How does the Space Shuttle dock the ISS?

It looks like LEGO did not intend to make Shuttle attachable to ISS despite the statement. At least not with a stud-on-stud connection like the set is designed right now.

As seen in picture below, Shuttle is docked using a connection port inside storage bay with its doors open. Not sure if it is possible to replicate opened doors in scale Shuttle and ISS are built.

However if you neglect the lack of this feature and accept the docking with storage bay doors closed a little modification could solve the issue. Existing Fez piece attached to ISS isn't deep enough to accept Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Bar and Pin Holder (to invert stud to anti-stud) so an addition of Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud aka "Apollo stud" in between both of them will help modifying the docking port.


How strong are blocks in general - is adhesive necessary when building large structures?

Such structures in LEGOland parks are usually reinforced with a metallic structure hidden within the model. And they use glue. No wonder LEGO sold them away.

Some fans do use similar tricks, I've seen some make trees by embedding a wooden skewer in a trunk of 1x1 round bricks. Without that, the tree would collapse too often, and that's not even a large structure to start with. (Purists would use rigid 3mm LEGO hoses)

For a pure LEGO structure, in any case you would need to make sure not to rely on clutch power only, but I suppose you guessed as much already. As stack of 1x2 bricks won't hold, a length of interleaved 1x2 plates will be sturdier. Depending on the length, you'll need more layers, but that's about it.

I doubt adhesive would help that much — glue maybe, but let's not go there.

There`s the question "How much weight can a handle of Technic pegs and beams support?" covering the principles for structures. You can find a mechanical stress study right here.


Will the Duplo train track extension set 10872 work with Duplo train set 2700?

From a train point of view those wheels will fit happily within the guides of the bridge, and the connections on the tracks should just about fit as well.
I'm fairly sure we bought our bridge when we were staying in a holiday cottage that had a load of the old black track, and it connected to the track successfully, but you may need to work with some curves to find the ideal length as the black ones tend to be slightly longer than the newer grey ones.
LEGO Customer Support have the following to say on compatibility:

DUPLO® train tracks haven’t changed much over the years, so older tracks are fully compatible with the current ones. You can tell old and new tracks apart by the colour: the older ones are black, while the tracks we currently make are grey.
While the different tracks can be used together, we do recommend alternating between them since the older, black tracks have less grip. If you’re building a track with a bridge, we’d suggest using newer rails around the slope.

Their recommendation for using grey around the slope may be aimed at the motorised options so that the train isn't slipping in the build up to the ramp, or skidding at the bottom.


Where can I download the software for old RCX-era Mindstorms sets?

I've found a seemingly broken website, but from the sources I was able to salvage these addresses, they work just fine (as far as the download goes, I did not check the contents):

http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/9731_lego_vision_command_xp.zip -> German version
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/9722_extreme_creatures_1.0.zip

Vision Command English:

https://www.mediafire.com/?xo6xfjvnbzaaf7u

Multi Software Download -> English:

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ohsruj4zmjy9g

There are many other downloadables from this site:

http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/1349_Lego_Studio_Dutch_XP.zip
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/1382_lego_studio_sound_fx.zip
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/3804_dutch.zip -> RIS 2.0
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/3804_french.zip -> RIS 2.0
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/3806-3809_Spybotics_english.zip
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/8299_lego_submarine.zip
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/8428_Turbo_Command_CD1.zip
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/8428_Turbo_Command_CD2.zip
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/8450.zip -> cybermaster_mission
http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/cds/temp/lego_cybermaster_dutch.zip
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/8547_mindstorms_nxt_2.0.zip
http://www.brickfactory.info/iso/files/9731_lego_vision_command_xp_french.zip

As for the RIS ISO I've found this torrent but it looks like there is no recent activity, maybe one could ask the once-downloaders to seed for a while?
https://www.demonoid.ph/files/details/2583886/004623788640/


Need help to identify this LEGO set - white, gold, grey, blue, and earth tones

I looks like it is some of the parts of Master Wu Dragon, set number 70734.

It's the only set which contains both Pearl Gold Wedge 4 x 3 Open with Cutout and 4 Studs and Dark Orange Slope, Curved 4 x 1 Inverted according to Bricklink.


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

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

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

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


How to make a regular pentagon from technic bricks

Using the same length ratios as in the construction that Philo posted in his answer I created this:

It uses length 5, 6 and 7 thin liftarms (5 of each) and 30 half-pins
I'm quite happy with it!


What is the function of Duplo part# 38507 RAIL ACCESSORY, NO. 4

It's an interactive piece that makes the train perform a cool(ish) function when it rolls over it.

The train has a sensor on the bottom that reads the piece and does the deed.

When the train reads this red one... it stops moving, which is sorta coolish  for a jealous older sibling maybe ;).

Watch 3 videos explaining all the cool possibilities.  (1), (2), (3).


What is the piece and piece number of the rocket launcher accessory this Joker figure is holding?

6195916: Function Element, Female

+

306226: Round Brick 1X1

makes:


Red cargo ship with pier and a tower crane set?

Based on your description, the set is Launch and Load Seaport (6542):

It was released in 1991, and it matches everything you described including a ship called "Atlantic", so this has to be it. If you're looking for some nostalgia, you can pick this up on Bricklink for ~$150.


Can anyone identify what this set is from please? Green terrain base with large grey and black mountain pieces

A little bit of searching identifies baseplates as being from Mega Bloks Dragons. The line isn't well-documented, however, so I couldn't tell exactly what set these pieces came from, or if they are indeed only from one set.

[Phil B]: Added image from the above website for reference:


It's Part #41489c01 - Duplo Toolo Sloped Brick.

In comments you wrote:

  "I also thought that its #45751c01, but the number on brick is 41489" – k1psead

Good question.  This is what LEGO.com says about the molded numbers on individual pieces.

So, LEGO is saying the molded number is this piece's specific Design Number and that we can plug this number in on their Part Database and find the piece.

Let's try it...  Hmmm... Seems that answer is flawed.

So, how did I find it?  My initial search for "Duplo 41489", came with the search results below.

We both now know that there is a Star Wars set with this number, who's popularity has, unfortunately, skewed the wanted results for a piece. So, we can ignore anything Star Wars...

...Look at the third result with no reference to Star Wars.

The third result is pointing to Peeron, another LEGO Set Inventory Database, where the molded Design Number of this piece is set up correctly.

Let's double check by searching the number through Peeron.com HERE.


Can anyone identify what kind of block these hinged blocks are?

Woah! I haven't thought of these in years... Flashback to FLEXIBLOCKS!!!


Was it 10667 Construction? The date is a little off, but the parts look right.


If you're after a simple collapsible solution to reach those items just out of reach, you can start with the following setup:

You can extend this for quite some way, and use longer bricks or beams throughout if you wish.

To finish it off, I'd use a couple of longer bricks with some additional plates on the end to act as fingers, and add some handles (via axles) at the bottom. If you use longer bricks at the ends then the middle pin would need to be offset from the centre to keep it smooth.


Why stickers instead of printed decoration and vice versa?

I think it depends on series, if set is licensed as well as targeting audience. Sometime printed parts are used in a place where sticker would be hard to apply.

Architecture series, is a good example where stickers are not used since series are advertised as premium product. Duplo and Juniors use printed parts too as these are targeted for young kids.

Licensed sets usually have stickers though. This may be related to the fact that LEGO treats licensed set a little different, where you cannot buy extra item in B'n'P or get a replacement of specific license related item. So it is better having it unprinted and have an option to replace/acquire a part.

Printed elements also limit their practical use (re-use). Stickers give you choice of applying them or not, while printed parts are there forever1. Good example is 42096 Porsche 911 RSR. It has white wheel arches/fenders with unique print for each of 4 included pieces. Non-printed counter part doesn't exist in this color yet, so these may not fit your MOC. The rest of the Technic Panels have stickers. This leaves a lot of room for using them in other creations (if sticker are not applied). Otherwise panels would be rendered useless if all of them would be printed.

Not really


The parts become leaky due to the seals inside the pistons deteriorating.

Typically, the seal is made with an "o-ring" - a circular rubber band (cross section as well as the shape) - if this is the case in the LEGO pistons, and then it's possible the o-rings are made with similar rubber to the LEGO rubber bands, and then they will deteriorate over time in the same way the rubber bands do.

I've not tried dismantling any of my pistons, so I couldn't say how easy they are to repair - they look like you should be able to unclip the black part and access the piston that way (there's a YouTube clip of someone doing so here, you can just see the piston head too, but I can't confirm the o-ring).

A good car spares or similar type of shop should be able to sell a selection of replacements.

From my time spent diving, there's not much you can do to stop this happening over time, other than keeping an eye on them and checking them regularly for replacement.


According to the official description, these are for customizing the completed build:

  This LEGO Batman toy playset includes 2 minifigures and children can customize their builds, minifigures and weapons with the included pack of 10 assorted Bat elements.


What set are these parts from? Tan walls and arches with green shutters?

That looks like bag five of the Friends "Summer Riding Camp" from a few years back. I'd guess it's the stable to the left hand side of this picture:

The combination of the dark green shutters and medium lavender plates were my driving clues.


EV3 SPIK3R on Mission 5 just keeps backing up

Perhaps a program that shows the ultrasonic sensor's reading in real
  time on the brick so I can move the bug around and see what the
  readings are?

You can easily view the ultrasonic sensors readings in real time. To do so, turn on your EV3 brick, navigate to the 'Brick Apps' tab (second from the right) and launch the 'Port View' application.

Use the EV3 buttons to find the port which your ultrasonic sensor is connected to. The ultrasonic sensor value should be shown.


