Erik Leppen

Decisions like these are always tough, so I think it's good to see you make such a decision @Blakbird. I think what many AFOLs realize once in their life is that money isn't the only limiting factor, two other big ones are space and time. And, having sets you don't do anything with, feels like a waste of LEGO to me. Lego is meant to be built with, in my view. Anyhow, given you want to downsize your collection, have you considered finding someone with a BrickLink store willing to take over everything you want to part with? You'd get much less money than if you were to sell everything yourself, but what you get back for that is more time. I did a similar thing a few years ago, albeit to much smaller extent; I sorted all my old parts and decided to want to get rid of somewhere between 10,000 and 25,000 parts (mostly old used stuff). So I asked on my local LUG what to do, and someone asked whether she could buy the whole bulk, and I tried to divide it into lots and estimated each lot's approximate value, and soon enough we agreed on a price that both of us were satisfied with. Yes, I may have gotten much less money from i than I could have had if I took the time to sell all of it myself, but now I got rid of everything in one go, plus my fellow AFOL had a lot of additional parts to add to her BrickLink inventory. Now, in my situation (I live in the Netherlands, which is much smaller than the US), this was easier to make happen because the buyer could simply drive to my place by car, check the whole thing, pay me, do a bit of sorting with my help, put everything in the car and drive home, all on the same day. In your case it's a much bigger quantity and it might have to go by plane, so I'm not sure how much that will cost. Anyhow. Maybe, after the great sell, I think you should see if you can come up with a new plan that won't get you in the same problems another 10 or 15 years down the road. Would it for example be feasible for you to buy all sets from one year, review them, write your Technicopedia for that year, and sell the lot the year after. (I don't know how much money you have available for LEGO in a year and how much you're willing to spend, since the current problem seems space-related, not money-related per se.) That way your collection will always consist of at most 2 years worth of sets. Of course, it would be ideal if you could find Bricklink "teammate" who would accept you being their supplier of used Technic sets. Maybe you buy a $100 set, sell it to them for $50, they sell it used for $70 on their store and three people are happy (you, the BL storeowner and his buyer who got a cheap set that's only used once) Of course, the most important condition for all of this to happen is that you personally feel happy doing it that way. I'm not trying to tell you what to do of course, so if you don't really want to continue collecting sets or updating Technicopedia, you shouldn't do it of course. Technicopedia is an awesome resource (for many of us I think), but personally I wouldn't want you to continue it against your own will. Another possible option would be that you get someone else to do the writeups and photos for you and you only do the site hosting, design and organisation. (Of course, again, provided that suits your own preferences.) Also, I believe you can sell MOCs on Bricklink as "Custom Items".

If this really has 4000 parts, then 230 euro isn't even very expensive. It's less than 6 cents a piece. But I am curious to what it will have for that size. I mean, 42009 has 1400 parts less and I'm wondering what this new crane can have over 42009. Also, 2 normal linear actuators seem a bit puny for such a monster of a boom. If you scale down a real crane of this type, the main boom cylinders would be at least twice or thrice as long. Below I'm trying to compile a list of possible functions, going all the way from absolutely necessary (IMO) to wishful-thinking: necessary: Steering Drive (+ fake engine) Outriggers Slewing the superstructure Luffing (boom up-down) Extending Hoisting likely: Motorization of the 5 crane functions above All-wheel steer All-wheel drive Tilting cabin possible: Suspension Claas steering modes wishful thinking: Outriggers that extend first horizontally and then vertically without the need to flip a switch Two-stage outriggers I think this has a lot of space to add huge and complex gear systems in the undercarriage, after all it has only 4 wheels, as opposed to 42009 which has its entire undercarriage covered by wheels. Also, it's wider and taller. And even 8421's superstructure hosts four motorized functions, so in this new crane there's plenty of room.

Interesting project. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the exposed L motors, but I guess it's the best solution efficiency-wise. You get the most power out of them if the drive train is short like you did. Black with orange seems to work quite well. For the frames, they are new this year in black, 4x in the rally car and 1x in the first responder (according to https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=64179&colorID=11&in=A.) That would probably suit your color scheme much better. Personally, I would remove the two 3L thin beams between the orange 3x11 panel and the two small panels behind it. That would make the rear end 1 stud shorter, but would create a continuous orange line. But that's just personal taste. Anyhow, you're well underway. Suspension is rather straightforward and your drive solution is also nice and simple, so I'm curious how you will be doing the front part. That will be interesting, with the steering function.

