Using non-LEGO tools to build with LEGO technic [video]

[shadow_elenter]

Hi guy's 

I made a video about how I use a dental tool when building with LEGO technic, and I thought I'd share it here.

What I forgot to mention in the video is that I also use it to route power functions cables through MOC's, it's very handy in that way.

Does anyone els use non-LEGO tools to build?

[Jurss]

There was some topic about tools.

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/113353-tools-you-use/

[Sariel]

I just use regular tweezers, can handle pretty much everything you've shown in the video. They're useful for applying stickers, too.

[shadow_elenter]

40 minutes ago, Sariel said:

I just use regular tweezers, can handle pretty much everything you've shown in the video. They're useful for applying stickers, too.

I tried tweezers too, but sometimes I have the feeling I'm damaging my parts if I need to aply a bit more force.For me it feels like I won't damage my pins if I pull them by the slot. Half of what I do with my dental pick is positioning bushes and that is easyer for me with a pick. I never aply any stickers, but that's a good use for tweezers though.

 

I guess both come in handy...

Maybe we need to produce a frankenstein tweezer with a hook on the other end

 

 

[Bublehead]

I use a curved nose set of hemostats like this:

http://www.cotrancorp.com/en/kelly-hemostat-713.html

they let me surgically remove pins, route PF cables, align two pinholes... push pins  and axles out with the nose and grab axles and inch them out if you have no more than a half bushe width of exposed axle to grab a hold of. Yes, it can leave marks on the axle, but pins and axles take the brunt of damage when building Technic models, and sometimes you can get something put together that went together well, but will not come apart easily. This tool solves those difficult to extract problems (usually at the cost of destroying the pin but they are $0.01 a piece and a consumable in my opinion) I know, the heresy. 

[neonic]

7 hours ago, shadow_elenter said:

Does anyone els use non-LEGO tools to build?

I regulary used my teeth to get some plates of another. That's why some parts has some 'weird' marks 

[KD123]

SE -  Early childhood memories at the dentist will prevent me from buying the dental tool but I appreciate the thebeffortbtobwamt to help the community.  The only non Lego tools that I use are normal pliers for those hard to pull through axles.

 

[arijitdas]

@shadow_elenter interesting thread. This will help me immensely. Everytime I take apart a set, I end up with sore fingers for weeks. And as you mentioned, I too am scared to use tweezers as applying little more pressure may damage the parts.

[MajklSpajkl]

I use similar tool also used in dental prostethesis "workshops". It has a small knife on one side and a tiny spoon on the other (similiar to tha one on the photo below) but mine is rather blunt so not to dangerous. I mostly use the small spoon to push long axles out of holes and the knife also serves to pull the pin out sometimes. Otherwise, tweezers are also on my desktop as well. Has anbody found some with rubber wrapped jaws or something similiar? Do such tweezers even exist? Sometimes I damaged the end of the axles a bit when pulling them out.

[LucyCol]

4 hours ago, MajklSpajkl said:

Has anybody found some with rubber wrapped jaws or something similar? Do such tweezers even exist? Sometimes I damaged the end of the axles a bit when pulling them out.

 

You don't look like you have much use for makeup , so you may not be aware of these lots of other types available.

[MajklSpajkl]

35 minutes ago, LucyCol said:

You don't look like you have much use for makeup , so you may not be aware of these lots of other types available.

Indeed, make wouldn't help me a lot  Thank you milady. Any good advice for pliers with rubber coated jaws maybe?

[Bublehead]

I understand the desire to not damage your parts using a non-Lego tool, but let me just say, from somebody who has owned Lego for more than 45 years, the amount of damage you put on your parts depends on how often you use the tool on them, which means how often do you take your MOCs apart and reuse the pieces?  Studded Technic beams will crack on the 1L sides and loose their grip, axle holes on lift arms will break off, half bushes and whole bushes just rain off your models if you shake them. There is way more damage occurring due to time than I could ever put on my parts with a tool and that would even be true if I took my models apart all the time, which I tend not to do.  For all the young builders out there, don’t worry. Once you make it to the “A” of AFOL, or the advanced stages of “A” like myself, your disposable Lego budget will grow along with your collection.

I used to worry about teeth marks and scratches and tool marks, but what I have learned is, with a small collection, the damage always looks worse and so you go all OCD about it early on when you have a small collection. By the time you get to my advanced state of “A”, your collection should be big enough and your desire to protect every piece low enough, you could pour yourself a big bowl of pins and 2L axles and eat them like mueslix.

I try not to damage my parts, but my experience is, you waste too much build time worrying about damage.  There was a time when I cared about every part and treated every part like gold. That was back during the BBL when we ALL treated our parts like gold. Now, since we live in the ABL, I actually don’t care about damage at all anymore.  (Hint: BBL is Before Brick Link)  

So my philosophy on tool usage and damage is, what’s a few scratches or jaw marks or a tooth mark or two amongst friends? 

[Johnny1360]

Strange philosophy for sure, I am very much into the A side of my life and while I don't treat my LEGO like gold I do take some care with the pieces. I guess it's just something I do with all things I own, except for my hammer collection. Also I guess I am in the pink cloud phase of my LEGO building as I have yet to experience any broken parts, plenty with much less friction though. Only been doing this about two and half years though, so I know it's coming. 

