Usage of no-longer produced and rare parts/colors in your MOCs

[Zerobricks]

I'm currently building an entry for the TC19 and it got me thinking....

Do you as builders take care what kind of parts you use when building your models? I'm specifically refering to usage of currently produced and available parts, or do you use rare colored and/or no longer produced parts alongside?

Here are examples of such parts I personally noticed used the most.

Odd bionicle, slizer and roboriders frames and bits (shout out to @mahjqa):

Old gears and chains:

Various wheels such as large foam wheels, Power Puller wheels, etc..:

And many many more including old panel types, znap pieces, flex system, 9V electric parts, first generation pneumatic, etc...

Personally I tend my models to be made from the currently available palette of available parts and colors, so people can replicate them easier. How about you?

Edited January 3, 2021 by Zerobricks

[Mantarri]

I've got quite a few parts in no longer produced colours (bought a bin of studded, and early studless-era technic. But I pretty much only use the parts that aren't available in black anymore that I have. Such as black 3L friction pins, black axle pins with friction, etc.

I am also annoyed that Mindstorms NXT used Very Light Blueish Grey, instead of just using white.  

[howitzer]

I use discontinued parts if I happen to have them and they serve a purpose. I might for example use the old 24T crown gear to run 24T or 40T spur gear as it meshes with them while other bevel gears don't. Toothed connectors are another case where some functionality was lost when the old design was replaced with the current one so I might sometimes use them. I also considered using the old square pistons for a fake engine to make a larger one than is feasible with the round ones.

And of course the old wheels are perfectly usable.

[KevinMD]

If it achieves a purpose or look unobtainable with currently available parts and is not prohibitively expensive I don’t see the problem but I am more of an MOC buyer / builder than a MOC creator. 

[MajklSpajkl]

I don't see what good would it bring to someone, if he dismissed all the parts, that are not produced anymore. I think MOCs are primarily built for builders themselves and not for others to reproduce their MOCs. At least that is my logic. If the builder makes instructions and people want to build it, they'll get the parts on the market. Unless the builders agenda is to be more likeable to wider public which buys the instructions. But I can't agree with such thinking. I build for my pleasure, not others. If that pleases or displeases others, that is their problem and not mine.

Best regards.

Edited January 3, 2021 by MajklSpajkl

[Thirdwigg]

I use them all. I am particularly fond of that first part you posted, the Visorak backbone. 

[Glaysche]

I have tried to build my MOCs with only parts available from Lego Bricks and Pieces.  In fact, I often have used the newest parts available like the 15x11 frame or the new differential.  It’s nice to see what the new parts can do.  That being said, I will buy rare parts to get a specific color, especially on the pins and axles.  That way, if someone else doesn’t want to buy the rare parts, they can can use a common part in a different color.

[Gray Gear]

I will try to find a solution that uses a part that is in production, mostly because I dont own much old LEGO myself (since I was born in 1999 my oldest sets are from 2000). But if such an old piece offers a real advantage, I'll just get it as long as it isn't really rare and/or expensive.

An exeption to this are things like "old" gears. I dont mean really old gears, but gears that got a remake for the worse. Many current Gears have dumb colors like tan or red, or double sided red clutch gears that increase friction  . None of that BS will ever be in my MOCs, along with blue, red, yellow pins and axles.

When I make building instructions I will swap to the newer Bricks (like the tan 20t gear) to decease the price, but I still use the old style transmission gears to decrease friction.

[dr_spock]

I use whatever parts I have on hand that aren't already used in another MOC.

 

[msk6003]

I used 4 44777 pure plastic wheel in my AE86 drift machine. Which include only 2 old RC model and 2 of each set.

I upload instruction in rebrickable. It got lot of view in very short time but only 2 people buy it.

Maybe I need to make 3D print version of that wheel and upload with instruction.

[1gor]

First posted part I use very often, but since I have only 2 (  ) I constantly redesign my MOCs...as with everything sooner or later you face the end and now only one remaining (unused). Powepullers are way to wide for my MOCs, so I have them stored in box (all 12 of them), and 8448 set is still assembled (convertible version)... There is also one part that I really like 

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32079&idColor=11#T=C&C=11

[doug72]

If it was made by LEGO, be that current items or from the early days and parts connect to each other without force or modding, then can see no reason why you cannot use them !

Edited January 3, 2021 by Doug72

[Lira_Bricks]

I use all pieces I own without checking if they are still in production. I have some lego from the sixties, and would use those as well if I found a use for them.

I don't think anyone would refuse to use a part that was produced until 2019, just because we are now 2 years further. This imaginary line of when something is to old to be used in MOC's reminds of the recently bumped topic about "legal" MOC's.

