After lurking on Eurobricks for over a decade…

[After lurking on Eurobricks for over a decade…]

That's incredible!
I like the plains :-)

The rigging looks complicated. Did you cut the strings?

[42164 Off-Road Buggy]

3 minutes ago, R0Sch said:

they are hinged on friction pins

Now i get it!
It has been ages in existence but sometimes i still forgett about the +o beam

[42164 Off-Road Buggy]

Looks good. I'm always impressed what you guys can achieve on so little visual information.

Although in the product picture both doors can be opened independently, and i would wager they will be mounted on some form of friction?

[42146 - Liebherr LR13000]

Given the lack of pinholes in the counterweights (or any sharp concave edges), i wouldn't be surprised for them to be cast from a metal.

 

Edit: there are also two types of rectangular frames making up the boom. The top/bottom frame seems to be thinner than the frames on the sides.

[[MOD] 42128 - Tow Truck - Mods and Improvements]

3 hours ago, mortenm said:

Am I the only one having problems with the fake engine jamming and eventually falls apart? 

Nope, i had exactly the same problem.
Solved it by pushing the bushings further on the axles, thus reducing the stroke of the "cylinders".

[HELP servo is now a wiper motor]

This might be an issue of the servo not getting the signal when it's at the "right" position.
Is there any input/steering signal where it stops switching back and forth? Maybe fully left or fully right?

Have you seen this video:

 

[42143 Ferrari F40 - 1:8 - alternate build]

What an incredible achievement!

The front corner looks really nice, considering how many angles are coming together there.

22 hours ago, Timorzelorzworz said:

 

You're actually making me consider to buy the Ferrari

Do you have a belly shot showing the gearbox?

[Generic Contest Discussion]

On 2/3/2022 at 5:18 PM, Jundis said:

Or a weight limit?

While i really like a size limit, i'm against a weight or part limit. They might exclude tracked and/or technical dense models.

Maybe define a volume, rather than specified x, y and z limits? That way we can expect more unusual shapes which are always fun

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

On 2/3/2022 at 4:47 PM, whitepen said:

Looking good!

 

On 2/9/2022 at 8:03 AM, Mikdun said:

Good work. 

Thank you for the encouragement

 

I found the time for some little bug fixes, here is the video that should have been in the competition:

 

 

For the next version, i have to find a LEGO CAD with the current parts and learn it. Any recommendations?
Developing efficient bracing for such a complex drivetrain will be much easier when it just stays in place, without needing to hold it with five hands
 

[[TC21] Technic Transforming Vehicle Contest - Information Topic (Extended to 31st)]

13 hours ago, Jundis said:

it's like a disadvantage to vote (for others)

As i see it, i'm here to have fun building and use the competition more to get inspiration and a deadline. I'm not in it to win it and it's nice to praise others for the work they put in.

 

[[TC21] Technic Transforming Vehicle Contest - Voting Topic]

There have been some incredible entries, great work everybody!

3: 10
5: 6
1: 4
4: 3
7: 2
6: 1

It really was a daunting challenge, i see everybody who entered as a winner

[[TC21] Technic Transforming Vehicle Contest - Information Topic (Extended to 31st)]

9 minutes ago, weavil said:

I came, I tried, and I probably failed. But I had lots of fun doing this contest because of how challenging it was. Best of luck to the few that joined me in this great up hill battle!

I feel exactly the same
It has been a great way to try out crazy mechanisms in a small space. I definetly gained a project i will be working on in the future

And i learned to work on my timing for those contests

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

You're speaking what my heart desires
I really appreciate the encouragement. Although i won't be as productive the previous weeks, i'll keep at it.

There are already several changes to the concept which will make it much more reliable while reusing existing solutions.
Just switching out the skipping 16-20-16 gearing for the lift mechanism helped so much that the new weak spot is the motor.
No idea why i didn't construct it this way from the beginning. Late night engineering really is something

Just replacing the 5L levers for the rear container with gear racks should reduce the torque requirements by >300%

By the way, here is another nice gearing solution used at the front:
Parallel input/output axis with a gear ratio of 13.3 : 1

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

I will regret this tomorrow (today) morning, but i "finished" it enough to be happy to run in the competition:

There is one bad connection making the transformation only possible with manual help: in a pinch i had to couple a "flat" 20 tooth bevel gear to the 16 tooth side of a differential.
The normal 20 tooth gear doesn't fit there

[[TC21] Technic Transforming Vehicle Contest - Entry Topic]

Entry Name: Container Truck

Description: A shipping container that transforms into a delivery Truck

Dimensions are equal to a 150% length Mack Anthem container.
There are three transformations happening in two stages:

1. Reduce track width by 1 stud on each side
2. Lower the container over the chassis
   1. The front face moves vertical (linear) by 3 studs
   2. The cargo area/container rear + sides swing in an arch to achieve 7 studs of height change

To achieve the staged transformation the drivetrain is continually switching the "main" modes when the drive motor is on.
The two chassis movements are coupled with a differential, this way always the "easiest" move is driven until it reaches a stopping point.

