# Question
Title: Are the blue and grey 12v train system compatible?
Are the two generations of 12v train compatible?

Eg can you combine a "blue" remote controlled point and a "grey" 12v transformer?

Main motivation for this: I have a complete "grey" set of trains, tracks and accessories and "blue" items are much much cheaper on the re-sale market, so I'd rather buy additional "blue" items.

# Answer
It's more or less obvious that tracks themselves are compatible, although blue rails won't go on dark gray sleepers, which isn't really a problem. You may want to use more sleepers under blue tracks to stabilise it, although the 12v inserts help. Mixing blue and grey track and inserts shouldn't be a problem, should you wish to do so.

Motors are also compatible and pick up power the exact same way. Cables use the same connectors and are thus compatible too (if you want to add lighting to your trains).

As for accessories, I can't be sure but I believe there are limitations. If you look at the blue transformer, you'll notice the output to remote control the switch is 16v AC, while grey era remotes use 12v DC. Feeding 12v remotes with 16v might work (it's just an electromagnet inside and shouldn't be exposed for too long), if the blue era remotes need 16v, they may not work with only 12v.

Moreover, the wiring is also different: 12v era remotes use a standard cable, and the polarity determines the direction you want to turn it, but the blue era points use a 3-wire cable, as evidence by this extension cable. And let's not forget the difference AC/DC, which mean you'll have to add some non-LEGO components to make it work.

In short, I think controlling 12v era remotes with the blue transformer should be easy (a couple of diodes should do the trick), but the opposite might prove tricky, and if you have blue points, you may want to get a blue transformer as well. (Then again, I don't know enough about electronics to know how tricky it would be).

A small caveat though: I assumed you have the blue point without the remotes themselves, but since they were sold together, it could be that you get the point, wiring and remote together. If that's so, you best bet is to use the 12v AC output of the 7864 transformer - maybe that's its purpose (and if you try that, and it works, please go answer that question).
> 6 votes

# Answer
The answer is yes.

Using the 13v~ (alternate) output of the grey line transformer you can command the blue line switches.

This is not in the manual of the new transformer (it is a kind of hidden door to the past) and the blue line transformer switches output was 16v~, but I've tried it and it works.
> 2 votes

# Answer
I just got some blue era stuff. I'm going to try and see what happens, but the grey era Transformer has \>13V output and I think that is legacy for the blue track stuff. So that you can plug in switches to there (until now I've wondered what on earth that output is for!!)
> 0 votes

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Tags: trains, compatibility, 12v
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# Question
Title: Do extra parts add to set's resell value?
When I build a set I tend to keep the box and instructions as I noticed they add to the value of the set.

I also keep the extra parts in the box but I'm not so sure if they add actual value. My understanding is they are random so there is no way to confirm they are the original pieces that came with the set.

Is there any value in keeping them along with the set when selling?

UPDATE: Based on the comments I understand the extra parts are consistent and predictable. So I would have thought having extra parts in would make the set more valuable. In BrickLink generally the status of box, minifigs and instructions are mentioned. No mention of extra parts.

Am I correct to think it doesn't add value if we included extra parts?

Thanks.

# Answer
Generally, I think it doesn't add much value. But it depends.

Some sets, like US version of 8284, have extra parts crucial for alternative model (aka B-model). So unless you include them, you are selling incomplete set. The inclusion of all parts to build all models is part of "complete" condition description on Bricklink. Extra parts excluded though.

Then again, new DOTS sets, which have random printed tiles, but the number of included items is the same. So if you are looking for particular print, it would be nice to have extra.

Sure, there's a ton of sets with quite generic extra pieces, that you may already have a ton of. And buyer may as well already have a lot of them. However, buying a used set with box, instructions, stickers/sticker sheet as well as extra parts is always nice, especially if it is older set.
> 4 votes

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Tags: shopping, value, preservation
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title: Please help identify this LEGO set

text:
# Question
Title: Please help identify this LEGO set
Got it from bulk, please help identify the set.

# Answer
This is Yoda's hut from Set # 4502-1: X-wing Fighter

key part: Tan Brick, Arch 1 x 6 x 2 Curved Top
> 9 votes

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Why do gray axles appear black and black axles appear white and black in this manual?
I've been looking through the parts of an old manual I have and I noticed the odd-length gray axles appear black and the even-length black axles appear white and black.

Is this just an artifact of the lossy compression and thick outline colors? It appears gray parts are outlined in black and black parts are outlined in white. I'm pretty sure this set came with standard axle colors.

# Answer
I don't have this set, but used 8421 as a test. This set is also released in 2005.

Looking at the PDF you see the same color scheme of the axles, were the black appear to be gray and vice versa

When looking at the instruction manual

You see the normal colors, so indeed your set came with the normal colors and due to some bad scanning and compression the pdf got discolored
> 13 votes

# Answer
The cause is simple. The images are authored in a vector or CAD format. When Lego rendered these vector images to the low resolution images in the PDFs, the thin outlines got turned into lines with a thickness of one pixel. Due to their small yet complex cross-section the axles get mostly covered by their outlines.
> 10 votes

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Tags: part-identification, technic, instructions
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# Question
Title: Have you ever seen this color of Teddy Bear?
I found a Teddy Bear in transparent red color, have anyone ever seen this before? I'm just not sure where can I buy this guy.

# Answer
> 9 votes
Neither Bricklink nor Brickset knows about such a piece (all teddy bear pieces of this mold with downward arms come in non-transparent colours and are printed), so it must be either a knock-off (very low value), or a test mold (very high value).

# Answer
> 2 votes
To add to the answer above, check if it has the LEGO logo and the mould number molded on the bottom. Both should be clearly visible. If they are there, it's LEGO, if not, it isn't.

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Tags: colour
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# Question
Title: Help identifying a few small bar and clip pieces
There are a handful of parts I cannot identify and I would be super happy if anyone could help!

# Answer
> 10 votes
Bar 1L with Top Stud and Two Side Studs

Arm Skeleton \[Bent / 2 Clips\]

Bar 4L

3.2 Shaft w/3.2 Hole

Flag 2 x 2 Trapezoid

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Tags: part-identification, piece-information
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title: Part identification (single part)

text:
# Question
Title: Part identification (single part)
I'd be grateful if someone could help me identify this part. It's from the Lego Power Functions Ideas book, which has a gallery of required parts, but without part numbers.

# Answer
It is 4281515: Bionicle Eye.

Appears in 22 sets according to Brickset.
> 11 votes

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Tags: part-identification
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title: LEGO set from these two structures

text:
# Question
Title: LEGO set from these two structures
Got these but could not identify the set.

# Answer
This looks like Border Ambush (8778):
> 7 votes

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Are there additional motors and/or sensors that can be used to extend LEGO Boost?
What extra motors and sensors can be bought to extend the LEGO Boost (17101) set?

I have heard the WeDo motors have the same connector but not if they are compatible with the Boost hub. Are they available separately?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Lego now sell Boost compatible motors separately

https://shop.lego.com/en-NZ/product/Medium-Linear-Motor-88008

# Answer
> 7 votes
I've tried attaching one of the Powered up motors from the batmobile set (76112) This motor looks identical to me as the WeDo motor (although brickset and bricklink don't list them as identical at the time of this writing)

I could not get it to work, all profiles of the fixed build models complain that the external motor is not attached. The free build profile doesn't have any block that looks like the M-motor and using the boost motor block doesn't work either.

So my guess would be that at the time of this writing, no additional components are currently available for the Boost set...

The other way around, i.e. attaching the Boost motor to the hub from the batmobile, works...

I also purchased LEDs last saturday from an official lego store (had to ask, they had them in the back) they work on the batmobile hub, but I can't get them to work on the boost hub.

# Answer
> 1 votes
It depends on which app you want to use. My impression is that the **Boost app** can work with one Boost hub, one Boost motor and one Boost color/distance sensor.

If you use the **PoweredUp app**, you can use WeDo sensors and WeDo motors as well. But you always have to set the ports explicitely and remember that the external ports on the Boost hub are ports C and D. The WeDo motor only offers "Set power to X" functionality, no "Set power to X and run for Y seconds" or "Go to position" or "Turn for 5 rotations". This is a property of the motor, the Boost motor has all these abilities when using the PoweredUp app.

It seems you cannot use Spike motors or sensors with the PoweredUp app and the Boost hub, or at least I could not. Although you can use the Spike motors reasonably well with the PoweredUp app and the small (Bat Mobile) PoweredUp hub. The only thing that is missing then is the position readout.

I do not own a large or extra large PoweredUp motor and no large PoweredUp hub. Given that using the Spike motor with the Boost hub did not work, but using the the WeDo motor did, I am really unsure about what to expect re. the larger PoweredUp motors. I would expect the large PU hub to behave similarly to the small one.

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Tags: wedo, boost, powered-up
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# Question
Title: Any way to get the current motor position or angle in WeDo 2 (when accessing hub via BLE protocol)?
I have managed to write a small C# program that lets me play around with the WeDo 2 hub. I can read sensor values or set the speeds of up to two connected WeDo motors independently (I am aware that Lego says that this is not a good idea). The program is slightly similar to what is being done on this link, just (so far) more ugly and less sophisticated. For reading the sensor values, I got some really useful hints from this German-language article.

Anyway, this means it is now almost possible to build a remote controlled car with steering. The only thing that is missing is some way to verify that the steering is in neutral position. For this, it would be practical to have some way to read the current motor position (or angle) and/or to tell the motor to go to a certain position (or angle).

I have tried this:

* I have tried using some of the commands mentioned in this piece of documentation. However, none of them worked, except plain StartPower(Power). Given that the Guids mentioned in the document were not particularly helpful when trying to make the WeDo 2 hub work as expected, this document may not be very relevant here.
* I have tried reading sensor values, but I did not get any values for the port that the motor is plugged into. For the two "real" WeDo sensors, one has to perform an initialization before they provide values. I do not know if or how it is possible to initialize the motor in order to provide its current position or angle.
* I have tried using the LegoDeviceSdk. But this does not seem to offer anything beyond "turn with power X" either.

