grum64

Thank you. like you, I understand the disappointment with this set. It’s price was a shock to say the least and selling it as an all terrain vehicle was setting it up to fail.

WOW! This looks much better than the 42115. I'll build the Sian but it's the Miura that'll be sitting on the shelf.

I'm really looking forward to reaquainting myself with the 8043. It was the only the second Technic set I'd ever built and have fond memories of the struggle. I didn't build the B model then but will do this time around.

Thank you Jeroen. You’re right about the backlog. I’ve got 6 new sets to build and about the same number of older sets I want to build again, particularly the 8043 excavator and 8110 Unimog. I’ve also been thinking of building the 8675 Outdoor Challenger, 8366 Supersonic RC, 8369 Dirt Crusher and 8475 Race Buggy as I’m not sure there’s been a build topic on them. I know they’re simple builds with their own unique parts and some are essentially the same vehicle but I thought it might be interesting to see these often forgotten sets all in one place. My next project will be the 42110 Landrover Defender. I hope to start building once the weather cools down.

Thank you. I agree it is little tricky in places but I like that, it makes it more of a challenge and so something to learn from. I used to struggle getting the wheels on builds but now I put it on appropriately/approximately sized plastic tubs which makes it much easier. One problem I do have is putting the tyres on the wheels. They taste horrible. Pleased to hear it’s not just me who finds the switches stiff to operate, I’m not such a weakling after all. Ego restored. At least until I see the Daughter in Law again 🫤.

Hello My Friends I’m very pleased to say that the odyssey that the 42070 build has turned out to be is, at long last, over. It’s finished. I started building quite some time ago but our local hospital decided to have me go live with them for a couple of months before I got chance to finish it. I’d have taken it with me but building while laying flat on my back would have hampered things somewhat. I’ve tried. Didn’t end well. Building has had a few frustrations. Besides the hook raise/lower problem (oh, the embarrassment 🫣), the size of the build did make it a tad tricky at times when moving it about & when trying to fit parts/assemblies. The outriggers, especially the rear ones, kept ‘snagging’ on the surface of my table and with so much still to be built after their fitting, the chassis (not the strongest I’ve ever seen) kept flexing when fitting the parts so I spent lot of time putting opened joints back together. I normally download the instructions (.pdf) before I start building and, using Goodreader, make notes, changes to the build order etc to make things easier for myself. If I’d have done this I’d have left building the outrigger legs until later in the build and saved myself a great deal of aggravation but…. Stupid 🙄. Frustrations aside, building this set has an been an enjoyable experience, particularly the gearbox which I found, like all Lego gearboxes, very interesting. I like to spend a while trying to trace the ‘route’ through the gearbox each function will take. It’s only been round the garden and up & down the ramp to my shed a few times but it seems to drive well, if a little slowly but the turning circle’s hardly reminiscent of my Dads’ Triumph Heralds from childhood, more like the oil tankers I once worked on. The other functions work well. My only gripe is the switches, they’re extremely stiff to operate but that might just be me. Mr Universe I am not. My Daughter in Law calls me Noodle Arms (amongst other things). You work it out 🤨. I’ll be coming back to the 42070 sometime in the future to fill in load bay, the gaps around the cabin, add a hinged roof section to cover the battery box and do something about the flimsy look of the jib. Here’s a few pics.

I do love a tow truck (although with the 42070 it’s more love & hate at the moment 🤨). Given your build’s size, having 8 RC functions is impressive. I’ve got a small tub full of cable clips but never think to use them.

Magnificent! In that Lime Green it looks amazing. Even after our collaboration (for collaboration read: yes, that colour looks good, I love those doors. I play to my strengths 🥴) on the Huyara project I still don’t know how you do it. Excellent work my Friend 👍🏻

Congratulations. That’s quite an achievement 👍🏻. I’ve not dabbled with Mindstorms although I have got a couple of sets somewhere that were in a job lot of Lego I bought a few years ago.

I had the same yellowing problem with my 8461 Williams after it had sat on the shelf for around 18 months. It was out of direct sun. I replaced them all with new beautifully white parts but 6 months later they were yellow again. This has happened with all my sets with white parts, on display and boxed. Irked I most certainly am.

Oh I do, I’m a big fan of your Fastracs. I’m a big fan of all tractors, large or small and agricultural equipment in general. I live in the Cambridgeshire Fens and you can’t go far without coming across a very large tractor, Fastrac, Claas, Fendt etc, usually hauling a very large trailer full to the brim with freshly harvested produce. A good few of these go overboard much to the dismay of the driver following far to close in an impatient effort to get past it.

