TTFrA

@Brickthus, apologies for tuning in late, but maybe you can expand on the above? Your reference brought me to look at this set (I enjoy 45678 Spike Prime for its simplicity), and I have most of the parts from other sets except for the foil elements. For which parts in particular do you recommend this set (I find the Education line in general overpriced)? Thanks!

Such a high density of functions with 9V-powered pneumatics - wow! Love the vintage manipulators. Will you eventually make instructions?

Excellent build and already a strong contender in my view. I look forward to the instructions and might attempt a pneumatic version if I had the time.

I have bought the basic Prime Spike set 45678 when I found a bargain (~200€) and have not regretted it. I played with my sons (8 and 10 yrs at the time) with it for quite some time, but coding was not their thing. I am not much of a programmer myself, but we were able to create some fun machines (more freestyle than following instructions/lessons) - we just dreamed something up, then built it (or what was possible with the set), and innocently dabbled in Scratch-like programming to get it to work somehow. While Spike Prime is surely less "easy" than Boost, I think the sensors, motors, and technic parts provide more playability that is not easily outgrown. If you look on Rebrickable and Youtube, you will find many simple to very advanced projects for Spike Prime. So I recommend finding a used set or buying just the key components, enjoy it as long as you want to, and then resell it again. In my case, my kids outgrew LEGO altogether (I have not), but still play their instruments.

I have been thinking about this as well and I think I would go with Ballistol, a medical-grade multi-purpose oil. From their documentation, reputation, and anecdotal evidence it is almost an "edible" cure-all and should address most, if not all the concerns. Mind you, I have never used it to this purpose and am not advertising it, but I have some at home and it appears to be more suitable than water. Agricultural and forestry machinery often use organic (or bio-degradable) oils to minimize environmental hazard, but at this scale (and set material configuration), this particular more expensive oil may be a good medium. Happy tinkering!

Hi all, has anyone experience with the long-term effect of bleaching white parts with H2O2 solution? I have bought a second-hand 8480 set and intend to work on the white parts (only, not with stickers) to make it more present-able ;-) How long will the effect last? How will the treatment affect the properties of the parts? How will the treatment affect further yellowing of the parts? What is a simple set-up for the process? (my plan is to put the solution into a sealable glass container, fill it with parts and put it into the sun or under a plant lamp, shake every now and then and see what happens) I am neither a chemist nor a material scientist, but as an engineer much of what I have read on this topic falls short of giving satisfactory explanations for the impact of the treatment. Many thanks for any feedback and suggestions and happy holidays!