# Question
Title: What is this LEGO Star Wars Disney box with "5 items"?
Someone sent me this picture, asking me what this LEGO Star Wars box is.

It apparently doesn't have an item number, and it just says "5 items" ages 6+. What items might it contain?

# Answer
This was a promotion for holders of the Black VIP Card, between the 17th and 19th of December LEGO allowed US and Canadian shoppers at their online and bricks and mortar stores the opportunity to add a free branded box containing five polybagged minifigs to their shopping cart if they spent $75 on LEGO Star Wars set

it contains

Hoth Han Solo (5001621)

Stormtrooper Sergeant (5002938)

Admiral Yularen (5002947)

Scarif Stormtrooper (40176)

DJ (40298)

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Bricklink

https://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-star-wars-box-5005704-promotion-live-on-shophome/

http://www.rebelscum.com/story/front/LEGO\_5005704\_Free\_Star\_Wars\_Box\_182741
> 3 votes

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Tags: set-identification, star-wars
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# Question
Title: Looking for sets to use as components of a 1930s - 1940s European city
I'm planning to build a 1930s / 1940s European city (like Paris, London, Prague, ...).

As buildings, I'm currently going for modulars that could pass for pre-1950 European buildings, possibly with some customizations.

As cars, I currently have the Oxford classic car set & the car from Enlighten's Special Mission Zero set. In addition, I just bought the LEGO Shanghai Chase set, the LEGO Winter Village Station set & Enlighten's Sunshine Hotel for the cars in those sets.

Could anyone of you recommend some specific sets, besides the ones already mentioned, that would be suitable for a 1930 to 1950 city theme and could help me add more detail to my city?

Besides buildings & cars, I'm thinking of details like fountains, statues, benches, kiosks, bus stops & other details that could fit in a European city from between 1930 & 1950 and give it just a bit more character. Also interior details like bedrooms, living rooms or kitchens would be welcome.

As you may have noticed in my choice of cars, I don't care that much about the brand. I'm OK with buying either LEGO or any other brand, as long as the quality is good enough. What's far more important to me than the brand, is that the elements fit into a 1930 to 1950 setting and that they give my city just that little extra...

# Answer
What about the 75930 Indoraptor Rampage for an almost timeless mansion? Without the raptors it is not too expensive.

The 10228 Haunted house could provide a good basis for a rebrick of a nice mansion on the hill just outside of your city. However, this one is ALWAYS expensive, as you probably know.

For many nice little ideas for everyday items and a MOC city, check out LionBricks' Youtube channel.
> 8 votes

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Tags: sets, clone-brands, design, city, theme
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# Question
Title: Why was the original brick separator changed?
The old brick separator seemed indestructible, and would separate all bricks that I had without fail. This orange thing is dinky and flimsy compared to the others.

So, I ask, why did LEGO think that this is better? Is the only reason the wedge?

# Answer
The new brick separator is smaller, therefore uses less plastic and is cheaper to mass produce, it also means it can fit better into tighter spaces.

It has a pusher to remove Technic pins and a chiselled edge to pry off tiles, there is a middle hole in the two female stud connections which allows you to remove 1X2 'jumper tiles'.

The additional Technic axle connection gives you a little bit more freedom to incorporate the part into other LEGO creations.

Brick Wiki has no reference for this, but it also seems like a sensible decision consideration:

> A new style of brick separator was introduced by LEGO in late 2011. To the satisfaction of many AFOL's, the new style comes in orange. **(Many AFOL's had wished for brick separators to be made in orange for years, so that they could be spotted easily when needed.)**
> 3 votes

# Answer
My guess would be that they wanted to include one in more sets; so they made a smaller (cheaper) version and took the opportunity to add functionalities, such as the technic axle remover or the flat end for removing tiles easily. If I'm not mistaken, this version works on jumper plates too; which wasn't the case with the old one.
> 7 votes

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Tags: piece-usage, brick-separator
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# Question
Title: What set do these large white pieces with Technic pins and an orange winch come from?
I found this at home with many other scattered parts and set, but I'm unsure what this one belongs to. What set is it from?

# Answer
> 8 votes
It looks like part of a Jack Stone 4618-1: Twin Rotor Cargo

# Answer
> 3 votes
Alexander O'Mara answered it quite well but if you are looking for instructions as well, then toysperiod have you covered.

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Tags: set-identification
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title: 2 Red LEGO compatible bricks

text:
# Question
Title: 2 Red LEGO compatible bricks
I'm not sure where I got these 2 pieces from, and I'm wondering what are they, and which brand they belong to.

They are LEGO-compatible, but definitely not genuine LEGO.

There are no identifying marks.

Here are some photos:

# Answer
> 2 votes
Those look like Best-lock bricks.

The red looks to be lighter and more-transparent, like Best-lock bricks do compared to Lego.

The studs have no markings.

The 1/2/5 looks like the ones found in Best-lock sets, like this one.

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Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
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title: Lego Boost Variable setting

text:
# Question
Title: Lego Boost Variable setting
I'm trying to program steering for a Logo Boost Model. Motor B spins a certain angle and the steering works. To get it running the model - the app - needs to know the current position of the wheels in order to spin the motor correctly. I created several macros where i decide on, and set, a variable. I initialize the model by setting the variable in the main screen of the program interface. But if I go into my steering macros this variable is not known. Instead I can set the variable within. It means, I cannot have a global variable which can be read and set from within macros?

Can anybody clarify or elaborate this?

# Answer
Looking at this site: https://legoboost.blogger.de/stories/2709388/

It is in German but I think this picture:
is the important one.

After these settings you have a global value in the white program block.
> 2 votes

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Tags: boost
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# Question
Title: Multiple Powered Up trains on 1 Bluetooth controller?
My daughter got a Passenger Train for Christmas and I converted one of my old 9v trains to run using the powered up system. Is it possible to run the 2 trains independently or concurrently (preferably independently) on the one remote?

I’ve tried all sorts and have struggled to find anything that helps me.

# Answer
Each train needs the following two components:

I'll assume you purchased a second set of these to convert your 9V train with, since you're asking how to control both trains using the same remote.

The LEGO Powered Up team has provided an FAQ for Powered Up which contains instructions for how to pair multiple Powered Up Smarthubs with one remote, on either the same channel or different channels:

> **How can one single BT remote be used to control multiple receivers or switch among them? Will this be possible in the app?**
>
> You can link up to 5 devices (Smart Hubs or Smart Controllers) together.
>
> To create a network you first need to connect a Samrt Hub \[sic\] and a Smart Controller.
>
> **First Hub connection**
>
> Turn Hub and Controller ON by pressing their green buttons and they will link. The LED will blink white and then shift to same channel color e.g. blue. You can now change the channel color by pressing the green button on the hub and toggle through the 5 channel colors. When turning OFF the Hub or Controller the last connection is remembered and re-established when turning both ON.
>
> **Adding Hub to network**
>
> With the first Hub and the Controller ON and connected you can add extra Hubs to the network by turning the new Hub ON and then press both green buttons simultaneously on the new Hub and one of the components in the network (Hub or Controller). The new Hub is now added to the network with the same channel color as the currently selected channel. Again toggle to another channel by pressing the green button on the Hub. When more Hubs on different channels are added to the network you toggle between the different channels by pressing the green button on the Controller.
>
> Note: The current Powered UP app supports control of a single train.

Note that when you have two Smarthubs paired with the remote on the same channel, when you press a speed control button on the left side of the remote, both Smarthubs will respond. This is shown in a video by HispaBrick Magazine. This means you'll start both trains concurrently with a single button press. To avoid this:

* Change the channel on one of the hubs by pressing the green button once. You can then switch to this channel on the remote by pressing the green button on the remote, and cycle through all 5 channels back to the other hub to control that other hub again.
* Or if you want to be able to control each hub independently using each side of the remote *without having to change channels on the controller*, simply switch the plug on one of the hubs to the other port while both are still paired on the same channel.

The second port is typically used with a different device such as a Powered Up LED Light which you can install into your Passenger Train and you'd control the train motor and the LED light independently; however, it's not possible to have both motor and light controls and control two independent trains all on the same channel.
> 16 votes

# Answer
According to the LEGO Customer service website, you can control multiple train with the remote control, but not the app. Currently the Powered Up App only controls one Powered Up Hub at a time. Source: https://www.lego.com/en-MY/service/help-topics/digital/device-guides/powered-up/control-multiple

A more specific answer can be found in the LEGO City website: You can run up to 5 trains at the same time from one remote control. There are 5 channels on the remote control (you can tell them apart by their different colors) that can connect to up to 5 Smarthubs. Source: https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/city/articles/question-06-028c2ae86b684ac78d5c7448e869c88a
> 3 votes

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Tags: trains, powered-up
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# Question
Title: Are these old car models legit sets or MOCs?
Are these 4 historic car models legit sets or MOCs? If official sets do you know the set numbers?

How can I add more pictures then one?

# Answer
These are indeed legit sets of the 70's.

390-2: 1913 Cadillac  391-1: 1926 Renault  395-1: 1909 Rolls-Royce

Only the red car in the top right looks like a MOC version of the red Cadillac set
> 11 votes

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Tags: set-identification
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title: The controversy around clone brands

text:
# Question
Title: The controversy around clone brands
### The origin of the self-locking building bricks

Hilary Page was born in 1904 in Sanderstead, England. Along with several partners, Page decided to go into the toy business in 1932. In 1936, he began manufacturing Kiddicraft ‘Sensible’ toys using new injection moulding technology. Among them was an Interlocking Building Cube, for which he received a British patent in 1940.

After WW2, Page designed and produced the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks. These were smaller, refined versions of the Interlocking Building Cube. Bricks could be stacked on each other and were held in place by studs on the top. The bricks also featured slits on their side that allowed panel-like doors, windows or cards to be inserted. He patented the basic design, a 2 X 4 studded brick, in 1947. This was later followed by patents for the side slits (1949) and the baseplate (1952), designs featured in exhibits at the Brighton Toy and Model Museum.

