I wish I knew where my camera was, I'd take a picture of my Lego Tachikoma. If I ever get my PC working again I'd even show you the 3d model I made using the software Lego builder.
Just for shits and giggles, I actually went out and bought a Lego kit today. Of course it's Lego Technic, the very best kind of Lego. At first I wanted some big Frontloader, because I thought I saw it relatively cheap in a shop, but I was mistaken and didn't fit what I was willing to spend. Instead I bought a set for a motorbike below and it was much larger than I thought it would be. The bike that is. For scale, the diameter of the wheels is only a little bit smaller than the length of an iPhone.
Though I already saw it from the picture on the box, since my youth Lego Technic went through a bit of a revolution phasing out studded constructions, i.e. the way you usually assemble lego bricks by stacking them up using the studs on them. Now it's mostly constructed holed, studless beams using the crossbeas and round double knobs. Wikipedia got a description in its article too. All in all this makes for much more complicated and better looking sets in my opinion, though some custom pieces help for curviture on like the bike rump. It is more advanced and a bit more fun that way, in my opinion.
I'm quite happy with the set I bought, even if it doesn't have that much of mechanics. The handle turns, it's got front and rear suspension and a stand that can be folded in and out. Of course it's got three pistons that turn with the rear wheel, actually through a plastic chain, which I've never had in my old Lego Technic sets. The set also comes with an alternate instruction booklet to build a different bike, a chopper. However, disassembling the first one and building the second one seems like a bit of a hassle (one of the downsides of studless construction), and the second one uses way less parts, though more chains, than the first one.
Another thing that surprised me while building it was that the manual actually instructed me to cut one part, some rubber tubes which make part of the exhaust. The only other time I remember having to use scissors with Lego is when I had to cut tubes for the Pneumatic Lego Technic sets I had. And finally, I still suck at attaching decal stickers :X
A lot of new Lego sets are more about custom pieces than block constructions. Luckily, the City and Creator sets are all about studded blocks. Technics + Creator and City makes for awesome home building opportunities.
The Technics sets are the business (Crane Truck with a 2 motorized actuators, powertrain and a winch? AWESOME). The only thing that bugs me is the way the gearing works on Technics with chain drives; the rear gear should be the smaller of the two; I understand why they do it, practically speaking (the pistons wouldn't move as fast in the engine block), but it irks me a bit sometimes.
The thing is pretty awesome. Pretty much everything you could want is fully articulate. The front shovel can be raised and lowered as well as tipped over. The front axis steers and of course the wheels turn fully and nicely without feeling loose. The back has two legs that extend and retract. The backhoe is however the best part of it, since it turns 45° to either side and the arm has two pistons so it fully reaches and digs.
Just all around a very, very good Lego set.
P.S.: I've recently come to find that the homepage of the Lego company now offers a service where you can download the instructions of pretty much any Lego Set in existence as a .pdf. I guess Lego learned from brickfactory.info.
Another month, another Lego set I guess. I kinda get the itches sometimes. I fear I might get addicted. My pattern is often reading the building manuals first, since they're available for free as PDF files on the Lego website. Thus it came to be that I bought a model which is very similar to one I already have: A Lego Technic kit for a mobile crane.
The old kit I have and rebuilt about half a year ago was first released in 1995 as product number 8460 and I vividly remember getting the set as a combined christmas and birthday present (my birthday is January 3rd) one year when I was 10 I believe and staying up pretty much all night putting the thing together. The same kit was later rereleased as #8431 in 2002 and again in 2004 as #8438. Here's a photo of it I found on the internet, since I'm too lazy to make one of my own.
The really cool thing about this kit is not only the size, but also the functionality. It had retractable feet in the front and back to give the crane a steady foothold which could be wound out or in on either side separately. Of course it had steering with signal lights on top, which either could be used. The arm of the crane was extensible and the metal hook that came with it was on a rope that was of course on a winch, though unfortunately I don't have that rope anymore and had to use a makeshift replacement when I rebuilt it. The arm itself could be turned with a mechanism in the back as well. However, the crown of it all was of course the pneumatics that came with it to raise and lower the arm. Overall, this was just one kick-ass Lego set which is of course why it was re-released twice.
