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Posted

I'm in the process of designing a couple of things, but I'm going to build them in colours I don't have a lot of pieces of (or the ones I do have are on display models.

I haven't built my own technic creations in over ten years so it's a bit of an uphill battle as I learn how things are done these days.

I used to simply start putting pieces together and adapt as I went, but now I'm faced with the need of acquiring many parts I do not have, or have not designed with previously. This will make it difficult to determine what I really need.

Should I be teaching myself how to use some of the design software, or start bulk buying sets that contain useful parts?

I try to limit my Lego budget to under $2000 a year (Canadian) but that includes new sets, so I'm trying to get the best bang for my buck. If I can keep this first moc under $1000 I'll be happy.

So do you guys design first, then buy parts individually on bricklink, or do you bulk buy on sets that you can recycle?

Posted (edited)

Use software for designing too. For example LDD. And for starters, I would suggest buying sets instead of parts. Building sets teach you some techniques and some limitation of the system, and sets usually come with well balanced parts inventories.

By the way, 1000 Canadian dollars is almost the 2/3 of the cost of my entire parts collection, and my collection is enough to develop two models at a time (in this case you only have to buy the specific parts).

Edited by Lipko
Posted (edited)

I have a decent collection already, I've bought almost every set worth over $50 for the last three years, plus several flagships going back a decade or more. I've been collecting all the flagship sets going back to 2001.

My big hurdle right now is that I know I am missing quite a bit of what I need out of my spare parts to build what I want. I need a lot of orange so I'm trying to figure out what I'll need.

I have about 50000 pieces currently. I love buying sets, but I'm always tempted to display them which leads me to my current problem. I need specific pieces but I don't know exactly which ones yet.

I guess LDD will be a my first bet, as I already have five sets on the way

Edited by Geekphysique
Posted (edited)

I suggested garage sales, but now after your second post, I see that bulk acquisition is not necessary. The issue you're facing is you're in possession of so many unusable parts. The best would be simply start taking all the orange ones apart and then buy the rest on BL after building a full inventory on Rebrickable. You can always rebuild the sets in the future.

Edited by SevenStuds
Posted

I've tried that but there are some extreme Lego collectors in my area that snap those deals up in seconds after they go live. My best luck so far has been bricklink!

So far I've found the best deals by ordering from the Netherlands. American dealers charge way more, and there are limited numbers of Canadian sellers that have the volume I want so it's not the great.

Amazon has terrible pricing in Canada so I don't even bother. eBay is often risky too with so much fake stuff floating around.

Up until recently I wasn't buying small sets either as the limited piece counts didn't interest me. I'm starting to realize I missed a lot of parts in other colours that only seem to come with the smaller sets though.

I'll probably buy every set I can find with orange in it so I can bolster the reserve parts. Already have two of he arctic trucks coming, maybe another unimog, plus all the large sets from 2016

Posted

I really suggest you to look up the full orange inventory first. I can tell you it's very limited if you want to build studless.

Posted

I have. The panel selection is good, it should be enough for what I need. The model will be black skinned in orange.

I didn't choose orange expecting it to be easy :)

Posted

I have about 500000 pieces currently. I love buying sets, but I'm always tempted to display them which leads me to my current problem. I need specific pieces but I don't know exactly which ones yet.

500.000?! Or did you mean 50.000?

I think it pretty much depends on what you want to build.

Posted (edited)

500.000?! Or did you mean 50.000?

I think it pretty much depends on what you want to build.

50.000

I've been collecting for a long time. Not all technic.

I don't want to reveal what I'm designing currently as there are two possible directions. I expect probably 1800-2400 pieces

Edit: I can't math.

Edited by Geekphysique
Posted

If you have 500.000 pieces, I find it hard to believe you have a problem determining which parts you need to acquire and how to acquire them.

Posted

It's late and I added a zero. Twice. 50.000 pieces is accurate.

Much of what I have is pre-stud less which I am trying to upgrade. There are so many different connectors now that I have limited numbers of, and so many useful pieces that have come out in the last ten years that I simply don't have.

