RohanBeckett

http://tinkernology.blogspot.com/2011/04/four-lego-delta-robots.html From the website: "Years of development, months of building and programming........This system uses four Lego parallel robots which are fed by two conveyor belts." Very impressive! Mesmerising, watching the 4 robot arms at work... RB

Awesome work, grohl, and dluders! bit sad that I don't actually own this set!!! although I'm pretty certain I have all the parts - minus the yellow wheels! :) as I've said before.. it's a shame that TLG don't provide a few more alternate model instructions (or even just pictures!) for both technic AND system sets! The last sets that I bought that absolutely impressed me, in that regard, was the 'Make and Create - Designer sets' (precursor to Creator) In particular: 4404 Land Busters - the super thick instructions booklet is amazing... 3 main models and semi-detailed pictures/ideas for about 8 more! I can understand the work involved in creating official alternate models.. but surely they can get a few 'apprentices' at TLG Design to come up with some good ideas for alternate models (no matter how crazy!) and print off a few extra pages in the back of the instruction booklet to inspire future builders! RB

I remember looking over the pictures for that combine harvester... but I never understood what the thin yellow plates, resting on the axle, between the 2 x 24tooth gears did. Figure 'A' and 'B' I didn't see the point of all that gearing... to do... what? 10 year old me didn't understand... and 35year old me STILL doesn't!! Someone please enlighten me! RB

I spy with my little eye.... your recent purchases! ;) http://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=3794&colorID=115 and someone also bought 1200 of them in March already (was that you?) And this is insane: http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?sID=172834&itemID=22534427 how on earth does any one store accumulate 36,000 of them? Considering the most times it appeared in a set is the Pirate Code Game (34) Oh.. and good work on the MOC... bonus points if you make that big golden flying bird! :) that was my favourite part of the show! RB

Well.. I've made some progress! Still not 100% happy with the steering.. It's just got too much slack in it.. and even after I got a Hockey Spring off Bricklink.. it seemed to add friction/drag to one direction of steering... plus of course, the turning circle is crap.. but that's to be expected with front wheel drive. I might build your idea, Zblj, and see if it'll fit into my body work. anyway.. just posting to show a work-in progress: In my original 'hello' post, I showed off a Mini Moke that I'd made as a present for my girlfriend (now wife!) http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=38959 This Easter, we're driving the car 600 km's to a 'Moke Fest'.. probably around 80 vehicles from around Australia meeting up for the long weekend holiday. I'm hoping to have it finished by then, to bring along, and show off! There's some really unusual angles and curves in this little car.. took a bit of experimenting to work out.. a lot of SNOT work too! One day, I might try it in studless.. but for now.. studded is what I build best in! Working Headlights Working Steering wheel Removable Bonnet (same as original car!) PF Remote Controlled Hope to have a mockup engine in here No Suspension, but it's true to the original car - front wheel drive. I think I've improved on the original version! The Real Thing:

Yes.. def. on my 'to build' list... thanks for the super detailed build instructions - it's stuff like this, that sets the awesome MOC builders apart from the good ones... great community spirit! I'm not too bad on parts.. just don't have any 87408 brackets, and the 57585 3-way axle connector... reckon I'd have less than $20 bricklink order to make it.. RB

great MOC! might try to build it one day... Those Blue-Tongues are native around here (Melb, australia... actually common across most of the country) I had one in my backyard the other week.. surprisingly quick, once they 'charge' themselves up in the sun! a bit like your MOC, maybe? RB

just ordered one myself from Bricklink.. none in Australia.. and no sellers had more than one for a reasonable price.. so I got it from a Canadian seller for about US$2.20 if it works well, I might order a couple more.. but they'd be from individual sellers... only 11 for sale at the moment! http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?itemID=42647 RB

On a window sill? are you nuts? :-) the parts will yellow, and your stickers will crack and peel! Really.. the only way *I* keep my sets, are in sealed, argon-gas injected titanium boxes, in an underground storage environment! RB

Would be good if they took up a suggestion I saw posted a few months ago: All entrants must take a photo with themselves - or maybe their model with a piece of paper, with a 'code word' for that competition... to prevent fake/stolen entries. RB

very cool... but I can't say I've ever seen a parts list ....broken down as much as what you've listed... pneumatic valves and cylinders listed as individual sub-pieces!!! RB

First one is Basic... as is the 3rd... there are no Duplo figs there at all the old style brick-built person (Homemaker) is modified a bit.. they never came with legs like that.. although it's a pretty good mod.. using only parts that would have existed in the 70's! I'm sure some avid collector would have a photo of *all* figures, in one shot... RB

Nice work on the front section! I've just started work a couple of weeks ago on almost the exact same design... http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51830 although I'll admit that yours is a lot neater.. however.. I'm trying to work with an exact scale... and for those size tyres... 2 more studs wide would be too much! I was hoping for a functional engine, but found it too hard to fit directly above the front axle. Good work.. I'll be following this thread! :) RB

sigh.. yes... it's blatently obvious... when I think about it! anyway.. I've used the frame now, and it all drives smoothly. Now working on the body of the car... despite the subframe being studless, I'm going studded for the body... once I get the dimensions worked out, I can figure out where to hide the motors and battery box and of course.. I have plenty of parts to build it in yellow.... but the *one* part I need several of... Lego has never made in plain yellow! grrrr! Looks like a few bricklink orders, and I'll have to build a red car now! RB

yeah.. I displayed all my technic models at a small exhibition a couple of years ago... there were lots of kids around.. and I happily let them operate my models - knowing that the studless ones held up pretty well... I also have 2 of the Racer RC cars.. and they were hammered all day long (going through 2 or 3 sets of batteries)... and apart from the odd wheel falling off, or steering rod coming unclipped... held up just fine! RB

So... I decide to rebuild the whole thing *again*... and make it all a bit stronger... The thin 24t bevel gear was slipping off a bit, so I thought I'd just move the support beam back, and put a double bevel in... should be fine.. as I've seen this setup on other models... Now.. has anyone built a diff and bevel gear exactly like this before? Looks like it'd work fine? Wrong! For some geometric reason.. the double-bevel is a *fraction* too close to the diff... and it grinds... If I pop the supporting beam just out a little, on the friction pins it's mounted on.. it works fine... Compared to this, in 8265: This operates smooth as silk! no grinding at all.. Exact same technic spacing: (not perfectly lined up for the photo, but you get the idea) Turns out the liftarm frame has a TINY bit extra inner-width, end to end... and this is the reason it works fine.. grrrr... rebuilding for a *forth* time now! and I hope it doesn't interfere with the steering rods! I may end up resorting to Zblj's design..... On another note: Comparing the 3 x 3w new Differentials I own.. 2 from 8265, and 1 from 8297... I notice that there's a slight warp/buckle in the outer rim teeth.. Mostly the edges furthermost from the sides of the diff... and it's very slight... however it's noticable when it's spinning... (bit like watching a buckled bike wheel) RB

tell me about it! See my other thread about a Front-Wheel Drive module.. I swear I've pulled it apart a dozen times... as I inevitably find I need to make a change deep down... and because it's small and compact, and built with a lot of liftarms, and pins.. I pretty much have to destroy the whole lot to make an inner change! I do miss the satisfying push together of regular studded pieces, in technic sets.. and there's something about the rigidity of a well designed studded frame, that studless can't quite match.. although recent parts such as the technic frames are helping a lot more RB

I had a bit of spare time tonight.. so I tried allanp's idea... works surprisingly well!! Can't quite figure out how... but it's actually returning to centre, without any spring! I think I might move the gears to the front, so there's less axle twisting.. might make it a bit more accurate Once I get the functionality right.. I can work on bracing/strengthening the whole front section And I'm not sure if there's anything I can do, but it slows down considerably, when turning... but that's probably because it's only an M motor driving it... and the steering hits the limits, and causes friction with the CV joint. Will probably put an XL motor in it, and gear it up a bit for a bit of power and speed! wondering if I can run another feed off the drive/diff, to run an engine block.. this particular car has it mounted sideways... so it might be tricky! Thanks again.. I really appreciate everyone's ideas.. I don't have a huge amount of lego time these days.. and I might have been stumped on this for a while... so this has really helped my little moc along! RB

hahah.. typical... the *ONE* part I don't actually own! yes.. I had looked up this part.. for some reason I thought it wouldn't be suitable.. obvious now that the balljoint pins can go on the side! and allanp: and of course, I don't own the hockey spring.... might be time for a bricklink order... now.. what's the odds I can find a seller in australia who has both! ;) thanks for the ideas! it's great to get fired up again, after you get stuck on a problem!! RB

Hi all.. working on a MOC.. and having a bit of a 'stuck' moment.. so thought I'd ask in here.. I still consider myself a newbie working in studless.. so sometimes I find it challenging to get the right geometry, and alignments What I'm trying to do, is create a PF controlled front wheel drive car.. it will eventually be a replica of a real car. I'm trying to build it as scale as possible... so using the 62.4 tires, this is as wide as I can go... as you can see, the diff and steering arms are as compact as can be! I'm having issues trying to get a decent steering setup working.. I've tried various combinations of rack/pinion, as well as levers (as show in the photos), but nothing seems to operate smoothly, and reliably Also.. for ease of driving, some sort of return-to centre... So just wondering if anyone has some suggestions to try? I have a fair range of parts.. so open to anything! Ultimately, this front section will have 2 drive shafts, running back to 2 PF M motors, hidden in the back of the car. With lever-style steering parts removed Would prefer to use the technic steering links, as they add a bit of realism to the model... however if it's not possible I'll try other things Rohan.

