D3K

Do you mean to use it as a sort of leaf spring? Torsion bar suspension is something different entirely, mostly seen in tanks and tracked armored vehicles.

Of course your fans will appreciate you taking the time to answer their questions, like you said, a lot of the really popular channels out there don't take the time to do that. Unfortunately, the most active commenters on YouTube seem to be just MineCraft playing kids, getting some sort of kick from acting like socially retarded megablocks, and they should be ignored.

"wanker.png" I say you are in your full right to refuse, obviously. If you say no once, and they continue nagging, just ignore them.

Concider this technique Brick built solutions tend to become very very heavy

Yeah, the dual setup is definitely not needed from a strictly mechanical point of view, but I am a sucker for symmetry I have (and still am) concidered cutting one out, as I'm not sure I'll even need them for the B-model.. Still, we'll see! Only a couple of days in yet Yeah, I know, and those long yellow panels gives it an even lower impression.. Working on alternative solutions Thanks! It's a lot of fun building it, and a bit annoying not being able to put more functions into it due to the size constraints!

Haha, indeed You are right; it is for the steering, and you are wrong; putting the gear on top won't fix it - I thought so too at first. I couldn't understand why the steering was so hard Try it yourself Thanks! I imagine the B-model will be quite a lot smaller than the A-model, but I hope to implement some nice functions nonetheless Progress update: I made a quick cabin, and some work on the rear. Not sure I am satisfied though . In its current configuration it is within the 42x14x17 box, so it barely works. One problem I see now is I need another stud up top for the HOG EDIT: Thanks! Still improving it! I was planning on three valves, but space is very limited, so I think I'll cut it down to two: One for the large cylinders, and one for the blade shift cylinder

No room!

Luckily they are so plentiful that even if they were to be phased out, I don't think prices would skyrocket anytime soon. You can probably buy them in the hundreds for a low price whenever you get the money

You strike again! Fantastic deal!

Lordy lord, overreact much? Well, if you want people to finally understand what you meant with that post, it might help to give your opinion in that post, not just leave everyone guessing! Nowhere do you express your concerns/worries regarding Decool, you just inform that there is such a thing. One could just as easily read your initial post as if you're concidering buying this stuff. You ask for peoples' opinion, yet you react when people express them, seemingly looking for a "correct" answer that only you knew what was [...finally someone understands what I meant to say...]. Also, you have been a member on this forum for quite some time, and these Chinese knockoffs have been discussed at length before, and I'm sure you must have caught some of it? On topic, I fully agree with nerdsforprez, and he sums up the view of most of us here. At the end of the day, it's up to the individual if he/she want to use Only original Lego, chinese knockoffs, 3Dprinted parts, etc etc.

Thanks guys, I am glad you seem to like the idea! I was up way too late last night continuously trying to improve the design, and I think I'm starting to get there! Total length is now 42 studs. I could shorten it in the back, but I really need those 5x11 panels for the B-model (I think ), and as long as I don't exceed the heigth of the cylinders with the cabin, I'm good. More precisely, keeping this length of 42, width of 14 and heigth of 17 should make the model exactly 9996 cubic studs!! Cutting it really close! Well, I have a couple of more pics for you guys: Like I said earlier, I'm really enjoying this contest!

Been tinkering a bit more, and have managed to shorten the arm by another 4-5-ish studs, and I think I'm at an absolute minimum now. There is quite a lot going on inside the structure there, so the current iteration is pretty far from the original I had a couple of days ago! Also, I simplified the pivot point a little. In the picture you can see the new front (bottom) compared to the length of the previous one (top). The pivot point of the old one is where you can spot the U-joint. Overall, this should give me more space in the back, and hopefully let me build at least 17 studs high! Make a road grader in scale, and I think it would be pretty far above the 10 000 cubic stud limit

Good to see another TC9 topic! It looks clean and simple, with good proportions, and the potential to become very nice roadster! Very good starting point for your second MOC!

Thanks! Yeah, still quite a way to go. I suspect the cabin will have to be rather small, making for a small scale model of a huge machine! Tell me about it! When I started conceptualizing the model, I was actually thinking of using the wheels from 8265!!

I just thought of something, and want to make a suggestion to an addition to the rules. For the entry post, I think it would be good for everyone to show (or link to) a set of pictures of the model placed within a makeshift "box" of sorts, to show without a shadow of doubt the actual physical dimensions of the model. I'm thinking of a flat frame, simply built out of system or Technic bricks/liftarms, that should be easily read from the pictures, with some vertical constraints (I just used some axles, and liftarms for measuring) where appropriate to "prove" that the model is within the contest specified 10 000 cubic studs. Here is a picture to show you what I mean: More pictures to explain what I mean (amongst others a suggestion for vertical heigth read out) can be seen in my latest post in my TC9/WIP topic. PS: If Jim thinks it not appropriate for me to show pictures of my model/link to my topic in this topic, then obviously delete pic/link. It's not meant as advertising, just to help you understand what I mean