Which official LEGO sets are micro-scale versions of existing sets?

(M) = Microscale
Harry Potter

4841 Hogwarts Express,
(M) 40028 Mini Hogwarts Express
4755 Knight Bus,
(M) 4695 Mini Harry Potter Knight Bus

Modular

10182 Cafe Corner,
10190 Market Street,
10185 Green Grocer,
10197 Fire Brigade,
10211 Grand Emporium,
(M) 10230 Mini Modulars

Pirates of the Caribbean

4184 The Black Pearl,
(M) 30130 Mini Black Pearl

Star Wars

Various TIE Fighter, (M) 3219 Mini TIE Fighter
Various Millennium Falcon (M) 4488 Millennium Falcon and (M) 75030 Millennium Falcon
Various AT-AT Walker, (M) 4489 AT-AT
7675 AT-TE Walker,
(M) 20009 AT-TE Walker
8098 Clone Turbo Tank,
(M) 20006 Clone Turbo Tank
7163 Republic Gunship,
(M) 20010 Republic Gunship
7674 V-19 Torrent,
(M) 8031 V-19 Torrent
Lots of Mini's in the Advent Calendars, 7958 2011, 9509 2012
10019 Rebel Blockade Runner,
(M) 10030-1 Imperial Star Destroyer contains micro version

Technic

8053 Mobile Crane,
(M) 8067 Mini Mobile Crane
8275 Motorized Bulldozer,
(M) 8259 Mini Bulldozer
8295 Telescopic Handler,
(M) 8045 Mini Telehandler
8069 Backhoe Loader, (M) 42004 Mini Backhoe Loader

Creator

31003 Red Rotors, (M) 30184 Little Helicopter
31004 Fierce Flyer, (M) 30185 Little Eagle
31020 Twinblade Adventures, (M) 30189 Transport Plane
6743 Street Speeder, (M) 6910 Mini Sports Car

Misc.

10226 Sopwith Camel, (M) 40049 Mini Sopwith Camel
10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, (M) 40079 Mini VW T1 Camper Van

Possible

10194 Emerald Night, (M) 31015 Emerald Express
8110 Mercedes Benz Unimog U 400, (M) 9390 Mini Tow Truck


Metal Spring for LEGO MOC Simple Suspension

The inner space of the spring will be fine if you use an axle (4.8mm)

The outer space of the spring will be fine at 1L (7.8mm) and shouldn't rub against anything.

Here is a mockup of the spacing between everything, as you can see there is ample space between the spring and the orange pin joiners:

This shouldn't be a problem in your case but note that if the axle is rotating and the spring is compressed and is against a pinhole, the groove of that pinhole can cause the spring to uncoil and be damaged.


How much are large retail LEGO Minifigures worth?

These typically go for several hundred USD at the low end, and can be up to several thousand for the rarer display figures.

One way to get an idea of the current market price is to check out the items currently for sale on Bricklink. A search for 'display figure' in the gear category should give you a pretty good idea.


Can you identify these curved bricks for me?

Large one is Brick, Round Corner 10 x 10 with Slope 33 Edge, Axle Hole, Facet Cutout with Holographic Circuit Pattern Model Right (Sticker)

which is a decorated version of Brick, Round Corner 10 x 10 with Slope 33 Edge, Axle Hole, Facet Cutout

Smaller ones are Brick, Round Corner 4 x 4 Macaroni Wide with 3 Studs


Does anyone know what these gold and dark green pieces make?

Looks like Set #70503 - The Golden Dragon.

I looked up this unique modified 2x2 brick to get a short list
of possible sets.

Visually, looked at the yellow/gold color scheme of the pieces in the
bags to get a sense of the what to exclude when scrolling down said
short list.
Looked for crazy looking pieces from the bag to compare within the
set.

Like this piece here, part #64275 - Projectile Launcher, Bionicle Thornax
Launcher Half (Glatorian), Liftarm End 1 x 8.

and double confirmed the choice with part #54821 - Bionicle Zamor
Sphere (Ball).

Just gotta be the Goldy D.


It looks like there are three individual pieces.

A small metal ball (Probably not LEGO)
A translucent connector (Probably not LEGO)
A red LEGO Technic Cross Axle (6538)

The red piece seems to share the same amount of ridges ridges (three) and seems to be a good match in size and colour. I'm not familiar with this connector being used in this manner, I'm fairly sure the other two pieces are not LEGO.


Q: All of the LEGO catalogs are signed by Susan Williams. Is she a real person?

  A: No...Susan Williams is the personifcation of all those
  helpful Consumer Affairs people who work at LEGO. As for whether or
  not there ever was a Susan Williams at LEGO, we're not sure.

http://www.lugnet.com/pause/legoqa.html


I believe I may have found a workable solution and the "best" solution based on the criteria:

I still wasn't able to find the rubber Technic connector part I wanted, so I kept looking at other connectors and how they fit together, taking special care to note how much space they would take up.

I looked more closely into the "Pop-Up Book Clasp" option (in the question), but that seemed like it would require a complete redesign of a majority of the tower (at least the landing area, anyway). The actual latches in use for that require a very specific spacing, and I couldn't achieve that with the existing layout. Not to mention, those changes would make certain "features" virtually impossible to implement as I intended.

Because the landing area is intended to double as a storage area, I wanted to keep it as clutter-free as possible, but I also want a "clean" look so it doesn't look thrown together. The piece(s) I finally came up with to implement the "latch" for the covers are  the 1x2 plate with vertical holder (60470) combined with the 1x2 plate with stick Ø3.18 (48336). I managed to conceal most of it in the design, and it should operate as expected.

I'm still open to suggestions or alternatives, and it may be a little while before I get all the LEGO I need together to actually try this as a physical build but, for now, I believe this will get me where I want to be. If you want to look at the changes, here's the link to the 3D version of my v1.3 dice tower model on MecaBricks, and here's a static screenshot.


The Mindstorms EV3 Software crashes on OS X Yosemite 10.10.3. What do I do?

Updating the iOS version to 10.10.5 seems to have solved the problem for me. Hopefully this helps someone else out there.


What is the selling rate per pound for individual colors?

Colour seperation matters more in which audience will be interested (AFOL's knowing they used some colour(s) more than others vs. parents wanting a pile for their kids) than for price.

Lots of things matter a lot more then the bricks being seperated by colour, some examples:

Whether the bricks have play wear
Whether the bricks have been miscoloured by sunlight
Whether the bricks have been exposed to smoking
The actual selection of bricks - i.e. are they all standard bricks or are they something less common in (some of) the pile(s)
Where you are in the world
...

So we don't have nearly enough information to give a good answer.

They are other questions on the site where people give estimates.


Can you identify these LEGO animals, mountains, and minifigs?

You have bag 2 of set 60014: Coast Guard Patrol.


The city people pack is probably 9348: Community Minifigure Set based on the clasic space minifig print.

The numbered bags are probably from 4635: Fun With Vehicles - that's based on the colours and the lime green/"bright yellow/green" cap.

I think the first 2 bags are from 6118: Wheels and Tyres. This set has the same number of the small (8x) and bigger (6x) yellow wheels


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.


Does the Mindstorms RCX Input Ports have a Pull-Down Resistor?

The RCX input port has a pull-up resistor, not a pull-down (so it reads high: 1024 in raw mode). You can see reverse engineered I/O port electronics here: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=109570


In the end, I exported from blender to STL file and used http://marc.klein.free.fr/lego/stl2dat/stl2dat.html to convert to DAT. The final result worked well, and you can see the custom part used alongside regular ldraw parts in the build instructions here: https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-68128/seejay/glittering-viper-rainbow-bears-starfighter/#details
The ldraw model was built in LDCad and the instructions were built in LPub3d.


Need help to identify a piece - green, like a 1x2 plate with 4 angled cubes hanging off at odd angles

That's a Creeper torso (officially 19734 Creature Torso Blocky with Cube Feet). If you're familiar with Minecraft, you'll probably recognize it once you know the context:


reference number and instruction of a spaceship

This set is 6848 Strategic Pursuer.

Instruction scans are available on Peeron.


How does the Super Awesome Micro Project work?

Assuming that you're asking about the engine in particular, it seems to be a large number of pneumatic engines that have been coupled together in order to supply the required torque. LEGO pneumatic engines typically consist of a pneumatic cylinder driving a crankshaft. Here's a basic picture to give you an idea:

The shaft usually also controls a pneumatic valve that switches the direction of the piston to allow continuous rotation as shown here:

This allows the engine to run on air pressure being directed to the pneumatic valve without the use of any electrical components.

These images come from a fairly simple single cylinder pneumatic engine by nico71 on Rebrickable that includes instructions if you are curious about more of the details of how these work, or if you would like to build your own.


Need help with part identification... can't find part number

Found it while looking for a different part in the inventory! It is 2463 Brick, Modified Facet 3 x 3 x 2 Top


Does the ordering of contents in LEGO advent calendars vary between specimens?

No. The ordering is always the same.

If it wasn't there probably wouldn't be daily reviews of today's gift(s) on sites like Brickset.


What's the sight of the ultrasonic sensor according to the distance of the object?

ETH Zurich faculty/students conducted some experiments on exactly this back in 2006.  The relevant parts of their results have been reproduced below.  For more information, visit their website: http://www.tik.ee.ethz.ch/mindstorms/sa_nxt/index.php?page=tests_us.

The chart below shows accuracy of the sensor at detecting a 14.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 6 cm block at various distances and angles from the sensor.

Distanz is Distance in CM, Winkel is Angle in degrees, and Relative Fehler is relative error.

