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I need help identifying the set for 37 bags
We bought a set of returns of which one should have been the 6020 piece Hogwarts castle.  We received 37 bags that are represented in the pics below packaged neatly in the Hogwarts box.  We have bags 1-37 with no instructions and no idea which set they belong to.  We might as well build it since it's here.  :)  Any help would be great.

Based on the 2 answers, you seem to have paid for a set worth $400 and received about $80 worth of parts. Have you alerted the seller that they need to be more vigilant about checking their returns?

I know.  Pretty frustrating.  It was a big box store, so not sure they will listen, but worth a try.

Maybe the unusually high numbers on the bags provide a clue. In fact, I have never encountered a set going up 30-something in bag numbers, so maybe it is from some different series (LEGO educational or even LEGO serious play).

71043 (the big Hogwarts castle) does contain bags numbered that high, 10276 (Colosseum) apparently also does (but the colors of OP's parts rules that set out)h, it seems 75192 does NOT.

Building instructions for the large castle can be found here. Sadly it doesn't appear to include a blue door in bag 36 :(

TLDR. Although bricks seem to be packed in sealed bags, these looks to be a mixture of parts since none of existing set inventories contain such combination of bricks.

More details below.
Based on the colors of the bricks you have received this is definitely not a Hogwarts Castle.
Let's start with contents of bag #36, since it has elements easier to identify. The combination of Door 1 x 4 x 6 with 4 Panes and Stud Handle mentioned in another answer is definitely not in Medium Blue, but some shade of Azure. Checking Bricklink for colors available for this element we can conclude this is Medium Azure colored item. Now this element come in just 5 sets, none of which have Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole OR Brick, Round 4 x 4 with Hole in Dark Tan. So the set this bag comes from doesn't exist.
Now let's see bag #4. Combination of Brick 1 x 2 in Coral color as well as Slope, Curved 2 x 1 x 1 1/3 with Recessed Stud in Lime may suggest this is Bricks and Animals (11011), but it doesn't include any of Slope, Inverted 45 2 x 2 in shades of blue. So no set for this bag as well.
Bag #19 again, suggest combination of Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side in Coral color with Slope, Curved 3 x 1 x 2 with Stud in Lime suggest this may be Bricks and Animals (11011), but this set doesn't contain Plate 4 x 4 in Green.
These bags come from either set that has not been inventoried yet on Bricklink or incorrect bricks have been packaged for particular set (which might explain why they have been returned). The source of these bricks/bags would be some larger set from LEGO Classic series.

I went back and forth on whether that door was Medium Azure or Medium Blue and went with the one that I could find a plausible set match for. But the fact that I missed the color of the 4x4 tile too tells me I need to re-calibrate my monitor. +1 for catching that.

I believe you have a mix of at least two sets: 11005 Creative Fun and one of either 10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks or 11717 Bricks Bricks Plates.

Bag 36 contains a Door 1 x 4 x 6 with 4 Panes and Stud Handle (Medium Blue) which was featured in 5 sets.
11003 Bricks and Eyes
10264 Corner Garage
10703 Creative Builder Box
10702 Creative Building Set
11005 Creative Fun
10260 Downtown Diner
31025 Mountain Hut
31065 Park Street Townhouse

Bag 36 also contains a Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole (Dark Tan) which was featured in 22 sets.
41167 Arendelle Castle Village
75958 Beauxbatons' Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts
11005 Creative Fun
11013 Creative Transparent Bricks
80102 Dragon Dance
71730 Epic Battle Set - Kai vs Skulkin
70674 Fire Fang
41395 Friendship Bus
71043 Hogwarts Castle
76129 Hydro-Man Attack
70668 Jay's Storm Fighter
70667 Kai's Blade Cycle & Zane's Snowmobile
70675 Katana 4x4
70677 Land Bounty
70680 Monastery Training
30534 Ninja Workout polybag
40342 Ninjago 2019 Minifigure Set blister pack
75270 Obi-Wan's Hut
75937 Triceratops Rampage
70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg!
70419 Wrecked Shrimp Boat
75255 Yoda

These two pieces have only appeared together in 11005 Creative Fun.

However, bag 32 contains a Slope, Curved 3 x 1 x 2 with Stud (Lime) which was featured in 19 sets - none of which were 11005 Creative Fun.
11011 Bricks and Animals
10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks
11717 Bricks Bricks Plates
70803 Cloud Cuckoo Palace
10703 Creative Builder Box
10702 Creative Building Set
8961  Crystal Sweeper
45810 FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Jr Challenge 2019 - Boomtown Build Inspire Set
41345 Heartlake City Pet Center
71367 Mario's House & Yoshi - Expansion Set
41339 Mia's Camper Van
60270 Police Brick Box
7676  Republic Attack Gunship
75021 Republic Gunship
21208 Resort Designer
76134 Spider-Man: Doc Ock Diamond Heist
70922 The Joker Manor
41455 Unikingdom Creative Brick Box
60125 Volcano Heavy-lift Helicopter

Bag 32 also contains a Slope 45 2 x 4 (Lavendar) which was featured in 7 sets.
10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks
11717 Bricks Bricks Plates
10704 Creative Box
41340 Friendship House
41108 Heartlake Food Market
41310 Heartlake Gift Delivery
41253 Lonesome Flats Raft Adventure

These two pieces have only appeared together in 10717 Bricks Bricks Bricks and 11717 Bricks Bricks Plates.

I thought one of the sets (and there did seem to me also that there had to be multiple) would be 11011 Bricks and Animals https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=11011 due to the Dark Pink "fingernail" piece https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=24246&colorID=47 and the Light Aqua Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=87087&colorID=152 and Lime Slope, Curved 3 x 1 x 2 with Stud https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=33243&colorID=34


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Help with identifying Lego set (partial red and yellow bike)
I purchased a mixed bag of parts from a local seller and the pictured item was in the bag.  I do not recognize it and would like some help with kit number, description, etc.

This is from set # 9441: Kai's Blade Cycle

Keypart;
85970 - Slope, Curved 10 x 1, in Red

With some serious modifications and many missing pieces.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

sort: votes


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Seeking instructions to finish partially assembled custom Lego satellite (Orbital Science Corporation)
This week I found a partially assembled Lego satellite and I wanted to build it but I can't find the instructions to finish it. The satellite I'm 90% sure is a scale model from a satellite launched by Orbital Science Corporation, but I don't know which one.
My father gifted me this set in 2012 (I don't have the exact date). My father got the set from one of his friends that worked in Orbital Science Corporation at the time. According to my father the satellite can be the Koreansat6 or the Indostar-1 or the Measat 3a. If anyone happens to have the set or the instructions to it please reply, I'm desperate.
I will leave some images of the only assembled parts I have:
https://i.sstatic.net/28ZZD.jpg

The size of clear film used for "Orbital" stickers suggest me this is a custom set or MOC. The most recent appearance of Black Panel 3 x 3 x 6 Corner Wall used here is 1995 set.

I meant to say, that panel seen in your pictures was last included in 1995 as seen on Bricklink.

Hi Nico! I have searched for all three suggested satellite names, but found no relevant results. There is an unofficial Measat 3a model out there, but it is an entirely different scale and thus uses different parts: http://ericdeteh.blogspot.com/2015/12/measat-3b-satellite.html Long story short, I couldn't find your model either.

@Alex, thanks for looking into into, lets hope we can find something else.

@zovits Thanks for looking into it, I coudnt even find that set so its some progress.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Castle set identification (photo from 1993)
Is this photo an actual set ? If yes which one, and if not, any idea what it's based upon ?
(if it's not a canon set, my own research suggest that's it's made from 6085 but I'm not sure).

Would you mind to add some more info regarding the photo, like the year taken? Possibly anything to add context to make the title more unique :)

Sure, I added the year to the title :-)

I have identified a unique part, to help with search - Panel 2 x 5 x 6 Wall with Window with Window Stones Light Gray Pattern which has been used here.

It has been used in just two sets listed seen below, none of which look like your model
Black Monarch's Castle (6085) from 1988:

Black Knight's Castle (6086) from 1992:

So it seems like someone made a great MOC back in the days!

This is pretty clearly a MOC created by combining elements from multiple Castle sets. None of the castle sets were nearly this large for one thing. The only pieces that are distinctive are the shields and the black castle window panel pieces which are from the Black Knights sub-theme. From the size of it, I'd say this is 3 or 4 castles put together.

I agree. Going by the amount of grey bricks alone you need at least 3, probably 4 castle sets together to have that many. The black bricks need also at least 2 or 3 sets.


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Identifying a K'nex-like piece
I got this piece from a bulk lot of "rare" Lego parts (eg, some only appeared in one set). I assumed at first that it was Lego Znap, but I looked up Znap pieces and they don't seem to have any parts like this one: Znap has beams like K'nex does, and weird connectors, and only two kinds of axles which are different to this one. I think this piece is Lego though because the plastic is hard and good quality like Lego, and it's the exact same colour as dark bluish grey. I have no idea what it could be though since it looks like a small version of K'nex, but it's not Znap... Maybe the ends of the axle are meant for rubber bands?
The axle is slightly longer (~1mm) than 5 studs, and very slightly too big to fit in a hollow stud.

Just to be sure: I guess there are no visible markings - letters, numbers, logos?

@zovits It turns out it's just a Micro K'nex piece, but yes there are no markings at all

It is Micro K'NEX

It's a 40mm Grey Rod and here it is for sale on two unofficial K'nex reseller sites:

https://www.knexusergroup.org.uk/en/info_K509522.html
https://knexreplacementparts.com/product/gray-rod-40mm/

Oh wow, I had no idea micro K'nex was a thing! Obviously the piece looks like small K'nex but I didn't think it could actually be official K'nex!


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Help identifying 4 weird Duplo pieces
I don't collect Duplo so I'm not familiar with a lot of the pieces they have. Here are the four that stump me:

4x10x3-ish freight hopper: I searched "duplo hopper" in BrickLink but only got this

2x2 brick with axle(?). The axles are hollow up to the edge of the brick

2x2 blue dome brick with eyes and a clip. The studs are hollow

5x5-ish dome bricks with a 2x2 centre. They have two tiny holes in the bottom, and a groove at the top. Initially I thought they belonged with the tube system pieces because I have several of those, but the circle size is too big for that.