@TheNextLegoDesinger This is the suspension linkage: The triangles connect to the chassis. The springs are connected to the chassis via the black connector. As you can see, it hinges both on the red #2 axle and the brown 3L axle with stop. Because it's hinged on two perpendicular axles, the springs can move in all directions. That way, there will be no forces that try to bend the chassis - all force will all go to the spring, instead of twisting the frame. Also, the springs are at an angle to prevent them from touching the axle unit at the bottom (the springs are wider than 1 stud). Because the joint of the spring (the red axle) is above the brown axle, compressing the spring pushes the black connector upwards, which gives unwanted stress. The 6L links at the top prevent this stress from bending the brown axles. Putting the brown axle above the red axle (turning the black connectors 180 degrees around the brown axle) would make the assembly one stud higher, which would take room I don't have. So that's why it's like this Anyhow, I have new progress! First of all, I ditched the rear outriggers. Indeed, they don't really add anything. (Also, sorry, I accidentally saved the pictures as a very low quality JPG. Next update will have sharper pictures again) Also, I have a front axle! (left of the image = front of the vehicle) The small ball joints will be connected to 6L links to the frame to prevent the axle from "steering". The large ball joint will of course be connected to the chassis. Perhaps more interestingly, I have a steering module! I didn't want to use a turntable for steering, also I don't have the space for one, so I went for a system with 2 small LA's operating in opposite directions (when one compesses, the other extends) - the 20L tan gear on the other side is facing the other way. The steering angle is a bit limited, (around 18 degrees to each side, I estimate), but personally I like how it works. Here you see where the front axle goes :) The yellow axle goes to the fake engine. The red axle is where the L motor will be. The battery box will be directly above that. Both axles transver drive to one of the U joints in the steering hinge, to the rear section. Next step will be adding the fake engine, adding the front axle and suspension (will be same unit as rear).

For outriggers, I think it's wise to check out the instructions of some sets that have them. The first example of outriggers I came across was set 8460, the wonderful yellow mobile crane from the '90s. The idea is that the shape formed by frame, the two arms and the leg is not a parallellogram - it has unequal sides, which make leg rotate at the same time the outrigger is folding out. It's very hard to explain with words, so build it and find out how it moves. Or, less work: check out the Technicopedia page on that set: http://www.technicopedia.com/8460.html, and in particular, view the animation of the outriggers.

300kB, in total. So it's probably the Brickshelf server having a hickup.

Update! It seems a lot has happened, but most of it is symmetric, which goes twice as quick What I'm especially happy with is that it turns out to be possible to have a 5-stud-high chassis over the whole length. A disadvantage is that when the suspension fully compressed on one side, the wheels touch the chassis. I'm not sure how to change that, because the top layer of the chassis (11L beams in the first picture) has to work around the suspension connection point. But there will be a one-stud-thick layer on top to form the bed, maybe that can serve a structural purpose and some of the beams of the current top layer can be left out. But that would make things less modular. Another thing you might have noticed is that I ran the outrigger drive axles to the back to drive a second set of outriggers. I'm not sure I'm keeping those, for several reasons. The wheels, when compressed, touch these long axles It's not in the reference. There is a ladder at this place in the reference. The rear outriggers take a lot of space, making the vehicle longer. I think I like the pureness of a single set of outriggers more But I like how easy it was to add this option. Also I like the symmetry it adds to the structure. Next up: front axle module, steering module.

