JLiu15
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Hi all, I recently got the 42114 set, and when the hub is connected, the indicator light is white. I remember for my 42099 set, the light is blue when connected to Bluetooth. Is this normal? It did have me update my firmware before running the controller in the Control+ app, so maybe it’s just a new firmware? I’m sure it’s original LEGO though. I haven’t used my hub from the 42099 set for a few months now, so I’m guessing maybe it’s changed since then. Any help is appreciated! -
UPDATE 11/25/21 Made some more progress on my digital build. The cab and rear bed are pretty much good to go now, and I've also built most of the cab on the physical model. I didn't take any photos of the physical model, as I still need to build the rear bed and it currently looks weird without it. However, based on how the model looks so far in Stud.io, I think it'll look better once it's finished. Overall, I believe the bed will be much easier to build than the cab, as it's mostly just flat panels and liftarms. @gyenesvi I'll check out the Stud.io parts you linked, thank you! Let me know what you think, and happy Thanksgiving! Photos:
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UPDATE 11/24/21 I'm currently using Stud.io to design the rest of the bodywork so there's less trial and error when it comes to building it IRL. However, I've made enough progress on it that I now plan to design the entire model in Stud.io and publish instructions for it. So far it's going pretty well - there's some parts of the design I feel could be better, but overall I like it and it gives me a good idea of how the finished model will look. However, Stud.io currently does not have any Robot Inventor/SPIKE Prime elements to my knowledge, so I may have to use custom-designed parts for now. If any of you have experience using custom-designed parts, especially electronic elements, please let me know. And since the model uses Mindstorms Robot Inventor, I will probably publish programming instructions for the control profile - either in a video on my channel or included in the instructions PDF. Photos:
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Thank you
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Thanks! I like combining new and old panels sometimes...makes my model more unique. Thanks! This is just a side project I started when waiting for parts for a bigger project, and I generally stick to the pieces I have for side projects. I also avoid spending too much time on side projects, and waiting for enough black wheel arches to be in circulation on BL at a reasonable price would probably take a while. I originally wanted to use the red ones from the Ferrari, but they're still super expensive and I didn't feel it's worth spending so much on something that's ultimately just a side project.
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UPDATE 11/9/2021 I've made a little progress on the bodywork - the hood and front grille in place. I've wanted to use the previous generation of Technic panels for a long time now since I had a bunch of red ones sitting around from mid-2000s Technic sets (e.g. 8436), so I used some here. The hood opens up to reveal the V6 piston engine, and I added some small details around it. As for the hub, I plan to cover it up completely as its display is quite bright, so it's likely the interior will have a full floor. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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UPDATE 11/4/21 I've installed the bellows on one side of the model just to see if it works as intended, and I'm happy to say that it does indeed work as intended. My prototype as seen in a prior update is only a small cross section of the bellows, so I didn't know if weight, friction, etc. could hinder its functioning, but it behaves pretty much exactly like the prototype. It maintains its shape at all times while opening/closing, and feels almost impossible to jam (I'd have to force it to jam in order to get it to jam). It also doesn't seem to have too much friction that could impact its opening/closing when turning. Overall, this was the part of the build I've always been quite anxious about, as I had no idea if my prototype would work in practice. However, everything came together flawlessly here. I still need to order a few parts I'm missing before I can install the bellows on the other side, but once that's done, the model will be complete! Let me know what you think! Photos:
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Honestly, I'm not that impressed by these sets. The pullback Monster Jam trucks looked so outlandish to me I didn't even believe I was looking at a Technic set at first. Last year we had some well-known Monster Jam trucks, like the Grave Digger. This year's are animals on wheels... That Porsche looks like a flat board on wheels...I hope it's just the prelim image not being that clear, and that there's more details I can't see in this one blurry image. I do like the Shelby though - it seems to be a good lime parts pack. I might get it just for the lime pieces as the Sian is so expensive. However, some parts of it look too close to the car from the 42098 IMO...the doors consist of a 3x11 curved panel, 3x11 flat panel and 2x2 slope pieces at the edges, just like the 42098's car. The roof panels also seem to be installed in a similar manner. There's only so much detail you can get at this small scale, and now all these small cars are starting to feel like copy&paste with minor details changed to look like a specific car. In fact, as soon as I saw the price, I already got my hopes down on these cars being anything super detailed. Even the McLaren, which is arguably the best set of 1H 2021, was fun for like 5 minutes before it got boring...