None have dates on them.
Thanks!

The yellow piece looks like 40637 Duplo, Brick 2 x 2 with Digger Bucket Arm Holder.

I just found the answers to 75% of my question! I was scrolling BrickLink for "duplo tube" since I have several of those pieces, then found the blue dome with eyes: it's "Duplo Ball Tube Cover Ring Hinged Top with Eyes". It only appears in one set, and attaches to another piece which I don't have, which then connects to the tubes, so that's why I didn't know it related to the tube pieces.
In this set's inventory, I then found two more of my pieces: the green hopper, which is "Duplo Loading Chute with 2 x 4 Base Bricks", and the red/blue inverted domes, which are "Duplo Egg Base". So I was right about the bases relating to the tubes, but they don't actually connect to them, they just sit there.
I haven't identified the yellow axle brick though!


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Please help identify this 1980's, very odd, Non-Lego brick!
I have one more mystery brick to share, and it is a strange one.  This brick is FIVE studs long, and the width is comparable to a regular 2x4 Lego brick.  The inner tubes are also comparable, but because of the slope, the brick's length is five studs.
This brick was included in a large lot of early 1980's bricks.  It doesn't have the Lego name anywhere that I can see.  Could it be possibly a Tyco part?

2x5, heaven forbid!

To me it looks like the air-box of Ferrari Formula 1 car (the part behind the drivers head). It doesn't seem to match any of the parts used in the official LEGO Ferrari sets.

This brick does not appear in the BrickLink catalog for 2x5 parts or 5x2 parts. Therefore I seriously doubt it is genuine Lego.

Had to tell for sure, but it looks like it came from the red car in this Mega Bloks set:
http://blokcity.com/wiki/9801_Build_%26_Race_Speedway
Here's an image including that part from this set:

That looks right to me. I added the best image I could find of that part in that set.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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What LEGO clone brand are these with 4-peg studs?
I think this was a present in the mid-late 80s.
Very sophisticated building blocks for top-view apartment-room design. They also had furniture and appliances. Can anyone tell me the brand etc?

You might find it here: https://web.archive.org/web/20120730061221/http://www.freewebs.com/orrex/constructionclones.htm

Do you know which country they were sold in?

I believe they were italian.

Maybe a quick seach on wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Construction_toys

These do not match any entry on the above Wikipedia link. Can you provide better pictures of the blocks themselves ? Anything written on them? Any paper, cardboard piece ? Can you picture the different types of bricks present in this photo ?

They look similar to Arckit, but the "stud" placement is different.
Perhaps you have a picture of an earlier design?
https://www.dezeen.com/2015/05/24/architect-modelling-system-arckit-posh-lego-damien-murtagh/
https://us.arckit.com/

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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Are these bricks old LEGO/Duplo clones?
Can anyone identify these bricks, which I suspect are LEGO clones.  They may be more than 30 years old.
I bought them on ebay as Betta Bilda from LEGO/Duplo dealer. Some BB was included, but these are unknown to me, with an extensive BB collection.

The underside of the bricks is hollow and with apparently random numbers - they aren't part numbers because they are different for the same part and sometimes the same for different parts.  Window frames have no top studs.

I took a good look through many posts with similar questions, but found nothing that matched.  Many Google reverse images searches kept pointing at real LEGO/Duplo, before I noticed this place.
Usually I can identify unknowns like this, but these are a real challenge.
Edit (Nov 29, 2019)
Some comments have asked for clarity on size of these bricks.  The majority are close to if not identical to 8 stud LEGO, although there are also 2 and 4 stud bricks too.  They clip to Betta Bilda pieces, in a similar way to authentic LEGO. The window frames appear to be confirmed by two comments as 1950-60 LEGO, but additional insight would still be appreciated.

Don't know what brand they are, but I'm pretty sure they were around in the 1980s, since I have some from when I was little. Might help with dating them a bit...

Matthew - thanks for that, any help is appreciated.  They are hard to date by condition, but could be slightly newer than the 60s Betta Bilda they came with.  Since my original post I found some similar looking parts under the question "Lego variant, or is it?" with answers suggesting 60s or 70s.  There was also one suggestion that they might actually be non-ABS Lego from the 60s.

Those window parts are remarkably similar to some I had back in the 70s. No studs on top, and the hinge points look identical. They were authentic Lego.

I keep happening upon this, and the 2 or 3 others that seem very similar or the same.  The problem is that here it is suggested that they're Duplo sized, while some of the other questions state that they're the same size as a regular Lego brick.  Even though I've never seen Duplo sized windows like that doesn't mean they aren't, Which is it? Duplo sized or regular Lego sized?  I may actually have an answer to some of these questions if I knew.

@JohnnyB  Thanks for taking the time to comment.  My apologies for not making the sizes of the bricks and windows more clear, perhaps I should have included a ruler or something for a size reference.  The bricks and frames are regular Lego size.  I don't have any Lego to check compatibility, but these bricks are generally compatible with Betta Bilda parts, which are themselves generally compatible with most regular Lego.  I hope that clarifies the sizes of the pieces in my photos at least, although I can't comment on others you may have seen elsewhere.

the red windows looks like the old ones I have, and its lego from 1950-60.

@Lisa Astrup  Thanks for your comment.  Your knowledge confirms what at least one other has said regarding the likely age and authenticity of the window frames.  I feel that I can begin to trust that they are authentic Lego from around 1950-60, making them the only Lego pieces in my brick collection!  I still hope to find some confirmation of the origin of the bricks, so perhaps it is time for me to do another thorough internet search.

I advise that you contact Lego support and ask Them since we could guess pretty much all day and yet even if we Do find the correct answer, we wouldn't even know and we'd keep guessing. That's your best bet.

@mindstormsboi  Thanks for that suggestion, as I was not aware they might even be interested.  If as a number of replies have suggested there is a small possibility that they are older Lego pieces then it may be worth asking them.  I will try after Easter.

Hello Paul, did you forget to ask Lego Customer service about these parts? Just a reminder.

Did you ever get to the bottom of what these are? I've recently acquired a fair number of identical bricks, windows and roof parts and I'd love to know what they actually are. I've hunted around but this is the only place where I've found a photo of what I have.

@Malcolm Thanks for the recent comment and I am sorry that I didn't see it sooner.  It is interesting to discover there is someone with identical bricks, but so far this year has not been the best time to pursue this with Lego Customer Service. I will contact them tomorrow (Sept 11) and see what advice they can offer.  A note on their website suggests 10 days for routine email replies, so I will update here as soon as I can.

@mindstormsboi  I am sorry that I did not respond to your follow up comment in June, but after the more recent comment about similar pieces I will call Customer Service at Lego tomorrow (Sept 11) and see what insight they can offer, and if I should address email to a department or individual.

@mindstormsboi  Response from LEGO customer service received, and they say the bricks are not LEGO, and they don't recognise the the clone either. I have decided to answer my question, as I suspect no further progress can be made, if even the LEGO experts can't identify the bricks I have.  I appreciated your suggestion and I was impressed with the friendly and helpful attitude of the LEGO representative.

@Malcolm  The answer I received from LEGO confirmed my bricks are not LEGO and they could not offer a name for the clone manufacturer.  Sorry I can't help more, but the fact that you also have similar bricks must mean that an answer can be found somewhere online.  If I find anything helpful I will try to let you know through this forum.

Which country do they originate from? They remind me of the bricks I had in the 70s in Bulgaria. And they were certainly not original Lego. Probably were not made in Bulgaria but, rather, somewhere else in Eastern Europe or USSR.

@Nick Sorry I don't know where the bricks came from originally, but I bought them in the UK from a UK seller of mostly Lego on ebay.  You may be right that they came from Eastern Europe, as they don't appear to be common. Thanks for your info.

As suggested by @mindstormsboi I contacted LEGO customer services and sent them a link to this question as well as many additional photos.  The information was passed to their expert team and the answer that came back was "they believe that these are not LEGO® parts". They were not able to identify them as a known clone type. I feel obliged to accept that as a definite answer, although it leaves unknown who actually manufactured the bricks I have.  I will continue research into that question, but elsewhere.
The customer service team member also gave me two interesting links to a fan created website with some of the history of LEGO parts, as well as section covering many of the clones and similar brick building sets.  I include the two links below, as they may be of interest to some who find this question and answer.
https://www.inverso.pt/legos/
https://www.inverso.pt/legos/clones/texts/mobitec.htm
Thank you to all who contributed their knowledge, experience or point of view.

I just spent waaay too long looking through the sources you linked, and then the sources they linked, and so forth. Rasti appear to be the only lego clone with holes through every stud. Even then, the bricks in the first image you posted probably are not Rasti, as the stud holes are too small. It's a mystery!

The only blocks you show that seem like they might be genuine lego are the windows. According to inverso, the very earliest lego windows lacked what became the signature studs on top

From the LEGO Wikipedia Page "1961 and 1962 saw the introduction of the first Lego wheels, an addition that expanded the potential for building cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles from Lego bricks. Also during this time, the Lego Group introduced toys specifically targeted towards the pre-school market." here is a picture of these first-ever Duplo bricks from the 60's look similar?

Also, the Wiki page says in 1958 they added the famous circles in the bottom of the brick to help them connect.

Thanks for your contribution which has kick started my research of this mystery afresh.  The wiki Lego history mentions that Duplo did not go on sale until 1969, so the lack of circular tubes on the underside of Lego bricks would have been 11 years earlier.  However, adding 1969 to my Google image search for Duplo blocks did turn up one photo of bricks almost identical to mine on the Eurobricks forum, which showed a set of Duplo as issued in 1969.  Mine could still be clones though, because I cannot find photos of the underside with the strange numbers that are on mine.

My understanding it that Lego use to put the mold numbers in the underside of the bricks.  There is a great video on Netflix, the show is called The Toys that Made us, the Lego story is under Season 2 episodes which kind of shows the molds with the numbers that look just like that.

I don’t exactly know if it is LEGO,
But it may be an old version of LEGO. The numbers also could be the date the were made or a factory code.