Example of a Kiddicraft set:

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### How Lego "stole" Kiddicraft's ideas and purged Page's name

Ole Kirk Christiansen and his son Godtfred became aware of the Kiddicraft brick after examining a sample, and possibly drawings, given to them by the British supplier of the first injection moulding machine they had purchased. Realising their potential, Ole modified the Kiddicraft brick and in 1949 marketed his own version, The Automatic Binding Brick.

Example of an Automatic Binding Brick set:

Automatic Binding Brick became Lego brick in 1953. So, basically, this means that Lego actually started off as a direct knock-off of Kiddicraft.

Separated from his wife, and with the stress of his business ventures, Page committed suicide in 1957. British Lego Ltd. was set up in late 1959 and the first sets were sold the following year. Lego eventually acquired the rights to Kiddicraft in 1981. In an out-of-court settlement, Lego paid £45,000 to the new owners of Page's company Hestair-Kiddicraft. It subsequently purged all references to Page and Kiddicraft from its published history.

---

### The rise of the Chinese clone brands

Lego filed its first patent in 1958. Several other patents would follow. However, these patents had all expired in 1989. And ever since then, a number of companies have produced interlocking bricks nearly identical to (and compatible with) Lego bricks.

Especially in China, a wide range of brands have popped up, including (but not exclusive to) Banbao, Lele, Lepin, Kopf, XingBao, Englighten, Kazi, Gudi & Ausini. Some brands, like Lepin, blatantly copy LEGO sets in every detail, clearly enfringing European & American copyright law.

Most brands, however, produce their their own sets, with their own unique designs. This includes anything from medieval or city themed sets to complete modular buildings. Many of these brands also include themes Lego avoids, like WW2 or Vietnam era military themes.

Example of an Ausini set:

Example of a Kazi set:

---

### My question

In the AFOL community, I've noticed a great amount of hostility (even outright hate) against Chinese clone brands. Both companies producing such clone brands and the people buying them are often labeled anything from mildly immoral to pure evil, because they supposedly "steal" from Lego or the companies it licenses from.

However, considering Lego itself started out by blatantly copying the design of blocks that were parented by Kiddicraft & tried to hide these facts from its customers in decent decades, how does that make Lego any better? Is not Lego just as guilty of violating another company's IP? If "stealing" another company's IP is evil, does that not make Lego just as evil?

Why does Lego get a pass for copying another brand and thereby possibly even contributing to the suicide of the original creator? Why does Lego get a pass for trying to hide the history of self-locking building bricks prior to Lego?

Is it not utterly hypocritical to be so hostile against Chinese clone brands for cloning Lego designs while Lego would not have existed if it not were for doing the exact same thing with another brand?

# Answer
> 9 votes
This question looks more like a covered (and loaded) opinion piece, but I will bite. Although LEGO may have been inspired by the Kiddiecraft prototype, LEGO bricks are not direct copies of the Kiddiecraft and other similar designs that were released by various companies in the 1930s. Kiddiecraft's bricks and similar toys were hollow on the underside with nobs on their tops. They didn't really connect well as the only thing keeping them together was the edges of the bricks.

LEGO's unique contribution to the interlocking brick were the tubes underneath the bricks, which allows a sturdy and versatile connection. This is what LEGO received a patent for. In addition to the original LEGO brick, LEGO continues to design and manufacture thousands of different elements to make up their building system. To say that they are clones of Kiddiecraft and similar early brands is simply incorrect. Kiddiecraft and other early toy companies only made square and/or rectangular bricks. LEGO uses thousands of other unique pieces in their sets.

As far as other companies making construction toys with interlocking bricks, most LEGO fan have no issues with other construction toys, as long as they are high quality, and don't blatantly rip off LEGO's designs. There is a big difference between a company like Mega Construx, Oxford, Kre-O, etc. that releases their own designs, vs. a company like Lepin that simply copies LEGO sets and releases them as their own. The former would be referred to as legitimate construction toy brands, and the latter as clone brands or knock-off brands. Construction toy brands are perfectly legal. Clone brands are not.

It's just like there are many car brands. Are they clones of each other? To some extent, yes. Cars often use the same or similar components, and they need to follow certain standards to be legally running on our roads. So they will look similar in many ways. And historically, there are carts, wagons, chariots and other four-wheeled vehicles that preceded them and inspired the modern car design. To say that a modern Ford is just a clone of a wagon from the middle ages and therefore they have no right to fight someone who tries to rip off their current design wouldn't work well as an argument.

LEGO (and other legitimate construction toy manufacturers) have their own set designers, own part designers, they do their research, they work with children and collectors to see what they like, pay their taxes, provide excellent customer service, stand behind their work, and make an effort to be valuable contributors to society. Knock-off companies, on the other hand, simply try to profit from the hard work of others. They notice something is popular, so they copy it, and sell a cheaper version of the same product. (Of course they can do that, as they don't have to take the same risks and pay the same expenses as a legitimate company would).

This doesn't just happen to LEGO. It happens to manufacturers of cars, shoes, bags, watches, and a myriad of other items. If we, as a society, let knock-off companies get away with blatant stealing just because they can offer us cheaper prices, legitimate companies will simply loose the incentive to produce anything valuable and may even go out of business. Why bother hiring educated and talented designers, why use the best quality manufacturing facilities and raw materials, why care about what people want, when all their hard work is going to be stolen anyway? If we want to advance (or even just maintain) as a society, we need to protect the work of those who provide original contribution and substantial value. There are always going to be people who have no problem with stealing from others. It is in our best long-term interest not to encourage them by supporting their activities.

Hope this helps a little and gives some food for thought. I'm sure others will also share valuable insights. Play well! :)

# Answer
> 8 votes
Page was owner of the patent only for Great Britain, allowing LEGO to use the design worldwide. Buying a "rival" company (Kiddicraft) later on is nothing unusual in business history. Therefore, blaming Page's death on LEGO does not make much sense.

Regarding chinese brands, one has to make a difference between using a compatible plastic brick system (which everyone is allowed to do) and copying complete sets, including minifigs and the logo (which is illegal). Some clone brands create sets that LEGO fans would like to see not only as MOCs but as official LEGO sets. There is nothing wrong with compatible systems even if the quality often is lower than LEGO standards.

So, LEGO and Lepin cannot be compared in this way. Lepin is illegal, selling Lepin products is illegal.

# Answer
> 7 votes
I think that the whole issue is a bit complex.

With clone bands, there are many things to consider:

* Are they producing original set designs, or are they copying LEGO set themes and designs to some extent?
* Are they producing direct copies of LEGO sets? Especially rare, old, or otherwise valuable items?
* Are they making sets about themes which they did not legally license from a third party, while LEGO did?
* Is their product compatible, or incompatible with LEGO (for better or worse)?
* Do they just use the original brick design (expired patent), or are they also copying other modern element designs (active patent or copyright?) ?
* Are they producing quality elements, or just some cheap junk that doesn't even stick to itself?
* Do they copy designs from the AFOL community? (Yes, that has happened)

In the knock-off game, there are several different levels of players. Some knock-offs use the brick design to produce original sets. Others go all the way and shamelessly reproduce official LEGO sets. In the middle we find many more companies who copy the designs of LEGO elements and produce sets with varying degrees of similarity to official LEGO sets. The line between expired patent, copyrighted designs, and such can get very blurry, legally and morally.

The related laws are also regional. In some jurisdictions, LEGO-like-products may not be LEGO-compatible to be considered fair competition (I know this was true in Germany, but I'm not sure if it still is). This may impact the opinions of people in that region.

In my experience, those companies that fall on the more-shameless copying end of the spectrum are the ones that gets the most disdain from AFOL community. Of course, one bad brick can spoil the bunch, and leave everyone who makes LEGO-compatible bricks look bad, particularly among those who do not keep up with which companies do which. Some knock-off brands have even been known to copy some MOC designs from the AFOL community directly, which certain doesn't improve relations.

Another thing to keep in mind, the AFOL community is "Adult Fans of LEGO" and not "Adult Fans of Plastic Building Blocks" so it's likely you will find members of the AFOL community to feel much more strongly about this than the general population.

I think it's fair to say many in the LEGO community don't know much if anything about the origin of the Automatic Binding Bricks, but it's also fair to say there are some big differences between that and modern knock-offs. My understanding is that Christiansen also did not violate the rights of the original patent in the country it was issued (although there may still be a moral issue there). For example, Self-Locking Building Brick and Automatic Binding Bricks were not compatible with each other or sold in the same country, so it wasn't like each company was specifically trying to make a product to replace their competitor's product. Should LEGO acknowledge the full origin of the LEGO brick? Maybe, but I think that’s a separate issue from modern-day knock-offs.

# Answer
> 5 votes
Restating my comments from a previous discussion so that they are here (and before this question gets closed as being "primarily opinion based"):

In terms of acceptable practices, it's possibly more to do with timing and globalisation - Looking into some of the LEGO/Kiddicraft aspects, the Kiddicraft patents didn't cover Denmark or Europe (The EU and EEA didn't exist then, so patents wouldn't have been cross-border), and so there was nothing stopping LEGO making and selling in Denmark - they weren't able to sell in the UK though.

The issue now is the so-called "grey" imports of patent/trademark infringing products into these markets. Obviously Chinese brands can do whatever's acceptable within China, but as has been pointed out in other comments by TheBrickBlogger some of these practices are clearly not something that are legal in other markets - it's also been argued that Chinese laws can be somewhat protectionist, finding in favour of local producers even when it's clear that externally this wouldn't hold internationally.

Trademark law requires that the rights holder defends their IP otherwise they can lose their right to it (trademark abandonment) - so TLG will have to be seen to pursue infringers to maintain the strength of their IP.

Many of the clone brands also have much lower quality control, leading to issues with colours (sometimes desirable to add nice variation in large models, sometimes not - and something we're seeing more of with TLG as well) but more importantly in brick clutch and fit.

As TheBrickBlogger points out in their comment (linked previously), some of the companies providing their own sets are owned by parent companies that also own the companies making complete clones (for example Xingbao (星堡) is owned by Meizi Model (美致模型), which is the same company that owns LEPIN).