Yes.. fortunately I have a dozen of the old 9V and 6xAA studded technic battery boxes.. (although I need to get one of those extension/converter cables - shame they don't make them shorter) I actually picked up an original 8700 Supplementary set a few months ago, with the old 3-C battery 'rod'! Having an 11 month old little boy.. I do notice, that all of the battery operated toys, whether it be a play centre, a soft toy.. or even a book with an electronic button/sound thing on it - ALL have batteries screwed in... So I guess it's just a child-safety thing.. esp with AAA's probably being able to be swallowed by hungry/curious little people! RB

If you look carefully at one of the arms.... the first pivot joint, on the right of the horizontal yellow beam....one of the connector pins has *quite* a lot of plastic dust around it! (about 1:25 on the video) I bet it's been running for *weeks* RB

I wish I could afford one of the LiPo Battery boxes.. but at well over $100 in Australia.. I can't quite justify it. Wonder why they haven't made a PF 9v Battery box? and on another note... interesting that you have to unscrew it, to replace the batteries... every other battery box in Lego's history has been easier to open... wonder why they couldn't fit a clip/catch somewhere? RB

I'd love to find out who designed some of the flagship models, in the last 10-15 years.. and just thank them for all the fun they've given us! I have a decent size collection (25-30 medium-large technic sets), with a few flagships in there, and yes.. I wholeheartedly agree, that there's quite a lot of different building styles. I enjoy the builds - especially when there's a section or mechanism that isn't fully obvious, or mentioned in the pictures... and it's only when you *build* it (even if it's a sub assembly, of the main model), that you can start moving it, and you go 'a-ha! - THAT's how it works!" Clever models will also make you operate them over and over again, to watch gears/linkages/etc in motion. It's an old one, but one that stands out in my mind is the vintage 856 Bulldozer. (I only bought/built it for the first time 2 years ago) The linkages of the main bucket lift is a small work of art! perfect angles, that when you lift the bucket, it scoops.. raises - then stays level! all with 1979-era parts too! I think if I studied enough models side by side, I could probably group them by designer, or design team... definitely by era... every 5 years and they change! I got back into Technic in 2004, with the 8436 Truck.. my first introduction to pure studless.. and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the build.. although it was a nice enough model. Soon after, I got 8434 Aircraft, and was very un-impressed - it's still one of my least favourite technic sets ever.. Yet recent studless design has changed so much! looking up stats - I can't believe that 8265 Front Loader has only 34 more pieces than the 8436 Truck, but is a FAR superior model, both in looks, and technical ability. Although I still find studless a challenge to prototype with (I need more practice!), recent models have made me hate it a lot less! ;) I fact, I was playing around with a modular mechanism the other day.. and I ended up building it in both studded, and studless.. and surprised myself in coming up with a nice, strong, lightweight version in studless... just a shame I needed a lot of diff's, and I only have 3 of the new 3-wide ones! In terms of enjoying the build process - any of the larger ones that have multiple mechanisms - smaller sub sections that you graft onto the larger model... these are what teach you the most, I believe.. and you are more likely to learn from those techniques, and use them in your own MOC's, without feeling too guilty about 'copying' someone else! To pick favourites - I still can't go past the shuttle, or the 8880 supercar... I LOVE building, and aligning up *masses* of gears! - in fact, if I have to put it bluntly... gears are what makes an amazing model, for me! As discussed in a recent thread, I enjoy the challenge of the older instructions.. I never found them difficult as a child.. and I prefer them, to the utterly banal 1-piece-per-step ones of today I've basically got enough parts now, that I can pretty much build any technic set I want, that's been produced over the last 20 years (barring those ones with parts unique to that set only - 8448, I'm looking at you!) I get a lot of fun from building sets I could never afford years ago! As mentioned before, I need to practice my studless building.. and I have a certain car project I want to do by April.. so I'm currently building different chassis's from various people around here (thanks for the instructions!), and with each one, I learn different, and better construction techniques! Plenty of skilled builders in here - each with different styles! I feel very fortunate that we have such a sharing community! (first post for 2011, and a long one!) RB

damn... out for the day, and by the time I come back, all the pics have been taken down!! :( at least I had a good Christmas - only 2 sets... 8048 buggy, and a little starwars one There hasn't been a single Christmas since I was about 4, where I haven't gotten a Lego set! (I'm now 35!) RB