Blakbird

A diagonal member doesn't do anything to stiffen a box unless it has a fixed length. Any use of angle connectors with an axle can only resist compression; in tension they will pull apart. The compression direction stiffness is dependent on the axle bottoming out in the connector. If you want this to be strong in compression, an axle will have to be cut to fit tight. If you want this to be strong in tension, it will have to be bonded so it does not pull open. The only alternative is a fixed length diagonal like a beam, but that only works if your diagonal length happens to be an integral number of studs.

Yes! The first time I built it I left it out, but the axle attached to the connector which drives the bevel gear in the gearbox backed out after a while and disabled the tracks on one side. The 0.5L hose prevents that from happening. Once that gear comes loose, I had to tear almost the whole superstructure apart to fix it.

Yes,. LDraw is a library, not a program. Once you have the LDraw library, you can use Bricksmith for an editor on the Mac, and LDView as a viewer.

I never finished them. But I do have a CAD file with all the building steps in it.

There is another knuckle boom crane on 8436. It is even pneumatic!

You've got it wrong, although I'm sure it varies by country. You are describing a registered copyright or trademark. For instance, I would have to trademark the name "Technicopedia" if I wanted to officially own it and prevent anyone else from using the name. I have done that with company names before, for example when I used to make telescopes. However, actual intellectual property and creative work is automatically copyright whether there is a symbol or indication of that or not. So, for example, you could not legally copy information from my web site without my consent. Same goes for instructions. No lawyer required. Now, actually enforcing a copyright does require lawyers. However, multinational companies like eBay are going to be pretty careful about reported cases because they could be held liable if they enabled illegal behavior through inaction.

He has 0 feedback rating (1 positive and 1 negative makes nothing). Report him to Bricklink and I'm sure they'll get rid of him. How did you find out about it?

You should try playing around with the software a bit. You'll find a lot of features which will be useful to you at one point or another. It should take only a few moments of poking around to find the parts list export on the menu.

My UCS Millennium Falcon is numbered. The first 1000 orders got a number and certificate.

Creep is important in certain metals, especially at extremely high temperatures, but it is not a factor in LEGO parts. If a LEGO torsion spring does not permanently deform immediately under load, it is unlikely to do so even after years of support.

If you smash it.

Every solid material bends under stress. Most materials follow an elasto-plastic behavior. Under a certain range of loads, the parts will bend proportionally to the load and then return to their original shape. This is elastic deformation. If loaded beyond a certain point called the "proportional limit", then the parts will permanently deform and not return to their original shape. This is plastic deformation. Unfortunately, the word "plastic" used as an adjective to describe permanent deformation has nothing to do with the word "plastic" used as a noun to name polymeric materials. "Plastic" parts actually "elastically" deform for a while. As long as you stay under the proportional limit, this does no harm. So making torsion bars and leaf springs is just fine. If you exceed the proportional limit then the material will start to turn white and will strain very far and be permanently damaged.

I was the one who started using the word fluid here. I guess you are right that maybe because I have a university degree in fluid mechanics I use the word differently than other people (gasses and liquids are both fluids). The reason I used the word "fluid" is that all the laws and principles and formulas which apply to hydraulics apply also to pneumatics. The only difference is what number you use for compressibility. So in this way LEGO pneumatics are very realistic in that all "fluids under pressure" make actuators work in a similar way, while mechanical actuators like the PF linear actuators are very different. By using the word "fluid" I can say that both the real thing and the LEGO parts work similarly.

Big trucks have inline 6 engines. I think V6 is very rare. I think this is fascinating topic because it separates "realism" from "goodness". 8043 is a really good model! It has the functions of a real excavator and is fun to use. However, the way those functions work is not at all like they really work, so it does not score high on realism. Even the JS220 by Jennifer Clark is not totally realistic. All the pneumatic functions and the compressor (even the controller) are like real life, however the slew and drive are electric and they would be hydraulic on the real thing. I don't think any builder has managed FUPA rotary drive on a MOC yet. An LEGO pneumatic engine doesn't count even if it uses fluid because it is simulating an internal combustion engine, not a rotary actuator. However, an LPE is an excellent example of a VERY realistic model.

I guess you are very lucky to be in Germany. I have never seen a "cheap" 8455 in the USA.

Pneumatic sets tend to be expensive and not come with a lot of pneumatic parts. Those few that do have a lot of pneumatic parts are REALLY expensive. If you are trying to expand your collection, Bricklink is not a bad idea. That eBay auction you referenced seems to be a pretty good deal. Additionally, you can get some good pneumatic assortments from LEGO Education. Pneumatic Parts Pack Pneumatic Add-On Set The air tank is useful for storing up a charge if your pump does not have the capacity to keep up with demand.

A real truck like this may not use hydraulic linear actuators to slew the crane, but it DOES use a rotary hydraulic actuator so I still think this is more realistic than making it electric. Everything which should run off of a compressed fluid does.

Regulators are taller.

It is not a joke. I have indeed volunteered for some new responsibilities in this forum. Not a "promotion" exactly since it doesn't give me any new privileges, but it does indicate my willingness to help out in making this forum a good place to be.

Paint colors don't help much. The issue is that a color on a computer monitor does not look the same when printed on a CMYK printer. And different printers render colors differently. So you really need to make small changes to the file until you get the output of a particular printer to match a part. I selected the blue in my file by taking a picture of the Williams car and then capturing the color in Photoshop. But this relies on the camera and the lighting so get it right, and then it still won't look the same when printed. Color matching is hard.

I created the file in Canvas, but I can export as an Adobe Illustrator file. PM me if you want a copy. I did the metallic color by using a gradient and it looks pretty good. At this point, I'd be fairly happy with any respectable looking sticker at all. The blue color matching is an issue, but if you have the printer you could iterate the color in the file until you get something that prints well.

I had the same issue! After I made my post I found a copy of the instructions on my hard drive but couldn't remember where I found them. Glad you tracked them down. Better build all 3 then.

If I am remembering the original contest rules right, they said it would be an "exclusive" model which means you can only get it directly from LEGO. For certain you can get it from Shop@Home and probably also from LEGO brand retail locations.

I have actually completed a vector version of the Williams sticker sheet which looks amazing, I have just not found the time to get it professionally printed yet. And then, of course, I will have to cut out the stickers. There are machines that will both print and cut and will make perfectly smooth cuts, but I have not found a place that will do this for only a single sheet.

If you have 8458 and 8466, then you can build all 3 of NKs "silver cars". I've rendered all of them here for comparison. In order of complexity, they go: Silver Sports Car GT Car Supercar I built all of them in that order. The one I keep assembled is the last, most complex model. It is by far the most complicated and uses the most parts. They are all good though. Note that there are no instructions for the GT Car. Sport Car GT Car Super Car