According to the researchers:

  The results show that the ultrasonic sensor should always be placed in horizontal position, other positions decrease as well the field of vision as the sighting distance of the sensor. The sensor seems to be a bit 'blind' on the left eye, which can be explained by the fact that the left eye is actually the receiver of the ultrasonic wave while the right eye is the sender.


Is there a way to buy just the robotic parts?

Yes, you can buy all the electronic parts by themselves, but given that the electronic parts are the bulk of the cost, you may not save much.

The MINDSTORMS EV3 set (MSRP $349.99 USD) contains:

1 - EV3 Intelligent Brick (MSRP $189.99 USD)
1 - EV3 Color Sensor (MSRP $39.99 USD)
1 - EV3 Infrared Sensor (MSRP $29.99 USD)
1 - EV3 Touch Sensor (MSRP $19.99 USD)
1 - EV3 Cable Pack (MSRP $14.99 USD)
2 - EV3 Large Servo Motor (MSRP $24.99 USD each)
1 - EV3 Medium Servo Motor (MSRP $19.99 USD)
1 - EV3 Infrared Beacon (MSRP $29.99 USD)
Software: Free download.

That comes to a total of: $394.91, or $44.92 over the price of the whole kit.

That means you would have to find these pieces for a fair bit less than the MSRP to save any money (remember shipping costs if you get them from multiple sellers), which could be difficult as these pieces tend to have good resale value. At quick glance on BrickLink, I found you can maybe get $40 of an EV3 Intelligent Brick, but the EV3 Medium Servo Motor is actually selling over the MSRP (possibly because it is backordered).

  We don't need anymore lego bricks

The Mindstorms kits actually come with LEGO Technic pieces, not bricks. You would not really be able to use these electronic parts without a fair number of Technic pieces.

If you plan to follow along with the instructions from the kit, you would need to have the parts in the kit.


Part identification: 40 tooth gear from The LEGO Movie

From this image, you can count the teeth well enough to determine there are actually 60 teeth, not 40:

This does not appear to be a real part.

It also appears you aren't the first to notice this. Jim Brickkeeper had created a ShapeWays model based on this movie piece which I found while searching for LEGO 60 tooth gears. It's no longer available, but it might be possible to contact them and see if there is another way to get it made.

According to Matthew Ashton this piece was planned for use in the set, but due to budget changes had to be cut, and has not yet been produced.

  For each project we are assigned a certain budget and a certain number of moulds we can create for new pieces. It was our intention with the Movie to make all Characters and Vehicles toys 100%, movie accurate. However in this case the directors really wanted the back wheel to be bigger, so we designed the piece for them, but then later had to make a compromise on one of the models as we didn't have the budget for all the tooling. Lord Business's design had become more complicated and required more moulds than orginally planned.we had to get him 100% correct, so we decided to alter the Super Cycle as we felt it would be less noticeable, at that point we weren't aware that it's part No. would be called out


Why is the EV3 Ultrasonic Sensor (45504) out of stock?

Balanc3r is a good alternative for gyro-boy:
http://robotsquare.com/2014/06/23/tutorial-building-balanc3r/

However, why do you conclude that the 45504 sensor is out of stock?
In my region (Belgium) it can be ordered from the lego website and is listed as "Available", also it is contained in the core educational set (45544) which is certainly still available from various sources...


Help in identifying elements used on LEGO Batman movie's Daleks

It looks like Minifig, Utensil Tool Box Wrench - 3-Rib Handle
Item No: 11402i (although it looks like the ribbing may have been omitted in the CGI model):

The socket end can clutch a stud, so it can be attached there.

This newer variant of this piece has come in flat silver, which is probably the closest color so far if not the color, in 5 different sets so far.


Added a Ver.2.Oh belowww...

Here's the LDD file if you want it.

Here's the file for 2nd helpings.  Eat up!


The 'Red Slope, Curved 4 x 2 with White and Yellow Flames Pattern Model' part (right side of the picture, on the roof) comes in 2 variants: Left and Right.  However, both of these parts only exist in the same 1 set, 9441: Kai's Blade Cycle

Similarly, the 'Tail Shuttle with Lightning Pattern' (left side of the picture - also comes in Left and Right variants) come from 9442: Jay's Storm Fighter

(This also appears to be where those 2 large blue plates are from)
As such, this model must be a Maker's Own Creation (MOC), and not an official LEGO set.  So, yes, a 'random build of something'
Both of the sets listed are from the LEGO Ninjago: Rise of the Snakes series


Why does the Gyro Sensor not work correctly in Virtual Robotics Toolkit?

Try to reset angle on the gyro sensor. Click on the block and choose reset.


What are the size of Lego Technic Parts?

I don't know where you got that image, but you could always try and print the brick using the dimensions shown.

Using the brick (#32316) shown in your example it might be possible to produce a 3D model using the 32316.dat file that's available in the LDraw library. The next problem would be placing the brick in a model and exporting it as a file type that is actually compatible with CAD software.

I'm not sure how accurate the bricks in the LDraw library are as they're primarily for illustration purposes as digital models.


Non-standard diameter pole - reinforcing a repair

One option might be to make yourself an ABS slurry by dissolving a sacrificial part of the desired color in Acetone:

This should be able to bond chemically with the ABS parts for a strong connection, and you'll have extra plastic material to work with, so you should even be able to make it stronger than the original design by building up the area slightly if desired.

You might want to practice on some other broken parts first to make sure that this works the way you expect.


Is it possible to use 5 motors on an EV3 brick?

A sensor port can't directly output to a motor. The sensor drivers can't provide enough power to supply a motor.
You have a couple options:

Daisy-chain two EV3s together. The first can control the sensors and
motors of the second.
Use an electronic motor multiplexer. EDIT: It should be noted that this requires an external power supply, which will increase the cost and complexity of your project.
Depending on your project, you might be able to make do with only 4 motors. See this response for driving multiple outputs with a single motor.


What would be the origin of these 1x1 bricks with the top part and stud having a different color?

Looks like they may be spray-painted? Perhaps for a store display or mosaic? – TheBrickBlogger Jul 14 at 0:40

I agree with this hypothesis. In particular, the pieces would have been assembled and then spray painted. This accounts for the faint tinge of gray on the top edge of the sides of the pieces (paint in the gap between adjacent bricks), and why some of the pieces (right side of the photo) have gray sides.

The tops of the studs look slightly less sharp than LEGO plastic molding usually is, which would be due to the paint slightly rounding everything over.

It is also unlikely that this effect would have been produced by regular injection molding, because the plastic does not enter the mold in neat flat layers so you can't do this by just putting two different colors in. "Overmolding" can create an object with two plastics stuck together, but they would have a crisp edge usually with a detectable seam, not the faintly fuzzy one here. In any case, some very unusual process would have been used, and I doubt that TLG would have gone to the trouble.

It's paint.


Options for powering Winter Holiday Train

If you want to “turn on and forget” you might want to look into obtaining a circle of old 9V track (metal rails produced by LEGO until 2007) and a power supply, plus a 9V train motor. It will not be cheap (the track pieces, especially curves, won’t be too expensive but a working 9V train motor is a $50-$75 purchase) however it will allow you to turn the train on and keep it running.

(Image copied from this thread which will be useful to troubleshoot if you have issues with your 9V setup).
FOLLOW-UP: After writing this answer, I realized I too need a circle of 9V track for my Christmas tree train :). I went ahead and bought an incomplete but working 9V train set on EBay for $100, which gives me the transformer, power cord, power supply, a 9V motor and some track. I then added the missing pieces of track from BrickLink (<$1 per curve, $4-$5 for straight, plus shipping) and was all done for less than $150, with extra pieces from the incomplete set such as wheel sets, magnetic couplers and the sunken train bases which are quite valuable nowadays. If you compare that with buying the retired rechargeable battery box and all the PF components, that is similar money, with the downside for PF that you still need to charge every so often - which is what I used to do. One watch-out: these 9V tracks were made both in Dark Gray as well as in Dark Bluish Gray, so expect color differences if you try to mix and match these. I don’t mind as I intend to ballast my tracks anyways, and color differences make for a more “natural” look.


The parts on the left of the top photo are from
76020-1: Knowhere Escape Mission

the part on the right of the top photo is
30156pb02 : Panel 4 x 6 x 6 Sloped with Stone Wall Pattern

based on the windows it should come from 7785-1: Arkham Asylum


Around 2004 (if I remember correctly) LEGO changed the grey and dark grey colors. The colors before the change were the original grey colors which were in use from their introduction. They were somewhat warmer than the colors today, which was perceived as looking faded, though it had nothing to do with aging. Part of the problem was that the competition (Megabloks) was using more blueish greys, which made the LEGO greys look old.

The newer colors have a colder, blueish tone, and were widely disliked in the AFOL community, because most of the time they look awful if used together with the existing old grey pieces. Depending on the lighting it can also be quite hard to tell old and new greys apart.

Hence the term "bley" is used as a name for the new blueish grey.

 BrickShelf


Are all stickers on a sheet used or do you sometimes have spare? Dino HQ set 5887

You occasionally get "extra" stickers, especially in the Police sub-theme of City, where the sheets have both "Police" and "Polizei" variations:

Police Plane Sticker Sheet on Peeron


What is this grey LEGO light and sound element with neon green attachments?

That looks like the "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top". The part number is x239top on bricklink.  It was only in 4 sets in 1998.  The whole Insectoids product line was terminated less than a year later.


