grum64

Build Days 9 / 10 - Building time 7hrs 40mins - Total build time 37hrs 5mins Just as the weather cooled down enough for me to get back in my shed I developed a chest infection which knocked me of my wheels and put paid to me doing any building for much of the last 7 (very frustrating) weeks or so. Happily the antibiotics have chased away the little buggers that trespassed into my system so I've been able to have the last two days in my shed to get the 8258 finished. As you know, I was in two minds whether to build the crane on or off the truck. You can see from the pictures that I chose the latter and I'm happy I did. Building it this way made it much easier to work on. In case you’ve not read my previous post, when last I built this I found trying to fit the 2853 Crankshaft & 32449 1x4 Thin Liftarm to the LA at the angle shown in the instructions (stage 166) particularly difficult. This time I thought if I couldn’t get it exact I’d just get it as close as possible, my thinking being that I may have been overthinking the angle's importance. I convinced myself this was the best thing to do but a little voice told me to double check before going ahead so I posted the question and before long had the answer. Thanks to Ngoc Nguyen and Erik Leppen I now know that the angle of fitting is indeed important and why. I’m very grateful to them both for taking the time to help and for saving me from myself. Knowing the correct angle's importance is all fair & well but it didn’t make fitting the parts at that angle any easier. To save you from more of my prattling I’ll just say that after an hour and 20 minutes it was done. With the crane complete and mounted on the chassis it was time to extend the outriggers to enable the fitting of the last section of each. Switching on the battery box and flipping the pole reverser into position but the motor stayed silent. My heart sank, please don't let it be a dud motor! I turned the battery box off & back on and flipped the pole reverser back & forth but there was still nothing. After testing each PF component in turn I found the problem was a faulty pole reverser which took an hour or so to swap out but once done all worked as it should. Phew! With the exception of me cannibalising a nearby 9390 for a needed but absent 6L axle before realising I'd used it in place of an 8L in a previous step the rest of the build has been pretty much problem free. Last time round I didn't get to enjoy, I mean really enjoy, the build process. It was my first Technic after repairing little Police & Star Wars sets for Jake and I was so determined to do it, obsessesed with proving to myself and the doubters that I could, that I didn't give any thought to or leave room for proper enjoyment. This time though there were no such pressures & I've loved the build, every last minute of it. And yes, that includes the 3hrs it took to assemble that pesky engine. In my opinion the 8258 is a magnificent set and is up there with the greats. As with any set there a few niggles. The hole in the cab roof, no duallies, manual operation of the final section of the otherwise excellent outriggers, poor lifting capacity of the brillianly designed crane and cab doors that don't open but really these are all trivialities and are quickly forgotten when you gaze at the (very big) finshed model. Personally I think it has everything. It's a great design, is a fun & educational build and has enough functions to give it great playability. What more could any self respecting Technic fan want. Thank you for the kind comments, continued support & encouragement. My next build will be the excellent 8275.

1: 106: 68: 47: 32: 212: 1 Good luck one and all.

I'm not surprised you and the owner are happy with it. If it were for me I'd be doing cartwheels! (Oh the irony )

Good job. I like the blue & grey far more the the set's original yellow & black. Looks great

That picture of Hagrids internals is amazing. It’s almost a travesty that the finished model gives no clue as to the work that went into creating the complexity beneath.

You've gotten a lot done in 3 days Edwin but as for what she's going to be, the mystery continues.....

Thank you for the explanation Erik. After I read your post I watched a few 8258 videos on YouTube and can see what you mean. Watching the linkage doing its thing, it seems it’s brilliance lies in it’s simplicity. So, with cooler weather building can now resume. With angles correct of course.

It seems we’ve gotta get those pesky angles right. I had an idea that might be the case but thought it best to ask anyway. Thank you for your very kind offer to show the results of fitting the part at the incorrect angle but really, there’s no need to go all that trouble. I’ve got it now. Yes, I did mean 90°. My bad. Thank you for taking the time to help. Much appreciated.

With much cooler weather forecast towards the end of the week it’s time to start preparing for building to restart. Whilst looking ahead through the instructions I came to a stage that when I built this last time took almost two days (it’s that stubbornness thing again ). Not wanting history to repeat itself I thought I’d ask for a little advice. This may stupid question but does the angle of the 2853 Crankshaft (arrowed) and black assembly have to be at the exact angles shown? I had the devils own job last time trying to get it as shown but kept getting it 45° out. If I do the same this time is it going to cause problems later on? I don’t want to get the build completed only to find out that the range of movement is restricted. Any advice would be very much appreciated. You just might help me keep my sanity. Thank you.

