# Question
Title: Where can I get parts lists from sets by numbered bag?
I have a hodge podge of LEGO pieces that I am trying to organize into sets. I have most of the boxes so it hasn’t been too difficult, just time consuming. Anyway, I’m currently working on set 75093. Bags 1, 2, 4, and 5 are open. Bags 3 and 6 are still sealed. I’d like to not open them, if possible. Problem is I can’t see all the parts in the bags and I’d like a list of parts by bag number. Is there such a thing? My concern is I may be duplicating/using pieces that might belong to other sets trying to complete this set.

# Answer
> 5 votes
I'm afraid there's no registry keeping records of elements included in each numbered part.

Instructions for 75093 set show which parts of a set could be assembled from each numbered bag, including parts for each step. You can then collect elements listed under each step to combine into numbered bags of your own. Getting all extra pieces might be a little hard, since you cannot check what is included in sealed bags. However you can guess which ones should have been included in opened bags. You can check which Extra parts come at the bottom on Bricklink's page for 75093 set.

---
Tags: piece-information, instructions
---


# Question
Title: Identify white element on back of Apple monitor
Please help me identify this part - the white piece / pieces at the back? The instructions are no longer available and all i can find is this fuzzy picture. I can work out the rest, but this has baffled me. Thanks!

# Answer
> 7 votes
If I understand which part you are referring to, it looks like Hinge Plate 3 x 4 Locking Dual 2 Finger (44570) to me.

It's tough to tell for sure what it is connected to, but it is probably Hinge Plate 1 x 4 Locking Dual 1 Finger (44568)

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: Can anyone identify these parts? Technic, liftarm connected to a circle
I'm trying to follow a video MOC tutorial but I can't figure out what this brick is. Part number would help.

# Answer
It looks like some **44224** Technic, Rotation Joint Disk with Pin Hole and 3L Liftarm Thick and some **44225** Technic, Rotation Joint Disk with Pin and 3L Liftarm Thick \- probably two of each, connected by pins.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, technic
---


title: Rename Submodel in Studio 2.0

text:
# Question
Title: Rename Submodel in Studio 2.0
Is it possible to rename a submodel in BrickLink's Studio 2.0? I couldn't find any appropriate function within the program.

Last time I've done it the "hard" way by modifying the .ldr files within the .io archive (the archive password can easily be found "out there"). But that should not be the recommended way, should it?

# Answer
> 7 votes
It's as simple as:

Right click on the submodel in the step list → rename.

I don't know, why I didn't see this earlier. I would bet, I tried that before. ;-)

---
Tags: bricklink-studio
---


title: Which set are these 3 LEGO bags from?

text:
# Question
Title: Which set are these 3 LEGO bags from?
I've got 3 bags.

* On the bag 1 it says 529r9
* Bags 2 and 3 says 629r9

Is there any way to figure out what set are these bags from?

# Answer
It's Harry Potter set 75947 (Buckbeak's rescue).
> 11 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Help with identifying Lego set (partial red and yellow bike)
I purchased a mixed bag of parts from a local seller and the pictured item was in the bag. I do not recognize it and would like some help with kit number, description, etc.

# Answer
This is from set # 9441: Kai's Blade Cycle

Keypart; 85970 - Slope, Curved 10 x 1, in Red
> 6 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


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

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

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

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

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

I see three choices:

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

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

> **PEGGA-BOO**!
> 25 votes

# Answer
If the problem is that the base of the horn is too big to fit in the hole on the chanfron you have to make the former smaller or the latter bigger. Careful work with a file/scalpel, if you're good at that kind of thing. Remember that it's a lot easier to take a bit more off than to put a bit back.
Odd that the bow doesn't use a standard size stud anyway (walks away mumbling something about the old days).
> 15 votes

# Answer
A possibility might be using *Horse Battle Helmet (unicorn)* parts 89524 or 13745:

However I'm unsure if those would fit. The head geometry of the horse part in question (93083c01pb08) seems to be wider than the geometry of the horses in the castle sets (e.g. 10352c01pb03)

If you're not afraid to modify (cut and/or bend) one of the horse helmets, they might just fit.

---

P.S.: If it has wings it's not a horse but a pegasus. (I know, I'm nitpicking here)
> 13 votes

# Answer
Yes, you can drill it. Slowly, by hand. You want to end up with a 1/8 inch bit, but I found it easier to step up using a couple of smaller bits to get there. The bit doesn’t need to go in very far when you’re drilling.

It’s certainly not for purists, but it suits my kids just fine
> 7 votes

# Answer
It doesn't look like there's currently any way to make this connection by normal means.

While there are quite a few parts with similar 1.6 mm attachment holes as your daughter's horse has (including some mildly surprising ones like this ladybug), parts with the matching pins seem to be relatively few. Basically all of them seem to be small ornaments like minifigure plumes and other headgear accessories, including some Friends accessories like your bow. And as far as I can tell, none of them are really suited for attaching further parts.

Screwdrivers, as suggested by Rin Rio-Oki, probably won't fit: the shaft is slightly too thick, as you can see in this composite photo. The tips of flower stems *might* fit, but even if that worked, it'd just look totally ridiculous.

So you'll probably have to resort to some "blasphemous" methods. In that respect, I see two options worth considering:

1. Filing the base of your unicorn horn down to about half of its original diameter, as suggested by BlokeDownThePub, should let it fit into the hole. It'll be tedious and fiddly work, and you could easily end up ruining the part entirely if you're not careful, but with practice it should be doable. Of course, this also means that you won't be able to use the horn for its original purpose any more — although there are plenty of parts that should be able to make the connection in *that* direction, like the Round 1x1 with Bar and Pin Holder.
2. You could glue the horn to a part that already has a suitable pin, as you yourself suggest. While you *could* use the bow you already have for this purpose, I'd suggest trying a Star with Pin accessory instead:

If the 3D models are anywhere near accurate, the base of the horn ought to just fit inside the star (although not all of it; it's too long). Alas, it probably won't *stay* in without glue, but at least it may *almost* look like a legitimate connection.
> 3 votes

# Answer
I'm very late to the game here, but why can't we use the existing hole as a guide for an appropriately sized drill bit, converting it from Friends accessory size to standard LEGO horn size? If you drilled it slowly by hand, it would be really hard to mess it up.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: customization, piece-usage, friends, connections
---


title: Western General Store - slats and roof

text:
# Question
Title: Western General Store - slats and roof
I'm interested in making something like the Western General Store. Can anyone explain how they got the slanted windows boards like that? Also, the roof seems to use some sort of cylindrical T-brick at the apex (in the 2nd picture). Can anyone identify that piece please.

# Answer
Here's an example of how walls have been built. If you look closely on original pictures you can also see 2 x 2 top hinge piece (marked in Yellow here) used for attaching it on the bottom.

Roof is, however, not connected to the top edge. This is how top edge looks on one side of the roof as it is made out of Technic pieces, mostly:

Parts are:

* 4623a or 4623b \- Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Arm Up (Horizontal Arm 5mm or 6mm)
* 32013 \- Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1
* 62462 \- Technic, Pin Connector Round 2L with Slot (Pin Joiner Round)
* 2780 \- Technic, Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise, Staggered, with or without Center Slots

Each of two roof surfaces are not attached to the top edge as I mentioned, however each cylindrical portion of the roof is attached to studded plates with the help of Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Light Attachment - Thick Ring. Pictures don't tell how these are attached together. Keeping in mind we have plates visible, it shouldn't be hard to create some sort of structure underneath top surface to hold each "plate+cylinder" assembly together.
> 9 votes

# Answer
The slats seem to be 1x4 tiles on a base of overlapping 2x4 plates. It's easier to see from the inside.

The roof T-pieces are **32013** Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1 resting on a **4623b** Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Arm Up (Horizontal Arm 5mm).

Are those the pieces you're looking for?
> 7 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, design
---


# Question
Title: Has TLG ever produced bricks without the LEGO branding?
Has LEGO ever produced bricks without the LEGO brand name on the parts, the packaging or both?

I'm already aware of the following:

* Minitalia. Available in Italy in the 1970s. The bricks were compatible with regular LEGO bricks. They had LEGO branding on the packaging but there was no LEGO logo moulded onto the studs of the bricks.
* Modulex. A building system aimed at adults, Modulex bricks are smaller than regular LEGO and incompatible with it. When Modulex became a separate company in 1965, the LEGO logo on the studs was replaced with an "M".
* LEGO's earliest bricks were sold under the name Automatic Binding Bricks. They didn't have the LEGO logo on them, and I'm not sure if the LEGO company name was on the packaging.

**Were there any others?**

# Answer
> 5 votes
The Automatic Binding Bricks were first sold in Denmark in 1949. They were sold both in boxed sets and also loose in special wooden cases at retail stores. During the first year of production, neither the bricks nor the packaging had the LEGO name or logo. Beginning in 1950 the name LEGO was molded into the underside of the bricks, however the original molds without the name were still in use, so "nameless" bricks continued to be sold.

The first boxed sets did not have the LEGO name or logo.

Beginning in 1952, the boxes were marked LEGO *Mursten* (*Mursten* means "bricks"). Beginning in 1953, the Automatic Binding Bricks name was dropped and replaced with LEGO Mursten. The bricks were the same, only the name had changed.

In 1955, LEGO produced some 1:87 scale trucks as promotional items used by Esso dealers in Europe. These trucks were marked with the LEGO name on the underside, but were packaged in boxes that had only Esso branding and no LEGO logo or name.

Many modern LEGO pieces are produced without any LEGO logo or name. These are usually small pieces that have no studs or an interior surface large enough to hold the name or logo. Hollow-stud pieces such as the 1x1 round brick are not marked, for example. Neither are Technic lift arms and beams.

# Answer
> 2 votes
In addition to the answer posted by 62Bricks, I've been able to find other types of brick that are licensed by LEGO, but which are not branded as such:

**Bayer Test Bricks**

Bayer is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company with whom TLG has had a close working relationship over the years. Bayer has produced a number of test bricks for LEGO to test clutch (sticking-power) between bricks, new colours and new plastics. Some of these bricks have the usual "LEGO" branding on the studs, whereas others are unbranded, have a single letter on the studs instead - a letter which indicates the clutch strength of the brick.

