary 25 x 10 x 4 1/3 with 4010 and Police Pattern (Stickers) - Set 4010
Boat Hull Unitary 28 x 8 Base
Boat Hull Unitary 32 x 10 x 1 2/3, Base
Boat Hull Unitary 32 x 12 x 4, Base
Boat Hull Unitary 38 x 10 x 5 2/3
Boat Hull Unitary 41 x 12 x 5 with Light Bluish Gray Top
Boat Hull Unitary 48 x 6 x 5, Base (Catamaran Half)
Boat Hull Unitary 51 x 12 x 6 with Side Bulges, Base
Boat Hull Unitary 51 x 12 x 6, Base
Boat Hull Unitary 52 x 12 x 6 1/3
Boat Hull Unitary 52 x 16 x 5, Base
Boat Hull Unitary 74 x 18 x 7, Base
Duplo, Boat Hull 10 x 18 Bottom Section
Duplo, Boat Hull 12 x 24 Bottom Section
Duplo, Boat Hull 14 x 27 Bottom Section
Duplo, Boat Hull 6 x 16 with 4 x 4 Cargo Hold with Green Bottom
Duplo, Boat Hull 7 x 12 Bottom Section
Duplo, Boat Hull 8 x 15 Deck Studs with Red Bottom
Duplo, Boat Hull 8 x 17 with Police Pattern
Fabuland Boat Hull Large
There are over 200 variations of these parts with colors and prints. Have fun!


What's the best way to machine LEGO pieces on a mill? Does anyone have experience with modifying LEGO pieces on a mill? Any suggestions on cutting speed?

I don't have any experience modifying a brick with a mill but I have had success using a drill press, knife, and dremel. I can't imagine there being any problems while using a mill.

If you're looking to clean out the pipes inside a brick, I've found higher speeds with a drill work better. At a lower speed, the bit cuts into the pipe but doesn't remove any of the plastic. When the bit is spinning faster, it doesn't cut into the pipe but shaves the plastic off.

Lego is ABS plastic, I believe, so doing some research on working with ABS, rather than specifically Lego, might give you more answers too.


Why won't the loop block in my EV3 program stop? I am building a robotic hand, and I programmed the finger to close when the touch sensor is pressed, and release when the touch sensor is released. It did that with a loop block -

but when I ran this the finger kept holding down. I could tell because when I tried to gently tug on the motor, it wouldn't budge.

Can anybody tell me what's going on?

Your code instructs the motor to continuously turn in one direction, and because you chose a motor block in the “on” mode, it will continue to turn even during the loop condition check. The loop condition says the loop will continue as long as the button is released (AFAIK, I don’t have an EV3 close by currently to validate this), which means that it does exactly the opposite of what you intended. Change the loop condition to loop as long as the touch sensor is pressed and you will fix this issue. Plus, once the loop finishes, the motor will still continue to turn; you would need to put a Motor block in the “off” mode directly after the loop.


Can anyone help identify the LEGO bags, lime, dark green, and dark grey? I have 3 bags of LEGO. I need the instructions. Can anyone help?

These bags are from
9457-1: Fangpyre Wrecking Ball

Based on

Track Element, 5X1,5
4625623: Cupboard 2X3X2
and the multiple other Bright Yellowish Green parts


NXT Display is messed up I have an NXT 1.0 and the LCD display only displays noise.  Anyone know how to get one replaced or repaired?

There is a great video on YouTube that shows how to repair this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCZNc7tPop0

Basically, there are some surface mount capacitors on the PCB board for the screen/buttons that need a little bit of soldering to make sure they are properly electrically connected.

I have performed this repair myself with success.


Can you identify these 20 year old LEGO sets? Castle pieces with red bird and tall staircase? We have boxes of LEGO which our children used to play with but now the grandchildren want to build things. Can anyone recognize which sets we might have so we can look up the instructions?

It looks like the bulk of the parts are from The Chamber of Secrets (4730):

As Henrik mentioned, Sorting Hat (4701) is also present:

Jason pointed out that Dumbledore's Office (4739) is also present:

I thought it might be worth noting that these old Harry Potter sets are fairly valuable to collectors. The Chamber of Secrets alone in complete used condition is currently worth ~$100 USD.


Finding a Piece with a Picture I have been trying to find this Lego Piece for a while now and I just can't seem to find it. I saw this Lego Warthog MOC on Youtube by hachiroku24 and wanted to build it, but I can't seem to identify the main part of the turret. The piece is the black one in the lower middle and I can't seem to find it anywhere. Anyone have any ideas?

Here's the video URL for a better look at the piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2NBk0SaIY&t=1s

The piece is question appears to be part# 15071, via Bricklink:

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=123914#T=C


LEGO set from these two structures Got these but could not identify the set.


Attaching a ring-like handle to a castle door I'd like to attach a round metal looking handle to a castle door such as this one.

I did a search for 'ring' on Bricklink and found the life preserver.

Would this work, or are there better options?
I wonder if I could just thread a key ring through a technic brick.

I agree with Alex. There's no reason to settle for a ring, when you could use the ring.

Here's one way to attach it if you want the ring to look like it is hanging down from the door: