Disassembly and Pin Distribution

[Andy D]

My latest Technic project.

Most times a Technic project is the assembly of a new set, or a new MOC or new MOD.

This week it was the disassembly of Five (5) sets. They were the 42008, 42037, 42039B, 42050A and 42050B, to this I added the already disassembled 42042.

Why did I disassemble all these sets? Well, I just do not have room to keep every set I own on display, some have to be disassembled to go into inventory or to go back into their box to be assembled again later. Some sets I buy knowing that they are as parts packs, because they have some interesting parts or look like they may be fun to assemble once to see what I can learn.

In these sets there are approximately 5600 parts of which many are pins. I weighed and counted the assorted pins and I cam up with over 1800 pins from six (6) sets (the 5 disassembled this week added to the 42042 previously disassembled). Wow! one in every three (1/3) of the parts in most sets are pins. Well, we need pins, don’t we?

The largest category of pins at over 760 are (you guessed it) the ever present 2l black pin. Next at about 400 is the 3l blue pin. Other miscellaneous pins make up the remainder of the 1800 pins.

What does 6 sets disassembled, pre-sorted into bins look like? I’m glad you asked, I just happen to have some photos…

DIsassembly by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

DIsassembly by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

DIsassembly by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

DIsassembly by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

DIsassembly by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

If you notice, there are two (2) gearboxes not disassembled. They are from the 42008 and the 42042. I want to study these gearboxes to learn what I can learn from them about distribution gearboxes.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed,

Andy D

[TheMindGarage]

Interesting stats. I knew that there were a lot of pins, but I never thought the proportion was quite that high. I guess they are one of the most important parts - they are like bolts and screws (in a world where glue, epoxy and welding don't exist).

[Immo]

Interesting stats. I knew that there were a lot of pins, but I never thought the proportion was quite that high. I guess they are one of the most important parts - they are like bolts and screws (in a world where glue, epoxy and welding don't exist).

That's when Rebrickable account comes in handy. Once you submit all the sets you have, it'll give you a nice overview. For example, I have 1013 black pins w/ friction and 507 long blue pins w/ friction. Overall, I have 2304 pins which makes about 1/4 of my whole parts pool

[Victor Imaginator]

Wow, rebricable stats) 4300 pins out of 12500 total parts. It's really 1/3, if various ninjago and creator sets doesn't count. And i feel some envy about these two 42050 sets)

[DrJB]

Try to look up a thread I started a while back, called 'nails & glue'. I came up with a similar conclusion that, if you add all pins, and bushings, the number is sometimes higher than 1/3 rd.

[offroadcreations]

Right now, I am building with 5,232 parts from 9 sets. I have 1854 pins, but even more interesting is that I have 99 panels, and those panels are only in 5 of those 9 sets. Lego is using panels more and more...

[Andy D]

The pins are easy to sort! I have them already sorted. But... all those other parts, the beams, lift arms, panels, gears, axels and panels. Lots of sorting to even begin storing. Then when I want to build something, I have to reverse the process... Pull parts.

LEGO really is a hobby almost more about sorting than building sometimes.

Andy D

[Josephiah]

It's funny going back to some of the studded sets - just disassembled my space shuttle and built the submarine: in a 1368 piece set, a mere 45 are 2L black pins, and only 8 3L. (Unusual even in that era, I think - the previous 2 years' flagships, the control centre II and the supercar, both had many more.)

[Andy D]

I just thought of something odd. On my build desk is about 5600 parts. In the first photo, in the background is the 42009 and the 42043 which contain a total of about 5400 parts. The 42009 is going to be disassembled, then back in the box and I am going to build the 42043 B model, the it is going into inventory.

Andy D

[dr_spock]

Pins are a key component of studless building. I had a storage case compartment filled to the brim with black 2L pins. A couple of MOCs later and I am dangerously low. One can never have too many pins.

[SevenStuds]

That is a lot of pins. Back in the studded days there was not such a need for them. The other day I was checking parts and rebuilding the pneumatic excavator from 1992 (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=8837-1) and I was surprised that it only had 27 friction pins. That's just over 10% of total parts.

[Immo]

Pins are a key component of studless building. I had a storage case compartment filled to the brim with black 2L pins. A couple of MOCs later and I am dangerously low. One can never have too many pins.

It's the confidence that you have so many, perhaps? it happens in my case, while building C-Models: "Hey, I have so many of them", I keep saying to myself, "I shall use three instead of two, the model will be more robust". And then, BAM!, no pins for finishing touches and I need to dig to get those "robusting" pins out

[Andy D]

Pins are a key component of studless building. I had a storage case compartment filled to the brim with black 2L pins. A couple of MOCs later and I am dangerously low. One can never have too many pins.

it seems that we all have different problems with our pins... While dr_spock is running dangerously low, mine just seem to keep multiplying. It seems like I turn of the lights and when i look again there are more (maybe my pins got together with some rabbits)

Anyway, since dr_spock posted his photo of dangerously low pins, here is mine of well...

Pins by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr

The Plano container on the right is my working storage and the Sterelite container on the left is my extra storage, but it is getting full too.

I did a weighing and some calculations and i believe there are close to 5800 assorted pins here.

Andy D

Edited June 28, 2016 by Andy D

[stumpypete]

Right now, I am building with 5,232 parts from 9 sets. I have 1854 pins, but even more interesting is that I have 99 panels, and those panels are only in 5 of those 9 sets. Lego is using panels more and more...

because you get a lot of coverage for not much weight

[Andy D]

Seems this thread suddenly took a turn to mostly pins, but there were other parts involved...

Beams, axels, gears and smaller connecting pieces. Well I got all those put away yesterday, and started disassembly of my 42043 AROCS. Hopefully later in the week I will be able to start assemble of the B model.

Andy D

Edited June 29, 2016 by Andy D