Any ideas how I could get a motor position, or make the motor rotate to a desired position?

# Answer
Based on the answer to this question and some experiments with other hubs and other motors today (Boost hub + Boost motor + small PoweredUp hub), it seems that the WeDo motors really lack any ability beyond "Run with power X". Given that the WeDo motor is the same model that is built into the Bat Mobile, I would expect that the PoweredUp app would offer more functions for this motor if the motor was capable of them.
> 4 votes

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Tags: programming, powered-up, bluetooth, wedo
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# Question
Title: What is the battery life of the new Mindstorms and SPIKE Prime hubs?
The new Mindstorms v4 and SPIKE Prime hubs include a 2100mAh Lithium-ion battery. How long is it expected to last when running a program?

# Answer
> 14 votes
Power consumption and battery life will of course vary based on the load that the hub is driving. Philo has an extensive analysis for motor power consumption, so I'll just look at what the hub itself consumes while running a program to come up with a baseline battery life estimate.

I've uploaded a test Python program to my hub that gently blinks a heartbeat LED:

```
import hub,utime
while True:
    hub.led(0,0,10)
    utime.sleep_ms(500)
    hub.led(0,0,0)
    utime.sleep_ms(500)

```

In order to measure the current draw, I first wired up the battery to the hub with the battery outside the hub:

I then connected a basic multimeter up in series with the hub as a current sensor:

We can see that the Hub with the simple program running consumes about **150mA** of current. Assuming ideal usage of the included 2100mAh battery, the hub should be able to run for approximately 2100mAh / 150mA = 14 hours while not driving any peripherals.

Peripherals such as motors (and even the LED display) quickly dwarf the power consumption of the hub itself, but under normal usage we should expect to see several hours of battery life.

---
Tags: battery, spike-prime, robot-inventor
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# Question
Title: What is the LEGO code for this part used as a camcorder?
Can anyone help me ID this part for my son? I think it comes from when I was a kid in the 80s-90s. I THINK that it had a VHS-type piece tacked to its side to be a camcorder, but don't quote me on that.

# Answer
> 17 votes
That's Minifigure, Utensil Camera with Side Sight (Space Gun). Part number is 4360.

As name suggest it was used both as a camera as well as a space gun.

Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Black Tape Reels Pattern or "VHS" tape was commonly used with piece above in "camera" setup.

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Tags: part-identification
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title: Identify soft lego wings

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

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

The blue and yellow-green marbled parts don't go to the set though, they are from one of 3 Ninjago sets that are also from 2015.
> 9 votes

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Tags: part-identification, set-identification
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title: Elevator on rails

text:
# Question
Title: Elevator on rails
I'd like to build an elevator for my apartment building. My plan is to use rails and grooves to allow the elevator to slide up and down. This means I have to build the elevator with the studs facing forward instead of up. I'd like to have 4 rails on each corner of the elevator and slide them along grooves outside the elevator.
Here's some pictures of what I've built so far:

The problem is that because of the dimensions, I can't quite get the grooves and rails to line up with eachother. How do I calculate a set of dimensions for the elevator that will allow it to attach to 2 pairs of grooves. I supposed I could use just 1 pair of grooves in the middle, but I think that would be less stable.

# Answer
> 7 votes
If you'd like to keep your build studs up and avoid dealing with the 6:5 ratio, you could try to use Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Arm Up with the already mentioned Brick, Modified 1 x 2 x 5 with Groove, as the 3.18 mm bar will slide in the groove just fine.

---

Another option would be to keep the rest of the elevator car studs up, and only turn sideways for a few smaller rail pieces, like these: Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handles

# Answer
> 10 votes
Lego bricks are not sized similarly in each dimension. The height to width ratio of a brick is 6:5, which means that 2 bricks stacked on top of each other with their studs up are 6 plates high, but the same 2 bricks stacked on top of each other on their sides (studs facing sideways) are only 5 plates high. Said differently, bricks placed sideways (studs to the side) align correctly with a regular brick pattern every 6 sideways placed bricks.

Use these facts to plan your rails and grooves.

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Tags: building, design, snot
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title: How old is this brick?

text:
# Question
Title: How old is this brick?
How old would you say this brick is? It has the code 2837 on the inside of it. Any info would be appreciated.

# Answer
> 25 votes
It looks like part of the old 9-Volt motor that was made from 1990 and 2002.

The full thing's part number is listed as 2838 which I assume is the mold ID stamped on dark grey base, while 2837 is the mold ID of the top part.

I don't think it's supposed to come apart, it looks like there are 4 clips on each sides which have been broken off of your piece.

# Answer
> -2 votes
Your brick appears to be the housing of the motor for the Lego Technic Dune Buggy, and may be upwards of 30 years old.

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Tags: part-identification, history
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# Question
Title: Part identification - Red 2x2 tile with fire print
Can anyone help me identify this part. I know it was probably from the 90’s. Thank you

# Answer
This is part # 3068bp57 : Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Classic Fire Logo Small Pattern

It was released from 1986 until 1994 and appears in 5 sets
> 5 votes

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 brick is not working
Recently, I tried to get my old NXT 2.0 brick fixed.
Everything seemed to point to the clicking brick problem, but it turns out not to be the only thing, the brick was also getting hot. After disassembling it, I found that the "q27" transistor was burning up.

There is "11 2x" written on the part, but it didn't point me to anything on the internet and I couldn't find any schematic for NXT 2.0 on the web. Any ideas how to identify the part?

Or maybe anyone saw the schematic for NXT 2.0?
Would writing an email to Lego give me anything?

# Answer
> 1 votes
The electrial schematic for the NXT is available in the LEGO "NXT Hardware Developer Kit". This can be found on the official LEGO MINDSTORMS download page near the bottom of the page in the *Advanced Users – Developer Kits* section.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It is likely that the main chip is dead. But if you don't have decent soldering gear then you might as well just get a new brick.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It will never hurt to contact Lego support. Customer support is busy right now so at worst you will get a no in a few days. I have had great experience with Lego support, sending me replacement pieces and replacing my NXT brick with a dead screen (common problem). You may need to provide some proof of purchase (for the NXT brick I wasn't, and I don't remember for the pieces).

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Tags: mindstorms, nxt, instructions, repair
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# Question
Title: Which buildings in LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge were based on real-world sets?
Which buildings in the LEGO Island video game were based on real-world sets? reminded me of LEGO Island 2, which I played when I was younger. I never played the original game so I don't know how many assets are reused.

Aside from the main island, the game also has several different areas. (Screenshots of every area of the game can be found at https://www.oocities.org/wonkeyzonkey/2/)

Castle Island:

Adventure Island:

Ogel Island:

I found the buildings recreated by The Brickster on Rock Raiders United forum. No indication they came from any set.

# Answer
> 7 votes
As the sequel to LEGO Island, many (but not all) of LI2's models are based on sets from 1998 to 2000.

Castle Island is based on LEGO Knights' Kingdom I. The castle itself, therefore, is loosely based on 6098 King Leo's Castle (my 3rd most wanted set of all time).

The battering ram shown in the screenshot is from 6096 Bull's Attack (my 4th most wanted set of all time — yes, right after the castle).

Adventurers Island is based on the Dino Island and Desert subthemes of LEGO Adventurers. The Sphinx shown in the screenshot somewhat resembles the one in 5978 Sphinx Secret Surprise.

The Spaceport is from 6456 Mission Control.

The Res-Q HQ is from 6479 Emergency Response Center.

6332 Command Post Central is split into two parts: the main police station building, and the jail & helicopter/helipad.

An exception is Nubby's gas station, which is a significantly modified version of 6397 Gas N' Wash Express from 1992 which was also rereleased in 2001 with the set number 6472.

The rest of the buildings appear to be unique to the game. Not even the new pizzeria seems to resemble any of the existing pizzeria sets.

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Tags: set-identification, video-games
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# Question
Title: What is the power of Lego Powered Up motors (M, L, and XL) and the Move Hub motors?
I am trying to build a setup that includes two propellers 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 used as a servo. Could you tell me the specs of these thing so I can decide which one to buy or order? Thanks

# Answer
> 4 votes
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 |

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Tags: building, motor, moc, powered-up
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title: Identifying various parts

text:
# Question
Title: Identifying various parts
I bought a lot of various parts, but I can't seem to identify the following parts.

* The grey wheels have rubber on one side of the axl hole
* I'm thinking that that the black frame-thing isn't Lego, but wanted to be sure before tossing it.
* The white wheels have circular holes, not axl holes.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The 6 black parts on the left *might* me (used): Tire 14mm D. x 9mm Smooth Small Wide Slick

# Answer
> 4 votes
* I can't identify the black parts.
* The toothed wheel is a string reel spool.
* The rest of the parts appear to have come from a Robotics Invention System set from RCX-era Mindstorms:

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Is the Technic hub putting the battery in series or parallel
Can anyone tell me how the battery in the Technic Hub is connected? Are they connecting the batteries in series or parallel? It is the hub that powers the motors, right? If all 6 AA batteries are installed, how many voltage could it give/receive?

# Answer
The batteries are in series. Which gives (in theory) 6x 1.5 = 9V.
Actually it is a little less than 9V as batteries drop voltage a little when they are used.
They can drop as low as 1.2 V when they are nearly empty (giving about 7.2V minimum voltage).
The motors can make do with as little as 7V so they keep working with nearly empty batteries. The hub most likely (I'm not 100% sure) has an electronic cutoff switch that stops it from working at all if the voltage drops too low for reliable operation. This also prevents problems if one battery empties earlier than the others or someone inserted a mix of empty and full batteries.
When using multiple batteries in a device they should ideally be from the same brand, more or less same age and same usage level. Mismatched batteries are never a good idea in multi-battery operations.

Please note: Measuring output voltage on a battery is complicated. If you just apply a Voltmeter to the battery you measure without power being drained (aka without load, the Voltmeter itself is negligible). When under load a battery usually has a lower voltage then when unloaded. How much lower depends on both the load and the condition of the battery.
So it is really problematic to give you a precise answer on "how many Volt does it give". It all depends.
> 4 votes

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Tags: technic, motor, battery
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# Question
Title: Anyone know the name of this Star Wars brick
Can someone help me find the name of this Star Wars piece and what set it came in?

