DLuders

If you are looking for specific parts, you could just buy what you wanted from Bricklink (or "Lego Direct"), and forget buying an entire set. You could thus avoid getting duplicate parts you already own (and don't need).

Well, OK, I'm looking at the website right now and the last post was on Thursday, January 3, 2013 and titled "Week TechVideo, 2013 #01 - Automatic Axle Sorter ".

Technicbricks.com works just fine here in the Pacific Northwest of the USA.

OK -- we've been in contact and he wants a Lego model of a white 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, like this one:

(Alasdair after riding on a Scrambler --> ) CosmicXanadu elaborated some more about his 5,000-brick Scrambler: Model Features Motorised rotation of central core and carriage assemblies 12 carriages arranged in 3 colour-coordinated groups of 4 Holds up to 36 riders Each carriage holds 2 minifigs comfortably (3 at a squash, with outside arms/hands raised) Carriages have a swivel safety-barrier and optional clip-on canopies Carriage rotation can be tilted using manually-operated top-mounted elevation wheel Elevated base with room underneath for mechanics Perimeter steps with safety-barriers, 2 entrance gates, an additional exit chain, flags, and twenty speaker sound system Control booth with motorised roof-mounted rotating Twister sign Decorated with 790 transparent pieces to simulate lights "Larger versions of the ride have the whole thing mounted on a raised platform. "All modern versions of this ride support the rotating carriage assemblies with lower and upper arms connected to the central core and use a double wheel/tyre mechanism on the lower arm that rotates the carriage assemblies as the arms rotate around the base of the core. Much older versions of the ride only used upper support arms containing gearing that rotated the carriage assemblies from above and this is what I've done on the LEGO model since it avoids tyre slippage and is a nice use of Technic gearing from a single motor. "My version of the model also includes an elevation mechanism that can raise the carriages so that they rotate on a slightly tilted axis. I'm not sure if any Twister has ever done this. Certainly none of the modern ones do, but I seem to recall seeing one in the 70s that did. Or perhaps my mind is playing tricks with me. Either way, this is LEGO, and the LEGO version elevates, so there! "Built with LDraw (MLCad) and rendered with POV-Ray. Further information and images here: http://equinoxe.byethost16.com/lego/twister/ ."

[bUMP] CosmicXanadu posted this of his "5000-brick motorised LEGO model of the popular Twister amusement ride, also known worldwide by various other names including the Twist, the Sizzler, the Gee Whizzer, the Grasscutter, the Cyclone, the Cha Cha, and the Scrambler.Three clockwise rotating suspended carriage assemblies with four carriages each are rotated anti-clockwise around a central core. The opposing rotation of the carriages to the core result in a sweeping sensation for the riders and the illusion that the carriages are going to collide with each other."

ghostsquad1212 posted this of a Lego Technic radial aircraft engine (he used this BIG picture of it on Brickshelf):

Tobias Wälde posted this of two Battle-Bots in a LEGO Technic RC Battle:

BrickBoxTV posted this detailed review of the Lego Technic Grand Prix Racer 42000 set: ...and if you were to motorize it (using the instructions), PCTS99's shows what happens:

@ sapo117: This Eurobricks topic talked about possible third-party Transformer for the 8878 Lego Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box. The problem is that the 8878 is designed for 10V input (which is unusual for Transformers).

@ samar: To contact Lego Customer Service for your country, go to Shop.Lego.com . On the top-right corner of that webpage, you'll see a small country flag -- click on the "Change Region" dropdown menu to match your country and language as best as possible. Then, on the bottom-left corner of the webpage, you will see "CUSTOMER SERVICE --> Contact Us". When you click on that, you'll see various ways of telephoning, e-mailing, or snail-mailing a message to the Lego Customer Service for your country/region.

@ Crist Clapper: Since my son is enrolled in Spokane Community College to learn to be a Toyota T-TEN Auto Mechanic, I'll model your 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for you. I'll use Lego Digital Designer (LDD), create a Parts List, and publish a step-by-step Building Instructions file for you to follow (without needing LDD to run). I will start on the project this weekend. I found your posts on this International Full Size Jeep Association topic, so I understand you want your model in White with the wood trim. It should not be too hard to "reverse-engineer" BJ's Off-Road version by using the 3 pictures posted on that topic. Please send an e-mail to me at LudersDG@MSN.com so that we may collaborate (back and forth) about what you LIKE about the model, and what you want changed. By the way, you should have gotten a Full-Size BRONCO (like my son has) instead of a Jeep!

