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What 3D modelling services could I use to create custom LEGO pieces?
I want to create some custom LEGO Technic pieces, but I can't seem to find any software that is good at making it. I have tried using Blender, but it is hard to create holes.
Do you have any suggestions?

I've used Blender for making parts to print (as well as Lego parts). The easiest way I've found to make holes is using 'boolean' object modifier (under the 'spanner' icon). Using the 'difference' operation you can create a hole in the shape of another object. It is a little flaky when the two object share faces/edges/vertices, but otherwise reliable.

I haven't tried creating my own parts. However, I've seen that Bricklink's PartDesigner is quite popular in the community.  It looks like the creation process is quite streamlined, you can edit the connectivity info of each piece, and it plays very nice with Bricklink's Studio.

its good at creating classic and studfull pieces, but its bad, I mean really bad at creating studless pieces

@vanderrich Can you please describe the problems you are facing? That would help others suggest an alternative that addresses those specific points.

Bricklink's PartDesigner is good for use cases like creating custom printed minifigs or bricks, but the options are pretty limited if you want to create a new shape.  They're still labeling this "Beta" so maybe it will become usable for more use cases in an upcoming release.

I'm sorry you've been frustrated with Blender.  It is complicated and not as intuitive as it could be, but the alternatives are vastly more expensive for slightly better UX.  3D modeling is a lot of learning, regardless of the tool.  Blender seems to be the best free general 3D modeling package available.  There are tons of tutorials out there and Blender.SE for specific questions.
You might find working with Blender is easier if you have exported parts from something LEGO-compatible like Mecabricks.  Export a few Technics bricks and beams and hopefully you can figure out how to cut and paste the sections you need.  Mecabricks also exports STL, OBJ, and DAE files if you want to work with the proprietary 3d modeling packages.
Or you may find it easier to do the bulk of your modeling in Mecabricks and then make a few customizations in Blender.


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Can you identify set from these parts?

I bought this set too long time ago. But now I can not remember set number so can not assemble. Please help me

It seems to be that these elements belong to more than one set.
Polybags with green window shutters are from Doors and Windows (6117)

Polybags containing blue flag and some other elements in Bright Light Orange are from The Lion CHI Temple (70010)

U r genious!!! Tq!!!!

The box art for 6117 is so strange and mesmerizing.  I'm glad they're trying to make clear that you don't get the building too, but the result is an odd-looking LEGO box.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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How to run 2 motors at the same time in the new EV3 version?
So I've seen a question that solves my problem in an older version, which I don't think is possible in the Education EV3 Classroom - 1.2.2, which is the one I'm using. I want to simultaneously run 2 motors at the same time, but in the post for the older version that I saw, It talked about White Technic Bars which I don't believe is in the version that I am using, so I was wondering how to do it. If there is a block that can do this or some sort of sequence of events that can do this, please let me know. Thanks!

If the 2 motors are configured as a drive base, use the pink move blocks.
For an arbitrary number of motors or non-drive-base cases, you can use broadcast blocks to run things in parallel. Here is an example that shows how to run 4 motors for a specific number of rotations:

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


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How would one parametrically create a LEGO-compatible gear?
If a gear was intended to smoothly mesh with standard LEGO gears, how should it be defined?
While I know that the mean diameter (average of inner and outer diameters) of a LEGO gear should be 1mm/tooth, but are there any specifications anywhere that describe the profile of a tooth so that I can get its shape correct when designing a gear intended to mesh with LEGO?
I know that others have asked about the module of a LEGO gear and I've seen the web page that describes how to make one with Solidworks, but I am not using Solidworks to create my gears, and I do not have the benefit of a gear wizard that can compute the shape of the gear from the teeth count and module.  I therefore need to know how to actually define the profile of the gear using either primitive shapes or splines, and for that I will need to know dimensions, such as the length of the tooth from base to outer edge, the widths of a tooth at its base and its outer edge, as well as particulars for any splines or circles that may be needed to help construct the shape so that the gears will mesh smoothly.

Which tool you are looking to use to create your custom gear?

I have 3D printed gears that mesh well with Lego Technic gears. I had the same issue as you that although the module(m) = 1, the root and tip diameters are not specified anywhere.
I used digital calipers to measure the tip diameter as accurately as I could and got the following results:

Gear teeth (z)
Measured Tip Diameter

8
9.80mm

12
13.30mm

16
17.37mm

20
21.36mm

24
25.75mm

28
29.50mm

36
37.31mm

40
41.63mm

56
57.80mm

60
61.35mm

Doing a linear regression on this table yielded: TipDiameter = mz + 1.494
I used these parameters in Sketchup with the "Rack & Pinion" plugin to draw the involute gear profile. If you are a developer you can view the code of this plugin to see exactly how it calculates point coordinates and then uses these to create a curve entity for each part of each tooth. I can't imagine you want to do that by hand though!
Of course if you're printing standard technic sizes, you can always just convert the ldraw DAT file for the part you're interested in into STL and print that? It works surprisingly well (3D print on the left)


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Can you identify this yellow LEGO vehicle?
I bought my grandson a box of LEGO and this was in it. I have tried searching for 3 days with brick numbers to find the set but can’t get any joy. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would be extremely grateful.