Thanks for your thoughts.  I suspect the numbers might relate to moulds or machines, so they could monitor how many pieces were produced from them or which one had problem if defective pieces were observed in quality control.  The feedback from other contributors has been mixed, but most seem to think they could be LEGO or DUPLO from the 1960s.  My question is over a year old now, but I remain hopeful that one day someone who has some solid evidence can confirm what they are.

I don't think they are LEGO due to the holes in the middle of the studs. LEGO pieces also say "LEGO" somewhere on them, so I bet that they are a 3rd party brand.

Hi User 119! Your points are correct regarding the LEGO elements of today. But as the OP mentioned, these bricks may be more than 30 years old. Are you sure your observations are correct for that time period too?


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Please help identify this vintage (but non-Lego) brick!
It's time to play the "what brick is this" game, and this time our contestant is definitely non-Lego, yet vintage.  This brick was in a small lot of early-60's Samsonite Lego bricks, and I am assuming it is nearly as old as those.
It appears to be CA plastic, has studs (but they are taller than Lego studs), and a stylized "S" logo of some sort in the center of the surface of the brick.  Inside are slots and sidebars, rather than tubes.  Here are some photos to help.

That is a Kawada Dia Block made in Japan. Entex and Sears imported those into the US in the 70’s and 80’s and repackaged them under such brands as Loc Bloc and Brix Blox. The “S” is actually a K on top of a D, which is the emblem for the Japanese toy company Kawada. Dia Blocks are still made and available in Japan today.

I have solved the mystery. After searching up many different vintage plastic bricks (I had no idea there were so many), I stumbled upon LOC BLOC, made in the USA in the 1970's by a company called Entex.  I still don't get what the "S" symbol on top of the brick is, but they match completely.
http://www.architoys.net/toys/toypages/locblocs.html

Very nice! You didn't happen to stumble across anything like this in your search, did you? http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/7748/help-identifying-a-lego-clone That's been unanswered for quite some time.

Not exactly like those, unfortunately.  If they really are from the 1980's (could be the gift was in the 1980's, and the bricks are older) they are past what I was looking at.  I was shocked to find so many kinds of bricks were produced in the 1950's-70's that weren't Lego.  I looked at:  American Plastic Bricks, Playskool Plastic Building Bricks, Educational Building Bricks, Sta-Lox, Auburn Bricks, Betta Builder (UK), Airfix (UK), Block CIty, Playmate (Australia), and Loc Blocs.

This is positively a Kawada brick:

Thanks to @Dean Rumsey for pointing me in the right direction to find an example so any doubts can be put to rest. He seems to be paraphrasing the Wiki article that briefly covers their history;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loc_Blocs

"They were marketed in the 1970s and 1980s by Entex Industries, and manufactured in Japan as Dia Block by Kawada Co., which still produces sets to this day."
"They were also sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co. under their house brand "Brix Blox." Today, similar blocks are still manufactured in Japan as Diabloks and sold in the U.S.A. under the name "Disney Build-It" blocks."

To further complicate things, I found inconsistencies in the way these blocks were marked. In my research I found that most of the bricks sold under the Entex/Loc Bloc and Sears/Brix Blox name were not marked with the Kawada company logo on them. However, I found one example of a Loc Blocs set that did appear to contain bricks with the Kawada logo (assuming the bricks were all original):

Based on these findings, this brick could have come from any set using bricks made by Kawada, regardless of the brand it sold under.

I had these bricks when I was a child in the 50´s, so they can´t be neither Nano-blocks nor Loc-Blocks.
Sorry, I can´t give you any moore info. The bricks were lost some time in the late fifties.

I fear the photo showing the logo is strong proof that the other answers are correct; perhaps very similar ones were available 70 years ago, but the one in the photo is from Kawada Dia.


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Is this part real LEGO or a knockoff?
I bought a LEGO lot off Craigslist a few days ago with some sets and some bulk parts. It included some parts that appeared to have been bought in bulk (maybe pick-a-brick?). It also had some random non-Lego pieces as we all know is standard to find in these large bulk lots.
Amongst the bulk, I found around 40 of a 1x1x6 support pillar in dark blue color. The part seems somewhat rare and they go for around $5/ea on Bricklink, but I'm having a difficult time figuring out if they are real LEGO.
Pictures of said part:

Evidence:

Top stud is hollow which Bricklink says is a normal variant of the
part.
It looks the same as the 3D model of the hollow stud part on Bricklink.
There is no LEGO logo or part number anywhere that I can see.
There is a small seam that runs along the full length of the part on opposite sides.
There is a small number on the outside of the part on the bottom of the rounded section.
The part is the correct dark blue color when compared to other dark blue LEGO pieces.
The part feels like LEGO and has the new LEGO sheen.
I have other parts in my bulk collection that are basically the exact same as these. I would never have questioned that they were real LEGO before I found these.
They were only produced in three sets from 2006/2007: Cafe Corner (4), Piraka Stronghold (6), and The Chum Bucket (4).

Where did he get 40 of them at? Does anyone have parts like this in an official set that you KNOW are real that I can compare them to? Does anyone specifically have one of the three sets this part was found in and can help me do a comparison?
I would obviously like to sell these at some point if they were real, but don't want to sell someone fake LEGO. Thank you for any help!

Hi MNAK_ and welcome to Bricks.SE! This is a wonderful first question, detailed and well-researched, way to go! Make yourself at home here, read the [help] and take the [tour] to see what our community is about and how do we operate. I'll check my parts collection if I can find this at home in the evening to see if your part is consistent with a known genuine part from the Piraka Stronghold.

This brick on Bricklink

I've shuffled through my pieces collection and found sadly none in dark blue, but all 17 I've found in either old grey or red have the same attributes you mention:

Top stud is hollow, with an H-shaped cutout
There is no LEGO logo or part number anywhere
There is a small seam that runs along the full length of the part on opposite sides
There is a small number (between 2 and 8) on the outside of the part on the bottom of the rounded section
The part feels like LEGO and has the new LEGO sheen

Single-digit number at the bottom:

H-shaped cutout in the hollow open stud:

Seam running over the opposite sides:

I'm 100% sure these are all genuine LEGO pieces, the red ones from 7419: Dragon Fortress.

I appreciate the time and the pics. This looks exactly like what I have, I'm pretty sure they're real at this point. Thanks!

@MNAK_ You're welcome, but considering the answer from Joost and the comment by Alex I'm starting to get doubts about whether the mould has been updated since. I'm still sure my pieces are original, but if theirs are too, there is no net new information gained.

And, of course, this supports Lego's policy of not just throwing their old moulds in the dumpster out back.

Is there value in accurately weighing 10 pieces and providing an average weight for one?   OP might weigh theirs and find its half the weight implying fake, or similar weight implying identical.

@Criggie it could discover an inconsistency, which would strongly indicate the non-originality of the part. But if the weights are close enough, they could still be different makes (although with the number of similarities increasing the likelihood of any knock-offs among them is decreasing). See in this answer the paragraph starting with "And in the unthinkable case".

My best guess, they are fake.
Mainly because of point 4 & 5

Lego is always very keen on hiding the seam caused by the molding
Lego include in most molds a mound number but they are always hidden out of view.
Can you read the number?

I don't have this version of the part but the other non-hollow one in white. I checked for these two marks and couldn't find either a seam or number on them.
The cafe corner as a modular building has always been a very popular set and therefor copied by the different clone brands. You can still get 1 for 80-90 USD, which can explain why you got 40 of them.

I'e checked with elements I have and confirm that points 4 and 5 you've mentioned are valid - LEGO element doesn't have a seam at all and no numbers are visible on exterior (inside as well).

I would normally agree which is why I'm so uncertain. I've just never found fake LEGO that feels so much like the real thing, and the fact that I and others have parts in their collection that look the same leads me to believe that they're real. Thanks for taking the time to respond.


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Different brand, slightly bigger than Lego
I have a set of Technic bricks used by an academy for teaching robotics to children.
They are not compatible with Lego (I think that the pitch is 9mm instead of the 8.6mm of the original Lego design).
I would like to buy additional components, so I wonder if there is any known brand or shop that sell these type of bricks (including Chinese manufacturers or AliExpress stores, for example).
Edit: added image. At some components I can read HND##, but searching for HND I only find Haneda airport in Japan

Welcome to Brick.SE. Could you please add a picture of the elements you have? I'm not familiar with clone brands, but having something visual might help others with identification of the brand.

Seconding the request, without either a brand name or a photo, it is going to be probably impossible to identify any stores that sell it. Are there any markings on the pieces, numbers or text, maybe just a logo? Even if not, a photo could help jog someone's memory.

(Note, I added the part-identification tag since the information OP is looking for fits the  "what kit a particular block is from" part of the tag description, but feel free to remove it if it rather should not be used in this case.)

If Rafael graces us with photos I hope they include some Technics or a good ruler in the photo so we can see the differences easier.

Thank you for your prompt answer! I have added a picture and described the code that it's visible at some components (HND##). Additionally, this is the academy that uses these components: https://kids.athuman.com/robo/en/course/https://kids.athuman.com/robo/en/course/

I think the link is https://kids.athuman.com/robo/en/course/.

Taking an image from the linked course site and using Google Image Search for reverse image searching, then applying a layer of Google Translate to make sense of the exclusively Japanese results has convinced me that this type of building system is only used in this robotics course in Japan. Nonetheless, the institution seems to sell the sets as standalone products for 28,500 yen, unless I misunderstand the translation results somehow:

At Human Academy's Robot Class, we will increase the number of kits that will be added when advancing the course, based on the standard kit (* 1) that you purchase when you join.
[...]
(* 1) 28,500 yen 〚tax excluded〛

Yes, it is possible to buy extra components directly from them, but it is quite expensive, that is why I was looking for an alternative. Additionally, they do not have many components like differentials, pulleys or worm gears.
I think the best approach is to buy cheap lego clones from aliexpress and then make adaptors to fit with the rest of components.
Thank you very much for your help searching for the manufacturer, anyways
I have been checking more in detail and it seems that the scale is exactly 1.2 lego size

@Rafael You're most definitely welcome! Feel free to return and write an answer if you do find a distributor or manage to engineer adapter pieces :)


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Authentic LEGO legs and the Lego imprint
I've gotten a pair of minifigure legs new out of the box with no 'LEGO' logo on the underside of the top of the foot a while ago. I've purchased new pieces where only one leg is imprinted. And as of late, all legs have been imprinted. Same thing with headgear and helmets. Some have the LEGO logo, some don't. When did Lego start imprinting 'Lego' inside the toes on plain leg assemblies?