I wasn't collecting Lego for ten years (back when 9 volt was new I stopped) I'm playing catch up now.

Out of my entire Lego collection only about 26.000 pieces are technic, and much is old

Posted

It's late and I added a zero. Twice. 50.000 pieces is accurate.

Much of what I have is pre-stud less which I am trying to upgrade. There are so many different connectors now that I have limited numbers of, and so many useful pieces that have come out in the last ten years that I simply don't have.

I wasn't collecting Lego for ten years (back when 9 volt was new I stopped) I'm playing catch up now.

Out of my entire Lego collection only about 26.000 pieces are technic, and much is old

Ahhhh that makes more sense :laugh:

Working with LDD is a good way to design a model and find out what you will be needing. Buying a couple of sets like the one you want to design (car or truck for example) might even be a better way (like Lipko said). That way you will acquire most of the necessary parts to get you started.

Posted

Buying and building new sets is a good way to acquire knowledge of new parts and techniques. And like I said; if you want to build a car, buy the 42039 and possibly another car. If you want to build a truck, buy one or two trucks. That will help you out.

Posted

Jim, I don't think it's impossible - if Geekphysique was buying sets just to display them, and as he mentioned not all are technic, than it just might be so. There are people, that follow instructions without thinking what how and why.

Posted

Ahhhh that makes more sense :laugh:

Working with LDD is a good way to design a model and find out what you will be needing. Buying a couple of sets like the one you want to design (car or truck for example) might even be a better way (like Lipko said). That way you will acquire most of the necessary parts to get you started.

I'm not building something typical, nor am I trying to build a copy of something that exists, so no such set exists, but I see your point. The last several weeks I have been studying Mocs for mechanisms that I can replicate or modify to fit my idea.

I started this thing 14 years ago, but Lego didn't have stud less or linear actuators, mini turn tables, etc so I benched the idea. This forum put the idea in my head, so I'm trying again.

I'll give LDD a try, but I'm getting married in a month so my wife might kill me if I ignore her completely to "play" ;)

Jim, I don't think it's impossible - if Geekphysique was buying sets just to display them, and as he mentioned not all are technic, than it just might be so. There are people, that follow instructions without thinking what how and why.

I do buy to display often. I'm a collector at heart, but I do build my own too. I'm just really out of practice. Not even in the same realm as you guys.

I'd like to be, but I'm somewhat behind the times. That's why I've been buying all the big complicated sets. I love agonizing over the gearboxes and suspensions to see what they did to make them work.

Posted

I'm not building something typical, nor am I trying to build a copy of something that exists, so no such set exists, but I see your point. The last several weeks I have been studying Mocs for mechanisms that I can replicate or modify to fit my idea.

I started this thing 14 years ago, but Lego didn't have stud less or linear actuators, mini turn tables, etc so I benched the idea. This forum put the idea in my head, so I'm trying again.

You had my curiousity, now you have my attention.

Posted

You had my curiousity, now you have my attention.

I may not do a Work in progress thread until I get an LDD file finished, but I'll post it here. I like how refreshingly blunt this forum is. I like the constructive criticism you guys give.

Posted

I am not sure I see the difference between designing with LDD or with parts. With LDD I miss the tactile experience of handling pieces and if something doesn't work out in LDD you tear it apart (electronically) and re-assemble with pieces you tear apart and re-assemble. I also learn more with physical pieces compared to LDD as I can more easily examine how pieces fit together.

The one advantage to LDD (I see) is if you do not have all the parts you need, or if you would like to use some special part (you also don't have) or if you want yo use a specific color (again, parts you do not have). If it is just color you are lacking, you can always assemble with any color, find out how many of what you need, order and re-assemble with the proper color.

As for assembling sets to learn, this is my primary learning process, then only if I really, really, really like the set will I leave it assembled for a couple of months. If I need the parts sooner, well, I disassemble. LEGO sets are just supplies to me, even my MOCs don't stay assembled too long, but I usually assemble each new set once, only if I buy multiples will a set go from box to parts without being assembled, but I would rather assemble the B model from a fresh set.

I'm still a novice with LEGO and especially Technic, but this is my process.