# Answer
> 9 votes
This is called Windscreen 3 x 6 x 5 Bubble with Sith Infiltrator Pattern:

It came only in the 7151-1: Sith Infiltrator set in 1999.

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Tags: part-identification, piece-information, star-wars
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# Question
Title: How deep can the axle go in the Powered Up L motor?
I am trying to make a MOC but I can't decide how long the axle could be so it can go fully into the motor but not extending out of the other side. Could you tell me how long the axle can go in?

# Answer
That is only 1 stud deep.

So an axle of 5L always sticks out 4 studs
> 8 votes

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Tags: technic, motor, moc, powered-up, control-plus
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title: 1/3 of 4 studs wide possible?

text:
# Question
Title: 1/3 of 4 studs wide possible?
In this build from the World Builder game, it appears the blue and green stripes running up the length of the tower take up 1/3 of 4 studs. Is this or a close enough approximation possible to achieve, or is this just artistic liberty from the game designers? I know a plate is 1/3 of a brick height-wise (3.2 / 9.6 mm) but apparently is 2/5 width-wise (3.2 / 8 mm). So stacking plates horizontally it in theory could be approximated by 3 plates, 4 plates, 3 plates.

# Answer
You're right. They cheated.

This youtube video shows the Robot Lab from a different camera angle.

Here you can clearly see what looks like three 1x2 bricks on a 2x4 brick of the same width. Cheaters! Boo!

Alright. Let's cheat, too.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I think you are looking in perspective at a digital render of a tower base that has 1x2 blue bricks on each side (1 wide) with a 2x2 lime brick in the center. It only appears to be 1/3-1/3-1/3, but is in fact 1/4-1/2-1/4. You can see this best if you zoom in on the base plate and look at how the studs line up with the lowest tier of the base.
> 5 votes

# Answer
I also think there's some funny business going on there in that model, and in a few other models.

For fun, I built it in BrickLink Studio (or at-least, how I think it would be built, my answer here has the instructions) and rendered it from a couple of angles. While it didn't give me enough control over the camera to reproduce the perspective exactly, I think it's close enough to determine something is off about their render.

**Original:**

**My Renders:**

If the green part were twice as large as the blue, I would expect it to be almost-exactly twice as wide in those renders.

Some of the other models appears to have odd scaling on some of their parts too.

The printed slope on the Gas station appears to be a 2x1.5 corner slope for example (how would that fit over the studs?).

It's even worse on the Marina, where that piece is now sitting halfway over studs in both directions, in addition to the stilts being too tall for a single cylinder brick.

I also think there might be some cheating in the Steamshovel and Freighter and maybe some odd scaling on the Snail, but they are too low-res to be sure.

My guess would be that Gamelab's 3D models had some cheating where they re-scaled certain elements in impossible ways.
> 3 votes

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Tags: size, video-games
---


# Question
Title: Is this a LEGO part? It looks very similar to a technic axle connector 2x3 with ball socket
I recently bought a bag of random LEGO pieces which contained some non-LEGO pieces. This piece looks a lot like a Technic axle connector 2x3 with ball socket (32174 / 60176 / 93571 / 89652) but not quite the same as any of the pictures I found.

The main differences are the side isn't smooth but rather has two rectangular indentations (see picture 1) and the loops at the bottom have gaps in them (picture 2). The plastic doesn't show any signs that it has been snapped so I assume it was made like this.

I can't find any writing etched/stamped on it.

Does anyone know if this is a real LEGO piece and what its part number is if it is?

Thank you :)

Picture 1

Picture 2

# Answer
This is a non-LEGO piece since none of the LEGO parts have gaps as seen in second picture.

One thing to note. Actual LEGO elements (depends on the version of Technic, Axle Connector 2 x 3 with Ball Socket) tend to crack right where the gap is on this clone element.
> 5 votes

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Tags: part-identification, piece-information, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: What is this Mandalorian helmet/jetpack from?
I found this flat silver & blue Mandalorian helmet & jetpack in a mixed bag of minifigs. I'm pretty sure it's not LEGO - there's no LEGO mark or part number and the only thing printed is the number "2" on the inside of the helmet. There is no color on the jetpack.

All the LEGO Mandalorian parts I found online have the helmet and jetpack as 2 separate parts - this one has them connected.

Can anyone find what non-LEGO set or figure this is from? I didn't think anyone else had the rights to make Star Wars parts.

# Answer
This is part# x50px2

Minifigure, Headgear Helmet SW Rocket Pack with Jango Fett Colors Pattern

it belongs to Jango Fett (Balaclava Head)

From set 7153-1: Jango Fett's Slave I
> 8 votes

# Answer
It is real LEGO, these old boba fett/jango fett helmet and jetpack assemblies have numbers on the inside and no other markings such as the word LEGO.
> 3 votes

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Tags: star-wars, minifigure-identification
---


# Question
Title: Which set does this lego tree belong to?
I thought this is part of a Modular house but it isn't ... I don't know which set does this "tree" belong to.

<sub>(click to enlarge)</sub>

# Answer
> 6 votes
The stalk mold comes in two green versions 6097232: Stalk W. 1,5 Shaft And 3,2 Shaft and 6269940: Stalk W. 1,5 Shaft And 3,2 Shaft

Looking through photos of the sets containing these green parts, which contain some kind of tree build gives two sets:

It's not the Big Ben set as this set contain a small tree which is build using a 1x1 plate:

The Ferris Wheel has a similar tree as you have and it also contains the same white 6170419: Stick 6M W/Flange (white ring on your photo):

Only your tree is missing a second cone piece. So it is hard to tell if this tree is coming from the Ferris Wheel set or someone used that tree build to build their own.

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Tags: part-identification
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title: Round window on Wolfholm

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

# Answer
> 8 votes
The obvious part is Technic, Wedge Belt Wheel (Pulley) as Phil mentioned in the comments.

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

Jonas has confirmed this over his IG post:

> It's a Minion Eye.

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Tags: part-identification
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title: Missing stickers in a LEGO set

text:
# Question
Title: Missing stickers in a LEGO set
I have a FRIENDS set #21319. It didn't come with stickers. Can someone help me purchase or get these replaced?

# Answer
You should get in touch with LEGO Customer Support. I'm sure they will be more than happy to ship you missing sticker sheet.

If you are still looking to purchase the stickers instead, you can do so on Bricklink.
> 5 votes

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Tags: stickers, replacement-parts
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title: Securing vertical hinge

text:
# Question
Title: Securing vertical hinge
In this construction, I want the vertical hinge to be in this location, centered in a 3 brick wide area. On top of it is two plates and layer of studs that match the 5:2 ratio, so in theory the hinge would be secure in this 3 brick wide gap. Is there a more elegant way of securing both sides of the hinge? I've looked at some bracket pieces but the issue is that they all have studs on top rather than stud-holes.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I would remove last two plates since they ruin the geometry here. And instead I can suggest using any modified brick with two studs facing towards hinged brick (white colored bricks). Technic, Pin Connector Round 2/3 L (seen in red) could then be used to attach studs on both sides. Orange plate below confirms all of this fit in required space.

A bit of background on the logic with my solution. With cases like this it is helpful when you measure everything in standard units. Here, brick height is 6 units, plate height is 2 units and stud is 5 units. From here you can clearly see you have a gap of 3 studs=15 units and your assembly is 14 units. The difference in 1 unit makes things more complicated. So my suggestion is to simplify it and make use of more common pieces.

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Tags: building, snot
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title: Vertical motion for a power burst bar

text:
# Question
Title: Vertical motion for a power burst bar
2nd question on my Bellagio fountain design:
Suppose I have several power burst with bar end, and I want to allow the viewer to turn a knob or something and make them go up and down. How might I do that?

I suppose I could use a winch with string somehow, but I'd like to do something a little more hidden.

# Answer
> 4 votes
I have an idea which was actually from JKbrickworks. Here is the MOC that uses it and here is another MOC of his that uses it.

Here it is step-by-step:

First, we have a plain old technic brick.

Now there's an axle stuck through it. That connector at the end of it is what I will use as the lever to turn. You can use whatever you want.

These connectors on the other end of the axle are supposed to lift the parts up and down, up and down, up and down. Using bigger ones will push them higher, but make sure that their ends are rounded.

And obviously, we need to add bushes. But we're still not done!

Buncha brickwork...

A 1x1 studded beam was added so that we can loosely hold a beam up above.

A non-friction pin is added.

A 1x5 beam was added, but I should actually use a 1x6 beam instead, which is fixed in the next images. What's the beam even doing here anyway? It's going to act as a guide for the axles that will sit above it.

Same process is gonna go on again. Note that I used two 1x6 beams in half because they didn't seem to exist in full. And *yes*, the technic beam ***must*** be laying on the lifters like that. I had to update it.

Almost done! But there's more...

More brickwork...

Now we have a technic plate with holes to stick axles through.

And of course, we stick axles through, you don't have to use plates like I did. And make sure that they are loose enough and rest on the beams. This is also the time when you can turn the lever to see if the axles pop up and down, up and down, up and down. If they don't and get stuck, try turning the lever the other way.
At this point, we are almost, *almost* done.

~~The only thing left is to find a way to attach this minifigure shield to the axles. I don't have any solution for this unfortunately.~~

The final result should look something like this:

## Update:

We've thought of using bars to connect the fountain parts, but we've discovered a few downsides and problems with that.

The first problem is that the plate with holes in my build is placed in such a way that it's not exactly aligned with the beams below, increasing the chances of any bars being placed on top slipping off.

The second problem is that the bars are noticeably thinner than the size of the holes in the plates, which leads to some pretty bumpy performance, as shown below. Your bar will tip around and possibly even slip out.

The build can be improved to reduce the chances of such things happening by doing the following:

First, let's remove that plate to make our additions.

Now we will have some off-set studs in order to align the plate.

