[MOC] Ocean Racer

[thekitchenscientist]

One of the aspects of the wacky races which I liked the most were the vehicles which were a mash-up, like the boat/plane and steamroller/tank. In that spirit may I present my prototype entry to the TC12 competition:

Your eyes are not deceiving you, I have mounted the Ocean Explorer within the 24h Racer. Thanks to the standard LEGO sizes it is a perfect fit. Even better the HOG steering in both models was in the same place. I removed the boat rudder and the control on the rear of the tower now steers the front wheels.

I had to lock out the suspension due to the extra weight and the car rear and boat tower required some rebuilding. It still has the crane functions, motor in the racer and the 3 drive points for the functions of the 24h racer. I hope to use these to add more wacky features.

Currently the only weapon is the bulb of the boat hull for ramming other racers. It took an evening of building to blend the models whilst retaining their functionality.

[JDL1967]

I like the idea and concept. But i would ask @Jim or @Milan if it is allowed. The 2 sets you used are known lego sets. And the rules say that you model can not be known on any media. Maybe a grey aria.. But again very nice idea..

[Milan]

Hi @thekitchenscientist

I like your idea for wacky combo of two different vehicles, but unfortunately we cannot accept it as a entry, since you used two official sets and done minor modifications. Entries must be your design, never shown anywhere, not official Lego sets.

Do you plan to make further changes on these models? I would strongly recommend you make your own designs.

[thekitchenscientist]

I'd better reveal my plan then so you can judge if I may still enter the contest. I have 3-7 more official sets I am planning to blend into this model. Each time I hope to keep the added set recognisable. The photo was a WIP after 1 blend.

I hadn't included them all in the name yet, as I'm waiting to see how they fit.

By the end you will be able to recognise all the different sets but in each case I expect 30-50% of each set will not been used. With the next blend I anticipate the ocean explorer will lose the tower and helipad.

Is the combination not an original creation never seen anywhere before? I'm sure other entries will contain sub-assemblies that have been used in other MOCs, is this any different just because they are recognisable?

I realize sharing after 1 blend may have made it look like I was trying to pass off official models as my own. I am trying to capture that Hanna-Barbera Wacky Races vibe but in a very LEGO way.

I hope my explanation and intent is clear.

P.S. Can someone please tell me how to @mention. I just can't work it out. Is it possible if logged in from a tablet?

[Milan]

12 minutes ago, thekitchenscientist said:

I have 3-7 more official sets I am planning to blend into this model. Each time I hope to keep the added set recognisable. The photo was a WIP after 1 blend.

By the end you will be able to recognise all the different sets but in each case I expect 30-50% of each set will not been used. With the next blend I anticipate the ocean explorer will lose the tower and helipad.

Sorry, we can't accept that in the official contest. You need to make your own model, with your own design. You can make some sections of your model to resemble a official Lego set, if you want, but you are not allowed to keep their design. We want to see your model!

Anything else will lead us into grey areas, so let's not do that.

 

12 minutes ago, thekitchenscientist said:

P.S. Can someone please tell me how to @mention. I just can't work it out. Is it possible if logged in from a tablet?

Sure. Just type @ and start typing a name of the user you would like to tag. Pop up menu will appear and you can click on the desired name to choose it. Works on android, too.

[thekitchenscientist]

Thanks for the clarification @Milan. I am really disappointed that remixing existing models into something new doesn't count as me creating my own model. I spent a lot of time working out which bits I would keep and how the sections could be fitted together.

Better I found out now I suppose than after 7 blends. I can understand you trying to avoid grey areas.

[Milan]

Thanks for your understanding!

But hey, the contest has just began! Just reuse your idea of combining different models you designed, into one wacky final model.

Lots of time left!

[TechnicSummse]

Hmm, i dont see this as an changed official set. If he uses 7 or more sets at the end, combined to 1 model... it is a verry own creation.

Show me one entry, wich does not use any partial builds wich are includet in other MOCs or official sets... but thats just my personal thinking...

I really like the creative idea bihind this try

[JDL1967]

1 hour ago, TechnicSummse said:

Hmm, i dont see this as an changed official set. If he uses 7 or more sets at the end, combined to 1 model... it is a verry own creation.

Show me one entry, wich does not use any partial builds wich are includet in other MOCs or official sets... but thats just my personal thinking...

I really like the creative idea bihind this try

@TechnicSummse the rules are the rules. But @Milan i think @thekitchenscientist has open the door for a contest in the future. To build a crazy build out of official lego sets. ( parts of the sets like thekichensientist build it ) into whatever the staff can come up with. Or maybe an Falcon. It would be a challange..