Hi matisyoyo and welcome to Bricks.SE! I've taken the liberty to edit your question a bit in order to make it easier to read, but to make it truly answerable, we'd like to ask you to provide additional details on what kind of help do you expect. As of now, you are only stating your current situation without asking or even implying a question. We could infer one of the possible ones and answer that, but chances are you had another (if similar) question in mind. So please edit your post and add a question there. Thanks!

Just to add to what Zovits said, if you are questioning if your elements are original LEGO - please add some pictures.

See also: When did LEGO Minifigure leg mold designs change


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Looking for instructions to Mega Bloks “Blok Bots” 9356 set
I need instructions for Mega Bloks "Blok Bots" set 9356.
Can't find it on https://support.megabrands.com/en-us/instructions

Looks like there is no hope of finding instructions there, since the theme you mentioned isn't on their theme list and their site seems pretty broken anyway (some of the themes on their list have broken HTML entities). Also, I heard Adobe Flash player has had its support dropped by Chrome (and possibly every other big tech company as well) so you should probably keep looking... I'm having trouble looking as well.

Hoping some1 will upload pics...

Hi igor and wlecome to Bricks.SE! You mention having searched on the brand website, but have you tried contacting their customer service department? They might be able to find the information you need. Additionally, by signaling the need for those files, they might put them up on their website for others to see. Don't forget to report here if you receive a reply from them!

I found this thread on Reddit:
(https://www.reddit.com/r/buildingblocks/comments/2t9xew/archive_of_old_mega_bloks_instructions/ )
It has a link to a zip file with instructions from the old mega bloks site.
It contains instructions for 9356 and 9528.


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How to generate Duplo instructions?
I am aware of how to create a Lego model and generate instructions using LDD and Stud.io
However, I am having trouble figuring out how to do this for Duplo. How does one do this?
EDIT:
@alex yes I think my question was poorly phrased.
I think my real question is "how can I create a Duplo model in LDD or Stud.io"

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/173785-duplo-for-studio/ might get you closer to what you're trying for.

Could you specify if the problem is with finding Duplo elements? Or, perhaps, you have your Duplo model assembled but have trouble generating instructions? Or both?

My problem with LDD and Stud.io was with finding Duplo parts. According to your answer below stud.io should already have Duplo parts? Although judging by the forum link posted by @chicks they need to be imported first.

I can see some Duplo bricks in LDraw parts library, which is used by Stud.io as well, so you should be able to work out instructions the same way you do with usual bricks.
One thing to note is that availability of Duplo parts in LDraw is rather limited.
Alternatively, you can use LDCad (which uses LDraw library) to create your model. In this case you can find most of the Duplo elements under Library sorted by function > Duplo.

You can import LDraw parts into Stud.io, and probably into LDD as well, but LDD it is no longer supported and I don't have it installed so I can't check.

I couldn't find any Duplo bricks in Stud.io.  Are you sure they're in there?  Could you add how to find them?

@chicks now that you've asked I had another look at the question and asked to clarify exact issue here.

When in stud.io and search for "Duplo" in  "BL Categories" and "Shapes" I don't see any results. Should I assume I have to import the Duplo parts first, or should they already be present?


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'Plate/tile hybrids' (plates with studs missing)
I wonder whether a piece exists fitting any of the following (equivalent) descriptions:

As a 1x2 jumper (two-studs-to-one-stud-jumper) or a 1x3 jumper (three-studs-to-two-studs-jumper), but without the 0.5 stud offset.
As a 1x2 or 1x3 plate, but with one stud missing.
Ax a 1x1 or 1x2 plate 'stuck to' a single 1x1 tile.

EDIT: the intended use was to attach the 'hair' for a Bionicle MOC representing a character of the  Vortixx race. I planned to build the head using a Vahki head with a one-axle-two-pins perpendicular connector attached to the axle hole on the back of the head, then attach the tile/plate-hybrids I described to the connector's pin holes with their studs, and finally 'loop' three system chains between the now-exposed stud holes. Currently I'm leaning towards just using two 1x3 jumpers and living with the half-stud of open space.

Unfortunately, this part does not exis.
In addition to the part suggest by Michael, you might be able to use the 2x2 tile with 2 studs (33909) if your design could be adjusted to make use of a 2x2 part:

No, those parts currently do not exist. There does however exist a 1x4 plate with the middle studs missing: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=172557#T=C

Perhaps tell us the application you have in mind, and we can suggest other existing elements.

Just a note, this element comes in two versions: 92593 - WITHOUT groove (older type); 41740 - WITH groove (newer version ).


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From what LEGO set is this plastic bag of parts?
Please help to identify this plastic bag of LEGO parts.

This is Hidden Side Newbury Haunted High School 70425

Found looking for Plant Stem, Curved with 2 Thorns and 2 Swirls in Trans-Neon Green on Bricklink (only one with more than 3)

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  Thanks for answering the question and explaining how you figured it out.  This is great.

I'm just so stunned and impressed by what just happened here.

There doesn't appear to be any of the 6x6 light blue ("medium azure"?) plates listed in that kit (https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=70425-1) that obviously appear in the lower left section of the bag in the OP picture.  Or is that just a problem with lighting/coloring in the OP picture?

@CitizenRon that plate looks like light bluish gray to me, which does appear in the parts list


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How to overcome a roller coaster track gap of a length of 1 or 2?
I'm creating a roller coaster MOC with a looping based on the Creater Expert set #10261. All track pieces have a length of 8 or 16. However due to my looping I have an offset of 6. To reconnect my track with the starting point I therefore have a gap of 2 somewhere.
I played a bit and created a construction that might work (at least with 3 or more vehicles):

But I'm still not happy with this solution.
I'm wondering what might be the best way to overcome this gap?
Does there probably already exist any brick that can be used?
Update:
The Plate, Modified 1x2 with Bar Handles does not work, for the vehicles get stuck on the studs. However the tip with the bar was good! I found the Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar). Together with a Hinge Brick 1 x 2 Base and Top this might work:

However I do not own the Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar) and cannot test it. I wonder if the hinges will not "hinge without permission"?

Assembly seen in your edit looks good in digital model, however I'm not sure if those hinges will stay in place. Their purpose is to... articulate, after all.

I very much would like to see your finished loop

@MichaelVerschaeve have a look here, to get a rough idea: link

@MichaelVerschaeve here you are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAJLj0HBauI

Here's what I came up with:

The key element I used is the hose nozzle (60849):

I opted not to use hinges to try to create as rigid of a connection as I could. Here's the build:

This seemed to work fine in the small amount of testing I did, but it does require a bit of careful adjusting to get everything aligned properly initially.

That's a nice solution, thank you!

Thanks for all your contributions that helped me a lot and gave me very good pointers. Here is my final solution I will use:
I'll use Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar) on Hinge Bricks 1 x 2 Base and Top. To avoid unintended "hinging" of the hinge bricks I put a plate 1 x 2 and a tile 1 x 2 beside them and a Hinge Plate 1 x 2 with 3 Fingers On Side on top. I found a similar brick to the Pneumatic T Piece and that worked well.

And a detail view.

Nice! I very much like that you found the way to build a rigid solution.

Roller-coaster tracks are using rails in common LEGO measurement of 3.18mm. Also  referred as bar. There are plenty of other elements having bars of this size. I don't have exact solution, but you could give a try with either of two types of Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handles. These have 2 studs long bars, so would fit in your gap.

The Plate, Modified 1x2 with Bar Handles does not work, for the vehicles get stuck on the studs. However the tip with the bar was good (see my updated question). If there is no better solution within the next days, I'll mark this as answer for it gave me right pointer. Thank you, Alex!

@Spock LEGO doesn't always have to be build with studs on top - check if you find a way to put pictured plate sideways aka SNOT.

Or upside-down...

@Alex I did. The roller coaster car has a a kind of pin on its bottom to get grip in the chain. On each side it has some kind of mount that hangs on the plate modified as well.
link

Here is one solution by Masao Hidaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwg5YFPZ6xw using the plate, modified 1x2 with bar handles. He shows 4 ways to use this part.

Can you summarize what's in the video here?  This is close to a "link-only answer" which is strongly discouraged on StackExchange sites.  There's a good chance of the video (or other lnks) becoming stale and then there's little value left to the answer.


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LEGO set names in non-English language?
English names can be found easily for nearly all LEGO sets on BrickLink and other sites.
However, the sets have names in other languages as well.
Is there an overview of set names in languages other than English? I look for a German translation.
To clarify this question a bit, I rather look for some kind of lists or databases including older sets from the 80's and 90's.
So hitting the catalogs is the way I'm currently doing but this way is not very efficiant, but hey: it's a bit beeing a boy in the good old LEGO times...  ;-D
So: "No" might be a valid answer as well!

You might want to contact the admins of brickset and bricklink and suggest that they add this feature.

If you provide exact set number some of us may have German language catalogs and check out the name for you.

@Alex, thank you, but I do not want to misuse Bricks.SE (and there users) to do my "routine work". ;-) A lot of the German catalogs can be found online and a few of my LEGO "heyday" in the 90's I still own. I just wondered if an IT guy could use IT to automate things... :-D  Indeed, looking in catalogs is what I'm currently doing.

For last several years TLG have been releasing catalogs in PDF format as well. You could give a try to OCR them and perhaps get some data to work with.

The Lego instructions are available auf Deutsch but you might have to type the set numbers in one at a time in order to see the set names displayed.
For older sets German Catalogs might be available on Brickset to find out the names the "manual" way.

Thanks! Unfortunately this only contains rather newer sets (I'm looking for my "old" ones from the 90's. Furthermore, I was more looking for some kind of database so I could automate this part a bit.

As far as I know, the historical entries on (say) BrickLink have come from volunteers retyping what they found in old catalogs; until someone puts in the time to do the same for old German catalogs, it likely won't exist. So unless you can convince a group of people to join you in this quest, I fear it's Do It Yourself.

