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Subassembly identification, including a hotel sign
I got these assemblies and I am trying to figure out if they are MOCs or part of a set or sets. I have identified the red sub-assembly as set 60182 Pickup and Caravan.
The hotel sign looks like the...
What about the rest? I think I have at least parts from 4 sets?

The Hotel part is from 10182-1: Cafe Corner,
The Olive Green canoes come from 70623-1: Destiny's Shadow
The brown assemblies  on the lower right second picture are from 7662-1: Trade Federation MTT
-see step 54 on page 61 https://www.lego.com/biassets/bi/4515434.pdf
and parts from 10696-1: Medium Creative Brick Box ( crocodile)
also there is a Smurf and a Playmobil figure

If there is a full 10182 in there, you have struck gold (depending on how much you paid). Even used, those go for big bucks on the second-hand market (think $500+).

I am still searching what goes where from the pile, but it looks I prety much got the hotel sign.  probably with broken neons too.

@syberion  Thank you Sir.

Can you recognize the two brown rooftop like assemblies to the lower right of the last pic?

You have more than the hotel sign - that yellow and white canopy build is also from 10182.

@Phil B.  True and correct on the yellow/white canopy. Set is about 2200 pieces.  I probably got about 300 of them.  Great set though.  Thanks for you help.


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Identifying a set with brown curved top and circular gray pieces on the sides

Came partially assembled with a bulk used lot. The color scheme makes me think it could be from a Star Wars set. It doesn't have any minifigs but I found other loose pieces with imperial logo.

I think this is from

LEGO Star Wars Set 9491-1 , Geonosian Cannon.

It most definitely is. I found some of the rest in loose pieces that where harder to identify. No minifigs though.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Trouble with 42110 Land Rover Defender transmission
I just got the 42110 Land Rover Defender and assembled bags 1 and 2. I tested everything before joining the front axle and rear axle, and the friction was quite low, not nearly high enough to get gears to skip or practically stall an PF XL motor.
When I joined the two halves, the lower gears worked just fine, but there was slightly more friction generated than I expected. However, on the higher gears (3/lo and above) the friction increased way more than expected, rendering 4th/lo somewhat unusable and 4th/hi completely unusable. Strangely, all the gears work flawlessly if the car is pushed backward. Also, the rotation of the output of both the 4-speed and the 2-speed transmissions is uneven, the output of the 4-speed transmission being way more uneven than that of the 2-speed transmission.
The friction certainly is not the sum of the front and rear axles together, it is far more. Also, it is worth noting that I modified the 3:1 gear ratio between the axles and central differential to a 1.667:1 ratio, as with the 3:1 ratio the problem was way worse, but not because of the gear ratio, but because both of the U-joints were out of phase. Any explanation for this strange behavior or tips on how to fix it are welcome.
10/10/19 update: I watched RacingBrick's video on this subject, and it turned out that PART of the problem was that my U-joints were out of phase. I fixed that problem and it is working a lot better, but the problem still persists, although to a lesser extent.
10/11/19 update: I switched the 1.667:1 ratio for the 3:1 ratio while making sure that the U-joints were in phase. The unevenness issue is virtually gone, but the skipping of gears still persists, but to a lesser extent. I can post another YouTube video if it helps.
10/11/19 update 2: I added bag 3 and both of the problems are back, though somewhat different. Before, the gears started skipping immediately, but now it works just fine for the first 5 to 10 feet, then starts to skip. I checked the U-joints and they're in phase. I'm very confused.
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNyK0ZDi-pE

There are reports that a new mold for the 28-teeth mesh gear may be causing significant friction. You may want to check those, and maybe try replacing them with some others from your collection

@Joubarc It is not very clear which gear you mean, as you say the gear has 28 teeth, but your link directs me to Brickset's page for the 20 tooth gear. I assume you either mean the type 3 differential or the 20 tooth double bevel gear. Also, I don't know what a "mesh gear" is. Could just be plain ignorance on my part though. If you could clarify that would  be great.

my mistake, the link is correct and that gear has indeed 20 teeth; not sure why I said 28. By "mesh" gear I meant "double bevel", I think they used to be called that way at some point because they mesh better than regular wheels; and can mesh straight or perpendicularly. But indeed "20-teeth double bevel gear" would have been the proper description; sorry about that.
You can read more on the issue on this eurobricks thread

@Joubarc Ah, now I see. Thanks for clarifying.

Just figured it out by rebuilding it. I had pressed the "walls" of the transmission too much, resulting in very high friction.

I have exactly the same problem. Can you explain for me, what exactly solved the problem? Because "you pressed the walls of the transmission too much" doesn't help me.
Please help!

When building the front transmission, there are some gears connected to steering and the transmission sandwiched between 2 beam assemblies. If you squeeze the assemblies too much, there will be a lot of friction. Although I still had some friction, it was considerably diminished. Hope that helps!

Technicguy, thank you for the answer!
Could you share a picture about the assemblies you talking? I could not find them on the car.

I'll try; Would knowing the step when the assemblies are built help? (Sharing pictures is kinda hard for me)

The number of the step (from the book of the car) when the assemblies are built would be enough too

The step where the first assembly starts would be step 206. I also found a further  improvement more recently, which I will post in my answer soon. (Currently I do not have time; it is somewhat complex, but effective.)

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What is Rebuild The World?
I've been seeing a lot about this new thing called "Rebuild The World". I tried figuring out what it was, but I couldn't. What is it?

Can't figure it out either. I think it's just a slogan, an empty box

Don't think much has actually been revealed yet, just some teasers

It's "a campaign to help nurture the creative skills of the next generation", launched by LEGO on September 17, 2019.
From the LEGO website:

Today, the LEGO Group and musician Mark Ronson launch Rebuild The World, a campaign to help nurture the creative skills of the next generation.
Over 100 children will meet Mark and other inspiring figures, such as 19-year-old David Aguilar, who built several prosthetic arms from LEGO® elements, at the LEGO House, Billund, to explore the infinite potential of creativity. Their imaginations will also be fired up in a series of workshops, where they’ll be challenged to rebuild the world they see around them.
“My whole career has been about working with brilliant, creative people and seeing where our imaginations take us. Rebuild The World, is a wonderful opportunity to help inspire the next generation of creators who will come up with their own ideas to shape the future of everything from the way we live to the music we listen to,” explains Mark Ronson.
The LEGO Group believes that every child is born with incredible creative problem-solving capabilities, but we need to act now to nurture that creativity so that it can become a lifelong skill, as the future depends on it.
Inspiring creativity is more critical and urgent than ever. The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report places creative problem solving in the top three skills the job market will require from 2020. Imaginative play helps children learn how to innovate, problem solve and think critically throughout their lives.
Mark Ronson will also be joined by representatives from other creative fields to discuss why it’s more important than ever to help nurture creativity as a key skill so that the builders of tomorrow can succeed in an ever-changing world.
Julia Goldin, Chief Marketing Officer, The LEGO Group, said: “Rebuild The World is all about seeing where imagination takes us and celebrating the natural creativity of children. We want to encourage kids around the world to develop and retain these skills as they grow older. With this campaign, we want to inspire people of all ages to play and unleash their creativity to create a world of infinite possibilities.”
Meanwhile, British designer and inventor Dominic Wilcox will lead a series of Rebuilder Workshops on the 17th September. He, along with two other creatives, will challenge kids to reimagine iconic landmarks, invent new gadgets and solve everyday problems – all with LEGO bricks. Other LEGO professionals will lend a hand, helping the kids bring their incredible ideas to life.
“Who knows what will come out of today… a house with a hot air balloon for a roof?  A car with long legs to jump over the traffic ahead? No one sees the world quite like children so we’re excited to see what they come up with,” says Dominic Wilcox.
Kids around the world can also take part by sharing their creations on the LEGO Life app or by visiting www.lego.com/rebuild-the-world-challenge
The LEGO system has long been the ultimate platform for creative expression and creative problem solving. Children don’t just imagine what to build, they can build and rebuild. Experiment. Fail. Break the rules. Fail and Try again… This is the cycle of human creativity and the essence of the LEGO System in Play.
Now, we’re going even further. Through Rebuild The World, we want to inspire children to unleash their creativity, join the Rebuild The World challenge and rebuild a world of endless possibilities for real.  Learn more by visiting www.lego.com/rebuild-the-world
About the campaign
Rebuild The World is a fully integrated global campaign which will be featured across a variety of channels including TV, digital, cinemas and out of home. The LEGO Group will also be hosting a series of high profile public events in cities around the where children and grown-ups will be invited to build and rebuild with LEGO bricks to make the world a little brighter. This includes using LEGO bricks to complete a giant heart on the side of the East Side Gallery in Berlin www.LEGOnewsroom.de
The campaign was created by the LEGO Group’s internal agency with BETC Paris and the film was directed by the multi award-winning Traktor collective. It’s a fun-filled adventure that follows the chase between a clever rabbit and an unlucky hunter and unfolds in the kind of world that only LEGO play could create. Every character, animal and vehicle is based on an existing or past LEGO toy, so heads spin 360 degrees, everyday objects are outsized, and a boat can suddenly fly with a little help from a palm tree.


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Which part is this grey circular piece?

Hello all, the base of the gun barrel, does anyone know which part is it?

This is called Middle Ring, or with the Bricklink terminology "Light Bluish Gray Technic Driving Ring Extension":

You can buy it here on Bricklink.


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Is there a way to convert .ev3 files to .uf2 files?
I am using Lego Mindstorms EV3 Education Edition and I am wondering if there is a way to convert the default .ev3 files to .uf2 files

Hello, and Welcome, please tell us what program/s opens uf2 files, or specifically, the program you plan to use.

I have found references to a specific microcontroller firmware type: https://github.com/Microsoft/uf2 and https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-feather-m0-express-designed-for-circuit-python-circuitpython/uf2-bootloader-details Is this what you mean?

The .UF2 file format appears to be a fairly compact, binary format for reliably transferring data to "microcontrollers" (i.e. small embedded systems such as the EV3 controller), and is the format used by the Microsoft MakeCode application, recommended as part of the First LEGO League.
The .ev3 file is actually a zip file containing a number of additional files, of which the .ev3p is an XML file representing the program itself.
At this time there isn't an official way to convert .ev3 programs to the .uf2 format, not least because things like custom blocks will need to be re-written in JavaScript, and certain other features may not be currently supported (i.e. data logging beyond console logging, 3rd party sensors, etc.).