Edited September 2, 2017 by JDL1967

[thekitchenscientist]

Here's a WIP update that I'd completed but was waiting for sunlight to photograph:

I've added in the excavator and dumper from 42023. They are both operating off the controls that were used in the 24 racer to control the doors and bonnet. This way it can grab onto passing racers or drop rocks in their path.

[TechnicSummse]

1 hour ago, thekitchenscientist said:

I've added in the excavator and dumper from 42023. They are both operating off the controls that were used in the 24 racer to control the doors and bonnet. This way it can grab onto passing racers or drop rocks in their path.

This is so nice and wacky... please continue building it... even if you may not use it as TC12 entry... i still would love to see the endresult :)

[msk6003]

Most greatest MOC I ever seen. This model is SUPER AWESOME. Keep build it!

[aminnich]

I would live to see how you would incorporate 42030 and 42055 into this build haha

[mocbuild101]

What a wacky idea!  This must be the craziest thing anyone has ever thought of! (in a good way)

I agree with the others, you should keep building it, I can't possibly imagine what it would look like - it's just too wacky!

[thekitchenscientist]

Thank you @TechnicSummse, @msk6003 and @mocbuild101 for your encouragement. I have decided to continue and below is the result of blend 3 after adding the tracks from 42038 (Arctic Truck).

 

It required a complete rebuild of the rear for the 4th time. It doesn't come out well in the pictures but I was able to retain both sets of rear lights from 42039.

Single width tracks looked a bit small so I mounted them in pairs. They are on independent axles so the turning is unaffected.

In profile the model reminds me of the Thunder Tank from Thundercats.

 

 

[BrickbyBrickTechnic]

This is cool, but what's the wacky function?

[msk6003]

12 hours ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

This is cool, but what's the wacky function?

Ocean explorer have crean, 42023's dump droper and excavator.

[thekitchenscientist]

Hi @BrickbyBrickTechnic,

I am glad you asked. I realize that having some kind of side arm or dumper are wacky features that other TC12 entries have used and so perhaps I need something more original.

I hope the next blend will power the model to new heights. If that doesn't give it enough lift, I hope to add a bit of bite and perhaps something interesting to grapple with.

I expect this next phase may take a week or two as I first need to reroute the crane controls and steering. Once the tower is removed I can then consider the blending process. Currently my blend target is not even built, so that alone will take a couple of evenings.

[msk6003]

How about replace ocean explorer's cap to benz arocs's or unimog?

[Nebulaire]

I like your ideas, keep going on

[Boulderer]

I understand that the rules are there to prevent people from adapting an existing design to create an entry with reduced effort and skill.  But, for me this is showing tremendous creativity and quite some skill to get everything to mesh together and function. 

If anything, I think the challenges getting this to work could be greater than they would be starting from scratch.

I'm fascinated to see how the build evolves.

[Milan]

Since we agreed this creation does not meet contest criteria, I will remove TC12 from the title.

Looking forward to see this finished.

[N-4K0]

Interesting and funny concept. I'll be following the project for sure 

[thekitchenscientist]

On 03/09/2017 at 6:54 PM, msk6003 said:

How about replace ocean explorer's cap to benz arocs's or unimog?

I only have 420xx series sets that retailed for under £100. I also decided only to use those in the £40-100 range for this project, since they have similar geometry.

I started collecting with the release of the Mindstorms EV3. I made ~15 models using only the 31313 set before I started getting technic sets as gifts (which opened the way to buying them for myself).

I've used this building technique before in combination with the EV3. In some ways it's an extreme kind of C-Modelling. Can you retain the recognisable form of the original design whilst creating something definitely new?

I actually bought 42023 specifically to build Diggatron in the picture above. As soon as I saw the set, I just knew what it wanted to be.

It required hours of reworking the same bit of the model over and over to extract the pieces you need elsewhere but retain the functions. Other than the sensors, motors and power brick everything else is from the 42023 set.

[aminnich]

42023 is the best official set to do that with.  So cool!!  It reminds me of that transformers scene where all the mining equipment turns into the massive transformer.  I really like this, I never thought about combining sets like this until you starting doing it.  

I am still against putting stuff like this into a contest thought, sorry.  I can easily tell the official set from the rest of the MOC.  It would have to be a totally redesigned and rebuilt MOC for it to be legal in the contest.  

Edited September 5, 2017 by aminnich