I completed your answer with the "catalog" part from the comments to have a more complete answer.


text:
Bag 3 identification help!
I have bag #3 with 539R7 underneath it. The plastic bag has 135149 which indicates it’s from 2011. The bag has red, black, and dark grey pieces along with 6 wheels.
Any help would be appreciated.

Could you add a picture of the bag?

The printing and barcodes on the bag are a Lego Stock Keeping Unit that identifies the type of bag used. Think of it like the barcode on a reusable grocery bag. The code lets you know the kind of bag it is but not what groceries are in the bag.

I’ll post one in the morning, thanks.

@Dan1138 I guess these barcodes actually tell TLG what is inside. It is easier to identify content by code rather than included parts. Only downside - database for these codes is private and, due to lack of access to it, numbers found on bags are useless for community.

I added pics, hopefully this helps. Thanks!

According to BrickLink, 60183 Heavy Cargo Transport seems to be the only set that has all of

Red 4 x 6 plate
White Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Open Stud
Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Open Stud

Other pieces seem to match. I'd thought the 4 x 4 round plates were LtBley (for sure the one near the bottom), but the inventory shows only DkBley.


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Program just stops motors and won't move
I'm trying to make a program in the NXT software that turns on the motors unlimited, then waits until something is less than 30 cm, stops the motors, turns to the left 30 degrees and saves the value of the ultrasonic sensor as L and then turns to the right 30 degrees and saves the value as R. Then it compares both values and if R is more than L then it goes forward indefinitely otherwise it turns 30 degrees to the left and then continues.
I can't seem to make a program that does that. Every time I test my program it just stops the motors and moves when I put my hand in front of it and then it just stops again. This is what I've tried.
TestTest.rbt

Can you share a screenshot of the program?

@DavidLechner Yeah I will.

@DavidLechner nvm i got it fixed i didn't have an unlimited block at the start and the loop just made it stop

I had to add an unlimited block


text:
Are Chinese clone brands considered to be safe for children?
Is there some kind of official source regarding the safety of bricks made by brands other than LEGO®?
I'm not talking about choking hazard or similar (these are obvious) but heavy metal (lead, ..) or other chemicals in the bricks.
Some brands (Xingbao, CaDa, Mould King, Happy Build, ...) have some really nice sets (original designs of course) and are officially available for purchase in the EU/Germany so they need to have a CE marking and possibly passed other tests like TÜV. But there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive source on which brands to avoid or which ones are considered good.

UPDATE:
I found the page of the "China Toy & Juvenile Products Association" (CTJPA) where several suppliers are listed including Sembo and Qman with their certifications (f.e. EN 71).

I guess some brands are safer than others. You might want to read https://uploads.brickset.com/docs/clonebrands_v1.8.pdf (unfortunately I haven't been able to find a newer version, versions were made annually from 2014-2018)

In my opinion an answer to your question cannot be found because of a fundamental distrust of the China supply chain. Remember link this is the supply chain that put industrial plasticizer in baby formula to boots protien test results.

Given that perceived 90% of all goods are "Made in China" including phones, toys, ... (actually no food!) and no one seems to worried about that, I don't think there is a fundamental distrust in the Chinese supply chain in general. However with bricks being somehow special as there are multiple sources (amazon, aliexpress, whish.com, yourwobb.com, ..) where sets can be bought directly in China with no "official" importer involved...

I'm surprised no consumer testing magazine/organization (like Stiftung Warentest) seems  to have tested non-LEGO® bricks. Probably the off-brand bricks are just gaining more and more attention as the quality seems to have improved and LEGO® ... (well it's LEGO®)

Is there some kind of official source regarding the safety of bricks
made by brands other than LEGO®?

As far as I am aware, no.  At least not specifically for construction brick toys.

Some brands (Xingbao, CaDa, Mould King, Happy Build, ...) have some
really nice sets (original designs of course) and are officially
available for purchase in the EU/Germany so they need to have a CE
marking and possibly passed other tests like TÜV.

The CE marking indicates a product has passed health, safety, and environmental protection standards for sale within the European Economic Area. The individual tests vary between industries but are not necessarily a certification of quality. The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that have been manufactured to EEA standards.
LEGO products adhere to the EU Toy Safety Directive and the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The approval process involves 'simulating things like children biting, dropping, and stepping on LEGO elements to ensure they don’t break'*
In regards to the concern of chemical safety of LEGO clones, CE is a good indicator that a product passes certain safety criteria, there are of course other certification marks covering different regions.
If a LEGO clone has no credible certification mark does that mean it is unsafe? We simply do not know. The effort to test the safety of all these uncertified brands is too great. Parts vary widely in their colour (each individual colour has a unique chemical composition) as well as material (whether they are hard plastics, soft plastics, transparent, opaque or even glitter plastics in some cases).
You could always clean your new bricks as a precaution, if you suspect that there might be any surface level contamination, such as oil or plastic residue used in the manufacturing process. This will not make a difference to any toxic chemicals in the composition of the bricks.
In summary, if you do not see a certification marking that you can trust, there is no guarantee of safety.

When it comes to CE markings, it's important to check if it's a real CE mark for the EEA though, because China tries to deceive customers with a similar 'China Export' logo.
See e.g. https://support.ce-check.eu/hc/en-us/articles/360008642600-How-To-Distinguish-A-Real-CE-Mark-From-A-Fake-Chinese-Export-Mark

If there's someone out there whose job is simulating stepping on LEGO elements, I certainly hopr they're paid well!

Most of them are safe, because they are made mainly out of abs plastic, but with Lego, you will be getting higher quality pieces, and you know you will always be getting the best pieces, because of quality control. From my past experience, china bricks seem fine safety wise, but I have noticed significant differences on how well the gears work, and how easy the pieces stick together.
A comparison of off-brand Legos: https://uploads.brickset.com/docs/clonebrands_v1.6.pdf
an example of the quality of a Lego brick compared to other bricks
https://i.sstatic.net/4xe6s.png

Question is not about plastic, but the chemicals used to produce required colors and give necessary properties to these plastics. This concern has been raised with LEGO bricks quite a few times - Do old LEGO bricks contain lead, cadmium, or other hazardous elements? and Was there ever cadmium in LEGO bricks?


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Control MoveHub (Boost) and Mindstorms Inventor Hub over one app
I'd like to control Lego Boost (Move)Hub and the mindstorms inventor hub with one app. I know that it is probably possible with python, but my son is not yet ready to programm in a fully fledged development environment.
Consequently, I'd like to provide him a scratch like environment where he can work with both hubs at the same time. E.g. creating a joystick with Boost that controls a mindstorms robot.
Could someone point me to the right direction.

I'm thinking this open source code here: https://github.com/NStrijbosch/hub2hub/tree/main/examples/MoveHub

Thanks @Eric, you are right, there is a python integration (also see pybricks), but I am searching for something scratch-like for younger children.

Okie I don't have a Prime Hub and the hub myself but I have replied to Alex, zovits, Philo etc.

delayed by all.

erm...............................

Hi, Eric - I don't get your point. At the moment it is just us two commenting on that question. Who is delaying what? So I do not see any comments from "Alex, zovits, Philo etc" as you have been writing. Are they hidden?

defiantly a user lol

???????........

erm, i found this: https://bricklife.com/scratch-gui/

Ok, here it is a link

Since November 2023, Pybricks now includes a block programming language that works with most Powered Up hubs, including BOOST, and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor. This also includes Bluetooth communications that is compatible between all hubs.
As of this writing, the blocks are in beta and require a paid subscription.


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What's this rod part?

Any ideas? I can't find a part number anywhere.

It's not LEGO, but a clone brand.

Are you sure? there were several of them and the plastic quality seems to match Lego. I have a pretty good knowledge of what is and isn't but the older stuff sometimes gets me which is where this was found.

if that bar is 3.18mm in size - then it is not LEGO. However there is a slim chance this is part of some disassembled/broken element. Could you take a picture with some other element of known dimensions, like brick or plate?

Added another picture. the tolerances seem very similar to a standard Lego rod. the hollow end can comfortably fit a rod as if some kind of extension, while the outside fits into a standard anti-stud or tube bottom. I thought maybe it could be similar to this old style propellor pin, or even some of the belville or Scala umbrella posts.

I've found it in mixtures before, and have always had to admit that it seems to be tantalizingly well-made non-Lego. I am fairly sure I never found it in a group of parts where everything else was Lego.

From the looks I do not recognize this items as any currently available LEGO element. You can confirm this my checking the hole end that fit the bar - for legit LEGO element you should find either LEGO logo there or "C" sign and Part ID.


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Is there a catalog of Lego building techniques?
As a Lego noob watching Lego Masters, I spot certain techniques being used time and again, without any real explanation (Lego Masters is great for entertainment, but offers little to no instruction). For example, curves can be created by alternating 1x2 bricks and 1x1 "barrels" (or cones).
Is there any kind of online catalog of Lego techniques? Does such a thing exist? Not only would this allow me to learn more rapidly, but I could also refer to the technique by its correct name.

Related/duplicate? https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/7695/what-are-good-books-for-building-techniques-of-lego-technic?rq=1

@shoover I think the distinction is the other question is about books and this one is about an online resource. There is definitely some overlap (Similar topic, different medium). In my original answer I only included the books I could think of but I have added an online resource that I think may be more helpful.

@Ambo100, yeah, that's why I didn't flag it as a dup. It's definitely related, but not the same question.

@shoover Thanks for sharing it though! It looks like I made an edit to that question a few years ago so must have seen I often forget about these.

Swooshable has a great collection of SNOT (studs not on top) and advanced techniques, it is probably the closest thing you will get to an online catalogue.

They seem to have updated their SNOT section with some really pretty renderings, piece information, videos and step by step instructions. Most of the articles for advanced techniques lead to external sites.
There are also techniques for making LEGO fonts and an introduction to building techniques and many other cool things.

There are a also few books I can recommend, they are all from the same publisher (no starch press) but are probably the best resources.
The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, 2nd Edition
I have both editions but I prefer the second as it is in full colour and much more compact. It covers among many other things:

Common vocabulary
Structural tips (Building round walls, bracing, columns, etc.)
Parts that can be used as substitutions
Advice on planning builds
Mosaics
Sculptures
An index of commonly used parts.