The set name is Cool Cruiser (5767). This is a 3-in-1 Creator set with pictured model being one of these three:

Why did they put the boring model in the featured position on the box?  (Or is that just me ...) (Possible answer: instead of trying to appeal to the 8yr olds who'd use the set they were appealing to their mommies who'd buy the set ...)

@davidbak Boring?? One person's or kid's boring is another's exciting, I presume.

@alex could you show your process for working this kind of thing out?  You're obviously quite good at it.   Do you filter on Brickset for colour and obviously unusual parts, ie "mostly yellow, with 4 bigger than normal wheels" ?

@Criggie Depending on a case I use Bricklink, Rebrickable and Brickset. But mostly Bricklink due to best part catalog and good set inventories. Then the process is rather simple - identify the most unique element+color combination as a starting point. Depending on rarity it may direct you the set in question or narrow down the research. Then pick up second part (and maybe 3rd). Sometimes I pickup two parts and compare which sets they are part of. In this case Technic, Gear Rack 1 x 8 with Holes was sufficient enough.


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Which Harry Potter sets are these?
A very generous person gifted many 20-year-old Harry Potter sets to my son. All but this set of pieces had instructions and boxes. I’m not sure what is left. For minifigs there’s Harry, Dumbledore, Draco, a suit of armor, and a Phoenix. Any ideas as to what these are?

On the left of the image, you have 4730-1 The Chamber of Secrets, and on the right of the image you have 4709-1 Hogwarts Castle
The Chamber of Secrets came with Minifigs of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Gilderoy Lockhart, Ginny Weasley, and Tom Riddle, as well as a Basilisk (giant snake) and Fawkes (Phoenix)
Hogwarts Castle came with Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid, Peeves, and a Knight.
While available as separate sets, they also came together in a "kit" with the addition of 4705-1 Snape's Classroom

Thank you SO much for your help. It looks like we’re likely missing some pieces, but no matter. We’re still happy to have them.


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Need help to identify this LEGO set - white, gold, grey, blue, and earth tones
I need help identifying this LEGO set. I lost the box. I just have the pieces in their plastic package.

I looks like it is some of the parts of Master Wu Dragon, set number 70734.

It's the only set which contains both Pearl Gold Wedge 4 x 3 Open with Cutout and 4 Studs and Dark Orange Slope, Curved 4 x 1 Inverted according to Bricklink.

You can see bag #3 in this unboxing video; https://youtu.be/NjsXwlUhnJY?t=79

Bingo! thank u! You got it right , the set is the bag 3 of  70734,so can someone give me a link to the booklet to be able to build it

@Hiba You can find instructions for most sets on lego.com: https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions/search?q=70734


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Can cherries connect to anything?
Can the Cherry Piece connect to anything such as a hollow 1x1 round plate or a 1x1 round brick?

You've made it to the 6th most upvoted question for the Connections tag in 5 days! :)

Yes, "Cherries / Cherry Pair" has 3.18mm connection also known as "bar". This type of connection is in system and is compatible with large variety of elements, including two you have mentioned.
Couple of examples:


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What does 18853 (Friends flower) connect to besides 37695 (Plant stem with 3 leaves) or 11609 (Friends accessories star)?
What does 18853 (Friends flower) connect to besides 37695 (Plant stem with 3 leaves) or 11609 (Friends accessories star)?

Is there a good way to attach it to common plant stems (3741) like this one:

Is there a good way to attach it to common plant stems (3741)?

Although strictly a non-official connection, the Technic pneumatic hose (or its rigid variant) can fit over the plant stem, and thus the Friends flower pin. If the connecting piece is cut short enough, the resulting assembly might even look somewhat good.

I just checked, neither pneumatic or rigid hose work with any of the elements in question. The whole in hoses is simply too big.

@Alex That's why I wrote "strictly non-official". It will hold the flower in place in a display environment, but not during typical play that the official connections should be able to withstand.

What does 18853 (Friends flower) connect to?

Most of Friends animals have this type of connection to attach accessories like flower you mention, bow or other. Coule of examples:
Dolphin, Friends / Elves, Jumping with Bottom Axle Holder with Medium Azure Eyes with Eyelashes Pattern

Bear, Friends / Elves, Baby Cub, Sitting with Black Nose and Claws and Dark Azure Eyes Pattern

Number of hair pieces have attachment point for accessories like the flower:

Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Bar and Pin Holder gives an option to attach these kind of accessories to usual studs, as this has been used several times on this picture:

Is there a good way to attach it to common plant stems (3741)

If you define "good way" such as attaching stud to anti-stud then no. Both ends of these elements are of the same type.

Good to know that it attaches to 20482.  I'll keep that in mind.


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Sell bulk by colour or by part or by both
I have 100’s of pounds of semi sorted Lego, mostly by colour.
Would it be beneficial to sort by colour and part to sell in bulk? Or sell a bulk lot of one colour but various bricks?

It (obviously) depends on what people want to buy.
If someone wants to build something, and doesn't totally care what colors are used, then they'll want to buy categorized by shape. It's so much easier to find a red 2x4 in a bin of 2x4s than to find a red 2x4 in a bin of red pieces.
But if someone wants to build, say, Big Bird, then they'll just want yellow, and will want to buy categorized by color.
I think the former is much more common.
See also: Organizing your LEGO Bricks


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Identify parts number - two sides and top of a square (one solid piece)
Please help me identify this part.
It has nothing on it except "LEGO".
Thanks.

This is part # 821
Garage Door Frame


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How should I go about buying 10-20 generic minifigs?
Not a collector, just looking to fill out a few things with sort of generic minifigures. I don't care a ton about what they look like, or even if they're all unique. Just looking for a good variety of maybe 20 minifigs.
It's not obvious to me the easiest and cheapest way to do this.

BrickLink doesn't work well for "groups" of parts - for instance, you want 20 random heads, but you need to pick one head, and look for who has 20 of that one pattern from that mold. Let's start with this: where are you?

I looked at quite a few BrickLink stores with `figs' in the name, and high ratings, to give an example of how you could just look at any given store and choose their cheapest 20 figures - and if they're near you, and allow pickup, no shipping costs! But I didn't spot one that mentioned they allowed pickup. I know the ones near me which allow pickup, but unless you're near me, that won't necessarily help. One I use all the time has 20 figures for under $40 (Canadian) total and allows pickup, for instance.

I'm in Northern California, just north of San Jose. I'm wondering if I can just go to a Lego store nearby?

All the Lego stores I've been in in the past few years have had a build-a-minifig station of some sort. Those figures will not be the cheapest you could find, but if it's quick for you to get to Santa Clara or San Mateo, it might be your best bet. It will almost certainly be your fastest way to get figures, and almost certainly be the way to get the figures you actually want.

Don't forget that if you want 20 generic minifigs that are all different, you could choose say 5 figures with different styles of legs/arms/torso/head/hair, buy  say 4 of each type, and shuffle the parts to rebuild 20 unique figures.

I could suggest checking Bricklink stores in your area/country. It is usually cheaper to buy entire minifigure that individual parts. Unless you need specific items.
Stores have variable inventory, but you need to look for Minifigs section, which usually goes after Sets, and then Parts sections (again, depends on what is being sold in the store). Here you have an option to check all of them or go through individual categories. You might find minifigures you are looking for in Town category.

eBay has various auctions for minifig lots; this auction has 10 for $20 (plus shipping). BrickLink might well be cheaper overall, if you can find a seller near you who will allow pickup.
I don't know the seller; I just chose the first hit for minifig lot that seemed to match your criteria.

You can get 11 generic minifigs in
one set: 40516: Everyone is Awesome!

And you get lots of tiles and plates too.

Soon, sadly not quite yet

Ah, the pinnacle of woke inclusivity: reducing everyone down to a single color each! Also, BLM seem to be getting lumped in with LGBT, which I'm sure many hetero black people would find very welcoming!

@nick012000 the original choice to make all minifigs yellow was taken back in the mid 70s and was deliberately taken to allow "children to project whatever role was required by their imagination and play", and that mostly still holds today except for licensed sets. The whole point of this set is show the inclusivity of all within the LEGO community.

@nick012000 The goal isn't to claim that race, ethnicity, sexuality, and gender identity are all the same. The message here is that people are diverse, and they should be welcomed, respected, and celebrated as they are.

@jncraton And in the process, it's saying that your one label is all that defines you - and also that if you aren't LGBT or a PoC, you're not a person.

I'm not sure these are what the question was author was looking for in regards to 'generic minifigure' they would need different heads with possibly hands to be standard figures and even the some of the hair colours aren't what you might think of as generic. Considering the price I wouldn't say these were the cheapest as well at more than $3 each if you buy as a set.

My solution is easy.  I'm sure there are cheaper ways to go, but they consume more time.  The OP asked for both.

While this might be somewhat on the OP for not clarifying their question accurately, I kind of doubt they're looking for a bunch of oddly monochrome people running through their scenery. This neat set in all honours, but it seems about the opposite to what the asker actually wants.


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What parts are these (showerhead)?
Just trying to identify all the metallic colored parts here and the gray one at the top... assuming they are LEGO:

I believe that this is 65578 attached to an angled lightsaber hilt and a light reflector dish.

Thanks.  I had no clue what they were and was using all the wrong search terms attempting to figure them out on bricklink.


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LEGO 3069 tile 1x2 (dark?)grey with red and gold pattern and with yellow and white pattern
Does anyone know the exact names of the tiles or which set they belong to?
Gold and Red

Yellow and White

Wow this is old LEGO. I had this pieces something like 20 yeas ago.

The bottom one is used in several sets as recent as 2020. It's been around for about 20 years.