An article on The Brick Blogger has more details on these bricks.

**OLO**

Back in the 1970s, TLG licensed a Japanese company called Fujisho Co. to make LEGO type sets for the Japanese market, which were in many ways similar to the Italian Minitalia sets. The packaging and instructions carried the OLO brand name, and the bricks themselves had a "backwards K" logo on the studs. Parts packs were advertised for use with OLO, and these were regular LEGO bricks.

For more information, see this post on Eurobricks, and this series of slides about 1970-78 LEGO OLO sales in Japan.

# Answer
> 1 votes
1x1 round bricks (the ones without the studs) have historically not had Lego molded anywhere on them; but I have now seen ones which have it molded right where you can see it, on the bottom lip.

---
Tags: history
---


# Question
Title: Help identify Mega Bloks pieces - giant blue hands, blue and white striped arms and feet, boards/snowshoes
I’ve been sorting through my 19 year old sons Lego and found a few Mega Bloks pieces I can’t identify. Any idea what set these blue and white pieces could be a part of?

# Answer
> 5 votes
The blue boards are from the same Mega Bloks set

# Answer
> 6 votes
The robot could be this one:

But I don't know about those boards. Mega Bloks makes minifig-size boards though.

---
Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: Bluetooth connection between an Android phone and EV3 brick?
I've paired my phone to the brick, however I was wondering if there were any resources out there regarding a simple android app to type something out on my phone and output it on the robots LCD screen. I am new to the scene and I have not found any resources for it.

# Answer
> 1 votes
MIT App Inventor is a popular way to make simple Android apps that can communicate with an EV3. It has special blocks just for EV3.

---
Tags: ev3, bluetooth
---


# Question
Title: Connecting EV3 with older motors using conversion cable
I'd like to use an EV3 brick to power an old 9V motor (74569). To do so I'm going to get one of these conversion cables (x1676) but I'm not 100% sure if it's possible to control the speed of the motor with it. I'm aware of the limitations of these cables but RPM control is crucial to my project. These cables became quite expensive nowadays so I don't want to waste money on them.

# Answer
You'll be able to control the 9V motor as an unregulated motor with the similar named motor block, you'll be able to set the speed approximately, but any accurate RPM control is out of the question as there is no feedback pulse signal from the motor to the EV3 telling it how fast it is going.

Also there are some programming quirks with this cable and an EV3, like having to specify two motor blocks as the first one is ignored, but I don't recall the specifics.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: ev3, mindstorms, nxt
---


# Question
Title: Help identifying a Megabloks set - grey and black mass
Could you help me work out what this set could be? Tried searching through Google Images, etc. and can’t find it.

# Answer
> 5 votes
That is the fuselage of 9962 Supersonic Fighter:

However, it appears that the stickers haven’t been applied.

---
Tags: set-identification, 3rd-party
---


title: How does the 8365 Tuneable Racer work?

text:
# Question
Title: How does the 8365 Tuneable Racer work?
The set 8365 Tuneable Racer has tunability as its main feature, meaning the motor's parameters can be changed by adding, removing or swapping certain additional elements. However, these parts seem to be purely cosmetic, and not in any way mechanically or electronically relevant.

The instructions illustrate their intended functionality:

And similarly with the B-Model:

Based on these images, the functionality of the individual parts seem to vary in different combinations, as the last two setups for the A model hint on

having better performance than

but the B model seemingly has it inverted.

So how does this set work? My current best theory is that there are buttons inside the technic holes used to connect these parts and their states affect the motor's characteristics somehow, but I'd like to know if someone has better insights into its workings.

---

The first two images for the B model suggest different capabilities for the same setup, which must be an error on TLG's side, or is there something I have missed?

---

Edit:

This Polish forum has a review of the set with an image depicting the switches inside the Technic holes:

The text states (as translated by Google):

> it can be seen that in the places where the pipes are to be finally inserted, there are buttons that control the engine's operation.

> can be tuned using regular pins, using them as jumpers

This eliminates the "rotating pins providing resistance" theory, but I'm still looking for any experimental results, authoritative information or preferably a full analysis of the different combinations regarding speed and torque.

# Answer
I do not own this item, but observing the pictures leads to a logical inference.

The pins are in different locations.

If you look at parts, you will see that they are 5 pins wide. One part has pins in positions 1 and 5, the other has pins in positions 2 and 3.

You then connect the parts to the motor. With switches *inside* the motor, it can detect which holes have pins in. This is similar to how the LEGO Super Mario figure knows which Power Up is attached \- a simple way to test would be to attach normal pins in those locations, rather than the special parts that came with it.

This may not even be electronic, the pins may be physically changing the gear ratio inside the motor. Which answers the last part of your question: why do the performances appear to be reversed?

Because a high gear means lots of speed, but no torque (power), and a low gear means low speed, but lots of torque (power). You can test this yourself on a bicycle. On a flat path, a high gear will let you go really fast, while a low gear will mean you are slow. But, going up a hill, a low gear will let you easily climb steeper hills, and a high gear will leave you stuck, exhausted, at the bottom! So, the "high gear" item gives better performance on the "speed"/"racing" model, but the "low gear" item gives better performance on the "power"/"steep ramp" model
> 3 votes

# Answer
I don't own the set (or parts), but I might have a guess.

Of the two exhaust tubes, one seems to have pins that can rotate, and the other has fixed pins.
If the engine block they attach to outputs some of the torque to those pinholes, then attaching the exhaust parts adds resistance, therefore redirecting torque to the wheels.
The exhaust can then be configured in 3 ways;

* Without tubes, providing no resistance
* With single exhaust tube, providing some resistance
* With triple exhaust, providing maximum resistance

The same theory could apply to the air intake, but I'm not sure how it would make it better at hill climbs. Perhaps some fancy gear ratio magic. If I get my hands on one I'll definitely try to take it apart.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: piece-information, motor, electronics
---


# Question
Title: I have a female fig black dress patterned slope only, long hair, intricate face
I'm looking to identify a Female minifig she has an open slope decorated skirt (no legs), long brown hair, big eyes! I think the body is wrong as it's plain black with standard yellow hands.

# Answer
Since half of elements for this minifigure come from Narcissa Malfoy it must have been used as a base for modifying it.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: minifigure-identification
---


# Question
Title: Can you identify this yellow LEGO vehicle?
I bought my grandson a box of LEGO and this was in it. I have tried searching for 3 days with brick numbers to find the set but can’t get any joy. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would be extremely grateful.

# Answer
> 20 votes
The set name is Cool Cruiser (5767). This is a 3-in-1 Creator set with pictured model being one of these three:

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: I need help identifying the set for 37 bags
We bought a set of returns of which one should have been the 6020 piece Hogwarts castle. We received 37 bags that are represented in the pics below packaged neatly in the Hogwarts box. We have bags 1-37 with no instructions and no idea which set they belong to. We might as well build it since it's here. :) Any help would be great.

# Answer
I believe you have a mix of at least two sets: 11005 Creative Fun and one of either 10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks or 11717 Bricks Bricks Plates.

---

Bag 36 contains a Door 1 x 4 x 6 with 4 Panes and Stud Handle (Medium Blue) which was featured in 5 sets.

```
11003 Bricks and Eyes
10264 Corner Garage
10703 Creative Builder Box
10702 Creative Building Set
11005 Creative Fun
10260 Downtown Diner
31025 Mountain Hut
31065 Park Street Townhouse

```

Bag 36 also contains a Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole (Dark Tan) which was featured in 22 sets.

```
41167 Arendelle Castle Village
75958 Beauxbatons' Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts
11005 Creative Fun
11013 Creative Transparent Bricks
80102 Dragon Dance
71730 Epic Battle Set - Kai vs Skulkin
70674 Fire Fang
41395 Friendship Bus
71043 Hogwarts Castle
76129 Hydro-Man Attack
70668 Jay's Storm Fighter
70667 Kai's Blade Cycle & Zane's Snowmobile
70675 Katana 4x4
70677 Land Bounty
70680 Monastery Training
30534 Ninja Workout polybag
40342 Ninjago 2019 Minifigure Set blister pack
75270 Obi-Wan's Hut
75937 Triceratops Rampage
70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg!
70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat
75255 Yoda

```

These two pieces have only appeared together in 11005 Creative Fun.

---

However, bag 32 contains a Slope, Curved 3 x 1 x 2 with Stud (Lime) which was featured in 19 sets \- none of which were `11005 Creative Fun`.

```
11011 Bricks and Animals
10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks
11717 Bricks Bricks Plates
70803 Cloud Cuckoo Palace
10703 Creative Builder Box
10702 Creative Building Set
8961  Crystal Sweeper
45810 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Jr Challenge 2019 - Boomtown Build Inspire Set
41345 Heartlake City Pet Center
71367 Mario's House & Yoshi - Expansion Set
41339 Mia's Camper Van
60270 Police Brick Box
7676  Republic Attack Gunship
75021 Republic Gunship
21208 Resort Designer
76134 Spider-Man: Doc Ock Diamond Heist
70922 The Joker Manor
41455 Unikingdom Creative Brick Box
60125 Volcano Heavy-lift Helicopter

```

Bag 32 also contains a Slope 45 2 x 4 (Lavendar) which was featured in 7 sets.

```
10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks
11717 Bricks Bricks Plates
10704 Creative Box
41340 Friendship House
41108 Heartlake Food Market
41310 Heartlake Gift Delivery
41253 Lonesome Flats Raft Adventure

```

These two pieces have only appeared together in 10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks and 11717 Bricks Bricks Plates.
> 4 votes

# Answer
**TLDR**. Although bricks seem to be packed in sealed bags, these looks to be a mixture of parts since none of existing set inventories contain such combination of bricks.

---

More details below.

Based on the colors of the bricks you have received this is definitely not a Hogwarts Castle.

