General Part Discussion

[2GodBDGlory]

11 hours ago, Auroralampinen said:

If you have dreamed to have this unique piece. The new cada alpine one F1 set has got you covered:). 

Not a part I was dreaming of, but I can imagine it being pretty useful! That particular situation feels like one that doesn't have many good existing solutions

[gyenesvi]

Also, I just skimmed through the build video and saw the extensive use of ball joint connections to achieve angled placement of panels, which is a nice trick to achieve smooth paneling. I think the use of ball joints in Lego sets is underrated, could be useful for many more things (such as angled tubular structures), there should be more parts available for that as well.

[Divitis]

2 hours ago, gyenesvi said:

Interesting viewpoint, but I think it only holds true as long as you don't need to build very compact / dense things.

For small builds, something like the C shaped 3x2 beam/frame with holes in different directions from a few years back is a useful and inherently flexible part (which nobody saw coming).

Conversely, this s-shaped beam does not truly open new possibilities, rather simplifies what can already be achieved with two 3x3 thin liftarms and some tinkering with the adjacent structures.

Edited February 24 by Divitis
Grammar

[gyenesvi]

1 hour ago, Divitis said:

For small builds, something like the C shaped 3x2 beam/frame with holes in different directions from a few years back is a useful and inherently flexible part (which nobody saw coming).

Agree that it is useful, though I find it most useful for two reasons:

1. A 3L flip-flop beam does not exist, and in some cases it can be used as essentially such part (with some extra pinholes)
2. Since it is 3x2 with parallel pinholes, it can connect two parallel beams that are 1 or 2 studs apart in a stable way. But that has not much to do with the fact that it is C shaped.

I rarely find utility to it's C shape that could not have been built before from other parts, though of course those situations also occur when it's a great match. But clearly, any new part can be useful in some situation when exactly that part is required. So it's all a matter of priorities. I often think that if the selection of more regular parts was more systematic, then the utility of these irregular ones would be less.

1 hour ago, Divitis said:

some tinkering with the adjacent structures.

That's the problem here. That's what makes things bulky, which is often unaffordable. On top of that, in this example, when you connect the two 3x3 L shapes, then some of its important connection points will already be consumed by that connection, blocking the actual connection possibilities that you wanted to make in the first place, or making things even more bulky. For example if you need to connect two parallel beams that are two studs apart, then that connection made of 3x3 L shapes displaces one of them, and can also be in the way for the actual beams.

In general, my problem is that there are simple / basic constructions that cannot be achieved in simple ways with lego parts, and the lack of S beams (or even L beams in various small sizes) is a good example of that. For example, often I'd be in need of offsetting a beam in one direction, but not in another. That's pretty hard to do in a stable and space efficient way, even though anyone new to technic parts (with some structural understanding) would think that that should be easy to do.

[Takanuinuva]

Not sure how useful it is technic wise. But the new Winne the Pooh Buildable figure has a new Technic Ball Joint brick


Despite what the pic shows. It has a technic hole in the brick part. So it's a huge gamechanger for large action figure hands.

[Johnny1360]

Hope this is an okay place to ask, didn't really want to create a whole new topic. Which gear is better, least likely to skip under load, the bevel gears or spur gears? 

[Stereo]

1 hour ago, Johnny1360 said:

Hope this is an okay place to ask, didn't really want to create a whole new topic. Which gear is better, least likely to skip under load, the bevel gears or spur gears? 

Mostly no real difference when used as spur gears, but the thin bevels are probably a bit worse as bevels.  Larger also better, I've pretty much only had 8 and 12 teeth gears skipping as long as the engagement's ok.  With less ideal loose engagement, spur gears might work better, but it's going to be still quite easy to skip.

Edited March 2 by Stereo

[Aurorasaurus]

1 hour ago, Johnny1360 said:

Hope this is an okay place to ask, didn't really want to create a whole new topic. Which gear is better, least likely to skip under load, the bevel gears or spur gears? 

The non bevel gears actually have slightly larger diameter which would technically mean less likely to skip.

[R0Sch]

9 hours ago, Johnny1360 said:

Hope this is an okay place to ask, didn't really want to create a whole new topic. Which gear is better, least likely to skip under load, the bevel gears or spur gears? 

Spur gears. The teeth have larger contact pattern. You just need to pay attention to the age of the gears. Newer gears are made of a softer plastic mix.

[Cardboy]

12 hours ago, Johnny1360 said:

Hope this is an okay place to ask, didn't really want to create a whole new topic. Which gear is better, least likely to skip under load, the bevel gears or spur gears? 

Worm gears are the least slippy but very slow and knob gears are great but at the same ratio, so good for getting from the motor to the source of operation without loosing force. Knob gears keep the axel at fixed degrees so also very good for alignment then you only need to set the last gear.

Also if your having skipping you may want to reduce the mechanical load by reducing the ratio or using larger gears at the same ratio. z8 gears are notorious for skipping and breaking as they are so small. Make sure you have adequate bracing to stop the gears separating, which increases slipping. Place gears right after the brick/beam to stop the axle bending.

 

I think the new yellow differential gears can take a lot of force but you will need to lock the differential which then becomes very bulky 

Edited March 3 by Cardboy

[aeh5040]

1 hour ago, Cardboy said:

Worm gears are the least slippy but very slow and knob gears are great but at the same ratio, so good for getting from the motor to the source of operation without loosing force. Knob gears keep the axel at fixed degrees so also very good for alignment then you only need to set the last gear.

In my experience (from shows, etc.) knob gears are actually terrible for high torque applications (contrary to what I expected). They degrade very quickly, then develop very high friction, and finally start flaking off pieces. After a few experiences like this I decided never to use them again.