Flexible tube for threading through transparent round bricks

If I'm understanding you correctly, you'll need 1x1 round bricks and something bar-sized and flexible to hold them together.
Alex pointed out that the hoses typically used for this sort of thing aren't available in trans-clear. Pneumatic tubing has been produced in trans-clear, so it could be an option, but you'd need a different design, as pneumatic tubing will not fit through an open stud.
You could use fiber optic cable:

I tried stringing some transparent 1x1 round bricks on it, and I think it creates the look that you are going for:


Why was monorail offered the way it was?

Why design the core monorail hardware this way?

This is hard to answer without a degree of speculation, but I assume that the core reason behind the decision to design the monorail this way likely came down to cost and engineering challenges. TLG wanted to allow for a monorail train to be able to navigate inclines effectively. This required:

A cog system
An additional degree of freedom between cars compared to trains (vertical movement as well as lateral)
An additional degree of freedom between wheel sets and cars
More specific power to weight requirements to maintain speed on inclines

Ultimately, TLG landed on the fairly rigid system of a central motor and couplings that create the necessary degrees of freedom with a car on either side. This likely required the smallest number of new parts and showed implicitly that the monorail motor isn't designed and tested to work well pulling more than two cars.

Why offer only large sets and not just a basic oval?

The core features of the monorail system that differentiate it from the regular trains of the era became:

Inclined and elevated track
Stopping at particular track segments rather than being controlled remotely

Given these features, it makes sense that any complete monorail set would have at minimum:

Elevated track including ramp sections
At least 2 monoswitches. Technically, you could just have one, but that would really limit play value since the train wouldn't have any destination other than its starting point
A point of interest at the monoswitches for play value

Unless these features are included, the set might as well just be a regular train set. While you are correct that the later sets were more complicated, 6990 was basically just an oval of track with a pair of ramps and two monoswitches. I believe it included just two straight track sections in addition to these.

Given the inflexibility of the overall system (e.g. you can't just add one more car), TLG decided to include both cars in each complete monorail set and not offer any as add-on sets.

Comparison to 9V train sets

While there were many small train-themed sets in this time period, I'm not aware of low-cost starter sets. You could certainly buy a pack of 9V curved rails and a motor and work your way up from there, but the three complete sets released between 1989 and 1994 were actually fairly expensive:

1991 Metroliner (4558) - $149
1991 Load and Haul Railroad (4563) - $120
1994 Freight Rail Runner (4564) - $134

Compare these to the complete monorail sets of the same period:

1989 Monorail Transport System (6990) - $155
1994 Monorail Transport Base (6991) - $178
1990 Airport Shuttle (6399) - $140

The difference in price between the cheapest monorail and train set from the era is only $20.

Why no add-on sets?

  When I was a kid, I loved the Airport Shuttle, but I was unable to buy
  an extra station or train, because there simply wasn't any.

While there weren't sets that included additional cars in the same way as regular trains, the monorail sets were generally part of larger themes that had additional sets available and were marketed together. For example, there were aircraft of different sizes and an airport marketed alongside Airport Shuttle:

The Futuron theme had many sets available as well, including another base:

Just in case my answer didn't make this clear, I really like the monorail theme. However, while being great collectors items, I believe that the monorail theme is generally considered to be a business failure. Offering two completely separate train systems at the same time with slightly different features ultimately didn't pan out well for a lot of the reasons that you cited.


Lego Mindstorms RCX RIS 2.0 IR tower Windows 7 / XP driver

I have the RCX IR tower setup and working on my Windows 7 laptop.
I downloaded the drivers from the ROBOTC.net site here (labeled 'RCX Device driver')

Direct file download link

Note: I am running Windows 7 32-bit, according to the ROBOTC site, this driver is 32.bit only and

  No known 64-bit driver is available for the RCX.


What pieces do I need to make suit swappers from the Lego Batman video game?

You mean one of these?

Basically, you'll need two circle of these 4 x 4 corner bricks:

Separated by some of these Plate 1 x 2 with Handle:

I don't think the centre red tile with an "R" on it exists, so I think you'll have to make one out of card or something.


Arms are cheap

I'd recommend just buying some cheap replacements from a site like BrickLink. You can buy an unpainted torso for example, and some sellers even sell just the arms (some of the cheapest listings are described as cracked though, so avoid those). So long as the arm is not painted (which they are not usually), this should be a relatively cheap solution with no repair work besides swapping the arms.

Plus, considering how small they are I'm not really sure there is a practical way to repair them, and still retain their full function.


Please help identify what set this bag belongs to, white windows and fences, and tan circles

This one is definitely from 10214 London Tower Bridge. I only have a used set that didn't have the original bags, but all parts and colors match perfectly.


"The type or namespace name "Brick" could not be found" Xamarin Studio with MonoBrick

You need to be using the standard MonoBrick Communication Library if you want to connect remotely to the EV3.

You would then need to have the following using statement at the top of your code:

using MonoBrick.Ev3

I believe you are referencing the MonoBrick EV3 Firmware which doesn't need to connect to the brick as it is the brick.


Looking for a way to connect SG90 servo motor to Lego Technic hole in a brick, in order to control Lego train tack switch

There are numerous solutions over internet for attaching SG90 servo with LEGO. However I remember this particular video, which fit your need to attach/control Technic beams/liftarms. It also features required parts for this build at 7:48.


What is this piece called? two connected cylinders

That would be
Part# 30360 : Cylinder 3 x 6 x 2 2/3 Horizontal - Round Connections Between Interior Studs
or
Part# 93168 : Cylinder 3 x 6 x 2 2/3 Horizontal - Square Connections Between Interior Studs
Both are essentially the same part, just a mold variation


Is there a MILS-like standard for medieval villages and castles?

The Modular Medieval Village Standard put together by the Rochester, NY LUG (RochLUG) provides this. It features an underlying support layer very similar to MILS:

Most modules will feature a randomized cobblestone road providing transit between structures:

Structures of various kinds can be added to the modules:

Many modules created by different people can be connected to create convincing medieval villages:

Complete details of the system can be found in the PDF shared by RochLUG.


Is this red axel bushing an original Lego part?

This is

Part# x1299 : Technic Bush Old 1


Hacking the Bluetooth motor in the motorized LEGO® DC Super Heroes 76112 App-Controlled Batmobile

There's a node.js library that can connect to the Move Hub and control attached peripherals:

https://github.com/nathankellenicki/node-poweredup

This should allow you to write scripts and programs that can control the motor from your Mac.


How do I sell complete LEGO sets still assembled?

You can list the on BrickLink as complete, used, no box. Those are options you can select as you list each set. You can also list them on eBay, and just put in the description that the sets are without box, but with instructions and all the pieces included. This is a normal and accepted way of selling LEGO sets.


How easy is it to sell on BrickLink as a non-dealer?

In general, it is considered best to first build up a reputation (i.e. feedback) by selling smaller items, before offering up rare and expensive items. When a new seller (low or zero feedback) offers up an expensive set, the following might happen:

Buyers will be afraid to purchase from you as offering expensive sets for sale by low feedback buyers is associated with scams.
You expose yourself to fraudulent buyers who are preying on new seller and try to pull a fast one (e.g. claiming something never arrived, or claiming something arrived damaged, or even returning something opened and replaced).

This is not to say that those things will always happen, but low feedback raises warning flags.

Of course, with proper research and careful shipping you can avoid all of this, and especially if you are competitively priced you might sell sooner rather than later.

Being perceived as a scammer, or being scammed yourself, is something that is unfortunately a regular phenomenon on any marketplace, be it Amazon, EBay, BrickLink or Craigslist.

So net, just be careful and do proper research on how to best cover yourself against potential scams. Selling LEGO can be a very exhilarating experience!


LEGO Boost Windows application malfunction

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


How do you make a triggered counted ball drop?

I've seen this done in a GBC module that counts the balls that pass by. It worked with scales that eventually tipped over, each scale representing a decimal of the total number of balls that passed by.

Can't exactly find the GBC module but found this clock from jkbrickworks that uses the same principle.


Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio & RCX Support?

I'm not an expert on Robotics Developer Studio, but the phrase indicating that support was dropped in the latest version was added in July 2008, so you'll need to go back to version 1.5 in order to have RCX support.


Star Wars Set Identification, small sets with Snow Troopers

Definitely 8084 - LegoSnowtrooper Battle Pack:

There are only 4 Star Wars sets with the white tricycle body, and you can clearly see all the other parts match.


Welcome! This collection of pieces might contain some LEGO pieces, but is mostly another brand. The bottoms of the bricks and plates have patterns that are not typical for LEGO, and LEGO does not make a large wedge plate like the light-grey one on the right. Furthermore, LEGO did never make a large tree stump and tree with face as shown in the middle of the picture. As such, even though the seller claims this is "LEGO", it is not.


I'm going to suggest that unless you're getting these sets at their retail price, don't bother getting any of these for a 5 year old. Instead, just get a current set, such as 31017 Sunset Speedster, which is still available at its regular price. Or check out the line of Speed Champions.

My reasoning is that a small child does not care about the vintage of a set and is not completing a collection, so any particular set is equivalent to any other. The sports car model is one that Lego refreshes every so often and there is almost always one available for sale, and you can usually get it at a discount. But all retired sets increase in price on the secondary market and I'd say you are getting zero value for your extra money if you hand this set to a child. They will love the set but not care at all if it's rare or hard to find.

As for how age-appropriate such a set is, it depends on the child. The Creator sets are fairly easy to build, usually. My 5 year old has little difficulty building them, though he has a fair amount of Lego experience. If your son has already built several models, these sets should be fine, even if the ages say 7 or 8 and up. I find that Lego's age recommendations are too conservative for my household, but YMMV.