The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide, 2nd Edition
The best book there is for Technic builders, it covers the basic concepts, mechanics, pneumatics, motors and other more advanced concepts.

The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines
Also covers Technic concepts but from a minimalist perspective. The techniques are presented purely visually so it is up to you to work out how they work. It's a good book to flick through to get inspiration.

If you aren't looking for anything in particular, you can also have a look at the top questions with the 'building' tag on this site.

These are excellent books.

Just added Swooshable which I completely forgot about but I think may be a better resource in regards to the question.

I think it is impossible to have a catalog of ALL building techniques. New solutions being invented each day using old and newly released parts.
There are couple of Flickr groups I could suggest for interesting solutions people end up with for their models:

LEGO Techniques
News LEGO Techniques

You can also stumble on NPU acronym in LEGO community, which stands for Nice Part Use. It is often used for naming a combination of elements connected in unusual way.
PS. Oh, and it is possible to build circles with usual, non-round bricks, you just need a bit of space:

I used to do that as a young kid with Duplo blocks; it was a lot of fun to build curved structures (tank treads, sadly, never held together though :()!

I'm working on a Youtube channel where I explain Lego techniques, but I only just started the project. I've got two videos right now.
Link to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCApO8jYdw4k8plpvEVI8zCQ

Hi Ben and welcome to Bricks.SE! Your channel has the potential to become the catalog of techniques OP asked for, just make sure to drop by here now and then to update this answer if you upload new videos.

Okay, I will do that!

@zovits it doesn't make sense to keep updating this answer with URLs to new videos. This would become a promo post, rather than an answer. I think it could actually be better to update answer with URL to channel, than individual videos.

@Alex I think I'll do that instead, it sounds much simpler.


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How to increase the voltage supplying to technic motor through the Technic hub?
I have four Technic Large Motors, all connected to a technic hub. I am using the motor to turn some large propellers and the hub is powered by six 1.5 V (maybe less) batteries depending on the brand. So each motor would get 9V, but the current would be 1/4 of a certain value. I want to increase the power supplied to each motor while using the same technic hub. I remember that according to the manual, the hub can handle 12V at most. Is this true? Can we increase the input voltage by connecting a more powerful battery to your hub?

The voltage doesn't drop by by a factor of 4 because 4 motors are powered, that's not how voltage works.  I'd urge you to educate yourself in some basics of electric circuitry like ohms law, parallel and series circuits, electric power, etc... before considering the experiments you have in mind, for the safety of your Lego and your own safety... Perhaps you are still in school and your physics teacher can help you ?

I forget the hub connect the motor in parallel. But still, the current in 1/4 of what it would be if there is only 1 motor connected to to hub. So the power to four motor is 1/4 of the power to 1 motor though?

If the hub can supply X Amperes of current at most (be it either the maximal sustained current or a short term burst value), then with four motors attached any of them can receive at most X/4 Amperes simultaneously - that part is correct. But each type of motor has its own maximum current it can consume, which is unrelated to X - might be lower than X/4, or between X/4 and X. (For Control+ L motors the stall current is 1.4A, but I couldn't find the current the Hub can support either per port or the total)

Still quite incorrect. If the power consumption of your motors is below what the battery can supply, you will see NOT see a current drop of a factor 4. Current and hence power to each motor will be somewhat less because of internal resistance of the battery but depending on your motors resistance it could be hardly noticeable... Only thing you can say with certainty is that your battery will drain 4 times faster.

Anyways, can I link up 3 9V batteries in series and connect them to the hub without it burned up?

No, in series that would mean 27 V, I read in some article that the motor controller IC can only handle 10.5 V. So that's the best you can do, i.e. add another 1.5 V battery to your original 6 in series, which buys you about 17% more power, I don't think it's worth the risk.


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LEGO or LEGO-compatible control for SG90 servo?
Is there a way to control three-wire servo (for example the SG90 servo or other common models) by LEGO Power Functions or CaDA power function?

No, the electrical signal is not compatible. These hobby-type servo motors take a 50Hz signal with a pulse width that varies between 1 and 2 milliseconds.
It could be possible though using MINDSTORMS NXT or EV3 using an IR Receiver and a Servo Controller.


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Continuous power supply for the SPIKE Prime or Robot Inventor hubs?
The hubs present in the Mindstorms Robot Inventor or SPIKE Prime sets have 2100mAh lithium-ion batteries which can be charged with the accompanied cable with a micro USB connector on one end and a regular USB connector on the other end. You need to provide your own USB charger and a high performant one such as the ones used with an Apple or Samsung device is recommended.
My question is, during an exposition, e.g. when the hub is used in a GBC module, can you leave the cable connected so it will function as a continuous power supply? Or is this not recommended because it could mess up the charging cycles of the rechargeable batteries? Would the performance of the models stay constant?

This is what the 45678 user guide says:

EN
Important information: Only use a high-quality Power Adaptor, PC or
Laptop for charging the rechargeable battery. Output 5V DC,
500-1500mA. Use the supplied LEGO® USB cable. How to charge the
battery: Charge the battery fully the first time it is used. The
battery can be charged when inserted in the TECHNIC Large Hub. Connect
the LEGO USB cable to a power source. The Charging Light will turn red
when the power source is connected. The Charging Light will turn green
when the battery is fully charged. Charging time for the battery is up
to six hours. The TECHNIC Large Hub can be used during charging but
this will increase the charging time. If the battery is fully
discharged and the TECHNIC Large Hub cannot be turned on when the
power source is connected, the battery will need up to one hour
charging time before the TECHNIC Large Hub can be turned on. Warning!
Do not dispose your battery by incineration. Dispose the battery in
accordance with the current legislation in your country. Do not
short-circuit the battery. Do not damage the battery. Do not dispose
in fire. Never use a damaged battery.

There is no information on how long the SPIKE hub can be connected and operating from an external DC power source.
For your purpose, it may work or it may shutdown. It depends on whether the GBC module draws more current than the USB power source can supply.

@user253751, Only The Lego Group could provide a definitive answer to this question. Based on my experience designing consumer devices like the SPIKE hub that can be charged from a USB host or power brick it is impossible to say how such a device will behave. For example when the USB power source cannot support the load the battery will be discharged until the device shuts down. What the hub will do cannot be determined from the information in the OPs question.

Considering LEGO explicitely supports this - emphasis on "The TECHNIC Large Hub can be used during charging but this will increase the charging time. ", I don't see why there would be any issues at all or why it would stop working. I usually keep it connected when using a static robot (like the rubik's cube solver) as it seems to provide more current for the motors; never had any problem.


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Grand piano page 269 of instructions - are the gears suppose to stop after a quarter turn or keep going when reversing directions
The directions show the gears are suppose to move counter clockwise.  When I follow the directions on page 268-269, and push the reverse button on the Lego power-up app for the Grand Piano, the gears turn for a quarter turn counterclockwise and then stop.  Are the gears suppose to continuing turning?   The gears run fine when running clockwise.

Tl;dr - Your piano appears to be functioning correctly. The step you mention appears to be resetting the gear to a known position. The playback direction is clockwise and free of restriction. The reset process is counter-clockwise and is restricted by another mechanism.

For reference, here are the instructions as a massive PDF.
It looks like you're following the mini-instructions after step 352. They include pairing your device to the piano and resetting the piano for playback.
The relevant step instructs you to press the button that looks like a gear being turned counter-clockwise.

This action should cause the axle driving the piano to rotate counter-clockwise as shown in the model view included in the step.

It looks like there is a one-way mechanism that is designed to prevent the axle from turning past a specific position when rotating counter-clockwise. It is visible in the step on the left side of the model view.

Notice that the orange Technic, Liftarm Thick 1 x 2 - Axle Hole is bound to the same axle as the gear shown rotating. Notice too that it is currently blocked by the light bluish gray Technic, Liftarm Thick 1 x 5. This liftarm pivots on a red Technic, Axle 2 Notched in its leftmost hole.
The light bluish gray liftarm is free to pivot and will allow the orange liftarm to pass when the axle is rotating clockwise (the orange liftarm contacts the light bluish gray liftarm from below causing it to raise out of the way).
Without having the set, I am guessing that the axle should rotate clockwise when playing.
This mechanism appears to provide a consistent rotational starting point so that the axle is aligned to a known position at the beginning of the sheet music. The axle looks to function as a crankshaft of sorts. The mini-instructions include the process to reset the crankshaft so that that piano is playing in sync with the sheet music being shown in the app.

Thank you so much.  That was perfect with great detail and precision.


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How do I import my programs from makecode (Chromebook) to my EV3 robot
While using makecode I wanted to import my file to my EV3 robot but it says that I have to connect my EV3 robot to my computer and then move the file to the robot. But since I'm on Chromebook I don't see the file of my robot and I don't know if there is a way to import programs from makecode to my EV3 robot. If this is not clear I could put more information.

Did you install the v1.10E firmware on your EV3?


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Automating self built models
I have just started with Lego, building the excavator with the 2 Bluetooth hubs. Can I program a model I build using this type of hub and motors or do I require EV3 (if indeed EV3 allows you to control motors in a non-robotic setup)? The phone app only seems to give you Lego's own models, and no program blocks.

Could you specify which motors you use. Is it EV3, Power Functions or PoweredUp? From your description I tend to think the later, so it would great to confirm. You can also add a picture of your motors and it will be easy to distinguish a type.

Does this answer your question? Alternative to LEGO CONTROL+ app

This does not seem a duplicate to me. OP is asking about programming, which brickcontroller 2 does not provide afaik.

I'm assuming you are using the Control+ app with the 42100 liebherr r 9800 set.
The Control+ app is indeed limited to the fixed models.
However the Powered Up app can also connect to the Control+ hub and supports it reasonably well. The Powered Up app has a "Create" mode where you can use programming blocks, it's similar to the Scratch educative programming environment.
You'll easily find the app in your app store on your device.
Note that contrary to EV3, Spike Prime or the new robotics set, code runs mostly on your smart device. I.e. you cannot operate your model without your smart device.
However, the micro-controller on the Control+ smarthub (Or the Powered Up or Boost smarthub for that matter) is powerful enough to run a version of MicroPython. This is used in the Pybricks project, which allows you to code the smarthub directly in Python.
https://pybricks.com/about/


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Oil for old 4.5V motor? (UK)
I've just got my old LEGO Technic motor from my loft. It works but squeals in a way I don't remember it doing (35 years ago). I assume some lubrication would help and I've seen references to 3-IN-ONE SAE 20 but that only seems to be available in the USA. Any suggestions for the UK?