Since then, the Lego Company apparently made another Mobile Crane kit in 2005 which came with a motor in addition to the Pneumatic kit under the model number 8421. I haven't built that kit myself and haven't gone over the building instructions either, but it features two extensions to the arm and looks overall to be a great set itself, though I don't necessarily like how they've done the feet. It also looks very much to me from the time when Lego Technic transitioned to the studless assembly approach I was talking about earlier in this thread, as it has features of both approaches. Apparently the builder could choose whether he wanted to construct it with a regular crane arm, or a cherry picker instead. Instructions for both came with the set.
Now the the new kit I bought (#8053) came out last year and is another take on the Mobile Crane kit and looks somewhat like a scaled down version of the 2005 truck. It's got only one arm extension and it doesn't feature either a motor or pneumatics. However, it has a piston to lower or raise the crane arm which is driven by rotating an axis inserted into it. This of course constructed with gears to rotate it, which leads me to the coolest feature of this kit: A mechanism that essentially boils down to a gear shift. I saw this in a few other kits I looked through, most notably the motorized truck and the motorized excavator Lego currently offers, but I haven't constructed either.
Like those two, the Mobile Crane here has a combination of hollow gears (i.e. they have a round hole so they won't rotate with the + axis they're on) and a red cylinder. The red cylinder sits on top of an axis connector and basically is attached to a lever. The lever pushes it into one of those hollow gears and the gear rotates with the cylinder and the axis when the cylinder is in it. Very cool design and thus makes it possible to steer three things (raising and lowering the arm, work the winch, extending and retracting the arm) with a single axis going through the crane part. It also lets one do two of those together, e.g. letting out rope while extending the arm, fixing a small design flaw with the old kit where extending the arm would sometimes catch up the hook.
Another feature from this kit I also really like is the way the feet are constructed. The leg basically fan out, all four at once, with a mechanism. Though all four need to be lowered individually, it makes a whole lot more sense as they concentrate on the base of the crane. It is also a cool design because the extensions for the legs double as the mudguards for the wheels. However, this also means the crane is sitting much farther up on the truck. It is basically dead center of the truck, the driver's cab is not withstanding. The construction of it is also quite well done, as the truck and crane are constructed separately from each other, and the base of the crane is inserted into the truck and fastened with some pins. Another good feature over my old truck is that the crane rests on a small socket while the old model could crush a bit down on the driver's cab. The crane part also rotates freely, which is probably a better approach than having a specific mechanism for it.
There's two things I don't like about this new kit though. One is the replacement of the metal hook of older kits. It was a really cool part of the set and instead this one has a rather large and unwieldy construction of a hook from much too thick Lego pieces. The other is that the kit no longer has any real seats. Whereas old model I had model seats fitting the Lego Technic minifigure that some sets had, this was replaced with constructions of thicker Lego pieces which look rather awkward to me. This is the case in all new Lego Technic kits including the backhoe loader I built last month, because they scratched the Technic minifigs at some point.
It should be noted that this is a larger model and therefore also more expensive. It ran me pretty much what I payed for the Backhoe Loader and the Motorbike combined. It's of course in your own estimate, but I think the set is in my opinion definitely worth it. The construction time was also much longer than I anticipated. I planned for 3 hours and basically sat for 5 and a half putting it together. The construction time was probably a little bit extended because at some points I had trouble fitting the pieces together. It is a bit of a problem with the studless construction approach of these newer Lego Technic kits, but nothing that should keep someone from assembling the thing.
I should also note that after having built three kits, I've become very accustomed to the new, studless Lego Technic look, and I think I might actually prefer it. The rounder shapes are really appealing. The set does have some studded pieces though for the crane arm, but they're used very well on it.
Another month, another set. Since I'm somewhat short on cash, though I now "enjoy" a full time job, I bought a smaller one this time. The small excavator (8047) currently available:
It's nothing exciting really, but a nifty little design and the arm articulates decently with the two steering parts in the back. The top part turns freely without a mechanism, just like the crane truck I had last month. The tracks also work decently, but do not work at all on a smooth surface (e.g. a desk) but need some friction to do their job.
Strange, judging by the title I thought this was a thread for non-official Lego creations. Keep sharing though, I find these pretty interesting.