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I could definitely consider that - it looks pretty easy to attach a liftarm or something on the other side of the towballs. Not sure if it would collide with the wheels when steering though, as the wheels do get pretty close to the links when steered.
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UPDATE 10/30/21 Made some modifications to the chassis after yesterday's update. The shock absorbers' upper attachment point have been moved up by two studs, reducing the angle at which the axles sit. This helped reduce how much the wheels drift forwards/backwards when the suspension tilts. There's still a little bit of movement, but at this point it seems negligible as I've seen this on similar suspension setups (e.g. the 9398 Crawler's suspension). The links connecting the axles to the chassis are almost horizontal now, but the weight of the body should compress the shock absorbers a little, making the links even more horizontal. I was initially concerned that the front axle would collide with the C+ L motor for the piston engine when the suspension compresses, but it looks like the front and rear suspensions compress equal amounts. I've also moved the piston engine back by two studs, because now with the suspension lowered a little, I'm thinking of making this a typical off-roader instead of a cab-over truck. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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Thanks! Not sure what you mean by cover the towballs though - you mean like have another piece on the other side to prevent the link from falling off?
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UPDATE 10/29/21 I've finished the chassis of the model. The front and rear axles are both in place, with live axle suspension. In addition, there's a V6 piston engine in the front driven by a C+ L motor that will run when the drive motors are running. I've also added panels to the sides to conceal the hub. One issue I found is that when the suspension tilts left/right, the wheels drift forwards/backwards, i.e. the axles are pivoting a little. I think this is due to the angle at which the axles sit. I'll see if moving the shock absorbers' upper attachment point up a stud will help. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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Thanks! I’m glad I went with studfull for this model - it’s so much more detailed compared to a studless finish. Thanks to designing the model in Stud.io first, I was able to know what studfull pieces I’ll need before I build it IRL.
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Thanks! I definitely feel that this is my most detailed model yet, and the studfull body has really helped with that IMO. Still working on gathering pieces for the bellows (as it’s A LOT of short LBG beams), but I already have it modeled in Stud.io which you can see in my previous update.
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UPDATE 10/24/21 I've gotten to finishing the rear section's bodywork, with the right body panel and roof HVAC unit in place. I was missing a few pieces for the right body panel, but was able to find them in my inventory this weekend when I had some time. So at this point, the entire bodywork is finished, and the model just needs the bellows now. Another minor change I did is that the vent on the left side is now white instead of gray. It looks like gray from a distance, but a few days ago I saw it up close while passing by one of these buses, and noticed that it's actually white paint over this area. I'm currently searching through my inventory to see what pieces I have for the bellows, and I'll order what I don't have in a final BrickLink order for the model. I still anticipate finishing the model before the end of the year. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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Thanks! I'm sure it's possible, but they're pretty expensive right now as they're still in short supply. Once they become more widely available and their prices go down, I'll probably get some.
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UPDATE 10/17/21 Made some more progress. The central part of the chassis where the drive motors sit is a little different now, with the motors facing backwards instead of forwards. I replaced most of the pieces here with black ones, so there's less color vomit in the chassis. I've installed the hub above this part, which acts as a support element for the entire chassis. The teal color looks out of place, but I can easily cover it with black panels. As for the C+ L motor in front of the hub, I plan to include a piston engine which will be driven by it. I still have to attach the shock absorbers to the chassis, which I will do once the chassis is more reinforced. Note the 3x5 liftarms - they will be attaching another layer of liftarms to give the chassis over the axles more stiffness. The rear axle still needs to be built, but it'll be identical to the front one. Right now I'm leaning more towards making this an off-road truck as opposed to a rock crawler, with a cab-over design and a covered rear so the hub isn't exposed. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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UPDATE 10/9/21 Finally, I've modeled the bellows for the bus. I haven't built it IRL yet, but have it modeled in Stud.io. Honestly, it's crazy how the bellows prototype was the first thing I built for the model, before I even started modeling it in Stud.io, but the last thing to be incorporated into the model due to its complexity. I still have to test it IRL, so I may have to make some tweaks to the design if needed, but if all goes well, the renderings below will be essentially what the finished model looks like! It has around 5200 pieces now, which will likely be the final piece count for the model.