I’ve always thought the characters from Paw Patrol would be rather nice in Brickheadz form

These have now had their time on LEGO Ideas. Although they didn’t do very well they did better than I expected them to so a very big thank you to those of you who took the time to support the project. When I get time I’ll take another look at them an see where they can be improved. I’d welcome any suggestions. Thanks again.

Like pagicence, I thought yacht and research vessel. Whatever they are I'm very much looking forward to watching them evolve.

Thank you

Thank you Jim for more excellent reviews. I'd only got the 42082 on my 'to buy' list but you've convinced me to add the 42081. One thing though. Your photos are outstanding but please just once can one be out of focus, badly framed or have other such defects. Your're making my already bad pictures look as if they were taken by a 2yr old with their first toy camera .

Great to hear. I know you've had your struggles over the last few years but this is really great news. They couldn't have gotten a better person for the job. Hope all goes well and you enjoy your new role.

Congratulations on the new job Jim. Hope it's everything you want it to be and more.

Love it! Supported

An impressive way to introduce yourself. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Have you tried Screwfix, B&Q, Wickes & Homebase? They all sell the kind of box you're looking for at pretty good prices.

I don't have that problem. My wheelchair, much like the Mclaren F1, has a central driving position

Thank you for your very kind words. As for the steering, yes the right side's the right side

The high heat has gone for now meaning the shed’s a good deal cooler but until it’s been cleared of garden furniture it’s the carport for me. Temperatures are set to rise again this week so it’s not a bad thing. I completely agree with what you say about the 8258 and the 8043. They’re amazing designs that have stood the test of time. I built the 8043 shortly after I built the 8258 and it’s functions, especially the motorised switchover of functions, blew me away. My Sister in Law has it at the moment but I’ll be building it again as soon as I get it back. As for your (non) rant. Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems to me that the ever increasing size & part count of sets is an argument that’s been going since soon after Technic came out and looks set to go on for years to come. I guess it’s the ever evolving nature of our beloved Technic. You can be sure that I’ll keep building & posting. I’m slow but being so means I get to enjoy the build far more than perhaps I would if I built quicker. It's taking a while but I might, just might get this one done by the time you’re back from your walk in the countryside. Hope all’s going well. Thank you Andy. Yes, I have moved the steering wheel, it seemed wrong not too. Reading your comment I think you meant to say it’s now on the correct side. Don’t worry, we all make the odd typo .

Actually I like it.

Oh my Lord! That's beautiful. Great, great job

Build Day 8 - Building time 3hrs 25mins - Total build time 29hrs 30mins I'm pleased to say that there was enough room between the tops of the seats and structures above to fit the lower cab assembly through meaning my building out of sequence didn't come back to bite me on the proverbial as it did with the BWE. With some parts to be fitted being in hard to reach places some of today's building has been a bit tricky at times but on the whole, it's been problem free. As you can see, the cab's now complete. Actually that's not entirely correct. You can see in the pictures that the front 'grill' has yet to fitted. The 8x4 plate that forms the back of it was warped to the point it wouldn't fit in place properly . I don't know why this was and don't have a spare but young George has a few so he's going to let me have one, bless him. We've agreed that a bag of Haribos will be a fair swap . I was hoping to fill the holes in the cab roof but with my spare parts elsewhere it'll have to wait. At least it's something that can easily be done with the very minimum of dismantling. The crane arm's next but I'm in two minds whether to build it on or off the truck, off would make it easier for me to build. I'll decide after I've had a good look though the instuctions. I haven't had the old stickers removed yet. I know it would've been better to remove them prior to building but my eagerness to start got the better of me. A few are OK but you can see some are pretty far gone and don't look very nice so they've got to go. I've got a bottle of Goo Gone coming so they're days are numbered. Thankfully we've seen the last of searingly hot weather (by UK standards) of late and that should mean I can get back in my shed. However, it would seem the sheds' position beside our carport make it a convenient place to store the chairs, tables etc used while employing said carport to escape the heat of the sun. With hot weather returning this week it looks like I'll be building in the carport or kitchen for a while yet .