The first tile is Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Copper and White Circuitry, Red Rectangle and 4 Squares Pattern

Appearing in these 10 sets.
It looks like yours is Dark Gray.
The second tile is Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Vehicle Control Panel Pattern

Appearing in these 82 sets.
It looks like yours is Dark Bluish Gray.


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How can I use the LEGO distance and color sensor from Power Up with the LEGO Mindstorms EV3?
I am asking how I can use the distance and color sensor from the LEGO Power Up series with my LEGO Mindstorms EV3. I know that they have different plugs but I am wondering if there is a solution to this problem.

They are somewhat compatible. The EV3 has 5V on pin 4 of the input ports while Powered Up has 3.3V on pin 4. So there is a potential that the sensor cannot handle 5V and could be damaged.
Other than that, the pins are the same, so you could cut the cable on the sensor and splice it with an EV3 cable or buy a 3rd party extension cable (example) so that you don't damage your sensor.
The EV3 doesn't support output commands for UART sensors, so you won't be able to use the color output mode or the infrared output mode (this might be possible with ev3dev though).

Thank you for the detailed answer


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Who can use "LEGO Official Store" for an online LEGO store?
Recently I visited a LEGO shop on an e-commerce platform, mainly for local market in Vietnam, what caught my eyes was the shop name: "LEGO Official Store". Although there was no information about this shop, I found out later that this shop owned by Viet Tinh Anh (VTA) - a company claims themselves as an "exclusive LEGO distributor" in Vietnam.
I have thought that only LEGO can use "LEGO Official Store" e.g. they said here "We also sell directly through LEGO Shop and our LEGO Stores (the official LEGO shops)." but not their wholesaler/distributor, is it correct?
More information, VTA (aforementioned distributor) actually is also a retailer and has their own brand name for their toy stores (brick and mortar) as My Kingdom. They sell toys from many brands, not just LEGO, so I'm sure they cannot use this name for stores on the street. But can they use it for an online shop that only sells LEGO products?

As far as I am aware there are 3 types of LEGO stores:

Owned and operated by TLG.
Licenced by TLG to 3rd party to operate under LEGO brand. In this group (most likely) your official region distributor may have a shop dedicated to LEGO brand only, however it doesn't offer benefits of official shops operated by TLG. Mainly the VIP points. Company owning such shop(s) could have other toy related shops operated under different (non LEGO) names.
Shops operated without proper license and guidance as mentioned in this post on LAN from 2017. Cannot really tell much as I have not encountered this type.

My understanding second type could also be called "Official LEGO Store" since it follows strict TLG requirements and recommendations. If you are not very much into this hobby you may not even recognize, that this kind isn't operated by TLG.

It seems there is no public policy for this kind of stores, and there is no way for outsiders to know if a store is licensed or not :)

LEGO has some arrangements in Asia (I think currently it's only in Asia, but I don't think anyone has said it can't be done elsewhere), where third parties get a permission/license to call stores official.

Israel if I recall correctly also has such a shop. It was mentioned some time ago in another question here.

@Tonny arguably Israel is part of Asia, at least geographically.

@PaŭloEbermann I happen to know some people from Israel and they don't consider themselves Asian at all. First and foremost they are either Jewish (including the ones that aren't religious) or Palestinian. If you further ask explicitly about geographic region most of the people from a Jewish background will say Europe and the Palestinians will say Middle East or Arab. At least that is my experience.

LEGO's Asia Pacific operations, headquartered in Singapore, operates under the LEGO Group. Not sure about other Asian countries but here in SG our orders with e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Qoo10 and Shopee are fulfilled by LEGO Singapore themselves. We also have LEGO Certified Stores that operate as their own entities, licensed but not managed by LEGO Singapore - those are not related to the LEGO Official Store seen on the aforementioned e-commerce platforms.

@LegoSonicBoy Interesting, I don't think they are LEGO Certified Stores as I mentioned above that they only use the "official store" for an online shop, not their own brand stores both online/offline.

@Tien Do: Yeah, LEGO Official Stores online are managed by LEGO or their regional distributor.


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EV3 .py to .rbf?
So, I need to send an rbf file from my computer to e-mail for a tournament.  I'm currently using python with the ev3 microPython setup and vscode. The question is, where or how can I get the rbf file from a .py code?

I don't think an .rbf file is ever generated, the microPython interprets and executes the .py file directly. .rbf files were executable files generated by the EV3 software, i.e. either the graphic programming language in the old version (with blocks you needed to draw) or the scratch based new software. I think you should contact the tournament organizers and ask if a .py file is acceptable...

@MichaelVerschaeve, you should convert your comment to an answer. :-)

I did so but wasn't sure it was an answer, could always be that some enthousiast had written a Python to .rbf compiler, although I think it unlikely.

I don't think an .rbf file is ever generated, the microPython engine installed on the flash disk interprets and executes the .py file directly. .rbf files were executable files generated by the EV3 software, i.e. either the graphic programming language in the old version (with blocks you needed to draw) or the scratch based new software. I think you should contact the tournament organizers and ask if a .py file is acceptable...


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Identifying a late 90's early 2000's LEGO Space Fighter/Bomber
We're moving out some of our grown kids' LEGO sets that have been in storage for a long time.
We came across a bag with all these parts in it that look to be a LEGO space ship or bomber (I say this as the canopy is more rounded leading me to guess it to be a bomber of some type. I think a fighter might have a more angled rake on the windscreen.)
I have provided some photos too. I have looked through the entire database at eBay and could not find one like it. I don't think this is custom made. Although my boys can't remember what it is either, so I decided to try the Stack Exchange

This is 7673: Magna Guard Starfighter

YES! Thank you very much Joost! This is a great looking ship!!!


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Trying to identify Star Wars LEGO set
I bought a second hand LEGO set and it came with a box of loose ends, with some partially built sets. I think this is a Star Wars set - any help in identifying it would be welcomed.

This appears to be Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter (7868):

The instructions are available on LEGO.com if you want to try to make it complete.

Great. Thanks so much

@Scooby if you're satisfied with this answer it is good to click the check box beside the answer so it is considered "accepted".


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Making a relaxing LEGO tub
I'd like to make a few tubs with an ornate gold-trimmed look.  I'd like to get atleast a somewhat curved feel to them, not just the blocky square ones you see on the youtube tutorials.  Here's a few of the pieces I'm considering:

shorts for the bathers

bare chest, or similar for the bathers

inverted arch  for the curved base of the tub
or
double concave brick  and other 33-Degree bricks for the base of the tub
or
Tall inverted arch  for the curved base. (I like this one because it comes in orange which is closer to the pearl gold pieces)

2x2 macaroni
and
macaroni tile to top it off with a nice pearl gold finish.

mirror on the wall for a decorative finish

faucet

My concern is that It's not going to quite have the 'rounded' look that I want, particularly on the outside.  Do you folks have any suggestions for improving this design?

Both of these designs use the same faucet piece and legs can be easily attached beneath, the issue with most of these designs is that parts are mostly in white as those parts are more common than gold. If you are set on the colour you will be fairly limited in terms of pieces but there are some ways to change the colour of bricks with some limitations.
This design by Elspeth De Montes uses the (Studs not on top) techniques to get that smooth look without any exposed studs on the top. It uses a 1 x 2 x 5 brick

This design by Ryan Smith has a similar shape but with studs on top.

You might find more relevant designs by searching on Flickr rather Google images for example.

It is so handy that LEGO water doesn't spill over the edge of the tub and drench the people on the floor below you. :)

Is the 2nd one full of blood?

@ChrisH Yes, but look at those lovely curves though.

Oh yes, it's very nicely done.  There are a  few vampire minifigs that would go well with it


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Trying to identify a bunch of parts from sets I had as a child 20 years ago
I'd love some help to identify some/any of the kits I have from the following pictures of parts I have:

Most of this LEGO would've been purchased around 1999 if that helps but I think it could range from 1995 through to 2002 ish.
I have many thousands of pieces from my childhood collection these are some of the more unique and I figure more easily to identify pieces.

I like how the photos don't have wasted space! The big electronic item in the second photo with 3 black buttons is from Insectoids https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x239#T=C.

The wings with circuitry, top right of the second photo, are mostly (but not entirely) from Insectoids: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=30230px1

According to BrickLink, the pattern on the round 2x2 on the left of the first photo was only in set 7311 https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4150px3

Two yellow tiles near the top of the first photo are from Aquazone (including Aquanauts and Aquasharks) https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=3069bpx11&colorID=3

The big white wedge pieces were in 17 sets in white https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=3586&colorID=1

The tail at the bottom of the first photo with the eagle with tye yellow stripe was in 2 Technic sets https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=2340pb022&in=S

Wow thanks everyone! This is very helpful info!

These bring back some memories. Back when Lego boxes where still creative and not just another iteration of the latest marvel movie.

The electronic one with the buttons belongs together to the same theme as the translucent wings, I think. I have many of your parts as well. The wings and the one with the buttons are relatively new (compared to the others). I bought these when I was much older, compared to the others.

These parts belong to a ton of different sets.
1st picture

Black Engine, Smooth Large, 1 x 2 Thin Top Plate can be found in 6 sets.

Black Tail with Rounded Top, Aquazone Aquashark Blue Shark with Red 'X' Pattern belong to one of three sets.

Slope 33 3 x 2 with Exploriens Logo Pattern was available in 6 sets.

White Hinge Train Gate 2 x 4 with Satellite Orbiting Earth Screen Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6458 is part of Satellite with Astronaut (6458) set:

Light Gray Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Dynamite Pattern was in 40 sets.

Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Alien Egg Pattern (Magnetic Sticker) - Exploriens Sets was in 8 sets.

Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Dinosaur Skeleton and Bone Pattern (Magnetic Sticker) - Exploriens Sets was in 8 sets too.

Tile 2 x 2 with Spyrius Blue Screen with Plus Sign and Silver and Red Panel Pattern seen in 15 sets.

Container, Box 2 x 2 x 2 Door with Slot and Spyrius Pattern been in 3 sets.

Yellow Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Underwater Navigation Pattern seen in 8 sets.

White Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Zebra Stripes Pattern been in 6 sets

Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Blue and Yellow Controls Pattern (Ice Planet) available in 14 sets.

Red Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Number 2 Bold White and Stripes Pattern been in 2 sets.

White Tile 2 x 2 with White Arrow in Blue Circle Pattern have been in 17 sets.

White Brick 1 x 3 with Radio and Dual Cassette Pattern Dark Pink/Green (Sticker) - Set 5895 has incorrectly applied sticker and has been available in Villa Belville (5895)

White Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 1 Pattern has been part of 8 sets.

Black Slope 45 2 x 2 with Yellow Grille Pattern has been in 4 sets.

Black Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 4 Pattern been in 8 sets.

White Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with 'POLICE' Red Line Pattern has been in 20 sets.

White Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Arrow Short Yellow with Black Border Pattern been in 18 sets.

White Slope 75 2 x 1 x 3 - Open Stud with Shuttle and Blue/Red Circle Pattern, Model Right (Sticker) - Set 6614 AND Panel 1 x 2 x 1 with Blue -V- and two Red Lines Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6614
are unique to Launch Evac 1 (6614):

Assembly which feature distinctive Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Flame and Sand Green Border Pattern belong to Red Planet Cruiser (7311) set:

Blue Slope 33 3 x 2 with Number 2 Pattern been in 6 sets.

Blue Slope 33 3 x 2 with Ice Planet Logo Pattern been in 7 sets.

Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 1/3 with Bottom Tabs and Hollow Studs with Number 7 and Blue, White and Red Swirls Pattern (Stickers) - Set 8223 AND Panel 1 x 2 x 1 with Number 7 on Right and Blue, White and Red Swirls Pattern (Sticker) - Set 8223 as name suggests is unique to Hydrofoil 7 (8223) set

One of the red tails is from Aero Hawk II (8812)

Other Red pieces are from Eagle Stunt Flyer (6615)

Tile 1 x 4 with 3 White Stars Pattern has been available in 6 sets.

2nd picture

Flag 7 x 3 with Rod with Space Port Solar Array with '2000-XZ' Pattern (Sticker) - Sets 6454 / 6456 / 6458 been in three sets. Conveniently, these are mentioned in part description.

Panel 3 x 5 Solar/Clip-On/Deltoid with Reflective Trapezoid Pattern (Sticker) been in 7 sets.

Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger have been part of 4 sets.

Both Wing Insectoid Large with Arm Hinge and Circuitry Pattern Left (Print on Top, Tip on Left, Logo at Back Edge)
and Wing Insectoid Large with Arm Hinge and Circuitry Pattern Right (Print on Top, Tip on Right, Logo at Back Edge) been in same 5 sets.

Windscreen 10 x 4 x 2 1/3 Canopy with Blue Outlines and Red Square Pattern
was in just Deep Sea Predator (6155)

While Windscreen 10 x 4 x 2 1/3 Canopy with Black Aquasharks Pattern is seen in the same set it has appeared in 3 sets overall.

Trans-Neon Green Cylinder Hemisphere 4 x 4 Multifaceted was in 9 sets.

Trans-Neon Green Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) Webbed - Type 2 (underside attachment positions at 90 degrees) was in 5 sets.

Trans-Green Dish 5 x 5 Scala was in just 3 sets, all from Belville theme, despite the use of "Scala" naming.

Trans-Light Blue Windscreen 4 x 4 x 4 1/3 Helicopter with Coast Guard Logo Pattern (Sticker) - Set 6342 as name suggest is specific to Beach Rescue Chopper (6342) set.

Trans-Dark Blue Windscreen 6 x 6 Octagonal Canopy with Axle Hole has been part of 7 sets.

3rd picture

White Tile, Round 8 x 8 seen in 4 sets.

Both White Wedge, Plate 7 x 12 Wing Left and White Wedge, Plate 7 x 12 Wing Right have been in 17 sets.

White Wedge, Plate 8 x 6 x 2/3 with Grille has been in just two sets.

White Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud has been in whooping 472 sets.

I think I'm only missing a couple of tiles I find hard to ID.

+1 for the effort involved in finding all this info.

Thanks heaps for all your hard work on tracking these sets down! It's like a walk down memory lane seeing all these sets that I had when I was a kid. I'm aiming to assemble them all now that I've got my own house and display cabinet to proudly show 'em off!

@joshendy what a coincidence. I have found a box of missing parts from my childhood sets and just have been working on them for last couple of days. Some of the parts were easy to ID because of these sets I had as well.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for the day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for life.
Since its a few months old you probably have this figured out already. But, if not, here is what I learned in the last 6 weeks sitting on my rec room floor with thousands of bricks (3 large plastic tubs). Also from the 90's and early 2000's. Besides my sons sets my neighbor gave me a big black garbage bag full of bricks from his kids. He was on his way to the garbage can. He offered so I took them. Here is the clue - on the back of almost every brick is an id number. Pick the most unusual pieces and use it to track your sets. Google the number starting with Lego then the number. Bricklink has been my best reference so far but Lego recommends BrickOwl. On Bricklink you will get a lot of info and thousands of people around the world selling them in their little stores. There is a "Item Appears In" link that will direct you to a list of Lego sets that contain the part. They sort it by color and date. Then you have to hunt it down. Once you find it, they will give you inventories for the set as well as assembly instructions in PDF's.
Doing this I have identified 50 plus sets, reconstituted 25 plus and fully reassembled 26. Some rather large. So those little stores on Bricklink and BrickOwl charge pennies for most pieces but be leery of those that charge large shipping fees and adding handling charges. My mailman was delivering my packages, mostly small, in plastic tubs.
Good luck, it's addicting.