Thx :) Keep Up The Good Work!!!

The new Scratch-based software compiles to .rbf like the old desktop software, not .uf2.


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LEGO Boost Windows application malfunction
When I like to run an external driver, my LEGO hub is driving B driver when driven from PC (Windows 10 app installed).
When I try the same application using a smartphone it works as expected.
Have you encountered a similar situation?

Hi Xawery! I'm sorry but your question is hard to understand, so it probably won't be answered as it is now. Could you please post a concrete error message or a more detailed description of what is happening? A screenshot could be useful too. Or just have someone proofread your question if possible.

The issue is connected with that Lego stopped supporting and developing Windows application.

I was going to post this: the Windows app is out of date and no longer supported. You need to use a phone or tablet or switch to a third-party library.


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Help identifying inverted wedge with studs on the slope
I have found these bricks (images below), which have "Lego" branding, but there is no model numbers on it.
The white brick has "4" and "A" on the back, and the red has "6" and "A".
I've searched BrickLink for ages to no avail.

It's an old piece from 1969 - 1982, typically used for train cars or trucks with buckets that could be tipped to dump their contents.
3145 Vehicle, Tipper End Flat with Pins

There's also a newer variant from 1996 - 2016 without the pins and hole.
30022 Vehicle, Tipper End Flat without Pins


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What LEGO set has the smallest box?
Similar to What Lego set has the biggest box? but probably more-challenging to answer, what LEGO set has the smallest box (either square or cubic dimensions work)?
I'm talking actual sets with an item number and an actual boxes, not polybags or sub-components in a set (like a minifig cape box).

Do you mean any set in a box regardless of retail sales? Or do you mean a commercial set intended for sale to a child or adult builder not employed by the Lego group or any affiliate? If it is the former then an answer may note be findable and of small interest. An answer to the second seemd more intriguing.

I have seen some Lego freebies which can be count as set as tehy ahev multiple pieces you need to connect. Are they going to count?

I think so long as it has a set item number, it would count.

yikes you cut the Hero of Time close right on 00.00. You know you have 59 seconds for that one.

I thought that promotional boxed sets were good candidates for the smallest box as well, as I own a 1630-1 Helicopter (which, incidentally, I got as a promotional gift for buying toothpaste at some point in the 90s IIRC), at 7 x 7 x 4.5 cm (220cm3/0.22 litres).
There are sets with similar dimensions as well, such as 5018-1 Gravity Games Promotional Set at 7 x 7.5 x 4 cm (210cm3/0.21 litres), 7912-1 Helicopter Promotional (Duracell), 5017-1 Hockey Promotional set. and some others.
I thought those were the smallest in volume, but after a deeper search on bricklink I came up with a thinner 2.5cm (281-1 1 x 2 and 3 x 2 Sloping Bricks, Red with 8.6 x 6.2 x 2.5 cm / 133cm3/0.133 litres):

And after delving in the sets with a low part cound, I came up with an even thinner 1.8cm box with 1222-2 1x1 round bricks, at 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.8 cm (74.25cm3/0.074 litres) (same box size as 1241-2, 1240-2, 1230-2 and possibly others):

Also of note are the 1:87-scale cars from the 60s, like e.g. 265-2 1:87 Karmann Ghia with Garage:

The "box" itself is a transparent hollow brick, specifically part number 721, 4x8 studs wide by 3 bricks high wrapped in a paper strip, which puts it at 3.2cm x 6.4cm x 3.04cm or 62.25cm3/0.062 litres. (Hey, you asked for the smallest box, not the smallest cardboard box!)
Apparently some of these 1:87-scale cars, e.g. 671-3 1:87 Vauxhall Victor Estate with Garage were sold with an actual cardboard box around them, with listed dimensions of 3.2 x 3.2 x 6.5cm (66.56cm3/0.066 litres):

Wow! Great answer, and welcome to Bricks.SE!

As with “biggest”, smallest also has different definitions (weight? Width? Volume?). Here are a few candidates:
5005250 Party Banana Juice Bar - 8 x 4.5 x 11 cm (the Chicken version also qualifies)

600-2 Police Patrol - 9.5 x 5.6 x 3.6 cm

I don’t have a link or box picture, but the Dutch store opening gift Windmill comes in a pretty small box as well.
EDIT: Michael Verschaeve pointed me to the BL entry for the Windmill. 14.5 x 14.5 x 4.5 doesn’t exactly make the box a good candidate.

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=Amsterdam-1#T=S&O={%22iconly%22:0}


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Where is the motor in the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane box supposed to be?
The Rough Terrain Crane set (42082) has an outer box with a lot of parts-bags and the 4 wheels in it.
And there is an 2nd inner box with the manuals, the battery-holder and more parts-bags.
I received my set yesterday and did a quick check on the parts-bags but I couldn't locate the motor.
Didn't actually open any of the bags. Will leave that until I'm ready to actually build the thing during the Christmas holiday.
Does anyone know where the motor is supposed to be?
Loose in the inner- or outer-box, one of the parts-bags in the inner-box, one of the bags in the outer-box?
I probably just overlooked it, but knowing where to look for that motor would help.

YouTuber Swedish Brick put up a nice unboxing video of your set here.

The motor/battery box seem to be in the white enclosed box, he pulls them both out off camera.

By his video, you will end up with:

26 Bags.

 2 Motors  1 Battery holder, and 1 Motor in a sealed bag.

4 Wheels.

4 Rims.

A sealed instructions bag with 1 sheet of stickers, and 2 large manuals.

1 battery holder and 1 motor. The motor is in Bag nr. 10 according to the screen shot. Thank you !!!

Tsk, tsk...  Never make final conclusions from a still image of a video. Instead, look at the time stamp the snapshot was taken at, and watch the moving video from there.  So, I'll repeat,  according to the video that I watched, these two parts came out of the white enclosed box.  Bag 10 or whatever, just so happened to be in the background.  Yellow Voltron Lion wasn't in a bag either;)  You're very welcomed.

You are right :-) Bag 10 is in the background. It was hard to tell from the picture and I am at work now. Youtube is blocked here so I can't see the video myself.

You're fine, Friend.  I have to do some editing and fix the battery holder and motor stuffs.  See ya!

Found it! Indeed in the inner box, but not in one of the parts bags, but in separate small plastic bag. It was stuck in the corner underneath the manual and I completely overlooked it the first time.


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Can someone identify these Ninjago face mosaic sets?
I have 2 built 6x16 sets that appear to be Ninjago portraits. Each built on a Light Bluish Gray 6x16 plate with 1x1 colored bricks on top.  I suspect they may be Toys R Us builds but i just can't find them.
Does anyone know the set name or # or link to instructions?

Apparently it's from a 2015 Toys R Us building event, in which there were 5 different mask kids could choose to build. There does not appear to be an item number associated with these builds.

All 5 designs and 3 of the instructions can be seen in these images (click for full-size).

I also found a video where all 5 are built and the booklet is flipped through.

Here's a fan built back panel to combine and prop them up all nice and proper like.
The pictures are detailed enough to suss out build instructions or a workable modification.

I'm glad you reposted the pictures - I thought you wouldn't after deleted your original answer

@ Scott, Had to step into the editing room;)

Interestingly these don't use the original pieces, which were all 1x1 bricks

Hmm.. Not only is the prop stand fan built, but the Ninjago masks too?  Yes, very interesting.  Builder could have been working with whatever pieces that got the job done the fastest.  Very efficient mind that one.

This was a giveaway at Toys'R'Us March 2015. The image I have found suggests me these masks don't have a have a set number. Here you can also see how instructions looks like. These are not your standard LEGO instructions you can find in sets or with other promos. The lack of set number and the appearance of the booklet with instructions suggest me you cannot get PDF instructions from LEGO Service for this set of bricks.
Keeping in mind this is just a bunch of 1 x 1 bricks on top of the plate, there shouldn't be much of an issue replicating the rest of the masks.


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Missing parts in a Lego Mindstorms box
Could it be that there are parts missing in a LEGO box? I've a new set of LEGO Mindstorms (reference number 31313) and I'm missing the parts
4499858

4211805

Where could I get them?

Does this answer your question? How can I get replacement Mindstorms NXT components?

If you have a brand new set, and a few parts are missing, you should definitely contact LEGO Customer Service, so they can send you the parts you are missing.

New sets with missing parts
We’re really sorry to hear that something was missing from your new LEGO® set. We do our best to make every set perfect and we take it very seriously when a faulty one sneaks through. Don’t worry though, we can send you the parts you need!
Please click “Missing Bricks” on the Bricks & Pieces section of our Customer Service site to order the part you need to finish your set.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, make sure you include a complete description of the part (the part number provided in the inventory page at the back of the building instructions is useful) along with the set number. Once your part is on its way, we’ll send you a shipping confirmation email.
If you’ve lost some bricks over time, please remember to click “Buy Bricks” instead.
-- LEGO Customer Service FAQ

Just tell them the part numbers you are missing and they should send you the parts for free.

FWIW, my son received a LEGO kit earlier this month that was missing an entire bag of parts and the instruction book (the factory tape was intact). I contacted customer service via email and two weeks later, have yet to receive a response.

@alroc That's unusual, you should definitely contact them again.

@alroc - Perhaps their policy limits how much they'll send you for free, but they should not just ignore you. I'd try calling them again. As an alternative, you could exchange it at the store you purchased it at. If you've already started building out the set and don't want to return it, bring everything to the store and explain it, and they might accommodate you by allowing you to remove the parts from a new box and they'll return it to Lego. Otherwise, buy it again and get your replacement parts. Put remaining new parts in old box and return it on original purchase receipt.

To add to @KevinFegan's return recommendation, if it was purchased at a LEGO Brand Retail Store, at-least in the US, they might not take a return of an open box. I believe it's their policy now to instead direct you to customer service for replacements (I assume because scammers abused this).

We're wildly off-topic at this point but seemingly on cue, I got a response from LEGO about 4 hours after I wrote my comment. But at this point it's too late, we got a gift receipt for it and exchanged at the store a couple days ago because we didn't want to keep waiting.

You can purchase them both at Bricklink.com.
Here for ElementID #4499858, and

Here for ElementID #4211805.

Could it be that there're parts missing in a LEGO box?

Yes, it is possible that pieces do end up missing from the time a set leaves the LEGO factory to the time the box ends up in our hands.
Without further information we don't know the exact reasons why this happens without proper polling, collecting, and disseminating these results.
We could speculate the reasons through past experiences.  In the past I had recently finished watching the movie Gremlins and was sure one of those things got into my box and took a piece, but in reality that piece was stuck in the inner crevasse of the box.
So, for me: User error or self-Trolling was the culprit.

Or at any rate, you can follow what Alexander O'Mara has suggested, and contact LEGO Customer Service to get your parts replaced for free.

Sorry but your answer  it doesn't answer my first question, could it be that there're parts missing?

Could it be that there're parts missing in a LEGO box?

Rin Rio-Oki has pointed you to the place where you can definitely get replacement parts, but to answer your first question, yes, it is indeed possible, though the chances for it are negligible. In any case, you should let LEGO know about it via their official support channels (even if you are planning to get the replacement parts from Bricklink), so that they are aware of the problem and can take steps to mitigate such accidents in the future.


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Lego train magnet strength
Some questions about these train magnets:
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=73092

I'd like to know roughly how much weight two of those could lift or what force is needed to separate two of these...
According to BrickLink, the magnet was produced from 1980-2009, would there be a considerable loss of strength between magnets produced in the early days and later?
I suppose how they were stored or how much they were played or dropped would also influence heavily their remaining strength...
I suppose I could re-magnetize them with a neodymium magnet, anyone care to guess or experiment about how strong such rejuvenated LEGO magnet would be?

Temperature also plays a role. Magnets lose their strength faster in warmer environment. Heat neodymium one to 80 degrees Celsius and it's gone.

Test setup

Take 20 magnets from my collection
Build a test stand with a magnetically attached bucket containing an adjustable weight:
Designate one of the magnets a reference (#0)
Repeat for each one of the 19 other magnets:

Attach the magnet to the bucket
Carefully add Technic beams to the bucket until the combined weight of the bucket, batteries, beams and the magnet reaches the limit and the assembly falls onto the rug below:
Measure the weight of the assembly and note it:

Measure the two strongest magnets against each other to get an estimate for the upper bound
Measure the two weakest magnets against each other to get an estimate for the lower bound

Limitations
The magnets were mostly purchased between 1990 and 2000 and were stored for several years in a sunny attic room and then for a few additional years in a cold basement in various states of assembly (separated, joined in pairs or assembled into a column of several magnets).
The weight of the bucket was increased by adding Technic beams, which weigh 2-4 grams each, thus limiting the precision of the breaking point (but see the next paragraph for a more serious limitation).
The kitchen scale has a precision of about 10-20 grams.
All pairs were measured only once.
Care was taken to construct the bucket in a way that results in the center of mass being as close to the symmetry axis as possible, but the amount of deviation was not measured.
Results
The 19 pairs have resulted in the following measurements (all values in grams):
220 (#1)
240
220
220
220
240
250 (#7)
240
240
230
210 (#11)
240
240
230
240
240
240
250 (#18)
240

This results in an average value of 234 grams of force required to pull the magnets apart (including the weight of the lower magnet)
The two strongest (#7 and #18) together: 260 grams
The two weakest (#1 and #11) together: 200 grams

I'm aware of the inherent imperfection in this test method, but in my opinion, it represents a reasonable compromise between time investment and attained precision. I would welcome any critique aiming to improve it though.

Brilliant answer

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


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Replace Battery in LEGO Dino Attack Light-Up T-Rex Head?
Is it possible to replace the battery of the LEGO Dino Attack T-Rex head?

There's a button on the top of the head that makes the eyes and tongue light up red, presumably via a red LED.
There doesn't seem to be any obvious way to take it apart like other light-up LEGO elements from the era. Is it possible to disassemble this element and replace the batteries?

There is one head on Bricklink with empty battery. Maybe there is really no way to replace it? I don't have this head, do you know where exactly the battery is located?

@Aziraphale I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the black top piece, but otherwise, no I haven't tried forcing my way into one yet to know where exactly it is.

I'm tempted to purchase one of these just to see if I can figure it out.  I guess if it breaks we'll have our answer :)

Look closely at the dino's head. Here you can see little aperture that splits T-rex's upper jaw on half. On this picture I'm showing you what I mean. https://i.sstatic.net/Bfd4v.jpg I think that's the "ticket" to replace battery without destruction, isn't it? Just use pocket knife to open. Will it work?

No, but I'm going to buy one set and try.

I was wondering the same thing as sorting out our sons lego and was wanting to replace the batteries. Doesnt seem any way in

Unfortunately after attacking this piece from every angle with some plastic opening tools, I'm quite certain there is no non-destructive way to open this piece.
I tried slipping a spudger in every seam where the plastic joins and was unable to find anywhere I could get any leverage, or even push it in more than a few millimeters.
Even the jaw piece is held on by a cylinder of plastic running from cheek to cheek. There isn't a good way to photograph it, but here's an illustration to show you what I mean.

Based on this experience, I believe it is held together by single-use plastic clips that snap into place on the inside without any way to detach them, short of breaking them. I do not think it is glued together, because the two halves do shift a tiny amount under pressure, and some points were much more resistant to inserting a spudger than others (perhaps because a clip is in that area).

You're dissapointing me! You couldn't wait for expert's answer and you answered yourself!

Self answering is encouraged on the Stack Exchange, information is valuable no matter if original author found it, or someone else. And you should not use "answer" field for criticism. That's what comments are for.


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Help identifying utensil looking round support piece with 2 bars
Here is a picture of the piece (red brick below it is just for showing the size).
It has "© LEGO" and "8-01" written on it.

This piece is called Space binoculars or electrobinoculars and has part number 30304.


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ID this set: Rocket launch installation?
While cleaning out the attic of my deceased cousin I found a plastic bag with parts that supposedly is a single set from late 70 or early 80's.
Actually there where multiple bags, each containing a single set. Some had the instructions leaflet and others I could relatively easily identify. They all date from around 1980. So that is why I presume that the one bag left is also a single set from that period.
Sorry that I don't have pictures. I may add one later.

A large green ground-plate (about 40x30 nobs, I didn't count them exactly) with white printed markings where the first layer of bricks should go.
2 pieces of straight blue railroad track.
Regular bricks mostly 1x1x4 and 1x1x8 in blue.
A bunch of white quarter-circle bricks and some (4) black ones + a white nose-cone piece. Would together make a small white rocket with a black band or black markings. A bit Saturn-V like.

It looks as if this would make a rocket + a base or launch-tower. The tracks are maybe part of a moveable launch-pad? There are no wheels to go with the track though.
Does this ring a bell for someone?

I think you probably have parts to multiple sets. I picture would help to identify them.

Minus the reference to the large green baseplate, could it be pieces from Set #358 - Rocket Base?
Edit:
A few original, used red baseplates can be easily had under $10 bucks through a few Canadian sellers HERE.

That looks like it, but the base-plate is most certainly green. Not red. It does have markings for the outline of the buildings and those 3 tiles in front of the "office". The antenna's, the black turn-table for the radar, the pieces for the vehicle all match.

The green base plate is just from a different set, even though your Cuzo had it bagged with these pieces.  Sorry for your loss.  You say the plate has lines on it.  We prefer a picture, or you can describe further in detail with words the white line work on it.  For all we know, your cousin may had time to do a custom paint job on it.  A picture would quickly determine that..

You were right. The green base-plate isn't original. I just got of the phone with his brother. He remembered the red plate broke at some point and he bought a generic green base-plate (slightly larger as well) as replacement. Back in the day the better toy-stores sold a limited selection of spare bricks including grey and green base plates. He did the painting himself with Tipp-Ex.

Thank you for the heads up regarding getting a proper replacement base-plate. I've got a replacement on order now :-)

The closest I can find is 358 Rocket Base, but it contains more pieces than you describe and the baseplate is red not green.

I didn't describe all pieces. Just the more prominent ones.


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What is this piece that looks like a coat rack or armor stand?
It appears to be a coatrack or armor stand. Only marking is LEGO inside the 2 studs on the arms.  The bottom is completely blank which is uncharacteristic of a LEGO piece.  It is 3 bricks tall with 2 arms with studs at 2 bricks high and a single stud on top.  On a 2x2 base.

That would be part 4289 Boat Mast 2 x 2 x 3 Inclined with Stud on Top and Two Sides
As the name implies, it is typically use for a boat mast on modern boat models.
It only ever came in black in one set, 4669 Turbo-Charged Police Boat.


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Bionicle sets with staffs identification
I bought this series of 4 lovely small monsters/gods at a garage sale.
Body, arms, legs and hands are made of Technic and are studless.
Help me to identify:

if they are part of an official set of The LEGO Group, and which one?
which are parts such as the masks, the foots (which are also used as
the support of the masks), the weapons?

Update: This might be from the Bionicle / Turaga (BrickLink) or similar range. So any links to introduction to this series would be welcome.

These are indeed Bionicles
Green: 1418: Matau
Blue: 8543-1: Nokama
Red: 8540: Vakama
I think the last one is 8542: Onewa, with the mask of 8545-1: Whenua
more information on the Bionicles theme and the story line from Brickipedia
the Turega have a page on the Bionicle Wiki


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Help identify these sets/bricks
Some of these are sets and some are bricks. Sorry if the quality is bad, I can't get any other pictures.
Please note: 3 and 4 seems to be from the same build, although I cannot fully verify that.

01)  Bionicle piece ???
Part #98141 Minifigure, Weapon Crescent Blade, Serrated with Bar, with an updated and correct answer provided by site member Phil B.

02) Part #4150 Tile, Round 2 x 2.

3 + 4) Hails from Set #76109 Quantum Realm Explorers.

The yellowed outlined pieces in 3 and 4 is Part #17485 Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Pin Holes.
HERE's a Youtube speed build on the piece breakdown/buildup of this design look you're interested in.

The first part is 98141 Minifigure Weapon Cresent Blade Serrated with Bar.


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Identify minifig head with large glasses and grey torso with red hands?
I'm sure that this body is the original LEGO. But I'm not sure with head.
What parts are these and which set did they come from?

The Torso is 973pb0048c01 : Torso Aquazone Stingray Dark Turquoise, Black, and Gold Pattern 1 / Dark Gray Arms / Red Hands
appears in 4 Aquazone sets from 1998

The head is proper LEGO too: 3626bpb0126 Minifigure, Head Female Glasses with Orange Goggles, Dimples around Lips Pattern - Blocked Open Stud
This head appeared in 4 sets, all from 2002-2003
I haven’t been able to identify the torso yet though ....

Thank you. It's weird because I don't have any of these sets. Only this head.


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Can anyone help me identify what set this bag with grey and dark red pieces belongs to?
Can anyone help me identify which Lego set this bag belongs to (it has two smaller bags inside)?

I see a "135149" to the right of the bottom "2", is that maybe a set number?

@Tweakimp - no, that is the part number of the plastic bag itself. The problem with identifying this bag is that the picture quality is quite bad (lots of reflection), and the pieces that are visibly identifiable are very common (as in: appear in thousands of sets)

Too many generic parts. Having pictures of both sides of polybag might be helpful.

I don't see any parts sufficiently uncommon to go on.

As the comments said: it's hard to tell.
But based on
Plate 2x14 in light buish gray,
Slope, Curved 10x1 in light buish gray and
Slope, Curved 3x1 No Studs in  Dark Red
i believe it is bag 2 from
75012 BARC Speeder with Sidecar

Glad I could help. Please feel free to mark this answer as correct by clicking on the little tick-icon on the left side.


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Identify the set from this partially assembled purple and white car with a blue flower sticker on the hood?
I have loads of complete Lego sets, distributed into bags and without instructions.

Hi Nick! I took the liberty and edited your question in the hopes that it will better reflect your intent. Should I have made an error and misinterpreted your thoughts, feel free to revert or edit your question.

No problem - a novice here so all help appreciated

This is 41013-1: Emma's Sports Car:

Hi Nick! Glad to hear it was useful :) Please click the Checkmark icon to signal to others that the question has been answered.

Is that right? I have plenty more

Perfect, bring on the other questions ;)


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Set with small white, yellow, and purple boat and lime swimmer fins?
I have a part built boat, but need help in identifying the set so we can complete the build.

This is part of 41000-1: Water Scooter Fun


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Why are different ID informations printed in the inside of the same sort of bricks?
While sorting old bricks I observed that the inscriptions printed inside show a different coding. As you can see the outside it is always a ordinary "1x2 tile with groove in good old Light Gray (item number 3069)". The inside instead appears very different.
Reading from left to right it says:
15; (c) LEGO; 032 #
LEGO; 3 #
(c) LEGO; 16; 35; 3069 #
8; (c) LEGO; 032 #
LEGO;  1 #
3069; 36; 17; (c) LEGO #
5; LEGO; 3; 1 #
LEGO; 11; pat. pend. #
LEGO;  11 #
3069; 36; 9; (c) LEGO

Why is that so?
You can also see that most of the bricks got on one half of the inside a yellowing. It seems that the effect is not only accruing on the surface but really eating its destruction through the material which I was not aware of.

Has to do with copyright patents of the brick design, and warding off general infringement. Other numbers.  I don't know. Design references?
Your (c) LEGO = © symbol, or the word 'Copyright' or abbreviation 'Copr.'; The year of first publication of the copyrighted work; Identification of the owner of the copyright, either by name, abbreviation, or other designation by which it is generally known.

My personal rule when buying any bricks from Bricklink.com when it comes to colors and brick type.
I use a high number of finishing bricks to cover up studs, so I try to get all tiles new.
When it comes to colors be very weary of old beat up pieces, which will ruin the look of your masterpiece. Biggest offenders for me are White, Yellow, Light Gray, and old Blue pieces that will crumble with the slightest pressure in your hand. White/Yellow always get bought new or in bulk from a LEGO store.
I tried your recent chemistry lab experiment to whiten some of these older pieces with hydrogen peroxide with mixed results.  For me it's just better to buy new in bulk from a LEGO store if posible.

The items I am looking for are not availlable in new anymore, made in the 99ies but I got pretty good results, also with light grey bricks. I am using a 12% concentration and soak it for days, It is also available in 3% or 6%. maybe you need to take a stronger fluid?

On newer pieces (maybe also the newest of the ones you show), there's a number identifying the mold and one identifying the position in the mold, allowing LEGO to trace a problem all the way back and examine the mold if a high number of errors seem to come the same mold.

While we might not know all stories behind additional numbers it has been discovered that in later years LEGO use numbers to designate the mould they are using. With massive productions moulds tend to wear out and need to be replaced. This case is well known with basic 2 x 4 brick aka. 3001, which are produced in large amounts. Latest numbers embeded on the bottom of the brick are 200+.


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Lego Adventurers set with bridge, board with mountains?
I'm looking to identify a Lego Adventurers set. At least I'm pretty sure it's adventurers, or a similar theme like Orient Express.
The set has a mountain board, with a river underneath. (If you own a LEGO curved road board, it's similar, except it has a river in place of the road and 3-dimensional mountains.) It's a very unusual piece, though it broke apart quite quickly unfortunately.
The piece also included a rope bridge.
The box had an adventurer wearing a hat swinging from a rope (?)
I don't have pix - it's a set I remember from my childhood and would love to re-buy.

How 'bout Set #5986 Amazon Ancient Ruins?

No, though the bridge looked similar. The board was 3-dimensional, that was the biggest standout of the set.

I added more detail.

Hmm... let's look again...

Amazon ancient ruins!!!! BINGO!!

The little car looks great.

Hi @TheAsh - if this has answered your question (and it looks like it has), could you click the little Tick by the up and down votes - this gives both you and Rin Rio-Oki some reputation, and lets others know that your question is solved.


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Best Way To Make This 8x8 Grate Plate Flush With The Wall?

I would like to use the 8x8 grates on the side of the building (studs out) as window pieces so there is nothing behind them. I'm wondering if there is a better way to have a more stable connection. I'm kinda stumped if I can pull this look off. Of note and not easily seen in the picture: There are four panels used in this section.

So which is your goal: do you want to have the panel sit flush with the wall or have a more stable connection? Or both? Also, what do you mean by "flush": do you want to have the surface of the grate in the same plane as the wall or the surfaces of the studs in the same plane?

By flush I mean even with the outside edge of the wall.The goal is to use the panel much like a window. The problem is the bell tower is only a 10 stud square. So the entire weight of the upper half of the tower is being supported by four 2x2 pillars. My worry is just with the 2x2's it might not be stable enough, even with the roof tie in, for transport to a display location.

JMK!
This is what I came up with:

Studless overall look.

Studless (Gray) window paneling and thickening.

(Black) window pane connecting pieces Part #6541 Technic Brick 1x1.

(Flame Yellow) window frame connecting pieces Part #87087 Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side.

Bird's eye view.

LEGO Digital Draw build file: HERE.

This was not as easy as I thought. I think I solved the "flush" problem in the following way:
This is the final result:

The secret behind it consists of brackets 2436 (or 2436b) and the famous hinge plates 4275 / 4276.

For the lower part, put the brackets on top of two plate layers. Then add a 1x8 plate in front.

For the upper part, you need the brackets upside-down. To do this, put together the hinge plates upside-down as shown and attach the brackets. Then add a 1x8 plate in front. Now you can attach the 8x8 plate, and it will sit firmly and - most importantly - flush with the front wall.

In the end, you can cover the frame with whatever you want.

I hope, this works for you. The most difficult part was to figure out that the upper brackets need to be upside-down.
I just noticed that you need this on all 4 sides of the tower. In this case, you can use only one bracket/hinge combination on each upper side (e.g. only on the right of each 8x8 grate).


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Is this red axel bushing an original Lego part?
Is this an original Lego part? Technic maybe?

This is
Part# x1299 : Technic Bush Old 1

ahh, early 70s, first time that I saw one of those, thanx!


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Please help to identify the set this sticker belongs to
Please help to identify the set this sticker belongs to.
The sticker is on both sides of the ensemble.

Bricklink lists this as a sticker over assembly
Part # BA55pb01 : Stickered Assembly 4 x 1 x 2 with Arctic Technic Logo Pattern on Both Sides (Stickers) - Set 8640 - 2 Slopes 45 2 x 1, 1 Slope, Inverted 45 2 x 1
From
8640-1: Polar Copter


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Is this black two-sided clip an original part made by LEGO?
Is this an original LEGO part? Maybe Technic? See the cup for size comparison.

The black one is a playmobil part, used to link fort wall part together. I think the cup is playmobil too.

the playmobil origin is absolutely possible. i bought this in a used bulk on ebay. thanx for the answer. but now i wonder if playmobil stole the cup design or vice versa? ;-)

To see if the cup is genuine LEGO or not, look for the "LEGO" logo and the part ID hidden somewhere, like on the bottom, on the inside, on the end or the inside of the handle.

I don't recognize this part as produced by LEGO. On another thought, pictured black part has rough edges (low quality), which is unheard for LEGO.

yep, the quality argument makes totally sense


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Is this black and red speedboat model from an official set or a MOC?

Please help me: is this from an official set or an MOC?

This is part of 6679-1: Dark Shark

perfect, thanx Syberion!


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What is this old dark grey LEGO wedge piece with a grooved handle?
Here is an odd piece that I have found - any idea what it is? 2x2 plate is shown for scale.

It's a LEGO brick Separator tool. Mostly used to preserve the structural integrity of the human nail, teeth, gum line etc...
Watch the classical use of it here.

Here's a recent post of some unorthodox uses of the Separator tool.

To expand on a previous answer, it is the original brick separator that was produced between 1996 and 2011 in two colors. It was replaced in 2012 by a different part with the same name and purpose but slightly different features.

It is always orange, but one of the only sets which have the part in a different color is 80013. I just noticed right now.

@mindstormsboi You might want to clarify your comment. First of all, my answer is to the question about what the part in the question's image is, which is the original brick separator which does NOT come in orange.Second, your comment both says that the new separator is always in orange and also that it comes in a second color. Both statements can not be true. :-)

Yeah, you're right, and besides that I've already found some other sets that have this piece in a different color. But it doesn't matter.


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What do I need to connect an old RCX 2.0 to a computer and is it worth compared to just buying a new one?
From a friend I got some Lego, including an old Mindstorms package (RCX 2.0 as I already found out). It's my first time with the Mindstorms "eco system".
I already found out that I need some kind of IR sender for the connection to a computer -- sadly, the original one is missing. Now I'm trying to find out what I actually need to be able to do something with the whole stuff and if it's worth at all to put a lot of effort into it (or if it'd be easier/cheaper to just buy an up-to-date Mindstorms package).

what IR sender should I buy (I saw that the original ones are available for cheap, but if possible I'd like to buy up-to-date or more generic hardware that I can also use with newer Lego systems or ideally also non-Lego "endpoints")
What software do I need in general?
Are drivers (if needed at all) still compatible with up-to-date computer systems?
Do I need some kind of firmware updates for anything?
are the downloads on lego.com (https://www.lego.com/mindstorms/downloads) compatible with RCX?

I'm having access to computers running Windows 10 and Ubuntu (both 64 Bit) if that matters.

Modern hardware/driver support for the RIS is limited, but it's definitely possible to get it working again.
The main obstacle is transmitting programs to the Lego RCX brick. The RIS 2.0 came with a USB IR Tower, but the driver does not work on 64-bit Windows. There is also a Serial-port IR Tower available, which works perfectly if you have a 9-pin serial-to-USB adapter.
Here's what you need to buy (they're all very cheap):

A serial cable (not necessarily a Lego one, any 9-pin serial cable will do)
A Lego serial IR tower (can probably find on Ebay as well)
A USB-to-Serial converter (not necessarily this brand, any basic 9-pin serial to USB should work)
A 9V battery for the serial IR tower.

With the (included) driver installed, the USB-to-Serial will create a virtual COM port in Windows. If it's relevant to you, you can check the number of the COM port in windows Device Manager.
On the software side of things, you can code for the RCX using Java, NQC (C-like syntax, but much simpler), or the original Lego graphical programming language. You don't need to install any Lego software if you plan on going with one of the 3rd-party Java or NQC options.
If you do want the Lego programming software but you don't have the disk, you can download an ISO disk image from this guy's share. The Lego software and its installer ran fine on my machine (64-bit Windows 10), with a small caveat: At the end of the installation process, it attempts to install the USB tower driver. When this happens, you need to go to task manager and KILL the installer process, because when the driver (inevitably) fails the whole installation rolls back. If you're having trouble it might also help to right click on the Setup.exe -> Properties -> Compatibility and run it in compatibility mode for Windows 98.
Inside the Lego software, you should select the Serial IR Tower when prompted because you want it to use the virtual COM port the adapter provides. You can also set the COM port in the Settings from the main menu screen.
When you first install the software it will try to force you to do tutorials before you can actually do the "freestyle" programming. But you can double-click any greyed-out option to enable it.
And as always, if you need more help you can always post back here in Bricks SE. Good luck!

The USB Tower also works on Linux as does much of the 3rd party software, like NQC.

@DavidLechner That is correct, but as of Ubuntu 18.04 NQC requires several layers of patches to get it to talk to the tower properly (and some of those patches don't work without manual modifications). Definitely an option, but IMO much less accessible.


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How can I assemble 2 opposing gears so that the axle rotations are perfectly parallel?
Due to the way all the modern LEGO gears are perfectly quarter-turn symmetrical, there doesn't appear to be any way to assembly 2 opposing gears such that I get a 2 perfectly parallel axles.
This image illustrates the problem:

When one gear it perfectly centered, the other gear is rotated half a tooth.
How can I get 2 opposing gear's axles to be perfectly parallel? Are there any older or special gears that are useful here? Otherwise, are there any good workarounds?

Do you have any restrictions on the maximum distance of the gears or similar?

@Wrzlprmft No necessarily, just that they turn in opposite directions.

How can I get 2 opposing gear's axles to be perfectly parallel? Are there any good workarounds?

You could use an idler gear. It will even out the offset.
Yet, at the same time, it (or any odd number of idler gears) will cause both axles to spin in one direction.

On the other hand, two (or any even number of) idler gears will not affect the asynchrony of the axles, but will bring back the offset.
Then again, placing a single idler gear crosswise will compensate the offset without changing the desired clockwise/ counterclockwise movement.

Besides, here's two 8 tooth idler gears in line. Both axles seem to be perfectly in parallel to each other.

Unfortunately, that's actually because of the large amount of play involved. So this solution just benefits from the wiggle and does not run too reliably.
Edit:

Are there any older or special gears that are useful here?

At least theoretically.

Having an uneven number of teeth, these nowadays obsolete gears from the early 70s would work as well.
As you can tell from the overlapping grey gears, the axles are quite parallel (minus some backlash).

Thanks for sharing. Your second solution is by far the best I've seen - low backlash, adjustable spacing between the outputs, and easy for input.

If you use a crown gear or bevel gear to connect your gears twice perpendicularly, they are exactly opposing each other, turn in opposite directions, and are parallel (if the respective axle is aligned to the coordinate system of the construction). Like with all gear-to-gear connections, you have a little wiggle room that may exceed half a tooth.

If you want the opposing gears next to each other, you can use further gears attached to these (coming with yet more wiggle room).

You could use a belt system to get a perfect, parallel rotation. The chain links used in this video are #3711 and the gears appear to be the same as the ones shown in your example.

There doesn't seem to be an easy way to get the gears to turn in opposite directions without the use of gears (without that half tooth lag).
Two high friction, Technic rubber wheels, placed directly against each other will rotate almost perfectly. Although they might de-synchronise after many revolutions.

What about a clutch gear ? It can help with its center axis that can slip.


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Has the building technique of Technic pins in a brick cylinder been used in an official set?
One of my favorite building techniques is to place a Technic pin into the anti-studs of a brick. This allows two bricks to attach bottom-to-bottom.

It's a pretty secure connection, but I'm not sure it was intended to be used this way. Has this building technique ever been used in an official LEGO set?

I'm not aware of this being used in any official sets, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. I can say that LEGO considers this to be an "illegal" connection. The Technic pins need room to spring back out and be "in click", or they can be permanently damaged by prolonged assembly. LEGO would not allow this connection to be used in a current set.
A Technic pin not "in click" was used back in 2002 in the Audi TT and led to part damage as well as this sort of connection being banned from sets:

No, LEGO did not intend to do that building method though I have to admit, It is a pretty cool technique. So far there haven’t been any sets like that but maybe in the future LEGO people will realize they can do that.


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Mystery 2x14 grey brick - cannot find instructions with this piece mentioned
I have a bunch of LEGO bricks from the years 1975 - 2016. There are a lot of obscure pieces in my collection, but this piece is so obscure that I have no idea what it goes to. If anyone can help it would be much appreciated.

btw i have found a second 1 they have a 1 and a 2 on the bottom

Does it have LEGO logo on the bottom?

yes, and they both have "a 1" and "a 2" on the inside.

This is item no 812

Train Level Crossing Center Rail Cap Insert
2 x 14 x 2/3

made for item no 813, the railroad crossing.

(source: bricklink)
It replaces the 12V straight insert (i.e. it closes the middle gap) when using a 4.5V train system.


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Can the experts Identify these sets, grey octagon platform and tan plates?
A friend gave us a bunch of sets with only a few sets of instructions.  We were able to figure out a few of them.  Not sure what these are.

Mostly, both pictures come from Set #79006 The Council of Elrond, but...

...Minifigure white chest piece comes from: Set Col03-15 Rapper, Series 3 (Complete Set with Stand and Accessories).


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Seeking HiTechnic Color Sensor V2 control block for EV3-G
I'm looking for the EV3-G control block for the HiTechnic Color Sensor V2, previously distributed by HiTechnic (https://www.hitechnic.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?key=NCO1038&preadd=action), apparently now distributed by Modern Robotics (https://modernroboticsinc.com/product/hitechnic-nxt-color-sensor-v2/).
Many websites and online installation guides claim that the block is available from the downloads and support website from the original supplier (https://www.hitechnic.com/downloadnew.php?category=38).  However, that site has been down for at least the past week and perhaps longer.  Emails to both HiTechnic and Modern Robotics have gone unanswered, thus it appears that the sites are no longer maintained.  :-(
A similar question was recently asked and answered (Anyone have the control block for the hitechnic color sensors?), however, the direct download link suggested there (https://www.hitechnic.com/upload/306-Color%20Sensor%20V2.zip) is for the older NXT control block only.  Unfortunately, the NXT block is not compatible with EV3-G and the current EV3 brick.  I'm seeking the EV3 block, not the NXT block.
I hope that someone here can help.

Hitechnic.com now points to modernroboticsinc.com. You can find the Hitechnic EV3 color sensor block here:
https://modernroboticsinc.com/download/hitechnic-ev3-color-sensor-block/
All available downloads are available and searchable here:
https://modernroboticsinc.com/downloads/

It seems like the download is no longer working. Is there anyone who has the file and can mirror it somewhere?

@AstroGD I've updated the links in my answer

Thank you!  The answer from jncraton did the trick.
Summary: the direct download for the EV3 sensor block for the HiTechnic Color Sensor V2 is here:
https://www.hitechnic.com/upload/545-HiTechnicEV3Color.zip
The zip archive includes three files:
(1) instructions (HTColorREADME.txt)
(2) the control block (HTColor.ev3b)
(3) a sample file demonstrating use of the control block (ViewColor.ev3)
All three worked like a charm.
The instructions above for locating arbitrary HiTechnic files worked well also.  This technique will be useful to others seeking programming blocks for other HiTechnic sensors.


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Is this gray clip hook an original LEGO part?
Is the gray "hook" an original LEGO item? Please see the red plate for size comparison.

This looks to be Arm Piece with Towball and Clip.
There are quite a lot of copycats these days. So there is always a chance it is clone piece. To confirm this is genuine LEGO piece best thing would be to look for LEGO logo, but it is not always available on small pieces. Alternatively you can look for "30082" which is a part number.

yep, that's the one. thanks! I am pretty sure it is genuine because it came with an old set which did not seems to be contaminated with modern fake parts

do you now where exactly the piece is used? on the arm of a minifig?

It is quite versatile part since there are at list 3 ways to connect it: 1) using the clip; 2) the towball; 3) the whole in towball (for a rope). There might even be 4th one - the bar between clip and ball, but I'm not sure it is wide enough for another part with clip. So there are many ways to use it. Do you happen to know which set this part came with?

in this case it appears in sets 6544 and 6339 - the space shuttle with plane or lunch pad. it is holding a satelite in the cargo bay of the shuttle

apologies, this is not the piece on those shuttle sets, it is item number 3614b


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What is the model/year of a white and yellow airplane with a sticker "96" on the wing?
I found this airplane in a bag at Goodwill, but not sure what set it's from. It looks complete and the landing gear pulls down.
Any idea what year or set this is from?

It is 42044-1: Display Team Jet from 2016.

Thank you so much for the fast/accurate information!


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Help identifying LEGO sets - Star Wars?
My toddler inherited a bunch of LEGO pieces that all seem to be Star Wars.  I was able to determine about 1/2 of the bunch were 4 Microfighter sets since some parts are unique.  I am stuck identifying the rest.  I have “two” very unique items but just can’t seem to place them... !
One item is a dome with a hinge and it has ‘paneling’ Design but it is not like the domes I’ve seen on tie-fighter sets, the other are sticks w/ a 1x2 on one end and a circle on other that are about 3.5” long.

Welcome Court!
Looks like  part# 42445 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Solid Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.
Part# 99784 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Hollow Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.

and
part #50747pb06 Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere with Dual 2 Fingers and SW Tie-Fighter Pattern.

From
Set #9492 TIE Fighter.

Later!

Wow, thank you so much!  I knew this would work, these pieces were way too specific.  You are awesome!

Just a subtle correction: these are 99784, Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Hollow Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.

Thx Aziraphale!


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Which set is this 2 x 6 slope with holes from?
I picked up a bag of loose LEGO at a thrift shop and cannot identify which set this piece comes from:

The holes pass all the way through the slope but have small details inside that prevent a standard technic axle from going through:

If anyone has seen it before, knows which set it comes from or what its purpose is, please let me know. Thanks.

Welcome to Bricks.SE Matthew.  Thanks for the excellent pictures of the part in question.

You have a Fabuland Roof Support Slope, 6 x 2.

If it's like the similar ones I've seen in Duplo, it probably came pre-assembled into one of these:
Fabuland Roof Support with Gray Roof Slope without Chimney Hole

Fabuland Roof Support with Red Roof Slope with Chimney Hole

Fabuland Roof Support with Red Roof Slope without Chimney Hole

Thank you for the information. I would not have guessed that and I spent a few hours trying to find it in a database. You have put my mind at ease.


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A Technic set from ~1997 with a long grey batter box
I had a Technic set when I was a teen, about 1997 (by looking at the wheels, see picture). From what I remember, it was a tank truck. In its tank it was carrying 3 C batteries. In the picture, you can see the tank closed above, opened in the middle and on the right, the numbers written on the parts. The number "1-01" (or "1  01") is on the tank's three parts. The other (4351) is only on one of the three parts. I'd like to know its set number so I could find its instructions.

This battery box had been produced in two variations: 4350c01 (without switch) and 4350c02 (with switch). It doesn't seem to appear in a set you describe.
This was probably two sets. The other set has been 8865 since it is the only set to have pictured wheel (part number 3739) in white.

Looking at that part and doing a little digging, could this be the set you were thinking of. it is not a Technic set as such, it is a much older set but it seems to be the only one with a tanker and that wheel in.
Basic Building Set
Item No: 740-1
Year: 1985
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=740-1#T=I

740 set mentioned here doesn't include pictured tire (part number 3740). Here is a list of all sets with 3740 part included: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=3740&colorID=11&in=A And 8865 set is the only produced with that wheel in white: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=3739&in=S

Thanks Alex, as I guess I did mixed 2 sets, since I remember the Technic set 8865! ... And that's what I was looking for!


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Problem With Bionicle Joint Sockets Cracking, Repair Options?
I'm pretty sure that serious Bionicle fans have all dealt with cracking of the joint socket pieces. However, is super-gluing the broken parts a solution? I'm worried that the joint  socket won't be elastic enough for the joint piece to enter, or even that it might crack again.

Super-glue? Nope, no super-gluing if LEGO has anything to say about it.
This is probably a duplicate question, but if you contact LEGO directly, they will replace the part for free.  Follow this older post for details.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I think that it is very ulikely they will replace parts of the set that is now a decade old (I'm speaking of 8994). Unfortunately I do not have credit card nor paypal either (I'm 16 years old) and can't buy online using their pick-a-brick service. Again thank you a lot :)

The socket joints from around 2008-2010 were poorly designed. They were both too thin and too tight, so cracking was a very common problem.
Because the issue is the shape of the part, super glue doesn't do much. I tested it out on of my broken joints and the parts cracked again the first time I connected it. So don't bother with that.
What may help is sanding the inside of the socket's prongs down to make it less tight during insertion. I tested this out on a few of my sockets. Sanded sockets took 100 insertions without cracking while the ones that weren't broke after 20-30. However, I've also heard that the 2008 joints crack after sitting too long in a connected state, which sanding may not prevent.


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What is the appropriate way to request a creator to add more of their designs to MOCHUB?
There are some brilliant LEGO creators with many designs on YouTube out there who choose to remain anonymous- who put some of their designs on MOCHUB but not others. (In particular ones relating to pneumatic engines.)
There might be a reason for this I’m missing.
I could comment on YouTube but then my comment would be against my name for all to see forever, and I’d prefer a communication method more discreet.
What is the appropriate way to request a creator to add more of their designs to MOCHUB?

I see LEGO fans asking the question all the time if the creator would share instructions (via LDD, MOCHub, ReBrick, etc.). There is no shame in asking the question. The worst that can happen is they say no. Many LEGO fans don't care for sharing instructions because they build models on the fly and don't want to spend the time re-creating them digitally, or they don't want to have someone steal their designs. I just don't see why you would be so concerned that others can see you asking a simple question that many others ask. You can also send them a private message via YouTube.

Some creators may not want to share building instructions as there is a fear of knock-off companies releasing them as sets. Especially if MOC's are of top quality.
It is also possible there a personal choice to limit (control) their work results via fewer platforms. Or simply may not like some platforms at all.
Edit: Thinking from my point of view (someone who has created and shared instructions for LEGO MOC) I would consider alternative web redources if there would be obvious benefits. So it might be worth finding such reasons, like audience growth, unique features, something else. Then contact the author via one of the ways he is available and suggest him to contribute to your choice of web portal listing the possible reasons. It could be the easiest way of letting this person know and understand if he has anything against it.

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  While you've explained the designer's motivations well, it doesn't seem like this actually answers the question.  Can you add a bit more to this to tie it together?


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9398 4x4 Crawler front wheels rotate in the opposite direction to the rear wheel
We've just finished 9398 4x4 Crawler. Everything looks good, the motors work but the front wheels rotate in the opposite direction to the rear wheels, they also turn in opposite directions. What could be the problem?

Likely you'll have the differential gears oriented wrong in the front or back section.
The differential gear is this piece:

Please check the instructions carefully and see if the orientation of this piece in the instruction book matches your build.

You're right! This piece was in a wrong position. Now everything works properly. Thanks a lot!

Thank you so much for this post and the responses. I had the same issue with the 42082 crane that was most of the way built, before my son realized that the front and rear axles were turning in opposite directions. After reading your posts and checking the instructions, I began carefully taking the area around the differential apart (there was some slight bending of pieces involved), to flip the front differential piece that was shown in the earlier respondent's photos. Flipping the differential piece fixed the problem and we are back on track.


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Shipping to Turkey
I am trying to order different single bricks with Pick a Brick system. It seems there is no shipping options to Turkey. I already picked around 32 Euro pieces but couldn't be able to change the shipping country.
Our distributer doesn't have Pick a Brick. So i am stuck. Any idea how to ship to Turkey? (http://shop.lego.com/en-DE/Pick-A-Brick-ByTheme)

I would recommend you look at one of the online third-party LEGO marketplaces. There are two main ones: BrickLink and BrickOwl. Both marketplaces offer individual pieces (both new and used) as well as sets. Added bonus, the sellers on these marketplaces have many more parts in stock than LEGO Pick-A-Brick, including no longer produced bricks. Especially BrickLink can be a little daunting at first use, but start with searching the Catalog and you'll quickly get the hang of it.
For both sites it works best if you create a Wishlist/Wanted List with all the pieces you need, and then start searching for sellers who have most of the items in stock, so you minimize the number of sellers you use (and hence the shipping fee). You can even filter by seller location (so you could get only Turkish sellers - Bricklink currently has 18 stores located in Turkey itself). BrickOwl even has a great "optimizing" routine which helps you get the lowest price across several sellers.

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


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Please help me identify set
Please help me identify which sets these are from. I got a bag or LEGO and I think it is from multiple sets.

Thank you!

The white Plate 1X2 W. Vertical Schaft is probably from 4625: Pink Brick Box from your other question
The Turbine Ø31.81 X 2 and Tail Ø 3,2 are only together in 7984-1: Deep Sea Raider
The combination of the white Mini Claw W. Fork and the black Link 1M Fric/Fork/Stumpf can only be found together in some of the 2015 Deep Sea sets.

They can easily be from earlier sets like the aqua themes, or it can be from the Lego batman Batcave from 2012.


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Where to get additional part library graphics for BlueBrick layout designer
I love BlueBrick, the track and layout designer from developer  Alban Nanty. I have been using it for years and it is the best tool I have found for designing a full layout including train tracks.
However, the parts libraries available on the site do not include all sets. I am specifically interested in vintage town sets and to name just a few, the following are not included in the library:

6377 'Delivery Center'
6386 'Police Command Base'
6381 'Motor Speedway'
6389 'Fire Control Center'

Does anyone have links to BlueBrick library items for any of the missing sets, (not just the sample I listed above)?
It is possible to generate new library parts since they are made up of a gif image and an accompanying xml file, but I lack the creative ability to complete the library.
An example of a part image is shown below, (set 6394 'Metro Park & Service Tower')

Eurobricks LEGO forum has an index for additional Sets and Parts that can be added to Bluebrick. The sets that you listed above have not been recreated in Bluebrick so if you wish to use them, you need to recreate them yourself. This should be relatively easy if you find LDraw files of the sets you are looking for.
In case you wish to add new files to Bluebrick, please check the manual of Bluebrick by pressing F1 in the program. The online documentation is currently offline so I cannot directly link you to the info.


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BAFTA Bob the builder set value?
I have a boxed sealed LEGO set from 2002. I attended the Children's BAFTA dinner, with several celebrities. Each had an exclusive Bob the Builder set as a gift under their seat, which included a LEGO BAFTA trophy and a LEGO Bob the builder scene. Pretty sure it's rare. At the time I also got it signed by Neil Morrisey who does the voice for Bob the Builder. I gave it to my godson. It's still in the attic. Wondered whether it's worth much. Any ideas? Never found it on the Internet.

Just checked. It was 2002

Do you have a picture of the set?

For something like this, there will not be a standard price. Really, it would depend more on the number of people looking for this. Post it on ebay, see what you can get.


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Identify this baseplate
I recently purchased a large lot of LEGO parts. Most everything I'm familiar with, but there are a few pieces that I'd love to get some insight on if anyone here can help.

This is a Megabloks baseplate, not LEGO.
For future reference - LEGO pieces will have "LEGO" stamped on the studs (where possible) and will have "(c) LEGO" somewhere on the inside in most cases as well. Difficult to read or find, but it is there upon close inspection. Your piece does not have any markings on the studs.

thanks yeah i noticed that these were lacking the lego stamp but didn't put 2 & 2 together. thanks!


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The Coffee Chain
I have been looking all over the internet, since I first came upon the Larry the Barrista minifigure(got into mini figs kind of late), for the coffee chain logo. I love the takehome cup that comes with Larry but I want to make a coffee shop with the coffee chain logo. So far, only one set has a sticker which is 60097 but I would like to know if it is likely that LEGO will be making more things using the Coffee Chain Logo?

To the best of my knowledge, this coffee chain logo was made for The LEGO Movie, and then spread to this one set. Noting LEGO's tendencies to use and re-use symbols across themelines (i.e., Octan paraphernalia, Classic Space logo, etc,) I could see some potential for them to include the sticker in a future set. Another real possibility is the long-awaited release of a City Coffee Shop.
If you are looking for ways to make such a custom shop yourself, you might consider making your own stickers using these techniques?

Here is somebody that is selling sticker sheets for $11.99 that look like:

and you get instructions for building a modular building too.


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Remote for Holiday Train 10254 Unresponsive

The remote isn't lighting up to show it's transmitting. Can't get train to run when motor is connected to IR receiver. Tried connecting motor directly to battery and it runs, albeit at warp speed. Checked all channels on both receiver and remote to no avail. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Possible related solutions: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/4870/lego-remote-controlled-cargo-train-not-working

I'd double check the batteries and their connections in the remote.  Since everything else is lighting up in an encouraging way that seems to be the most likely place of the problem.

It sounds like you've tried everything but changing the batteries. Make sure you are using three AAA (1.5v) batteries.


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Please help me ID this...castle and gates

We've been given boxes after boxes of LEGO bricks...trying to piece them all together.  It's a blessing but also a great challenge !

That would be Attack On Weathertop, from the Lord Of The Rings series. Looks like it's missing a fair few pieces, but it's still mostly intact.
EDIT: Oops, top picture didn't load before I posted. The gate is from Mines Of Moria; the fold-out hill is Attack On Weathertop.

I attempted to translate the runes above the gate in the Moria set, but they appear to be nonsense, chosen for aesthetics rather than a hidden message of some kind.

@maguirenumber6 Using the runes from the The Hobbit, you get  "Diordie was here" or "Djordje was here" - a reference to one of the sets designers.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid I must have been using the wrong Dwarvish alphabet :-)

Yep, he made up quite a few, with different transliterations of the same runes, which can make it a little hard to know initially which one has been used. I went for the one from The Hobbit as it was the variant I could remember the most from without having to look it up :$

As per Lepidolite Mica's answer, the bottom picture is from 9472 Attack On Weathertop from the Lord Of The Rings Theme.

The top model is from another LOTR set, 9473 Mines Of Moria. Neither of these sets are complete in your picture.


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What is the cheapest way to collect clone trooper minifigs?
I'm thinking of building a Star Wars Clone Trooper army and I was wondering what is the cheapest way to do so considering I need a few hundred.

I would say BrickLink... But it depends on how nitpicky you are, and what types of troopers you want. For example, if you're not trying to be ultra-canon with the Star Wars universe, you can just find the cheapest version of the Clone Trooper on BrickLink, and I'm sure you can find a decent price in a large quantity from a store.
Other than that, I would suggest Craigslist. Craigslist can be iffy, but if you live in a well populated area, it can be a great resource (provided you are cautious, of course). If you buy from people who are just trying to 'get rid of all this lego' you can usually get things for cheaper. Try not to buy from people who know what they talking about, because they are collectors and are trying to make a high profit.
To sum things up, your best bet is BrickLink. If you're not a stickler, I'm sure there are some ways to slightly reduce the cost.
Here's a good place to start:
92 New Clone Troopers 3.99 ea Definitely do some poking around, but this is one of the cheapest I could find if you want to buy large quantity of clone troopers. Obviously items that are 'used' will be cheaper, but the older troopers are more expensive, so the majority of cheap clones will be new.
I know this response was a bit rambly, so please let me know if there's anything I can clarify.


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LEGO bionicle identification
We randomly saw this creature on a Google search for "vahki" creatures. but we can't find it again and we didn't click through and find a number.

Can anyone identify this being?

Not an official LEGO set, that's for sure. As far as I can tell, it's an inspirational model for a building contest a few years back, constructed by John Ho.

heh! great. my eight year old saw it and now dearly wants to build it! any tips on assembling spare pieces? we are relatively new bionicle fans. thanks for the help! my phone can't view flicker, but I'll look when I'm on the pc.

@hazmatrec The number one way I've built up my collection is through craigslist posting of large lots of LEGO. If you're looking for pieces on the cheap, that would be the best way to go. As for brainstorming ideas, it's really just a matter of seeing what can fit where. If you're looking for inspiration, there are many LEGO builders on MOCpages and DeviantArt with... varying levels of skill, that you can pull concepts from and adapt or modify as needed.


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How easy is it to sell on BrickLink as a non-dealer?
I have been looking at a few of my old LEGO sets on BrickLink and they seem to sell for a lot ($500-$1000) - the information also suggests they actually are being sold periodically.
However, I've never sold on there before. I know that with most sites like that (Ebay, etc) it's really hard to sell without any reviews/feedback and particularly for expensive items.
Is this something which is even reasonable for me to even attempt to sell on BrickLink?

Anecdotally, yes, it's fine. Depending on the rarity of the set it may even be fairly easy. My experience quite some time ago was that it was easy - I'm not sure how many people looked at my complete lack of feedback and didn't buy from me, but I found a buyer within a couple of weeks. I suggest limiting yourself to insured post and trying to be responsive to questions.

@Móż it's a set that's pretty rare and valuable as best I can tell - 10030 is the number. Looking there I see it is actually selling, too.

In general, it is considered best to first build up a reputation (i.e. feedback) by selling smaller items, before offering up rare and expensive items. When a new seller (low or zero feedback) offers up an expensive set, the following might happen:

Buyers will be afraid to purchase from you as offering expensive sets for sale by low feedback buyers is associated with scams.
You expose yourself to fraudulent buyers who are preying on new seller and try to pull a fast one (e.g. claiming something never arrived, or claiming something arrived damaged, or even returning something opened and replaced).

This is not to say that those things will always happen, but low feedback raises warning flags.
Of course, with proper research and careful shipping you can avoid all of this, and especially if you are competitively priced you might sell sooner rather than later.
Being perceived as a scammer, or being scammed yourself, is something that is unfortunately a regular phenomenon on any marketplace, be it Amazon, EBay, BrickLink or Craigslist.
So net, just be careful and do proper research on how to best cover yourself against potential scams. Selling LEGO can be a very exhilarating experience!

In my opinion, I don't really like the way Bricklink is set up for sellers and actually think eBay is much easier. On eBay, you are able to start selling right away but with Bricklink they require you to make a purchase first, Which I think is ridiculous. If anything I would probably suggest to use Bricklink to get an idea of the price and then go sell it on eBay. At least that's what I am doing. Hope this helps.


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Cargo Train Deluxe (7898) not running
I was working with the main locomotive of set 7898. I put brand new batteries in both the controller and locomotive but for some reason every time I press the button to turn on the train, the red light comes on and I press the button to make the train to go and nothing happens.
Any idea what the issue could be or how I can fix this?

Please check the possible duplicate answer. If your answer isn't found there, please edit your question with details to help us troubleshoot it.

I believe that the answer you referenced is for PF trains and the issue here is with an RC train.

While the referenced duplicate is for Power Functions, the steps to diagnose the issue are fairly similar - ensure that you have good line of sight between the controller and the receivers on the sides of the engine, check the motors still work in the wheel units with a direct connection to some batteries, etc. The set is about 10 years old, so some wear and tear may be expected.


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Do we need WiFi Dongle to install Scratch on EV3
I was wondering if I can install Scratch program on EV3 brick without the wifi dongle.
Appreciate any insight here.

Welcome. Where are you getting Scratch for EV3 from? I'm not aware of Scratch running natively on the EV3.

No. Bluetooth on the computer you are using is necessary but you don't need a wifi dongle for either your computer or the ev3. If you are using the EV3+Scratch extension on scratchx.org, all you need is the scratch x plugin and a computer with Bluetooth (or a bluetooth dongle).
Here is a good article about how to set everything up.


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Where can I download the LEGO RCX 2.0 programming software for Windows 7?
Can someone point me to an active download location of the RCX 2.0 programming software for Windows 7? Thanks!

Possible duplicate of RCX firmware download problem

I can conform that Alberto's answer is a good download link; I've been using it myself. But it should be noted that the USB IR tower which comes with the RIS 2.0 kit is not compatible with 64-bit Windows. You'll need an older serial IR tower and a USB-to-Serial converter to program the RCX using 64-bit Windows.

Use this link for RCX/expansion packs and run the program(s) in compatibility mode: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/718o6673jhpn9/RIS


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PC control Ev3 robot
I wanted to see if I could control my robot with a PC and I wanted to know if there was a way to do it. I have already searched for a controller for the PC and didn't find anything.

Have a look on this project on GitHub https://github.com/BrianPeek/legoev3
It uses .NET libraries writen in C# to control and get status of EV3 robot.
There is a video wich explains step by step how to write your own remote control in C# WPF.

I just published tool based on top of this library - https://github.com/sergeyzwezdin/ev3remotecontrol
Feel free to install this with this direct link - http://ev3.zwezdin.com/download/setup.exe

Your EV3 allows to send direct commands from the PC to the robot. It offers three communication protocols: USB (needs a wire), Bluetooth and Wifi (needs a dongle). You can start programs, control motors, read data from the sensors, play sound, change the colors of the LEDs, simulate buttom presses and so on. For file transfer you should use system commands, which have a different structure.
The communication is independent from the programming language, what counts are the sent and received data. If your favorite programming language supports the communication protocol, you can use it. You need not start from scratch, there exists code in different programming languages.
You find detailed information about direct commands in this blog: EV3DirectCommands

You can write programs with many languages (like Java, C#, Python). Those languages are capable of controlling your EV3 without the need to build and run a program directly on the EV3 brick.
The downside is that you must speak those languages. I'm not aware of independent controllers for the LEGO Mindstorms.
What do you want to achieve? Maybe there's another solution.
Update:
I've posted more info on this in this answer: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/8585/7324

Can you please explain in your answer of these languages can control an EV3 brick? What software is required?

authors: Світлана Дорогій


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How can I determine the value of an out of production set on the aftermarket?
I have a number of early 70's or earlier LEGO sets.
One is set 40 and the other is train number 171.
I'm trying to find a value and some additional information for these sets. I have searched a little but haven't found anything substantial on the image hunt.
Both sets are with their box.

There are several sources you can use to determine the value of a set. Just remember that:

Just because it sold once for a certain amount, yours will not necessarily sell for the same amount. Tons of factors come into play, including completeness, box quality but also demand, location and luck (especially with vintage sets).
Just because it sold once before, doesn't mean the set is in demand or will sell anytime soon. Especially with very old sets like yours, there isn't a lot of demand. Vintage LEGO is nice to have, but sets from those days are significantly less sophisticated than recent sets.
For LEGO: older doesn't necessarily mean more expensive. A lot of really old sets actually sell for remarkably little money.

In no particular order, here are the most common reference sources for determining set values:
Bricklink
The most comprehensive source of set values when dealing with items that collectors will buy. Your everyday buyer won't typically use this venue, but in case of vintage sets, collectors do frequent BL. It's Price Guide feature is powerful, but only contains data on the last 6 months.
Set 40 has not been sold the last 6 months on BL, so there is no Price Guide. It does have 5 current listings world-wide.
Set 171 has also not seen any sales in the last 6 months on BL, but it currently has 17 listings world-wide.
EBay
EBay shows a history of sold listings for any given search term. Since EBay is also used by the casual shopper, this gives you a broader overview, however, especially for highly collector items that don't have a broad audience, like your vintage sets, people might shun EBay due to high fees.
Looking at set 40 sold listings on EBay, there have been 2 in the last while, both international sales in Europe.
Set 171 has been sold 3 times, two at around $50 and one at around $100 (USD).
BrickPicker
Brickpicker is an investment guide for LEGO. This site focuses on managing a portfolio of LEGO sets as if they were stocks. They keep important statistics (mainly compiled from EBay) on every set produced by the LEGO group. Sales statistics are nicely split out by country/region, which can be helpful.
Set 40 is listed here.
Set 171 is listed here. As you can see, neither of these sets have a lot of sales data due to their age and low sales frequency.
There are other sites such as camelcamelcamel.com which tracks sales of toys on Amazon.com, but the above 3 are the key ones I would use.


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Building a full-size lamp using LEGO bricks
On an episode of the TV show 'Home by Novogratz' they featured a real, working lamp that was made out of LEGO bricks. More specifically, the creator surrounded an existing lamp with the bricks, glueing them as he went.
Does anyone know if there are any plans for such items available - lamps, or other furniture items?
And are there any sites etc. out there that could provide guidance?
Any help appreciated. I've used LEGO since I was knee-high, but this is a new project for me.

Do you refer to the lamp including a light emitter (LEGO light brick) or just the stand? For furniture you may better ask another question.

I would be careful not to use a bulb that gets very hot. I accidentally warped some of my bricks doing that.

The lamp is made by LEGO artist Sean Kenney. Along with some other items, he sells the lamps on his website. They are available in a range of styles and colours, but they are quite expensive.
Since he is selling the lamps I think it is unlikely the plans are available, although the pictures on his website are quite high resolution so you may be able to replicate the design. (I have no idea about the legality of such though).

Seems when the lamp falls down of your desk, you can't "repair" it manually but need to send it to the customer service ;-)

Here you go. These are the things needed to build a Lego lamp. How to build it? Well......use your imagination......

I really, really would not recommend building something which involves cutting LEGO as the first step...


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In what ways are LEGO and Megabloks incompatible?
I know that the basic bricks of LEGO and Megabloks fit together, but was wondering if other elements do too.
Such as:

Plates
Rods (Ones Minifigures can hold, not Technic)
Right angle (such as Erling)
Duplo bricks

Megablocks - Ew!

There's an obvious ethical incompatibility

Does color count too, or just mechanical incompatibilities?  Because the (highly inferior) plastic that MB uses does not color as vibrantly as LEGO ABS.

The problem is that while in general MegaBloks bricks fit with LEGO bricks, the quality control on the MB bricks seems to be much lower*, so the bricks/studs and holes are not always the same size.
As an example, I recently acquired a MB HALO Covenant Banshee ship for my son, and can safely show that:

The holes in studs do not readily accept rods (in this case a "wand" element from a Harry Potter set, but identical to the lightsaber pieces, etc.) - they are generally too small, however I could just force it into the front of the "hollow frying pan" type piece that Harry's holding. Conversely the handle is thinner than the wand, so it fits into the hollow MB studs fairly well, but is very loose in the LEGO cone.
With Erling bricks your mileage may vary but shound be ok, however you'd be better off with the newer 1x1 brick with knob(s), as then there's no ridge to fit within.
Plates and Tiles seem to fit fairly well - although generally the grip will be looser if you put LEGO elements on top of MB ones - the studs seem slightly smaller.
DUPLO Bricks seem to fit as well as they do with LEGO bricks:

*I state that the quality control seems to be lower as in this set for example, there are supposed to be 4 1x1 Round Plates (you can just see a transparent blue one behind Harry). Of the 10 or 12 that were supplied(!), none of them were tight enough to stay on the angular brick you can see on the wing edge (the one that just about stays on the other side falls off this one).

I've had a similar experiences with polish Cobi brand (which is also sold via Best-Lock in USA), where while technicaly compatible with Lego a lot of pieces were slightly too small (so it was impossible to separate them) or slightly too large (so they stayed loose). What was worse, they often had flash left and from time to time wouldn't fit other bricks from the same set! It was over 10 years ago though so since then they might've improved but given those experiences I'd rather stick to LEGO personally.

My mother in law thought a set of MegaBlok duplo sized sets would be a great present, and while there are some fun elements in the set, overall the real Duplos are better quality, to the point we decided to sort out the sets and keep the brands separated. At first we had them mixed together, but the MegaBlok ones seem to be more flexible (perhaps thinner brick walls?) and not stay together quite as tightly. (For that matter, the Tyco bricks didn't stay together as well either...)
One of the most jarring differences, aside from quality, is the people figures. The legs on duplo people are designed such that they can be standing or seated on top of a brick. Megablok people do not have gaps on the back of their legs for seating them on blocks, they can only stand. For this reason, all the Megablock vehicles and benches and whatnot have flat bottoms on the part where the characters sit. So Megablok characters don't "play well" in real Duplo brand vehicles, chairs, and so forth. And the duplo figures don't play well on the swings and so forth that are designed for Megablok characters.

Also, while Duplos are usually for ages 1.5+, an equivalent Megablok set often is 3+ because it contains half-bricks and half-height half bricks, teeny tiny birds and squirrels, and so forth that are all choking hazards, so it was a lot more work to figure out which pieces need to be pulled out of the set to make sure baby brother doesn't choke on the pieces.
Additionally, while newer legos for older kids do sometimes contain sticker kits (grumble), usually the Duplo products have the designs printed directly on the bricks, so they are fully immersion washable if they get spit up on by a younger sibling and safe to take in the tub at bath time. The megablok ones? Every single patterned element except people characters require a sticker you have to apply yourself. You can't wash them or take them in the bathtub without ruining the stickers.

I can't actually offer any thoughts regarding anything but actual bricks, as the first - and only - megabloks purchase I ever made only contained bricks.  While my experience with megablocks is limited, I feel confident in offering this advice: Don't do it.
My motivation for "playing" with Lego-style blocks at age 29 is probably pretty unique - I use them to make floor toys for my sugar gliders to play on (meaning I have no interest in figures and many other elements).  For my first block purchase, I bought Megablocks because they were cheaper and I foolishly assumed they'd get the job done... let's just say, lesson learned!  I tried to build a simple "house" that was perhaps 5''x5'' and by the time I'd built 3-4 layers of overlapping 2x4 blocks, my creation was falling apart faster than I could build it.  They didn't stick together at ALL - the quality was ridiculously poor.  Suffice it to say, I returned the bricks for a refund.
Since then, I've stuck to Lego Duplo blocks and not only can I actually build things without them falling apart, my creations easily withstand a lot of jostling.  I can only assume that mixing megabloks with Duplo blocks would weaken the integrity of your Duplo creations.

I can only provide info for basic bricks. I am an avid fan of both Lego and mega bloks. That being said there is a large difference in quality in mega bloks sets older then 2010. The more modern sets have increased in quality by fare and I have not had a problem with them falling apart since. Lego and mega bloks bricks fit well together if the mega blocks are of modern age. Older bricks (for example the banshi that was mentioned above) will have a much harder time holding together capability wise. The rods as far as I know of I believe the mega bloks rods are slightly smaller then Lego allowing them to slide in normally easier than Lego's rods (don't know why but my Lego rods always get stuck in the holes and don't come out without extreme force); same goes for accessories by the way. The figures are not compatible with swapping accessories or rods, (megas rods being smaller) Lego accessories can actually break the older mega bloks figures hands meanwhile vise versa mega bloks accessories will normally fall out of Lego figures hands.

15 years ago, I had a Megabloks set (some kind of a truck) that had two baseplates that were thicker than standard (1.5 of regular plate, so two stacked are same height as a brick).

There are 2 types of Duplo size: one type has 1 big stud instead of 4, so it only fits Lego if the MegaBlock is put on top - or when using an adapter piece. The other compatible type has taller studs, which is fine. As for Micro, which is the System Lego size, the red colored pieces are dull, the blue ones are better. I did have problem with one 2×4 to hold 1×2's below.

Hi Andrew! As usual, I have attempted to make sense of your answer and edit it into a readable form. Please review my changes and correct anything I might have misunderstood.