[The_Cook]

If you're building a MOC for your own personal enjoyment; use whatever you've got.

If you're building something for Ideas; use parts that are in current production and legitimate build techniques. Less likely to see the design massively reworked if it wins (see Blacksmith arguments elsewhere on the net ;-) You can probably get away with rare colours because they can produce part in new colours whereas resurecting old moulds isn't likley to happen.

If you're building a MOC to sell instructions use parts and colours that are in current production. Avoid rare parts and colours because that limits the number of people that can build you MOC and therefore buy your instructions.

Edited January 3, 2021 by The_Cook

[nerdsforprez]

I use any and all. If one disagrees with using old/rare parts, at least in my mind this completely invalidates the whole idea of purism.  Everything else I would want to say on the topic has already been said. 

11 minutes ago, The_Cook said:

If you're building a MOC for your own personal enjoyment; use whatever you've got.

If you're building something for Ideas; use parts that are in current production and legitimate build techniques. Less likely to see the design massively reworked if it wins (see Blacksmith arguments elsewhere on the net ;-) You can probably get away with rare colours because they can produce part in new colours whereas resurecting old moulds isn't likley to happen.

If you're building a MOC to sell instructions use parts and colours that are in current production. Avoid rare parts and colours because that limits the number of people that can build you MOC and therefore buy your instructions.

 

[mahjqa]

For me, there's three levels. I organise car races with my LUG, so I've developed a standard chassis that helps first timers join these races. For these kinds of models, I use only the most common parts. Meaning: they can't be old or out of production, but they can't be too new or rare either. (Edit: I am well aware that PF is out of production by now.) example: 

 

Then, there are models that use new and shiny parts, but that are still buildable with some bricklinking. I try to put at least an LDD file online for these, as they are intended to be built by other AFOLs: 

(Check www.vayamenda.com for more of these)

And then there's the models that are just for me, where I will use anything and everything I can get my hands on: 

I don't really expect anyone to replicate this. 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by mahjqa

[syclone]

Personally I don't care what I use as long as I'm satisfied with the end result. Of course that is partially because I won't have tens or hundreds of comments asking for instructions or where to buy parts if I publish a MOC. However the most important reason for me is that I build with Lego for my own satisfaction, not to meet someone's expectations or follow a company's guideline on what parts you can or cannot use and how they are ought to fit together. After-all, I'm not being paid by anyone to build nor am I selling instructions for what I build. And there have been artists (Arvobrothers f I recall correctly) whose extremely popular builds with paid instructions used rare parts and often stressed ones as well, yet I doubt anyone would classify them a delinquents for doing so, as it's their MOC and they built it as they wished.

On an interesting note, the only MOC of mine that I know several other people built actually used a pair of old Bionicle frames and out-of production rims. And there seemed no problems as far as I could tell. So I'll keep using the "old" colour palettes and whatever rare parts I might've obtained, as I only want to enjoy the build process and the end result.

Also, Bricklink exists, it's not like these old parts are super expensive, though there are certainly ones that have become astronomically priced for a piece of ABS

Edited January 3, 2021 by syclone

[2GodBDGlory]

Since I don't generally build MOCs for others to replicate them, I am perfectly fine using any obscure piece I can get my hands on. In fact, finding a scenario in which only some obscure part (which I happen to have!) will do can be very satisfying for me!

[zux]

For personal MOC any part is a good part. However, if I consider creating instructions for my MOC I would try my best no to use any rare-old-expensive parts. Sadly, not all MOCers have such approach and ruin the fun for all of us due to some parts becoming unobtainable for reasonable price.

[Newest_Tech320]

Yes, sometimes I am a bit annoyed if there is a moc I want to build but with rare parts. 

[TechnicRCRacer]

Honestly, I try to use rare parts whenever I can. It’s a bad mentality, but I can’t resist using obscure and neat parts. It’s one of the reasons I collect non-production parts, but I don’t use those in my MOCs.

[aeh5040]

Interesting question.  For me it depends.  Mostly I will use whatever is needed, and the harder the task I have set myself, the more I appreciate the flexibility.  But I am aware that other people might want to make some of my designs, so for that reason I sometimes make attempts to use common and recent parts.  How much I do this depends on the model.

Edited January 4, 2021 by aeh5040

[Lira_Bricks]

Not sure if this needs to be a separate topic, but are there people here that 3D-print/mold their own bricks for lego pieces no longer in production? 

[steph77]

I make use of older parts only when they have not be replaced or when current parts does not allow some functionalities. Typically, I use the swashplate part for helicopter as example.

[ralphie]

I usually try available parts first, but I'm also using this post to add to my bricklink wish list...