This is terrific. It’s really nice to see the ‘Claas green’ in what’s so often a sea of yellow. Also, pneumatics, something we don’t see very much of. I look forward to seeing more photos. I saw what looked like one of these on a trailer going into our local Claas dealer a week or so ago. A real one. Putting a Lego model on a 12m trailer would be just silly 😉

Thank you. That really is very kind. My whole life’s been one enjoyable misadventure after another for which I neither have the time or talent to write about. To be honest I’m not sure it’d be printable if I did 😇.

How right you are 👍🏻

This is fascinating. It moves really nicely and is much more manoeuvrable than I thought it’d be. At the same time I can’t help feeling a little creeped out by it. All in all though I think it’s terrific.

Hello Igor Firstly, nice work on the 8330. It’s recognisable from all angles, it looks great. The Loadall’s coming along nicely. I like the way you’ve done the engine cover. Looking forward to some more pics as the build progresses.

Just an update on 42070’s non working hook raise/lower function. May I suggest you find a comfortable seat because herein lies a tale. I’d suspected the reason for the problem was my less than delicate handling of the build during construction dislodging the 3L axle/8T gear that engages with the diff going through the turntable. I’d had a quick look with the model propped up and could see that the yellow connector was turning but couldn’t see much else. The next day, with torch in mouth, I could see what the problem was and it wasn’t the dislodged gear/axle. I knew this because there was no 8T gear/3L axle. I’m clever like that. After much head scratching and gnashing of teeth… Way back when I first started building this set I remember getting to step 193, putting gear on axle and putting it in place. I gave it a test and it rotated as as it should but when it came to a stop I noticed the 8T gear was split so needed replacing. I removed said gear & axle. But this I'd been building for several hours and was tired so left it to sort out the next day. I'm sure you can work out the rest. Anyway, fast forward a few months. Making use of a lull in the hot weather and a much cooler shed I started removing a ‘few’ parts… … but couldn't remove the final axle holding the turntable assembly in place as the outriggers, retracted or extendend, didn't allow room for my hands and a another axle to push it out. Not wanting to remove the outriggers I’d have to make do with pivoting the assembly up to put the 3L axle/8T gear in place. This seemed like a good idea at the time but when pivoting up the assembly, the vertical 5.5L axle that serves as the cranes rotation stop flipped out of the axle & pin connector securing it and the diff, along with connector and axle, flew out. Bugger. So, to summarise. What we have here is a self made cock up on a scale not seen since Thomas Farriner decided to 'give them another 10 minutes' that’s going to take me almost as long to put right as it took to build the whole thing. Oh well, it’ll keep me busy and if nothing else it gives me an escape from the endless wokedom plaguing the UK. Every cloud…

Looks like the ride in that and the Mythbusters pickup would be quite similar to that in my Kia Sedona. Especially on a typical UK road

What a great looking build. You've got a really good eye for design. I too look forward to seeing the video.

Love it. You've done a great job.

That’s great to hear. I look forward to seeing it progress

Hi Igor I hope you’re OK. The faulty receiver has been replaced albeit the hard way. Finding one wasn’t a problem as I have plenty. Believe it or not I read the post through before submitting but didn’t notice the larger text.

The master does it again. Fantastic in every way.

Hello My Friends I was hoping to start building the Land Rover Defender (out of box build with the Pimped build to follow later) this week but finishing the 42070 has derailed things somewhat. A (reasonably) quick explanation. As is good practice when building, I checked all functions etc as I went along and happily all worked as they should. However, once the build was finished and I turned the model on, nothing at all worked. Turned out the receiver was faulty which was annoying because changing it meant getting it’s cable out from the rear of the cab etc and the new receiver’s cable back through to the battery box which embarrassingly took a whole afternoon. Yes, I could have just removed the side of the cab and made things a whole lot easier for myself but I didn’t because, well… stupid. Once the receiver was changed I tried again. Steering and drive, fine. Outriggers, fine. Crane rotation and jib raise & lower, fine. Hook raise & lower, not fine. All that happened was the motor whirred. Hmmm… Using Power Puller tyres to prop the right side of the truck at an angle so I could see what was going on within the chassis. I could see the vertical yellow connector below the turntable assembly was turning but there was no movement above it. In my ‘manhandling’ during building I must somehow have managed to dislodge the axle that goes from the top of the connector. Oh dear, says I. As things are at the moment, I’ve removed the crane and am hoping to just remove the diff that sits in the turntable to get at the axle but I don’t think it’ll come out (if any of you know different please do let me know) so may have to remove the turntable etc. With this to do & getting everything back together and with the furnace like weather making my shed far too hot to be in it’s likely to be at least a week before I can start the Defender. I’m really gutted but these things happen. My apologies but normal, and I use normal in its loosest sense, services will resume as soon as is possible.

What a great build. I have enough trouble building a set in it’s original form let alone coming up with something brilliant from those same pieces. Amazing.