Addressing your point about wanting to build with gears, etc. Most Creator models have minimal gears involved. Certainly the sports cars do not have working steering or anything like that. Creator sets almost never feature that sort of functionality except on the largest models. When there are moving parts, they are typically just hinged.

If you want something that features actual gears, steering, etc, you need to peruse the Technic line. Most of that is fairly complex. It's aimed at an older audience and I'd wager your 5 year old isn't ready for it - at least, mine wouldn't be. If Technic is too complicated, you might try one of these:

Fairground Mixer

Ferris Wheel

They are large models, fairly expensive, that feature both brick-built devices and mechanical movements. Both can be motorized by adding a motor (sold separately). Both are large sets that display well, but feature lots of play features. The Mixer, especially, is very cleverly constructed. I'd say both are too advanced for a 5 year old, but with a parent's help, and some patience, they should be possible.


Can I install EV3 Education software and Retail software side by side?

Yes. I have done this on both Windows and Mac.

I've only noticed one minor problem. On Mac, the program ID is the same for both versions, so only one of the two shows up in the Launcher. However you can still start the other by using ⌘+Space, for example.


What electrical contact material is used for PF Connectors?

The material is most likely aluminum or tinned copper, here is why:

Most LEGOs are made in Denmark, the country of origin, with other various quantities made in mexico, Taiwan, and other factories around the world. Denmark is a huge exporter of electrical generators (see wikipedia). Making generators requires a good amount of aluminum and copper to make, especially if the generator has a build in power transmission. I would be willing to bet that the same materials that are available to make generators would also be available to make LEGOs, copper and aluminum. I'm leaning towards tinned copper because of the luster in the pictures, but I couldn't tell you for sure, and LEGO doesn't provide a datasheet.


I believe this is the current location for the Lion Patch

In the interests of finding it again when the LEGO group change their site again:

Visit the LEGO Education page.
Navigate to "Pre-school and School" -> Secondary -> 11+ LEGO MINDSTORMS Education -> Downloads (or similar)

I then filtered the list to just the Download Type of "Software Update / Patch".


Please help me identify this partially assembled set, red and 2 large propellers?


How can I get the EV3 to control an ordinary motor with PWM?

The hardware solution is to simulate the motor circuit on pins 5 and 6.

There is a YouTube video by TechnicRobot that shows one way to do this.

I'm not sure I understand completely the logic behind this wiring. Personally, I would just connect pin 6 to pin 3 directly and connect pin 5 to pin 3 using a 3.3k resistor so that it exactly matches one of the 4 possible states of an EV3 Large motor.

When you do this, the EV3 will detect your motor as an EV3 Large Motor. However, you shouldn't use the Large Motor blocks in the EV3 software. Since this hardware hack won't provide a position feedback signal, those blocks won't work correctly. Instead, use the Unregulated Motor block (one of the blue "advanced" blocks) to control the PWM duty cycle.

To get a PWM signal on pin 2, simply run the motor in reverse. It is not possible to get a PWM signal on both pin 1 and pin 2 at the same time using the official LEGO firmware.

For anyone looking for a software solution rather than a hardware solution, there are some similar questions that should be helpful:

Using the unregulated motor block and conversion cable to light LEDs
How to use Power Functions with Mindstorms EV3?


I'd double check that you've got all 16 links in the chain - if you're trying to squeeze it into a circle with less than that it won't fit. Also double check the placement of the pieces from sub-steps 7 and 8.

Finally, when forming the circle, try carefully working your way around from one end, moving completing each bracket before moving on to the next - possible starting with just one click each, and then going back and adding another as needed.


What piece is designed to hold the "drawer" piece?

The part you are looking for is 4532a - Container, Cupboard 2 x 3 x 2 - Solid Studs. There is also a 4532 version with hollow studs.


LEGO Master Builder Academy instructions

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


Where are the cloth / fabric minifigure capes / cloaks in my set?

I found them.

The capes were packaged in a small, unmarked, rectangular, white, cardboard box that was taped shut. Apparently, this little box came with the set, but someone else assumed it was filler trash and put it on our recycling queue.

Considering the capes are the only items out of stock besides the Cave Troll, it is possible others may be simply dismissing the box, and discarding it as filler.  This could explain why they are out of stock (or, as TheBrickBlogger's answer indicates, they are popular items like the Cave Troll).

After discovering the capes, I've cancelled my replacement order.  I provided feedback to LEGO recommending they make the container box more obvious.


The first assembly is from the #8087 LEGO Star Wars TIE Defender released in 2010.

The second assembly is not LEGO, but Mega Bloks (Mega Construx).


Alternative for Technic, Gear Rack 1 x 7 with Axle and Pin Holes?

If it's your own creation, you should be able to adapt your model to fit the rack you have. One tricky problem I can see is if your construction is built as most studless models are nowadays and features uneven dimensions - which means a 7 rack is indeed easier than a 8.

You can of course build something around the old 1x4 rack place but it might get awkward depending how you want your model to work. Something like this might already work fine:

Also, I wouldn't discount the worm screw, as it can work as a rack as well:

Of course, this is just an example; with this solution you have a lot of freedom as to what you will connect at the ends of the axle, as well as to the length of it. Again, depending on your model, you'll surely be able to find something that suits your needs.


Which programming environments or APIs are available for the LEGO BOOST?

Boost and the other Powered Up components (the new City trains, the app-controlled batmobile, and WeDo 2.0) are controlled via Bluetooth. Any environment that can send bluetooth commands can be used to control these components.

There is a github page which documents some of the reverse-engineering that has been done and it links to several third-party Boost/PoweredUp programming libraries. I've used movehub, but there is another node.js library called node-poweredup which looks more complete.

Lego themselves have documented part of the BLE wireless protocol on github as well.


Some of these Blues are not like the other Blues

It looks like these darker are the same bricks in Blue that have simply "yellowed" over time, which changes the shade of the color. Another answer explains the reason behind this process.


What kind of yellow is used for a typical minifigure?

I believe it is supposed to be 24 Bright Yellow, however I know there were some complaints a last year or so regarding the collectable Minifigures and others that were made in China not having the same hue as "regular" minifigures - and now that some of the licensed products are also being made there, this difference will become more common.

These figures are apparently not made from ABS but a cheaper plastic, which is what causes the difference in colour.


How do you repair yellowed or faded Lego blocks?

When I first got my kids some Lego I did it by bulk buying 25 kilo bags of used bricks off the Internet. Now these bricks had obviously been in outdoor sandpits, chewed by dogs, hidden under carpets - you name it.

We successfully restored almost all of them by by washing them in a bath full of a Milton solution, scrubbing each one with an old toothbrush and then leaving them to dry on a towel.

This cleared up some yellowing that we had thought was sun damage and fading, however there were some (especially some black pieces) that just looked off-grey and no scrubbing sorted them.

I would suggest trying this method, but if it is sun damage that is more than the outer surface I think you might not have any success.


My son did some extensive research on this subject, which yielded this beauty:

That’s a light bulb cover stuck into a Duplo stud. While it may look harmless, I found it impossible to get sufficient hold of the lightbulb before levering it out with a very thin screwdriver.


The full-base 1x1 round bricks were produced from 1955 until 1963, during the period when LEGO pieces were made from cellulose acetate (CA) plastic, but were sold until about 1966. According to Gary Istok's Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collector's Guide the solid-stud full-base 1x1 round brick was only ever made from CA plastic. After the supply of them ran out, a new design was adopted with the "tapered" bottom and made from ABS plastic. (Chapter 51, p. 3)

The reason for the change may have had something to do with the fact that the old full-bottom bricks did not grip very well. Also, the tapered-bottom bricks not only fit over a regular stud but fit in between top studs, making them more versatile than the older style.

The hole in the stud appeared about 1977 and was in response to product-safety regulations. Other cylindrical pieces like minifig heads were also given stud holes. This was because it was thought cylindrical pieces were more likely to completely plug a nostril or throat. The solid-stud minifig head has made a comeback recently, however, as these regulations have changed.


Going to Legoland Denmark with my family, what should I do/get?

Sorry to disappoint you sir.

But first of all LEGOLAND in Denmark is about 3 hour drive from Copenhagen, I am from Denmark and I would say that the Danish LEGOLAND is not that great, they do not have any really special stuff that you cannot get anywhere else, in fact when I was in Florida LEGOLAND I found that they had a lot more unique stuff then the Danish one.

They do have a website for the danish LEGOLAND http://www.legoland.dk/en/Explore/

The best things I like about the Danish LEGOLAND and the thing I would advise one to look at in there are:

Their models, they have made some beautiful models of different stuff in there only made out of LEGO.
Their workshop, they have a nice workshop where they show young children what you are able to do with LEGO Mindstorms and help them make some small programs.
See if you can be there while they have one of their events.

Good luck and have a nice vacation :)


Are LEGO elements safe to use in an aquarium with fish?

The main restaurant in the LEGOLAND park in Windsor has quite a lot of LEGO creations in fishtanks. In the same park, the Sealife attraction 'Atlantis Submarine Voyage' has 50 species of sharks, rays and tropical fish that happily coexist with the LEGO models.

Keep in mind that LEGO is safe from children saliva, which I'm willing to bet is more aggressive than fishtank water.


This should be this part Windscreen 8 x 6 x 2 Curved
which appeared only in one set wit those stickers: Separatist Shuttle 8036


This is :

Part # 4285b
Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) Webbed - Type 2 (underside attachment positions at 90 degrees)


Please help me identify this yellow part with four arms and an axle hole

That's a Technic Knob Wheel (32072):

https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=32072&in=S

It's not especially rare, but hopefully it will help you to narrow down your set identification search. Feel free to ask other questions if there's anything that we can do to help out.