And even when the sets themselves are (sometimes only slightly) different and do contain some very nice unique elements of their own, there are still a large number of LEGO duplicates pieces that could easily be different, but are identical, for example (all taken from Enlighten).

LEGO have certainly won infringement cases around the Minifigure, I'd assume there are similar marks for the minidoll and other pieces. However, provided those parts and sets are only marketed in regions where those parts are not protected, there's not much that can be done or said. However the issue really is the same one at the heart of the question: LEGO **improved** upon the original designs for the bricks, and has since spent time and effort (and by extension money) developing these and additional elements, while Enlighten are just taking that work and copying it - when they could have developed their own versions. For example if you're developing an "ancient knights" theme for a Chinese market, why use European styles as the basis for that when you have your own unique culture other than "it's cheaper to use this existing idea rather than develop our own (oh, and then we might also make a few sales into that market even if we don't actively target it)".

For example take the differences between the Mega Bloks figures and LEGO's: the accessories are interchangeable, but the figures are distinct from each other. The same could be done by Enlighten (as other Chinese brands have done to a greater or lesser degree of success), but Enlighten and others have chosen to exactly copy LEGO's designs.

* Morning Star:
* Waving Pendant:
* Classic Castle Helm, Monkey and Bat:
* Cherry Minidolls:

I'll admit that I'd like to see more variety, and have been known to buy the odd Mega Bloks Halo and Character Building Doctor Who sets as they were available legitimately here in the UK, which isn't the case with Enlighten or LEPIN.

# Answer
> 3 votes
# Cultural differences around intellectual property

The Western World has a very author-centric view of intellectual property (IP) which mostly plays out in copyright law. We've pushed so hard to protect the "authors" that their monopoly on their creations lasts for decades after they've deceased. The Eastern World seems to take a very factory-centric view of IP. If you have a factory you can build it. The expectation in China is that you will share any improvements to the IP back with the community. This has been very effective at letting China build the largest manufacturing base in the world across numerous forms of technology. They don't seem to have any desire to waste time on licensing or policing pirates. That seems like a natural extension of their fundamental attitude toward IP. Just as naturally we westerners interpret it as piracy and assume that rule of law is also not important to them. This is an oversimplification and we might get along better if we understood the other sides priorities and motivations better.

# Clone LEGO is often dismal

So I'm obviously not a fan of copyrights that last 100+ years. One of the things that I've admired about LEGO is that they focused on patenting their early LEGO bricks instead of copyrighting them. I'm sorry that they were sly about borrowing the idea from a competitor. I'm glad they were more successful at popularizing it than their competitor. I'm glad they both had factories to try to succeed with.

As an AFOL that has received some clone sets as gifts now and then I can say that I've been disappointed by the quality every time. Getting rough spots that need to be filed down doesn't seem fun to me. Having some bricks that fit and some that don't doesn't seem to show much effort on the cloners part. Worst of all is bricks that fall apart. If you can't get the clutch power right you shouldn't have put it in a box.

# But there is hope

With comprehensive views like Communist LEGO it seems clear that there are some interesting things happening with clone LEGO. I can see myself buying more of it someday. Most of my money will be going for "real" LEGO's because I don't have to worry about quality and I'm very pleased with the creativity they show themselves. Another reason for sticking with LEGO is the community. Where's a part or set database for clone brands? Where's a part and set market like bricklink? If those things make your life better you should usually stick with LEGO too.

I do think it makes sense to buy things from clone manufacturers when LEGO isn't producing it anymore and there's no reasonable price for it on bricklink. The main example that comes to mind is the old-style minifig cases. The new clear ones are ok, but I like the "darker" larger ones from before. I'm glad that some clone manufacturers have picked this up. I've also gotten base plates in colors that LEGO won't make. I got a decent switch cover plate that I would never expect LEGO themselves to make.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I don't know of many people who claim that knock-offs generally "steal from Lego" (the largest toy company in the world right now). It's probably fair to say Lepin does, given that they literally copy Lego designs brick-for-brick, but other companies like Mega Bloks doesn't.

In my experience, only one thing really maters, and that's quality. Other brands try to undercut Lego by producing lower-quality pieces. In manufacturing, you pay for precision. The smaller your tolerances, the more it costs, and Lego is famous for their small tolerances, as low 10 micrometres.

To save a few bucks, other brands will allow for greater tolerances, and thus produce a lower-quality product, with pieces that are more likely to wear out or not really stick together well in the first place. They also like to cheat a little by producing oversized specialized pieces that make their models look bigger on the cheap, but ultimately leaves you with a piece that has very little reuse value.

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Tags: clone-brands, history, lego-group
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# Question
Title: Large Lego Ninjago package, no box and no instructions, many red and black pieces
These packages were all unopened. Only package number five came with a Ninjago mini figure.

Could someone possibly be able to get me the box information so I can look up the instructions!

# Answer
> 2 votes
Given the red quarter domes, I'm fairly certain the bricks are from this set: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=70615-1

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Tags: set-identification, ninjago
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title: Can I push the train of 60052

text:
# Question
Title: Can I push the train of 60052
We more like to push trains with hand. There were old ones, like the train of set 2741, where when pushing the engine, the contact became loose between the axis and the cog wheel. Can I count some similar damage, if we push the engine of 60051 (and 60052)?

# Answer
I would not recommend pushing the motorized train base for extended periods of times. When you turn the motor, it will generate electricity. Unless that energy has somewhere to go, it will turn into heat. It's probably not an issue to do this a little bit for short periods of time, but I wouldn't do it a lot.

If you wish to make your train a push train, you could replace the base with another non-motorized base.
> 3 votes

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Tags: trains, motor
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# Question
Title: My Lego Technic 42082 wheel stuck and can't move
After I finished my 1st manual book, I found out that my crane wheel can't move. May I know which part that I did incorrectly?

# Answer
LEGO Technic sets are the most complex builds in LEGO's selection, and they are not forgiving. Any little mistake, and the model won't work. LEGO Technic sets are not easy to build, as you have to pay careful attention to each and every step. In addition, if you do make a mistake, the models are not nearly as easy to take apart as regular LEGO sets.

Your issue could be anywhere. It could be a mistake of where you connected a part, you could have used the wrong part in a step, or it could be that you made one or more of the connections too tight.

Unfortunately, there is no way around it; you will have to retrace your steps and disassemble the model until you find the issue. You could take apart the whole thing and start over, or you could reverse your steps carefully, until you find the problem.

To avoid such issues in the future, you should test that everything is still working after each step. In other words, if you are adding working gears in one step, and in the next step you are instructed to add more gears or some other components, test to make sure that everything is still working correctly when you add the additional parts. You should do this after every new section. It makes building a bit slower, but it assures that the finished model is working right.

Although LEGO Technic sets are challenging builds, they are also some of the most rewarding. You can learn quite a bit about mechanics, engineering, and complex machines.
> 6 votes

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Tags: technic, building, instructions
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# Question
Title: LEGO Master Builder Academy instructions
My kids picked up a few LEGO sets from the Master Builder Academy series recently that do not come with instructions in the packaging. According to the support team at LEGO.com this series was discontinued in 2011 and no electronic copies of the instructions were ever produced by the company. We are looking for instructions for 20201, 20204, and 20205.

I have googled quite a bit and searched several LEGO fan sites but have been unable to find any scans or other digital copies of the instructions for any of these sets.

Does anyone have or know where to find these? Thanks very much!!

# Answer
You can find the instruction booklets on BrickLink. They only costs a few dollars. They are not just about instructions. They include a whole curriculum for systematically learning advanced building techniques and building concepts with lots of information, seed ideas, alternate builds, etc. Here are the listings for the for LEGO Master Builder Academy booklets: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=I&catString=764
> 5 votes

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Tags: instructions, discontinued
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# Question
Title: Help Identifying LEGO With A Pink 3(｀(00) ´ )Ɛ Face
I cannot add a picture, but they are green, brown, and pink pieces. One of the pink has what looks like a pig's face.

# Answer
> 4 votes
* Other sets with *Minecraft Piggy Face Piece* ***Here***.

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: What is the appropriate way to request a creator to add more of their designs to MOCHUB?
There are some brilliant LEGO creators with many designs on YouTube out there who choose to remain anonymous- who put some of their designs on MOCHUB but not others. (In particular ones relating to pneumatic engines.)

There might be a reason for this I’m missing.

I could comment on YouTube but then my comment would be against my name for all to see forever, and I’d prefer a communication method more discreet.

What is the appropriate way to request a creator to add more of their designs to MOCHUB?

# Answer
Some creators may not want to share building instructions as there is a fear of knock-off companies releasing them as sets. Especially if MOC's are of top quality.

It is also possible there a personal choice to limit (control) their work results via fewer platforms. Or simply may not like some platforms at all.

Edit: Thinking from my point of view (someone who has created and shared instructions for LEGO MOC) I would consider alternative web redources if there would be obvious benefits. So it might be worth finding such reasons, like audience growth, unique features, something else. Then contact the author via one of the ways he is available and suggest him to contribute to your choice of web portal listing the possible reasons. It could be the easiest way of letting this person know and understand if he has anything against it.
> 0 votes

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

# Answer
The pieces are 41750 Wedge 8 x 3 x 2 Open Left. and 41749 Wedge 8 x 3 x 2 Open Right (respectively).

Those pieces have only been in the following 2 sets in that color:

## 3830-1 - The Bikini Bottom Express

## 7706-1 - Mobile Defense Tank
> 12 votes

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

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

# Answer
> 5 votes
It is all a matter of cost versus demand. For tens of years LEGO had a separate train theme, with transformers, special metal rails, lights, switches and individual train cars and full sets. But the cost of maintaining and developing these components did not weigh up against the limited demand there was for these sets. Not many kids (90% of LEGO’s demographic) will want to splurge on all these sets (a single complete set plus some extra track is often enough for them), and the adult audience is loud, but not large enough to make such a complete line profitable.

