3 856/951 bulldozer questions

[jonwil]

I recently acquired the last piece I needed to put together the 856/951 bulldozer (getting all those 4xn and 6xn yellow plates was hard) and I have 2 questions:

1.Are there any instructions or other info on how to build the bulldozer (as opposed to the front end loader seen in the instructions)

2.What size rubber bands should be used for this set (I have so many different sizes its hard to tell)

and 3.I just built the front end loader and I have noticed that when I use the turn wheels at the back to move the main gear rack (and raise the bucket), the bucket will not stay up (it keeps falling back down). Is this supposed to happen (i.e. its just a function of the fact that the bucket is heavy and gravity pulls it down) or did I build the model wrong?

[Mortymore]

1.Are there any instructions or other info on how to build the bulldozer (as opposed to the front end loader seen in the instructions)

I believe that you don't have to do much more than just not assemble the bucket, and work with those remaining parts in order to place the 2 plates 4x12 side by side, were the bucket was to be placed.

2.What size rubber bands should be used for this set (I have so many different sizes its hard to tell)

If you go to peeron to look for the 856, you'll get the parts list and you could see the rubber band, part x88, and get an idea of it's size.

3.I just built the front end loader and I have noticed that when I use the turn wheels at the back to move the main gear rack (and raise the bucket), the bucket will not stay up (it keeps falling back down). Is this supposed to happen (i.e. its just a function of the fact that the bucket is heavy and gravity pulls it down) or did I build the model wrong?

That's just the way you describe it. It happens the same to me, now that I replaced the old chewed gear rack for new ones. With the old gear racks that I have, with some teeth marks on them, the bucket wouldn't fell so easily because the little bumps on the racks caused some friction.

So now you know a way to improve your bulldozer 856 performance. Give those racks a bite, and wile you have your teeth on the job, do the same on the tiles placed below the racks, those slippery bastards

Regards

[jonwil]

I attempted to build the bulldozer from the one available picture but the angle is wrong to see how all the attachment beams fit together :(

[simonwillems]

I attempted to build the bulldozer from the one available picture but the angle is wrong to see how all the attachment beams fit together :(

And that is where Peeron comes in handy, it has most instructions and you will find the ones for the bulldozer here.

Good luck!

[jonwil]

Except that the instructions dont show how you build the bulldozer seen on the front page, only the front end loader.

[simonwillems]

Except that the instructions dont show how you build the bulldozer seen on the front page, only the front end loader.

It seems your right! That's odd...

It looks like the same parts that are used in the shovel can be used to create the front end part of the bulldozer, but that is a comment someone else made already....

[Mortymore]

I took some time to try to build the cover version of the Bulldozer 856, and to take some pictures of him.

To do that, start deassembling the bucket, and then it goes something like this:

Next, are the extra parts from the bucket that weren't needed.

More on BS when moderated: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=406653

Regards

PS: Maybe this isn't exactly what LEGO intended, but it seems to work.

Edited October 23, 2009 by Mortymore

[jonwil]

WOW, thanks, looks good.

In any case at least now I have some personal justification for buying the parts (the bulldozer links from the TIE crawler plus all the yellow plates etc from BL and other sources) having built the front end loader and the bucket conveyor.