The black piece is part of a steering mechanism, part of 377-2: Crane With Float Truck. Here it is on BrickLink.

Like Windfire says, the red part is a direction switcher. You can see the switch on the side of the battery car.


Does anyone know which set included a 2 piece moon?

Both the Countdown Corner and Mission Control sets included both a "Light and Sound" rocket and a multi-part "moon" in the form of the "Rock Arctic Globe":


How can I improve my rackless steering design?

Look at the instructions for set 42048 Race Cart. It has rack and pinion steering without using a rack. It basically uses the same 2-long beam as you use on the servo, but uses it to push two pins with towball end either left or right. You can find the instructions online at LEGO.com.


I have a series 14 Sasquatch (Square Foot) missing facial paint, is it normal?

No, it's not normal. It would usually look exactly like it is on the lego website. I suggest you call the lego customer service.


Multiple Powered Up trains on 1 Bluetooth controller?

Each train needs the following two components:

Hub
Train motor

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.


Conductive "App Brick" without human contact

If you are planing on physically touching the brick that will then touch the screen then you could use a trick similar to that used by capacitive gloves

There just needs to be a conductive medium between your finger and the screen so you could add a thin strip of copper tape or anything metallic to bridge the gap between your finger and the touch screen that is created by the insulation of the plastic brick.


Can you identify this handle-like LEGO piece?

Definitely on bricklink:
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=60849#T=C
However, not as a minifig weapon but a minifig utensil


What is the official term used for building MOC models?

By considering a "somehow usual amongst fans" instead of "official" position (see my comment),  I have heard some fans who simply "verbed" the acronym MOC, as in, "I MOC'ed for 3 hours straight yesterday". You could probably do the same with LEGO itself, but that would be frowned upon as LEGO is supposed to be used as an adjective and so on. (When I was a child, my father used "legoter" in French, which was quite clear as to what it meant. I guess you could be "legoing" in English as well).

I'm not saying I do think it's a very good idea, and I haven't even heard that much anyway; so I would tend to agree with Grandpappy and go for a simple "build" (maybe "build something" to imply it's not a set) or even "play" (or more precisely "play with LEGO" if your son happens to sometimes play with something else (I can't fathom why, though)).

So, in short, no real "official" saying, and not even an usual one - especially considering that fans amongst themselves always use LEGO anyway, which means "what did you build recently" is always understood.


What part is this grey keyhole shape and what set(s) is it from?

Bricklink lists it as "Stairs Spiral Step" (Part# 40243). It first appeared in 2001 in the initial series of Harry Potter licensed sets.


Which combination has a lower gear friction?

According to Sariel's gear tutorial in chapter 5, Efficiency:,

- the less gears, the better
 - the smaller gears, the better

Based on this principle the first setup looks the best, but you are right that the 8 tooth gear is the weakest of all and it has the most backlash too, if any of these are valid concerns for your build.

Note that gears can be strengthened by using them in parallel by putting some 24 tooth on one axle and the same number of 8 tooth on the other, mating them together all at once.

If you are concerned by backlash, you can experiment with springs, rubber bands or other ways to put a constant load on the system.


Please identify this broken LEGO Technic piece

Sure looks like one of these: Technic, Steering Gear with 4 Ball Joints, Complete Assembly with Black Base

It comes in a handful of sets


Does the LEGO company sell LEGO brick organization bins?

The LEGO company has indeed regularly issued storage solutions. They may be great for kids (the latest ones are brick-shaped), but let's face it, for serious fans they are mostly pointless. And expensive.

Depending on the size of your collection and your sorting method (which is another debate, but remember to sort by form first, not by color), you'll want to switch to do-it-yourself storage racks (the ones with lots of plastic drawers) or whatever you fancy. If using drawers, make sure they are translucid, or have a sticker with the image of the part on them. (LEGOland designers glue one specimen of the actual part).

Some people just buy translucid boxes, try to find some shop which sells them in bulk (like, by 100 pieces), ask a caterer where he finds his for example.

It will require some experimenting anyway, so don't buy too much of an expensive item before being sure it's right for you.


Mysterious Part ID help, clear blue disk with electronics inside

That's a LEGO Dimensions Toy Tag, used  to connect the physical toys to the now discontinued LEGO Dimensions game. See it here: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=18603c00a#T=C&C=15

Yours is the plain kind (no printing on top), which means it was not used for a minifig, but for one of the small builds in a LEGO Dimensions set. Here is a list of all the sets the part you have appeared in: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=18603c00a&in=S


Database of parts with alternate numbers

What you are asking here is to have all possible part numbers for similarly looking elements. However, while both elements could look to be the same for you they may have significantly different properties.
Both Bricklink and Rebrickable have alternative numbers for the same mould, which is the case with the element in first URL. However, last two items are different elements - one has Thin support and the other comes with Thick support - which is why they are separated. It may be negligible for you, but someone else may find such difference essential.
Another approach would be to lookup by name - searching for "Arm Mechanical, Exo-Force" results in finding both elements, no matter if it is thin or thick version. Looking up by main properties (mainly size) can give you other, alternative elements as well. A good example here would be "Brick 2 x 4" - there is a classic 2x4 brick as well as some modified ones, that would all work fine when building, say a wall. But classic brick may not work if model utilize special properties of that particular modified version of 2x4 brick.
If your issue is with building MOCs that you found on Rebricklable you can adjust your building options. You can apply this permanently across the website in your setting page: Account > Settings > Building Sets/MOCs > Ignore mold variations in parts.

Or you can apply this setting for particular Set/MOC: Build this MOC > Change Build Options > Ignore mold variations in parts


Ultrasonic sensor option missing in Wait block in Labview

Once you download the block from the Lego site, you can import it into the LabVIEW by using the Tools tab and then Block Import, but first you need to be in an open program.  LabVIEW will prompt you to browse your folders to find the downloaded file, and then select Import at the bottom of the window.  Finally, you will need to close LabVIEW and reopen it to begin using the block in all of your programs.


Do any of the KRE-O Transformers sets actually transform?

There's an almost 20 minute video about the kre-o Optimus Prime at youtube where pretty much everything is shown in detail - except the transformation itself. I'm really sure that if this was possible without disassembling and building it from scratch then it would be shown here, so the answer seems to be: no.


Decals for LEGO Pharaoh's Quest Flying Mummy

I don't have any, but there are at least 67 of them available on Bricklink: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=7307stk01

(and no, not all sets have stickers)


Brick-built alternative to "Door 2 x 5 x 5 Swivel, Bracket Base"

Why not use just two jumper plates (3794), one on the top and one on the bottom? No more additional are pieces required.

You can also replace the stack of 1x1 round bricks with a single Support 1 x 1 x 6 Solid Pillar (43888) piece. The piece is used in conjunction with a large swinging vault door in the Bank & Money Transfer (3661) set. The brick is stronger then a stack of 1x1 round bricks and the round part of the brick (at five bricks high) is tall enough for most minifigures.


Lego remote controlled cargo train not working

The best way to solve this type of problem is to break it down and isolate the fault.

You might find that it is easier to remove the Power Functions components from the model for some of the following:

Check all connections. Disconnect each cable and re-connect everything. Ensure that the plugs are the right way around (they don't sit right if not) and that they are pushed on properly.
Check that none of the cables are damaged.
Connect the battery box directly to the train motor, bypassing the IR receiver. Does the train work now? If so, the problem is either the remote or the receier. If not, the problem is either the battery box or the motor.

Remote / IR Reciever Problems

If the problem is with the controller / IR receiver:

Make sure that there is nothing blocking the signal between the controller and the IR receiver. Avoid bright sunlight.
Check that both controller and receiver are on the same channel. There is an orange 4-position switch on both the IR receiver and on the controller, and this determines the channel. Leaving one switch alone, try all 4 positions on the other.
Check that the batteries are inserted correctly in the remote. Take them out and put them back in again.
Check that the batteries are aren't worn out. Sometimes even new batteries don't deliver the correct voltage. If you have one, test your batteries with a volt meter. If not, try swapping them with new batteries, or test the batteries in something else to make sure they're OK.
Check that the battery terminals are not corroded. Sometimes corrosion isn't obvious. Try taking the batteries out and putting them back in again, or twisting them around until they may contact.
You may be able to check that the controller is sending a signal. Although you can't see the flashes of IR light yourself, you may find that you can use a digital camera (such as a mobile phone camera) to see the flashes of light when you use the controls on the controller.

These images are from the LEGO web site, which contains more information on both the controller and IR receiver:

Battery Box / Motor Problems

Check the batteries in the battery box, following steps 3-5 above. The little green light should come on when they're OK and the battery box is switched on (the green button is the on-off switch).

There is a great description of the battery box on the LEGO web site, which might help explain things better than I can. This picture is from that site:

If All Else Fails

Contact LEGO customer services. They'll be deligted to help.


How to sort complete sets from box of unsorted LEGO

First thing to do would be to get together any building instructions you have and attempt to build those sets one at a time noting any missing elements as you go.

Once this is complete and if you still have unsorted pieces, you could use a website such as Bricklink.com to try to identify the sets and then use Peeron.com to source the building instructions for that set.

To begin this process, try to select an odd looking piece that is uncommon in your collection. Use Bricklink to try to identify the piece and then click through to the catalog entry for that piece to see the list of sets that piece is included in. You can follow the links to get an inventory of the selected set and then see how many of the required pieces you have in the unsorted box.

This is not an exact science and will require a fair amount of trial-and-error, not to mention time, but these two websites are two of the best LEGO resources available for such a task.


There used to be 2x12 bricks a long, long time ago:

There are plenty of legacy parts that aren't included in LDD, and it looks like this is one of them.
This part dates all the way back to 1954. I don't think that they've been used in a set since then, and I don't think they were updated to use tubes on the underside or to not have slots in the end. I don't personally have any of these, but I'd also guess that they were never released made of ABS.
That's the answer to your question, but to help you solve your problem, it is often useful to use large Technic beams when building the framework of a large structure. These are long, sturdy, and can be pinned together to form very long beams. You could pin together 2 2x12 beams in order to get the brick that you're looking for. Technic beams come as large as 1x16, so you can create some really nice beams with these.


Placing a rock piece at a 45 degree angle

The easiest and least obstructive way would be to use a 65578 Bar, Angled with Stud on End in conjunction with an Apollo stud.


How do I find a set in a bunch of jumbled up pieces

Start by looking for some rarer pieces. Not regular 4x2 bricks, but maybe a slide or a odd-shaped wall piece. Under each brick will be a four or 5 digit number. Go to BrickSet.com and search for that number, hopefully it will find the piece you are looking at and list colours that piece is available in and the sets it comes in (e.g. http://brickset.com/parts/design-6187). From there you just look up and down the list until you see a set that contains the other pieces you have, or search for another part and see if there are sets from the first list that appear on the second list. The trick is to find a part that is sufficiently rare.


How can I remove fast glue (Cyanoacrylate) from LEGO bricks?

According to Wikipedia acetone can help soften cyanoacrylate, but it also dissolves ABS, so you might want to avoid that.

Another website advises for using soap and water, although it seems dubious to me whether it would make any difference, this method certainly won't damage your parts (unless they are electronic or have stickers), so you might as well give it a try.

Heating the CA can also soften it to ease removal, but beware that ABS is also susceptible to melting.

There are also commercial products designed to soften and remove CA glue from various surfaces, but you should always check whether they play nicely with the ABS or would they also soften your bricks.

As a last resort, however time consuming it might be, shaving the glue off using precision blades is a surefire way if you can work with such precision and have the required time. Using sandpaper and polishing after the process can save a bit of time though.


LEGO Mindstorms NXT - NXC compiler for OS X

It is possible to use XCode. You need to download the NXC compiler (the linked page says NBC, but it included NXC as well). Then, write a Makefile that calls the NXC compiler.

If the compiler does not work on Yosemite, the source code is available from that link as well.

A detailed tutorial on using XCode with NXC can be found here.


Good manufacturer/market for clear (transparent) bricks and plates in bulk?

Clear 2x4 bricks might seem to be expensive because LEGO doesn't produce them currently (they stopped making them in 2006). However, a quick search on Bricklink sees them listed as cheap as $0.02 per brick, used, which is not expensive at all. Just make sure you look for the correct brick design - you want to look at 3001old.


You could use this Serving Tray

Minifigure, Utensil Serving Tray, Rectangle


Could not open serial port or USB device, RCX on Linux

Just as an aside you can also do the following:

sudo ln -s /dev/usb/legousbtower1 /dev/usb/legousbtower0

That worked for me, and my challenge now is that there is no firmware :-)


Please help with set identification from the picture of this part made car


What is this 2x4 brick with a clear bottom, a small hole at each end and a 6 brick high pole?

It looks like it's 799c800:

This part was used to implement a simple "hand of god" steering system on a bunch of sets in the 70s.


How can I have EV3 Commander App continue running the motor when I release the slider?

The commander app is very limited in it's capabilities. Unfortunately it is not possible to control your own program with the commander app.

I have tried all of the built-in EV3 Commander control pads to see if any of them were suitable. The closest thing I could find to a solution would be to use the 'EV3RSTORM' control pad.

The 'Go', 'Back', 'Left' and 'Right' buttons keep all the motors turned on permanently unless you press stop of change directions. Unfortunately you won't be able to change the variable speed of the motors but you could change the fixed speed with gears.


Top left:

Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator 7961-1

Top Right:

ARC-170 Starfighter 8088-1

Bottom Left:

Sith Nightspeeder 7957-1

Bottom Right:

One of 3 Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze sets. I think it's Ice Blade 4743-1, if that's the same sticker I see on the side.

Bottom Center:

No direct matches, but appears to be a sticker from a Hyena Droid Bomber 8016-1 on the wrong color of piece.


PF: One battery block, one IR receiver, two motors on same port

You can attach (stack) more than one motor on the same connector (red or blue) of PF IR Receiver to control them at the same time. This is exactly what is being done in 9398 set, for example (although it uses V2 of PF IR Receiver). They will be spinning in the same direction with a push of a single button. If you need to reverse the rotation of one of the motors Pole Reverser comes to the rescue.

At this point of time there is no option with Powered Up to control both ports on the same receiver with a single button. Each port accepts just one motor, so you cannot make both motors attached to same receiver spin at the click of a single button - you need another receiver (on the same channel as the first one) for second motor to be controlled simultaneously.

Edit. Stacking motors on the same PF port/connector doesn't provide unlimited power and has its limit. Usually, couple of motors doesn't cause overheating protection to kick in, unless they are strained.


Help identifying black slope piece with printed knobs, dials, and gauges

Just got off the phone with LEGO. The official answer to this missing piece is as follows:
Design ID#: 80405
Element ID#: 4251812
The official name, according to LEGO, is:
Roof Tile 2x2/45deg, Control Panel
This information was confirmed by set number 10151 and a photo of the piece(same photo posted here).
While I cannot say you will find this piece with the above information, I can say with certainty that it comes directly from LEGO themselves.
Hope this helps others and thank you for the assistance.


While I can't speak of the handling of these parts, the possibility of receiving official replacement parts from TLG is surely zero. That leaves us only the second-hand market, which fortunately offers genuine LEGO replacement pieces, sometimes even in brand new condition. Note though, that even though the brittleness problem might stem from lots of play or improper storage (for example being stored assembled), if it is a property of the material being used for these parts, then other pieces made the same time of the same material will exhibit the same problems.


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.


LEGO Safety: Known risks and how to avoid them?

The most obvious risk is swallowing parts, even though at that age it's probably less likely to happen. Magnets are the most dangerous, but LEGO has done a good job of hiding them recently.

Projectiles are also a risk, whether they are intended as such or not. Actual LEGO lauching machanisms (zamor spheres launchers, for example) can be quite dangerous and there's always an icon in the instructions to warn children of that risk.

Electrical parts can be hazardous, in particular if liquids are close. Although LEGO does a good job of protecting its parts (I've heard PF motors run wel even underwater), be particularly careful of mains adapters.

Spinning parts. It's fun, until you pinch you finger between two fast-spinning gears. Why do you think the saw blade first introduced with exo-force doesn't have a cross axle hole?

Pointy parts. LEGO tries to make them as soft as possible nowadays, or rubbery when possible.

And then there's the possible frustration of not being able to make the exact same creation that you have in mind.


According to BrickLink, only set 10692 Creative Bricks has all of:

Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye Closed with Eyelashes Pattern
Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye with Pupil Pattern
White Fence 1 x 4 x 1

Do those eyes look right?


Is (C) engraved on a piece an indication that it is Cobi brick?

The symbol stamped on the parts you are asking about is the international copyright symbol © and is common on nearly anything with a copyright and not indicative of any particular brand or producer. A decent description of the use and purpose of the symbol can be found at http://www.copyrightlaws.com/international/522/

The tops of Cobi bricks have "Cobi" stamped on them. They also have a limited range of non-brick/plate parts available and have not duplicated many of the Technic parts, including the part in your image (at the time that I am writing anyway).

LEGO produces many parts in many different kinds of plastic and so while a part might not have the same feel as a standard 2x4 brick it doesn't mean that it isn't a LEGO part. The Bionicle/Hero Factory series of sets in particular use a lot of parts molded in plastic that is much less stiff than the ABS used for the System bricks. You were very close in your identification of the part in your own answer as "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector 3 x 3 with Axle" (Though the correct BrickLink part number is 111b, not 113b), however the actual part is instead "Technic, Pin Connector 3 x 3 with Axle" since they appear to be sloped on the ends rather than being a standard width for the entire part. The official LEGO name for the part is "32175 FOOT WITH CROSSAXLE" (Found in LDD v4.3, Brick Version 1182).


Stained glass windows on The Throneroom of Cedrica

I see that this popped up on HNQ, so I wanted to expand on shoover's excellent answer with a build showing one way that this could be put together for folks that may not be as familiar with LEGO elements as the Bricks community.

As was already pointed out, the key element here is the 2x2 turntable base without a turntable attached:

Here's how you might pair those elements with transparent 1x1 and 1x2 elements to build a stained glass window:

We leave a couple of 1x2 plates overhanging the back to provide attachment points.

Here it is from the front. Notice that we also add a couple of 1x1 plates on the front side to make the connection points flush with the rest of the window:

Now we can build a frame to trim this out and create a nice looking window:

We can then attach our window using the attachment points that we left for ourselves in the back side of the Erling bricks:

Note that I'm not trying to replicate the exact techniques used by the original designer, but this does show one way to get a similar look. I've added the parts list on Rebrickable if you want to see exactly what I used and build this yourself.


I would suggest another solution. On the 9396 helicopter the blades can only rotate in one direction, because when a backwards rotation is input, a gear in the transmission line is lifted away from its neighbor automatically. In the instructions it's here (the yellow L-beam lifts up):

Where the gear is lifted away, place another gear for it to interact with there, which would be the transmission for your backwards drive.