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

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Tags: trains
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# Question
Title: Help identifying giant blue LEGO Bionicle set
I have what appears to be a giant Bionicle. The head is the size of a small human head almost the size of a mask.

It is blue in colour and in 5 bags. It looks like more than 100 pieces. The instructions and box are lost. No idea what it is.

Any ideas? Can post pics if needed.

# Answer
Gadunka (8922) came somewhere around 2007, and was part of the underwater themed bionicle sets. When assembled it is quite big. Maybe this is set you were looking for?
> 3 votes

# Answer
Another candidate would be the 8894 Piraka Stronghold or "Lava Chamber Gate":  as it contains the largest Bionicle mask/head piece in blue.
> 2 votes

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Tags: bionicle
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title: EV3 screen stuck at "Starting..."

text:
# Question
Title: EV3 screen stuck at "Starting..."
After I turn the device on, its screen is stuck at "starting..." for a long time. It hasn't change into the regular screen, and the light behind the button was still red (didn't become green). Is there a fix for this?

# Answer
Try flashing the firmware. To get into firmware update mode, hold down the right button when turning the EV3 on. (You can also reset the EV3 without removing the battery by holding down the back and enter buttons for a few seconds.)

You can find much more detailed information on here.
> 5 votes

# Answer
It sounds like the firmware needs a factory reset. Try this:

1. Remove the battery for 10 seconds and then put it back
2. Hold the Center and Right buttons until "Updating..." pops up on the display
3. Connect the EV3 brick to your PC using USB
4. Update the firmware using "Tools" -\> "Firmware Update" in the EV3 software
> 5 votes

# Answer
Have you tried another OS like LeJOS that can be installed on an SD card? Insert that into the brick and start the brick up. I don't know if this will work, as I don't have a non-functional brick to try it with.

Have you ever had your brick connected to your computer and communicating properly? Are the comm port drivers loaded for the Lego brick to be able to communicate with your computer?

Do you have a friend with a working brick that can test that you have functioning comm drivers by connecting their functional brick with your computer?

What was the scenario that led your brick to stop working properly?
> -1 votes

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Tags: ev3, repair
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# Question
Title: 9398 4x4 Crawler front wheels rotate in the opposite direction to the rear wheel
We've just finished 9398 4x4 Crawler. Everything looks good, the motors work but the front wheels rotate in the opposite direction to the rear wheels, they also turn in opposite directions. What could be the problem?

# Answer
Likely you'll have the differential gears oriented wrong in the front or back section.

The differential gear is this piece:

Please check the instructions carefully and see if the orientation of this piece in the instruction book matches your build.
> 10 votes

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Tags: technic, gears, wheel
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title: What is LEGO Xtra?

text:
# Question
Title: What is LEGO Xtra?
I've seen a number of small polybags in stores branded LEGO xtra. What are these?

# Answer
LEGO xtra is a theme of sets that focus on adding play value to your existing sets by providing accessories or play areas.

For example, LEGO xtra Traffic Lights adds 4 buildable traffic lights and a few associated accessories to your city streets:

These sets sometimes feature playmats or baseplates as well, such as the Sea Playmat set:

These sets are reminiscent of the older accessory packs that used to be available some time ago:

LEGO was kind enough to send me a copy of Sea Accessories (40311).

Here are the included parts:

Overall, this is a nice variety of parts that should add to the playability of a beach, marina, or even pirate hideout. If you already have a large collection, there isn't much terribly exciting in there, but I do appreciate the blue and yellow dual-injected bird.

The price per piece of these sets is unfortunately not great. This one is $4 USD for just 24 elements, but the parts that you get are a bit more unique than those found in the Classic parts boxes. They have a focus on adding play value to your existing sets, and often feature larger elements such as animals or vehicles that tend to be more expensive and more add interest to models.
> 9 votes

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Tags: sets, theme
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# Question
Title: Unidentified #2 bag from 2007 with black and yellow pieces and many black 1x2 clip pieces!
It's driving me crazy! I recently purchased LEGO pieces from a local Goodwill. It looks like there's several Star Wars sets from 2007-2008 that are missing lots of pieces. I was assuming this bag was from a Star Wars set, but I'm not seeing anything that resembles the yellow pieces.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Welcome to Bricks.SE, Amy!

Indeed, this bag is not from a Star Wars set. It is from Exo-Force set 8117 Storm Lasher from 2007. This set contains both the 2 yellow pincer-like blades as well as the concave windscreen in trans-black, and many of the hinge pieces displayed in the left bottom corner of your picture.

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: What exactly does each Mindstorms part do?
It's been a few years since I've bought a Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 which comes with the Technic style pieces.

There's beams, axles, rods, connectors... but the majority of the times when I'm building (my own designs, not following instructions), I wonder which is the right part to use. There are usually several options and I never found what is the exact intended purpose of each one.

Is there a website, document, or anything that I could use as a reference for what each part in the Technic set is meant to do?

# Answer
> 4 votes
The best way to learn is to build the robots that come with instructions. By doing this you learn all kinds of ways to put the parts together to make functional models.

> I bought a Lego Mindstorms (v2)

Assuming that by v2 you mean an NXT 2.0, if I remember correctly, there is an instruction manual with instructions for a simple wheeled/tracked vehicle, and several other robots are included in the software. Pick one (or all of them!) and start building! You'll notice that there really aren't that many different types of parts:

* Beams are the main structural component of the model. Pins and axles connect to them.
* Pins connect beams together. They come in several shapes for different situations.
* Axles rotate smoothly and support the wheels, motors, and gears. They can also be used as long pins. Use bushings or half-bushings to prevent axles from sliding out of their beam holes.
* Connectors like this one allow you to attach beams and other parts at an angle to each other. These big pins are excellent for 90-degree angles.
* Gears transfer/multiply torque. See this guide on gears.

For a simple wheeled/tracked robot, the basic design process is:

* Build a sturdy chassis for the robot out of beams. Usually this frame is built around the motors. Since the motors are kinda weirdly shaped, consult other robots' instructions for tips on how to position them and attach them to beams.
* Attach wheels to the motors using axles and bushings. You can change how fast the wheels move using programming or gears.
* Attach the NXT to the top of the robot, so build up some structure from the frame to support it.
* Wire the motors to the NXT outputs (A, B, and C), plug the thing into your computer, start programming.

But all of this becomes more apparent and obvious after you've built a few robots from the instructions. Again, pay special attention to how beams are connected to each other to form a chassis, how the motors are mounted, and how different parts of the robot can be reinforced.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I'm afraid a guide covering all possible applications does not exist. Actually, this would be impossible as people keep finding (and using) new applications of existing bricks.

Keep in mind people are different. Some just keep using certain parts they are familiar and comfortable with. While others may keep using different set of parts (bricks) for a similar purpose.

To learn different building techniques, it is advised to build other people's creations as building instructions are pretty common these days. You will be surprised when you see what people come up with to solve issues during the creation of the model.

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Tags: mindstorms, technic
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title: Looking for a spike

text:
# Question
Title: Looking for a spike
I spend some hours looking for the part attached to the microfigure of this picture:

Can anyone identify the spike attached to the head of the microfig.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Welcome! Both the gun in the minifigure’s hand as well as the “spike” on the microfig’s head are not LEGO pieces, but third party accessories from BrickArms.

The “spike” is this bayonet piece, and the gun is most likely this piece.

The bayonet:

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Tags: part-identification
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title: 3rd Party Light Kits

text:
# Question
Title: 3rd Party Light Kits
Does anyone have experience with any of the 3rd party lighting kit companies for sets? Do you have any information or stories about how these lighting kits work out in practice? These are the two companies I am looking at:

# Answer
BrickStuff is very high quality, I have used them many times. They are US based, make all their light kits with thought and care, and stand behind their products. I especially like that their lights can be controlled for various light-effects and intensities. Flickering soft lights for candles and fireplaces, bright pulsating lights for emergency vehicles, etc. They are, however, expensive.

I'm not familiar with the other company, but it seems like they are just resellers of the light kits made by Chinese companies and resold by a number of websites (BrickLoot.com is another one that I'm aware of selling these kits, but there are others as well). I do have some samples of these products, and they are okay. Not as good as BrickStuff, but more affordable. By "not as good" I mean that the components are not as high quality, and the connections are often not as clean and nicely finished as with BrickStuff products. You also get a lot smaller variety of lights and effects. But they do work, and are usually cheaper than BrickStuff.

Whatever light kit you end up using, be prepared to be running lots of very tiny and delicate wires. This makes the interior spaces of the buildings/vehicles (where you will be hiding the wires) less attractive and less usable. BrickStuff does have some suggestions of minimizing the visibility of unsightly wires, but ultimately, they can't be avoided.

Having all those wires running also makes the models hard to play with. For example, if you install light kits in the LEGO Modular Buildings, lifting off the floors is going to be tedious. The wires are also delicate, so you want to be careful around them so they don't get damaged. Light kits with wires work best with display models that won't be moved around.

While personally I prefer BrickStuff when it comes to wired light kits, I haven't fully committed to them, as I like to keep my displays modular and accessible for play, display, and modification. Currently, I'm waiting for the release of i-Brix.com products. These are wireless lights for LEGO that work with the same technology as wireless chargers for electronics. The system includes a special transmitting surface that you can place under baseplates, road-plates, etc., and any i-Bricks lights you use over this surface will automatically light up. There are no wires between lights, or the lights and the power source.

I-Brix had a successful Indiegogo campaign a couple of years ago, and they are getting ready for release of the first batch of their products sometime soon. Check their website for updates. I think the combination of wired light kits for stationary displays with various interesting light effects, and wireless lights for moving and more dynamic displays is going to be an excellent combination.
> 7 votes

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Tags: lighting
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# Question
Title: What is the three-position lever in the Bugatti Chiron supposed to do?
I've just finished assembling the Bugatti Chiron (42083), and there's a three-position lever in between the two seats that -- probably -- isn't working: one position connects the wheels to the engine; the other two positions appear to do nothing.

The lever itself moves a gear "collar" (I guess) back and forth; that has three positions, and moves correctly.