Thanks! Now here's to hoping it will fit.. Good busy? That's a new one for me! Anyway, I know I said I'd have some progress by last night, but I got a little delayed, so I'll post some today instead: I made an actual "box" with the internal dimensions of the model, to help myself, as well as to be able to show exactly what the dimensions actually are. This box will probably change as the model evolves. Anyway, I'll suggest this as a possible rule in the TC9 info topic, as I think it's a great way to constrain and show the exact dimensions of the different entries from looking at the pictures.. The "box" I made has an internal area of 14x43 studs, theoretically giving me just 16,5 studs to work with in the vertical direction. I have shortened the front by one stud compared to the last pictures. The above picture shows the heigth of the model (highest point per now is the top of the cylinders), currently at roughly 17 studs, meaning I have to shorten it by 0,5 studs, or make the model shorter to have more playroom vertically. This picture is meant to show that the model is within the "box", but the angle makes the wheels seem out of it, but you can see in the next picture they are actually inside I am really enjoying this build, it really gives me flashbacks from the [mini] contest, where one was looking to save pieces anywhere one could, except here one is trying to save studs in every direction, any way one can!

Great and thorough review, as always! The short videos help highlight stuff that isn't immediately apparent from viewing the pics and reading the text I'm not quite sold on this one, was half expecting the wheelie function to be connected to the drive shaft, so it would automatically go into (and maybe afterwards settle down from?) a wheelie as it travels along... Still, set looks better than expected, and that blue colour indeed is very vibrant!

That's what I found out quickly as well!

Definitely 19L! I made this mock up just to be sure: Using a white 19L axle obviously, but it fits like in the pictures, so I can't see it being any other length

Fantastic MOC! I love the originality of your models, truly something unique, and so expertly executed! Also, congrats on the marble maze!

Thanks for taking an interest! I have already done some rather heavy redesigning, as it is still very much a WIP. I highly doubt it will be less than 500, but it's still a bit early to tell It is definitely growing out of the box faster than expected, so I'm working on ways to shrink it any way I can The total width is now 14 studs, compared to the between 15-16 studs in the above pictures. I have also lowered the angle of the entire front, making it less steep and slightly lower. I am in the process of shortening it by at least one stud as well. Unfortunately that means I will have to slightly redesign the blade as well as move it forward a little bit.. Still working on that. Per now it can be rotated 90 degrees, so the total width of the model is measured at the wheels, not the blade (which is as you mentioned 21 studs wide. I currently only have one of the 1x11 cylinders, and that is used for the blade shifting left/right function. I am planning on aquiring a couple more, and possibly use them on this model, but I have to concider the B-model as well. While the thin cylinders will probably look better there as well, I'll have to take the functionality into concideration as well. Luckily they should be drop-in replacements for the current cylinders, as they have the same length, stroke, and attachment points Thanks, I'm planning to Hopefully I'll be able to shrink it to comply with the rules of the contest though Anyway, I'm going to do some more work on it today, and I'll try to have some updated pics up by tonight

I don't know whether you are concidered ataff staff or not, but you are allowed to enter, no doubt. Been a while since we saw a MOC from you now, looking forward to it!

Got this idea in my head when we first started discussing an A+B model contest, and once the information topic was up and clarified the rules, I got to work and threw this together. It's kind of hard to sort of anticipate what kind of parts are going to be needed for the B-model. Some things are obvious (like the pneumatics, wheels and some panels to make the dump bed), but others less so. My plan is to firstly finish this first model, and check that it's within the size regulations. Then redesign it to comly with the rules (as I'm sure I won't get it right the first time). Then I will make a digital model of it to remember what it looks like, and digitally modify it where needed when I create the B-model. If I at that point see the B-model absolutely needs some parts not found in the initial A-model, then I'll use the digital model to try and implement them in the A-model. Finally, I will rebuild the A-model with whatever changes are needed, and that will be the actual A-mode entry! The reason for choosing the grader as the A-model, is simply it has more functions than the dumper B-model. Anyway, enough talk, I do actually have a couple of pictures of the early stages of the A-model (as it stands today): The working functions so far are: -Front axle steering via rack and pinion -Front axle pendular suspension -Blade lift/lower independent left/right with long pneumatic cylinders -Blade shift left/right with long thin pneumatic cylinder -Pivot point can be steered left to right the same angle as front axle to allow offset grading position Depending on how big it turns out, I might implement a front blade and/or a rear ripper. I doubt I'll have room to fit a fake engine in the rear, but we'll see Hope you like the idea! This is of course in the very early stages of the build, so expect a lot of changes

I think restrictions are a good thing, but the crane contest was also a breath of fresh air in that regards, as the entries were so different from one another. But that's just it, different contest, different restrictions (or lack thereof). If you won't participate in the contest because you can't use a motor to drive your pneumatic system, then that is of course your privilige.

The answer to your question is also still valid I for one agree with ZBLJ.. Instead of using your creativity to find ways to circumvent the rules, use that creativity to make solutions in your models so they comply with the - in my opinion - quite straightforward rules: 10k cubic studs I imagine this will be a great contest, and I've started something I hope will fit the "box." But as is usually the case, things quickly grow bigger than anticipated, so I expect a lot of redesigning to find something I'm satisfied with. Short hint for my entry: long pneumatic cylinders