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Wow, wasn’t expecting this one at all. Got rid of all my expectations for 42127 and 42130 a while ago - assumed them to just be holes in the numbering. If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is the first time the light brick makes an appearance in a Technic set. Wonder if this will set the stage for more light bricks in Technic sets in the future. And as for the real-life inspiration, I’m assuming it’s this: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/3/4/21164886/batmobile-batman-matt-reeves-robert-pattinson-motorcycle-suit
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Thanks!
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UPDATE 10/3/21 I've built a good amount of the rear section's bodywork now. I have the pieces and my digital Stud.io model, so things are moving pretty fast now. I also put the wheels back on to test out the functions, and despite the model's weight, the single XL motor doesn't seem to be struggling to move it. At this point the rear section just needs the right body panel and the roof HVAC unit. While building, I actually found that I was short on some pieces. But then again this is a huge model which means a lot of pieces to keep track of, so it does not surprise me that I find myself missing a few pieces. I'll probably test out the bellows on the left side next, as the attachment points are already there, and any pieces I may need for the bellows plus the missing pieces for the bodywork I will get in a final BrickLink order to finish the MOC. Let me know what you think! Photos:
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Thanks! Thank you, I’m glad you like it! I feel that deciding to go with a studfull finish for this model was my best decision; it really provides a level of detail not attainable with Technic pieces. And as for the wedge plates, I won’t hide their studs :)
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Friction of 1x4 hinge plate (part #19954/73983)
JLiu15 replied to JLiu15's topic in General LEGO Discussion
Interesting. I guess there might have been a design or material change in recent years that's made them less stiff. It's certainly not a major issue, but if it does become a problem, I guess I could always use my older ones. -
UPDATE 9/28/21 Major update! After more than 4 months since I started designing the bodywork in Stud.io, I've finally started working on the bodywork on the actual model. The bodywork took me a little over a month to fully design, but waiting for all the pieces to arrive took a long time as well. However, now that I've started building it in real life, I'm really satisfied with the result so far. The bodywork is built with several individual submodels (e.g. body panels, roof HVAC, etc.) that are later put together. The chassis in the front section originally had a tendency to bend and twist, especially over the middle axle where it is less reinforced. I was initially worried that bricks and plates won't do much to reinforce it, but now the body feels solid as a rock. Personally, my favorite part here is the roofline, especially how the use of curved pieces helped make everything match pretty closely to the real bus. The roof HVAC also turned out well and complements the roofline curves nicely, although you really have to build it on a flat surface as it's rather hollow inside to reduce weight, and because the top of it has a half stud offset. However, there were some parts that I feel could've turned out better, and there were parts I simply had to compromise. One such example is the front door - because the front door front panel on the real bus is curved, it sort of deflects out of the way when opening to avoid colliding with the windshield pillars. A mechanism allowing this kind of motion would be really difficult to make at this scale, so in the end there is a gap between the front door and the windshield pillar. I know some of you had wanted to see the bellows mechanism, so I added some photos of them below. Let me know what you think! Photos: Bellows mechanism:
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Hey guys, not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I have a question about the 1x4 hinge plate. So most of the ones I have in my collection have a good amount of friction that holds its position well. However, a new one I got from Bricks & Pieces has considerably less friction. It still has some friction, but the difference is noticeable when compared to the ones I have. So I'm wondering, is the friction with this piece just hit or miss, or are newer ones having less friction?