Let's start with contents of bag #36, since it has elements easier to identify. The combination of Door 1 x 4 x 6 with 4 Panes and Stud Handle mentioned in another answer is definitely not in Medium Blue, but some shade of Azure. Checking Bricklink for colors available for this element we can conclude this is Medium Azure colored item. Now this element come in just 5 sets, none of which have Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole OR Brick, Round 4 x 4 with Hole in Dark Tan. So the set this bag comes from doesn't exist.

Now let's see bag #4. Combination of Brick 1 x 2 in Coral color as well as Slope, Curved 2 x 1 x 1 1/3 with Recessed Stud in Lime may suggest this is Bricks and Animals (11011), but it doesn't include any of Slope, Inverted 45 2 x 2 in shades of blue. So no set for this bag as well.

Bag #19 again, suggest combination of Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side in Coral color with Slope, Curved 3 x 1 x 2 with Stud in Lime suggest this may be Bricks and Animals (11011), but this set doesn't contain Plate 4 x 4 in Green.

These bags come from either set that has not been inventoried yet on Bricklink or incorrect bricks have been packaged for particular set (which might explain why they have been returned). The source of these bricks/bags would be some larger set from LEGO Classic series.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: How can I open part #53500 and replace the battery?
I've searched and can't find any info on it on how to open this LEGO part 53500

Won't open the same way as other light bricks, and don't see any clips or a continuous line where it should open. Need to change the battery inside.

# Answer
I found this Youtube video

Piraka eye replacement

and this article on bzpower.com

How to Replace the Battery in Piraka Eyes

> The battery used is a CR927 3V Lithium Battery placed + side up.
>
> First, take a tiny flat-head screwdriver and place the tip of it within one of the two inward crevasses on the backside of the piece, and slide the head of the screwdriver up to the round circular portion of the piece which holds the battery. Once this is done hook the tip of the screw driver inwards and carefully pull up, the outward plastic of the second half may bend as you are doing this, however from my experience it is unlikely to be predominately bent in any major way or snap, but it's probably best not to bend it too much. Once the bottom portion of the piece has been separated you may continue to remove it, or just let it open enough for the old battery to be able to fall out and so you can place the new one in, + side up like the old one.
>
> Once the new battery is in place snap the two halves of the piece back together, during this the battery may jostle around a bit, but just as long as you have a steady hand it's unlikely to misalign greatly, let alone fall out. Also during the process of snapping it back together the connection between the battery and metal prongs may activate, giving you a glimpse of the light emitted from the piece now. Once you have the two halves together into one with the new battery in-place, you can now test the light capability of the piece, and if all went well you can now use it properly again.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Found the instructions for set 8905 that uses this part. Problem solved: "battery is not replaceable". Disappointed !
> 1 votes

---
Tags: battery
---


# Question
Title: Were these real giant LEGO pieces on the 2020 Late Holiday catalog cover?
In a recent cover of the US LEGO Catalog we see kids playing with oversized LEGO pieces:

* The toolbox (98368) and wrench (4006) are very recognizable.
* The tiara is distinctly part 33322.
* The banana is basically part 33085, but the colored tips are suspicious.

The debate my wife and I have been having about all of this is: **did they really print out big parts like this or did they fake it with Photoshop**? I'm hoping that they went and did this Matt Denton-style and printed everything extra large, handed it to the kids and let them do whatever child models do. My wife doesn't feel like the shadows work right, and she thinks they faked it in the computer. I don't expect that we have access to anyone involved with making this catalog for an utterly authoritative answer, but maybe you're good at spotting the Photoshop signs.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I think that they photoshopped shadows in after setting up lighting to remove shadows so that the picture has shadows making it so it doesn’t look weird while not having shadows making the picture dark.

---
Tags: lego-group
---


# Question
Title: How long does it take a M-motor to go 1 googol rotations?
How long would it take a Power Functions M-motor to turn 1 googol times? I have tried figuring it out with a calculator but I was confused.

# Answer
> 7 votes
According to Philo's LEGO motor datasheet an unladen PF-M motor rotates with 405 RPM.

One googol is 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 (10^100), so the time it takes for an M motor to go this many rotations is (10^100)/405 minutes.

Ordinary calculators usually take a look at such large numbers and throw their hands up, or can't even display them but luckily we have WolframAlpha.

This is 4.695x10^91 years, or about 3.4x10^81 times the current age of the universe. (the Universe is about 14 Gigayears old now, in 2021 :) )

---
Tags: power-functions
---


# Question
Title: Need help identifying or locating pieces - 4-stud T-shaped plates
I'm trying to find plates to build a baseball mascot with my kids. I can't find the actual set anywhere (it's actually a FOCO BRXLZ brand set), so I am trying to piecemeal the set. I'm not concerned with it being Lego brand, so long as the pieces will all work together to create the end product.

I've attached a picture from the instructions showing what I need in quantity and color. These are the only plates I can't find on the Lego Pick a Brick shop:

# Answer
> 7 votes
I can't speak for other brands, but I'm sure that there is no such LEGO element.

This would be a plate, but the Bricklink category has nothing exactly like this design.

The closest would be the Plate 2 x 2 Corner or Plate 3 x 3 Cross, but the first requires an additional plate, which could prove unfeasible due to the missing structural bonds, and the latter has an extra plate (which could be cut away if needed, even though that would be considered a bad choice by many).

---

Edit

As jpa noted below, if these parts should serve as structural support, the required strength could be achieved by attaching a Plate 1 X 3 and a Plate 1 X 1 together by their sides. These LEGO bricks are made of ABS, therefore the suitable binding agents would be acetone, cyanoacrylate (superglue), or epoxy.

---
Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to add a ultrasonic sensor on the ev3 COR3 robot?
When I built the COR3 robot I started to have some fun programming it. But then I wanted to add a ultrasonic sensor on my robot but I can't seem to find a way to place it on my robot. If you can please help me where to put it I will attach a photo to show you more information and a link.

https://ev3lessons.com/RobotDesigns/instructions/COR3.pdf

# Answer
> 2 votes
The ultrasonic sensor is useful for navigation. This robot design has a nice skirt and positioning the ultrasonic sensor should not interfere with that skirt. Also the ultrasonic sensor is excellent at detecting right angles like the floor meeting a wall. So, I'd recommend positioning the sensor on either a side (for following along a wall) or the back (to slow down just before reaching a wall when backing up). It doesn't matter a lot whether the sensor is mounted vertically or horizontally.

So, given all that how do you mount it on the robot? Pins and a couple beams or right angle beams. You might also find an existing small pin that can be replaced with a deeper pin. Maybe the better answer is lots of trial and error.

---
Tags: ev3, robotic, sensor-ultrasonic
---


title: Custom extension cables for Light Stax?

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

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

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

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

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

# Answer
> 7 votes
I have also little soldering experience, but I managed to create custom extension cables:

First: open the cover with a small screw driver:

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

Then you drill a small hole into the opposite side of the metal plates, insert a small 2-wire cable (~0,25mm) and solder it to the PCB.

The outer ring is Vin and the inner ring is GND.

Then put it together and have fun.

# Answer
> 2 votes
LIGHT STAX have their own extension cables in 10, 15, 30 and 50 cm lengths.

With 2 x 2 brick bases:

With 1 x 2 brick bases:

---
Tags: building, clone-brands, electronics, lighting
---


# Question
Title: What set does this bag belong to? Black, grey, orange, and blue rubber band
Code on bag is 5 number 127S bricks are black, grey and a few orange Contains small flat white box 6049725 which contains blue magic sand

# Answer
Based on the colors in the bag, the potential date code of 12S7 (you wrote 127S but I assume that is a transposition error in your post), and the fact that there is a box with blue rubber bands in it (box number 6049725) I am going out on a limb and suggest this is set 75102 Poe Dameron’s X-wing Fighter from 2015. The seal code points to a 2017 production date which is possible, as this set was still being sold all the way up to early 2018. It has 5 bags (so having a bag marked 5 fits) and the 5th bag does contain both rubber bands as well as black, grey and orange pieces.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Is there a public library of LEGO parts ready to be imported to 3d editor?
I just found for myself mecabricks.com. Amazing! However I wonder where do they take models of their parts from? Are they all self-designed (and proprietary) or come from some open source? Is there any open library of parts ready to be imported into a 3d editor?

# Answer
> 5 votes
LDView is probably the easiest way to export parts, and it directly supports exporting POV, 3DS, and STL formats. By default the parts exported will not have smooth curves on subparts, such as studs. This may be important depending on how realistic you want you model to look in your 3D software. This can be changed in LDView by clicking on the Edit \> Preferences... menu item, then clicking Primitives tab. From here, uncheck the Low Quality Studs checkbox. You may need to close and then open LDraw again to see the change.

Further update - as pointed out in the comments, I had incorrectly stated LDraw was the program that I use to export shapes to STL format. That program is actually LDView, and makes use of the LDraw library. I've updated the link to include the correct application. Apologies for the confusion.

Also, while I'm editing this, be aware that some of the shapes exported to STL format will need adjusting. Bushings and axles come to mind, as these parts will not fit together unless the axles are sized slightly smaller. Technic pins will also have similar issues due to the end flanges not being slightly chamfered as the are in real life. You'll need to make adjustments if you want some technic parts work together. Some parts also don't always correctly reflect that they have an "inside", so some areas of parts may print as hollow voids rather than with the desired infill. Check for this using your slicer software before printing.

# Answer
> 13 votes
Most, but not all, existing LEGO oriented 3D modelling systems make use of the open source LDRAW libraries. Downloads, specifications, and more information can be found at https://ldraw.org/

# Answer
> 4 votes
There used to be PrintABrick, but the website has been down for ages. You can still find the code on github if you want to run it locally: https://github.com/hubnedav/PrintABrick

---
Tags: part-database, 3d-printing
---


# Question
Title: Capture video stream from LEGO Studio Camera (Logitech USB webcam) in ev3dev?
Once upon a time, LEGO made a digital camera for the LEGO Studios and Mindstorms line. Internally it's an old USB Logitech camera repackaged in a LEGO housing.