I do use hemostats as well as very sharp knife blades on occasion, so far the damage is minimal, as I really am careful, definitely don't feel like it's a waste of time though. 

[shadow_elenter]

Wahaha, this has turned into an "confess your sins topic" 

I must say I'm probably over protective of my parts, but using teeth and knives... 

And thinking of even the most common parts as disposables... well, in my book that's just asking for the wrath of the holy LEGO god!

 

On 9/26/2018 at 10:10 AM, MajklSpajkl said:

I use similar tool also used in dental prostethesis "workshops".

Oeh, that's a nice one too...
We may need to develop a swiss army knife with LEGO technic building tools.

[Bublehead]

@shadow_elenter, once a black pin has one of its ends cracked because you pulled it out using your tool and you didn’t pull it straight out, that pin is dead. You killed it. So what do you do with it? Take it outside and give it a proper burial?

How many will confess to what usually happens when they break a piece? It becomes a swizzle stick. You end up with it stuck in the corner of your lips and then you start chewing on the end of it, then before you know it, you have crushed the little pin flat, pulverized it till it’s just a flat piece of flat abs plastic. You toss it out in the trash.

On the day of reckoning, all those poor little dead pins are going to rise up and come looking for me, I am certain of it.

[shadow_elenter]

3 hours ago, Bublehead said:

@shadow_elenter, once a black pin has one of its ends cracked because you pulled it out using your tool and you didn’t pull it straight out, that pin is dead. You killed it. So what do you do with it? Take it outside and give it a proper burial?

Yes, there's a band, LEGO technic canon salute shots are fired, the whole deal!

Wahahaha, Parts do die in my building process sometimes(like these), but these parts died as heroes in the line of duty, and their sacrifice shall not be forgotten!

[Captainowie]

On 9/26/2018 at 11:16 PM, MajklSpajkl said:

Indeed, make wouldn't help me a lot  Thank you milady. Any good advice for pliers with rubber coated jaws maybe?

I searched high and low for pliers with rubber-coated jaws. In the end, I made my own, with a small, cheap pair of pliers and a couple of layers of heatshrink tubing.

[Johnny1360]

There is also a product made for coating tool handles and such. It is basically liquid rubber in a can that you just dip the tool into, usually the handle of pliers and the like, then when it dries you have a rubber coating on your tool. It might work okay on the jaw portion I have never tried it though. 

[oracid]

May be, something like this can help too :

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Crochet-hooks-needles-8pcs-set-0-6mm-1-75mm-Fine-hook-yarn-Knitting-small/162512094916?hash=item25d679c6c4:m:mVAXBbszUp60NzQJwNfG5mQ

 

[Splat]

If you don't like the idea of using 'dentist tools' because they remind you of the dentist, then you can use 'wax carving tools' instead:
https://www.amazon.com/SE-DD312-12-Piece-Stainless-Carvers/dp/B000SVRSRY/
I have a set of these, and they can be useful for working with Lego, as well as other hobbies such as model making.

I also use a crochet hook to help guide string and stretch rubber bands into place when there isn't much room to use my fingers.

3 hours ago, Johnny1360 said:

There is also a product made for coating tool handles and such. It is basically liquid rubber in a can that you just dip the tool into, usually the handle of pliers and the like, then when it dries you have a rubber coating on your tool. It might work okay on the jaw portion I have never tried it though. 

This stuff is called Plasti Dip, and you can either get it in a spray can, or in a can with a lid so that you can dip your tool into it.  For thicker coats, you may have to dip several times to build up the coat and let it dry between coats.

[MajklSpajkl]

7 hours ago, Captainowie said:

I searched high and low for pliers with rubber-coated jaws. In the end, I made my own, with a small, cheap pair of pliers and a couple of layers of heatshrink tubing.

My co-worker actually suggested just that. I might try it. That Plasti-Dip stuff sound great as well, but I'am affraid is harder to get than heat shrinking tubes and sounds a bit more expensive than tubes...

[grum64]

15 hours ago, Splat said:

This stuff is called Plasti Dip, and you can either get it in a spray can, or in a can with a lid so that you can dip your tools into it. 

OMG! I didn't know this stuff existed. 

I've ordered a tin of primer and a couple of tins of the Plasti Dip so I can get my clamps recoated. I've got 5 pairs, each for a different task, and the coating on all the handles is pretty much chewed through so this is just what I need. Might get the jaws coated also give the parts some protection.

Thank you for posting the info 

Edited September 30, 2018 by grum64

[LucyCol]

On 9/26/2018 at 2:16 PM, MajklSpajkl said:

Any good advice for pliers with rubber coated jaws maybe?

Not my area of expertise, but I did find these, and these

[dr_spock]

One of these to help position small stickers and cut flex tubing: 

I have taped over plier jaws for quick protection to avoid scratching parts in non-LEGO work.

[MajklSpajkl]

19 hours ago, LucyCol said:

Not my area of expertise, but I did find these, and these

 

3 hours ago, dr_spock said:

I have taped over plier jaws for quick protection to avoid scratching parts in non-LEGO work.

Thank you guys for suggestions.

Best regards.