What's the lever supposed to do? Where did I go wrong in assembly?

# Answer
You have two of three right:

* One position is the Drive, where the wheels are connected to the engine via the gearbox
* The middle is the Neutral, where there is no connection between the wheels and the engine
* And the third should be the Reverse, where the wheels are connected to the engine but with passing through a reverser instead of the gearbox.

This is the relevant part, the lever in question hooks into the gray transmission driving ring in the middle and connects the central axle either to the red or the blue gear:

If the reverse is indeed missing, you might have made an error during assembly. Finding and correcting such an error will most probably involve disassembling the whole bodywork and some of the undercarriage, then rebuilding everything back again. For this reason it is generally a sound advice to double-check the parts added in each step and periodically check the already built subcomponents to see if they work as expected.
> 12 votes

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Tags: technic
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# Question
Title: Trying to identify an old 2 x 7 white LEGO plate with a hole in the middle and 4 holes on the side
Recently someone gave me a huge bunch of old LEGO pieces. Among the parts I found a white 4x6 plate with 4 wheel holes (those red wheels with a metal pin), a hole in the middle and an 2x1 extension on one end. Here's a photo:

I suspect that this part is from somewhere between 1960 and 1980. Can anyone identify it? Which sets may contain it?

# Answer
> 9 votes
This is

Part# 824 : Train Base 4 x 7 with Wheels Holder

It appears in 2 train sets from 1966

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Tags: part-identification, vintage
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# Question
Title: EV3 Multiple conditions: wait sensor activation for N seconds or
How to program EV3 to wait for a sensor activation for at most X seconds? If the sensor is activated in the given time, begin sequence B. If it is not activated in X seconds, begin sequence A.

Explanation: My robot arrives at point X, then it waits for the ultrasonic sensor activation (if a hand arrives near the sensor - \< 7 cm), but must wait only for 10 seconds. If nothing triggers the ultrasonic sensor within 10 seconds the robot must continue with sequence A. If, for example, a hand is placed in front of the ultrasonic sensor (\<7CM) within 10 seconds the robot must continue with sequence B. Then when sequence B is terminated, the robot should continue with sequence A.

I have tried using loops, switches and asking Gandalf for help but with no success.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Here's some pseudocode that does what you need:

```
Reset timer
Loop block:
    Sensor block, output logical TRUE when condition is reached
    Timer block, output logical TRUE when X seconds have passed
    Logic block, outputs logical TRUE if sensor OR timer is true
End loop when it receives TRUE from the Logic block.
Switch block:
    if sensor = condition, SEQUENCE B
End switch
SEQUENCE A

```

The sensor and timer blocks' logical data wires are connected to the logic block. The logic block is set to "OR", which ends the loop if either one is true. Then you use a switch to decide whether or not to execute SEQUENCE B, and after that, SEQUENCE A happens regardless.

# Answer
> 0 votes
One way would be to use a loop with a counter and a built-in waiting period. In each iteration check the sensor readings: if the value indicates the presence of a hand, exit the loop and start sequence B. Otherwise increment a counter and wait for some time. Finally, if the value of the counter indicates that the 10 seconds have passed, execute sequence A.

# Answer
> 0 votes
In EV3 the pseudocode looks like:

Always surprises me how complex it is to represent simple ideas.

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Tags: ev3, programming
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title: Color Chart Rosetta Stone

text:
# Question
Title: Color Chart Rosetta Stone
After discovering disparities between LEGO color names and families and 3rd party sites, I attempted to compile a sort of Rosetta Stone for the colors. Certain this is not complete but I believe a good start. Hope it helps. https://lego.pandorasdigitalbox.com/lego\_color\_rosetta.php

Any construtive ideas on how to improve it, or simple help completing it would be greatly appreciated. Any suggestions or experiences you’d like to share would be welcomed too.

# Answer
You can look for missing data in currently available lists:

Old school Peeron (no longer updated)

Bricklink list most of the brick colors available for sale.

Rebrickable has attempted to bring all colors in one place.

Brickset has also some details.

Mecabricks has one also (as PDF).

LDraw project has such list.

It would also be good to define term "LEGO color". Is it for everything released by TLG or just the bricks with LEGO logo on them?

Last thing to note. People still keep finding genuine LEGO bricks made in officially not produced colors. So it is hard to mantain a *complete* list.

There are few people obsessed with LEGO colors, including Ryan Howerter. He has compiled a list of colors and details around them. If you wish to see these parts and participate in discussion you can get over to Ryan's Flickr picture gallery.
> 3 votes

# Answer
This color chart is from LEGO's Digital Draw program.

After doing a quick skim of it, I know you're missing the "Legacy" colors. Whatever "Legacy" means here, I don't know.

* Colors read from Left to Right:

**METALLIC**

316 - Titanium Metallic

315 - Silver Metallic

309 - Metalized Silver

297 - Warm Gold

310 - Metalized Gold

**LEGACY**

298 - Cool Silver, Drum Lacq

179 - Silver Flip/Flop

002 - Grey

153 - Sand Red

025 - Earth Orange

139 - Copper

217 - Brown

105 - Bright Yellowish Orange

003 - Light Yellow

017 - Bright Bluish Green

195 - Royal Blue

011 - Pastel Blue

027 - Dark Grey

009 - Light Reddish Violet

147 - Metallic Sand Yellow

145 - Metallic Sand Blue

050 - Phosphorescent White

* Eventually, I would like to see real pictures of a brick maybe a (2x4) in each color.
* Oh, and please add the rendered pictures from LEGO's online PICK-A-BRICK. My problem there was with 3 colors Dark Grey, Light Grey and White. After a while the grey shadows from the virtual bricks started playing tricks on my eyes making hard to tell which color I was buying. Very annoying. I think the site has been like this since 2008. Eye torture.
* Great idea you got here!
> 2 votes

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Tags: colour
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# Question
Title: Using a remote control for an EV3 robot?
I have just started to get into using a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot. I know you have to create a program on the laptop, then it has to be downloaded to the EV3 block.

Can you use a remote control to start the downloaded program with cable disconnected?

I have the Education 45544 EV3 set, but I do not want to buy a remote control if it will not work.

# Answer
> 1 votes
You can't start a program with the remote (8885) or beacon (45508), however you can certainly have your program respond to a remote or beacon if you have the IR sensor (45509). So what you desire can for example be achieved by embedding your base program in one big loop and at the start of the loop have the program wait for a button pressed on the remote or beacon.

Unfortunately the education version does not contain the IR sensor (it is distributed with the commercial version 31313) so you will have to buy that one separately as well...

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Tags: ev3, programming
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# Question
Title: What is the name and part number of this round decorative gold part?
What is the name or part# of this round piece? Thanks.

# Answer
It looks like a Wheel Wagon - Ornate Huge.

You can tell from the link, but as you explicitly ask, I guess I should say that the part number is 15744.
> 4 votes

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Tags: piece-information
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# Question
Title: Which set is this 2 x 6 slope with holes from?
I picked up a bag of loose LEGO at a thrift shop and cannot identify which set this piece comes from:

The holes pass all the way through the slope but have small details inside that prevent a standard technic axle from going through:

If anyone has seen it before, knows which set it comes from or what its purpose is, please let me know. Thanks.

# Answer
You have a Fabuland Roof Support Slope, 6 x 2.

If it's like the similar ones I've seen in Duplo, it probably came pre-assembled into one of these:

Fabuland Roof Support with Gray Roof Slope without Chimney Hole

Fabuland Roof Support with Red Roof Slope with Chimney Hole

Fabuland Roof Support with Red Roof Slope without Chimney Hole
> 8 votes

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


title: Where to place your own LDraw parts

text:
# Question
Title: Where to place your own LDraw parts
I just started designing LEGO instructions. I used LeoCAD to built the model and Web Lic to create the instructions.

*Being a Linux developer, Windows is hard to use and access.*

It seems bricks should be created with MLCad, but it does not seem to run on Linux. Anyway, I tried creating a brick with vim and information in this tutorial, but can't find where to place my unofficial parts (.dat) files and how to see the result.

**How to use my own (created by me) parts ?**

# Answer
Cannot comment on LeoCAD as I've never used that, but LDCad is far superior over MLCad and it works well on Linux natively. LDCad uses same part library format as MLCad - LDraw. You can find LDraw file documentation here.

It is not clear from your question if you wish to create your own parts or just add the ones not currently available in the official LDraw package. If you are interested in the latter, there is a guide. It can be easily adapted to Linux.

If your intention is to create your own parts, LDraw contains nice documentation explaining the file format. The process of adding a newly created part into the library is the same as explained in the section above. Just make sure to put your file for the new part into the `.../Unofficial/parts` directory under your LDraw package installation directory and make sure to run `make-list` to include the newly added files in the list of available bricks to build with.
> 3 votes

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Tags: software, ldraw, open-source
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# Question
Title: Advice on Power Functions for an 11-year-old?
My 11-year old son wants to add power to his creations but neither of us know quite how to start this new adventure. He doesn't have any Technic or Mindstorms sets.

Looking through sets online, it seems the best approach might be to purchase the Power Functions Motor Set 8293, along with a Technic set of some sort. He will need instructions to figure out how it works, and then might be ready to build his own creations using the parts he has. (If you can recommend some fan sites appropriate for 11-year olds, that have good instructions, that would be helpful too.)

Appreciate any advice!

# Answer
The easiest way to start out with Power Functions is to get an official LEGO set that comes with Power Functions. This will allow your child to really understand how Power Functions works.

If he is more into traditional LEGO building with standard LEGO System pieces, one of the LEGO City Trains with Power Functions would be the best options. They include all the Power Functions elements needed to operate the train, and he can also reuse these parts in his own custom LEGO creations once he understands how they work.

If he is into advanced mechanical builds, the LEGO Technic line is a great option. Some LEGO Technic sets come with Power Functions already included, but they tend to be large and expensive. Others do not come with Power Functions, but alternate instructions for adding Power Functions are made available either in the instruction booklet, or at LEGO's website.

