Has your build speed got better?

[Richard Dower]

i remember my very first technic build, it was 9395....i remember being stunned at the amount of parts!

i emptied the bags into the empty box and being shell shocked at how many parts there were and wondering how the hell i was going to put this thing together!

no joke, it took me 24 hours to build that set, constantly looking at the instructions, measuring the axles and beams, checking pin placement etc.

now over 2 years later i find myself building sets at lightning pace!...i can take a quick glance at the building step and can find the axle or beam no problem without checking anything, i know the parts now...i know what a 1x11 beam looks like, the position of the holes, the length of axle etc.

in many ways it seems i now build TOO fast!, the build buzz does not last as long :-(

in some ways i like to revert to those innocent days, how about you guys?

[Duky]

Same thing for me. i always think, i built the mocs tooo fast. But it's the experience and the curiosity to finish it.

Sometimes you make a mistake and then i think i should exercise patience.

[Freekysch]

Well to be honest I am faster than I was, but I tend no to hurry when building a Technic set. I never start builing a set if I have something else thant needs to be done asap.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Freekysch

[andrewganschow]

I've started rebuilding 42043, took me a week to rebuild the front steering and engine assembly, it'll probably take a month to finish the rest. My first technic set was 42009. I made the mistake of dumping the parts into a storage box that was BLACK!. Biggest mistake ever. I almost never found all the pins.

[pyro690]

I'm not sure if its better, but I do build faster than I did 25 years ago when I got my first Technic set. Even in the last 2 years I have gotten quicker.

[Victor Imaginator]

Faster is better for me. I can build more complex and more large model, spending less time. And my time become more valuable each year for me.

[Andy D]

I build at a slow (and steady?) pace. I try to examine each sub-assembly to try to learn techniques for MOCs. Building is what I enjoy about LEGO, in fact, when a set to MOC is complete I am somewhat let down as it is done. I get a "now what feeling". I prefer sets in the 1000 to 1500 piece range, but a larger set in the 2000 to 3000 pieces occasionally.

The build is the thing!

Merry Christmas,

Andy D

Edited December 21, 2015 by Andy D

[dr_spock]

I can build faster now than when I first started. Unless there is a deadline like a daily MOC for a daily photo or training for a speed build contest, it is not necessary to build as fast as you can. Some times it is good to slow down and smell the flowers as the saying goes.

[grum64]

The speed at which I build has definitely gotten quicker. My first build was the 8258 and that, building almost every day, took around 20 weeks. By comparison, my last big build was the Jurgens Ultimate 42009 with Christophe Moitees extended boom and that was completed in around 33 building days.

I didn't set out to build quicker. Any improvement is down to finding better ways of doing things and preparation. I look through the instructions the night before a build day and try to work out the best way of doing each of the next day's stages, fore warned is fore armed & all that.

Also, I think a growth in confidence with each build I do has helped but I guess that's the same for the majority of us.

[Imanol BB]

That happened to my too, like 6 years ago i got the 8264, it wasnt very big, but i was used to build mostly studed sets (city and creator), i saw that technic was a whole new level of engineering, and it was really hard to build it, i spent more than 3 days trying to build it, i made some mistakes and i needed to start over, but i finally built it like 5 days later, then i said "lets see if i can rebuild it faster", and i rebuilt it in just 1 day; and the same happened when i got the 8110, 2 years ago, i got impressed for the amount of pieces, the new parts, the shock absorbers, those big wheels, and i wanted to build it in just 1 day, so, i started, i had spent 8 hours, and i was just in the third book, so my dad started to help my too, we got some problems while building, because some pieces where in the wrng place, at the end, it took to us 1 day to build it, but now, im able to build it in just 1 hour, so, i must say that the experience has helped my a lot, for time saving and for building technics.

[grum64]

That happened to my too, like 6 years ago i got the 8264, it wasnt very big, but i was used to build mostly studed sets (city and creator), i saw that technic was a whole new level of engineering, and it was really hard to build it, i spent more than 3 days trying to build it, i made some mistakes and i needed to start over, but i finally built it like 5 days later, then i said "lets see if i can rebuild it faster", and i rebuilt it in just 1 day; and the same happened when i got the 8110, 2 years ago, i got impressed for the amount of pieces, the new parts, the shock absorbers, those big wheels, and i wanted to build it in just 1 day, so, i started, i had spent 8 hours, and i was just in the third book, so my dad started to help my too, we got some problems while building, because some pieces where in the wrng place, at the end, it took to us 1 day to build it, but now, im able to build it in just 1 hour, so, i must say that the experience has helped my a lot, for time saving and for building technics.