It could also be used with the old LEGO Mindstorms software, to do some very weak video recognition when connected to a PC.

Fast forward some years, and Mindstorms are much more powerful, and even have a USB port, which this camera can be attached to, as some people have done.

When used with ev3dev, it's even possible to take some low-res pictures with it using a CLI tool like `fswebcam`.

However, I'd like to use it as a webcam, and capture a constant video stream from it, so I can use it in competitions where only official LEGO parts are allowed. Seems easy enough, but I've so far been unsuccessful.

It seems that OpenCV doesn't support the camera, because it uses an unusual pixel format encoding. Has anyone found a good solution for capturing a constant video stream? Something better than repeatedly calling `fswebcam` and parsing the output file (which would be unnecessarily slow).

# Answer
> 2 votes
Since I'm no software engineer my solution would be to retrofit the insides with known compatible hardware. Cheating? Maybe... but it isn't like the original hardware inside was actually Lego to begin with. The mention of potentially using "compatible software" would seem to be already stepping out of bounds with "only official Lego parts", since it didn't come packaged with it. So...

# Answer
> 2 votes
Fswebcam on ev3dev should already be using a v4l2 API backed by a v4l2 compatible driver.

The first thing I would look at is v4l-info to understand the pixel formats supported.

Next, I would try ev3dev OpenCV with a known good webcam - if it fails OpenCV may just be built without webcam support.

If OpenCV works with other webcams and v4l-info shows the info, you may have to patch OpenCV to understand the pixel format. Potentially you could patch the Lego camera driver to speak a format OpenCV already understands. With either approach you could do the development and testing on a desktop (might be faster than building OpenCV from source on ARM9)

---
Tags: mindstorms, ev3dev
---


# Question
Title: Help identify this non-LEGO set - curvy slopes and stickers
I don't believe this is a LEGO set because there is no branding on the studs but hopefully someone recognizes the sticker and can tell me which set this is?

I'm looking for the exact set as I was handed down thousands of LEGO bricks for my kids with no instructions

# Answer
This looks very much like the rear end of set 8669 Fire Spinner 360:

Only differences being that the pieces are counterfeit and the red on the stickers has been replaced with green. This is therefore, presumably, from a clone-brand version of this set.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, set-identification, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: Identifying a late 90's early 2000's LEGO Space Fighter/Bomber
We're moving out some of our grown kids' LEGO sets that have been in storage for a long time.

We came across a bag with all these parts in it that look to be a LEGO space ship or bomber (I say this as the canopy is more rounded leading me to guess it to be a bomber of some type. I think a fighter might have a more angled rake on the windscreen.)

I have provided some photos too. I have looked through the entire database at eBay and could not find one like it. I don't think this is custom made. Although my boys can't remember what it is either, so I decided to try the Stack Exchange

# Answer
> 11 votes
This is 7673: Magna Guard Starfighter

---
Tags: set-identification, star-wars
---


# Question
Title: Is it a stupid idea to buy every brick in an end of sale set?
There's a set I want that is currently available on eBay for around 8-10 x its original price.

I was wondering if I could just buy every piece needed and if you guys thought that made any sense whatsoever - be aware I'm expecting several 'you're dumb' responses :)

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

This set is expensive on the secondary market, so it could be tempting to buy the parts for it instead of the complete set. However, many of the parts are very expensive individually. The motors and monorail track are specialized parts, relatively rare, and haven't been produced in 25 years, so they are priced accordingly.

Perhaps the most egregious example of this is the single molded piece of plastic that covers the motor:

That piece is currently $67 USD used on Bricklink.

These same economic factors apply to current sets as well, so it is often hard to save money buying the parts.
> 9 votes

# Answer
It really depends on the size of the set (the smaller the better I have found out) Also, you do not want to buy it if it has a lot of minifigures, Because that is what usually makes the price so high, besides its rarity. Finally, you want to make sure that you have the sticker sheets, though those can be found pretty cheap on bricklink or brickowl.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: shopping
---


title: How do you sell Lego on Brickowl?

text:
# Question
Title: How do you sell Lego on Brickowl?
I was trying to start a store on Brickowl, but I noticed that, unlike Bricklink, it did not contain a sell button that was in plain sight. I searched around for it, but could not find it. If somebody could help me, That would be great.

# Answer
> 5 votes
"Creating a Store" article, found on BrickOwl's Help section, explains pretty much the entire process in details.

---
Tags: shopping, brickowl
---


# Question
Title: How to stop or freeze the EV3 large motor in position
How do I stop or freeze the large motor in a fixed position? I have a forklift type attachment that will lift to the precise height, but will not stay in position due to the weight of the attachment.

I know I can use a worm gear to solve this problem but wanted to see if there were any other solutions before redesigning the attachment.

I have tried using rotations, seconds, and degrees with a STOP at the end. Occasionally, it will stay in place but usually it drops to the mat surface.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I am overwhelmed by the support everyone has provided. I really did not know if I would even get a response and to get so many suggestions was wonderful. I sincerely thank everyone for taking the time to help me.

To answer some of the questions in the thread, I was using the "Large Motor" and not the "PF" Large motor. Also, since I am using the block programing tool, I do not believe the HOLD() is available. Using the HOLD would have been my desired option.

I went with Alex's suggestion and changed my attachment to use a Worm Gear with the Medium Motor (instead of the Large Motor). The result was exactly what I needed - very precise movement using motor degrees and hold the load without any problem. Here is an image of the attachment with the medium motor and worm gear:.

Again, thanks to everyone who contributed. I truly appreciate it.

Dave

# Answer
> 1 votes
According to the official documentation you could use

```
hold()

```

which

> Stops the motor and actively holds it at its current angle.

---

Note: My assumption here is that you are referring to this

as "large motor". If you are using a PF Large Motor:

then this advice is useless, as those can't be controlled with such precision due to the lack of an internal rotation sensor.

# Answer
> 0 votes
> I know I can use a worm gear to solve this problem but wanted to see if there were any other solutions before redesigning the attachment.

Without knowing the full details of your design, it would be a bit difficult to recommend anything very specific.

Is your motion of the motor limited in direction? If so, a ratchet system can be extremely effective, even a small brick can support a lot of weight. Is it possible to use a counterweight to balance the load of the weight you are lifting?

Consider adding friction to your lifting mechanism to support the weight. This could be constantly applied (in which case your motor may struggle a bit more) or applied manually or mechanically to support the weight when the motor has stopped. Most soft LEGO Technic tyres or the Technic, Axle Connector Double Flexible are appropriate for this.

I have also covered a few more solutions which may be of help in a similar question 'How can a Mindstorms robot lift something very heavy?'.

---
Tags: ev3, programming, motor
---


# Question
Title: Has anyone created a analogue LEGO clock that runs time accurately?
I've seen someone on YouTube create a LEGO Clock with all the wheels and a pendulum, but I was wondering if there is any project or building instructions available to build such a clock with an efficient movement. LEGO Technic seems ideal to build such complex mechanism.

# Answer
> 11 votes
Building a clock is easy, building an accurate clock is hard, even without lego.

To have accuracy you must have something happening at a fixed frequency. A pendulum is the easiest way to provide a regular timing.

Next you need a power source for the clock. Weights falling down is classic, and easy to do with lego : a pulley and a string.

The force generated by a spring is not constant, it decrease with time as the spring wound down. You need a constant force to have accuracy. Real clocks have mechanisms to compensate this variations by I am not sure it is possible to replicate with lego.

An electric motor is better, but the charge of the batteries determine the power generated by the motor.

Then you will loose power with friction so you must limit the number of moving part or limit friction with lubricant for example.

I have built a clock myself, it works but stops after 15 to 20 minutes for too much friction. You can search the web for other lego clocks, but the best I have seen works for about 6 hours.

A lego clock is a fun project but you won't use it to tell time.

# Answer
> 9 votes
I built a high accuracy pendulum clock with LEGO.

As far as the monthly rate (error per month) is concerned, it has achieved high accuracy comparable to that of quartz clocks!

It utilizes technologies such as an improved gravity escapement, a durable pendulum support point, and a temperature-compensated pendulum.

Summary of experimental results

* Experiment period:30 days
* Daily late(error per day):-5.1 to +2.9 s
* Monthly rate(error per month):-4.7 s

The following is a link to YouTube. It explains the details of the clock.

A prototype of an accurate LEGO pendulum clock "ChronoBrick-1" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzuKKuLGjqI

# Answer
> 8 votes
There are limited instructions for a clock in the 8888 Expert Builder Idea Book from 1980. I'm sure there are better designs out there today, but I thought this could be helpful for ideas and a bit of nostalgia. I can't speak to the accuracy of this model, as I haven't actually built it.

# Answer
> 7 votes
According to this video of tuning a LEGO clock by KEvronista, he was able to get the accuracy within a few seconds per day. The key is to use a small amplitude of oscillation (angle) for the pendulum swing, so that the pendulum approximates a harmonic oscillator. The LEGO clock has an amplitude of about 2.3° degrees. Also important is making the drive chain and pendulum swing as independent as possible by reducing recoil, which the Galileo's escapement shown has as a major disadvantage. The Wikipedia article on the anchor escapement gives a good explanation and in theory a well-constructed deadbeat escapement made in LEGO could be even more accurate.

---
Tags: technic
---


# Question
Title: What internal electronics does the Control+ Technic Hub (88012) use?
I'm interested in comparing to the other Powered Up hubs, which are already documented here:

Thanks!

# Answer
> 4 votes
TLG was kind enough to send me one of these, so I've done my part and cracked it open to see what is inside. The teardown was fairly easy to do without damaging any components. The only tool I used was a brick separator.

There are a few tabs around the edges that can be depressed to allow the main housing to come apart:

I'm not certain what the purpose of the small rubberized button is, but it is accessible from inside the battery compartment. This may be related to detection of a future battery pack.

The PCB simply lifts out:

On the bottom side, we can see that the main processor is an STM32L431RCT6. It's based on the Arm Cortex M4, can be clocked up to 80 MHz, and includes 256kB of flash memory.

The top side includes the remainder of the components of interest.

For Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, the Control+ hub uses a CC2640 from Texas Instruments. This is the same chip used by the Powered Up hub.

The motor drivers are LB1836 chips. They are dual drivers, and there are two on the board, one for each pair of ports. These are the same driver chips used for the Powered Up, Boost, and Robot Inventor hubs.

Overall, this hardware is very similar to the other hardware in the current generation of products (Robot Inventor, Powered Up, Boost, etc).

---
Tags: electronics, powered-up, control-plus
---


# Question
Title: Mounting 'shelves' on a 57518 Lego conveyor belt
For a school project I'm trying to build a conveyor belt out of LEGO. I'm currently just working on the design so I haven't ordered anything yet. I think that for my build the 57518 pieces are perfect. My question is pretty simple: is there a way to mount some sort of 'shelves' onto it? I'm completely new to LEGO (and not a native English speaker) so I can't explain it any better. The picture below from the GBC Homepage shows exactly what I'm talking about:

I believe that the pieces used in the picture are 3873 (not sure). I can also see that in each of these light grey horizontal 'bars' there are two vertical rods that mount it on the conveyor belt itself. The 3873 pieces are not useful for me because they have too many openings.

I spent long times browsing Bricklink trying to find fitting pieces but I just don't know where to look. It would be great if somebody could provide me with links or numbers of the pieces that I need.

# Answer
The picture you have does show a 57518 thread link, which is what you wanted to use. For that, you can use the 1/2 and 3/4 pins to attach a liftarm. A 1x5 liftarm would match the width of the 57518 thread. What's shown in the picture is a 1x7 liftarm which allows the module to lift more balls.

For the pins, you should use the 3/4 pins part 32002 to be perfectly legal, but some might also use the 1/2 pins part 4274 to add friction to the connection.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, gbc
---


# Question
Title: Ordering of Pages in Printed LEGO Catalogues
While looking at some of the scanned LEGO catalogues on BrickSet, I have noticed that the UK catalogues (at least the ones I looked into) seem to be ordered "backwards" compared to what I'm used to from Germany: They start with LEGO System (or even Technic) pages, while Duplo is appended at the end (e.g. look at the 1997 one).

In German catalogues, in contrast, pages are invariably ordered roughly by age ranges, i.e. the catalogues start with Duplo, followed by Basic (or whatever it was called in the respective time), followed by "System" (town, knights, space, ...; possibly starting with juniorized town in the years that was a thing), followed by Technic.

Is there a specific reason for that? (e.g. is that the usual way to order toy catalogues in the UK vs. Germany, was it just started differently and then LEGO stuck with its respective tradition in the respective countries, etc.?)

# Answer
> 1 votes
I think this is just basically something they did on purpose. I would suggest that you check more like this to confirm your suspicions, but as far as I am concerned, different countries maybe have different styles of doing things related to counting.

---
Tags: history, marketing
---


# Question
Title: Got a weird trans-purple cone part as extra in 71043-1 Hogwarts Castle
I bought a 71043-1 and one of the extra parts is this trans-purple "cone" with the smaller through-hole, which couldn't identify since there is no element number, only the mould number which is 05-B01.

Here's a picture, (normal stud as a comparison) - please help me identify or give an element number for this!

# Answer
> 23 votes
It looks like a "short shot" of Minifigure, Utensil Bottle, Erlenmeyer Flask with Trans-Purple Fluid Pattern (pictured below) which is included in the set. I would even say it lacks the Trans-clear "coating" around Trans-Purple piece of the combined element.

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

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: Trying to identify a bunch of parts from sets I had as a child 20 years ago
I'd love some help to identify some/any of the kits I have from the following pictures of parts I have:

Most of this LEGO would've been purchased around 1999 if that helps but I think it could range from 1995 through to 2002 ish.

I have many thousands of pieces from my childhood collection these are some of the more unique and I figure more easily to identify pieces.

# Answer
> 13 votes
These parts belong to a ton of different sets.

**1st picture**

* Black Engine, Smooth Large, 1 x 2 Thin Top Plate can be found in 6 sets.
* Black Tail with Rounded Top, Aquazone Aquashark Blue Shark with Red 'X' Pattern belong to one of three sets.
* Slope 33 3 x 2 with Exploriens Logo Pattern was available in 6 sets.
* White Hinge Train Gate 2 x 4 with Satellite Orbiting Earth Screen Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6458 is part of Satellite with Astronaut (6458) set:

* Light Gray Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Dynamite Pattern was in 40 sets.
* Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Alien Egg Pattern (Magnetic Sticker) - Exploriens Sets was in 8 sets.
* Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Dinosaur Skeleton and Bone Pattern (Magnetic Sticker) - Exploriens Sets was in 8 sets too.
* Tile 2 x 2 with Spyrius Blue Screen with Plus Sign and Silver and Red Panel Pattern seen in 15 sets.
* Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2 Door with Slot and Spyrius Pattern been in 3 sets.
* Yellow Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Underwater Navigation Pattern seen in 8 sets.
* White Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Zebra Stripes Pattern been in 6 sets
* Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Blue and Yellow Controls Pattern (Ice Planet) available in 14 sets.
* Red Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Number 2 Bold White and Stripes Pattern been in 2 sets.
* White Tile 2 x 2 with White Arrow in Blue Circle Pattern have been in 17 sets.
* White Brick 1 x 3 with Radio and Dual Cassette Pattern Dark Pink/Green (Sticker) - Set 5895 has incorrectly applied sticker and has been available in Villa Belville (5895)

* White Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 1 Pattern has been part of 8 sets.
* Black Slope 45 2 x 2 with Yellow Grille Pattern has been in 4 sets.
* Black Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 4 Pattern been in 8 sets.
* White Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with 'POLICE' Red Line Pattern has been in 20 sets.
* White Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Arrow Short Yellow with Black Border Pattern been in 18 sets.
* White Slope 75 2 x 1 x 3 - Open Stud with Shuttle and Blue/Red Circle Pattern, Model Right (Sticker) - Set 6614 AND Panel 1 x 2 x 1 with Blue -V- and two Red Lines Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6614 are unique to Launch Evac 1 (6614):

* Assembly which feature distinctive Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Flame and Sand Green Border Pattern belong to Red Planet Cruiser (7311) set:

* Blue Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 2 Pattern been in 6 sets.
* Blue Slope 33 3 x 2 with Ice Planet Logo Pattern been in 7 sets.
* Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 1/3 with Bottom Tabs and Hollow Studs with Number 7 and Blue, White and Red Swirls Pattern (Stickers) - Set 8223 AND Panel 1 x 2 x 1 with Number 7 on Right and Blue, White and Red Swirls Pattern (Sticker) - Set 8223 as name suggests is unique to Hydrofoil 7 (8223) set

* Tile 1 x 4 with 3 White Stars Pattern has been available in 6 sets.

**2nd picture**

* While Windscreen 10 x 4 x 2 1/3 Canopy with Black Aquasharks Pattern is seen in the same set it has appeared in 3 sets overall.
* Trans-Neon Green Cylinder Hemisphere 4 x 4 Multifaceted was in 9 sets.
* Trans-Neon Green Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) Webbed - Type 2 (underside attachment positions at 90 degrees) was in 5 sets.
* Trans-Green Dish 5 x 5 Scala was in just 3 sets, all from Belville theme, despite the use of "Scala" naming.
* Trans-Light Blue Windscreen 4 x 4 x 4 1/3 Helicopter with Coast Guard Logo Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6342 as name suggest is specific to Beach Rescue Chopper (6342) set.

* Trans-Dark Blue Windscreen 6 x 6 Octagonal Canopy with Axle Hole has been part of 7 sets.

**3rd picture**

* White Tile, Round 8 x 8 seen in 4 sets.
* Both White Wedge, Plate 7 x 12 Wing Left and White Wedge, Plate 7 x 12 Wing Right have been in 17 sets.
* White Wedge, Plate 8 x 6 x 2/3 with Grille has been in just two sets.
* White Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud has been in whooping 472 sets.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Give a man a fish and he will eat for the day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for life.

Since its a few months old you probably have this figured out already. But, if not, here is what I learned in the last 6 weeks sitting on my rec room floor with thousands of bricks (3 large plastic tubs). Also from the 90's and early 2000's. Besides my sons sets my neighbor gave me a big black garbage bag full of bricks from his kids. He was on his way to the garbage can. He offered so I took them. Here is the clue - on the back of almost every brick is an id number. Pick the most unusual pieces and use it to track your sets. Google the number starting with Lego then the number. Bricklink has been my best reference so far but Lego recommends BrickOwl. On Bricklink you will get a lot of info and thousands of people around the world selling them in their little stores. There is a "Item Appears In" link that will direct you to a list of Lego sets that contain the part. They sort it by color and date. Then you have to hunt it down. Once you find it, they will give you inventories for the set as well as assembly instructions in PDF's.

Doing this I have identified 50 plus sets, reconstituted 25 plus and fully reassembled 26. Some rather large. So those little stores on Bricklink and BrickOwl charge pennies for most pieces but be leery of those that charge large shipping fees and adding handling charges. My mailman was delivering my packages, mostly small, in plastic tubs.

Good luck, it's addicting.

---
Tags: part-identification, set-identification
---


# Question
Title: EV3 force sensor - how to download the block to EV3?
I'm a twelfth grade student and I'm studying mechatronics and this is the first time someone from my school has used a force sensor so my teachers do not know how to help me. Can you please tell me: how can I download the force sensor block to EV3?

# Answer
> 3 votes
There is no force sensor in either the commercial or education version of the EV3 set, just the touch sensor for which there are standard blocks.

So I'm going to assume this is a sensor from an an external party. You need a file with extension .ev3b that can be imported in the mindstorms lab by clicking 'Tools' in the menu and then 'import block' which will open a dialog where you can browse for the file, and import the blocks in it.

Now to obtain that .ev3b file, you need to know from which vendor it was bought. Likely the file can be downloaded from their website. We could help you further if you could specify either the vendor or post a picture of the sensor.