Some LEGO Creator Expert sets also have alternate instructions with Power Functions added. The #10257 LEGO Creator Carousel and the #10247 LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel are some examples. Again, with these sets you have to purchase the Power Functions elements separately, but it is made very clear what is needed and how to install the parts. (LEGO Power Functions components are available individually at LEGO's Online Shop.)

Please note that currently there are two LEGO Power Functions systems on the market, and they are NOT compatible. One is the original LEGO Power Functions system (now referred to as LEGO Power Functions 1.0), and the other is LEGO Powered Up (also referred to as LEGO Power Functions 2.0). The new system has similar components, but they are not interchangeable, and they cannot be mixed. The new system works with Bluetooth wile the old system uses IR. The new system can be operated either by a traditional remote or an app. The old system only works with a remote.

So, it is a good idea to make a decision right now which system you want to invest in, and pay careful attention that sets and components you buy are compatible with the system you choose. In general, you can power LEGO sets with either systems, even if it calls for the other system, although some features may not work, or not work exactly the same. The components have a similar size and shape (i.e. you can install the new Power Function system in sets that were designed with old Power Functions in mind).

As far as resources for custom Power Functions projects, I found YouTube to be the most helpful. Power Functions can be a bit complex, so seeing exactly how something is installed can be very useful. Once your son learns the concept of how Power Functions works with an official set, he will start to have his own ideas of what he wants to power. At that point, he can do a search on YouTube, and will probably find someone who already worked on a similar project.

One of the most well-known and respected LEGO Technic and LEGO Power Functions builders is Sariel. His YouTube channel is full of tips, tricks, custom builds, and reviews of official LEGO Technic and LEGO Power Functions sets. His channel is professional and child-friendly: https://www.youtube.com/user/searme/videos

To give you an idea, here is a video by Sariel with some more advanced tips and tricks for using LEGO Power Functions: https://youtu.be/vfIBGIIleCI
> 7 votes

# Answer
I can suggest to look into Rebrickable. There are lots of unique designs as well as modified sets. All come with some sort of instructions.

As a bonus you can add all your sets and parts as an inventory and later check against a model you wish to build. It would provide you with the list of missing bricks.
> 3 votes

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Tags: technic, power-functions, instructions
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# Question
Title: A Technic set from ~1997 with a long grey batter box
I had a Technic set when I was a teen, about 1997 (by looking at the wheels, see picture). From what I remember, it was a tank truck. In its tank it was carrying 3 C batteries. In the picture, you can see the tank closed above, opened in the middle and on the right, the numbers written on the parts. The number "1-01" (or "1 01") is on the tank's three parts. The other (4351) is only on one of the three parts. **I'd like to know its set number so I could find its instructions.**

# Answer
This battery box had been produced in two variations: 4350c01 (without switch) and 4350c02 (with switch). It doesn't seem to appear in a set you describe.

This was probably two sets. The other set has been 8865 since it is the only set to have pictured wheel (part number 3739) in white.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Looking at that part and doing a little digging, could this be the set you were thinking of. it is not a Technic set as such, it is a much older set but it seems to be the only one with a tanker and that wheel in.

Basic Building Set Item No: 740-1 Year: 1985

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=740-1#T=I
> 5 votes

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Tags: piece-information, set-identification
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title: How deep can discounts on Amazon get?

text:
# Question
Title: How deep can discounts on Amazon get?
I'm looking at the Hogwart Train set on Amazon right now and they are 20% off the MSRP. I recently bought the 60198 set at a 5% discount, now it is 16% off.

I wanted to know typically how deep the discounts can go and how far into a release do they start discounting and how quickly they sell out.

Can people who have a lot of buying experience on Amazon comment please?

# Answer
> 2 votes
For me this is one of those things I assume everyone already knows about, similar to complaints about too many or too long *YouTube* commercials. Everyone knows about *Adblockers* and how a mere 32 second web browser install/restart can nix out a lifetime of meaningless commercial watching.

So, how about online buying? How do I know I'm getting the best deal on *Amazon.com*?

**TRUST ME**: It'll take you longer to read this than to get the results you're looking for *ALL FOR FREE!*

* Go to *CamelCamelCamel.com*.
* In the search field type in the word *"LEGO + SET Number or KEY WORD"*.
* Hit "*Enter/Return*".

**WHAT'CHA GET:**

* *CCC* price tracks ANY ITEM on Amazon.com.
* From the lowest price EVER by date.
* To the highest EVER by date.
* FOR FREE.
* Allows you to set in a price alert (free by email) when an item's price falls to an entered amount, or by an entered percentage off.
* Again, ALL FOR FREE.

**BOTH YOUR EXAMPLES:**

* *Example 01*: Search "LEGO Hogwarts Train":
* *Example 02*: Search "LEGO 60198". (last picture.)

* List of potential items with that name to click further on to see its price history.

* After you zeroed in on the item you want *CCC* shows a price history graph. Gives options to get email alerts when the price hits certain threshold on either Amazon or 3rd Party sellers.

**FINAL SAY:** I don't know why more people aren't using this it's free and it's not really a secret it must the its silly name that throws folks off...

**EXTRA CREDIT:** There's another *Amazon Price Tracker* named *KEEPA*, but I've never used it.

# Answer
> 5 votes
As a general practise discount can be quite big (I've seen -50% off) for a small set and tend to be much lower (around -25% off) for a large set.

Discounts tend to vary even during the same day. So it is worth keeping an eye. Some sites, like Brickset tend to announce LEGO sales too. They even have a tracker for Amazon and other services. I suggest to look here to have a sense of understanding how much discounted the set can get.

# Answer
> 2 votes
I've watched the the BrickSet Amazon.com notices for the last year or so. Most of the discounts are in the 20-35% range, but sometimes they get up to 50% off for $9.99 sets. If you're on BrickSet all of the time anyway it is easy to setup your news feed to include these. When I see one come up I click on any that might seem interesting. So far the discounted sets have been for things I haven't cared about. Based on that I expect I will find something that I want to buy 10x of for parting out before I find a set that I want for the set itself.

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Tags: shopping
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# Question
Title: Official instructions for 2018 LEGO employee Christmas gift 4002018?
The 2018 LEGO employee-exclusive Christmas gift 4002018 has been revealed to the masses from various sources, by the people who have received them.

I could probably reverse engineer most of the set from image, but are the official instructions available anywhere?

# Answer
BZPower has done a live stream build of the set. It's not exactly the instructions, but you can follow along with the video to learn how it's built.
> 4 votes

# Answer
As TheBrickBlogger said, you need to wait:

Even contacted their customer support and the reply was:

> I don't think those are every available publicly
>
> Not unless you are an employee

And after insisting repeatedly, answer from seniors was:

> So they confirmed they would not be available. Sorry!
>
> ---

**Update:** rebrickable have full detail of all individual pieces (281) and video demo too.
> 10 votes

# Answer
I found a couple of speed-build of the set on Youtube, that quickly show how some of the unclear parts are built.

All New Bricks

Sariel's LEGO® Workshop
> 2 votes

# Answer
I found this video showing the building instruction booklet page by page

\[戴樂高\] 2018- LEGO 4002018 INSTRUCTION 組裝圖
> 2 votes

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Tags: instructions
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# Question
Title: How much does the full-size LEGO Bugatti cost?
I read that the LEGO developers have built a real driving Bugatti from Lego Bricks.

Did they only use original LEGO parts? Which ones and how many? Which sets does one need to buy and how many? And how much would that cost?

And bonus question, is there a "legal" (LEGO only) way to make it faster?

# Answer
From Top gear's article on it:

> This was laid over a steel frame; one of three ‘parts’ that aren’t actually Lego (the others being the real Chiron wheels and a steel roll cage).

So no, not only original LEGO parts. I don't think (and can't see why they should have) kept track of which parts they used, so noone can really answer the rest of your questions, but from the figures we know (for instance from the linked article): \- 1 million Technic pieces \- 1,5 tonne \- 2304 motors

we can estimate the price. As a significant part of the pieces are probably in the expensive end (an average weight of 1,5 gram matches that), 1/3€ is probably not completely off as an average piece price. Motors are significantly more expensive, they haven't said (or I haven't read it at least) what kind of LEGO motors they use, but they cost 10-20€ a piece, giving a total for the motors of at least 20.000€, so in total the car might only (compared to a real Bugatti Chiron) cost ~350.000€, and then there's the "13,500 man hours", salaries vary a lot, and if you were to replicate it you would actually have to pay it, just spend the time, and it is more than 1,5 year (working 24 hours/day).

Edit: I forgot the bonus question. The 2304 motors they used take up a bit of space, and typically LEGO motors aren't manufactured to have a very precise speed, so when connecting more I would think a differential would be need for each (except the first), they also take up space. If you could fit more motors (and differentials) in there, you would theoretically increase its power, as things are I think (but the physics is not really my area) it's hard to tell if it would manifest itself as more speed and if such how much, but it wouldn't be impressive. I don't see any other ways to increase the speed than adding more motors.
> 2 votes

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Tags: shopping
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# Question
Title: What is the name or ID of this mechanical part with multiple pin connection points?
Trying to locate this particular piece on BrickLink though I’m not having very much luck. It’s appears to be a grey bar piece/ zip line bar of some sort. Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated

# Answer
> 7 votes
I think this is Part # 30375 : Torso Mechanical, Battle Droid

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Which LEGO set did this bags 4 - 10 with castle pieces come from?
I have bags 4-10 of 2011 LEGO group 135149. I'm trying to find what set they are from. At first I thought maybe a castle due to the doors. I have pictures:

# Answer
Bags 5 till 10 are from 70404-1: King's Castle

based on Ladder and Staircase 7X4X6 in Reddish Brown.

It also contain the *Plate 4X4* in green, and the door and wall pieces.

Bag 4 is from 9526-1: Palpatine's Arrest

Based on Corner Plate 6X6X45° in Medium Stone Grey and Brick 1X2 M. 2 Holes Ø 4,87 in Bright Yellow.