Although my speed has improved I've not deliberately set out to build faster. I'm not one to rush building, I wouldn't 'speed build' if I could, I want to enjoy & learn from the process (I'm of an age where learning takes a little longer than most ).

At the end of the day, we're all different. We all build in our own way and at our own speed and that's just as it should be.

Edited December 21, 2015 by grum64

[Saberwing40k]

For creations or sets? I find that building sets takes less time, as I have done it for longer, but if anything, now it takes me longer to build creations. I think that as time has gone on I have gotten more critical about myself, and so I spend more time rebuilding and perfecting assemblies.

[Lipko]

For creations or sets? I find that building sets takes less time, as I have done it for longer, but if anything, now it takes me longer to build creations. I think that as time has gone on I have gotten more critical about myself, and so I spend more time rebuilding and perfecting assemblies.

The same for me. I've just finished my latest MOC, which I started some time in February. And the model isn't big or complex.

[Vectormatic]

Im not entirely sure, i think im more skilled, and have more experience and insight, but at the same time building instructions have gotten a LOT better in the last 25 years, and the numbered bags save a lot of time hunting for the right parts (noticed that today while building a big SW set)

[dhc6twinotter]

I've slowed way down. I haven't built the last 8 or 9 sets I've purchased. :D

[Geekphysique]

If we are talking sets, my speed varies based on a number of factors.

When a set contains a complex mechanical assembly or gearbox I tend to slow right down and try to figure out how it works or why it was built that way. The same thing happens with interesting suspensions for me, I can't help but really focus on the details.

If a set is simple, or contains stuff that I already understand , I always find myself rushing when I get bored.

Used sets that aren't in numbered bags always take longer too, but that's just a factor of organization, not ability.

[Dopplercb]

I just started 3 months ago. I have already started to build faster.

[Jim]

I've slowed way down. I haven't built the last 8 or 9 sets I've purchased. :D

Same here

When I simply build the model I tend to average about 250 parts an hour. Since I usually take a lot of pictures, I do a lot less. Which is fine, since it's not about speed, but about having fun.

[allanp]

I used to build fast but now I relax and spread it out over a few days.

Here's a related question, does your build speed depend on the kind of Lego you are building? As a rough estimate, my build speed was about 250-300 pph (parts per hour) for modern Technic, faster for non Technic builds (like 10030) and slower for complex older studded Technic sets (like 8480). I remember getting 8275 one Christmas and a MISB 8480. They both have a similar piece count but 8480 took at least 2 hours longer.

Edited December 22, 2015 by allanp

[JGW3000]

I gotten much slower - for a reason. Once the build reaches a certain point - a function or part of a function starts working, I have my kids play with it, as frequently, these subassemblies become hidden in the final build and intricacies of the mechanisms are no longer apparent.

[JJ2]

I am a really fast builder when I want to be I can build sets at lightning speed but when MOC'ing I tend to take it slow and steady making sure I can get everything right.

[Jay Psi]

Here's a related question, does your build speed depend on the kind of Lego you are building? As a rough estimate, my build speed was about 250-300 pph (parts per hour) for modern Technic, faster for non Technic builds (like 10030) and slower for complex older studded Technic sets (like 8480). I remember getting 8275 one Christmas and a MISB 8480. They both have a similar piece count but 8480 took at least 2 hours longer.

With piece-by-piece instructions I'm not surprised, the same thing happened to me as well. I do think some of the magic has been lost in this process (instructions in the studfull days really gave me a sense of achievement as I could see the build coming along in relatively large chunks) but I suppose TLG will counter with figures/studies showing that the modern instructions are more accessible.

As for the original question, errr, not really. I did speed-build 8110 but it actually wasn't a satisfying experience so for every built set since I've taken my time. I am more assured (?) though; I used to check back 2/3 pages to make sure I had not made a mistake every few minutes but I can't remember doing this for any set/MOC recently.

[Lipko]

It's surprising that some of you talk about MOCing speed just like set building speed. I envy MOCers whose bottleneck is the building speed. I, myself, spend 95% with thinking and 5% with actual building (and it still seems too much because I build things that could be avoided with a bit more efficient problem solving).

[piterx]

Same here...building is Just the 5%

[Immo]

Being a purist and a person who likes to enjoy the thing I like, I never tend to speedrun through video games (instead, a savour every minute and tend to look behind every single corner) or read books as fast as I can.

The same goes with Lego - I never build fast as it kills enjoyment for me, so also I never fast forward through the instruction booklets. Only exceptions to this rule are the things I built hundreds of times (like V6/V8 engine blocks, differentials etc.) and building the perfectly symmetrical elements (like left and right wings for planes or car body sides) - when I build the left one with the instructions or from the head, I construct the right equivalent at the same time.