And now we put the plate back, in a better position than before.

Now it's not as likely that the bar can slip off the beams. Don't you notice the difference?

We can reduce the chances of that happening even *more* if necessary by adding more plates with holes to restrict the bar from slipping, like so:

Alright. Now about the fountain spray problem.
~~The bar for that piece you're interested in is positioned in a rather odd way (if you're wondering why then just look at some of the thumbnails of 76108) like this.~~

~~But don't worry, I have a solution for this. Just stick the bar holder /w clip on top of the bar and attach the fountain spray part, and you'll be done! Easy!~~

~~The completed model should now look something like this.~~

Download link (click the button in the upper right corner)

# Answer
> 4 votes
I've created an initial prototype. I found the "axle with stud 1 x 5" pieces allow me to cross from an axle to a bar type piece such as a fountain.

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Tags: design, mechanical
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# Question
Title: How to fill a vertical 1.5 stud wide gap?
How can a vertical 1.5 stud wide gap be filled, for example between this brick on a jumper plate and regular plate? I can achieve ratios multiples of 1/3 and 2/5 with sideways plates, but some trickery (perhaps with headlight brick) has to be used to achieve this 1/2 stud ratio.

(almost right)

# Answer
Before I attempt to come up with an answer, let me share how I think through problems like this, as it might make it easier for others to solve problems like this in the future.

We can see that the gap itself is 30 LDU, as modules are 20 LDU, so 1.5 modules is 30 LDU. Some quick rules of thumb:

* Multiples of 20 LDU can be made with regular bricks horizontally
* Multiples of 8 LDU can be made with bricks, plates, and tiles vertically
* Multiples of 4 LDU can be made with clever use of brackets and Erling bricks
* Other numbers require the use of fairly odd pieces

We see that 30 LDU is not a multiple of 20, 8, or 4, so we'll need some special pieces for this. If we had an element that was 6 LDU thick, we could then make up the difference using 3 plates (30LDU - 6LDU = 24LDU = 8LDU * 3) or one brick vertically. Thankfully, at least one such element exists in the classic fences:

We can stack 3 plates or one brick on the center section to perfectly fill our 30 LDU gap:
> 18 votes

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Tags: building, snot
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title: Creating arrow patterns

text:
# Question
Title: Creating arrow patterns
What methods are there to creating convincing looking arrow patterns on walls and floors? (Without stickers or printed pieces)

My current solution is to use "relief" building with slope pieces, which looks pretty good but aren't flat:

This is using the headlight piece, which allows many interesting possibilities:

I'm also aware of various solutions using the tiny slopes, such as this sideways construction for chevrons used on the Horizion Express:

There's also sloped striping using 1 plate offset that have a tiny gap and I'm not sure if they can create proper arrow patterns (the head of the arrow should be triangular and not wedge shaped).

Looking through slope pieces, I found 3044c which allows this small 2x2 arrow:

# Answer
> 3 votes
Another convenient way I found is with the new triangular 2x2 tiles. The only issue is that the color selection is a little limited. For simple pentagon shape, Modified 2 x 3 Pentagonal Tile is quite versatile.

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Tags: building, snot
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# Question
Title: Can you help identify this olive green space fighter lego set?
This set was bought about 10 years ago for my son. It is predominantly olive green with red trimmings. It has stickers with WARRING A-347 written on them. It has some moving parts that seem like Technic LEGO. It appears to be a fighter jet with large legs (like a star wars vessel). It may be more than one vehicle and no doubt some of its parts are in our LEGO brick bin. I'm selling my son's extensive collection and engaged in the arduous task of completing each set. Any clues are much appreciated.

# Answer
Based on

Both in Olive Green

This is from 70164-1: Hurricane Heist
> 9 votes

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Tags: set-identification, technic
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# Question
Title: Can anyone tell me which LEGO set this is?
My son was gifted some LEGO bags but with no instructions and I can’t find them on the internet. It’s bag #4 and the only other number I can find in the bag is 135149. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

# Answer
> 11 votes
* **Y-Wing Starfighter**, set 75172 from 2017

It comes in five bags.

Building instructions at lego.com

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Tags: part-identification
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title: Can anyone identify these parts?

text:
# Question
Title: Can anyone identify these parts?
They're round and like a platform. On the bottom are three steel balls. When you place down or tap, the red LED lights blink. One has a skull and fire on its sides.

# Answer
> 6 votes
With thanks to Uli,

Mega Bloks Skylanders Battle Portals

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Tags: part-identification, piece-information
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# Question
Title: What LEGO set does this yellow and lime green vehicle belong to?
This appears to be a helicopter or submarine of some sort. It is lime green and yellow with luminous yellow trimmings. It has cables and elastic parts with yellow cylinders. I thought it may be LEGO galaxy squad or Alien Conquest but I couldn't find it. The remaining parts are mixed in the LEGO bin and I need to figure out what it is to use the instructions to find them. Any clues would be much appreciated.

# Answer
> 6 votes
It is part of Toxikita's Toxic Meltdown (70163) from Ultra Agents

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Tags: set-identification, vehicle
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# Question
Title: Selling sets on eBay - should I buy missing bricks and figures to complete a set?
I am preparing to sell my daughter's LEGO sets on eBay - Elves and Star Wars.

We have completed the mammoth task of finding the pieces we have from each set, but some sets have missing pieces and figures.

We are purchasing pieces to make the sets complete - that's ok for the inexpensive pieces, but one set has two missing figures (Tarkin and the A-wing Pilot) - to replace them both will cost 16 GBP. The set is Star Wars: Vader's Tie Advanced vs A-Wing Starfighter (75150).

I'm hoping to sell it for around 100 pounds. Is it worth it to buy the missing figures - will we make back the money we spend or would it be more cost effective to sell it with the two figures missing?

# Answer
> 9 votes
> Is it worth it to buy the missing figures - will we make back the money we spend or would it be more cost effective to sell it with the two figures missing ?

This boils down to the following:

```
SALE PRICE OF COMPLETE SET > SALE PRICE OF INCOMPLETE SET  +  BUY PRICE OF MISSING PIECES

```

If that is true, you stand to profit from completing the set, barring any other expenses (like transaction fess, currency conversion fees, shipping and handling costs, etc.)

So now to find the values of these items (you have already mentioned that it costs 16 GBP to replace the figures) we can turn to Bricklink's price estimates and lots for sale to see that used, complete lots are for sale for as low as 63€, and even new, sealed sets can be gotten for 70€, so your 100 GBP price is way over the market niveau. This brings our test to this state of completion:

```
63€ > SALE PRICE OF INCOMPLETE SET + 16 GBP

```

You don't specify which two of the four figures are missing, that will definitely affect the desirability of the incomplete set (for which I can't find any closer estimates), so lets find some lower and upper margins.

From Bricklink again we can see that Vader costs on average 15€, Tarkin 9€, and the generic pilot along with Sabine Wren 5€ each. So the savvy collector could buy the two missing figures (if they are interested in having them) for anywhere between 10 and 24€. This gives an approximation for the difference between the prices of a complete set and your incomplete one: the incomplete set would probably sell for about 39-53€, depending on which figures are missing.

By plugging the correct value into the inequation you can then get the answer for your question as stated, but I think the most important conclusion is to use Bricklink for such price analysis and the realization that your asking price is probably too high for most of the informed buyers.

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Tags: sets, minifigures, shopping, ebay
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# Question
Title: Can you help me find this specific part (looks like a mudguard) anywhere?
I have 2 of these pieces and don’t know where they came from (already did some searches), but it looks similar to some mudguard pieces. I think the numbers on one piece say 0704 and 0401 and the other 0704/0402 but it doesn’t lead anywhere. Any ideas?!

# Answer
> 8 votes
Looks to be a KRE-O part (clone brand), perhaps from one of their GI-Joe sets. Dunno which set, but this should point you in the right direction.

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Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: Why do LEGO boxes have a maximum age limit?
I am wondering why do LEGO boxes have a maximum age limit printed on them?

My girlfriend has just gifted me LEGO Starfighter (8088) and it has an age range of 8-14. Why not just write 8+? Are there any technical objective reasons?

# Answer
> 25 votes
I believe it shows the target age range of the model - perhaps kids who've been doing all the harder Technic or more complex models - for example the VW Camper Van *is* rated 16+ - and might find it a bit "simplistic".

Other examples include The Super Star Destroyer, also at 16+, the Tantive IV and Republic Drop Ship at 14+, and the Death Star and others at 12+:

# Answer
> 23 votes
> I have a memory - possibly false - of Lego boxes being labeled with ages like "8-99" in my childhood.
>
> – Joe Wreschnig

That's correct. The Creator theme used to mark sets aged X to 99.

I think the LEGO marketing team were going along with the idea that you're never too old to play with Lego. The Creator product line produced brick buckets and tubs that became popular with people wanting to expand their collection or pick up from when they last played with LEGO as a child.

Todays brick buckets and tubs are marketed towards children aged 4+, which I'm sure would make LEGO hundred year old fan's happier.

The only age recommendation that should be taken seriously are the 3+ years choking hazard warnings on most LEGO sets. LEGO bricks in the Duplo or Quatro range may not have this warning as the parts are designed to be safe for younger childern.

Aside from that, the age range of a set should not be taken overly seriously but as a rough guide. A set with a higher age band tends to be a more complicated or challenging build.

# Answer
> 10 votes
The complexity of the model and the expected time to complete it will increase with the recommended age.

Lower aged sets, like the Juniors line, feature builds that rely heavily on standard stacking and more basic bricks.

As the age recommendation goes up, you'll see more advanced building techniques such as offset stacking (think stair stacking), studs not on top (SNOT technique), thinner walls (think 1x4 instead of 2x4), more plates instead of just bricks, and more.

Sets for younger children are also designed for the type of play those ages engage in. And they tend to feature brighter, primary colors, which also appeal to those age groups.