It also contain the red 2x6 and grey 1x8 technic pieces
> 5 votes

# Answer
Looks mostly from *Set # 70404 King's Castle*. Minus bag No.4.
> 1 votes

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Building advice for "hunched" mech lower torso design?
Another mech based question, let me clean up as best I can...

So, in LDD, I'm working on an Evangelion Unit from the popular manga and anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and have decided to build EVA Unit 01 (Picture here).

I've built the entire legs section ("lower" quarters) of the Unit, but am having difficulty capturing the "hunched" nature of the mech in Lego, let alone LDD. I don't even know where to start.

I did find this image online to try and assist me in replicating something similar, but it hasn't been of much use (here). But this image should give a general idea of what I am hoping to achieve in LDD.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

As always, thanks for viewing!

# Answer
This answer is pretty long and complex, so bear with me.

After a couple hours of toying around with LDD, I have finally come up with a design that suits my needs fully within the realm of "traditional" Lego Building techniques.

After digging around in the sub-categories in LDD, I stumbled across this block (here). This brick is essentially what made this entire build possible, as it allowed for the "hunching" for the lower abdomen to be captured.

To capture the hunching nature of this mech, I constructed 3 of these shapes to serve as the building blocks for the lower abdomen.

In the middle of the piece referenced above, a short staff was passed through down the centre of the piece in the hole provided in the centre. This assembly is then connected to a 1x1 brick with studs on all faces except the base. The piece of the staff that is sticking out at the back is covered up with a 1x1 cylindrical piece, making room for the "spinal" assembly of the mech. The entire assembly is then covered up with decorative assemblies and facades, as seen in the picture above.

The result can be seen below --

Unfortunately, no LDD file is provided, only images.

***UPDATE***

As requested by Aziraphale, here is a breakdown of one of the assemblies making up the hunched nature of the Evangelion Unit. Note the short staff going through the piece reference above, mounted to a 1x1 brick with studs on all faces, before being finished in a 1x1 cylindrical piece with a 1x2 detail plate.
> 5 votes

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Tags: building, ldd
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# Question
Title: Arduino-izing LEGO Technic - ideas for a car / vehicle to choose
I am starting a project - Arduino-izing LEGO Technic - and now I need some ideas for a car / vehicle to choose.

This project starts out as a quest to find a way to combine the ease of LEGO Technic chassis building with cheap commodity electronics to motorize and remote control it. I am looking for a car / vehicle that is able to work for this. This could be a simple chassis:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-Custom-Arduino-Remote-Control-and-L/ https://www.hackster.io/Notthemarsian/take-control-over-lego-power-functions-ee0bfa https://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-Remote-Controlled-Car-1/

This should be a part of a robotics workshop and therefore I need a LEGO-based platform for younger kids who grew up with Lego but cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars to buy power functions, LEGO motors, IR remote, and EV3. Thanks to numerous examples on the net and several and Youtube tutorials on integrating Arduino with LEGO, I will try to start out with an interesting example.

Starting point: the kids should be able to complete this project with a small budget and I hope to incorporate this into my robotics workshop in the future.

The main thing is, I need to have the rear axle to be attached to a single N20 motor to move the kart forward and reverse via a TB6612FNG motor driver. Front steering can be controlled by an SG90 servo motor.

Remote control should be able to be accomplished by a cheap IR remote/receiver solution based on

1. Arduino
2. Zigbee
3. Bluetooth

I understand that the IR remote hardware (and the method) is pretty hard part to implement and learn about a remote control system so it was a perfect option for this car.

Since this is just a proof-of-concept project and the design follows function - I need to have an idea.

The main question is: which LEGO car to choose? How about LEGO Technic-8071 - the Service Truck? What would you suggest?

# Answer
> 5 votes
If I were you, I'd try to use a car chassis as simple as possible.

This would achieve multiple goals:

1. By using a vehicle with the least amount of complexity you can keep the price low.
2. By avoiding unnecessary parts the students' attention will not be drawn from the topic at hand, e.g. they will be more inclined to listen and cooperate if they are not wondering about or playing with the bucket lifting mechanism of 8071.
3. The less parts included in the design, the less chances for something to go wrong.
4. Some space is needed in order to mount the required hardware (motor, batteries, receiver, anything inbetween) and this space is best left open for easy access to inspect, explain, debug, repair, replace, etc.
5. This approach leaves many ways to upgrade the "final result", either functionally (adding lights, brakes, etc), aesthetically (building a great looking body), electronically (adding additional subsystems like a parking assistant) or mechanically (include advanced steering geometries, suspension, etc) if you or the students wish to do so.
6. Minimizing the time required to build the mechanical part leaves that much more time for the intended topic of the workshop (the electronics).

Therefore I'd recommend building a simple steered front axle without suspension, a rear axle that is nothing more than an axle and two wheels and slapping both on a large plate or any equivalent flat assembly.

# Answer
> 8 votes
I'd be tempted to use the Batmobile (76112) design:

Basically, you have independent motors for the left and right wheels. This allows you to steer quickly and easily without the fuss of a traditional steering system.

The Batmobile is $100 MSRP, and can be found on sale. The included motor controller is Bluetooth based, and can be remote controlled via a smart device or custom software on a laptop. Basically, that set meets your needs if you can afford it.

If that is too expensive for you, I'd still encourage you to consider using a similar design using official LEGO motors. It's relatively complicated to integrate off-the-shelf motors with LEGO (I did this a lot as a kid), and the official motors are actually quite cheap these days. You can pick up Power Functions M Motors for $7.49:

That's $15 for the pair. You'd just need to cut off the Power Functions connector and connect the motor to your driver. This saves you the fuss of mounting your motors and integrating them with LEGO gears and wheels.

This is really outside the scope of your question, but on the electronics side I personally wouldn't use an Arduino. I'd probably go with something that has wireless built in, such as something ESP8266-based. Then, all you need is your microcontroller and motor driver for a working system. The system can be remote controlled from a PC or smart device. You wouldn't even need special software on the remote, as the microcontroller can broadcast an SSID and serve up a web-based controller to the connected device.

So then your BOM would be:

* 2x PF M Motors ($15)
* NodeMCU or other wireless controller ($3)
* A few Technic beams, gears, axles, wheels, etc ($5+)
* Battery box ($2)
* TB6612FNG or similar dual motor controller ($1)

You could probably do the whole thing for ~$30.

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Tags: design, electronics, remote-control, 3rd-party, arduino
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# Question
Title: What Is The 3-stud Wide Red Cabinet Frame Piece In Picture?
I would like to know the name and part number for the red frame piece in picture. The one that is holding the white cupboard door.

# Answer
Hey Nancy!

*Part# 4532 Container, Cupboard 2 x 3 x 2*
> 6 votes

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Tags: piece-information, part-identification
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# Question
Title: What are some creative uses of the orange brick separator tool?
I have these piling up around my LEGO corner:

Any suggestions for creative uses? Especially multiple?

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

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

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

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

And my favorite is this Clown Fish X-wing by dr-spock-888: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr\_spock\_888/20558633496/

And there is also the super secret worship room of the cult of the Followers of One Long Orange Object or FOOLOO by cimddwc: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimddwc/24779936911/
> 16 votes

# Answer
How about a Minifig scale playground slide?

There is a connection point for an Technic Axle connector to provide the support for the slide and two stud connections to add a ladder.
> 14 votes

# Answer
To add to TheBrickBlogger's suggestions, F@bz has another spaceship that I believe is worth mentioning: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fabz71/21111423905/

I recall seeing an awesome dinosaur made almost entirely out of Brick Separators on Flickr a while back (and I believe it was called a Separatosaurus) but all my searches have been futile so far. That said, google "Brick Separator MOC" and you can see many designs.
> 8 votes

# Answer
One thing I've been using some of my brick separators for is in the construction of wedges for robotics and competition builds. The semi-sharp prying edge is sharper than most parts, and the angle is decent enough for a low wedge.

They have no strong connectors of their own, but the height of the brick edge is 2 plates tall, meaning it will fit well between 2 Technic bricks, with Technic pieces holding them together.

With a design like this, you can easily connect it to a Technic beam, with it freely swinging down to make ground contact.
> 7 votes

# Answer
This is a good idea for brick separators!
> 6 votes

# Answer
I use them to get stubborn batteries out of remotes, to open stiff ports on device cases, and to get under tabs on soda cans....I want one on a keychain!
> 3 votes

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Tags: building, tools, brick-separator
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title: The Missing Handlebar

text:
# Question
Title: The Missing Handlebar
I've been trying to look for the handlebar piece but it doesn't show up. Can someone tell me why?

# Answer
I'm not sure where are you looking, but it is readily available on BrickLink in seven colors: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=30031&idColor=85#T=C&C=85
> 3 votes

# Answer
Welcome *User11225*!

In your *LEGO* program or webpage type in the part number instead, which would be, "30031".

Why: Search words vary across media, and it's harder to misspell or *mis-describe* numbers.

Example:

* On *Bricklink.com* the description includes the "**s**" to spell handlebar**s**.
* In *LEGO Digital Draw* the description just calls this piece a "handle" and drops the "bars".

Search fields can get finicky.
> 2 votes

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Tags: piece-information, part-identification
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# Question
Title: 42043 Mercedes Arocs Truck Crane Turntable Sticking
I have recently found that the turntable of the crane has been sticking when turning! Having taken apart the crane and investigated the issue, it seems to be the interplay between the turntable's teeth and those of the small black cog: they are not meshing smoothly! The cog moves nicely when turning the turntable, but is stuttering and jamming the other way round (the more useful way)!

Any help would be appreciated!

P.S. any tips on lubricating the yellow pistons?

# Answer
This is a known problem with that gear combination. It's a flaw with Lego's design of the bevel gears. See this discussion on the EuroBricks forum.

Bevel gears are typically designed to fit with only one other size of bevel gear. Specifically, the cone-shaped *pitch* of each gear needs to intersect with each other at a single point to ensure smooth operation.