---
Tags: ev3, ev3-g
---


# Question
Title: Are Chinese clone brands considered to be safe for children?
Is there some kind of official source regarding the safety of bricks made by brands other than LEGO®?

I'm not talking about choking hazard or similar (these are obvious) but heavy metal (lead, ..) or other chemicals in the bricks.

Some brands (Xingbao, CaDa, Mould King, Happy Build, ...) have some really nice sets (original designs of course) and are officially available for purchase in the EU/Germany so they need to have a CE marking and possibly passed other tests like TÜV. But there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive source on which brands to avoid or which ones are considered good.

---

*UPDATE:*

I found the page of the "China Toy & Juvenile Products Association" (CTJPA) where several suppliers are listed including Sembo and Qman with their certifications (f.e. EN 71).

# Answer
> 3 votes
> Is there some kind of official source regarding the safety of bricks made by brands other than LEGO®?

As far as I am aware, no. At least not specifically for construction brick toys.

> Some brands (Xingbao, CaDa, Mould King, Happy Build, ...) have some really nice sets (original designs of course) and are officially available for purchase in the EU/Germany so they need to have a CE marking and possibly passed other tests like TÜV.

The CE marking indicates a product has passed health, safety, and environmental protection standards for sale within the European Economic Area. The individual tests vary between industries but are not necessarily a certification of quality. The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that have been manufactured to EEA standards.

LEGO products adhere to the EU Toy Safety Directive and the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The approval process involves 'simulating things like children biting, dropping, and stepping on LEGO elements to ensure they don’t break'

In regards to the concern of chemical safety of LEGO clones, CE is a good indicator that a product passes certain safety criteria, there are of course other certification marks covering different regions.

If a LEGO clone has no credible certification mark does that mean it is unsafe? We simply do not know. The effort to test the safety of all these uncertified brands is too great. Parts vary widely in their colour (each individual colour has a unique chemical composition) as well as material (whether they are hard plastics, soft plastics, transparent, opaque or even glitter plastics in some cases).

You could always clean your new bricks as a precaution, if you suspect that there might be any surface level contamination, such as oil or plastic residue used in the manufacturing process. This will not make a difference to any toxic chemicals in the composition of the bricks.

In summary, if you do not see a certification marking that you can trust, there is no guarantee of safety.

# Answer
> -2 votes
Most of them are safe, because they are made mainly out of abs plastic, but with Lego, you will be getting higher quality pieces, and you know you will always be getting the best pieces, because of quality control. From my past experience, china bricks seem fine safety wise, but I have noticed significant differences on how well the gears work, and how easy the pieces stick together.

A comparison of off-brand Legos: https://uploads.brickset.com/docs/clonebrands\_v1.6.pdf

an example of the quality of a Lego brick compared to other bricks https://i.stack.imgur.com/4xe6s.png

---
Tags: clone-brands, safety
---


# Question
Title: Will non-Lego remote controls work with Lego IR receivers?
I bought a KAZI model of a Chinese bullet train CRH400F a month back and want to use a remote control. I bought an IR receiver and remote control, but the other IR receiver is lost in the post.

So I'm thinking of buying a Lego IR receiver instead. Does anyone know if the Lego IR receiver (code 8884-1) will work with a non-Lego remote control (photo below)? In theory, so long as they are both on the same channel number it should be fine, right?

# Answer
It depends on how faithfully the remote was copied, specifically if the electronics was copied as well as the form factor. If KAZI just took a four channel IR module that uses another protocol and stuck two of them into the casing, the sent signals would most probably be incompatible with LEGO's PF system.

The channel number is only a manufacturer convention, without any inter-corporally agreed upon standards, so there is no universally accepted "channel" for IR remotes.
> 2 votes

# Answer
The channel number does not have much influence in the success or failure of the transmitter-receiver configuration. It will only work if both radio transmitters use the same frequency and encoding for signals.
> 1 votes

# Answer
If you compare the internal circuitry of the clone remote to this official Lego one, if they look similar then it’s highly likely that they use the same protocol.

Image source
> -1 votes

---
Tags: power-functions, clone-brands, remote-control
---


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

# Answer
The top one is 8087: TIE Defender

The bottom one is 8099: Midi-scale Imperial Star Destroyer
> 19 votes

# Answer
Sets are TIE Defender (8087)

And Midi-Scale Imperial Star Destroyer (8099)
> 12 votes

---
Tags: set-identification, star-wars
---


# Question
Title: Why isn't the LEGO logo on studs in more official computer animated shows, movies, and games?
In the LEGO Simpsons episode Brick Like Me there are many shots where the tops of studs are clearly visible but lack the logo- the smooth tops make them look like a cheap knock-off brand. A standard normal mapping technique could render the logos without much additional computing time there and in lower budget animated shows like Ninjago or the Star Wars specials, and possibly even the computer games, but I wonder if there are other reasons the logo isn't there — advertising restrictions? (If that's the case an illegible logo would look better than smooth.)

# Answer
I can not give a clear answer for licencing, as that is a very broad topic covering various mediums and possibly covers legislation across nations and regions. There are a few practical design cases I can think of though.

## Early media

For interactive media, games historically have had limitations on processing and graphical power. Early games, such as LEGO Island released in 1997 had extremely limited graphics (by modern standards) yet were still very effective at representing LEGO bricks and characters fully.

Rather than attempting to recreate LEGO pieces as realistically as possible, they aimed to make the characters and environment full of life, immersive and fun. Very important for a product aimed at children.

Many designers completely ignore the realistic limitations of the hard plastic joints and pivots of a real minifigure and went for a more expressive style. Arms and legs unnaturally contort to give more expression and dynamics to the characters.

I believe the idea of LEGO bricks and what they *represent to the imagination* were considered more important to the *physical aspects*. Aside from technical limitations, the need to represent the bricks as accurately as possible just was not necessary and could even detract from the style.

It is even possible that rendering every individual stud on a brick could have produced a sickening Moiré effect as objects were moved around and their scale changed. This issue would be particularly worse at lower rendering resolutions.

## Hyperrealism

The LEGO Movie released in 2014 was perhaps the first time LEGO fully embraced realistic animation. Although being fully animated digitally, they embraced the visual aesthetic of fans making stop-motion LEGO animations (also known as Brickfilms).

The painstaking details, involved placing minifigures under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures. The character Benny the spaceman for example, includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets.

It seemed from the design brief, it was important to provide realism to *capture the physical nature of bricks* for the sake of nostalgia, in combination with having certain creative freedoms to still make the parts *feel alive and animated*.

---

## Summary

I could quite easily cover many more examples but I think it would generally be the case that many production companies contracted to design these media by The LEGO Group would have their own production standards, guidelines and interpretations of the artistic and technical style.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: video-games, animation
---


# Question
Title: Identify Floor tiles on the great pyramid of meereen
Can anyone identify the floor tiles used in The Great Pyramid of Meereen. I looked at all the 2x2 decorated tiles on bricklink and couldn't find them.

# Answer
They are indeed quite beautiful tiles but unfortunately not official LEGO decals.

I believe they are his own original custom designs, as in another MOC for Portal 2 which can be seen at LEGO IDEAS he does confirm that he uses his own custom decals.

> I based my design on the amazing 2012 Lego Cuusoo “Thinking with Portals” by Brickthing. I took his original design and added elements from Lego Dimensions and my own twist **with custom decals** and details from the Portal games.

There seem to be many more examples on that Flickr account.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: Lego Duplo 10508 train does not pull up the bridge
I tried new batteries, disassembled it, and greased it. The engine wheels seemed a bit sticky due to something sticky inside that got there at some point. I put some WD40 to make it work better and was hoping it will work fine. It goes up the bridge easily on its own. Then I tried with one empty platform, pulled up so so. Got stuff on the platform, and that's it - it stops in the middle with no gear sounds or etc.

Originally it is with 2 wagons/platforms and it does seem to reach the same place and gets stuck in the middle of the bridge going up, and does not get stuck elsewhere.

Should there be some kind of clutch, or does it switch off the engine due to Amps raising?

I found this with gear sounds and can't relate. I examined all gears after disassembling similarly like in the video, except I could not pull the wheels off - felt like it will break if I pull harder. I did not want to risk it too much.

I tried looking around for engine pinion issues and stuff, but can't relate anywhere to what I'm experiencing. I bought it used. It's a bit disappointing to pull it/push it uphill, but so far my son doesn't mind too much :)

However, having a DIY soul, I'm a bit sad and insulted with situation...

Update:

It's a pinion issue, after thinking it through, disassembled once more and the engine spins, with wheels and accordingly pinion - blocked so will go for a metal solution, like here.

# Answer
Short answer: It's not a good train bridge and results are disappointing.

Longer answer:

We've tried two different Duplo trains (10874 Steam Train and 10875 Cargo Train) on the Duplo train bridge and they barely have enough power/traction to get over it even without any train cars attached. If you run a bare engine (no cover), it goes up fine. If you run the engine with a decorative cover (the "top" of the train), it will struggle. If you run it with train cars attached it seems like it's 50/50 whether it'll make it over.

You also could consider trying different types of batteries. Alkaline (non-rechargeable) batteries usually have higher voltage when they are new (but then drop off quickly), compared to rechargeable, which maintain a steady, but slightly lower voltage (reference).
> 4 votes

---
Tags: duplo
---


# Question
Title: Does any one know a model or set number for my son's broken piece?
It's Mega Blocks, a small blue piece Spiderman retractable web where you push a button on the little block and the string recoils back inside the block. All I can get is it's Spiderman retractable web something, but Mega Blocks can't help without a model number or set number.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Without seeing a picture it is difficult to determine exactly what you have, but after a bit of research I think you have MEGA BLOKS set #1916: Spider-Man Super Tech Hero from 2004.

---
Tags: part-identification, piece-information, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: MOCs: A question about using LEGO trademark
I recently made a MOC using LEGO bricks that I would like to sell. I know that, since this is my own construction I have the rights to do that, but my question is about the LEGO trademark. I want to make a box to ship the guides and pieces, and I would like to know if I can say "made with LEGO bricks" on it or something related to LEGO. I do not intend to use their logo or try to fool the buyer trying to make him think this is a official product.

