Technic Black Parts

[DrJB]

There seems to be quite a divide between black parts haters/lovers ... I for one find them very difficult to work with, especially when being sorted. Yet, some people just love them for chassis components and the 'mystique' look ....

Of course, we can always extend to the 'neutral/boring' grey/bley.

What's you take?

[dr_spock]

Technic specific black parts or black parts in general?

[D3K]

One thing I've learned, is that black parts are truly black in two cases: Low quality photos and building instructions made with LDraw. For this reason, I try to make things less black, especially if I plan to make instructions for it. The main problem there is to differentiate between black pins and axles, and beams.

It is pretty annoying to spend a long time looking for the placement of a pin, when the chassis could just as well have been another colour, and you would have seen it immediately

All that being said, for some models you simply can't beat black when it comes to the overall look (Recent case in point: the blackified 9396 helicopter)

[Alasdair Ryan]

Yes lego do make black parts and yellow,red,blue,green,white to name a few...I don't get the point of this discussion at all.

I wish more members would post more mocs rather than these kinds of topics....

I don't know about you but when ever I build any thing I try and match the colors of the real life counterpart,although all most all my mocs have a light brush gray chassis.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Alasdair Ryan

[aol000xw]

Black looks nice but in practice makes for poor pictures and instructions.

Yes lego do make black parts and yellow,red,blue,green,white to name a few...I don't get the point of this discussion at all.

I wish more members would post more mocs rather than these kinds of topics....

Quite rude and not constructuve at all. It does not add anything to the thread no matter how much you dislike it, this was uncalled.

[DrJB]

Technic specific black parts or black parts in general?

Technic only ... please.

[Vee]

The problem with anything black is that ... it is the same color as the shadows it creates, that is why pictures look usually bad, it is difficult to discern things, you can't see easily textures, etc. but it is a great color, I mean, lack of.

[DrJB]

...I don't get the point of this discussion at all.

I wish more members would post more mocs rather than these kinds of topics....

'Sorry', my intention was not to get unanimous 'like me on facebook' type of answers. Some people are adamant about black (flex axles on 8450 are an example). I second aol000xw's position. You do NOT have to read/answer all posts/threads. If it does not interest you, move on. I only answer threads that are relevant to my interests and ignore others .

Edited December 17, 2013 by DrJB

[dr_spock]

Technic only ... please.

You probably should put Technic in your thread subject so it doesn't get moved.

I have a lot of black technic bricks. They seem fine for GBCs. They're hard to photograph with my point and shoot camera when the light is not all that good. I guess it is good if you don't want your MOC design to be reverse engineered.

GBC Modules by dr_spock_888, on Flickr

Edited December 17, 2013 by dr_spock

[Sebeus I]

I don't have much choice as I have a lot of different parts in black which I don't have in other colors.

Either way I don't like black as a main color, I prefer to only use black where you can't see it (when looking at a finished creation).

As for taking pictures of MOCs using black is a disaster.

I guess it is good if you don't want your MOC design to be reverse engineered.

I hadn't thought about it that way, interesting .

Edited December 17, 2013 by Sebeus I

[Meatman]

The black 19L flex axle is probably the most sought after part in technic. As soon as one hits bricklink it is gone within seconds. Someone had 4 of them for $8 each a few days ago and I just missed them.

[Milan]

I like black because of variety of parts. Chassis look very good in black!

[JGW3000]

Like any color, need to use black effectively. I'll be posting a MOD I did in (nearly) all black, once I get my photography set-up back up and running. Some MOC/MOD work only in other colors.

[Hrafn]

I would do every chassis entirely in black if I had the parts to do so. Otherwise black can be good for highlights sometimes. Madoca's SUV is one of the very few all-black MOCs I've seen that I thought looked really good, for the reasons others have already mentioned.

[WaysofSorting]

I work in dim light. Bad for my eyes, I know - but even worse when working with black. Mostly I sort by color, but with black I always add another color [Edit - to the bins. I add the second color to my black sorting bins] (looking around me, yellow is what I've been using with these bricks currently) to help me see what's going on in there.

As for the creations themselves - I usually go "almost all black" or Hardly any black (leaning lately toward the latter) - When I try to mix it up in any amount within 20 - 80% black, it looks weird and is generally hard to reconcile visually. Black ends up just looking like a void to me...

Today I was working on a darkred/black mech walker thing. (It's terrible, but never mind that) For a long time I was just stuck - until I got rid of the black and made it mostly all dark red. Much better and I was able to speed along with the building after that.

Edited December 17, 2013 by WaysofSorting

[Lipko]

I'm forced to build bigger stuff in black, due to my big stack of black parts, and some parts only available (affordable) in black.

It is a big problem with my current car, the DTM car, because it's hard to see the details of the chassis. It would be tons more awesome it light or dark grey, or multi coloured, but steering links and panels (whick make up a majority of the chassis) are hard to find in different colors than black.

[Lakop]

All colours have their place in technic and indeed the world but I would like to see more blue included in technic sets. I have a good mix of colours now, black, grey, red and yellow (note to me: need more yellow) but am lacking the same parts in blue.

That new skip truck has blue parts?

I am corrected, it is the container truck. It has a good combination of colours I particularly like the blue panels. I might buy one.

H

Edited December 17, 2013 by Horace T

[Junpei]

Black parts are not my favorite. They just look more boring than even light bley, and are much harder to photograph, and as Lipko said, you can't see details very well.

And about topics like this- while I agree that Alasdair's comment might have not been constructive, there are a bit too many topics like these lately...

[DrJB]

The black 19L flex axle is probably the most sought after part in technic. As soon as one hits bricklink it is gone within seconds. Someone had 4 of them for $8 each a few days ago and I just missed them.

Why not build 'that' MOC car in Red or even yellow, where 19L flex are abundant ... ?

Edited December 17, 2013 by DrJB

[Blakbird]

Black looks great on a chassis, but so does gray.

One thing I've learned, is that black parts are truly black in two cases: Low quality photos and building instructions made with LDraw.

Black looks nice but in practice makes for poor pictures and instructions.

The nice thing about using LDraw is that you have complete control over the instructions. For example, you can go into LDconfig and change the definition of black to make it easier to see. Even better, you can change the outline color for black to white or gray. This makes instructions very easy to read. I use a light gray for all my black outlines, and I distinguish rubber color by using a black outline. You can see the difference between the two in a picture like this:

[Technyk32231]

I find them good because they are so common. I do think though that this topic would be more appropriate in the general discussion.

[DrJB]

While I agree that Alasdair's comment might have not been constructive, there are a bit too many topics like these lately...

Sure there are ... However, these topics are NOT taking away from other/more interesting topics. Maybe it's the holidays and the free time, where many of us sit and talk/type about our favorite hobby. Sorry, can't please everyone

... you can change the outline color for black to white or gray. This makes instructions very easy to read. ...

Good point. A while back if I recall, even Lego instructions had black parts with a white outline ... not lately though.

Edited December 17, 2013 by DrJB

[trekman]

If you want your pins to be less noticeable, then there are two main colours which will hide them. Black or blue. I like my black for that purpose, and it is the colour which I have the most of. But you do need other colours to define the black, look at 8868, 8485, 8880 for example.

[750ACE]

More mocs please.

[Paul B Technic]

I don't have a huge parts collection so I have to use what I have and in most cases this means using more black pieces then what I would normally like to. For areas like the chassis I think they can work well.