DLuders

Alasdair Ryan recently found this interesting Lego Technic website made by Italian AFOL "LegoTechnicModel05": "Welcome to the first website where you can find building guide to alternative models [of] Lego Technic using the kit you already [have].... If you subscribe to my YouTube channel you will always be updated on the releases of new models with its accompanying instructions....But in this website you will find not only the instructions to alternative models but much more." LegoTechnicModel05 maintains his Facebook page that outlines the addition of various Lego Technic alternates. He also has a nice collection of his own model designs. Nice find, Alasdair! So far on his "Building Guide" webpage, LegoTechnicModel05 has these alternate Building Instructions for: 8043C "Snowmobile": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpTKETi-xq4 8258 Tow Truck "RC": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPLHGJ4pd8 8053C "Terex": YouTube video link 8070C Supercar "RC" based on the Pagani Zonda: YouTube video link

The color of the orange 1 x 5 Technic Liftarms looks the same as the colors of the orange parts on this 8110 Parts List (from TechnicBRICKS). You can also look at the colors on :

The 32316 "Orange Technic, Liftarm 1 x 5 Thick" IS cheap in many Bricklink stores. It is the same orange shade as the 8110 Unimog U400's orange parts.

@ vean: I successfully downloaded your LDD .lxf file using the second MegaUpload link you provided. Wow, the 1,254 steps in the "Building Guide Mode" shows that this Drugstore is very intricate! Thanks for sharing it.

@ efferman: Your 99-page, 6.5-MB PDF instructions (via SkyDrive) are very well done. Thanks for sharing them!

@ Zblj: Thanks for modeling your X-Truck in Lego Digital Designer. Using LDD Manager, I made a PDF Parts List for folks to download via MegaUpload SkyDrive here. The 909 parts will make use of the RC Buggy motors I have had lying around -- now I have a good use for them! I added your excellent Trial Truck to this Eurobricks topic. Please say that you did not actually "blow up" the real model and dismantle it?

Zblj's Lego Technic X-Truck (8-wheel Trial Truck) -- LXF File and PDF Parts List: Image

Nice walking excavator! You may want to contact the New England LEGO Users Group (NELUG) for the upcoming meeting/show schedule near "Beantown". I'm sure they would love to drive it!

@ vean: I tried downloading the LXF file, but I got this error message on MegaUpload: "The file you are trying to access is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later."

Yee-hah! I like your Monster Truck bashing into the cars and making jumps. It's interesting to see your 7 Flickr photos for the inner workings of the model:

Sariel's motorized, 8-legged model of a Theo Jansen Walker was drawn in LDD by Nazgarot. LDD File

On his Brickshelf gallery, Nazgarot posted a Lego Digital Designer (LDD) .lxf Building Instruction file to build Sariel's walker. As telecasterman noted, there are going to be LOTS MORE of these "creepy crawlers" worldwide!

@ paddy_kerrigan: Sheepo has Building Instructions for his Planetary Gearbox: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCe335BTW0M

For those who have not been following the Crowkillers website, Paul Boratko recently presented a his "new transmission concept for my next car. The transmission shifts in the same pattern as the real 5 speed models of the Ford Mustang and Subaru WRX with the Reverse Gear on the Right Side below the 5th Gear. However the Reverse Ratio is similar to First Gear which is how it should be... The first part of the video has the Power functions motor hooked up to the Output of the transmission so you can see the engine speed changing(which would normally be constant) and the second part shows the Power Functions motor hooked up to the Input so that you can see the speed of the rear wheels changing, which is the proper way that the transmission would be displayed, but not as easily visible when changing Gears... Ratios are as Follows: 1st Gear 2.08 : 1 2nd Gear 1.60 : 1 3rd Gear 1.25 : 1 4th Gear 1 : 1 5th Gear .75 : 1 Reverse 2.25 : 1" His shows it in action. 14 big pictures are on his Brickshelf gallery.

On his Brickshelf gallery, 4Lord recently posted Lego Digital Designer (LDD) .lxf Building Instruction files for his small Lego Technic Black Racer with Power Functions. There is a link to an .avi video too. At 1600x1200 pixels, the 19 images on Brickshelf are a bit too large to post here....

@ paddy_kerrigan: Sariel (Paul Kmiec) has Building Instructions for the grey/green "2-speed Heavy Duty Linear Gearbox" shown below. He also has built a red/grey/blue "4-speed Compact Linear Gearbox" and a blue/grey "AeroShift Gearbox". You could probably model them in Lego Digital Designer (LDD) if you have patience.

@ LegoBNX: If you want some ideas, you can see Alban's downloadable PDF building instructions for three Great Ball Contraption (GBC) modules here. Although his website is in French, if you click on the "Notices" (instructions) hyperlinks, you will get the PDF files. If you want to read the "Articles", use the online translator http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to translate the entire webpage from French to English.

The Linear Actuators were dissected in a two-part article on TechnicBRICKS (Part 1 and Part 2). The internal clutch is slipping because there is too much friction, or they are overloaded. Have you seen if the Production Code (engraved on the Linear Actuators) is 36X0 or higher? If so, you have the "newer" Linear Actuators (with reduced friction). Older LAs have Production Codes like 24X0, and they have more friction. You may have to "match" your LAs by "sub-36" and "36-and-greater" Production Code pairs.

Yes, Peeron lists the 10231 Shuttle Expedition set as being in the "Sculptures" theme.

In the Pacific Northwest, regular logging trucks could be considered to be "Holztransporters". They carry their own rear wheel assemblies to the forest, and have an onboard crane:

I would look at the various Lego Technic sets featured on Blakbird's Technicopedia. He owns ALL of the Lego Technic sets, and has good information for sets up to 1996. Once you find a set that you like, read the reviews for it on Brickset by typing the set number in the top-right corner of that webpage.

@ paddy_kerrigan: I would try Lego Direct (also known as Lego Customer Service). Log onto http://www.Lego.com , make sure that your Region (at the top-center) is set for your country, then look at the bottom of the screen for "Contact Us". Telephone Lego Customer Service to order your desired parts. You will need the LEGO Part Number (not the Bricklink number) for everything you want. To find this out, look at the Parts Inventory page at the back of your favorite Lego Technic set, and write down the numbers ahead of time; this Lego Customer Service webpage can help you download PDF Building Instructions. You can order a maximum of 15 different line items (not 15 pieces). You need a Credit Card number. If you don't have a Credit Card, shop on http://www.Bricklink.com (as Darth Dino suggested).

As presented in the September-October 2011 Lego Club Magazine, there is a new Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Building Challenge. Entries must be received by October 15, 2011. Here are the details: "HOW TO ENTER: 1. Build a robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 which can pick up a ball, navigate an obstacle course, and drop the ball in a cup. 2. Take a video of your robot performing this action. Your video length should be a maximum of 3 minutes. 3. Your Video must be submitted by DVD. Mail your video, along with your name, age, address, and daytime telephone number, to: LEGO MINDSTORMS 2.0 Building Challenge PO Box 1625 Enfield, CT 06083-1625 USA Five winners will receive LEGO Gift Cards worth $100.00!"

The Lego Technic Challenge for this month is "Build Your Own Mercedes-Benz Unimog" -- "Build your own version of a Mercedes-Benz Unimog - any model." Deadline for submissions is "Saturday 17th of September by 23:59 CET {Central European Time]." Judging commences on September 18.