Yeah, it was just the biggest Lego thread around and I thought it would be best to just keep using it rather than necro a different Lego thread or even making a new one. Don't think the topics of store-brand Lego models and homemade creations is really all that different, at least not to warrant separate threads.
I'm also considering going for the motorized AT-AT walker, but I think the big Excavator is the better model. I'd also love to get my hands on the 10179 Millenium Falcon, the gigantic one, but that thing is just exorbitantly prized with at least €1,000, so that's probably going to be a pipedream unless I'm going to make some mad moneys somewhere down the line. It also made me realize how much those anime ships I posted earlier in the thread would cost if Lego actually made them retail products.
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HK416 CQB
Desert Eagle
Let me just wipe away the drool...
For scale, the diameter of the wheels is only a little bit smaller than the length of an iPhone.
Though I already saw it from the picture on the box, since my youth Lego Technic went through a bit of a revolution phasing out studded constructions, i.e. the way you usually assemble lego bricks by stacking them up using the studs on them. Now it's mostly constructed holed, studless beams using the crossbeas and round double knobs. Wikipedia got a description in its article too. All in all this makes for much more complicated and better looking sets in my opinion, though some custom pieces help for curviture on like the bike rump. It is more advanced and a bit more fun that way, in my opinion.
I'm quite happy with the set I bought, even if it doesn't have that much of mechanics. The handle turns, it's got front and rear suspension and a stand that can be folded in and out. Of course it's got three pistons that turn with the rear wheel, actually through a plastic chain, which I've never had in my old Lego Technic sets. The set also comes with an alternate instruction booklet to build a different bike, a chopper. However, disassembling the first one and building the second one seems like a bit of a hassle (one of the downsides of studless construction), and the second one uses way less parts, though more chains, than the first one.
Another thing that surprised me while building it was that the manual actually instructed me to cut one part, some rubber tubes which make part of the exhaust. The only other time I remember having to use scissors with Lego is when I had to cut tubes for the Pneumatic Lego Technic sets I had. And finally, I still suck at attaching decal stickers :X
The Technics sets are the business (Crane Truck with a 2 motorized actuators, powertrain and a winch? AWESOME). The only thing that bugs me is the way the gearing works on Technics with chain drives; the rear gear should be the smaller of the two; I understand why they do it, practically speaking (the pistons wouldn't move as fast in the engine block), but it irks me a bit sometimes.
The thing is pretty awesome. Pretty much everything you could want is fully articulate. The front shovel can be raised and lowered as well as tipped over. The front axis steers and of course the wheels turn fully and nicely without feeling loose. The back has two legs that extend and retract. The backhoe is however the best part of it, since it turns 45° to either side and the arm has two pistons so it fully reaches and digs.
Just all around a very, very good Lego set.
P.S.: I've recently come to find that the homepage of the Lego company now offers a service where you can download the instructions of pretty much any Lego Set in existence as a .pdf. I guess Lego learned from brickfactory.info.
The old kit I have and rebuilt about half a year ago was first released in 1995 as product number 8460 and I vividly remember getting the set as a combined christmas and birthday present (my birthday is January 3rd) one year when I was 10 I believe and staying up pretty much all night putting the thing together. The same kit was later rereleased as #8431 in 2002 and again in 2004 as #8438. Here's a photo of it I found on the internet, since I'm too lazy to make one of my own.
The really cool thing about this kit is not only the size, but also the functionality. It had retractable feet in the front and back to give the crane a steady foothold which could be wound out or in on either side separately. Of course it had steering with signal lights on top, which either could be used. The arm of the crane was extensible and the metal hook that came with it was on a rope that was of course on a winch, though unfortunately I don't have that rope anymore and had to use a makeshift replacement when I rebuilt it. The arm itself could be turned with a mechanism in the back as well. However, the crown of it all was of course the pneumatics that came with it to raise and lower the arm. Overall, this was just one kick-ass Lego set which is of course why it was re-released twice.
Since then, the Lego Company apparently made another Mobile Crane kit in 2005 which came with a motor in addition to the Pneumatic kit under the model number 8421. I haven't built that kit myself and haven't gone over the building instructions either, but it features two extensions to the arm and looks overall to be a great set itself, though I don't necessarily like how they've done the feet. It also looks very much to me from the time when Lego Technic transitioned to the studless assembly approach I was talking about earlier in this thread, as it has features of both approaches. Apparently the builder could choose whether he wanted to construct it with a regular crane arm, or a cherry picker instead. Instructions for both came with the set.