"Lego recommends Brickowl.com" citation needed, keeping in mind TLG owns Bricklink now.


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Where do I find the program to go with the LEGO 51515?
I got a LEGO Mindstorms 51515, and I have finished building my 1st robot, and now would like to program it. However, I cannot find any companion program to use. Where can I install the companion program? (Also if there is a Linux program that can be used I would like to know).

The "App" page does seem to be hard to find at the moment. I found it by clicking on this little icon on the MINDSTORMS "About" page.

The app is distributed through various app stores:

Microsoft Store (Windows)
Apple App Store (macOS/iOS)
Google Play (Android/Cromebook)
Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire)

There isn't currently any option for Linux, but there is a 3rd party project call Pybricks that is working on supporting the 51515, so keep an eye on that if you use Linux.

According to this review on Rebrickable, the same app you download for the building instructions is the one you use to program it. Did you download an app for instructions?


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Have LEGO stickers changed materials over time?
LEGO has produced a lot of stickers over the years.  In a LEGO discord someone asked

I wonder if LEGO has always used the same adhesive for their stickers, it seems like the colors, sizes, and texture of stickers determine how well they age.

So, has LEGO changed their materials for the stickers over time?  Has the paper gotten thinner or thicker?  Has the glue changed?  Does any of that change how well these things survive over decades?

invite doesn't seem to work, I get an empty page after accepting the invitation

Sorry about that.  I've put in a different URL now.  Does it work for you?

I am afraid not, I think the invite (the first one) logged me in to discord with a new account rather than my existing one (which I haven't used for ages). Then a bot automatically blocked me for two weeks because my account was created "too soon". Managed to access discord through my old account, but can't visit the lego server, I suppose because i'm IP adress-blocked... I can try again in 2 weeks.

Note. Speaking from my experience from year 1990 onward. During this time I can distinguish at least 3 periods of different experience with stickers.

From 1990 till sometime before 2000 (or early 2000's) there was period of superb stickers. Plastic was thick and glue was superb. I don't know what else LEGO used by then but most of them have survived my childhood abuse. Yes, they look rough, but they are there where I've placed them about 30 years ago. Both, clear and opaque.
Now second period begin somewhere early 2000's. Cannot tell exact period, speaking from experience of used sets I bought from that period. This is the worst time. Stickers applied onto sets during that moment not only cracking, but also peeling off badly. Plastic used for stickers seems to be thinner and glue is not as strong as it was before. Another odd thing is that different colors of the same stickers peel off differently. Some colors (like black) stick a little better (than white).
Last period is what I would call "modern" days. Must have started somewhere before 2013 when I have returned from dark age. Plastic for these stickers feels to be same thickness as previous period, but they seem to behave a little better. Perhaps not that much time has passed for them to deteriorate yet.
Looking at pre-1990 sets and minifigures some of them seem to have had paper based stickers (like minifigure torso prints). I have none of these, so cannot tell about their properties.

I shared this with the person I quoted in the discord.  We're thankful.  I'm glad you added the history tag too.

Just curious, but would you say there was a difference in how fixable misplaced stickers were straight after misplacing?

@DavidMulder modern stickers are fairly easy to fix while you are placing them. Simply remove and place again. Might be a little tricky once it is fully on, but I find the use of xacto knife quite helpful while picking up the corner and generally pulling the sticker back (it is good for placing stickers too). I've read some people use industrial-like approach with soapy water for accurate placement. Old stickers have a good grip, so mine are not moving anywhere. Those it the middle period are simply trash - it is a bit of a task just to remove the sticker.

This matches exactly with my own experience. I have models from as far as the 70's who's stickers are still just fine. 1990 to about 2005 that peel off, crack or wrinkle up while stuck on the model. Since about 2005 stickers are a lot better and seem to stay on well as long as you don't expose them to direct sunlight for longer periods of time.


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Building techniques for designing a LEGO City Street scene?
As the question suggests...
I'm trying to build a city street in "midiscale" similar to that of Hong Kong, but I have no idea on where to even begin with something like this. This project is being built in LDD 4.3.10.
I can't build skyscrapers and cityscapes for the life of me, but I want to create a city street to replicate a scene from one of my favorite movies, hence me asking this question. I can't find any decent .lxf files that even remotely fit this bill.
The scene I want recreate is from Pacific Rim (the first one), where Gipsy walks into Hong Kong with a boat bat to face Otachi. This is the scene I want to create:

I have the Jaeger and the Kaiju, it's just the cityscape that I don't have.
Does anyone have any building techniques? Anything at all?
I know this is asking for a lot, but would anyone have a .lxf file that they would be kind enough to share?
Below are screenshots demonstrating the size of each of the entities, namely the Jaeger and the Kaiju. A Minifigure has been added to give a greater sense of scale ->

Apologies for Otachi's right claw, hand thing not being on the ground. It is a pain in the butt trying to articulate these joints.

