[TC19] - 8880 C-Model - Frame Completed

[BusterHaus]

I was blessed enough to receive a 8880 set for Christmas.  Instead of jumping into the A and B models, I decided to build a C-Model motorcycle for the TC19 contest.

There isn't much progress yet - The rear arm is somewhat done, the gearbox is a lightly modified version of the one from the A model, the engine will be an flat 8 cylinder beast.  I worked out a rough angle for mounting it along with the gearbox, although the placement of the shifter in relation to the rider makes me laugh quite a bit.

I have an idea as to how to protect the rider from being impaled, and there's a lot of other details to work out.  I am loving the studded build, it brings me back to my youth, but it also makes me realize how lucky we are to have all the Technic parts that were released since this set.

Here's a picture of the progress so far:

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by BusterHaus

[trekman]

Oohh, a nice bit of yellowing there.  That says to me that this was built once.  Somewhere on this forum there is some guidance about dealing with the yellowing if you want to go down that route.  However it is really good to see an "old school" build.  My mind goes back to the motor bike 857, which I was able to rebuild just from the photo back then.  The positive being that the flat tyre profile will allow the machine to stand without needing a prop stand, and you should have plenty of room, as it will be a build.

[grum64]

I really like this idea. I’m looking forward to watching this progress.

[2GodBDGlory]

Looks interesting! A few weeks ago I built a messy copy of 8880 with my small studfull collection, and it is a great set!

[Bluehose]

It's a good idea to combine the contest with c-model challenge ! Especially to who don't have a big bank of pieces !

[steph77]

original approch'

i'll look forwards at your build.

[DrJB]

Now you got all of us waiting for your progress ...

One question though, what software package are you using? It's not LDD nor Stud.io .... is it LDraw? I have not used it in a while and do not recall such interface.

Edited December 31, 2020 by DrJB

[BusterHaus]

On 12/28/2020 at 11:15 AM, trekman said:

Somewhere on this forum there is some guidance about dealing with the yellowing if you want to go down that route. 

Yes, the model I received has some discolorations.  I've seen the thread on restoring colors in the past, but I'm still concerned about the long-term integrity of the plastic after such procedures.  Part of the charm of such an old set is having these imperfections. By the way the parts are in excellent physical condition, one or two thin liftarms (the blue triangular ones) have a crack, but the half bushes are still whole.  Previous owners took care of this baby.

32 minutes ago, DrJB said:

One question though, what software package are you using? It's not LDD nor Stud.io .... is it LDraw?

I use LDCad.  From what I've seen Stud.io may be surpassing it now with its built-in rendering, but I don't feel like learning a new software these days.  I also wasn't a fan of the original license that Stud.io had, back when it was online-only. 

Ok, now some progress:

The engine has a much more horizontal orientation than my first digital mockup (seen below).  This makes the bike look more proportional, as it was getting too tall, too long, and the wheels looked like they belonged on a scooter.

However, the physical build is not the one I'll be keeping.  The front fork lacks a connection point because there is no frame there, so I'll be redoing the whole frame from scratch.  I'm also not a fan of the driveline from the rear wheel, it could be a lot stronger.

The last concern is the connection of the engine to the gearbox.  On the digital build the green shaft was the output, and it was very close to the bevel gear that starts the driveline to the the rear wheel.  In the new build, the output is located much higher.  I thought there would be some place to put a couple of z14 gears or u-joints to connect the gearbox to the driveline, but there is simply not enough space.

The good news is that it's possible to use these wheels to build a model that looks proportional.  I'm hoping to build the new frame in the next few days.

[Rudivdk]

This is really cool! I haven't built studfull in ages, it almost seems alien to me now, but you're sure rockin' it. Nice touch with the gearbox as well, it doesn't look out of place there. Indeed the current setup seems more balanced aesthetically. Looking forward for more

[steph77]

Oh my bad,

Makes me travel through time ! And this machine with it's unprobable, but really cool, gearstick's position helps into travelling in time.

By the way, I love the concept!

...And you'll be able to tell us all if lego studfull building is just like biking, once learned, never forgotten...

S.

[Dazzzy]

This is really interesting. It's real cool seeing those classic technic beams put to use. It has a real charm to it, and i'm looking forward to seeing the finished result.  

[BusterHaus]

On 12/31/2020 at 2:53 AM, steph77 said:

..And you'll be able to tell us all if lego studfull building is just like biking, once learned, never forgotten...

I'm not sure about anyone else's experience, but I'm definitely remembering and using building techniques that I used 30 years ago with studded bricks. They were not forgotten, and came back easily once I picked up the bricks. 

The drawback is not having many studless parts in this set. Some items would definitely be easier to build without studs. 

Now for the update:

I scrapped the whole frame and started from scratch. The new one is a keeper - all the functions work, now I can focus on the bodywork. Here's a short video: