Too many axles, bushes, and pins?

[Erik Leppen]

One can definitely have too many Technic pins. I never use up mine, so yeah, if I had 1/3 as many pins as what I have now I'd have no shortage. And it takes up space I could better use for something else.

So yeah...too many pins and axles. Together they form about 1/2 of the contents of Technic sets (example, Set 8110, 2039 parts of which 985 pins and axles (source). I consider that a bad thing. For me it's a deterrent to buying sets.

[SNIPE]

no , you can always get more other parts to use with them, or donate them to me lol

[Jetro]

I keep my parts sorted by type, and indeed I have overflowing bins with pins and short axles. In the end I keep several (zip) bags with those parts in a storage bin in the attic and hardly ever need to bring it out.

[Blakbird]

I ran out of blue 3L pins when I was building my Super Cub. Most of the blue 3L pins had been used on some other projects, so I had to dig out my "old-school" Technic bin for some black 3L pins to use in inconspicuous places. I was running out of light bley 16t gears too.

I've run out of pins on many occasions because I never take anything apart. At one point I had a bag of 5000 friction pins I thought I would never use up, but I did. According to ReBrickable, I have 17000 friction pins and that doesn't even count all the MOCs!

[dhc6twinotter]

I've run out of pins on many occasions because I never take anything apart. At one point I had a bag of 5000 friction pins I thought I would never use up, but I did. According to ReBrickable, I have 17000 friction pins and that doesn't even count all the MOCs!

That's a lot of pins! You have nearly as many pins as my entire Technic collection.

[Phoxtane]

I need to catch up, I only have 651 2L friction pins according to Rebrickable.

[Phantom59]

And I thought had problems ... I wish I had that much

all my technic is sorted in too colour, gears, axles and what ever in clear 500 mil or 1L microwave contaminator(Cheaper than Tupperware or Dacore)

the rest (Star Wars, Classic Space and some old City Kits) is in sealed bag's in kit form with some lose for the kids to play with

Edited July 4, 2012 by Phantom59

[Matt The Tuba Guy]

I think I have more than 100ice cream containers with different parts in each, plus a couple of boxes for wheels.

the ice cream containers are approx. 16cm square and 8cm high with rounded edges.

I am currently in the process of making custom dividers to fit in LEGO boxes to sort all my axles and 'other' pins. I originally used the 8419 box, but I think just my 3 long axles would fill that now!

some of my storage inventory:

-A box (9395)for all my PF stuff

-3 large boxes (unimog is one of them) for all my wheels!

-four containers completely full with my 2 and 3 long pins, two for the 2 longs, and 1 each for the black and blue 3 longs.

-1 container for each of the other pins (all except blue axle pins will go into divided boxes eventually)

-3 full of 15 long beams, and that's before sorting my latest additions!

-3 for the 3x5 L shaped beams,

-1 for each different connector (most anyway),

-2 for most standard beams, 1 grey/black, and 1 colour (mostly yellow/red)

-only 6 half full for ALL my bricks!

-8 mostly full for the panels

-1 full container of engine parts.

-1 container for each axle size (to be put into divided box eventually)

-1 container for each type of gear (most anyway, and also to be put into boxes)

all the containers fit into a filing cabinet, which 8146 boxes fit into perfectly, which is why I am using them for my axles.

the wheels stay separate due to a lack of space.

I will post a few pictures once I get my camera back from my sister, who is currently in Rarotonga (I am in NZ)

[Phoxtane]

One thing to note: the smaller official sets appear to use many smaller axles to make connections between beams. You could try building many small MOCs to use up some of those parts.

[Erik Leppen]

It's funny, but I thought that too when looking at 9390 and 8065. It's probably because small models use more half-width beams, which have many axle holes, whil larger models use full-width beams, which have mainly pin holes.

[dandexter]

Wow some of you guys have a lot of part just sitting around. I don't keep many parts spare/not built - around 3,000 ish (collection in total is around 90,000).

[pluto7443]

And my parents think my collection is too big at 13,000ish.

[NXT45]

And my parents think my collection is too big at 13,000ish.

Wow same here! I also have about 13,000 parts! All sorted :)

[aminnich]

OMG, look at all the pieces!!!! I wish!!

[afol1969]

I don't know the amount of my technic parts - but it takes a half wall ca. 2x2 m only boxes, most of them are completely filled. And a whole shoe bag only pins (without bushes) an another bag only axles. And tons of wheels! I wonder what I'll do with all the wheels, I only use some of them.

My sorting method: The more I get parts of same type, I can use bigger boxes where I don't need to sort sort them by color, because at one point it's easy to find the necessary needed parts. Only rare parts I sort in separate small zip bags(like gears in other colors etc)

It's rare that I run out of parts, because after some time I disassemble the set to build something new. I simply don't have the place to stock sets/Moc's. But nevertheless; I have regulary to buy new parts to build a new moc, you have never the all the parts you really need. So it's true: You never have too much parts

Greetings

Alex

[Omikron]

The resurrection is strong in you guys.

[nerdsforprez]

Wow... the OP has quite the collection. I have not read all the responses but from what I have read people are missing the boat. This is not a chance for everyone to say how close the OP's collection to their own (thus bedazzling us, the readers of their own collection) but provide a response to his query. I for one, to take a different approach, think that yes... you can have too much axles, etc. The OP mentioned that the collection has sat for years with no use. And by what I read... he/she does not think that they will have any time in the future for building. If there is no possibility to ever use the stuff, then I think it is time to consider selling it. Bricklink ? Lots of liftarms there..... worth some dough. If the OP thinks that one day time for building may come around, then keep everything. Real simple.

[OG_technic]

Wow! How long have you guys been doing this for? I only have about 2700 parts ( 1 set + a few I ordered off of bricklink).

[aeh5040]

I used to think I would never run out of pins, but recently I actually ran out of three types, almost simultaneously: 2L friction pins, 3L friction pins, and 2L axle pins. Interesting that all three ran out at essentially the same time.

Before that I thought I would never run out of BLACK 3L pins (a far better color in my opinion). I wish I had acquired more of them back when they were cheap...

[Blakbird]

I used to think I had too many axles and pins. I had more than 5000 black friction pins alone sitting in a bag. However, I have now used all of them up and actually had to buy pins for the first time ever. Painful.

So to summarize, no, it is not possible to have too many axles, bushes, and pins. It is only possible to have too few models.

[nicjasno]

And too little storage space.

[Josephiah]

You'll just have to build some parts sorters:

LEGO Axle Sorter AS-L40A:

[Blakbird]

You'll just have to build some parts sorters:

I would LOVE to build that. If only there were instructions. Of course, it is slow and therefore less efficient than doing it by hand, but I don't care.

[GI_Jack]

I don't think you can have too many axles/pins... Once you start building you go through hundreds of them, and need to buy even more.