Matt The Tuba Guy

Completely serious: I nearly ran out of pins earlier this year. If you build something big enough, you WILL run out of black pins, even if you have over 9000 of them! not so serious (maybe some repeats? sorry): "I will get round to inventorying my collection" "I never make any mistakes while building a set" "I will put some money in my savings account this paycheck" and for me personally: "I'm sure they won't mind if I cut a hole in the roof so the top of the tower will fit!"

I can't wait to get this set, I will definitely get two. I will probably build both models at the same time, then I will combine the parts to create a 4 engined monster. Is that a shorter curved panel just before the wing?

Might as well add that this is the show where my Technic Tower was displayed. Someone should post a couple of photos of the GBC. It was pretty small, but still awesome. There were certainly a lot of people there, I think I heard about 26,000 in total over the weekend! I can't wait until next year!

A few notes before I go to the show today: The main reason it is so empty is because I had limited parts. I will definitely have more parts next year, so I should be able to make it fuller. I also built the entire tower in only two weeks, so I basically made it up as I went along. It really helps that Technic is quite strong! The whole tower weighs between 20 and 30 kg, exact weight to be posted once I weigh each section, and add it up! The diagonals in the bottom three sections were put in on Thursday evening, before I had to build it at the show, so very last minute! Transporting it was interesting. I managed to fit the top 6m of sections in my car, but the bottom four sections had to go on the back of a truck (kept on with a tarpaulin and some rope!) The base was so large, it couldn't actually fit out my front door! I will post more photos from during the show, the results of the MOC prize giving tonight (I suspect I will win the engineering award), and then some more photos of the structure close up after it has been dismantled.

I am putting this here because it is built entirely with Technic parts, but if a Mod feels this belongs somewhere else, feel free to move it. Over the last two weeks, I have spent almost all of my waking hours building this: Built for the Christchurch Brick Show 2014, it is a 1:100 scale model of the Kingdom Tower, currently under construction in Saudi Arabia. It is split into 10 sections, each roughly a metre in height. It has on the order of 20,000 parts, about half of which are pins. It turns out the show venue was not quite tall enough, so I had to settle for 'only' 9m! The second photo shows just the top 4m with the intact spire. here are a couple of photos of it under construction: As far as I know, this is currently the tallest LEGO structure in the southern hemisphere. This currently has no mechanical functions, but if I decide to revise it, I will probably add some kind of a lift inside it. So after building this and nearly running out of pins, I will be getting a few more (bricklink order of 16,000 or so various pins should do!) Now to start thinking about what I will build for next year!

^^ According to someone I know who works at the toy store I bought my set from, there were at least two others with missing bags, so possibly quite a few. Sucks to be the person who opens it in 10 years and finds a bag is missing! I think it may be acceptable to open the seals just to check whether all the bags are there, especially since it is known that there are sets with missing bags. I think someone buying a 'MISB' set years in the future would rather get a 'technically' opened box with all the parts confirmed there than a true MISB set with a missing bag.

My number plate is 10794. Finally got it finished a couple of weeks after waiting a couple of months for a missing bag to arrive. Looks great though, this will be the one set I won't sort into my collection.

42025 in black: I built it a couple of days ago because the set isn't available in NZ yet, plus I can't afford it at the moment. I decided black would be a cool colour because the only other colours I could use were red and yellow, and airplanes aren't usually that colour. Also, this: (source) Figuring out how to build alternate 3x11 panels was interesting because they are all attached differently. This is definitely an amazing set, and I will definitely be buying it when it is available/I can afford it. What I would really like to do is build a combination model only using parts from 2x 42020 and 2x 42025, specifically the C-130J Super Hercules (the small helicopters for the extra required propeller blades) Here is a C-130 Hercules in white and blue: (source)

I only have sets since they came in the basic boxes, but I have kept most of the boxes for storage. The flagship size boxes are used for wheels, and the smaller boxes (8109 size) are for some other parts. I have used one for PF, and two more have custom box dividers in them for my axles and pins (excluding the 3 main pin types which are in bags) The extra flap on the flagship boxes can be annoying at times, and the lid corners tend to split along the edge, but I definitely find them useful for storage. I actually have a 8419 box that I started using to sort my axles soon after I got it (probably 2006). It is well worn, and the corner edges have been taped together several times, but I am still using it. The fairly rigid cardboard divider inside it probably helped keep the box in shape though.

I really don't get the hate of linear actuators. Pneumatics are physically more realistic because it uses a fluid to fill a tube moving the piston, but linear actuators are practically more realistic because they can move accurately rather than basically on/off. An updated version of 8455 with pneumatics would be amazing though. Or even better, longer pneumatics, and a backhoe rivaling the Unimog in size!

Curiosity rover with 6x power puller wheels? Curiosity wheels = 50cm diameter, PP wheel ~ 10cm diameter, scale = 1:5 dimensions = 2.9m long, 2.7m wide, 2.2m high, scaled = 58cm long, 54cm wide. 44cm high. That may actually be a possibility! It would be rather large, and possibly set a new part count record for Technic, but it would definitely be the best Technic set ever!