Start with a food grade mineral oil something like this: picture

Would standard 3 in one (which I already have) do the job or is that too thick? A full bottle of the food grade stuff at £8 seems excessive when I only need a drop!

Hi Derek, is this your motor? (bricklink.com)

Yes that's the one

@Derek Composition of 3-in-1 oil products can vary a lot. Some are safe (like the SAE20), others will eat the ABS plastic LEGO is made of. Without details on the exact brand/type of oil you have at home, we can;t advise if it is safe or not.

Ah apologies. This is the bottle I have https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Oil-100ml-Drip-Can/dp/B00SJQEMPG/ref=sr_1_30?dchild=1&keywords=3+in+one&qid=1603291869&sr=8-30


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The Powered Up app won't connect to my Technic Hub
I have recently bought a Technic Hub and four Powered Up L motors, but currently I only put two motors into the B and D ports of the hub. I downloaded the Powered Up app to a tablet and used the "Create" function to create a custom controller profile.
After I pressed the green button on the hub, there is a progress bar and the light on the hub is flashing white, blue, and red. After the progress bar reached 100%, the screen on my pad returned to that of the controller interface. However, I could not get the motor to move and the light on the hub is off.
The programming block I use is this (but I selected the B port):

Could you tell me what is wrong?

It looks like a virtual joystick on the screen is needed to move it, did you try that? I will do more trouble shooting with set 42099 later.

Do you mean the blue icon with a joystick symbol? How do I incorporate it?

Perhaps if you run the program, a UI on the screen that looks like a remote with a joystick will show up. I have Lego Boost and that's what happens whenever you run the program. Try pressing the yellow start button to run the program.


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Any way to get the current motor position or angle in WeDo 2 (when accessing hub via BLE protocol)?
I have managed to write a small C# program that lets me play around with the WeDo 2 hub. I can read sensor values or set the speeds of up to two connected WeDo motors independently (I am aware that Lego says that this is not a good idea). The program is slightly similar to what is being done on this link, just (so far) more ugly and less sophisticated. For reading the sensor values, I got some really useful hints from this German-language article.
Anyway, this means it is now almost possible to build a remote controlled car with steering. The only thing that is missing is some way to verify that the steering is in neutral position. For this, it would be practical to have some way to read the current motor position (or angle) and/or to tell the motor to go to a certain position (or angle).
I have tried this:

I have tried using some of the commands mentioned in this piece of documentation. However, none of them worked, except plain StartPower(Power). Given that the Guids mentioned in the document were not particularly helpful when trying to make the WeDo 2 hub work as expected, this document may not be very relevant here.

I have tried reading sensor values, but I did not get any values for the port that the motor is plugged into. For the two "real" WeDo sensors, one has to perform an initialization before they provide values. I do not know if or how it is possible to initialize the motor in order to provide its current position or angle.

I have tried using the LegoDeviceSdk. But this does not seem to offer anything beyond "turn with power X" either.

Any ideas how I could get a motor position, or make the motor rotate to a desired position?

Based on the answer to this question and some experiments with other hubs and other motors today (Boost hub + Boost motor + small PoweredUp hub), it seems that the WeDo motors really lack any ability beyond "Run with power X". Given that the WeDo motor is the same model that is built into the Bat Mobile, I would expect that the PoweredUp app would offer more functions for this motor if the motor was capable of them.


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Fixing a not working Power Functions L motor
Four of my PF L motors don't work. How could I make them work again? I didn't find any information about L motors, only M and XL.

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  Are they making any noise at all?  Have you tried replacing batteries?

@chicks They dont make any noise or movement ay all... and im pretty sure its not the battery box fault, as 1 L motor that works works fine on it, and stuff like IR reciever and pole switch also works fine on same battery box.

Since the basic architecture of the motors in a line (in this case PF M-L-XL) are the same, the tips you have found for the other models would most likely apply for your case as well.
Otherwise I'd recommend some basic troubleshooting steps:

Ensure you have a working battery box and cable by setting up your functioning motor. Once you have confirmed that it runs OK, you can be sure that if after swapping the motor for a broken one, the problem must be in that motor.
Check if you can turn the motor's axle manually by inserting a Technic axle and turning it by hand. It may be more comfortable if you add a gear or a wheel to get a better grip. If you can't turn it at all or only considerably harder than the working one, you should suspect some mechanical failure (e.g. broken gears inside).
If you have a multimeter, you could check if the electrical characteristics of the broken motors match those of the working one. A significantly lower resistance between the contacts is a sign of a short circuit, while a significantly higher one indicates a broken wire. With a bit of jerry-rigging you could also measure the current flowing through a motor that should be running from a battery box and comparing it to a normal motor's to see if there is too little or too much current.
You could also try opening up the motor and checking for broken or burned parts, foreign objects or debris, etc. Note, the above guide is for the M motor, but the same principles would apply for the L motor as well.

If none of the above helps, try contacting LEGO, as they would be able to provide replacement parts or further advice.

i did mention in reply that the battery box, i tried other stuff such as working ir reciever, other type pf motors like m motor, pole switch thing, they all work perfectly fine on same battery box, but broken ones don't, it is possible to turn broken ones by placing axle in it then turn. i dont know what a multimeter is. i dont know what jerry rigging is either, also one of the broken ones, when i pull a little bit on the plug end it starts working but when i release it stops agian.

A multimeter is a device for measuring (among others) electrical resistance and current. The term "jerry rigging" refers to something constructed quickly and without regard for aesthetics or future maintainability. Here I meant "Just use some wires and clips to hold everything in place to build a circuit to measure the current across the poles of the motor". If that still sounds alien to you, I'd recommend consulting an electronics tutorial or skipping this test altogether.

Based on the observations with pulling the plug end, it looks like as if it were an issue with the electrical contacts. In this case, either measuring the resistance in both relaxed and pulled states or disassembling would be helpful to diagnose the actual problem.

i did contact customer support, if im correct they said they did send a order new motors request for me and free of charge too. But i still want to have these motors working too..

That's great news! So if all works well, you'll be having brand new working motors, as well as repairing your old ones. Make sure to update us on your progress or ask if you have tried something and got stuck! Meanwhile, take the tour and visit the help center to learn more about Bricks.SE :)

Ok. repairing them i dont really know how, lego didnt ask for me to send the broken ones back.

Just try some of the steps described either here or in the other sites you have found for the M and XL motors.

I didn't notice your link to the "opening up" video before.  This was one of the videos I came across in my search and looks to contain everything one would need to fix the wire problem.  Nice find :)

Based on the information given in the question and comments, it sounds like an all too typical pinch-point wire failure.  On large electronics this is fairly easy to fix, but smaller things like PF motors are tedious and require some experience and skill.  Because of the design, the wire will be constantly bending against the motor case, or connector plug, in the exact same place over and over again.  Because the wire insulation is more flexible then the metal wire, it will stay intact while the wire inside of it has broken.  When you wiggle or push the wire to get it working again, you are smashing the broken wires back together again inside the insulation.  You might be able to determine whether this breakage is on the motor side or plug side of the wire by isolating one end while pushing/bending the other end, while plugged into battery box.
Since you have new ones coming, and they're already broken, this is a great learning opportunity if you really want to attempt a fix.  You are going to need a soldering gun/iron and some solder at the very least.
The basic wiring setup for all the PF motors is very similar.  Here are two examples of PF motors with the pinch-point area circled:

Because this is more or a raw electronics question (vs. Lego) and requires a lengthy description, I have placed a link to YouTube listing several videos on how to do this.  Any of these videos should help you because all of the insides and disassembling techniques are very similar to your L-motor.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Fixing+Lego+PF+motors
Here are some pictures of the tools recommended by Zovits and myself:

+1, that wire connection does really seem like a weak point and based on the comments, it is probably the culprit in at least that one motor.

@zovits - I hope he can figure it out.  Since they're already broken I figure, "What has he got to lose?".  Thank you for the +1, I will be returning the gesture as it's well deserved for all of the information and assistance you provided in your answer.


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Any cheap Technic sets with a good variety of parts?
I want to start building a module like GBC Miniloop 01, but when I check the part list some are very hard to find. How should I get started with miniloops?
BTW, I got a very big set, Bucket Wheel Excavator 42055, and wanted to be able to do MOC's based on the parts in there. There are still many parts not included that I need for building this small GBC Mini loop.
Any suggestions?

The parts in the model in that video look pretty generic, it appears to be mostly bricks, which are easily substituted for other colors or even shapes. If you need a quantity of a certain piece, you can try Bricklink.

@AlexanderO'Mara thanks. but parts like 3937 rocker bearing 1*2 seems hard.

Rocker bearing 1*2 appears in nearly 1000 sets
https://brickset.com/parts/design-3937

You are in luck.  PV Productions has instructions for building a huge GBC setup out of the pieces in the 42055.

@chicks this saves me a lot of money and time to collect parts and use what i have thanks again !

42055 strikes me as being an excellent parts pack by itself - I also built a GBC module using parts of it (just a small subset), and other have too

In answer to your question "I want to build a Great Ball Contraption and have LEGO set 42055, what other LEGO sets do I need to buy?" the answer is: None. You've got all the bits needed, even a motor.
Instructions to make a Great Ball Contraption from LEGO set 42055 are available for purchase for about USD25, and advertisement for the instructions can be see on YouTube. The are other instructions available - like https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/design.page?idModel=140147
The PV instructions are just one of dozens of alternative 42055 builds.