[Johnny1360]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses, lot of good to know stuff. Looks like I will be replacing all the gears in my latest build, hopefully with spur gears and proper bracing (extremely important) and the tips provided, I can eliminate the skipping that is plaguing my crawler.

I foolishly used the crown gears simply because they were all black. 

[aeh5040]

In case people haven't seen, these beauties are now available at last 

[Auroralampinen]

Ok, thanks for duckbricks showing this betterly. The new smart brick system has a brand new Technic element. The usefullness is really questionable outside of the smart brick system. But hey, you might be now able to build a massive rowboat from technic parts using this piece as the paddle:). 

 

[SNIPE]

So my PAB order came yesterday morning which included black 12T single bevel gears but also these Pin 2L frictionless with hard snap

Here is an example showing how they might be more useful compared to the other pin types:

This would be a substitution for the 5x11 frame but in Dark Bluish Gray, however the axles can still be pulled out easily but the pins are very hard to pull out (but still possible and come out cleanly)

These axle pins sadly only come as a wheel tire and axle-pin assembly, and they cost like £4 each so I only have 4. Here is that assembly:

Since they are light blue it can also be useful for to only use these as a color coding system, for example in a complex technic model light blue could be for say, the ride height adjustment, regular blue could (for example) be for the drivetrain, black for the body work, Light bluish gray for the winch, tan for the steering, pearl dark gray for the diff locks  if we use all 3 types of 2L axle pins.

I hope lego gives us these but as a 2L and/or  3L pin rather than a 2L axle pin, for if we need extra strength but don't have room to do bracing

Edited March 7 by SNIPE

[2GodBDGlory]

Huh, that's pretty interesting! That seems strange that they felt a need for such a specialized pin, and I can't think of many places where I'd want to use one, but it's always good to know about options for such fundamental parts!

[Auroralampinen]

The new Lego jurassic park jeep has new red rims and small sprocket wheels in red. Great for agricultural machinery builders:). 

Edited Friday at 03:21 PM by Auroralampinen

[R0Sch]

They keep putting Arocs wheels in Icons sets instead of making a proper Technic set again. 

[Ngoc Nguyen]

That tire is not 62.4 x 20 is it? It looks thicker. I think it's 68.7 (42160 tire) but for the rim 86652.

[1gor]

7 minutes ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

That tire is not 62.4 x 20 is it? It looks thicker. I think it's 68.7 (42160 tire) but for the rim 86652.

Wheel is this one in red...

[R0Sch]

2 hours ago, Ngoc Nguyen said:

That tire is not 62.4 x 20 is it? It looks thicker. I think it's 68.7 (42160 tire) but for the rim 86652.

No, the tires are 62.4 x 20. You can clearly see it in duckbricks short from FMD.

Edited Saturday at 07:43 AM by R0Sch

[SNIPE]

Not sure if this belongs in its own thread or not but...

What's the easiest way for me to get x5 of part 80542

I ordered 6 from Pick a brick and clicked 'update cart' then came back and my cart was empty (this has happened before and LEGO refuse to fix it)

So I re-add a huge PAB order again, which took ages, then after I paid it said everything in my cart was out of stock and is on backorder, so my order will be delayed.

Then it arrived and I noticed they only send me one tire and not 6, so I emailed lego and got no reply for over  a week. then they tell me:

But they are still out of stock on PAB. and now they recon they don't have the mental capacity to send me 5 TIRES! and think they can pimp me over £10 of VIP points that I can't even spend on what I need.

I still am phoning LEGO daily but I don't know if they are going to bother getting a backbone like when they USED to be a great company.

So my question is what would the next easiest and cheapest way to get x5 of these tires online?

I was trying to modify a model that @efferman designed but now idk if I should even bother. I also won;t be giving TLG any money for a while unless they do right by me

[howitzer]

3 hours ago, SNIPE said:

Not sure if this belongs in its own thread or not but...

What's the easiest way for me to get x5 of part 80542

I ordered 6 from Pick a brick and clicked 'update cart' then came back and my cart was empty (this has happened before and LEGO refuse to fix it)

So I re-add a huge PAB order again, which took ages, then after I paid it said everything in my cart was out of stock and is on backorder, so my order will be delayed.

Then it arrived and I noticed they only send me one tire and not 6, so I emailed lego and got no reply for over  a week. then they tell me:

But they are still out of stock on PAB. and now they recon they don't have the mental capacity to send me 5 TIRES! and think they can pimp me over £10 of VIP points that I can't even spend on what I need.

I still am phoning LEGO daily but I don't know if they are going to bother getting a backbone like when they USED to be a great company.

So my question is what would the next easiest and cheapest way to get x5 of these tires online?

I was trying to modify a model that @efferman designed but now idk if I should even bother. I also won;t be giving TLG any money for a while unless they do right by me

Numerous stores in Bricklink have those with prices starting around 0,60€/piece so that seems like an obvious way forward.

[R0Sch]

 @SNIPE That part was on the EOL list for PaB parts and on clearance sale 50% off, so they won't restock that part ever. BL is your only hope. I too missed out on some Technic EOL parts that were 50% off in December, but the resellers quickly gulped up all the stock and now BL is full of them. Win-Win for TLG because they get money twice.

[R0Sch]

Here's a better look at the new Technic part used in combination with those new gear rack plates we saw in the Education sets:


https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015117963-0003
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015117963-0002
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015117963-0001

9M Technic Wheel from Education:
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015110889-0001

The 2x2 cylindrical Technic brick and the worm gear frame used in the Artemis SLS have also been patented.
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015119489-0007
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/designs/015119489-0004

That new 1x2 Technic brick with ball joint actually looks like this: