text:
Classic 9V battery box current limiter?
Recently I disassembled a classic 4760c01 Electric 9V Battery Box Small Complete Assembly to see what was inside.
Battery Box:

Disassembled:

In the switch component, we find what appears to be a current limiter:

It slides right out if you use a pin or something to push it out.
Here is a closeup on it with one of the other pieces:

It's a small metallic looking disk with a black edge and some divots on the faces, and no identifying or informational markings.
Based on usage experience, I believe it limits the current to less than what a 9V battery can actually output, but I don't know for sure or how much that limit is. I've search around, but wasn't able to find any information on the current limiters in the battery boxes before the one from 2006.
Does anyone know what the current limit of this old battery box is? Or know a way to discover what the limit is?

The short answer is about 150mA.
Electrical Characteristics
From the limited testing that I've done, the component you pointed out appears to be a positive temperature coefficient thermistor. Here's how Wikipedia describes their use as current limiters:

When first connected to a voltage source, a large current
  corresponding to the low, cold, resistance flows, but as the
  thermistor self-heats, the current is reduced until a limiting current
  (and corresponding peak device temperature) is reached. The
  current-limiting effect can replace fuses.

I only have a basic multimeter and a few fixed voltages handy at the moment, so I'm not able to derive the precise characteristics of this device. I was able to measure the following:

Open circuit resistance is 4 ohms
Short circuit current at 12V is ~50ma.
Short circuit current at 10V is ~50ma.
Short circuit current at 8.3V is ~60ma.
Short circuit current at 5V is ~100ma.
Short circuit current at 3.3V is ~120ma.

The tolerances on these parts are pretty loose, but for mine the maximum it can supply consistently in series with a motor is about 150mA. If I keep current above this for long, the thermistor begins to heat and total current decreases due to the limiting.
It might seem odd that the max constant current I was able to sustain is greater than the short circuit current, but this is due to the fact that this component is effectively limiting the amount of power it dissipates, and not the amount of current it passes. Power is the product of current and voltage, so because some voltage is dropped by the load, it is able to handle a current higher when loaded than it is able to when shorted.
Physical example
As a point of reference if milliamps aren't very familiar to you, in my testing I was able to cause the clutch gear (60c01) to slip indefinitely on 43362c01 with the thermistor in series.

This drew about 100mA for me. So, you can drive most of the lighter 9v parts just fine. The current limiting will kick in at about half the stalled current for most of the motors. Larger PF motors, and especially the RC buggy motor, will not be able to reach their full potential with the overload protection in place on this battery box.

Interesting. I'm a little bit confused about the 150mA thing though. Your listed short circuit currents and physical example seem to suggest it's less (~100mA?). Have I misunderstood something?

I've added an explanation to the end of the electrical characteristics section. I'm fairly confident that this is due to the fact that the thermistor sees a lower voltage when there is a proper load in use.


text:
Colored balls detectable by EV3 color sensor
I'm looking for large balls in standard Lego colors that are detectable by the EV3 color scanner.
So black, white, green, brown, yellow and blue and between 5 and 10 cm.
I'm aware of the Duplo balls:

But they do not seem to exist for all the 7 colors.
Are there any other larger balls from Lego in the standard colors?
Is there any third party offering them?
How much can the colors differ from the Lego colors so that they are still detectable by the EV3 color scanner?

There is an interesting discussion on this on the lejos.sourceforge.io forum.

the calibration values for the NXT sensor are set in the factory and seem to be different for each sensor (which implies that there must be a reasonable amount of variation between different sensors). On the NXT the RGB values are true raw values and the calibration adjustments used to identify Lego colors are made in the leJOS driver.

But on the EV3 there is no calibration, and the sensor RGB mode

is not well documented and was not exposed at all in the first version of the Lego software...So the bottom line is I doubt if anyone outside of Lego (and maybe NI) knows if the RGB values are raw sensor readings or if any sort of calibration data has been applied

So it doesn't sound like you will have a consistent set of data anyway - I'd suggest just seeing what coloured balls you can get cheaply and just trying them.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What is the LEGO EV3 rpf file?
I read the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Communication Developer Kit's document.
I have a question in 4.2.1 (Start program “Demo” on EV3 brick) it is mentioned "The file-extension is "rpf" and NOT "rbf", so how can I generate the rpf file?

rpf stands for "rudolph program file" [source] (I believe "Rudolf" is the internal code name for EV3.)
These are the files created using the "Brick Program" utility on the EV3 brick. Once you have created a program on the brick, you can upload the file using the EV3 desktop software. You can find the files in the BrickProg_Save folder.

However, after explaining all of that, I think the documentation you linked may be a bit misleading. The file extension does not have to be .rpf. The file just has to be an EV3 bytecode file, so a .rbf file could be used too. They probably just chose that example since the Demo.rpf file is installed by default on the EV3.

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


text:
How to fix the 4.3V output supply of a NXT 2.0?
I have a Mindstorm NXT 2.0 from 2007 (PCB code: 62115.40H) at which the sensors except the simple "Touch sensor" are no longer working. Also the tacho-signal of the motors do no longer work. (The motors work but do not stop after e.g. 5 rotations)
By looking at the schematics of the slightly older NXT (1.0) I could figure out that the problem seems to be caused by a defect in the 4.3V output supply. So I opened the housing and measured at TP79 of my NXT 2.0 the voltage of IPOWERA, IPOWERB, IPOWERC, IPOWERD and POWERMA, POWERMA, POWERMC. The voltage was not having 4.3V while the 5V supply "VCC_RS485" from which the 4.3V output supply is generated was fine.
My problem: The circuit which generates the 4.3V output supply from VCC_RS485 was changed in the NXT-2.0, while I can only find the schematics of the older NXT (1.0). This made it for me impossible to find the defective component (since nothing looks obviously defective)
Does anybody know how to fix the 4.3V output supply of an NXT-2.0?
Or does anybody know where to find the schematics of the NXT-2.0?

I found a schematic from what seems to be the NXT 1.0 here: https://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/downloads  I am only seeing  5V and 3.3V power supplies listed in the documentation, is the 4.3V in your question a typo?

Josh, the 4.3V are not a typo. As you can see in the PDF "LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Hardware Developer Kit.pdf" available on the link you have mentioned, pin 4 of every sensor and motor connector provides a 4.3V supply voltage for the sensors (including the sensor inside the motors). There is no voltage regulator for the 4.3V. Instead it is derived from voltage VCC_RS485, which has 5V. The circuit for that (of the NXT 1.0) is on page 3 of the schematics. Check TP79.

Finally I've found a solution. It is not perfect since I wasn't able to find the schematics of the NXT-2.0 nor could I reverse engineer it. But this workaround seems to work pretty well.
This workaround works at the following conditions:

You have an NXT-2.0 (not a NXT-1)
The 4.3V voltage for the motors and sensors is no longer there (Voltage at C61 is zero.)
The 5.0V voltage VCC_RS485 has still 5.0V (Voltage at C57 is 5V)

As you can see in the image below I soldered a 1N4007 rectifier diode between the positive terminal of capacitor C57 and the positive terminal of C61. The cathode of the diode has to touch C61.
Ensure not to touch the test-point T41 close to C57 since this should have 3.3V on NXT-2.0 (while it had 5V on NXT-1).
A silicon rectifier diode causes usually  a ~0.7V drop. So it makes 4.3V from the correct 5V source. If you don't have an exact drop of 0.7V don't worry: The NXT motors work also with the Lego-EV3 and according to the spec. of the EV3 that brick sends even 5V directly to the motor-sensors. (So even a wire instead of the diode might work - but I used the diode to stay on the safe side)
To solder the diode you have to open the NXT and to disconnect the battery holder, which requires some desolder work.
Dependent on your skills this might be some tricky work. Please don't blame me if this kills your NXT totally. Only do it if your feeling qualified to do it and if you've understood the explanations above.

I was in same situation. In my case I fixed the problem replacing C61 capacitor that was shorted. I have found this schematic, but it seems not corresponding to 2.0 also because I can't follow it.

Welcome to Bricks! I'm glad that replacing that cap fixed the issue for you! Hopefully this information will be helpful to others as well. How did you identify that this was the problem? Could I just put an ohm meter across the C61 terminals to identify that it is shorted and needs to be replaced?

I'm not an electronic professional, but I know that a cap doesn't conduct DC current and electrolitic capacitors are between the more error prone components. So with schematic in hand and the picture that @Holger posted, I put the multimeter in continuity mode and tested C61 cap. It beeped. I was lucky because that was my first try and surely the only problem I could have fixed.

Great! Thanks for sharing!

I'm so glad I found this post! I had left the batteries in the NXT for too long and corrosion had broken some of the connectors, which I had just managed to replace. However, I later realized that I had the sensors and motors issues described above. After seeing this post, I had not much to lose and decided to disconnect the battery holder and test C61. Sure enough, it was shorted and I replaced it quite easily.

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


text:
Why are my Technic blue pins breaking?
These connectors are cracking very easily:

Actually I'd call that a Tehnic pin, as does BrickLink.  https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32556#T=C

This happens if the parts are under a lot of strain, usually as a result of unevenly distributed weights or improper gear assemblies.
Also make sure that the parts are being handled gently and teeth aren't being used to remove them. Since these can sometimes be hard to remove, students (especially younger ones) often try to use their teeth to grip them while pulling them out. This will almost always lead to the pegs breaking down.

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


text:
Are there LEGO sets unique to the UK/Europe?
I'm going on vacation to the UK and am looking to pick up some sets for 2 collectors (if they have them).  It's a surprise gift so I don't want to ask them about it.
I am wondering if there are sets exclusively sold in the UK or Europe that are not easy to find in the US?

LEGO used to give away promotional polybags for free with the Daily Mail tabloid but severed their ties last year because of the newspapers reputation. The Sun (another tabloid) also ran similar promotions but I haven't seen anything recently. Whether or not LEGO has/had a similar promotion in the USA with the same sets, I don't know.

The London Bus (40220) was given away with qualifying purchases of ($75) or more in the U.S. and Canada. It's currently available in LEGO Stores in the UK (Although I'm not 100% sure if it's sold outside UK/Europe, it would make a wonderful souvenir and would potentially be quite collectable!)

It's not available in the UK, but if you're looking for exclusives, look on BL or take a plane to Billund and grab a 4000016 ;)

I completely agree with what Gareth said above. There have been several sets sold exclusively in the Uk and Europe throughout Lego's production history. However, if what you are asking is recent or more unique/exciting ones, then I can think of a couple off the top of my head.
Lego BR toy minifigure sold(if I remember correctly) in BR stores in the UK:
Brickset BR toy
Team GB series sold in UK and maybe Europe:
Brickset GB team
DFB German football team sold exclusively throughout Europe(possibly only in Germany):
Brickset DFB series
London bus given at store opening in London:
Brickset London Bus
Royal Guard buildable figure exclusive at Leicester Square store:
Brickset Royal Guard
I know the 2 Lego CLub Max minifigures is exclusive, but I dunno if it was only sold in UK/Europe:
Lime Green Max and Regular Max
The lego House minifigure/ set was sold in Billund stores:
Lego House set
The Legoland train is exlusive to Florida and Denmark:
Legoland train
The 2 Nesquik bunny sets were available in Germany, New Zealand, and Australia(who doesn't like chocolate milk?):
Nesquik
British exclusive minifigure Lester(not Chester, if you saw my edits):
Lester minifigure However, it's been a while, so I don't think you can still get this from the scratch ticket.
Oh, alright, you caught me. I used Brickset. Sorry for the long post. This is about all that I could find/think of. Some of the entries that I found, I wasn't sure of, so I didn't post them.
Please note that the places where they are sold are based only on my memory.

It should be noted that some of these are positively ancient and you're unlikely to find them in stores.

I suggest having a look on the Lego website and changing your region to compare what you get in different places.
I know that neither of these probably qualify as "unique" but in the past I've come across sets that have been discontinued/launched in one region before another. For example, the Maersk Sealand was available in the Far East after it'd been discontinued in Europe. The other difference you'll see is with "customisations" - namely the stickers. For example, the Football Team bus 3404/5/6 was sold in different colours and with different stickers in different regions - I know I have one with England stickers and one with USA stickers on.


text:
What parts are in each bag for the Star Wars Death Star 75159?
I have two opened death stars. Some bags are unopened and others are mixed. I need a checklist of what comes in each bag.
I would like to sell one and keep one.

The worst case scenario would be to go through the instructions page by page (the pages with the mixed bags) and collect the parts listed there. I would think the effort is not too big if you reasonably sort the parts before flipping through the pages.

I would build one first. If you have 2 sets if you build 1 the left over pecies should be the other set.

I have an idea that might just work for you.
You clearly have two of everything that you need, so I recommend use Bricklink and go through your list selecting the quantity of bricks required from the pile of bricks that have been opened. That should leave you a pile that you do not need (for the second build)
This will be a good starting point.
Good luck.


text:
LEGO mindstorm EV3 control using FPGA
I need advice on this issue. I want to build a communication between EV3 Mindstorms and FPGA. I want to control the different actuator/sensor of the EV3.
The idea is to test functionality of my digital system and its ability to interact with Mindstorms. Interface could be Bluetooth or else.
Could you please give me an idea about this?

There are a number of questions about the EV3 communication protocol an direct commands already. Perhaps these can be useful to you?

You can find some information on I2C in FPGAs on fpga4fun. There are lots of I2C cores on OpenCores, too. The biggest challenge would be how to connect your FPGA to the peripherals. My advice is to get a tiny development board like this one, and then you need to supply power to it, but this can be battery-powered since FPGAs are typically low-powered.
You would need to make connectors to connect the pins to your MindStorms/PF motors, but that should be fairly easy. However, one concern would be whether the board is able to channel enough power through the pins into the motors: Lego motors are 9V whereas typical FPGA pin output is 5V.

authors: iCPAP 睡眠呼吸機專門店


text:
Which Duplo bricks have practical uses in System building?
Traditional 2x4 and 2x2 Duplo bricks can be used to bulk out models and provide a structural support for landscapes, but have there been any other uses for Duplo bricks of all shapes and sizes in System scale MOC's?
I can find two examples, one of a Duplo barrel being used for a water tower and another that uses a Duplo crown to form the pinnacle of a structure.

I'm tempted to answer "All of them, depending on your imagination", but that's kind of a lazy answer.

Check out these links:

this MOC uses a Duplo Ladybug Base.
this modern classic uses a Duplo piece as a major element.

I remember reading an article where someone stated that they used the Duplo 2x4 bricks to build up height for large models.  The Duplo was then covered and surrounded by Lego, but that the Duplo added a lot of strength for the weight.

That's what I was referring to in the first sentence. I'm looking for uses for other Duplo pieces that aren't necessarily bricks.

Check the youtuber Jangbricks, he is using this filling technique with used Duplo several times in his Lego City when building bigger structures

Generally, I would say that it's only the big, strangely shaped ones that have decent uses.
Obviously you would very rarely use any of the small ones, and system is much better at this. (Only exception I can think of is a piece shortage (heaven forbid!))
I personally have never come across a MOC using DUPLO pieces in large scale, and I doubt you'll find a proper LEGO set using them either.
I would always recommend using system bricks if you can (you probably already know this).
DUPLO bricks do allow you to be lazy though!


text:
Are there any theoretical works about possiblity of self-replication of LEGO systems?
Are there any theoretical works about possiblity of self-replication of LEGO systems?
(constraints on the size etc., computer simulations)
Here are some relevent links:
Bartlab.org: PDF Document
Techi.com: Mad Scientist Dooms Us All With Self-Replicating Lego Menace
Wikipedia: Clanking replicator

It really depends on the level of self-replication you desire, and your willingness to introduce additional non-LEGO components to the process.
First off, assuming a pure solution, there is no way for LEGO blocks to produce more LEGO blocks.  You can't make a mold for making an ABS plastic part out of parts made from ABS plastic.
Even if you could produce the parts, you'd still run into some problems.  If you were just assembling brick by brick, you could easily replicate such creations.  But as soon as you need to assemble components using technic axles or pins, there'll be some difficulties.  LEGO just doesn't have pieces that are small enough or precise enough to maneuver axles and pins with any precision.
Obviously, this is simply speculation, but I fail to see a way in which LEGO elements could both manufacture and assemble all the elements to create more self-replicating systems.

"there is no way for LEGO blocks to produce more LEGO blocks", well, not quite yet, soon though: see http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/legobot/ and http://www.makerbot.com/blog/tag/lego/ and http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=lego&sa=Search


text:
Adapting charger for NXT 9798 battery
I have an old style  9798 NXT rechargeable battery pack 7.2V 1400MnAh, but no charger.
Can I adapt a  spare non lego 9v 200mAh charger for this? Or is voltage too high? can anyone read the output voltage from their old charger?
As I will need  to add a new connector plug to the charger, can anyone tell me if the battery charging socket centre pin is positive or negative?
Also what size of plug do I need as it slightly larger than current version for current battery?
Thanks
NB I have looked at my newer charger lego element 94165 10v 700mA for the current battery and it is a positive centre hole (for centre pin in battery case) and a negative outside (measured with red lead of multimeter in the centre hole of charger plug and black lead on outer tube showing +10.5v)

The two batteries and chargers are very different, in that the new one is 10V DC whereas the old one is AC (while it's supposed to be 9V, I think the transformer was actually 10V too).
As it's AC, the polarity doesn't matter, but I don't think using DC current is recommended (even if in theory the rectifier circuitry in the old battery should be able to accommodate it).
You should be able to buy a spare fairly easily though, whether at a local LEGO event or directly on BrickLink. Note that it's the exact same that came with 9V trains, so you may want to look for the complete transfomer + regulator as well, which may sometimes be cheaper to find.

authors: ʇolɐǝz ǝɥʇ qoq


text:
How to fix my XL motor?
I used the XL motor near water. Now it stopped working. Can someone tell me what I can do to fix it?

Funny, I've heard some people claim that PF motors are actually quite resistant to water and even work when immersed, so maybe that's not the cause of your problem.

You may want to contact the LEGO customer service which will usually provide a replacement motor free of charge.

What?! Really? Are you serious? I should check to see if they'll replace my two busted motors! I thought if your Power Functions stop working you have to buy new ones yourself. I am definitely going to see what they've got to say.

I'v had my share of replaced dead motors, so yes, I'm pretty serious. In any case, the only think you can lose is a bit of your time, since in most countries their customer service uses a free number.

It seems encased. You can try to open it up, expect a short happened internally.
Your best bet is to probably buy a new one. at 10$, it isn't so bad don`t you think?

For AFOLs, 10 bucks is not bad at all, but for kids, 10 dollars may well be a good amount of yearly income.


text:
Is it possible to build Lego bricks with a makerbot replicator 3D print?
Is it possible for plates, tiles or small pieces ? Is it possible to use MLCAD with a Makerbot replicator?

I can't imagine that the tolerances would be as good as LEGO's - would probably be on a par with MegaBloks ;)

Yes, but the quality would not be that good.  See this (my) answer on a related question.

See the referenced answer by InkBlend; precision of normal lego pieces out of box is under 10 microns. The quality you can get from a 100 micron printer is not going to work as well as a real piece. Once we have 10x precision for the 3D printers, things might change.

(fair warning: I work for a 3D printer company [Type A Machines])
I thought this cross-posting up on the RepRap forum would be useful here.
Summarizing that post:
It is possible to 3D print LEGO-compatible parts on desktop 3D printers, but with caveats:

The fit will likely never be as tight as real LEGOs. Those are tough tolerances to match. LEGO Corp are (I've heard) the masters of injection molded plastic.
The fit we achieved is not bad though, but to make it work you can't just print the holes at the exact diameter and just hope it works.
I did my models in CAD software and (CRUCIAL POINT) had to expand hole sizes by about 1/2mm to get the right fit.
I added 1mm chamfers to the holes as well.
I also widened the holes after printing with a 4.8mm drill bit. No power tools needed, just a few turns manually.

...but with those caveats, it's totally doable.  The holes I printed stuck quite nicely to the top of a standard LEGO 8x8 plate. Of course, it's crazy to try and print any standard LEGO/Technic brick. LEGO corp does that so much better than you ever will. The interesting thing is making custom pieces that you'll never see from LEGO. There are a lot of interesting 3D designs out there that - with the methods above - allow you to turn them into a LEGO component.

LDview can directly export LDraw files to .STL. But the problem is that the mesh obtained may not be suitable for 3D printing, many of LDraw parts are not "watertight", or contain surfaces inside the part volume (eg. studs are simply lain on flat top surface).

You can't directly export from MLCad to the .STL format that the Makerbots require, but there are workflows you could probably set up.
MLCad doesn't really have many export options, so you're better off using something like LeoCAD which can read .ldr files from MLCad, and export as other formats.

Using LeoCAD, add the part you want to print to the scene.
Export as either .3ds or Lightwave .obj, and import into Blender.
Export from Blender as an .stl file (native exporter).
Open the .STL in ReplicatorG and away you go.

I've heard there are limitations to printing layer-by-layer as parts can be very brittle. How do home-made bricks compare to the real thing, is it even a viable option?

Good question - I really doubt that the precision of the printers are anywhere close to actual LEGO bricks.


text:
How do you secure a power function motor to a technic extreme cruiser?
I am trying to help my son install a power function m motor in his Technic extreme cruiser.  We found a good place to put the motor and if we hold it in place it does drive the rear wheels.
The problem we are having is figuring out how to secure the motor to the car so that it stays in place when we operate it via the remote control.  The power function accessories have mostly traditional Lego style connectors but the Technic has none of those style bricks.

COuld you add a picture of your model and fitting, or find a picture of the model and indicate where you are putting the motor in?

It's very difficult to visualise the problem without knowing specifically how the motor and battery pack were installed. Normal (System) Lego bricks are compatible with Technic beams, the studs of a brick are designed to fit into the holes of a Technic beam.


text:
Any good Lego body decal templates or printing services
I was wondering could anybody point me in the direction of a good online service that prints minifig decals? I have no problem creating the designs etc but getting somewhere to print them is very hard. I would be happy to have a full custom minifig made if anybody could recommend a service.

Is there a reason you cannot print them yourself?

You might try and post a request on the ALPS Decal Yahoo group.  This is an e-mail group that discusses making water slide decals using the ALPS printer.  There are members of the group that do have businesses that produce decals.  I don't know how much people charge for custom decal sheets.  You'll have to ask.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alpsdecal/
Most decals that these folks produce use multiple layers of white ink under your actual artwork so that it allows the decal to be placed on a colored brick (not just white).  Your artwork also needs to be constructed using multiple layers that are lined up (registered).  Because the layers are usually printed in the "spot" printing mode, the actual layer art is black.  Think of each layer as a "mask".  When they print it, they tell the printer that where ever it sees black, to print say yellow.  Yellow is the "spot" color for this layer.  You start by printing usually 2 white layers, then spot yellow, cyan, magenta and finally black.  The unique feature of the ALPS printer is the capability of printing in overlay mode.  What this means is that you tell the printer to print a layer, but don't eject the paper.  The printer will rewind the paper back to the beginning and await your next print request.  Each print request is a separate layer printed on top of the previous layer(s).  This way, the final image is built up layer by layer.  On the last print (usually black), you tell it NOT to do overlay and when the layer is finished printing, the printer will eject the paper.  This type of printing is a lot of work and can use a lot of ink, especially white ink, which is expensive, but it gives the best results for the average hobbyist.
Like Joshua above noted, you can produce your own decals with a color laser (or inkjet) printer quite easily.  You are stuck with a big cutting job if you want to put the decal unto a colored minifig body (using white decal paper).  You can use clear decal paper if the artwork is black, because the decal shows fine on white, yellow, tan, red, green, orange, and blue parts.  Remember, if you are using inkjet decal paper, you must coat the decal with a clear finish (Krylon), prior to placing in water (to remove the backing) when applying to your minifig, otherwise, your artwork will smudge and wash off your decal.


text:
Which type of LEGO bricks would be compatible with the Mega Bloks Blind Bag Figures?
My husband collects the Marvel figures which come in the Mega Bloks blind bags. His birthday is coming up and I'd like to build him a display for his Marvel figures. I'd strongly prefer to use LEGO in order to build this display. I've read that certain types of Mega Bloks are compatible with certain types of LEGO bricks. (I will most likely have to purchase online so I won't be able to compare size in person before purchasing.)
How can I make sure that the type of LEGO I am buying will fit the foot holes of the Mega Bloks Marvel figures?

Hi Suzy, if you take a look at this question you'll see a few examples of how they work together.

Mega blocks can stand on any Lego plate just as good as Lego figures. This is demonstrated in this battle scene between Lego and Mega Blocks figures:
mega bloks halo vs. lego star wars clones

Before you play this, I advice you to turn down the sound a bit...

You could use any LEGO plates with the mega bloks figures. In the blind packs they stay on the mega bloks doublebricks, that are fully compatible with LEGO doublebricks. So you could take any set pack as you want. (some time ago i have used lego collectable minifigures stand with megabloks figures, it was usable, but i think they weren't standing too tight in there).

If you're just looking for some LEGO Bricks to build up a scene, then any of the standard LEGO sets or boxes of bricks would fit the figures - certainly the holes in the feet will fit the LEGO studs quite nicely, and the feet are spaced correctly to fit.
You could also take a look at the Marvel Super Hero range that LEGO offer which include a rather large diorama set 6868 Hulk's Helicarrier Breakout.
Note that the larger figures on the LEGO Shop page aren't compatible with the Megabloks figures, as they're over 7 inches tall.


text:
Cleaning between the studs of a build
I've unpacked a few of my models after moving home some time ago, these models have been in a cardboard boxes for several months and need cleaning:

I've tried compressed air, which only makes some of the dust airborne. I've also tried cotton buds but the process is tedious and they end up looking like this after several stokes.
More importantly, I would like to be able to clean my models without going through the tedious process of taking them apart, washing, drying and building them again.

Anything wrong with a quick submerge in water? You shouldn't have to take them apart if you only care about surface dust.

@Pubby Drying models can take a long time and damage stickers. I find it doesn't get rid of the deeply ingrained dirt.

When cleaning dust from scale models, sculptures, figurines or LEGO models I use an artist 'Fan' brush.  This is the best method I've found to clean dust rapidly without damaging models.

The fan brush's long hairs combined with the thin spread enables you to dust 'any shapes and surfaces without risk of damage.  For example, it would clean a LEGO antenna (1 stud attachment only) without making it fall.  You can can really push the brush into the bumps and cracks and the long hairs will bend and reach around the features.
Also, when dusting a big piece, I also set an electric fan a low power to blow air across my work table. This prevents the dust from just going up and settling back down on the model.
A huge advantage, learned after cleaning model boats, is that it is also perfect for dusting ropes (small cables).  This worked like a charm on my LEGO Technic crane with all the complex cable system.  It is also good on cloth, so it would work for the minifigures capes.

Have you tried one of the smaller portable vacuum cleaners? I've had a few of the battery operated "Keyboard Cleaner" type of thing, which usually come with a brush nozzle and work quite well.
Unlike firing compressed air and scattering dust/crumbs/contaminants everywhere, they are designed to catch most of it.

Faster than doing it by hand with a tooth brush or cotton bud.

Would be nice to have some tool which combine both compressed air and vacuuming

@Joubarc You might be onto something there!

Some of the more advanced ones can reverse the flow of air to generate that sort of effect. Alternatively just reverse the batteries ;)

I've tried a handheld car hoover but it doesn't have enough suction power. Instead I've been using a Dyson Animal vacuum to get rid of most of the dust.

I've successfully used a paint brush to clean my dust-covered MOCs.

A soft toothbrush can do a good job on an assembled model. Just make sure the bristles aren't too stiff. They could scratch the elements. It's still tedious, but easier than cotton swabs.

I'd recommend using a paint brush - larger, and ca, be very soft too.

I'd considered that option but felt there was still a danger of floating dust...

Try the cyberputty gunk that picks up dust. it's basically silly putty but it does what it says it does. I use it for random things like this all the time. Radioshack has it for $1.99 last I saw.

I couldn't find a link for the one sold at RadioShack, but Cyber Clean looks like what you describe - and it does indeed look like it could be a good solution for LEGO too. If I can find some, I'll definitely try it. Read also this thread on fbtb, people who tried it there seem to find it useful too.

I did try it since then, and for that kind of usage (built model which you don't want to take apart), I would tend to say it's very good - just press it on the model around, and it captures (most of) the dirt. The only downsize I see if the limited life of the stuff, so you'll need to replace it after a while, sooner if your models are very dirty.

I use a static duster for dusting models. They use soft polyester filaments that won't scratch, and which attract dust using static charge. It may take a few passes to get all the dust if it is thick, but they work well.

Most of the answers here use various combinations of air and brushes to get rid of dust. This works fairly well; I used to dust my model airplanes with the same paintbrushes I used for painting them. I second the tiny portable vacuum cleaner too.
However, my go-to option for dusting models that have been standing around too long is soapy water. I recently partially disassembled the 4483 Lego AT-AT that's been standing on my desk for years. Pop the legs off, the head off, and the panels off the top, etc; it comes apart into, say, 10-15 large modules. Dunk them in soapy water then rinse in warm clear water, and let it dry. It takes a while to dry but when it's done, it's clean. Much cleaner than the dusting approach.
I've washed individual pieces this way too, by putting them in a mesh bag (like the kind for washing delicates in a clothes-washing machine) first, then dunking the whole bag of parts into the water. It takes a while to dry though.

My personal favorite method is using a submerged toothbrush. It works much better than any other method I've tried, as the brush dislodges the dust and the water ensures that the dust does not fall back.

I just use my Dyson DC39 vacuum cleaner with either the crevice or dusting tool. As long as you're careful, this works well.


text:
Connecting to NXT Brick via Processing over Bluetooth
I am attempting to control my NXT model via the Processing programming language rather than the provided language based on LabView. When I can establish a connection over Bluetooth, this works rather well, but establishing the connection itself is problematic. It appears to work only every dozen tries or so.
My question is, what are some good troubleshooting steps for this type of activity? I can see the NXT brick in my list of Bluetooth devices on my laptop (Win7 64-bit), and I can even see it in the list of devices when I run a test script in Processing. My laptop appears on the list of devices on my NXT brick, but the connection icon at the top of the NXT window only shows "<" rather than "<>".
I believe I am using the latest firmware version (1.31). The other settings listed are:
AVR & BC4 - 1.01
What else can I attempt to try? I am attempting to connect to other Bluetooth devices (iPhone, Wiimote) but have not found the necessary libraries to allow those connections yet.

Are you in close proximity to a wireless device (2.4 GHz)?  Both bluetooth and wifi use the same frequency spectrum, so a conflict between the two may be a reason why you're having connectivity difficulties.

Ha! I missed the `12. Thought you asked this today. ;-)

You can use any programming language you like to remotely control the NXT provided that it can access a serial port of your computer. The Bluetooth connection on the NXT provides a virtual serial port. You can see this by opening "Devices and  Printers" and double-clicking on the NXT (provided that you have already paired it). Then have a look at the "Services" tab in the window that opens.

In the screenshot above, my NXT provides a serial port on COM4. Yours may be a different number.
So you need to do two things:

Figure out how to open a COM port on Windows using the Processing programming language.
Use the information in the NXT Bluetooth Developer Kit (available from the LEGO MINDSTORMS download page) to send commands to your NXT.

To use other Bluetooth devices with your NXT, you will need to relay the information though a computer to translate it into the commands from the NXT Bluetooth Developer Kit. In the case of the iPhone, you could write a custom program just as you would for a regular computer.


text:
Set missing all the Minifigures and a few other parts
When I got the Quinjet set, I dug through every bag but the manufacturers forgot a few pieces and my set didn't have any minifigures. How can I get the missing minifigures and the parts I'm missing?

You should check this question http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/1486/is-it-possible-to-obtain-a-replacement-part-for-a-collectible-minifigure

Just wondering, was there any indication that the box had been previously opened?

It is unlikely that Lego mispacked all of the minifigures. In the Quinjet set, the figures are spread among several bags, meaning Lego would have had a packing error in multiple bags, and then coincidentally placed all of the mispacked bags into the same box.
More likely is that someone removed them from the box and returned the package to the store. If I were you, I would take the box back to the point of purchase and ask for a replacement. The set is still in production, so they should be able to get you another or refund your money.

+1: It seems very odd that all the figs are missing: assuming this was bought as a new set, this strongly suggests that the set has been tampered with.

Unlike the Collectable Minifigures question (where LEGO don't offer replacement parts), if this is proper set bought new, then you should definitely try LEGO Customer Services as your first point of contact.
At the original time of writing, the minifigures were still available, but most of the elements are now listed as "out of stock" because that set is a retired product - so I'm not sure what their policy would be now

Contacting the customer service is always the proper way to go in case of incomplete sets. You could also try directly from where you bought the box.

@CreationEdge The page has been updated since I last used it properly (some 10 years ago - and this question and my answer are also quite old) and is probably now covering the "I want to buy a piece" but there used to be an upfront disclaimer that there may be charge if certain limits were hit - conceivably ordering over half a set might be considered rather excessive ;). Going through the process now, although most of the figure parts are out of stock there was no indication that I'd be charged for it.

Yes, it certainly seems that they do err on the side of believing everyone's honest :) Which is a pleasant and nice thing.

Never thought it would happen but out of the 90+ sets I've gotten the past 4 years I've come across my first set ever with missing components. Ordered through TRU.ca so distribution shouldn't have been the problem since it's probably ware house direct. Set was Baxter Robot Rampage (79105) Came sealed/new yet bag 1 was missing all but one mini figure/skate board/mouser pieces, and bag 2 was missing mini figure, and string piece, and finally I also didn't get stickers with the set. How does one even begin to explain that to customer service. Exchange through TRU would probably have been the simplest but unless this was a return I really don't see them at fault.
Like the Twinjet mentioned guess it does happen.
Agree with customer service being the best answer. Especially if bought new. Didn't call in but did call up the set on the site, selected everything missing (which was abnormally a lot) Waited for an Email from a representative, responded with details/instruction number now waiting to see what happens.

I had a similar situation, though not as drastic, where a helmet did not come with the set.
Customer service said that each set is weighed out and therefore always complete but sent the missing helmet anyway FOC.
I questioned why there were always misc extra pieces if everything was weighed... no response.
It doesn't hurt to be nice and explain how many LEGO sets you own, I suppose.

The miscellaneous extra pieces are always for the lightest pieces that are beneath the resolution of their scale.

I very much doubt that - the extra parts are always very consistent across all instances of a set; if the part was too small for the scale resolution, there would be some variation. And I'm fairly confident LEGO can afford very precise scales anyway. I know this question contradicts me, but I can't agree with its accepted answer.

You can go to this website of LEGO where they give you the parts you're missing.
https://wwwsecure.us.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts?domainredir=service.lego.com


text:
Is there only one lego Rohan soldier? Why?
As far as I can tell, Lego has released only one set containing a regular rank-and-file Rohan soldier, that is Uruk-hai army.
Is this correct? Why is it so?

This is correct. I double checked on the LEGO wiki. The reason is likely because they haven't had time to release more sets that take place in scenes where the Rohan soldiers are present. If they ever release an Edoras, Minis Tirith or Battle of the Pelennor Fields set, perhaps there will be more.


text:
Gunner bot programing
I just build the RCX Gunner Bot using the instructions from this web site.
I had to build something different to the one we built in the class, I added a touch sensor and light sensor, so the bot will avoid any obstacles on its way, and shoot when it sees a black dot.
I am wondering if anyone has a program for a basic gunner bot, or at least for shooting the bullets. If somebody can help me, It would really appreciated.
I am not an engineering person but I need to pass that class.

Are you setup to use NQC?

no, I have to use RCX Code

Please state clearly what problems you have as well as what you have tried.

I used: ON motor B then Set Direction Bv then Set Power B(8) and the bot is shooting but non stop. How to make it drive then shoot two times if it hits something or shoot if it sees a black spot?

Your code handling the behaviours like "Shoot 3 times if the touch sensor is triggered" or "Shoot if the light sensor is triggered" should use 'if' statements.

Then, instead of always being called, the "shooting" code would append only on sensor events.  After shooting, the robot would then go back to the "Driving around" part of the code.
This page is a good visual reference for all the RCX programming components

@ewelina does this help in any way?


text:
How to speed up the 4x4 Crawler truck 9398?
Just finished building the 4x4 Crawler and it was a fun build but as a remote control car it is . . . in a word . . . SLOW! I know it's powerful and can climb over stuff but sometimes there is nothing to crawl over and I'd rather it be faster. Are there any other gear configurations that would make it a bit more exciting?

'Crawler' is a good name then... :)

I think you need to find your own solution for the two (identical) motor blocks. There should be enough space to rebuild this with an XL motor or use other gear transmission ratios.

YES! I didn't think what "crawler" really meant until after I had it put together . . . and, yeah, I've seen some videos where people are disappointed with the torque and the differentials. I have one XL motor and I'm about to order another!

The simplest way to get different speeds is by changing the gears. The instructions get you to build it with a 12:20 gear down in the portal axles, so the easiest way to change the speed is to flip those to get 20:12. From memory that will not work because it interferes with other parts of the model.
You can fit two 16 tooth gears in there instead, giving a slight speed increase. Or you can put an 8:24 gear down for even more torque (but even less speed). There two options are shown below.
It's important that you keep all four wheels geared the same, otherwise you will be making the front and rear motors fight each other. That's not great for the motors and gears, and it will drain your batteries very quickly.

Deeper inside the model there is another 12:20 gear pair that you can also swap for 16:16 (two sets of this, one each end).

You need these old school 5292 puppies ;-)  2 of them.
Check a motor comparison here
You're gonna have to do some after-market mods but those are very powerful , I have them from the 8366 set. But as you can see in the review, there are pro's and con's on every engine.
I suggest reading it in full, it's an amazing source of information and you'll learn a lot like I did. There's a nice poster about them.
It has 2 different outputs which makes it so fun to make something that can use them both.  Speed or torque.  They will drain your batteries for sure anyway you use it.

Why oh why did Lego get rid of them!?!?  Maybe is was the un-Lego-like remote. It's funny because I remember seeing these a long time ago and when I got into Lego later I was amazed there were no real remote control cars. This is why I need to buy all the cool sets as soon as they come out! Anyway . . .  I think the PF XL motor would work well too . . . my fear is that I'll break some gears but that's the price to pay for a powerful and fast "crawler".

Oh, and another option is the PF XL motor with a gearbox so I can change speeds. http://sariel.pl/2011/02/2-speed-heavy-duty-linear-gearbox/

Indeed, I love that remote, I'm so glad I actually have 2 sets.  Found them on ebay at the time, pretty suspicious person selling it but hey ;-)
Those motors are really awesome.

You could actually crash the car in a way big lego pieces broke in half, so it was pretty fast, we played with them at work and some couldn't handle it ;-)  There is a big diff between the mechanincal power the PF XL and the RC one, but as always: lego isn't about receiving exact answers, but about posing the questions to figure out by experiment ;-)

You can switch 4 pairs of gears on each end of the crawler (2 pairs in the portal hubs and another 2 pairs inside the gearbox infront of the motor) do this on both ends or you run the risk of broken gears or premature motor wear. I ran 12 tooth gears all the way from the motor to my hubs for a dramatic increase in speed however the torque suffered severely, I would only recommend doing my gearing with xl motors. Cheers :)

What about this in comparison to Móż's?
The gist is to swap out two gears at the rear of the vehicle:

I see two solutions, but I don't know which is the better before I proceed to order pieces. One seems to be free, as it consists in switching these two gears in the image and/or the ones at the steering portal axles. Is there a difference between the two positions switching? Is the Móż's solution more balanced? Like having some more speed, but keeping enough torque power to remain a crawler?

Welcome to Bricks! We're generally looking for answers that go into a little more detail and don't just include a link to another resource. I'll expand your answer a little so that it isn't just a link.

This community is too . . . strict maybe? I posted something similar and included a link to youtube and just got voted down so I deleted it and gave up . . . and it was MY question so I should probably know what sort of answer I was looking for. Anyway, that is one way to speed it up and I did that but even if it was 2x faster it was hard to tell because it was still so slow! :)

Still, this is a place to discuss solutions. What is the difference in mounting two 16T gears at the wheels or in the middle (where is marked in the picture above)? Is there a difference in power and speed?


text:
A piece with no place in Heartlake Stables
I recently bought this set for my niece for her birthday, when we were finished setting it up we noticed a larger orange piece that we couldn't find a place for but was in the set and in the back of the book where it outline what pieces there/how many of them. I just wondering for sure what the piece goes to?

Since you found the part in the booklet, could you specify its number as well?

Nevermind, I'll go and assume you're speaking about 4654448

That part is the new Brick Separator which LEGO includes in most bigger sets:

It's not part of the construction itself, but is a tool to allow you to easily disassemble constructions. You can compare it with the older version in this question on how to separate 1x2 plates.

Oooh, I hadn't seen the new one. I like the introduction of the + peg; I always had to fish out a + rod for pushing those out.

Page 3 of book 1 of the instructions.


text:
Which brands (fictional and non-fictional) have appeared in the Town/City theme?
A few years ago I wrote an article about the fictional organisation logos found in the City theme.
I'd quite like to revisit this, as I'm sure I must have missed some. I also only focused on the fictional brands, but I know some licensed brands have appeared too.
My current list is:
Fictional

Police
Fire
Hospital (Star of Life logo)
Postal service (envelope and bugle icon)
Railway (double arrow logo)
Refuse / recycling agency (eg 4206)
Highway maintenance agency (motorway icon) - eg 6653 and 6521)
'Octan' (oil/energy company)
'AirLine' (now uses the bird logo)
'International Transport' (eg 161 and 6367)
Cargo company (yellow box on blue world logo) - eg 4551

Real

Shell (1966-1980, before Octan was introduced, e.g. 1256)
Ferrari (eg 8673 - part of the 'Racers' theme but minifig scale)
Toys R Us (7848)
Maersk (1552, 1831, 1651, etc)
Deutsche Bahn (eg 7735)
BNSF (Burlington North Sante Fe) eg 10133
Lego (eg 4549 and 10156)
Exxon (eg 6679 6375)
Danone (only once - 1591)
Color Line - eg 2149

Are there any others?

I suppose NASA would be on the outskirts of the Town/City theme, but there it is...

I can't believe that nobody else else has posted the most important real company that appears within the LEGO City theme... the LEGO company itself!

There is a good list of promotional sets on Brickipedia, that includes the set theme. Many of the town / city sets include logos or brand names of real-world companies.
Other sets that include real-world brands (some of which don't count as Town / City, according to the Brikipedia themes list) include:

Esso appeared on some very early sets.
DB (Deutsche Bahn) appears on various trains, including 7725.
Sports sets such as, 3432 which has NBA logos on the player's chests, or 65221 that included a Spalding basketball.
1656 Viking Line cruise ship.
Interfrigo, set 147.

Of course! How did I miss that? Set 10156 seems like the most recent example I can find, but I'm sure there are others. I've added it to the list in the question.

Didn't think about LEGO either, I guess it was too right under our noses.

I have a very old set with the word "Legoland" printed on a Brick. So that's another

Here are some additional non-fictional brands and their set(s) under the Town theme:
Chocomel (Nutricia), Holland
Chocolate Factory
Canada Post
Mail Van
Mail Truck
ANWB (Breakdown service), Holland
Breakdown Assistance
Roadside Recovery Van and Tow Truck
UNICEF
UNICEF Van
Touring Club Schweiz
Breakdown Assistance
Air Canada
Air Canada Jet Plane
MD Foods (Denmark)
Milk Truck
Emirates
Emirates Airliner
Arla (milk supply company, Sweden)
Milk Delivery Truck
Renault
Racing Car
Velux
House with Roof-Windows
Color Line
Container Lorry
Tine Dairies (Norway)
Milk Delivery Truck
McDonalds
McDonalds Restaurant
Also there is the 'Houses' set from Weetabix. This doesn't actually include the brand in the Town set itself, but includes the pieces to build a Weetabix figure in the set and is part of the Town theme.
Under the City theme:
Vestas
Vestas Wind Turbine

Lego also collaborated with several airline companies to release a standard plane but with stickers denoting the airline name. I remember excitedly purchasing them back in the day. They were only available through their in-flight shopping if I recall correctly. I have two. One is El-Al and the other one is for a Japanese carrier (need to check either ANA or Japan Airlines).
Here is the link to the "generic set" although it is labelled El-Al.
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?set=4032-3
You can actually see the whole set of airlines here:
http://www.brickset.com/browse/themes/?theme=World%20City

I wouldn't consider "hospital" as fictional.
At first, LEGO did seem to use the Red Cross logo, but they have since then had to stop (presumably because of the Red Cross being very protective about their logo). Note that the logo they have been using since isn't fictional either.
12v era trains provided stickers for a lot of different train companies, I'm not sure if what they use now is fictionnal or not (I think so)

You're right about the 'Star of Life' not being entirely fictional. Although it's also not solely owned as an identity of any particular real-world organisation as I understand it, so it's arguably more of a generic symbol. Oh and I'd forgotten about the early Red Cross bricks!

Those 12V train stickers are interesting - they definitely include some real world companies (including British Rail and the Danish State Railways). Were any of those ever produced as printed bricks, I wonder?

Real brands include:
Mostly it's the three early Maersk Trucks - 1552, 1831 and 1651 that are usually listed under the Town theme.
Toys R Us also appeared on one City themed truck
Outside of the Town/City themes but still minifig scale you then have:

Maersk Train - under Trains.
SNCF - In it's old orange livery is the basis for the Horizon Express train under Creator.
Ferrari - Is usually listed under the "Racers" theme rather than Town/City
Porsche - In the 2015 LEGO Speed Champions line
McLaren - In the 2015 LEGO Speed Champions line

Other brands have also appeared in other more advanced/non-minifig scale themes, such as:

Boing - The 787 Dreamliner.
Maersk (again) - The Sealand Container Ship
Sopwith Aviation - The Sopwith Camel.
Volkswagen - The T1 Camper and Beetle

Don't you mean SNCF?

I don't think any of these have been in town/city themes

Thanks, I've updated the question to add Maersk to the list, and also to note that Ferrari wasn't technically part of City (though I've kept it in as it's clearly compatible).

The Horizon Express is clearly inspired by the SNCF early TGRs, but as it isn't actually identified as such I've left it off the list.

Depending on how you classify "Town/City", you might want to consider these:
Real

Mini Cooper big, small
Nasa (several parts)

Fictional

Ghostbusters 21108
Gringotts and other Harry Potter brands 4714, 10127
The smiling minifig coffee cup part


text:
LEGO brick competitors?
I'm trying to find all the competitors to LEGO. I know there is MegaBloks. What are some more?
The base idea is that they should be bricks and they need to connect to each other like LEGO. However, it does not need to be compatible with LEGO.
Also open source designs are always welcome!

I don't think Playmobil really qualifies as "should be bricks and they need to connect to each other" - there are a few sets where you can build houses from a few different wall and floor pieces, but that was about it.

Mega Bloks: the well-known Canadian brand
Oxford toys - review
Hasbro KRE-O
K'Nex - yes, they do bricks too (not sure about compatibility though)
Cobi
Best-Lock
Character Building from The Character Group, a range of licensed products including Dr Who, Deadly 60, HM Armed Forces and Ben 10 to name a few.

Disclaimer: some of these retrieved from the lugnet off-topic/clone-brands group; they also mention "Art Asylum’s C3 Brand" but the site doesn't seem to work.

Perhaps I phrased my question a little off. I want to know if there's any LEGO like bricks that's not compatible with LEGO.

Both questions have merit, so you may want to edit your original question to ask for both.

In terms of semi/incompatible systems, there's a number of them that are supported through the Free Universal Construction Kit files for MakerBots and other 3D printers:

The Free Universal Construction Kit offers adapters between Lego, Duplo, Fischertechnik, Gears! Gears! Gears!, K’Nex, Krinkles (Bristle Blocks), Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Zome, and Zoob.

Besides the resources mentioned by others, you might also be interested in this excellent compilation of all LEGO knockoff products and competitors titled Communist LEGO. It is in a form of a PDF and is a highly enjoyable read: http://www.1000steine.com/brickset/miscellaneous/clonebrands.pdf

Wikipedia has a pretty complete listing as well.

Ausini
BanBao
Best-Lock
Brictek
Built to Rule
Cobi
Character Options
CoCo
Cogo
Enlighten Brick
K'nex (Note: some sets feature Lego-compatible studs)
Kre-O
Laser Pegs
Lite Brix
Mega Bloks
Nintendo (Manufactured Nintendo Block, later rebranded N&B Block)
Oxford
Rokenbok
Sluban
SY
Star Diamond
Tyco Super Blocks
Super Blox

From the back of my head, I would also add

Ionix (Tenkai Knights)
Nanoblock

LEGO-like, but not compatible?
Nano Blocks.
http://www.mynanoblock.com/site/

Montini; made in the '60's in The Netherlands, but Lego put a stop to that. Compatible underside in alternative positions if Lego doesn't have hollow stud for ×2's (the ×1's okay), as has pins, studs taller so Lego plate leaves a gap.
Large Mega Blocks fits atop Duplo, although they also make fully compatible.
Tente of Spain, hollow studs, brick with same N° of studs rests atop Lego, but not holding on.
Unknown British, a fraction smaller as using inches, used it at primary school in the 1960's.
Pennybrix, ~1964 by tri-ang. L-shaped studs.


text:
RobotC for RCX cannot find USB IR Tower
I have looked for similar question but found null. So here I am asking.
I have Win7, a RobotC fo RCX and Mindstorms for RCX (both are old version, but available free). I borrowed an old LEGO kit (9794 Team Challenge) which lacked some parts. It has RCX 1.0 as controller. I borrowed a USB IR Tower from my friend.
After a well installation, I tried RobotC and was asked to download firmware to RCX brick.
But RobotC cannot communicate with it because it cannot find the port which I plugged the IR tower to. Inside the preference, there are two available USB port recognized.
I swithced between them but RobotC still cannot find the tower. I have been googling this around for almost a month now.
Thanks for any enlightement.

Hi, and welcome to LEGO Answers :) Are you running a 64bit version of Windows 7?

hi. no, I'm running 32bit version. sorry for the late reply

If you are you using ROBOTC 2 for RCX you need to install the separate driver for windows 32bit.  This driver is not included in the ROBOTC install (at least not with version 2.03).
It might also be a good thing to start with a fresh install of ROBOTC 2.03.


text:
How to sort complete sets from box of unsorted LEGO
My son has thousands of pieces of LEGO, but he has them all dumped in a box. Is there any way to figure out what sets they went to if I don't remember the names of them?

First thing to do would be to get together any building instructions you have and attempt to build those sets one at a time noting any missing elements as you go.
Once this is complete and if you still have unsorted pieces, you could use a website such as Bricklink.com to try to identify the sets and then use Peeron.com to source the building instructions for that set.
To begin this process, try to select an odd looking piece that is uncommon in your collection. Use Bricklink to try to identify the piece and then click through to the catalog entry for that piece to see the list of sets that piece is included in. You can follow the links to get an inventory of the selected set and then see how many of the required pieces you have in the unsorted box.
This is not an exact science and will require a fair amount of trial-and-error, not to mention time, but these two websites are two of the best LEGO resources available for such a task.

In addition of odd-looking pieces, you may want to have a look at the minifigs, too. Some of them are unique to some sets, which should help a lot, but trying to identify them might be a pain.

Before you start:

It can be a big help to sort the parts, at least in some rudimentary way. Sorting by colour is least helpful, by shape much better.
Don't dismantle partial assemblies until you've either (a) identified the sets that they come from or (b) you're sure they won't help you identify particular sets.

To help you identify the sets:

Search through anything that you've got that is made of paper - sticker sheets, instructions, boxes or bits of boxes, etc. These often have set numbers on them, or pictures from which you can identify sets.
If you find a part with a number printed / stickered on to it, that number could well be a set number.
Find other bricks with stickers or designs. These can be a good indication of the kind of sets they are from.
Look for other unusual parts or parts in unusual colours. Minifigs and their accessories are a good starting point.
Look for partially completed models that look like they come from sets. It is usually easy to tell the difference between something that a child's build from something that was designed by LEGO.
Look at the general mix of parts. Lots of bricks that are 2 studs wide suggests that they come from basic building sets, whereas 1-stud wide parts are more likely to be walls for buildings. Lots of grey could indicate Star Wars sets. It is fairly easy to identify Bionicle and Technic parts.
Most collections of LEGO span a decade or so, so you can limit the identification process to the if you can guess the era covered by the collection - either from your child's age, from any sets you can identify, or from individual parts that were only made for a short time. Remember, however, that this is not a hard-and-fast rule - many collections have sets / bricks from outside their core collecting years.
Bare in mind that LEGO often produce several quite similar sets. For example, if you think you're fairly sure you've got a fire engine but can't find half the parts you expect, then you're probably trying to find the parts from the wrong fire engine.

Get to know the following reference sites:

Peeron
Brisklink
Brickset

If all else fails, post pictures of the less common parts here and we'll see if we can help identify the sets that they're from.
Finally:

Don't despair if you can't sort everything out. LEGO is about creativity, not just the sample designs that LEGO supply!

Here's what I did after finding a couple of old LEGO boxes stashed away in my parents' house.

Create a user and log into Rebrickable.com.
Under 'My Parts', create a new part list, and start adding your parts using their catalog. They have a very good search engine and you can quickly find most, if not all, of the exact parts.
Once done, go to the 'Build' section, where you can see which LEGO sets you can build from your part list. It gives you a percentage so e.g. if you have a set with 91% match, then that's probably the original set, and you're just missing a few odd parts.

I did all that (took a while, had over 800 pieces to catalog....), figured out which sets are the most probable ones, and ordered the missing parts (usually from BrickLink.com) to complete them.
It was really an excitement to see some 30-year old lego sets being built again :)

Exactly what I was looking for, cheers

Gonna try this NOW!

The Brick Manager app might be helpful with sorting the sets. It keeps track of all pieces that you've found and which are still missing.
Note: I am the developer of the app, and my post is a genuine attempt to help the topic starter and others facing the same issues.

Here's a description of the app from the app page on the Play store:

You have a huge collection of unsorted bricks and a lot of instructions of all sets that belong to the bricks. It's a huge job to collect all the parts from the unsorted bricks.
This app will help you to keep track of all the parts that you've collected so far and all the remaining parts.
This is how it works:

Enter a set number. The app will collect all set information and will display it in a nice way on the screen
Then the app will present a list of all parts and minifigs that belong to the set in a clear and user-friendly way
In this list you can indicate which parts you've already collected

The app is built using the Rebrickable API and is also listed on Rebrickable.com.

Hi Jasper and welcome to Bricks. If you're the developer, or involved with the Brick Manager app, then please see our help topic on self-promotion to make sure your answer isn't considered spam - you need to disclose your affiliation to the product or service you're promoting.

Hi Jasper and welcome to Bricks.SE! If you are indeed the author of the application, a disclaimer should be added to your post to avoid undue suspicion. In addition, this answer would definitely benefit from expanding it to provide a full answer to OP's question ("How to get from a tub of bricks to a bunch of completed sets?") with some extra steps. Aside from these points of possible improvements, I think you have the core of a great answer and a tool that will be cherished by many fellow LEGO enthusiasts. I, for one, have added it to my wishlist to be able to find it, should the need arise.

I went ahead and added some details to this answer. I can see why some folks view this as spam, especially since Jasper is likely the author of the app and didn't disclose that, but this appears the be an attempt to answer the question using a free app, so I'm leaving this up unless there is consensus to do otherwise.

Thanks for the comments. Note: I am indeed the developer of the app, and although the original post is quite old, this post is an attempt to help people out who are experiencing the same issues as the topic starter and happen to stumble upon this topic.
The app is quite a niche product and thus not meant (and useless) to be promoted to a big audience. Apologies if it looked like this. The app is ad-free and without inapp purchases. It is not my goal to make money from the app, just help out people who face the same problems as I did.

I came across this thread as we have lots of sets mixed together from which we would like to separate a few. I have to saythat the app is fantastic and very cleverly designed... for the first time we feel the task is doable. Our bricks are arranged by colour as this is how our girls like it, additionally we have other invented builds and a box of totallt mixed pieces that they use for their creations, so it's really a difficult task. I particularly like that you can organise the list by different criteria and work on several sets at the same time, it really suits different way of organising (o


text:
Are the molds for LEGO bricks maintained in house or is maintanance partly outsourced?
I'm a maintenance engineer myself and busy with my MBA courses with the following strategic question: what maintenance can be outsourced or not. I was wondering if Lego does all maintenance of the molds in house, as the molds are the core of the product and the essence of what makes LEGO unique.

On a business level, my observation is that if something is critical to a business then it's difficult to create a sufficiently explicit and flexible outsourcing contract that also makes it cheaper than doing it in-house.  If LEGO needs mold X rebuilt urgently, would their contract allow for that?  In house they could just ask the employees to work overtime, and failing that get management to do it.

Moulds are maintained in-house.
As you say, the moulds are at the very core of the business of the LEGO company and are thus treated with all the seriousness you can imagine. Considering also that some moulds are in effect trade secrets by themselves (especially for parts which aren't publicly known yet), LEGO wouldn't want any of them to exit the company. (It's been said that retired moulds are embedded in concrete of new buildings, but that's probably an exaggerated version of "they are destroyed".)
If I remember correctly, National Geographic's reportage on LEGO (in a serie on ultimate factories) showed some very interesting insight on the moulding process, including the making and cleaning of moulds, which I'm certain will be interesting for you. You can find these on YouTube; in particular, watch the interview of one Finn Kirkegaard at the beginning of part 2. You'll also notice that these things are absurdly heavy, which would make the transport of them an issue too.

"The YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement."

What was the name of that documentary, so that we could find it elsewhere?

Found one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swC8ZTRxgbQ


text:
LEGO Scalextric?
I have a couple of these car parts in my collection but cannot find anything about them. They are copyright 2003 and show a number 3213 on the back axle.
Interesting is that they have 3 electrical connectors on the underside that suggest it gets power from a track of sorts.  Something like LEGO scalextric.
Can anyone shed some light on what this is and how it worked and was controlled?

Sounds like this:

Which can be found in set 8364 only. It's recharged by pushing the car on a charging track piece, itself powered by batteries:
.
Not particularly good, but the sheer number of track parts in the set makes it interesting to buy for some people.


text:
Can 10153 9V train motor be powered by the Power Functions Battery pack?
I am currently making the switch to Power Functions with my Lego Train collection and am wondering if I can power the old 9v motors that I used with the metal rails, with a battery box from the power functions line? I tested it and it does run but I'm concerned that it may burn out or not be safe... Any advice?

As a rule of thumb, "I tested it and it does run" is a pretty sure bet if's safe as well. LEGO wouldn't release electrical stuff that could be used in a wrong way by kids.

In short, yes it's perfectly safe to run your old 9v motors from your Power Functions battery box.
This excellent online reference has a lot of information on various LEGO motors. Both the old 9v train motor and the Power Functions train motor are listed.
The information on the site shows that the characteristics of the two motors are very similar with the old 9v motor drawing 0.38A @ 9V and the Power Functions motor drawing 0.38A @ 9V.
The old 9v motor does draw slightly more current, (0.40A), @ 4.5V compared to 0.36A @ 4.5V for the PF motor, but this difference is negligible and will not translate into any damage to your motor or battery box.

Also there is official confirmation from LEGO via their Power Functions FAQ

Can I use Power Functions elements with my old 9V elements?
Yes, with 8886 Power Functions Extension Wire or 8871 Power Functions Extension Wire 20” you can use most of the 9V elements with Power Functions.

Nothing like an official quote from LEGO, I just can't help wondering why they say "most" of the 9V elements.

@Joubarc - Yes I wondered that myself! Maybe the subject for another LEGO Answers question :-)

@Joubarc see https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/9607/6551


text:
How can I upgrade the firmware of an RCX 1.0 to an RCX 2.0?
I have an RCX 1.0 set from 1998 and I would like to upgrade the RCX 1.0 to RCX 2.0.  Can this be done? Exactly how would I obtain a firmware file and load it?  I do have access to the Bricxx Command Center, if required.

Not a definitive answer, but I really doubt the hardware is similar enough 10+ years later that you can just re-flash some firmware.

Actually, it's the exact same hardware.

The hardware of RCX 2.0 is identical to 1.5, and the only difference between these two and version 1.0 is the charging port which had been removed. So they're compatible and you can indeed use a newer firmware on an older brick.
You'll need the Mindstorms 2.5 SDK, which contains the latest official firmware. It's probably not on the LEGO site any more, but Philo has saved it for posterity on his site.
You may also want to use a compatible, but faster, firwmare from Dick Swan, you'll find it archived here.
As for uploading it to the RCX brick, I think there's indeed an option for it in BrickCC but I'm not too sure where, so I can't help much there. It's probably in the documentation somewhere.

I confirm that Bricxcc can upload firmware to the RCX (in tools menu)


text:
Resources to learn useful common Mindstorms mechanical construction patterns
I'm currently working on building a small scale CNC-like (X-Z, no Y axis) machine to cut glass mosaic tiles.
I decided to give it a go using my EV3 set and I'm having some trouble with the Z-axis movement.
I find I'm loosing too much time figuring out by myself how to build what I'd expect are known elementary construction units, or what I'd call "patterns" (get my SW Eng bg? :-)). For example: a circular-to-linear movement using the medium servo (push vs pull), commonly used gear assemblies, duplexing servo movement axis, etc.
I'm looking for resources where to learn some basic construction patterns that would help me speed up building more complex structures.  For example, a while ago I saw a book that seemed to contain some construction patterns -> combining gears, how to build strong structures, ... I can't find it anymore.
Any available online/offline resource that could help is welcome.

There are two sites I can think of that describe commonly used gear assemblies. Both sites make use of animations to illustrate how the gears work.
LEGO Education: Constructopedia
This web article produced by The LEGO Group introduces common, basic usages of gears and pulleys. It includes alterations to the direction of gears, idler gears, gearing up/down and pulleys at angles.
TECHNICOPEDIA: Building Fundapementals
Technicopedia: Building Fundapemtnals describe more advanced usages of gears and different gear types such as bevel, worm, rack and differential gears.

I've had trouble finding good examples as well. One of the most interesting one is, sadly, in Spanish, but the images (and some help from Google Translate) helped me some. Hopefully it can be a start.
http://www.hispalug.com/foro/index.php?topic=11730.0

sadly it covers mostly constructions using 'studded' (pieces) while EV3 uses studless beams.

Ah - didn't know that, so thanks for saying that :) I'm mostly a system builder myself. This is supposedly the largest technic blog as far as I know:
http://www.technicbricks.com/
Maybe you'll have better luck there?


text:
Can I pitch an idea to LEGO?
How would I contact LEGO about an idea for some kits to be built and sold?
I have designs for simple kits that I have built for my son that I think would be very popular.

LEGO doesn't directly take product ideas from fans.
However, there is a website called LEGO Ideas where you can post creations that may potentially get turned into official LEGO kits.
The process is as follows:

Submit your idea to LEGO Ideas.  Take some time to get good pictures, and write a good description, or your idea will probably not make it off the ground.
Get votes for your idea.  The way LEGO Ideas works is that ideas that can get 10,000 supporters (votes) in a year will get put into a review process.  The best way to get votes is to share your idea.  Tell your friends, and spread it on Facebook or other social media.
Go through the review process.  Once you reach 10,000 supporters, your idea goes to the LEGO review board.  The review board will look at your idea, and decide if it is worth creating as an official set.  Things like size, cost, part complexity, new parts, and licensing will all be factored in to the review.  Be away that only about 1 in 10 ideas that reach the review board are approved by the review board.
Buy your new LEGO product.  Once the review board green-lights your idea, it will be turned into an official LEGO product!  The products are often, but not always, limited edition kits, so get them while they last - as the creator you are given complimentary 5 sets and 1% of net sales.

Hopefully, this will give you some background on the LEGO Ideas process if you want to pursue that route to get your idea turned into an official LEGO kit.


text:
Removable glue for LEGO models
I want to glue my 4-year-old's LEGO bricks, but I want to be able to remove the glue when he is older. What is the best glue to use that is removable and okay to use on LEGO bricks?

Standard LEGO brick are probably not the right toy if you need to glue them.  I would look at LEGO Duplo bricks, which are specifically designed for younger kids.  Then you wouldn't have to glue them.

People, people, people. Respect the lady's question and try to answer it. It's not a question about the morality of gluing bricks together, nor the wisdom of a 4-year old having LEGO bricks (which, by the way, I personally am a huge proponent of, as long as we're going there). Let's assume she's a competent adult first, and go forward from there.

I would say low temp hot glue. I have done this for several my son really wanted to "keep". I figure one day he will be able to take it apart but it saves it from dropping and such!

I'm voting this up because it is one of only two answers so far that actually answers the question.

Your question doesn't explain why you want to glue the models for a 4 year old, so I'm going to go ahead and advocate that you don't glue and instead let your 4 year old build. 4 years old is a great time to be learning the fine motor skills, geometry, physics, colour and esthetics, not to mention creativity and storytelling. Gluing the models takes away their potential and makes Lego a blocky imitation of other toys.
Lego sells kits to 4 year olds (the Juniors line) that uses the exact same parts as the more complicated models in the other product lines. The main difference is build complexity; Lego Juniors use simple builds with few parts. With a bit of practice, your child should be able to handle the more complex construction of the other lines, which are typically set for ages 5 and up. That's only next year anyway.

There are three factors you have to consider here:  the possible chocking hazard for your child, the possible toxicity of the glue to your child, and the degree of removability of the glue.
I don't think there exist a glue that is (1) completely secure (i.e. won't allow small parts to become chocking hazards), (2) safe to be handled and possibly ingested, and (3) completely removable for future play.
If I have to recommend a glue with the safety of your child in mind, I would recommend Super-glue.  Once dry, it is non-toxic and it won't melt the plastic in the bricks.  However, it is more-or-less permanent, which is important for safe playing time (and obviously doesn't meet condition 3 above).
I strongly recommend that you consider age-appropriate building toys, such as LEGO Duplo bricks.  If you visit the LEGO Store, you can shop sets by age range to get an idea of what is available for your child.

Lego isn't exactly age-inappropriate for 4 year olds.

According to the LEGO group store, Duplo is the preferred toy for 3-4 year olds.

Duplo is suitable for 3-4 years old, but they also have the Juniors line which is for 4-7 years old. And it isn't a question of product safety; most 4 year olds are not putting the lego in their mouths. It's a question of age-appropriate themes and build complexity.

Why in the name of Sam Hill has this question become some kind of platform for child safety and anti-glueness?

As Nick says, LEGO System is probably not quite the right toy for a 4 year old. LEGO Duplo or possibly the new LEGO Juniors range would be better. LEGO obviously caution about the small parts on almost all System sets.
However, if you're looking for a temporary glue for now, then I'd probably go with a water based glue such as PVA that you'll eventually be able to soak off.
Be aware though, that this will not create as secure a bond as a permanent glue, so I would certainly advise supervising the play in case smaller elements come off.

Actually, Elmer's is in fact a PVA-based glue.

Yes, I believe Glue-All is a PVA glue, but a number of their other products aren't (for example ProBond or Kragle I mean Krazy Glue)

I'm fairly sure that the difference between Lego Juniors is build complexity, and not such much difference in choking hazards.

@Mr.ShinyandNew安宇 True, but they are aimed at 4 year olds: "LEGO® Juniors is designed to give children age 4-7 a great first experience with the LEGO® brick through iconic, fun and Easy to Build models."

You could perhaps try hot glue in some old test parts and after a few days, use rubbing alcohol to remove the joining power of the glue.
I use this method in foam planes and it separates the glue just fine.

www.le-glue.com is perfect for what you need.

Hi lee and welcome to Bricks! You're the second person to recommend Le-Glue, however as you may have seen on the first one, we're looking for longer answers than you have provided - can you expand a little on your recommendation - have you used it yourself for example? Did it do as advertised? Also, if you're affiliated with the product in any way, please let us know.

Yes, please expand a bit. I'm not a LEGO gluer, but if people want to do it, and there is a purpose-made product for this and it works well, frankly this should be the accepted answer, and the highest-voted one.

If the goal is just to make the LEGO builds sturdier, and not straight unbreakable, I'd give a thought to the various food-based "glues", like sugar syrup (will probably become sticky to the touch as well) or flour paste. Both have the benefits of being 100% food-safe and water-soluble, while still providing a bit of adhesive force.


text:
Need help to identify minifigure
Can someone help me to identify minifigure linked below:
I´ve been searching now about three hours without luck :)

Knight's Kingdom II - the guardian (picture taken from bricklink)
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?M=cas264
I searched on Bricklink catalog under, 'minifig leg assembly' using the keyword, 'brown,' using thumbnails.  Only had two pages to look through.


text:
Help identify this 70s or 80s lego space set
I bought some bags of LEGO bricks which appear to contain a 1970's space set in it. I want to find instructions to put it all back together.

The brick with the space logo is from either set 452/894 or set 6901.  The buggy is technic set 1972.  Information from Bricklink search.


text:
Help identify mystery piece and set it could go to
More mystery parts from the bags of LEGO pieces we bought.  I can't find a LEGO symbol on it.  Is it a LEGO part or some other brand?

I have never encountered this piece before, but what I do when I find pieces that I cannot identify, I first look at the studs. Obviously yours does not have any studs, so what I would do is either check inside the element, or look it up online. If more than one source says it is, then case closed. If you cannot identify it even after searching, you should talk to a brick specialist. That's all I can tell you. Hope this helps.