Merry Christmas,

Andy D

Posted

I also understood half a million! :) Looking at the set inventory, I'd only focus on Bricklink now for orange technic parts. I'm one of those people who doesn't leave any set built as I couldn't bare having all those valuable MOC parts locked up in the sets. As far as making digital models first, I have the same opinion as Andy. Making the models digitally would remove the tactile and technical experience of seeing whether the frame is strong enough, if the gears work smoothly, if the motors handle the job, and if suspension works for the load, etc. If it's just to know your inventory up front, then why not do your MOCs in any random mixed colours, and then create the inventory to replace the colours with the ones you want.

Posted

It was late when I posted and I was not thinking clearly. I wish I had a half a million!

I have considered dismantling my entire collection of display models to build moc's but that is sacrificing one of my interests for another. I love displaying the collection, even at the sacrifice of usable parts. I have no problems buying more parts as my "spares" to build moc's from however.

I agree that the tactile experience of building with my hands is preferred, but I was hoping to avoid taking apart the display sets. I have been building my lego room up to display models with other toys etc that my wife and I collect as that is part of the fun for us.

oNbimDG.jpg

Posted

My collection is around 80000 parts, almost half of it are Star Wars models on display. So a bit over 40000 parts mostly Technic, perhaps 35000 studless, none on show, so everything available. I had Technic models on display but it was not feasible for me if I wanted to build anything beyond sets for display.

When I was at around 25K studless I felt constrained by my color choices lack of some interesting parts. and techniques out of my reach due to the lack of studded parts for example. So I focused and currently I am at 50/50 budget for new sets/bricklink and I chose sets carefully taking into account color and inventory. I avoid blue and green models, the different shades available in those colors makes those sets hard to be cost effective choices. Having just a few hundred parts of one color may make it useless as you will continually find that for your needs you lack some specific part in that color.

Until recently I had yellow, red, black and grays, only when Lego made lots of models with white and orange I took the chance to get enough parts (sets/bricklink) in those colors to be useful. For example 42042 Crawler Crane isn't useful to me at this time due to my absolute lack of blue. So by now I have focused on 42025 Cargo Plane 42038 Arctic Truck and the new 42052 Heavy Lift Helicopter to expand my white/orange collection, but at some point I will grab 2 or 3 copies of 42042 and complement it with some bricklink orders, I am waiting to see 2016 2H models colors to add this color to my stock .

Building physical can't be completely replaced by Digital -some things look great in digital but fail miserably in bricks- but it helps a lot for planing, and for choosing colors is great, you can check inventories in bricklink, color the parts that are really available and get an idea of what you need.

I hate color vomit.

Posted (edited)

Building physical can't be completely replaced by Digital -some things look great in digital but fail miserably in bricks- but it helps a lot for planing, and for choosing colors is great, you can check inventories in bricklink, color the parts that are really available and get an idea of what you need.

I hate color vomit.

I had not thought about the failure to be build able. I've not had that experience, because I don't use LDD that much, lately I just don't use it unless I get an LDD from someone else to look at.

Color vomit has become less of an issue for me for two reasons...

1. Either the MOC doesn't stay together long enough to become objectionable.

2. I order proper colored parts to replace out of color parts.

I like to build, display is secondary, so color in a box doesn't matter.

Merry Christmas,

Andy D

Edited by Andy D
Posted

I love displaying the collection, even at the sacrifice of usable parts. I have no problems buying more parts as my "spares" to build moc's from however.

And what a cool display! I remember the photo from the "show us your work space" thread. I can see why you rather buy spare parts instead.

Just don't be tempted to buy sets for spares, because you know where they will end up. :tongue:

Posted

Building physical can't be completely replaced by Digital -some things look great in digital but fail miserably in bricks- but it helps a lot for planing, and for choosing colors is great, you can check inventories in bricklink, color the parts that are really available and get an idea of what you need.

Agreed. In addition, you want to consider weight, which digital building can't help you with. Especially if you are building something in the 1800 to 2000 range. Based on your statement about actuators, etc. I assume that you'll be focusing alot on function . Where weight becomes even more important.

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