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

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

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

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


How do I determine which set number from a poly bag

This bag is from 60150-1: Pizza Van

Based on:

6015347: Plate 3X3 in Medium Stone Grey
4618986: Plate 2X6 in New Dark Red
And the yellow parts

According the instructions bag two is for the van


Have you updated the firmware? That may be a problem but it also may be that there is an error connecting using Bluetooth. “Destination host was down” means that the coding platform could not connect to the NXT.


Programming to get data from EV3 sensor and send it to a server?

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


Given the size of the set (indicated by the fact that there are at least 8 bags), the occurrence of the Item 2584c003 - winch with reel and the Item 41539 - 8x8 light bluish gray plates in package "7", it looks like you have parts of set 60004 Fire Station in your hands, specifically one of the upper floors of the building, together with parts of the emergency pole.

Package "8" is also part of set 60004 Fire Station, specifically parts of one the two main garages next to the office tower part of the Fire Station, the roof of the garage and some of the sidewalk.


How to instruct EV3 to go a certain place in the room?

I would use the IR Beacon that's shipped with the Home Edition of the LEGO Mindstorms Education EV3.

The Beacon is integrated within the IR remote control (the big horizontal button at the top). The LEGO Education programming language (EV3-G) has a block to get the distance and angle from the IR beacon. So it is possible to search for a beacon and move your robot into the specific direction.

If I remember correctly you can use four different channels with a IR remote control. So it should be possible to use four different IR Beacons simultaneously.

I think that's the easiest solution you can achieve with not so much effort.


How long does official Lego monorail track last?

Try to keep the track in mint condition. For example, don't expose it to extreme heat or cold. Keep it away from any pets or children who don't know better. Looking at some pictures, it seems that the vehicle on the monorail runs on a gear. Try interchanging gears every so often so that the gears don't wear and the teeth don't get bent or break.


Where can I get the rest of the bags for the Helms Deep set?

I don't know of anywhere that sells bags of parts for sets, but you could try BrickLink - you might be able to pick up a second incomplete set for a bargain - or more realistically, you can "Part Out" every component piece to a wishlist, remove those that you do have, and then look to buy the missing parts. It sounds daunting, but you can sort according to which sellers have the most parts from your wishlist, and hopefully get the bulk of them in one hit.

Your mileage may vary on prices. Like anything, rarity and availability dictates asking prices. Common blocks should only cost a few cents each, but anything unique to this set is likely to be hard to find and/or expensive.


If you’re using regular bricks and plates, there is really no sure way to tightly lock them together. The only way to ensure secure assembly is to use special or Technic pieces.

If you use special bricks with “knobs” separating each row or layer with two rows or layers of plates, you can then use plates across the knobs.

A more secure assembly would be to use Technic bricks with connector pegs, separate each row with two rows of plates and use Technic beams across the connector pegs.

If you have a wall structure that is two units thick you can also use bearing elements which are 2×2 bricks with snaps.


How to disassemble this Technic combination?

Simply use the longest technic shaft you have, and use it to push the #7 shaft out just enough to where you can finish pulling it out with your fingers. Then pull out the long shaft.


Is it possible to display large text on an NXT using LabVIEW?

I am not used to LabVIEW... but RIC image files, supported by NXT firmware, can also be used by LabView I guess. So nxtRICEdit may help. See also RICfont utility, more information (though targetted NXC/NXT-G, should be useful) here.


Not without hacking the firmware, which would be against FLL rules.

One solution I have seen many teams use it to only write one program. This program has it's own menu (that you have to make yourself as part of the program) that calls subprograms (presumably saved as My Blocks).


What are the largest Technic-compatible tires on the market?

The largest wheels I know are these (I measured 110x63 mm, including tyres), but they are quite rare (only available in one single set):

Weels: 22969 "Wheel Technic Racing"
Tyres: 32298 "Tyre Power Puller"

The wheels itself are not that big, but if you include the tyres, they are really huge:

They would probably work really well for an RC car.


Is there a free ImageSet of the Minifigure Series?

I don't think that such a set exist. The most complete database are the ones indicated by Guilherme Branco Stracini, BrickLink and BrickSet, but both of them tell in their footer that the content is copyrighter so I am not sure that, especially if you intend to sell your app, any of them will allow you to use their content.

On the other hand, BrickLink provides you with an API that offers a Get-Item-Image so I believe they would allow reusage in some case. You might contact them to get more information, as the API requires a key, they will send one to you or not depending on the expeceted usage.

Last thing and I have never read any clear inforamtion about that, is that Lego and the designers of the company own copyright on the design of the minifigs and that even if the photograph releases a picture under CC license, there are still right that belong to the Lego group so you might not be able to do what you want with these pictures.


Are there more LEGO minifigures than humans?

To get the official info, I have asked LEGO about this topic:

  Dear LEGO, in 2003 you have reported that there are (were) 4.000.000.000 LEGO minifigures produced by that time.
  I was wondering if there are more recent numbers available, especially since the popularity of the collectible minifigures, which could indicate an increase in the production rate.

  Could you please provide some official information? Even estimates would be welcome.

  Thank you!

And received the following reply:

  Thanks for getting in touch with us.

  Thank you for your interest in LEGO® Trivia, that is an interesting question.

  You are certainly right that the number should have increased drasticly since then but I can't give you any new numbers. I am sorry but you will have to wait till our marketing department decides it is time to release more fun facts like this.

So in the absence of official numbers, we can only guess.


I have a LEGO minifigure and I'm trying to determine the value of it

At the moment (12/09/2018) there are a few other people offering that figure for sale on BrickLink, varying from £110 to £230 (actual asking prices are in various currencies listed on the results page).

More importantly however, is the Price Guide page - from there you can see that one figure apparently was bought this month for about £72, however in July one was purchased for around £108, while another was purchased for about £83.

From that, you could probably get a sale at around £100, but it might take a while to sell.


Can a v1 PF reciever power an XL motor and servo?

I just tried connecting an XL motor and a servo motor to a v1 receiver and yes, it works just fine. ( I knew it would anyhow :) )

The only thing that might be a problem is that some V2 receivers are not labelled 'V2' but are unlabelled like V1 receivers are. But I'm sure that I have still done this before V2 receivers even came out and it worked.

If you want the motors to be independent you must put them on separate channels of the receiver and have both the receiver channel selector and the remote control channel selectors to the correct channels in which the motors are connector.

V2 has slightly more IR range over v1 however I have heard that v1 has a higher output to the motors.

If you want the motors synchronized for whatever reason then you can put them on the same channel of the receiver.


How to make Spik3r move without the pincers moving

Don't use the Move Tank or Move Steer blocks. Use the Large Motor block for controlling a single motor instead.


Which set did this Technic assembly come from?

According to BrickLink there are only 4 sets with the arched element in it in Dark Bluish Gray.
From those only 8435 Technic 4WD seems to fit:


The provided tubes all have the correct length. If you start cutting tubes than you run into problems later on.

I have build this set multiple times an never run into problems. Make sure all tubes are routed correctly and by the shortest distance sometimes its needed to route a tube underneath another.

When you start building, what helps is sorting the different tubes by length and check if you have them all.


Trouble finding plastic storage bins for MOCs built on 48x48 stud (gray) baseplates - Ideas?

The two solutions I've seen are to measure the size you want and visit places that sell a variety of storage bins so you can find one the right size. In Australia we have a variety of bins about the size of a milk crate or beer crate (about 12" by 9", from back in the day when those units were relevant). The modern plastic equivalents with solid walls and floor will hold a 48 square baseplate quite well, and are designed to stack.

A search for plastic storage container canada suggests that there are chain stores in Canada that sell things like this.

The other solution is to make (or have made) some wooden boxes. A woodworker will be able to cut 6mm or 9mm plywood up and make whatever size box you want and reinforce them a little so they can be stacked. Then you buy chunks of foam and cut them to suit your models. Or just make "bricks" in a range of sizes to pack around random models. The advantage of this is that you get boxes exactly the right size for your models. Using cut to shape foam rather than foam peanuts means that any small parts that fall off are easier to find.

When putting multiple models in one container I prefer to put each in a plastic bag, again so that any parts that come off are easy to find and are associated with a specific model. Opening a big box with several models in it and finding a layer of small parts in the bottom is disheartening not to mention tedious to fix.


Cheap Lego sets for Kindergarten classroom?

If there is no need for the bricks to belong to specific sets (as in, it's not important to be able to build some official models from them) then I'd say the best way is to look for ebay bulk brick sales. For around 100$ you can get several pounds or around a thousand semi-random pieces. Try searching for "lego pieces".


Selling custom LEGO image mosaics using original LEGO bricks without breaking LEGO's Fair-Use Policy

First of all, if you are serious about this business, go to an IP lawyer who can take this up for you and give you a much more confident answer than the bunch of us LEGO fans can :)

LEGO's Fair Use Policy is located here.

Secondly, you might want to read the perspective in this thread on Bricksetforum. Lots of interesting points of view, and, decent information about what you should be able to show, and what LEGO's claimed and likely actual trademark rights are.

Finally, did you talk with that IP lawyer yet as per my first point? hint hint


How do the train wheels turn so smoothly?

Physicist Richard Feynman explains how train wheels work on this Youtube video. It's not necessary to coat the wheels, applying a generous amount of coating may decrease, traction which will effect the trains performance.


Lego Set ID for white curved pieces with blue Police stickers?

The parts with "Polizei" are from the 7741 Police Helicopter set.

Other parts are from the 7286 Prisoner Transport set (parts with "Police" and "03").

The license plate is from the Fire Truck of the 7206 Fire Helicopter set.


Based on the different shades of gray and the odd placement of the ball joint, I believe this is not a Lego set. Its more likely that it is something your son made out of his imagination and other Lego pieces.