All Lego bevel gears are intentionally designed with a 45-degree pitch so that any gear can mesh with any other. This means that only bevel gears of the same size can actually mesh perfectly, although in most gear combinations, the loose tolerance means the incorrect pitch isn't really noticeable.

However, in extreme cases like the 12-tooth-bevel to 60-tooth-turntable in the Arocs, the gear pitches are so mismatched it creates an extremely "noisy" or "sticky" effect.
> 6 votes

# Answer
I don't have this kit, but when you have an issue with cogs/gears meshing poorly it usualy has to do with how the forces are causing the tolerances to slip. It sounds like the load to the cog (or gear) is such that in one direction they are being forced together.

Ideally, we want gears to mesh within some ideal tolerances, so see how you can reinforce the shaft blocks so torsion doesn't change those tolerances too much.

Also, check for too much backlash, which could show you where the gears are meshing too loosely and then digging in.
> 1 votes

# Answer
The turntable gear you are speaking of has the same connectivity options on both sides. However, only one side of the gear ring on the black piece is actually beveled. If you use the turntable incorrectly (upside down), this will result in poor connection between the gears. So it is essential to place the turntable correctly.
> 0 votes

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Tags: technic
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# Question
Title: Lego Mindstorms Ev3 home edition on Mac OS Mojave bug - bricks sometimes go blank
I have a fresh install of Mojave and of Mindstorms Ev3 home edition. It seems to work fine but then randomly all the information disappears from the blocks at the bottom of the screen, and sometimes in the program too. See screenshot. This problem persists until I restart the software. Any tips?

*Note*: easy way to reproduce this problem is clicking on a block link from the documentation area, like the 'Loop' block in the screenshot below. It seems to cause the corruption every time.

# Answer
> 8 votes
I contacted Lego support and they got back to me with a fix, which worked great. It also has greatly improved the performance of the application.

> For this issue fix, please install Mono for Mac OS found at the link below:
>
> https://www.mono-project.com/download/stable/
>
> and choose Mono 5.10.1

# Answer
> 3 votes
I've installed silverlight as mentioned from this page:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7431216

> experienced the same problem.
>
> Updating Silverlight to the most current version 5.1.41212.0 solved it !

Now the Lego Mindstorm EV3 Software works fine.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I had this same issue after a Mac OS upgrade to Mojave. (with Lego Mindstorms EV3 Home Edition)

What fixed it for me was to download the latest installer from lego.com and run the installer again.

It doesn't make sense because before I did this, I went to "Check For Updates" in Mindstorms and it says there was none. But something clearly changed, because before the reinstall, there was a non-intuitive little tab with the EV3 logo on it on the top left (as seen in the original question's screenshot) and after the reinstall, that tab has "Lobby" labeled next to the icon.

Updating silverlight didn't help. I did not try the mono suggestion.

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Tags: ev3, mindstorms, mac
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# Question
Title: What is the model/year of a white and yellow airplane with a sticker "96" on the wing?
I found this airplane in a bag at Goodwill, but not sure what set it's from. It looks complete and the landing gear pulls down. Any idea what year or set this is from?

# Answer
> 5 votes
It is 42044-1: Display Team Jet from 2016.

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Buy the complete EV3 set or only the brick?
I have an old NXT (or NXT 2.0, do not remember exactly) bought I think in 2007. I would like to upgrade to EV3, but I am not sure if I should buy the complete set or only the central brick.

Is there any news about a possible new programmable brick in the near future?

# Answer
Since the NXT 2.0 was released in 2009 you must have a first generation NXT set then. As per this question the peripherials (motors, sensors and of course their connecting cables) remain compatible. So you could just get the central unit and use the already owned NXT components. Keep in mind though that all parts (motors, sensors) have since been redesigned, so the EV3 versions will likely work better, and don't forget that the EV3 set includes an infrared sensor as well, which was not present in the NXT complement.
> 2 votes

# Answer
From financial point of view it would be more cost effective to buy a single EV3 brick. However these are rarely sold alone and the price for extra parts could be negligible if bought as a set. It might be easier to find a good deal for a set as well.

It is hard to say if LEGO is looking to release EV3 successor. However LEGO has released a new series of powered electronics as they call them "Power Functions 2" or "PowerUp" with pretty much same specs as previous series, but with new type of connector. This connector is very close to one used with EV3, but different. The whole range is designed to be used with basic robotics system (Boost) as well as general consumer sets (Trains), basically making it one-fits-all. So there is some hope we might see proper robotics system in not so far future.
> 1 votes

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Tags: ev3
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# Question
Title: How did this 1x4 plate look like before modifying?
As you can see someone modified this 1x4 plate. Can you tell me which brick this was originally?

# Answer
My guess is that it was a Hinge Vehicle Roof Holder 1 x 4, but there are probably several pieces you could have modified to look like that.
> 9 votes

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Tags: piece-information, part-identification
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title: Help identifying LEGO sets - Star Wars?

text:
# Question
Title: Help identifying LEGO sets - Star Wars?
My toddler inherited a bunch of LEGO pieces that all seem to be Star Wars. I was able to determine about 1/2 of the bunch were 4 Microfighter sets since some parts are unique. I am stuck identifying the rest. I have “two” very unique items but just can’t seem to place them... !

One item is a dome with a hinge and it has ‘paneling’ Design but it is not like the domes I’ve seen on tie-fighter sets, the other are sticks w/ a 1x2 on one end and a circle on other that are about 3.5” long.

# Answer
> 7 votes
Welcome Court!

Looks like part# *42445 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Solid Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.*

Part# *99784 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Hollow Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End*.

and

*part #50747pb06 Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere with Dual 2 Fingers and SW Tie-Fighter Pattern.*

From *Set #9492 TIE Fighter*.

Later!

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Tags: piece-information, part-identification
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# Question
Title: Late 1970s hospital and helicopter building brick set
I'm afraid I don't have a picture, but I am trying to identify a Christmas gift I fondly remember receiving as a child circa 1979.

It was a 3-foot box of building bricks and the front picture showed you could construct a hospital building and a helicopter.

The bricks inside were mostly white, with some of the smaller ones sporting a red cross and/or the word emergency in black on them. The majority of the bricks had six studs on top and six holes underneath - totally different from the LEGO, Betta Bilda etc blocks I have seen on this site and while searching online.

The bricks had slightly rounded edges rather than the hard, straight edges of bricks such as LEGO.

No figures or parts to make people were included, but there were little red door and window frames for the hospital. There was even a little round red boss to attach the helicopter's four rotor blades to.

As a child I simply called my blocks 'lego'... but I doubt very much that it was a LEGO set, having seen that LEGO pieces are different. Any ideas?

# Answer
> 1 votes
These blocks appear to match your description, would this be the type of brick you are talking about?

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Tags: set-identification, sets, clone-brands, vintage, vehicle
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# Question
Title: What are the structural difference between a minifig and a minifig on a keychain?
Are there any differences in the components or construction of keychain minifigs compared with regular minifigs from sets?

# Answer
A minifig on a keychain and a regular minifig are essentially the same. They are made of the same components. A couple of additional procedures turn regular minifigs into keychain minifigs.

1.) There is a long screw inserted through the head and neck-post of the minifig to be able to attach the keychain to the loop at the end of the screw. If you remove the screw, there will be a small hole left inside the stud on the head, and on the neck-post.

2.) The leg assembly is fused to the torso assembly to make sure they don't separate during use as a keychain.

In addition, keychain minifigs are made in China, so there is a slight difference in how they look. The plastic has a duller and sometimes a bit more opaque appearance compared to regular minifigs. The printing, however, is the same quality, which is what most people focus on. The difference in the shine/opaqueness is usually only noticed when the keychain minifigs is placed next to an identical regular minifig.
> 8 votes

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Tags: piece-information, minifigures
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# Question
Title: Is this gray clip hook an original LEGO part?
Is the gray "hook" an original LEGO item? Please see the red plate for size comparison.

# Answer
> 3 votes
This looks to be Arm Piece with Towball and Clip.

There are quite a lot of copycats these days. So there is always a chance it is clone piece. To confirm this is genuine LEGO piece best thing would be to look for LEGO logo, but it is not always available on small pieces. Alternatively you can look for "30082" which is a part number.

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Help identifying piece - wheels on arched base
I'm not familiar with this piece that showed up in an old bin of Legos from a second hand store.

The text of the copyright reads "2008 the LEGO group"

Is there anyone that can tell me a part number or set this might have come from?

# Answer
this is: Part # 48394base

Bricklink:

Sports Promo Skateboard Base with Four Wheels from McDonald's Sports Set Number 7, Set 7921

Brickset

Set 7921-1: Skateboarder, Grey Vest
> 4 votes

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

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

In brown they were often used as wheels for cannons on sailing ships or castles.
> 7 votes

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Tags: part-identification, set-identification
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# Question
Title: Unsure of how to use a switch that is time dependent
Have been trying to make a line follower that can auto-correct itself if it would lose the line. The follower is supposed to turn around, go forward and catch the line if the line has not been detected for about two seconds.

Can this be done by using a switch block where my current program goes into the true slot and the auto-correct in the false slot?

# Answer
You have not provided your programming language of choice, so I'll answer in pseudocode which can then be adapted to the specific environment.

It should be possible with the following construction:

```
do {
  if (on_line) {                 // this may be a variable you update periodically or a method to call every time
    last_time_line_seen = now()  // remember that we have seen the line at this time
    follow_line_as_usual()
  else {                         // if the line is currently lost
    if (now() - last_time_line_seen > 2_SECONDS) {
      turn_around_go_forward_catch_line()
    } else {                     // we are off the line but the two seconds have not passed yet
      do_something_else_like_go_forward()
    }
  }
  wait_some_time()               // optional, may not be needed
} while(stop_condition)          // if you have a stop condition

```

This works by storing the timestamp of the last known time when the line was seen, and checking if that was more than 2 seconds ago in the case the line is currently lost.

I haven't seen in your question what your robot should do if it has lost the line but the two seconds have not passed yet so feel free to fill that part with any behaviour.
> 1 votes

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Tags: mindstorms, programming
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