Looking at set 10672, LEGO Juniors Batman: Defend the Batcave, we can see evidence of these things:

* The set uses large pieces for structure, which is a very basic and easy technique.
* The set features a car, the Batmobile, which is low on detail but structurally will hold up to the more rough play of 4-7-year-olds. Cars are very, very common for these types of sets
* The set is very open, so it's easy to access from many angles for an age range still developing motor control
* We see a lot of bright colors, including a blue Batman instead of a black or earth (dark) blue Batman suits we normally see

Now, we can contrast this with a slightly higher age range set, 75099 Rey's Speeder.

The Batman set was ages 4-7, and this Star Wars set is ages 7-12:

* The Star Wars has more pieces, 193 vs. Batman's 150
* The set itself is smaller in size, because it makes use of smaller pieces (which require more fine motor control to properly place)
* The set does not come with a play area, although that's not always the case
* The speeder itself features the sideways building techniques, where the tops of the elements don't point up
* The color scheme is more muted, featuring dark reds and and more grays, although this is also common with licensed sets

You won't necessarily be able to apply these attributes universally across sets, especially since the age-ranges sometimes overlap, as seen in 60043 Prisoner Transport, which has an age range of 5-12.

None of this is to say that younger kids can't assemble and enjoy older-ranged sets, but the ranges given are typically where the most enjoyment and least frustration will be found.

Something else you won't see on the box is the difference in styling of the building instructions. For the Batman set's (PDF), we see there's only a single task per page, and they're often broken down into smaller steps or have large, clear arrows indicating placement. In the Star Wars set's (PDF), we see that each page has *two* numbered tasks and placement is less likely to be indicated by arrow for simple tasks.

These differences in instructions are because of the expected abilities and attention spans of the intended audiences. Again, this is to reduce frustration and enable the children to be more successful building the sets without relying too heavily on the adults to help.

The LEGO company does a lot of research into what types of play are better for children at different ages, because it gives them a better product. You can seem some of the information they provide parents about types of play on their Parents website, and more involvement with child education from their LEGO Education company.

This answers comes from my experience as a consumer of LEGO product for different age ranges and as a previous customer service representative. I was asked questions about the recommended age ranges on a weekly basis, and the answer I provided to customers was similar to the answer here.

# Answer
> 9 votes
It is an indication for the target audience for that set. It is mostly to guide people with little knowledge about child development toward a set. It's a rough guide, how much the child enjoys it is very much dependent on the child. But 10 year olds will be less likely to enjoy Duplo and be happier with Star Wars LEGO.

On the other hand, I really like building with Duplo especially with my nephew, or when my son is destroying my creations.

# Answer
> 0 votes
> The Man Upstairs : You know the rules, this isn't a toy!
>
> Finn : Um... it kind of is.
>
> The Man Upstairs : No, actually it's a highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system.
>
> Finn : But we bought it at the toy store.
>
> The Man Upstairs : We did, but the way I'm using it makes it an adult thing.
>
> Finn : The box for this one said "Ages 8 to 14"!
>
> The Man Upstairs : That's a suggestion. They have to put that on there.

\- The Lego Movie (2014)

---

The age range really is a suggestion of the target range. Simplistic sets with simpler building, bright colors, and fewer pieces tend to have lower age ranges, while more complicated sets that may have over one thousand pieces, feature less color (ex. some Lego Architecture sets), and require more time and manual dexterity may be rated for higher age ranges. I'm pretty sure I could assemble harder sets when I was 12 but it was going to be a multi-day build because I didn't have the focus to work on a set for three hours and I would probably lose the little pieces. Keep in mind, as said in other answers, the age ranges are sometimes inconsistent of difficulty.

Of course, no one is stopping you from enjoying an ages 8-14 Lego set. I think older builders may even notice and appreciate the finer details and design that went into it more than a child who just wants to play with the ship.

# Answer
> -5 votes
There is a age limit because some sets are more advanced than others, and they contain some pieces(choking hazard).

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Tags: lego-group, packaging
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# Question
Title: Are silicone rubber bands safe for LEGO?
I'd like to build some custom sets using rubber bands but I don't have any spare original LEGO rubber bands (and I'd need several anyway). Since I had bad experience with rubber objects touching LEGO pieces in storage (the rubber 'melted' the plastic where it touched over several years), I'm thinking of getting silicone bands instead. Are these safer than regular rubber bands when touching LEGO pieces for an extended period?

I'm aware of these questions but these don't deal specifically with silicone being safe to use or not.

# Answer
> 3 votes
# Silicone does not appear to be safe with ABS plastic

This sounded like a good idea to me since silicone works well in other extreme circumstances like baking, but the quick research I've done says this is not so smart. I found two general references for ABS compatibility:

Both rate the compatibility a D, which means:

> Material will decompose or dissolve in a short.

or

> **Severe Effect**. The material should not be used under any circumstances.

The only caveat here is that Plastics International is talking about "Silicone Fluids" and you're asking about a solid. I wouldn't risk my LEGO's on that unless we hear from somebody that tried it and it worked out for them.

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Tags: replacement-parts, rubber-bands
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# Question
Title: Can you identify the set from these two LEGO bags?
Can someone please help identify this LEGO set? I’m not certain the 2 bags go together.

# Answer
> 13 votes
Left Plate W. Angle 3X12 only comes in Bright Red in 6 sets. Only 1 set also contains this piece in White.

31047-1: Propeller Plane

This set also contains:

So both bags are from the same set.

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Have I got a mystery croissant lurking in my Lego collection?
I've loved every minute of a massive LEGO sort-out recently, but a mystery imposter lurked in there.

My kids swear blind that we've had these two types of croissant for over seven years, but I don't think it can be so. Surely LEGO never made two types that were so close in appearance? And the imposter brick doesn't say "Lego" anywhere on it.

On the left we have an authentic LEGO piece (of which we own four or five), and on the right, the possible imposter (we only have one, which is telling). I thought it could be Playmobil or Sylvanian Families, or something like that.

My kids swear blind that the one on the right came from a Belville set, but a web search suggests not. They also insist it doesn't belong with any of their other toys, but I'd rather trust an internet stranger than my own kids ;)

**So my question is - is the piece on the right definitely LEGO or not?** And massive kudos if you can spot what it really is.

# Answer
> 18 votes
The right piece is not Lego.

1. It cannot be connected to any other piece. No stud, anti stud or shaft that fit a Minifig hand, like the 1 at the left has.
2. Searching both bricklink.com and brickset.com only 1 croissant mold is found

Also Lego pieces of this size will contains the Lego name and copyright.

# Answer
> 34 votes
It looks like a possible match for these doll accessories.

"This listing is for a Barbie coffee shop or bakery accessories. Included are hot chocolate mugs, a coffee to go mug, croissants, muffins, donuts, a to go box, and a bakery display plate."

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Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: Is this grid fin piece a standard LEGO brick?
I'm trying to identify the circled part from this MoC, but I haven't been successful in doing so. On the one hand, the creator of this has called out two other parts in it (not shown here) as being modifications of existing bricks; but didn't say anything about the one I'm asking about, and the spacing in the grid looks about the same as in a LEGO fence piece which makes me think it might be a standard brick after all.

The original source for the MoC appears to be this post on Facebook. Not having an account there, I can't ask the designer directly.

# Answer
> 26 votes
I think that is

Part# 30046 : Window 1 x 2 x 2 2/3 Pane Lattice Diamond with Rounded Top

# Answer
> 25 votes
Looking at the pictures, I think Syberion has correctly identified the part.

Just want to cover the moment where you mention part modification may be required. I don't think there is a need for modifications, it should work with existing parts like this:

Additional parts are:

Bar 1L with Clip Mechanical Claw

Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud

Lever Small Base taken from Lever Small Base with Black Lever

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Tags: part-identification, customization
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# Question
Title: LEGO 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon: I need to store this set, not display it
I need to store, for moving purposes, my 75192 LEGO UCS Millennium Falcon. All I see are display cases for sale. Does anyone know of a storage bin or shipping container that can hold this ship? I do not want to take it apart.

# Answer
> 2 votes
First, movers are widely varying in quality. You might get folks that are poets and scholars or you might get somebody that drops every box. If you've gone with the cheapest movers or this is your first move, it is probably best to assume the worst. To me this means it is comparable to shipping something through the Post Office.

Given the size of this set it is going to be difficult to get a box that is big enough for it to fit flat. I would plan on building a plywood box the right size. If you go with cardboard boxes, get two of different sizes so they can be nested. Cardboard boxes of adequate width will probably be really tall. You should cut the vertical corners of the box to make it shorter when the top flaps are folded together.

Then you need to find a material to go between the box and the model. If you can get foam and cut it to shape that will be easier to deal with, but you could use bubble wrap or packing peanuts. There's glue for bonding the foam to itself. I've also used various sizes of towels for packing material around LEGO models.

Particularly if you use packing peanuts, make sure to bag the model before putting it in. Things that stick out like the radome could get lost, so bag them separately.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I am basing this answers on your comment wanting something "pre made", which I take to mean you can buy it from a store.

Depending on what you budget is you could a try Pelican™ case or a similar product. Any brand that comes with a hard exterior box and foam padding should suffice. The foam can be shaped to what your requirements are.

I suggest Pelican because I use them to ship sensors and calibrated equipment through a ground shipper (e.g. FedEx, UPS) for work. So you won't have to worry about the moving crew damaging the set.

With the dimensions of the set being "over 8” (21cm) high, 33” (84cm) long and 22” (56cm) wide"; the case you would need to go with 1730 Protector Transport Case.

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Tags: star-wars, storage
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# Question
Title: Why are there always holes in Duplo bricks?
For some reason, all the Duplo bricks that exist out there have holes in their studs. I haven't seen a Duplo brick that *doesn't* have holes in the studs, and I doubt such thing even exists.

System bricks can actually connect to Duplo bricks with these holes, but is that the *only* reason for the holes? Is there is a Duplo brick that *doesn't* have holes in its studs (if yes then please point it out in the comments or in your answer)?

What are the other reasons for Duplo bricks to have holes in their studs, if any?

# Answer
Plastic molds are designed to have an even thickness wherever possible (I think it helps with cooling), so a having a hole in the stud made sense to keep the brick's walls consistently thin. The hole could have been placed on the underside of the brick, but putting it on top had the obvious advantage of being compatibile with standard bricks.