Eh, I'm not into the terminology I'm afraid, but the axles are not connected to each other. It's basically the same as the two front axles of 42043. There will be shock absorbers, but I just don't have the upper connection point for them yet. Will be in the next update :)

Afte the success of the Jaguar XJR19 Le Mans prototype (of which I will still to the photos of the complete model, and instructions) I decided to do a new WIP. Again it's a model I've prototyped over the last month and will now do the second, hopefully better buildup. And again, I will use a photo of an existing vehicle as my inspiration, but it won't be an exact scale model. I use the photo as inspiration and will deviate where needed for the functions (and it will be needed, because i want a 4-function switch box similar to 8258). It's this truck. It's called Foremost Delta 3 Wheeled Carrier and it seems to come in several configurations, one of which has the crane below. On this picture, it's not finished, because outriggers seem to be missing. Several other pictures of the same model show that it has one set of outriggers near the crane. My other source of inspiration will be set 42070. I want to make something with a similar size, which will be in a way "my own take on that set's theme", i.e. "off-road truck with crane". (That's all I will use from that set). So I'm thinking of something in the range of about 2000 pieces. (In practice though, it will always turn out to be more.) Another thing: the colors will be very different. My first prototype was obediently yellow, but when I arrived at the cabin I wanted to deviate a bit, so I threw some less-used colors in the mix, and went for Dark Turquoise with Black for the cabin, and consequently also for the crane and bed. The chassis will be Dark Gray and for the body I am torn between Yellow and Red (main reason being the colored axles I want to use, for example for the ladders). I will be copying the crane from 8258 (with different colors), because that one seems perfect for the scale and type. But everything else will be different. I will be using Tumbler wheels. The profile is not exact but the shape and size seems fine. Also, currently I have only 4, so I will temporarily be using someting else for the front (interestingly, the Porsche wheels have the same diameter and width). I started with two important modules: The one on the left is the 4-function gearbox and crane base, and the one on the right is the rear axle unit. What I like personally is how a 4-way gearbox and outriggers using the new gear rack pieces introduced in 42043 fit in a pretty compact module. Here's the gearbox unit from below. The dark-gray axle joiner is the motor input. I plan on using my newly acquired L-motor. Here's the rear-axles module: Each axle is mounted on two 1x5 suspension arms and two 1x6 links. These 4 keep the axle in place and nicely horizontal. The free ball-sockets near each wheel will connect to the springs. Also, as you see, with the parts used, doing this part in dark-gray seems impossible... Of course, the 15L beams will be replaced by the chassis. It will be a challenge to get this strong though, because the gearbox module has some gears in the way, so little room to connect things firmly. The functions I want to have: Manual steer and drive (so no RC) Electric crane rotation Electric crane first boom element Electric crane second boom element Electric outrigger horizontal deployment Manual outrigger vertical deployment (similar to many sets) Suspension It's not as impressive as 42070's six electric functions in three modes and four nice large-range outriggers, but instead of that, this will have suspension. Next up will be connecting the two modules, and doing the front axle and steering modules.

This really depends. What kind of people buy the Porsche? Car fans. Then adding a new car will increase sales, because the cars are now a collectable series. Technic fans. Then adding a new car will not do much, because the cars compete against each other for Technic-ness. Probably it's a mix between the two. Anyhow, what the target audience is for the Porsche and whether it's successfull in that audience, is info we don't have. But if we assume the Porsche is mainly a collector set for car fans, then we can conclude it's likely a second car will follow. Personally, I expect 42083 to be a car, mainly because TLG said the Porsche was "the first in a series". The Bugatti Chiron in dark azure + black seems the most likely suggestion to me so far, for various reasons: With the Mack truck, we already have a non-car licenced flagship set, so it's unlikely that 42083 is again not a car Someone here said it was "a brand currently already licenced", and according to some people here, the Speed Champtions theme has a Bugatti set (I didn't check this though) A lot of pieces appeared in dark azure recently.

What i find a bit strange is that noone mentioned what would be my first step when doing anything in a scale: grab a few blueprints of the original (preferably a side-view and a top view), get a drawing program on your PC (I use paint.net), open the various images and draw aligned grids over them to determine the size in studs. Then, when you have that, you can start taking your bricks and "following the lines" on your grid so that the shape of your build matches the shape of the model. (Now I'm not a scale builder, but I sometimes use scale references like this for my Technic builds) You would get something like this: (I just picked any scale for example's sake). In my example, every grid cell is 1 by 1 stud, so this assuming studs-sideways building. if you want to build studs-up, or studs-forward (relative to the ship's orientation), then your grid changes, because bricks are not cubical but area actually cuboids whose height is 1.2 units (so a 1 x 1 brick is 1 x 1 x 1.2 units).

With all the new pins other small parts and some new panels lately, it feels quite complete. Maybe 2018 is a year where the existing parts are used in new ways, rather than adding new parts.

