knotian

I like to build industrial themes. Buildings with operating functions like a blast furnace and skip hoist. When I am designing I think Lego, not technic or studded. My only 'complaint' is a lack of transitional pieces to allow usage of both old and newer( technic) elements. I can do what I need to do but find myself using a large number of offset and regular plates to match up heights. All in all the ability to use ALL the Lego pieces available is the best bet. I like the larger Technic sets and usually buy two, one for a gift and one for parts

Kibosh, Lots of variability. Fasteners are a big part and going on-line will reduce your cost. I've found 3/8 is as good as 1/2 but adjust legs accordingly. GLUE,GLUE, GLUE (Good carpenter's) and nail all connections. The glue is where the strength is. Having or borrowing a brad-nailer (elec/air) will be an advantage. Ply quality does not have to have two good sides. Home Depot / Lowes / etc will usually do the cuts for you. The last batch I built cost about $% each for four since I had not discovered you could make a fifth with no more plywood. Ed

Kibosh. Take a look at our club's table drawings and instructions at http://www.tnvlc.org/ They are modular, breakdown-able, and a standard for displays. I've found a mechanics rool about stool the greatest for working at this height, which is by no means a standard table height. If you intend on building some ( 4 - 30x60 out of two sheets ply) let me know and I'll show you how to get a 5th one out of the 2 sheets. Ed

I have found two schools of thought in my area. One thinks that all mechanisms should be hidden so the overall model is what is focused on. The other one, of which I am a minority, wants to show all the mechanisms so the viewer can see how things work. So I think making the mechanisms visible with highlighted color is a good thing. That is also a reason I do not like to use panels, except to hide 'kludges'.

Perish the thought, but does power up work with s-brick? They are both Bluetppth.

I started this here because it is not a drawing tool question. Does any one know of a relatively inexpensive (free) program that will allow you to test a design's linkages , clearances and movement. It does not have o accept lego parts but merely structural representations and their linkages. It does not have to handle catenary curves . As an example two beams fastened by a rotating pin with one end attached to the floor. What would be the motions when the free end of the connected element was moved. If there is none, do most of you just build a prototype and work things out from there? Thanx

As a quick check I'd do a full diagnostic on that flash drive. Sounds like a corrupted file or linkage.

pageicence I did more research a while back and found that massive yes, but complex no. It is basically a trapezoidal figure with hinges and one longer side. It's hard to tell and only showed up in one video, but the operator has a cab, inside the arm, just a bit above the shovel. To change operators they stop the arm at deck height and the operators climb in and out of a large window. Ed

Void_s is right on. The second one carries molten slag, from a blast furnace, out to the dumping area. The slag is, in an Eco-friendly mill, cooled and then broken up for fill, aggregate, or sand. A newer slag utilization machine taps the slag into one of several machines to either make spun rock wool insulation or granulate it immediately for sand. There are several manufacturers, Kamag comes to mind. I believe Cat had one also. From a model stand point I like the Kamag ones as they share (pretty much ) the same design. pagicence Want to do an unusual machine? Look up Hulett Ore unloaders . I was toying at one time with a diorama with a loading dock with overhead coal hoppers and rails, a great lakes steamer outline in the middle and some of those unloaders on the other side.

Cheers Has anyone tried either of these models in a scale to fit with 42035 Mining Truck. I've finally dropped the attempt to use RR equipment in my blast furnace / steel mill. Rails take too much space, unless I custom bend metal rails. The Volvo Mining Loader is too big (I thought of using it as a base for the slag truck). I'm thinking of increasing the massiveness of the 42062 Alternate build as a basis for the straddle carrier. Thanx

I am doing the same thing right now - a blast furnace. Transportation is a problem but here are a few things I am doing to help. I made several 64x64 platforms out of 'foam-board'. 2 layers of 3/16" fastened to each other. This allows a 4 baseplate module which works well. I use joiner plates to make sure they stay together. I found cardboard boxes that were 20" on a side. I lay them on the side and slide the modules in, making sure to mark several up arrows. I use those pillows from Lego shipments and bubble-wrap to fill in the voids in the boxes. Several of my models are very tall and have cylindrical stacks, ovens, bins etc. I build these in several sections with just a shorter base segment on the base. These are internally braced very well and transported wrapped in 'bubble-wrap'. Connections between modules are either pipes, conveyor belts etc., which are easy to disconnect and rebuild at setup. I'm hoping to make these to fit into a collaborative build and in that case I will have to slide them off on to a table, else I will leave them on the foam-board if displayed as MOCS.

brickless-kiwi I really build for my self and many times scale is not a factor. I've done one model in what works out to technic figure scale, made it a tad smaller and now trying to get it to minifig scale. The last effort is stumping me due to space for motors, etc. Most of my research did not show the linkage clear enough to use. The results I've gotten are great and pointed me in the right direction. If I get it built (road train) I will post a .io file.

I'd like to tackle a road train. In the videos I've seen that or curves, even in the cities, they track perfectly. Does any one have diagrams as to how this is done. Of course if there is MOC it would be wonderful.

Technic is my favorite. But I'm not sure you could consider it a theme, with a theme being something like batman etc. My favorite theme would have to be something like construction equipment, mining, etc.

I'm 79+ and retired - people always ask what I'm doing in retirement - Lego usually starts quite a conversation. People I know ask 'what are you working on now?'

I've diddled with most of them and stud.io is the best bet for someone satrting out. You don't have any unlearning to do. Really has some nice dodads.

I print on Avery transparent label stock and then apply.

I'm going to go WAY OUT on a limb and suggest something I'd like to see. I like industrial buildings and would like to see operational features that could be handled by a "monorail" system. Notice the quotes. In my experience I have seen three rail (two Gauges on same sleepers) as well as four rail in industrial settings. I'd love to see the Lego narrow and standard track be combined with three rail switches but I'm sure there would only be limited market demand. An alternative to multi gauge would be a 'trackless' based system - (don't kill me yet!!)- This would have single rails that would be 1 1/3 brick high, stud mounted. These would have both sides serrated.This would allow layouts to have roads ( standard tiles) with the rail in the middle to serve as a guide rail for autonomous vehicles as well as a surface that a rubber tired wheel could make contact with for movement and control. There would have to be two sized round "rail bricks" such that they could be mounted on adjacent studs as well as diagonal studs to form continuous curves. Straight "rail bricks" could also be made. This is much like the current monorail without the fixed plate/rail configuration.

Attitudes and mindsets- Interesting posts! I'm an old fart and I build for myself . I look at all the models shown in this forum and know that I'll never get to that level of whatever the person is aiming for. I don't build for play-ability, but to represent something I like. I do not post a bunch of reply's, but will ask a question. My models may or may-not be shown. My joy is in doing the research and design. I do not like to critique, since I don't know the attitude or mindset or purpose or goal of the modeller. Unless someone asks for critique, or shows a wip, I think we should look and enjoy.

arijitdas; Not a stupid question. Not directly, as far as I know. There is a product aimed at the Education market called Virtual Robotic Toolkit. It allows the import of LDraw compatible models and then allows you to program the interrelationships between various connected parts. You can then 'operate' the models and 'program' them to do various things in a virtual environment. On a personal not, I dealt with the a couple of years ago and they are (IMHO) a very good group to deal with. Any questions I had we answered quickly. The license was $50 when I was working with it. If you are really going to get into virtual work it is a good investment. They are still in development, as far as I know.

The question of computer load (Stud.io)has been brought up several times. I'm running a fairly high end system and the performance is good. According to the developers, since this is still 'beta' they are working on functionality and freely express that tuning for speed will come later. I find it the easiest to use - IF- you lose the why can't I do it the old way attitude. It's handling of part rotation is excellent since I am building an industrial layout with many tall, round tank/tower objects. Positioning pieces is a jem with being able to use mouse and awsd keys together and several snap grids. I am not associated with stud.io in any way and if you ask them I might be a 'pita'

I just tried it from a google search and had no problems. Using Norton.

What do users of Stud.io do to include PF Motors in their drawings? Not in palette, and I cannot figure a way to get them into my work. I can get them in, but as models not parts, so positioning and adding parts to them is very difficult. They will be added next update.

If we want a non- commercial based themes (Licensed) we should all jump on Ymarilego's Quest builder which is on Lego ideas. [[[I'm not related]] This is a set of modules that could lead to years of individual mods/mocs and be a wonderful family or club project. I've supported these and would get any produced. Just my 2Cents.

Johnny1360 Touche!!!!