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How do you make a triggered counted ball drop?
Is there any solution on making a drop of a counted number of balls when one ball passes through the system?
For example: One ball falls into a hole on the top and ten balls (plus/minus (not important) the ball that fell in) come out.
I have thought about letting one ball drop into the system and activating a lever which pushes open a tunnel with a lot of balls in it and the lever then self-closing afterwards. To limit the number of balls dropped there should be a closing mechanism on the upper side of said tunnel that closes when the tunnel itself opens, so only the balls in that section would get dropped...
But how would you do that without jamming?
If someone cares about the ball-size and weight, that should not really matter because the basic construction can always be a little bit reconfigured if the ball size is between 12 and 15 mm. Same for the weight.
EDIT: There has been some misunderstanding apparently, I am sorry for that. It should be noted that this mechanism should be repeatable for as long as you have a supply of balls coming in from a second source (auto-refilling of the reservoir). While this itself is not an issue because you can simply make a big pressure-based ball reservoir that gets triggered everytime the small reservoir empties, it is an important aspect because it means the whole mechanism should not only be able to run one time.

I've seen this done in a GBC module that counts the balls that pass by. It worked with scales that eventually tipped over, each scale representing a decimal of the total number of balls that passed by.
Can't exactly find the GBC module but found this clock from jkbrickworks that uses the same principle.

This solution seems like the best because it's probably the most simple and reliable way of solving a problem.

This is not a bad solution, but it has one issue: Since it is designed for the reverse purpose it does not refill. After you dropped the ball in and got 11 balls out, the next ball that goes in stays in there instead of 11 balls going out again.

@LKBricks and Zovits, I've rolled back the edits you made/approved. If you have examples of other GBC modules, I'd prefer you put them in separate answers.

no, I am rolling back to my updated answer because they are both of them are "actual GBC modules".

I don't know if this is practical, and I can't test it as I don't have enough compatible balls to build GBC type mechanisms, but what comes to mind is:

Have the balls run down a trough.
The trough ends in a segment of trough which is 10 balls long and pivoted about the long axis.
The triggering ball causes the trough to spin about that axis, dumping the balls sideways into a receptacle.
The top end of the moving trough is designed so that it is flat and blocks further balls from sliding down (without jamming) until it returns. This is the critical area to prevent it from jamming.

For ease of operation, the trough's weight should be balanced about the axis. The weight of the balls should assist in the dumping movement — either not enough to start it, or the trigger mechanism prevents movement until triggered.

Very interesting idea. I will try it and report back


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Where to get bulk GBC soccer balls?
I am running a middle school robotics club, and this year we are focusing on building a Great Ball Contraption (GBC). One problem I'm having is acquiring the balls. On BrickLink, the discontinued soccer balls are going for nearly $1 each, and I figure we'll need about 200.
Any ideas?

A quick search on Eurobricks says a lot of people just get bulk cheap 14mm plastic balls.

Do they have to be lego balls? Why wouldn't marbles or something else work? Those would be way cheaper and easy to acquire.

You should research if there is an RLUG (Recognized Lego users group) active near where you live. These are groups of LEGO fans for which the LEGO company provides various levels of support.
Often they have the means to buy LEGO directly from the LEGO company through the LUGBULK program. The program allows the members of the LUG to buy LEGO in bulk directly from the LEGO company itself at a discount rate.
I have in the past succeeded in purchasing a reasonable amount of soccer balls this way (among various other elements).
However, there is only a narrow time frame in which you are able to register for the program and it takes nearly a year until the lugbulk is delivered, sorted and sent to the various members. I'm not sure if the registration is still open or already closed. At least the final selection of items hasn't happened yet AFAIK, so perhaps your RLUG can still select the elements as a favor...

Registration for the current one closed just a few days ago.

While LUGBULK seems a good option it takes quite some time before ordered items are delivered. It takes almost a year. So it is a good option for those planning way ahead.

On LEGO's customer service under "Bricks & Pieces" (not sure what it's called in english the page is in danish here, and I couldn't quickly see a way to change that) you can buy parts. If I search for part id 6261264 (an orange "BALL Ø14,2"), it "only" costs DKK 4.94 which is ~$0.76, quite a bit less than $1, and shipping is usually quite cheap from there, but I think there's a limit on 100 of each piece, so you might need to make more orders.

Correct URL is: https://www.lego.com/service/replacementparts?chosenFlow=3 for the Bricks and Pieces service.

I got them from here; https://pv-productions.com/product/lego-gbc-balls/ work perfect in my gbc modules. Also they have very cool glow in the dark gbc balls

Here is a link to LEGO compatible soccer balls. These GBC balls work flawlessly and were tested at the Brickworld Show on several dozen GBC machine. The balls are still working and are GREAT!
100 pcs = $22.77 or a sample pack of 25 = $9.48.
https://www.brickloot.com/products/white-soccer-balls-for-gbc-great-ball-contraption-fits-lego-balls
Note: I work for Brick Loot on our Original Light Kits and Light Linx, Brick Loot's DIY Lighting items for MOCs. Basically my title is "The Light Guy" lol. If you were at Brick World Chicago you may have met me as I am always there :)

Thanks for sharing this. Are you affiliated with Brick Loot? It's not a problem if you are, but we do ask that you disclose this in your answer.

No problem and happy to. I work for Brick Loot on our Original Light Kits and Light Linx, Brick Loot's DIY Lighting items for MOCs. Basically my title is "The Light Guy" lol. If you were at Brick World Chicago you may have met me as I am always there :)
I would like to send you free a pack and up to 2 more mods or highly trusted members you suggest to check them out for free. Please LMK @jncraton♦

Oh cool! I've updated your answer to include this disclosure. I haven't done GBC, so there's no need to send any of these to me. We don't really have a platform for reviews. We try to stay pretty focused on being a Q&A site, but if anyone else here wants to put together some sort of Q&A content testing these out or comparing them to official parts, I'd personally be open to that.


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Has Anyone Motorized Ocean Explorer Set #42064?

Me gustaría saber si tiene alguien monitorizado motorized el LEGO Technic - Explorador oceánico 42064 y si es así si alguien podría pasarme las instrucciones?
Muchas gracias!
Google Text Translated:
I would like to know if anyone has motorized the LEGO Technic - Ocean Explorer 42064, and if so, could someone show me how?
Thank you!
Editor's note:
Translation errors aside, I'm using this Youtube video Here as a reference to what I think the OP is referring to when he means "Motorized" in hopes that more people will at least understand what he's looking for, and focus on getting the answer he wants.

Based off what the darn thing does, is it possible to motorized these functions?

The main vessel itself has wheels to make it go forward and backward.

It has a steerable moving rudder.

There are more functions like a moveable Crane, Helicopter and Submarine.  Not sure how many things he wants to hook up to a motor, so I kept focused on the moving ship.

The OP made a mistake in their posting and used the spanish word for “monitoring” instead of the word for “motorizing”. I have corrected the english translation.

Here is a video of 42064 as RC model but no building instructions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7P5WEdphSE


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How can I control nxt 2.0 robot with a Wiimote in labview?
I am building a robot with Labview for LEGO Mindstorms and I have wanted to hook up the robot to move based on a Wiimote or Wii remote.  However, I have not found a file to download to enable me to do so.  Does anyone have any free files that they have found that come with instructions?  If this is any help I am only using lego education sets and my NXT version is a 2.0.

The Wiimote uses 2 forms of communication: Bluetooth 4, and IR for the pointing controls. You'd probably be using bluetooth.
The main problem with the NXT bluetooth is that the NXT is a slave device, not a master device, while the wiimote itself is a slave device as well. For advanced reading on the interfacing methods, the wiibrew community has set up a great page over here: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wiimote
The next concern is that you may have to modify your wiimote a tiny bit for bluetooth data transmission. right now, most of the homebrewers are hard-shorting wires to trigger events.
As far as files for the NXT, I'm afraid that you will likely find little to no files, as the problems stated above are somewhat above what most NXT users are trying to do.
Best of luck on your project!


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Is it possible to create a custom differential if I don't have it as a ready-to-use element?
I have numerous gears, axles and other elements from different Lego Technic sets.
I wonder if using them I can make a kind of differential like this?

If not, how can I implement similar functionality in case I have two motorized wheels on one axis that can be steered and connected to motor(s) via cardans/u-joints like this:

If you do end up getting the custom parts, all you need to do to make it limited slip is take the center gear (the spider gear) and place two layers of paper under it before putting it in.

Do you mean to replace it friction pin in the middle of the custom diff? Does this create more friction?

This can definitely be accomplished, although it will be difficult to create a differential as small as the dedicated piece that you mentioned.
Some builders create their own differentials for use in larger models because of the inherent torque limits and slippage that the traditional differential and single bevel gears introduce. Here's one example (source) of a differential that can be created using fairly common elements:

The key is to build the frame containing the three gears and then attach a fixed gear to the frame. The tricky part is finding a gear that can pass an axle through the center without being fixed on it. In the example above, half of a turntable was used, but there are a few other parts that could work as well. Here's the turntable (48452):

If you are comfortable with modifying your parts, you could also drill out the center of a gear to allow it to turn freely.

Yes - in fact, you can even improve upon the basic design, to create a limited-slip differential.
Here's one by Rob Stehlik, via http://individual.utoronto.ca/stehlik/torsen.html (found via https://www.planetdiecast.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=29846)

The key here, which other answers don't note, is that the rotating part of the axle does not have to pass through the center of the cog. Instead, here it is offset through the outer holes.

The delicate problem in a brick-built differential is to create the frame. It must have a gear to drive the differential and this gear must let the axle rotate freely. Without parts modification, the only possibility is to use a turntable, either the big one or the small one. Anyway, the solution is bulky and not economical (the differential parts are cheap!). The big version can be interesting nonetheless in large vehicules that require a lot of torque, see here.


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Sending Gcode to LEGO Mindstorms X/Y plotter?
I am building an x/y plotter out of LEGO Mindstorms. I would like it to read an SVG file on the EV3 Brick, convert it to Gcode, and draw the coordinates.  How would I go about doing this?

Parsing XML is expensive.  The EV3 doesn't have much memory or CPU for XML libraries.  I'd do the conversion to Gcode in Linux off of the EV3.  Then use wifi or Bluetooth to send the simplified instructions to the EV3.

Maybe you could collaborate with this guy: https://www.facebook.com/groups/legomindstorms/permalink/596979523783611/

If you are using Inkscape, it appears there is this plugin that allows you to export Gcode.  This is only part of a solution however.