Would something like "non official made with LEGO product" get me in trouble?

# Answer
If you read the Fair Play Brochure linked from the Fair Play policy, you will see more detailed sections covering "Attempted Association" and "Product Copying". The reason you're not seeing an explicit "commercial use" call out is because there isn't one - if you want to use their trademarks commercially, you will need to get a commercial license via a licencing agreement:

> The LEGO Group’s trademarks and copyrighted material may NEVER be used by unrelated third parties for their own commercial or marketing purposes, unless formal permission or a written licence has been granted by the LEGO Group.

Basically, you should not use the LEGO logo anywhere on your product or marketing materials to avoid any doubt. I'm aware of at least one LEGO Certified Professional (whose main site seems to have dropped off the net, but you can still find some bits on Facebook) whose products you can still find listed on various sites that give a fairly good example of how to do this:

I've seen these in Aquatics shops and online. A number of the listings mention LEGO but there's nothing explicit on the packaging - although the blue 4x2 is rather close to the official red 4x2 that is copyrighted. The catalogues however do carry the Logo as part of the LEGO Certified Professional program.

I would recommend doing point 1 below, as I'm not a lawyer, but I would suggest your options are either:

1. Not referencing LEGO in any way, other than through the product shots.
2. If you do reference LEGO, that should be purely in text ideally on the rear of the packaging (i.e. not prominent), include the ® symbol, and include their disclaimer (i.e. "LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product") and contact a lawyer.
> 6 votes

# Answer
You have to follow "Fair Play" policy published by LEGO and you will be alright.
> 1 votes

# Answer
The website MOCHUB advertises with the following slogan:

> The home of unique LEGO® creations

They sell MOCs by various builders. If they can get away with using the word "Lego", I suppose you could too.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: shopping, lego-group, moc
---


# Question
Title: What was the first Lego tie-in film or television production?
Nowadays, it's pretty common for TV shows and films to be released by film studios in agreement with The LEGO Group and tying in to current LEGO set themes - famous examples include the recent films (The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part), LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles, the Legends of Chima TV series, and Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu, all of which were released after 2010.

What is the *earliest* television or film production that was officially tied in with a LEGO set or theme or with LEGO bricks in general? The earliest that I was able to find was Edward and Friends from 1987 that showcased the Fabuland theme, but LEGO was already decades old by then. Was there anything before that?

# Answer
I think you already answered your own question: The The earliest Lego television production *is* Edward and Friends from 1987 that showcased the Fabuland theme.

From the Wikipedia page:

> It was Lego's first foray into animation and television in general.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: lego-group, marketing
---


# Question
Title: Need help to identify a piece - two 1x2 plates connected by curved lines
Bought a used collection and got many of these  in different colors. Wasn't able to find a set containing similar pieces.

It looks like the top of a cockpit.

Can you help me?

# Answer
> 7 votes
This is part 47755 Wedge 4x3 Open with Cutout and 4 Studs.

---
Tags: part-identification
---


title: Making a relaxing LEGO tub

text:
# Question
Title: Making a relaxing LEGO tub
I'd like to make a few tubs with an ornate gold-trimmed look. I'd like to get atleast a somewhat curved feel to them, not just the blocky square ones you see on the youtube tutorials. Here's a few of the pieces I'm considering:

My concern is that It's not going to quite have the 'rounded' look that I want, particularly on the outside. Do you folks have any suggestions for improving this design?

# Answer
Both of these designs use the same faucet piece and legs can be easily attached beneath, the issue with most of these designs is that parts are mostly in white as those parts are more common than gold. If you are set on the colour you will be fairly limited in terms of pieces but there are some ways to change the colour of bricks with some limitations.

This design by Elspeth De Montes uses the (Studs not on top) techniques to get that smooth look without any exposed studs on the top. It uses a 1 x 2 x 5 brick

This design by Ryan Smith has a similar shape but with studs on top.

You might find more relevant designs by searching on Flickr rather Google images for example.
> 5 votes

---
Tags: design
---


title: Good "freeware" mosaic creator

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

# Answer
> 5 votes
PictoBrick is a good one. It works with real LEGO colors and parts and will give you a parts-list: http://www.pictobrick.de/en/pictobrick.shtml

# Answer
> 1 votes
**Bricklink Studio** has a built-in mosaic generator with a lot of options for tweaking.

The software also has a mode to generate instructions and supports direct integration with BrickLink’s catalog, marketplace, and gallery so you can order parts easily. Parts generated can be optimised for price, there is also support for various colour pallets and brick types (plates, tiles, bricks etc.)

---
Tags: building, software, design, mosaic
---


# Question
Title: Trying to 3D print a birdhouse but need to identify plates
I found a birdhouse on Thingiverse (thing:1641240) I would like to print and build. It uses Lego plates for the floor and roof, but the problem is that the person that posted the design didn't include which Lego plates are used.

Here are the images from the files:

# Answer
The floor and ceiling aren’t one piece. They’re made of four 30357: Black Plate, Round Corner 3 x 3 each with an assortment of other square/rectangular plates to fill in the gaps.

It looks like there are 20 studs between the corner pieces on each side. The second image you posted shows a layer of tiles holding the floor together. Presumably there is another layer of offset plates holding the ceiling together from the bottom.

---

**Edit:**

Which pieces you select for the center of the floor/ceiling will come down to two factors:

1. Price, or how expensive they are to get (assuming you don't already have them).
2. Strength, or how easy it is to make a sturdy structure (assuming you aren't planning to glue them together).

Here's one possible tiling that favors strength:

And a layer of plates you could place on the underside to hold everything together:

In these examples, every joint on the first layer is overlapped by at least two studs on both sides by the second layer.

Here's the parts list for this tiling, along with the cheapest price on bricklink if you're buying each part from one buyer:

Total: $6.84

Remember to double this if you're building both the floor and ceiling with the same layout.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, piece-information
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find details/instructions for this keychain?
Hi, I’ve been trying to find info on this Kai DX LED keychain from 2011, but have been unable to do so. Are there any pages where I can find information/details on this keychain and possibly the booklet which came with it?

# Answer
> 2 votes
While searching on Bricklink I've found two items that are related to minifigure in question. All I could find is some picture and minor details of this minifigure flashlight key chain here.

As we can see on picture below one of two of the items I've located on Bricklink are present in this bundle. For some reason items in Bricklink's catalog share similar part ID (UT21222-1 and UT21222-2, where "-number" is used to distinguish items with same part ID), while KAI has entirely different picture. It is unclear if picture used on Bricklink is incorrect or Kai's print has changed at some point.

Some details from shared website (in German):

> Art.Nr. 3017.21222 Hersteller Nr. UT21222 EAN-Code 4041268212220

> Schlüsselanhänger mit Taschenlampe im Lego Ninjago Design inkl. Batterien im Display Hiermit stehen Sie nicht länger im Dunkeln. Durch die beweglichen Beine kann gleichzeitig in zwei Richtungen geleuchtet werden. Im Lieferumfang sind bereits zwei Knopfzellen (Typ CR2025 3V) enthalten, welche bei Bedarf ausgewechselt werden können. ACHTUNG! Nicht geeignet für Kinder unter 36 Monaten. Enthält verschluckbare Kleinteile. Erstickungsgefahr!

And with a help of Google Translate in English:

> Keyring with torch in Lego Ninjago design incl. Batteries in the display With this you are no longer in the dark. The movable legs can be used to illuminate in two directions at the same time. The scope of delivery already includes two button cells (type CR2025 3V), which can be exchanged if necessary. ATTENTION! Not suitable for children under 36 months. Contains small parts that could be swallowed. Suffocation hazard!

Unfortunately, I think LEGO does not keep/provide any online instructions for this accessory.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I don't have an official link, but searching "lego ninjago kai keychain light 2011" gets you what you want.

Alex found the bricklink link: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=117561#T=S&O= but we both conclude there is no official link for it.

---
Tags: set-identification, instructions, ninjago
---


# Question
Title: How would one parametrically create a LEGO-compatible gear?
If a gear was intended to smoothly mesh with standard LEGO gears, how should it be defined?

While I know that the mean diameter (average of inner and outer diameters) of a LEGO gear should be 1mm/tooth, but are there any specifications anywhere that describe the profile of a tooth so that I can get its shape correct when designing a gear intended to mesh with LEGO?

I know that others have asked about the module of a LEGO gear and I've seen the web page that describes how to make one with Solidworks, but I am not using Solidworks to create my gears, and I do not have the benefit of a gear wizard that can compute the shape of the gear from the teeth count and module. I therefore need to know how to actually define the profile of the gear using either primitive shapes or splines, and for that I will need to know dimensions, such as the length of the tooth from base to outer edge, the widths of a tooth at its base and its outer edge, as well as particulars for any splines or circles that may be needed to help construct the shape so that the gears will mesh smoothly.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I have 3D printed gears that mesh well with Lego Technic gears. I had the same issue as you that although the module(m) = 1, the root and tip diameters are not specified anywhere.

I used digital calipers to measure the tip diameter as accurately as I could and got the following results:

| Gear teeth (z) | Measured Tip Diameter |
| --- | --- |
| 8 | 9.80mm |
| 12 | 13.30mm |
| 16 | 17.37mm |
| 20 | 21.36mm |
| 24 | 25.75mm |
| 28 | 29.50mm |
| 36 | 37.31mm |
| 40 | 41.63mm |
| 56 | 57.80mm |
| 60 | 61.35mm |

Doing a linear regression on this table yielded: TipDiameter = mz + 1.494

I used these parameters in Sketchup with the "Rack & Pinion" plugin to draw the involute gear profile. If you are a developer you can view the code of this plugin to see exactly how it calculates point coordinates and then uses these to create a curve entity for each part of each tooth. I can't imagine you want to do that by hand though!