Now the the new kit I bought (#8053) came out last year and is another take on the Mobile Crane kit and looks somewhat like a scaled down version of the 2005 truck. It's got only one arm extension and it doesn't feature either a motor or pneumatics. However, it has a piston to lower or raise the crane arm which is driven by rotating an axis inserted into it. This of course constructed with gears to rotate it, which leads me to the coolest feature of this kit: A mechanism that essentially boils down to a gear shift. I saw this in a few other kits I looked through, most notably the motorized truck and the motorized excavator Lego currently offers, but I haven't constructed either.
Like those two, the Mobile Crane here has a combination of hollow gears (i.e. they have a round hole so they won't rotate with the + axis they're on) and a red cylinder. The red cylinder sits on top of an axis connector and basically is attached to a lever. The lever pushes it into one of those hollow gears and the gear rotates with the cylinder and the axis when the cylinder is in it. Very cool design and thus makes it possible to steer three things (raising and lowering the arm, work the winch, extending and retracting the arm) with a single axis going through the crane part. It also lets one do two of those together, e.g. letting out rope while extending the arm, fixing a small design flaw with the old kit where extending the arm would sometimes catch up the hook.
Another feature from this kit I also really like is the way the feet are constructed. The leg basically fan out, all four at once, with a mechanism. Though all four need to be lowered individually, it makes a whole lot more sense as they concentrate on the base of the crane. It is also a cool design because the extensions for the legs double as the mudguards for the wheels. However, this also means the crane is sitting much farther up on the truck. It is basically dead center of the truck, the driver's cab is not withstanding. The construction of it is also quite well done, as the truck and crane are constructed separately from each other, and the base of the crane is inserted into the truck and fastened with some pins. Another good feature over my old truck is that the crane rests on a small socket while the old model could crush a bit down on the driver's cab. The crane part also rotates freely, which is probably a better approach than having a specific mechanism for it.
There's two things I don't like about this new kit though. One is the replacement of the metal hook of older kits. It was a really cool part of the set and instead this one has a rather large and unwieldy construction of a hook from much too thick Lego pieces. The other is that the kit no longer has any real seats. Whereas old model I had model seats fitting the Lego Technic minifigure that some sets had, this was replaced with constructions of thicker Lego pieces which look rather awkward to me. This is the case in all new Lego Technic kits including the backhoe loader I built last month, because they scratched the Technic minifigs at some point.
It should be noted that this is a larger model and therefore also more expensive. It ran me pretty much what I payed for the Backhoe Loader and the Motorbike combined. It's of course in your own estimate, but I think the set is in my opinion definitely worth it. The construction time was also much longer than I anticipated. I planned for 3 hours and basically sat for 5 and a half putting it together. The construction time was probably a little bit extended because at some points I had trouble fitting the pieces together. It is a bit of a problem with the studless construction approach of these newer Lego Technic kits, but nothing that should keep someone from assembling the thing.
I should also note that after having built three kits, I've become very accustomed to the new, studless Lego Technic look, and I think I might actually prefer it. The rounder shapes are really appealing. The set does have some studded pieces though for the crane arm, but they're used very well on it.
It's nothing exciting really, but a nifty little design and the arm articulates decently with the two steering parts in the back. The top part turns freely without a mechanism, just like the crane truck I had last month. The tracks also work decently, but do not work at all on a smooth surface (e.g. a desk) but need some friction to do their job.
Next month I might actually go for its motorized big brother.
I'm also considering going for the motorized AT-AT walker, but I think the big Excavator is the better model. I'd also love to get my hands on the 10179 Millenium Falcon, the gigantic one, but that thing is just exorbitantly prized with at least €1,000, so that's probably going to be a pipedream unless I'm going to make some mad moneys somewhere down the line. It also made me realize how much those anime ships I posted earlier in the thread would cost if Lego actually made them retail products.
And if you don't recognize it, get the hell off my internet.
Here's probably a better version of it than mine, but I tried my best with the pieces I had. It isn't very stable, but I think I did a decent job.