A space shuttle wouldn't really make sense now. The time for a new Technic Space Shuttle was a couple of years ago just as they were finishing their service. A large scale Curiosity rover would be extremely awesome though! A flagship crawler crane would also be quite cool, it would probably be the largest LEGO set ever by physical dimensions.

I may join in. My current thoughts: a building under construction, a tower crane or crawler crane for building the building, and a truck with crane for carrying materials. The building will probably use a lot of large pieces (5x11 panels and the gray technic frames), and it will be rather empty and probably gray (like it is built with concrete). Basically I will try and build a structure as big as possible with only 500 parts. To keep with the Technic theme, I will probably add a functional lift. The crane may or may not be motorized, but it will use a full battery pack as a weight (does that count as 1, 3 or 9 parts?). possible colours: red/white, red/black, yellow. Is non LEGO string acceptable? The truck will probably be a single piece truck with a crane (like 8258 but smaller and proportionately longer), probably red or black.

I also think the racers will be pull back, but I think that the twin rotor helicopter could be the biggest 1st half set, just like 42000 from this year. Using the blades from 9396 maybe? Container truck - hopefully a medium sized truck with mini-LA container cranes and an empty container (actually a container made with red 5x11 panels would be cool!) Also, 42023 with re-released Technic figures would be AMAZING!

If possible, I think this would make a perfect flagship: http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/16894 Maybe in green?

The first '2013 sets' thread that I can find with actual details was started 28 August, so we may get the first leak in a couple of weeks. EDIT, actually, maybe this one, 21st July last year! So hopefully the first leak will be really soon!

WHAAAT! That is truly amazing!

When was the technic challenge announced last year? IIRC, the challenge started at the beginning of November, but it was announced a lot earlier.

How about a front end loader and hauler cross model. The cabin and motor is part a, and the other half can be built as either a hauler trailer or a front end loader. When switching the models, all you would need to do to the cabin is turn the seat around. Both have been doe fairly recently though. I would really like to see another model with the Unimog tyres, or preferably a return of the Model Team tyres that are slightly larger than the standard truck tyres I now have 60+ of!

My bedroom is rather chaotic at the moment! I am basically doing a stock take. I have a lot of old Bionicles and other non Technic sets that I have basically kept in boxes for several years, and I have finally decided to sort it all out (and probably sell some) my current progress: all my Technic sets 2007 and later are assembled, plus my 4x Nitro Muscle. Toa Nuva, Rahkshi, Bohrok and Toa Metru are also assembled. I am currently sorting out the rest of the unsorted stuff. overview: Uploaded with ImageShack.us around the corner: Uploaded with ImageShack.us sorting area: Uploaded with ImageShack.us I have also put the smallest sets in the 9398 box, and some mid sized sets in the top drawer of the filing cabinet. The rest of the filing cabinet holds the rest of the Technic parts. My normal set up is the Technic parts sorted by part, then colour if I have enough, put in ice cream containers, then stacked and stored in the filing cabinet. The filing cabinet holds a 2x3 arrangement almost perfectly. Axles, pins, and bushes (except 3 long pins, 2 long pins, and axle pins), are in custom compartmented boxes. My current set list if anyone is interested, still incomplete!

It is surprisingly strong, but LEGO generally is! an early version did break in half after being blown over by the wind, which is why I assembled it with the top sticking through the basketball hoop! It does have some diagonals that I added after the incident which definitely reinforced it a bit, but it could definitely be made a lot stronger. I think my limiting factor back then was actually my inventory. I ran out of the 3 long pins! I think I also was running low on most beams as well, but that was back in 2009. My LEGO collection has increased a little bit since then. I may make the Kingdom Tower next. when complete, it will be more than 1000m high, and I intend to make a 1:100 scale model!

I have made a Technic model of the Burj Khalifa: Thread on Skyscrapercity.com with photos. Not sure if that is the kind of thing you are looking for.

well there are nearly 1000 pins, including 500 of the short black ones! EDIT: I decided to count them! total = 2614 Pins = 959 axles = 300 bushes = 103 gears = 155 straight beams = 351 bent beams = 116 thin beams = 131 connectors = 316 bricks = 52 Technic bricks = 19 panels = 19 wheels/tyres = 33 other = 60

ooh, finally some black ones of these!

Out of the sets I own, my favourite non motorised sets would have to be: 8880:Supercar (1994) after hearing about it a lot and how great it was even though it was relatively old, I got one for myself, and I definitely agree it is an amazing set! 9396: Helicopter (2012) looks amazing, possibly one of the best looking Technic sets! The functions are pretty cool too. 8069: Backhoe Loader (2011) small but functional, makes great use of the mini linear actuators. 8466: 4X4 Offroader (2001) highest rating of my sets on Brickshelf. generally great set, HUUUUGE tyres!