Of course if you're printing standard technic sizes, you can always just convert the ldraw DAT file for the part you're interested in into STL and print that? It works surprisingly well (3D print on the left)

---
Tags: technic, gears, size
---


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

# Answer
These look like

I found a few ebay listings for this item, they seem to be from the 60's, but no luck on finding further information.
> 4 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, piece-information, clone-brands, vintage
---


# Question
Title: Have any Lego sets been released with errors/mistakes in the build instructions? If not, why not?
I was thinking about the documentation process of a large set like the Death Star and it got me thinking; surely at some point Lego must've released a set of instructions that contained a mistake?

You know, referencing a part that wasn't in the final set, skipping an instruction step, nonsensical instruction etc.

If they have somehow managed to avoid this over the years, what processes/validations do they have in place to prevent such errors creeping into the eventual consumer sets?

# Answer
> 18 votes
My 7190 Millennium Falcon kit has a mistake where the inventory for the page doesn't include two pieces on it. So, invariably, when I'm building it I forget to include those two pieces, and they are left over until the very end, at which point I have to follow this process:

1. Say "Dammit"
2. Flip backwards through the booklet to find the page that last added those parts
3. Disassemble the model part-way
4. Add the parts back
5. Re-assemble the model
6. Say "There. *NOW* it's finished."
7. Swoosh the model a bit.

Here are the two instruction pages showing the error. On the second page you can see that the dark grey upward sloping pieces at the front are added, yet don't appear in the page's inventory list.

# Answer
> 10 votes
LEGO has made mistakes several times in the past and will continue to do so, as is the norm for a toy manufacturer of its scale.

I can only advise that the best way to ensure instructions are correct would be to build the model using the instructions. You'll be able to pick up more than just missed steps that way.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Mistakes do slip through from time to time, and are actually not so uncommon as you think.

Most of this is hearsay, but as far as I understand, the people in charge of making the instructions are not the designers themselves. Similarly, there is certainly a Q&A process which aims to ensure that the model is as faultless as possible, including the instructions. Building it is most certainly a part of the process.

But once again, errors do creep through, and sometimes they are discovered by the time the instructions are already printed. In these cases, it's not uncommon for LEGO to add an errata sheet to the model rather than reprint the full instruction book. See here for an example on LEGO wikia.

# Answer
> 5 votes
I have a set that has an error in the original instructions. 7184 Trade Federation MTT has a double sided page of the correct steps as below.

The original basically used a 1x6 in place of the 2x6. I am not sure if the correction was because the model design was modified to be more sturdy or if the maker of the instructions got it wrong, but when I tried to build this set the first time I had used some other 1x6's as the instructions had said. Later I had no 1x6 pieces to build with and noticed the 2x6's. Then I remembered the extra page and was able to work it out.

This is the only set, and I have over 50, where I have had an addendum to the original instructions.

# Answer
> 2 votes
The part list page for the Ultimate Collector Edition Millenium Falcon (10179) contain 5 mystery pieces that aren't included in the set, and aren't even used in the build.

See What is piece 4211642 from 10179 - UCE Millenium Falcon?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I know that I've found errors in multiple sets of Technics. Technic 42055 page 210 calls for 27 of part "4121715" but only show 25 used. I have several of these left over and cannot find where they go.

Other Technic kits I've built have shown parts put together wrong on subsequent pages after showing them correctly.

With Technic sets I expect to find mistakes anymore. I've never found one in a standard set, but I don't buy the big standard sets.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I'd like to nominate today's find, an admittedly minor and inconsequent error in the instructions of the 24065 RC Tracked Racer, which I would call "The case of the spontaneously moving pins":

Here we start with four partially inserted long black pins:

Which suddenly, and without being instructed, get fully inserted in the next step:

Only to retract just as spuriously in the next step:

And stay so for the next 57 steps, when they are finally inserted with the full consent of the designer(s):

# Answer
> 2 votes
In the LEGO Technic set 42100 (Liebherr R 9800), on page 211, step 268 says to assemble parts that were already added in the previous step.

Steps 267 and 268 are actually swapped.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If I remember correctly, on the LEGO website a few years ago there was an incident with their Batman Tumbler. They had to reissue new instructions as they left something out. It was a long time ago and I didn't buy the set. I also noticed when building the Death Star minifigure set 10188, specifically the Emperor's room, I got some of the pieces wrong because the colour on the instructions was so bad I couldn't make out what colour they were supposed to be. Alas, when I almost finished it I found my error and backtracked, taking the whole thing apart.

# Answer
> 1 votes
My son owns 6912 *Super Soarer*. In the picture, as can be seen below, on the fuselage, between the wings and the tail, there's a black roof tile with lattice (1×2×2), on a dark grey 1×4 plate, with a dark grey 1×2 flat tile in front of it.

According to the build instructions, that sub assembly should be the other way around, with the roof tile in front of the flat tile.

# Answer
> 1 votes
My Death Star has a mistake in the building instructions. One of the pages is messed up because on one page one plate is 6x1 and then suddenly on the next page it's a 7x1 plate. And it doesn't tell us to add anything on the latter page.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Set 10243 Book 2 appears to have an error in the fireplace build. Pages 16-19.

# Answer
> 1 votes
In set 76140, TLG made a typo with what sticker number you should put on one of the bricks.

The SPIK3R PDF file for set 31313 also has a typo. The number in the white circle next to the dark-tan axle tells that it measures four studs long, when in reality the part is only three studs long. At least it doesn't affect the build, because there are no errors in the given image of it AFAIK.

# Answer
> 1 votes
In the review of 31107 Space Rover Explorer over at Brickset, the author, Mr\_Cross has pointed out the following error, where the same six 1x2 modified plates are to be added in both substeps 2 and 3 of step 3 and in step 8:

# Answer
> 1 votes
These images depict steps 26 and 27 of the 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig, where the pulley wheels are changed:

# Answer
> 0 votes
I have a page that was folded in before final cut in the ninjago city book 2

# Answer
> -1 votes
In the Changing Seasons 2015 set the winter instructions has a mistake, not huge and doesn't prevent you building it correctly, but it is there. Page 29 doesn't show the top hinge, but on page 30 it is there! It isn't until page 33 when the instructions tell you to place this piece.

---
Tags: manufacturing, instructions
---


# Question
Title: Just saw these 1990s sets in a local shop. Would any of these be a good investment?
Just saw these 1990s sets in a local shop.

Would any of these be a good investment?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Most of these sets will have very little potential value. In regards to the parts, most of these parts are constantly being produced and very easily available. There might be some exceptions for Duplo pieces which I am less familiar with.

The modern day 2021 equivalent of these sets would be the 'Classic' range of sets which tend to include the same parts but with more variety of colours and shape.

Despite supply of these sets on Bricklink being fairly low, they are also low demand and as such the prices are more or less below retail value (usually less for used sets). As an investment it would be important to consider how the costs of packaging, postage, seller fees (Ebay, Paypal etc.) could eat into your profits.

There may also be interest for these sets purely for nostalgic reasons.

I personally remember owning the red LEGO basic buckets and I recall it being nearly indestructible. In contrast to the parts themselves, I could actually see more potential for those containers to be valuable in the future as they provide novelty and storage value.

The condition of the 'bucket' sets also seems to be a lot better than the cardboard boxes and they will most likely last longer. There is some warping on the packaging where the stickers adhere to the boxes and potentially there could be some UV damage from being in a shop window for a long period of time.

---
Tags: shopping, investment
---


title: How tall is a Lego train on a track?

text:
# Question
Title: How tall is a Lego train on a track?
I cannot currently access any Lego trains, and the product range offered in the trains category in these years is rather ... disheartening. Nonetheless, I do not rule out the possibility that things might look brighter again in the years to come, in time for my children to still enjoy Lego railroads.

While picking/modifying some furniture for my children's rooms, I would like to make sure the clear height undernearth is just sufficient for minifig-scale trains to pass through, so as to not obstruct any future tracks.

**How many centimetres of clear space do I have to plan for?**

Let's restrict this a little bit so it becomes a more well-defined question:

* I do not reckon with minifigs or anything else standing on the roof of trains.
* Fixed "installations" should be "usable", though - that is, the height of pantographs should be measured in such a way that they look "realistically extended"; neither completely retracted nor extended as far as the hinges allow.
* The train should be measured while standing on the tracks, but without anything else underneath (i.e. not even a baseplate).

Furthermore, I'd like to suggest a reference list of sets that the answer should be valid for (though, as I'm picking these only visually, without any concrete trains at hand, feel free to suggest deviations or pick equivalent sample trains):

# Answer
LEGO tracks are 12mm high, train wheels go below the true height of the track and so in reality only add 7mm of height.

The structure gauge (also known as clearance) tolerance will obviously be a lot lower than real life. You could perhaps get away with 1/3 a brick clearance but having at least one or two bricks height clearance at minimum is best.

Here are a few measurements for different types of trains.

| Model | Name | Studs | Centimetres | Inches |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Amtrak Superliner | 17.9 | 14.4 | 5.7 |
|  | 4551 (Pantograph extended) | 16.3 | 13.1 | 5.1 |
|  | Double-Stack Cart | 12.8 | 10.2 | 4.0 |
|  | Early Steam Locomotive | 12.4 | 9.9 | 3.9 |

I have used Bricklink Studio to render and calculate these measurements. The models used can all be found in the model library.

Dimension and weight statistics for models can be displayed under Tools \> Mode Information so if you can find a model for the train you are interested you can check using this software.
> 13 votes

# Answer
Several of the trains include a diagram showing their size:

It obviously varies somewhat from train to train. Somewhere around six inches or 16cm should be sufficient for most trains.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: trains, size
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to power an EV3 hub via USB?
I have a LEGO Mindstorm EV3 hub. I want to avoid buying rechargeable batteries by supplying power through battery box pins using an external variable power supply.

Is it possible to supply power to an EV3 hub via USB?

# Answer
No, the only way provided to power the EV3 is through 6 AA-batteries or the expensive rechargeable battery box. Of course some DIY solution could work, anything that provides 9V DC or thereabouts works when the voltage is applied directly to the outer battery contacts...
> 4 votes

---
Tags: ev3
---