Interestingly, DUPLO baseplates have their holes on the underside rather than the top. I believe this is because baseplates are vacuum formed instead of injection molded.
> 14 votes

# Answer
The holes are necessary so that regular system bricks can fit on the Duplo bricks. The ratio is 2:1 in both dimensions, so you need four 2x4 system bricks to cover one 2x4 Duplo brick. This is an intended feature of the Duplo bricks and was decades ago even advertised in catalogues.

Regarding the baseplates: Some people claim that TLC does not want people to use the comparably cheap and large Duplo baseplates for their large Lego system diorama designs which would be possible if the studs were hollow...
> 3 votes

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Tags: compatibility, duplo
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title: Unopened bags without instructions

text:
# Question
Title: Unopened bags without instructions
Can someone help me identify what set these are so I can find the book and my son can build?

# Answer
> 4 votes
This looks like 10667 Construction:

You can grab the instructions from Brickset.

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Tags: set-database
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# Question
Title: Which set do these LEGO bricks belong to?
Please help me identify which LEGO set do these blocks belong to.

# Answer
> 6 votes
As already identified in the comments by Uli, the parts Stick 6M W/Flange in bright yellow and Brick 4X6 W/Bow/Angle in bright yellow are only available together in 75092-1: Naboo Starfighter:

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Trying to ID a piece, picture included. 1x4 pillar
Looking for the name of the highlighted piece. Any help is very appreciated!

# Answer
That is a

6070327: Stick Ø3.2 2Mm W/Knob And Tube
> 7 votes

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Tags: part-identification, piece-information
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# Question
Title: Can you identify this Ninjago set from an assembly from it?
We got handed down 5000 LEGO bricks with no instructions. This small section was already put together. Please help identify what set it's from. I think it's a plane.

# Answer
> 8 votes
Based on Plate 4X4 W/Angle in White

This is from

70009-1: Worriz's Combat Lair

And is part of the tail section of the helicopter

# Answer
> 0 votes
70009-1 Chima: Worriz's Combat Lair. From 2013 and Chima Season 1. But I think that you might be overestimating because the Combat Lair only has 664 parts. There are only about 30 sets at the time of writing with over 5000 components.

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Tags: set-identification, ninjago
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# Question
Title: Megabloks need help identifying what set
On the bottom it says mega bloks I tried finding any type of castle with it I don't see anything can anyone identify it please

# Answer
This is a part of the tower from

Set # 3618 : Privateer's Lighthouse
> 3 votes

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Tags: part-identification, set-identification, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: Can anyone identify the brand of this non-LEGO brick with grooved sides and a lion logo?
Hi folks I was hoping someone out there may recognise the brand of this block I found in the garden. I have been searching but the closest I can find are Locblocks \- however this appears to have a Lion logo embossed on the top.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Hang on - I recognize this! This is definitely from a knock-off brand my brother got a few months ago for his birthday. It's either from a brand called OXFORD in South Korea or from Coco, an illegal (i think) Chinese Knock-off.

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: How to Motorise 42111 Dom's Charger Technic
I just received the 42111 Dom's Charger set as a gift, and I was wondering whether it could be motorised and RC controlled? A part list would be great as I don't own any Power Function parts. Cheers in advance!

# Answer
> 6 votes
There are several such MOCs in existence around the Internet:

Pick your favourite or combine the best features of them together into your own solution :)

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Tags: technic, motor, remote-control
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title: Do I really need to sign into Stud.io?

text:
# Question
Title: Do I really need to sign into Stud.io?
I recently installed Stud.io 2.0 on my MacBook. Is it absolutely necessary to sign in, or is that just so that you can save to the cloud and build with friends?

# Answer
The sign-in is to enable cloud saves, build with friends, wanted list export, upload to the Studio Gallery, shopping integration features like price lookup, and probably some other features I haven't thought of or have not been mentioned in the comments yet. If you don't plan on using any of those features then it isn't required to sign-in.
> 11 votes

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Tags: software, bricklink, bricklink-studio
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# Question
Title: What material is the LEGO laptop made of?
What material is the LEGO laptop piece made of? It does not feel like their normal rubber and it certainty doesn't feel like ABS.

# Answer
> 1 votes
It could be polyethylene or ABS. My guess is polyethylene because it is more flexible.

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Tags: piece-information, plastics
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# Question
Title: What is the official maximum PAB part limit?
I would like to order a large quantity of different pieces from Pick-A-Brick. When I click through Pick-A-Brick and choose all my bricks, it always stops accepting new pieces after I have 95 distinct pieces in my bag.

Is there an official limit to how many distinct parts I can order from Pick-A-Brick? I saw another answer (https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/6021/15632) that says Pick-A-Brick has no limit.

# Answer
> 3 votes
On the U.S. Website, it says that there is not a limit. Are you in, say, Great Britain or elsewhere in Europe? If so, maybe different regions have different limits due to availability and population.

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Tags: pick-a-brick
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title: LDD Update Date?

text:
# Question
Title: LDD Update Date?
I was wondering the other day - When was LDD last updated and when, if ever, are they (TLG) planning to do another piece update?

# Answer
In January of 2016 the LEGO Group officially announced through the Ambassador's Forum that Lego Digital Designer (LDD) had been defunded and would not be receiving any more updates. In the following year there were 2 more updates, however in at least one of those updates parts were actually removed from the library.

The software is still available for download from the LEGO site and the support information has never been updated with the official announcement but follow-ups with the company have consistently received the same answer as the announcement in January 2016.

It should also be noted that in late 2019 The LEGO Group acquired BrickLink which produces the Stud.io modelling software. At the time of the acquisition, the following Frequently Asked Question was published (Under "Acquisition"):

> **7. What about Studio and LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) – what will happen with the two digital building experiences since they’re quite similar?**
> The LEGO Group is planning to support and evolve Studio and will review opportunities for both services following the closing of the deal.
> 4 votes

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Tags: software, ldd
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title: Space Shuttle 10231 Stability on base

text:
# Question
Title: Space Shuttle 10231 Stability on base
I just got (finally) Space Shuttle (10231) and finished building it. It was a great build and I love it, but the way the Shuttle stands on the base scares the SH\*T out of me. I cannot believe they designed this to just stand on four points (the two SRBs, and the base of the thrusters).

I can just imagine my cat hopping onto the bookcase (or someone bumping into the bookcase) and the shuttle falling to the floor in a 1,000 piece pile of bricks!

Has anyone done any modifications to try and lock this onto the base better?

# Answer
> 6 votes
According to Brickset there were indeed stability problems with set #10213, which was originally intended to be a strictly display piece for the 16+ age group.

As a response, the 10213 was retired, and a reinforced version (#10231) has been sold instead. If you are stuck with the first, unstable edition, you could try applying these alternative instructions.

You'll need these parts:  According to Brickset commenter Enosh\_Kasra this service pack can be acquired through LEGO customer service (at least it could be in 2011).

And this is the disassembly and reassembly instruction sheet:

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

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Tags: space, creator
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# Question
Title: Can you help me identify this LEGO Star Wars ship?
Which ship and LEGO model number is this?

# Answer
This is from

75155-1: Rebel U-wing Fighter

Keypart : 6180pb115L : Tile, Modified 4 x 6 with Studs on Edges with 5 Worn Blue Rectangles and Black Lines on White Background Pattern Model Left Side (Sticker) - Set 75155
> 7 votes

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Tags: set-identification, star-wars
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# Question
Title: Lego RCX to NXT converter cables not working properly with EV3
I recently got some of these cables(see picture below) to control an old RCX motor. Some things to note before reading on. I tried both the medium and large motor blocks and played around with power, rotations, seconds, and even just on, but to no avail. If I program the EV3 to make the RCX motor spin counterclockwise, it does so on any setting without any issues. However, if I program the EV3 to spin the motor clockwise, it only spins for about a third of a second before the motor stops. The EV3 brick doesn’t shut down, just the motor. This happens on any setting. Why is this happening and how do I fix it? Is it some kind of over current or under current protection?

Credit: Bartneck.de

Edit: Just tried the unregulated motor block and that didn’t fix it either.

# Answer
These cable don't have anything connected to pins 5 or 6. This causes the software running on the EV3 that detects which type of motor is connected to think that there is nothing connected. Since it thinks nothing is connected, it periodically resets the output port which turns off the motor.

To work around this, the unregulated motor block needs to be called in a loop with two different speeds (e.g. 100 and 99) to keep the motor running. Each time the requested speed changes, it resets the device detection timer that would stop the motor.

Some people who don't mind cutting the cables have added resistors to the wires connected to pins 5 and 6 to simulate what a real EV3 motor looks like. This allows the unregulated motor block to able to be used as expected.

Here is an example of how to do that. (Although I would wire it up more like the actual EV3 motor schematic using 3.3kΩ resistors. Pin 5 to pin 4 via resistor and pin 6 to pin 4 via resistor. But if the other method is known to work...)
> 5 votes

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Tags: ev3, nxt, motor, rcx
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# Question
Title: What proportion of LEGO Technic parts are specialised in a given kit?
I do not have any Technic kits. I'm not even a LEGO user. However I am interested to know the following:

In a typical Technic kit, how many of the parts are standard Technic pieces and how many parts are unique to a given kit at the time of its release?

P.S. I am not sure whether Technic "pieces" are still called "bricks".

---

**In response to comments**

It appears there is no general rule for this, therefore I will ask about a specific kit, namely 42100:

> Building the Largest LEGO Technic Excavator! - Liebherr R 9800 https://youtu.be/KPHkrSZ7SSk

The kit is built live (speeded up) on the video so I believe the parts will be visible and identifiable to an expert.

I don't want a precise mathematical description, just an approximate proportion or count that can identified in this kit.

# Answer
> 2 votes
For the 42100 specifically:

https://www.newelementary.com/2019/12/lego-technic-review-42100-liebherr-r.html

Since links are discouraged as them being ephemeral, here's the two most relevant pictures:

New parts:

Existing parts in new color:

In the first picture, the bucket is exclusive to the set, the other parts have been re-used in a couple of smaller sets.