I like black because it's the color that hides itself best if behind a "hole" in a bodywork. I mean, a grey chassis shines through holes much clearer, which I personaly find looking worse. So I usually prefer black for inner workings. My most recent model, the Jaguar XJR19, I went for all-black because that makes the other color (metallic green) stand out the most. Black takes the least "visual space" and makes the other colors shine more. Also, I have the most parts in black. However, I also like to distinguish several parts of the inner workings. For example, what I have done once is use gray for structure (because frames are gray), black for functional modules that hang in the structure, and dark-gray for moving parts (because some suspension arms are dark-gray). That way, color gets a meaning. But if a model's body is black, I tend to pick another color for the insides. My TC7 Enforcer was black (and white) so the chassis was all light-gray. Another example: set 8285 uses a red chassis, and in that same vein, my recent tow truck was black with a yellow chassis.

I know I'm late to the party, but I like how the steering wheel is linked to the steering mechanism.

I say this is only natural. People are different, so the same build by different people is a different achievement. If someone posts an OK model but his previous models were quite bad, then I tend to praise the OK model for the progress the builder has made and what he or she has learned. If someone else would post an OK model and his/her previous models are very good, then I would be much more critical. Personally I find this forum very friendly to new people whose skills may not yet match our own. I have the same mentality. In fact I had this on a game programming forum where this resulted in such a lack of recognition that a member I respected a lot made a specific topic about my games and the lack of recognition they seemed to generate, partly because of the "bland" topic titles. However in general I feel that here on EB, the amount of recognition people get is pretty well balanced. I agree that in general this forum tends to be a very friendly part of the internet and I personally find discussions like these very interesting and valuable.

Good that you start this discussion, @Didumos69. I notice the same thing - overly enthousiastic replies to models we haven't seen working because they look good, and (too?) little critique in general. That's why I like WIP topics. They show the process rather than the end result, and I think Technic building is all about the process. (Technic building has been compared to playing chess, and the end result of a chess game is its least interesting aspect.) And that's why I like that contests require WIP topics for all entries. (I know I'm guilty myself of not always showing WIPs; currently I have a nice model in the making 90% done, but I will probably rebuild and then show the progress. About looks. That frontpaged models are selected on looks isn't surprising - they are for a non-Technic audience to pull into the theme. But that the same goes for the Hall of Fame bothers me more. And not only are models selected on good looks, they are also selected on good photography, which has even less to do with Technic. At least good looks are a quality of the model itself. One way to mitigate this, is to show more of the insides of our models. I think an underside shot is required at the least (but most models have that, so that's good), but body-removed shots should also be given to show the insides. Videos showing the functions would be even better, unfortunately I don't like making them myself. Digital renders showing the innards are good too, but making those requires specialist knowledge not everyone has. Actually, the only way to give the best critique possioble is to build the model (a model's building process is part of its quality; a part often forgotten I think. That's part of why I like set 8448 so much) and try it yourself. However, understandably, most viewers (myself included) won't take the time needed for this.

I like how you used red for all the gearbox and steering stuff, but I still understand nothing of it, even seeing the whole underside. So I'm curious to how this works. Have you built things in the plastic yet to test, or have you just got this digital design? Also, do I understand correct that in 4th gear you can't make turns? (That would a bit weird). Also, what does the rear steering do when the 4+N+R gearbox is in N or R? What's the steering angle like? And is it correct to assume the part with the gear rack is the front? Concerning the number of gears: personally I couldn't care less whether it's 4 gears or 8 in a Lego model. We get the point either way. So I'd vote for just keeping four. 4+N+R with linked steering is quite an achievement by itself (and actually a function I have tried to do once, but failed badly (but this was before the Claas Xerion set existed)). The pneumatic brakes are very nice addition. Does it fit within the wheel? Do the pneumatic valves just push the red 5L beam against the inside of the rim, or is there something else going on? Curious how you will do the styling. Do you have any ideas yet for the color scheme?