@ Snowbird: Welcome to Eurobricks! Notice that the two Differential Gears (the Dark Bluish Grey items centered between the sides of the wheels) need to face the SAME WAY, like this:

I just downloaded Blakbird's 247-MB PDF Building Instructions for Jennifer Clark's JCB JS220 Excavator (via Crowkillers' website), and I must say they are SUPERB. The 164 pages are extremely well done and full of background information about the real equipment, and the model. The images are high-resolution and sharp, and are laid out just like official Lego building instructions. I really like the color-coded hoses and electrical connections to help with the final assembly. Thanks Jennifer, Eric, and Paul!

I have uploaded Just-a-man/ Bonesiii's Lego Musical Instruments LDD .lxf Building Instructions file for people to download via SkyDrive: https://skydrive.liv...CE2A1CC0886!315 . Here's what his "Music Store" instruments look like -- see them all on this Flickr photoset. BIG IMAGE OF ALL OF BONESIII's MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Is there any further information about MOCplans, besides the single webpage that's been static for almost a month? .....yes, its coming!!

Not necessarily. The 8878 Lego Power Functions (PF) RECHARGEABLE Battery Box is a lightweight Lithium Polymer (LiPo) unit that can produce 7.4V. It can be easily recharged by simply plugging in the transformer's recharging tip, without having to disassemble a MOC. Although it costs USD $50 (not including the transformer), it's a good long-term investment. The 88000 PF AAA Battery box can hold 6 ea., 1.5-Volt Alkaline batteries (for 9V total when new), or 6 ea., 1.2-Volt rechargeable AAA batteries (for 7.2V total). These small battery cells don't deliver a lot of milli-Amp-hours (mAh), so they would have to be replaced more often than the 8878 Rechargeable unit. For Jurgen Krooshoop's "Ultimate 8043", I'd use the 8878 unit so that you wouldn't have to disassemble the MOC somewhat to withdraw the battery box.

I'm scratching my head, trying to find a use for this Lege Element ID 6022718 (Cross Block 3X2X1). For Lego Technic creations, how useful is it to have three parallel axles all aligned, right next to each other? Maybe this part will find its way into the center of a vehicle's front grille, like this Dodge:

@ Crist Clapper: It's not often that I meet a Lego fan older than I am! The Jeep Grand Wagoneer has a nice, boxy shape -- good for Lego. Does your model have to have the fake wood-grain sides? Are you intending to make a VIRTUAL model, or one with real Lego bricks? Are you wanting to build a SPECIFIC YEAR of Grand Wagoneer?

Yes, they have. They lost a lot of money on the 8043's Linear Actuator fiasco. Maybe the reason that the new Power Functions L-Motors and Servo Motors have been withheld from individual sale (until March 2013), because The Lego Group wants to MAKE SURE there aren't any defects found by AFOLs like us....

@ MarkusOSX: Congratulations to you too!

@ Crtlego: What river in the USA do you want to cleanse with this? The Cayahoga River in Akron, Ohio?

Jeppe Juul Jensen is the LEGO Technic Design Manager, so he ought to know. I guess it's January 9th now; the sooner the better!

@ Blakbird: I just ordered the USD $21.72 Building Instructions from Crowkillers' website, since it won't do to have "zero sales from the USA" ! I will gradually accumulate the parts over time and try to build it sometime.

@ sapo117: In the middle of this TechnicBRICKS article (TBs' interview with Gaute Munch), there is a comparison between the various Lego Power Functions Battery Boxes: "TBs: The LPF Rechargeable Battery Box has a security but quite inconvenient feature for the AFOLs use at exhibition displays, which turns OFF the battery after running continuously for about two hours, regardless of the charge level still remaining in it. Have you considered including some "hidden" override mechanism (e.g. a key sequence) for the power users? Why not? Wasn't it a safe and added value feature for this element? GM: You are completely right: This would be a good feature and it is on our list when we update it. This power down override was implemented in the LPF AAA Battery box after launch of the rechargeable. When the charger is on it will not power down. "From left to right we have the LPF Battery Boxes per release order (8881, 8878 and 88000). Like with NXT brick, the last two batteries implement auto turn OFF feature, after approx. 2 hours of continuous operation. Only with the 88000 PF AAA Battery Box, the user can override this function - If you press and hold down the green button for more than 3 seconds the green light will blink to indicate that auto turn OFF is disabled. This means that a motor will run until the batteries are empty. To enable again turn the AAA Battery Box OFF and ON again."