In the second picture, except top left and bottom right, these parts are also very new in other sets, they were introduced in the 2020 Spike Prime educational set (a set with programmable components, similar to Mindstorms)

I would say this number of new parts is fairly typical of all flagship Technic sets.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Converting my comment to a full answer.

So how many of the entire 42100 set are Technic elements?

First thing first a definition of "Technic element". While TLG is quite good at distinguishing what's Technic set and what not, it is not the same with actual elements. And the best element catalog we have is found on Bricklink, which is based on community effort. Conveniently we have number of Technic categories within catalog. Some may argue that elements found in Hero Factory or Bionicle sets can also be considered Technic we'll stick to just elements found in, strictly, Technic categories.

I did some simple math checking inventory of 42100 set and and found it contains 3548 Technic elements, which makes it 86.4% of the set.

PS. Yes "bricks" is used to Technic elements as well. Although AFOLs would, most likely, refer to specific elements using their name/category/type, like beams, connectors, pins, panels etc.

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Tags: technic
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# Question
Title: What are the arguments for and against an adult tackling a complex LEGO Technic kit as their first (and possibly only) build?
Suppose I want to get an overall view of LEGO as an adult and can afford to buy an expensive kit.

**I have the following abilities**

> 1. Good eyesight with glasses
> 2. Good hand-eye coordination and manipulative ability
> 3. Good DIY and tool skills
> 4. A good basic understanding of mechanics, gearing, levers and so on
> 5. A good spatial sense
> 6. An ability to follow straightforward instructions and diagrams such as making flat-pack furniture or setting up home devices. Also the ability to make simple modifications like adding a hard-drive to a desktop computer and reassembling it successfully afterwards.
> 7. Advanced knowledge of computer programming and good general knowledge of electricity and electronics
> 8. Experience of building model aircraft - both flying and non-flying models

I wish to buy a kit that contains most of the functions (motors, gears, controllers, programming, drive trains, etc.) that will be found in Technic kits of all kinds.

As an example I might buy 42100 LIEBHERR R 9800 as described here https://www.newelementary.com/2019/12/lego-technic-review-42100-liebherr-r.html

**Questions**

Will buying the above kit be likely too much to start with, simply because I have not worked my way up through simpler models? Are there other arguments for and against?

Is there a smaller kit that has as roughly as many build techniques and features as the above kit but contained within a smaller space?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The set is marketed as "12+". So even without the skills you mentioned you already have, I doubt you would have issues during assembly.

Piece of advice - don't rush it, take your time during the assembly process. It will take more time to assemble than you think. Especially as this is the first set and you need some time to learn the parts and how they work.

For a challenging Technic set, my personal suggestion, is to look for set from much older "studful" Technic era. Something like 8880. It has fewer parts, but many more parts assembled per step and most of them are black. Don't follow this advice for your first ever Technic set though.

# Answer
> 4 votes
I recommend to buy one of the great classics of the Technic era around 2012-2015, such as the Mobile Crane MKII, 42009, the Arocs, 42043, or the 4x4 Crawler, 9398. I own both the Arocs and the Crawler. It really is fun to build them, and if you like the build you can buy extensions and modifications to create a special version of your set.

The 42100 needs a mobile phone and an app that will probably fail after the next Android update. I would avoid that frustration.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Your specific questions seem to call for opinions. (The moderators do not like that.)

Your questions as I seem them are:

Q1: Will buying the above kit be likely too much to start with, simply because I have not worked my way up through simpler models?

A1: The 42100 LIEBHERR R 9800 has over 4000 parts but only 225 different ones. I have noticed some posts about getting some of the mechanics to work properly. Keep in mind that even someone with a lot of experience could not build it in a few hours and enjoy it. If you did one part per second it would take over 66 minutes. Expect to take days. As a first time technic build I'd guess a week or more.

Q2: Are there other arguments for and against?

A2: Against, It's a toy, sort of like a 3d puzzle that needs batteries and a smartphone.

A2: For, It's a massive amount of Lego parts. He that dies with the most toys wins, so more Legos better chance of wining.

In all seriousness you should try a less complex build to see if it will prove a positive experience. It is a lot to spend for something that you could feel was a frustrating waste of time.

Of the currently available Technic™ models from Lego I would suggest the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane.

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Tags: technic, building
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# Question
Title: What is the purpose of the 8 tooth timing gear?
I recently ran across the 32060 Technic Gear Timing Wheel 8 Tooth element when sorting a mixed bag of parts.

This element doesn't appear in many sets as a functional element. Here's one example from the Barcode-Multi-Set (8479) set:

What is the purpose of this element, and how does it work? I'm guessing from the name that it has something to do with timing. Perhaps it is used as a rotary encoder somehow?

# Answer
> 13 votes
When looking at Blakbird's Technicopedia page for this Technic set, this part is indeed used as a rotary encoder in combination with the bar code scanner.

See the last entry on the page.

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Tags: piece-information, technic, gears
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title: What is this 1998 lego piece for F-22?

text:
# Question
Title: What is this 1998 lego piece for F-22?
Can someone help me identify what set this is from? I've tried searching multiple different things on Google and Bricklink and haven't been able to find this piece. It was in with a set of random pieces that was bought at a yard sale. The F-22 stickers on it may not be from the original set but they were on it when I bought it. The only thing I can find written on it is copyright LEGO Group 1998

# Answer
It is Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger which was available in 4 sets from Insectoids series. Stickers are custom.
> 22 votes

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Is LEGO element damaged at the molecular level when rubbed with rubbing alcohol?
Today the Goblin King from Lego Hobbit came to me and having covered two black dots on his bunch, I decided to wipe them with alcohol. But due to the unhealthy lead mania, I am paranoid, is the plastic damaged at the chemical / molecular level?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The LEGO Group has been extremely careful about the formulation of all of the plastic parts they manufacture.

I do not believe they ever used lead in any of their parts. Decades ago they removed cadmium from the yellow pigments.

I have never found that isopropyl alcohol will soften the plastic used for Lego bricks.

What will soften Lego bricks is hot water. Do not use a dishwasher to clean Lego bricks. The water is too hot and the detergent is too aggressive.

To clean most Lego brick mild soap and warm water is the best choice. Air dry only, do not use hot air from hair dryers.

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Tags: plastics
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# Question
Title: Old RCX Wires Have Become Grey and Brittle
I have a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System 2.0 (3804) that I acquired back in 2003 (17 years ago), and the wires have become grey and brittle.

The wires used to be black and smooth, and stayed that way for a solid 10 years until I stopped playing with this set in the fall of 2013. Last summer (July 2019), I got it out again for the first time in 6 years, only to find that the wires had become grey and brittle. I tested them, and they seem to be working, but I don't know how much longer that will be the case. At one point, I yanked on one of the wires a bit when detaching it from a motor, and it broke very easily. Clearly, even though the wires still work, they're not as versatile as they used to be.

Any ideas what caused this? Was it the long-term storage in the box? Was it that there hasn't been any current running through these wires in years? Or is it just inevitable that this will happen as the set ages? They've been in the box, sitting in a room at room temperature for several years.

Has anyone else with an old RCX-era MINDSTORMS set experienced this problem? Any suggestions on what can be done to stop or slow the deterioration of these wires, or perhaps even reverse the effects? It would make me sad if I couldn't use this set anymore. I had a satisfying fill of fun with this set from age 6 to 16, but I'd also love for my future posterity to get to enjoy it.

# Answer
This is a common issue with the older Lego 9V cables. Lots of sources, including myself, have experienced the same thing - this particular chemistry of insulation ages poorly, no matter how well it's stored. Cables made later, circa 2004-2006 don't seem to have this issue - the insulation is less rubbery and more plasticy, and is still shiny like new to this day.

As far as repairing them goes, it's fairly simple and cheap, albeit a bit tedious. See this reddit thread and this YouTube video. The procedure which worked for me is as follows:

1. Use a thin flathead screwdriver or knife blade to pry off the back of the connector. There's a little tab that holds it in place.
2. The inside of the backplate has two ridges for guiding the wire out the back of the connector. Sand/cut these off - you'll need as much space to work with inside the connector as possible. I used a dremel.
3. The old wires are not soldered to the connectors so they are easy to remove. They are held in place by two tiny forks which are pushed through the insulation to connect the metal inside.
4. There is a little post in the center of the connector which the wire folded around. Twist it off with some needle-nose pliers.
5. Cut some 24-gauge speaker cable to size. Does not need to be speaker cable, but most speaker cable I've seen has two leads side by side, like the original RCX cables. You can even use two separate insulated wires if you can't find double wire.
6. Attach the new wires to the metal contact pads inside the connector. This is the hardest part, because the amount of space inside the connector is very small; remember you have to put the backplate back on when you're done. I could not achieve the sharp fold of the original wires, so don't bother trying. I also could not achieve the solderless connection with the little metal forks - so I soldered the new wires to the pads.

TIPS FOR SOLDERING:

* Use high heat and as little time as possible to melt the solder to the wire and contact pad. Applying heat for more than 1-2 seconds will deform the plastic on the top of the connector. No pressure; if you need to add more heat/solder, just make sure the contact pad is cool to the touch before you try again.
    * I like to ball up the bare wire at the end of the speaker cable and stuff it into the back of one of the metal studs, then melt solder over top.
    * Don't bridge the gap between the two contact pads!
7. Once both wires are attached, add a small bead of plastic glue or epoxy on top of the two contact pads and the cable. The glue transfers force from the cable to the connector body instead of to your crappy solder joints.
8. Reattach the backplate. It should snap into place with a little force, use the screwdriver again if you need to. Mop up any of the glue that squishes out around the backplate - especially make sure the metal contacts on the underside of the connector are clean! Test to make sure it works.

As I said, it's tedious, but this procedure is effective and creates a strong connection between the cable and the connector body. I'm currently repairing about 40-50 wires using this method to get a little more life out of a Mindstorms classroom set.