You can't make a model that has no gaps at all. So the choice is large gaps vs. small gaps. Personally, gaplessness isn't a criterion for me per se. As long as the style is coherent and flows nicely. The two models @brunojj1 shows are perfect examples, but so is this one (which remains one of my favorite Lego cars) The advantages of the open, flex-axle style are: fewer parts, less weight, and you see more of what happens on the inside. The closed paneled style may look better to non-Technic people, is more realistic in a way, and can be built sturdier (a removable body for example, is very hard to pull off with flex axles). For flex axles, you're limited to what's available in your color (axles and connectors) and only a few lengths of axles usually available. For panels, you're limited by the panel sizes (I still quite frequenly need a panel that's smaller than the 5x2x1 #21 and #22 panels.

Can you show us what you've got? Even if only drawings or sketches or digital designs? That gives a sense of the scale/size you're after (and building style, etc). Of course it's possible to get help, but I would like to see your own ideas first so we can have more specific suggestions. Also, one thing you might not have thought of (I don't know), but you could use pneumatics for deploying the feet vertically. That's probably the easiest way to provide power to an extending outrigger section.

The green used in the forwarder is definitely the same green as 42008.

I like how clean and compact everything looks. If yo uiwould have said it existed I would believe it. Really the only things giving it away are the tracks. I would expect this to be a wheeled on-road vehicle. But it looks splendid. Nice small scale, lots of functions, very clean design. Good colors. I like the moving cabin. Could have been a set. The inspiration from 42078 trailer is kinda clear though :) The only large con is the fact it can only transport one pipe at a time. As soon as the main boom is lifted, the pipe rolls off. That would be a weak spot for this vehicle. You would have to change the whole design of the cranes to change that. But let's say this is for really heavy pipes that are usually transported one-by-one anyway :) :)

Exactly what I was thinking. I think the First Responder looks like a really good starter set. Main model has rear drive to a V2, steer, rear suspension, winch, and some warning-light kind of thing. B-model has drive, steer and winch. Also, decent parts pack for someone starting out in Technic. So far of what I have seen (everything upto 42075), I think this set matches best what Technic is about for the target audience. If I had to pick a Technic set as a gift for someone else, this would probably be it.

Right now you can lift it by this part of the roof. That would be lost if I'd replace the 9L beam by axles. Also, it would increase part count, decrease stiffness and the only way I see this possible is with the use of 3L axles which are color-coded gray or yellow, so I would need to add a bush to keep it black, which helps little. I still prefer the current solution. Good question. If you look at the wheel arches in the original reference picture in the opening post, you see that the wheel arches have a thinner "ridge" at the outsides and are lower (closer to the wheel) on the inside. I think the best way to replicate this is by leaving out the inner side completely. If #42039 would have been like the prelim picture and had the flat bendable panels, I could have used those, but these parts don't exist and I wish to use official parts only. I see no non-bulky solution to cover the entire wheel, so I thought with current parts, this is the best and cleanest solution. (You could say I chose to "suggest" a shape rather than replicate it exactly.)

Wow, these handcrafted instructions are lovely! So great that you provide them for free. I think the photographic quality is excellent (although somehow on my screen, the purple looks like the old color from the Competition subtheme, rather than Dark Purple) and the model itself looks really nifty from the inside. I also like how one 42069 seems to get you already most of the needed purple pieces. Thanks for making these!

I have seen the discussion on the prices, and I wonder why all the focus is on the crane. If I may be so free to take a few rought guesses as to piece counts, I would say something like 42079 (forklift): Around 600 - 750 pieces 42080 (forwarder): Around 950 - 1150 pieces 42081 (volvo): Around 1000 - 1250 pieces 42082 (crane): Around 2000 - 2800 pieces For prices I would guess about €0.10 or $0.10 per piece, so, say 42079 (forklift): €60 / $70 42080 (forwarder): €110 / $120 (upwards adjusted for pneumatics) 42081 (volvo): €130 / $140 (upwards adjusted for size, wheels, bucket) 42082 (crane): €220 / $240 (downwards adjusted for large set) No matter how you turn or twist it, there's no way that forwarder is going to be worth $200. I just can't imagine. It looks very comparable to 42068 to me, but with pneumatics. I can imagine the Volvo doing $180 though - it's large, so they might try the 42070 pricing strategy (overpricing and await who bites before discounting it) I'd say the crane is definitely smaller than 42055 by piece count, but it looks pretty imposing, so $240 could be realistic. $360, no way. That's Ninjago City, Ghostbusters fire station or Mindstorms kind of prices.