Unfortunately i couldn't take enough time for this project, so the transformation is very janky and needs manual help.
That's also the reason there is no cabin
I never built anything even remotely as complex as this model and implementing the switch and differential solution with only hours to go was not my best idea.
Still, i'm very proud of the dense geartrain with only two obvious design errors.
 

You might want to watch the video without sound, those slipping gears are heartbraking to hear.

Oh, nearly forgot the belly shot:

 

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

39 minutes ago, GerritvdG said:

Finish the project regardless of the competition deadline. It’s a fun project and I’m really curious!

Thanks for the encouragement

 

3 minutes ago, Void_S said:

for the cabin

This is more or less how i envision it:

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

As expected, i won't be able to finish this project for the competition.

I was really looking forward to making a cheeky reveal video, with another truck delivering the container which then transforms (more or less unexpectedly).
But alas, "perfect" got in the way of "good".
The question remains: should i enter the contest with unfinished business (feels wrong) or abandon the project (feels wasted) ?



i guess i'll be able to actually finish the mechanisms tonight, but the whole front is missing.

13 hours ago, Jundis said:

As I didn't read it out of the text: What is this truck transformating to?

My idea is a container, that transforms to a container truck. The same width+height as the 42078 Mack Anthem container, with 150% length.
Doesn't sound very exciting, but the excecution needs a lot of detail solutions

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

Thanks for the encuragement @whitepen

 

This is the fourth (but definetly not final) rebuild of the chassis, now with the secondary transformation feature implemented:

There is a lot to do for the cabin area: The drivetrain PTO (red) will be used to switch between the transformation stages (green and blue):

I'm really surprised the drivetrain PTO works without any scraping, those are a lot of gears in a very tight area:

Fortunately i got an extra vacation day tomorrow, so i will be able to do a little more work before the deadline.
I don't see me finishing the full front, but if i manage to implement the transformation switching i'll  be happy.
@Jim, which timezone is the deadline?

[[TC21] Container Truck (unfinished)]

I finally got another chance to work on the truck.
The trackwidth change is simplified and coupled front to back:

Drive and steering are electrified.
The position of the servo and drive motor is nice, looks like the fuel tanks of the truck:

And i figured out the positions for the rear top transformation mechanics:

There is a lot more work to do:

• rebuild the entire chassis to get robust mounting points for the transformation mechanics
• figure out a way to switch between the two transformation steps
• design the front end
• implement front end transformation.

I'm enjoying this project and its challenges, but i fear it will be hard to finish on time with work sucking most of my time and energy.

[Build your LiPo rechargeable battery for Control+ and Powered Up hubs.]

Those are some nicely designed electronics.
Have you considered flipping the power board on the other side, reducing the necessary length of the copper strips?

Are you open to selling the electronics board seperately, so customers have the option of printing the case themselves?
(Although this might hurt your sales revenue)

[Scania R370 - #42078 Mack Anthem C Model]

I love this!
With all those long-nose trucks Lego is putting out, i really enjoy seeing the Eurpean style cabin.

[[TC21] Technic Transforming Vehicle Contest - Information Topic (Extended to 31st)]

On 1/8/2022 at 9:55 AM, Jim said:

I will extend the period to the 31st of January

Thanks, then i might have the time to finish my entry.
Work is sucking a lot of energy at the moment

[[REVIEW] 42137 - Formula E Porsche 99X Electric]

Sure thing

Good learning exercise on how to use flickr.

[[REVIEW] 42137 - Formula E Porsche 99X Electric]

19 minutes ago, Jim said:

I just uploaded some pics to my Flickr account

Thanks, very interesting!

[[REVIEW] 42137 - Formula E Porsche 99X Electric]

Thanks for the high quality review!
As others have said, TLG has been successful in relaunching the Racers line - They just missed to print the right branding on the box.

 

Could you please show the launch mechanism in a picture series? It seems to be quite well thought out.
I was wondering how the L-arm doesn't immediately gets stuck on the rotating axle with the connector hub.
Does it get stuck on the elastic mounted axle with ball, so you have to reset it after a run?

 

7 hours ago, Erik Leppen said:

what's the distance between the holes on the new Technic panel?

I agree with Erik, could you please add some dimensions or building/connection ideas with the new panels?