The RCX light sensors from this era suffer a similar problem because their cables are attached to the sensor body. They can be successfully repaired in a similar way (refer to that YouTube channel I linked).
> 11 votes

# Answer
At a guess the plasticizer used to make the cable sleeving flexible seems to be evaporating. Perhaps this is common with natural rubber (latex) and vinyl based wires.

You could try the plastic restoration products but I am doubtful that you will achieve long term stability.

The LEGO connectors at the ends can be disassembled and the cabling replaced.

I have done this for some of my Mindstorms cables with mixed results as I have been unable to find twin lead ultra flexible wires that match the dimensions of the LEGO original wires.

Should we expect that everything that the LEGO Group offers for sale to last for 60 years?
> 2 votes

# Answer
While the answer by MindS1 is the standard solution that comes up with internet searches, I've found it is possible to use the wires usually used for Arduino jumper wires. These are slightly smaller than the original wires, which means they can be used without having to break off the ridges or forks.

I found it is possible to make a connection without soldering, however, after lots of experimentation, I found the I needed to strip the insulation off the end of the wire - offset slightly to match up with the forks - twist the wire, and fold it back on itself a couple of times, then with a fine tweezers and a bit of fiddling, they can be pushed onto the forks.

I also found that by using these, I could get the wire into the indent, and reconnect the backplate.

For the light sensor, I was able to remove the old cable - this does require desoldering - and solder on 90 degree male jumper pins which female dupont jumper cables can plug into. Although this does require cutting out an indent for the plug to fit in.

As said, it is tedious, and you will have to experiment quite a bit with the first one, but once you work out a method that works for you, then once it's done, it's done.
> 2 votes

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Tags: mindstorms, repair, rcx, vintage
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title: What are the best LEGO storage options?

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

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

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

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

I was inspired by this: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/efficientlego
> 23 votes

# Answer
I'm a big fan of Simon Sheehan's answer, and use a bunch of those myself for a lot of those small "technic" LEGO pieces.

But once your collection grows too big, it's time to dedicate a wall to your collection:

I find these at Global Industrial Supply:

These clear tilt-out storage bins are stackable and sturdy and just about perfect to catalog your pieces by shape. Easy to find (for the most part) because you see the pieces. Sorting by color is not worth the effort-- too many colors.

The one thing they are NOT good for are large base plates.

Some of the standard 4-2 bricks, 4-1 bricks, 2-2 bricks are too plentiful, in which case I just have a simple plastic pullout drawer for those.

Something like this from the Container Store:
> 23 votes

# Answer
I took all my blocks out and layed them out on a table. This took a few days actually. From there I purchased a plastic storage container from an IKEA type location, that had multiple bins that slid in. It looked a lot like this:

They are intended for crafts, but Lego is a craft too! From there I sorted it like so:

1. 2x2 bricks
2. 4x4 bricks
3. Flat pieces
4. Large items (Trains, road pieces, etc.)
5. Bricks larger than 5x5
6. Bricks larger than 10x10.
7. Specialty parts (Airplane wings, etc)

It really bottles down to what YOU want. Take an inventory of what pieces you have - whatever you have a large number of, fill a container with an appropriately sized bin for that many pieces.
> 20 votes

# Answer
I've used those stack-able organizer cases for years. They are great for storage and access to the parts is a lot easier than in drawers. Another big advantage over the drawer-organizers is how easy they are to transport.

You might have noticed that they are now empty. That's because my kids are now 7 and I've decided to mix my Lego blocks with theirs (they get a lot more usage now). Of course young kids and neat organization doesn't mix very well so I've reverted to the good old bins on the floor. I prefer the big clear plastic ones with rollers underneath. We can roll them under the futon when it's not in use.

I love the sound of bricks when we're all digging around.
> 16 votes

# Answer
These bins would work well. Others have mentioned children and these would work well especially for kids. (This one can be found on Amazon here.)

Adults could use this kind also or go for an industrial looking version like this:

(This one can be found here.)
> 10 votes

# Answer
An old bed-sheet can be used to create a sack that both stores the Lego bricks and doubles as a play mat. As a child, this is how my parents stored our Lego and it meant we never had a difficult task when it came time to pack it away.

The only downsides are that some bricks can be hard to find against the sheet (depending on colour) and there's zero organisation.
> 5 votes

# Answer
An honourable mention should go to the forthcoming IKEA / LEGO joint storage solution - BYGGLEK

These will arrive in store in October 2020, and consist of plastic boxes in various sizes, with a studded top, and 'label' in front.

Details on the IKEA US website

More details on the IKEA Deutschland page
> 5 votes

# Answer
I sort my bricks by type. Common bricks, plates like 2x3, 2x4 or 2x2x4,2x2x6 go in big IKEA boxes (800.892.39) and all other parts go in boxes with dividers (Lunar Box, not sure about the manufacturer). Body parts and accessories are stored in big IKEA boxes too.
> 2 votes

# Answer
My approach on the cheap side. I use small transparent containers left from food for small items and transparent plastic bags. If container is full than this type goes to a bag. Put them all to big IKEA type containers.

Sorted by type mostly (not color), about 20 types:

1) 1xX bricks 6 units high (normal)

2) 1xX bricks 2 units high (low)

3) 2xX bricks 6 units high (normal)

4) 2xX bricks 2 units high (low)

5) plates square all sizes

6) pins technic

7) axles

8) rounded bricks

9) wheels and related

10) rear and related

11) bricks with prints and pictures

12) windows, doors, etc.

13) minifigures

14) decorations

15 +) ... etc.
> 2 votes

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Tags: storage
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# Question
Title: Looking for older conducting train tracks
I have an old 9V era (1991-2006) train set that has conducting tracks. Is there a place that I can buy conducting tracks? Obviously I have trolled eBay, Amazon and internet without success. I can buy unconnected tracks and glue aluminum foil on the tracks for conduction. Will it work ?

Any help in securing more conducted tracks or guidance re: modifying new tracks will be greatly appreciated.

# Answer
Such place indeed exist and it is called Bricklink, a website dedicated to trading LEGO items. It has extensive history and great catalog of LEGO items found on the internet. Prices and quality are, usually, far better than you would find on eBay. And as an extra bonus, there are sellers from all over the world, so you are not limited to you own region.

As Dan noted in the comments Bricklink catalog contain all types of 9V train tracks you are interested in for sale both in Dark Gray (older) and Dark Bluish Gray (newer) colors.

**Edit.** Upon further investigation decided to clarify situation in terms of custom tracks. While there are few 3rd party companies producing LEGO-compatible non-9V train tracks there aren't as much options with 9V ones. ME-Models used to produced some, but the company is gone now. FxBricks has shared their plans to introduce 9V tracks at some point the future.
> 6 votes

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Tags: shopping, trains, vintage, tracks, 9v
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title: What set number is this?

text:
# Question
Title: What set number is this?
I have a set here that is mixed in with a bunch of other Lego, and no instruction book. I know 100% these pieces belong with it. Is there anyone who can identify the set for me so I can find instructions for it? It has a staircase piece and a 6179 piece that says “Gold Mine” with a base plate number 2359 in a sand colour.

# Answer
> 10 votes
Parts shown in your picture are from Bandit's Secret Hide-Out (6161) set. Here you can find inventory of this set to collect all the parts. Baseplate, Road 32 x 32 7-Stud Curve with Rocks and Ruts Pattern is unique to this set.

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: How does the LEGO Super Mario figure know which power up is attached?
The LEGO Super Mario theme includes an intelligent brick that interacts with various other elements present in the sets:

There are several Power-up sets available that provide Mario with additional powers and alter his behavior in various ways. How does the brick interact with these power up packs to know when they are in use?

Here's an example power-up pack:

# Answer
The Mario element has six switches on the front:

The inside of the pants in the power-up sets include six plastic ridges that can be either high or low. They interact with the switches on Mario's torso in much the same way as the cuts on a key interact with a particular lock. The torso reads the pattern on the buttons to determine the power-up state. Here's an example showing the six ridges on the regular pants from the starter set and the ridges on Cat Mario:

The switches expect the following states for each of the pants elements (bits are read from left to right when looking at Mario):

| Bit Pattern | Power-up |
| --- | --- |
| 000000 | None |
| 001100 | Propeller |
| 010001 | Cat |
| 010010 | Fire |
| 100001 | Normal |
| 100010 | Builder |

Power-ups can be emulated by holding in the correct buttons. The play experience won't be great, but this could be used to see what a power-up does if you don't own it.

There's more detail on exactly what is read and presented via the Bluetooth interface on Shinichiro Oba's Github.

It's worth noting that the included hats are for decoration only. They have no impact on behavior, and there is no mechanism for them to be detected or identified.
> 38 votes

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Tags: piece-information, activity-support, super-mario
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title: Can anyone identify this brick?

text:
# Question
Title: Can anyone identify this brick?
I don’t see a part code on it. Thanks in advance!

# Answer
> 21 votes
That's 32177 Technic Beam 1x7 with Fan.

# Answer
> 5 votes
If you increase contrast, you can read LEGO on the middle bar. Maybe there is also a hard to read number on the back side?

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: A technology building set that is not LEGO Technic, K'NEX, or Meccano. Can you help me with the name?
I remember a building/technology set from years ago and I'm trying to recall its name.

The parts were plastic and could be joined by slots down their sides. A stud on the end of other pieces fitted into the slot and could slide along.

The set also had pneumatic components.

Here is a sketch of my best memory of a typical brick.

Can you name it for me?

# Answer
Based on your description, this sounds like Fischertechnik:
> 30 votes

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Tags: part-identification
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title: Ice Cream buckets

text:
# Question
Title: Ice Cream buckets
I'm trying to plan an ice cream shop. For the ice cream itself, I'm considering using the 1 x 1 buckets. Does a 1 x 1 round tile snap into one of those? If not, can someone recommend a way to do buckets of ice cream?

# Answer
Yes it fits in, here are a few official sets that do exactly that

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=60133-23

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=coltlbm2-14
> 9 votes

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Tags: piece-information, design
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