This would be a Crane Bucket - Complete Assembly (Top, Jaws, Spring).
It could have come from any of 29 sets from 1974 to 2012.

gev has the exact name of the piece, but I'd like to add one more point that could be helpful. When trying to identify pieces as Lego or non-Lego, pay attention to the more obscure standard connections. The small ball above the hinge is a standard small ball joint connection, recently revitalized by the Mixels series (among other things). It connects to the old Lego figure arms, as well as trailer hitches and the like. It's about the only thing on the piece that's standard Lego, but it is a defining feature.

It could've been from the 2012 city mine set. It was used to build the crane.

Here's all the sets this part was in:
http://rebrickable.com/parts/3492c01/crane-bucket-complete-assembly-top+-jaws+-spring/14


text:
What is this model number please?
I don't have the instructions for this and I have no idea what model number this is.
Can anyone identify it?

It appears to be a partially-constructed 8242-1 Slammer Turbo

I even think that part of the launcher is visible at the top of the picture


text:
Where can I buy engraved LEGO bricks?
What is the cheapest site to buy engraved LEGO bricks?
I am searching for the cheapest site to buy engraved 2X4/2x6 bricks so that I can put names on them and send them to people. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Online I would recommend BrickEngraver
I think your best bet would be to find a local trophy shop, most will engrave items.  Take them some LEGO to test and they should be able to provide what you need without the need to pay shipping.

+1 I think BrickEngraver was the company we used when we did the Brick Fiesta convention, and they turned out really nice.


text:
How can i use my iPhone to scan a barcode and send it to my EV3 brick?
I'm trying to build a sorter that scans the barcode on the brick using an iPhone and sorts it accordingly to the barcode. I cannot use colours due to amount of things to sort.

There are many Apps available on the App store that can scan barcodes and export the data via e-mail/dropbox etc. However your main problem will be latency. Unless you're prepared to program your own app (as David suggests) it may be worth considering other options.

You will have to write an application for your phone that can scan the codes and then send the information to the EV3 via bluetooth or wifi.
If you don't know how to write iOS apps, start here.
For scanning bar codes there seems to be good info here. It appears that bar code scanning is built into iOS 7. If you have an older version, the the zxing library sounds like a good choice.
For communicating to the EV3 over bluetooth, this has been asked before. However, I have yet to come across a good example.
You should be able to figure out the communication protocol for communicating with the EV3 from the LEGO firmware documentation, VM documentation and source code.


text:
I bought a second hand pack of pieces and it looks like it may be a specific set
Hoping for help to identify a set of lego pieces. It definitely has a car wheel base, and the base boards are green.close

A lot, but definitely not all, is likely from Race 3000.

That's great thanks so much... Definitely the race 3000 pieces, just putti together.... Still have a heap of pieces and cars... Not sure if this is a set or to....


text:
How can I use 1 motor for grabbing/lifting and another for moving?
I am really stuck on how to use the three motors for better functions. Is there anyway in which I can use 1 motor for efficient/quick movement while turning left and right?
Another thing is whether I could use a single motor for turning objects 180 degrees on one side and lifting objects on the other end of the robot, is that possible? alternatively, is it possible to lift and grab using a single motor?
Lastly, would it be less efficient to use two NXT bricks to increase motors capacity?

If you simply need more motors(or sensors), check out this other question: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/3027/how-to-use-two-nxt-bricks-for-3-motors-and-4-sensors/3030#3030

There are also some suggestions for this sort of thing on this question: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/646/56

Do these functions (grabbing/lifting/moving) need to be run simultaneously or can they be run in order?

Typical solutions involve staggering functions, so at the limit of one motions travel the other motion starts. For example, combine lifting with gripping by making the lift happen when the grip stalls (many older crane grabs work this way)

Is there anyway in which I can use 1 motor for efficient/quick movement while turning left and right?

Yes, if you use one motor to drive a wheel and another to steer the vehicle. Using an NXT motor for steering would be quite wasteful however, you should at least use gearing to convert the jittery, fast movement of the NXT motor into slower, more balanced steering. You could also look into using Power Functions parts, the servo motor being the obvious choice for steering applications.

Another thing is whether I could use a single motor for turning objects 180 degrees on one side and lifting objects on the other end of the robot, is that possible?

If these two need to operate separately, then you will need to sacrifice some functionality. It is possible to split a motor's output into two axles in a configuration that drives only one axle depending on the direction of the motor. See this setup: How can I make a precise one-way clutch using Technic elements?
This will only allow either axle to turn in one direction only, so if you need lifting AND putting back, you'll need to solve it as a circular function. Driven by the only input axle that is turning in one direction, the lift would need to raise and lower back to the original position without any other input.

alternatively, is it possible to lift and grab using a single motor?

Using some clever mechanics, it is certainly possible. The 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig/Materials Handler used something like this to automatically grab an object, raise its arm, open the claws, drop the arms and start the cycle again. All this using a single motor (and some pneumatics). In this way though you won't get any control over the details (how high it lifts, etc) or over the sequence itself (you can't grab and release something without lifting it).

Lastly, would it be less efficient to use two NXT bricks to increase motors capacity?

You could certainly use two NXTs and have control over 6 motors. This would however require more batteries, result in a larger and heavier model and necessitate some kind of synchronisation between the NXTs. All of these drawbacks can be mitigated, so if you can't seem to solve the problem using engineering (or have proven that it is impossible to achieve your goals using only 3 motors) then feel free to throw in another NXT.
If you need to increase the number of available motors, you could look into using third party parts, like this motor multiplexer that allows you to use two motors on one sensor port.

If this answer was useful to you, please consider marking it as accepted. Thank you!


text:
What part can I use to get the connection
This is what I have..

Would like to connect the long "thing" to the square base.. not sure which part will give me a angled elevation
In case you are wondering what I am trying to do.. this is what I am trying for the same exact purpose
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcL6-mjRNk

You are going to have to explain a little better than that.  If all you are looking to do is connect two neighboring pieces, you can use something like http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=43857 or http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32140

Hey, Nick tks for responding back.
if u look at the youtube video I want the long thing to be elevated but also connected to the square base... something like TitanFall (video game) orbital shooting cannon..kind of setup.. I think the youtube video pretty much sums it up...

This may call for a bit of re-designing. I don't think there's a special piece for angled elevation, because you can mimic the effect with a gear.
Use a 24- or 40-toothed gear, and attach your "arm" to it. This has the advantage that you can connect it to a servo or motor using a few more gears - I assume you want to mimic the ball-throwing device in the Youtube clip.
You can connect the gear to your base in a number of ways, although personally I'd build the base from "normal" technic beams (e.g. the 16x1 types), If you insist on using your current base, you'll have to add a construction that you can put the axle through.

Yep, and if you use a worm gear you'll have a built in locking mechanism.


text:
Can anyone identify this spinner with 1-5 and a skull?

My son has just inherited a large box of Lego, we're hoping someone can help identify what set this might be from.

It's the center of set 2519 Skeleton Bowling:


text:
CAD model of the LEGO monorails
I was wondering two things, Is it legal to share CAD models of LEGOs with other people as long as it is not for profit and Does anyone have A CAD model of the LEGO monorail track that was made in the late eighty's and early ninety's?

First question;  yes. as long as they are your CAD models you can do that , for example on Brickshelf
Second question: In  LDraw , A CAD program for Lego they have monorail parts, here
this may also be usefull
Monorail Network Planner Tool


text:
How can I remove permanent marker from a LEGO brick?
I need to remove permanent marker from hard plastic. How can I do it?

What color is the marker and the piece of plastic?  What type of plastic?  Most Lego pieces are ABS plastic, but I think the clear pieces are something else.

Unless the pieces are somewhat rare or expansive to replace, I suggest just getting new pieces as replacements. Chemicals that remove permanent markers will etch the LEGO pieces, and rubbing the marker away may leave scratches. It usually isn't worth the effort.

I use pure Eucalyptus oil. It works wonderfully. Keep in mind that if you are using it on LEGO, it will also remove the original printing (but won't harm the plastic itself), so I wouldn't recommend it in that case. But other than that Eucalyptus oil can remove marker, paint, glue-residue, and all kinds of gunk much better and faster than products like Goo-Gone. I'm an artist and use it on a regular basis. Eucalyptus oil is available in small bottles at health-food stores, larger bottles at pharmacies (that's what I use), and also at some Asian stores (usually the cheapest).

I've used a dry erase marker, over the permanent, to remove it from a white board.  I don't know if that'd work on Lego or not.

Assuming it's regular alcohol based permanent markers, 70% Isopropyl alcohol will wipe it off easily. Coat a swab or wet a tissue, don't apply it directly to the brick - it slightly eats away at the material, but not to the degree where you'll shorten the lifespan of the plastic without repeated cleaning or prolonged exposure.

I know it's not the most cost-effective way, but I used to use gasoline on a rag to remove a lot of markings on plastics of all kinds.  It won't warp the plastic when used sparingly on a rag.
The only downside is that it may "smear" the marker, depending on the kind of marker that was used.

Rubbing alcohol has worked for me.

Using nail polish remover works really well. You can soak the piece in a small tub of it or wet a cotton ball down with the solution and rub the piece. The part that was rubbed will be a little rough, but scrubbing it with water for 30 seconds or so will remove it.

I would not recommend this, as nail polish remover is usually acetone which DISSOLVES the ABS plastic Lego pieces are made of. Not quite like the Wicked Witch effect, but it still damages the piece badly.

Dry erase marker works great but often just rubbing it out with a dry paper towel works also.

Without reading the existing answer from Grandpappy that also refers to Dry erase markers, I'm not sure what you mean?

Nail polish remover (or purer acetone if you happen to work in a lab) works really well. You can either soak the piece in it (I like to use a small tupperware container) if it is really covered, or wipe it away with a paper towel wetted with the solution.
This works because the sharpie in is a non-polar molecule and thus will dissolve in solvents like acetone. Rubbing alcohol also works like this, but is markedly less effective.

You need to be careful with Acetone though, as it will melt the ABS used to make the bricks if left for too long.