It would help to know which movie scene you have in mind. Then we might be able to narrow down the scope of your question.

This has been added to the question, with an image provided from Google Images. Hope this clears things up

Spectacular! Can you post an image of the robot/monster to see what LEGO scale we are looking for? The scale very much determines the pieces and techniques to use.

Of course. This will be added to the question shortly

From your LDD images it seems that you are building in minifig scale. The scene painting, however, has a completely different scale. Which of these should be the reference for the buildings? I think in the movie the monsters are much larger compared to humans than your LDD images.

@Aziraphale the reference picture should be the concept art picture for the buildings. The minifigure is just there to give a sense of the size of the MOCs if you were to look at them in LDD itself, nothing more. If anything, I would want the buildings to be the same scale as the MOCs themselves, rather than the minifigure.

Ok, so we ignore the minifig, assume that the robot is roughly as high as a 10 storey building and has an absolute height of around 20 bricks. On this scale, you can design one level that looks OK and copy it ten times, and you have one building. It's not about technique, it's about the look.

Calculations / Pre-process

I started off by guessing that your MOCs are about 7 minifigs tall.  If a minifig is 4 bricks tall that makes the overall height 28 bricks tall.
It looks like the tallest buildings are about 20 stories tall and the shorter buildings are 5 stories tall.
So you're looking at 4 plates or 5 plates per floor to build these.  4 plates per floor would end up with buildings 26.66 bricks tall.  5 plates per floor would lead to a 33.33 bricks tall building.  Since the 4 plate version is closer to our goal height, and we can cheat by making a few of the lower floors an extra plate tall, that seems like the best way to go.
Then I took the picture and made a diagram of where I expect the buildings to go.  Based on this it seemed like the building should be 12 or 15 studs per side.

Process
I realize this question was asked for LDD, but since it is no longer supported I'm not going to fight with it.  Stud.io or Mecabricks are actively maintained and supported.  I'm a bit better at Stud.io so I'm going to proceed with that.
For organizational purposes I'm going to put each chunk into a step and name the step something logical.  There is way too much in each step for LEGO standards, but I'm not worried about buildable instructions for now.  If instructions become an issue these steps should be split up further.

I laid out a couple of baseplates and created some boring sidewalks for the main road where the MOCs are stationed in the picture.
Then I added a brick ruler that is 28 bricks high so that I could conveniently have a visual reference for the goal height from step 1 under Calculations.  I did this with a stack of 2x4 bricks in alternating colors.
We needed more baseplates to go under the buildings so I added 2 more pn3811 32x32 baseplates.
I wanted to make sure the layout was going to transfer into bricks so I used 4x12 plates to layout the buildings from the sketch.  This will also serve as a "basement" to get the buildings to start above the sidewalk tiles.   I added building numbers that will come up again later.
I put in 2x4 tiles to make the side streets.  I went with Dark Bluish Gray to match the road baseplate color.  Since I'm giving the side streets 6 studs of width the remaining 1 stud width on each side could be filled in with a curb or sidewalk.  Filling in the road helped me realize I had a couple of buildings 1 stud off, so I was glad to catch and adjust that before it was more painful to fix.
There need to be something to tie the baseplates together so I put in a line of tiles 2 studs wide.
Whew, that's a lot of setup, but now we can get to working on one of the buildings.  I want to make sure the closest tall building looks decent.  I'm going to start by having a layer of plates that are inset by one stud and then a layer of bricks.  I wanted to do something SNOT for the vertical feature of that building, but I couldn't think of an easy way to float the 87087 "Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side" out there.  I went with 1x4s jutting out and made it look like it goes up the whole building by filling in 1x4 plates.  Once I got a floor I wanted to go with I turned it into a submodel.  I then copied and pasted this submodel 19 more times.  Once you have the 20 floors you can finish the top in a few was.  I just through some plates on top to make it look uniform.
The next building down the street ("building 2") presents more challenges.  I'm guessing it is 5 stores tall.  The top 3 floors are one style and the bottom 2 are another.  I'm guessing the bottom 2 are a parking garage.  There's a lot of light coming out of the front of this.  I'll leave the light issue as an exercise for the reader or a new question.  There wasn't much chance of doing repeating elements so I didn't create any subassemblies for this building.  The 27c01 windows aren't available in tan, but since this is all in the computer I'll cheat to keep it looking nice.
The last building on the main drag (building 3) is hard to tell much of anything in the picture.  I bricked up a boring cube to fill the space.  I turned two levels of bricks into a subassembly to make the repetition clearer.
The building behind building 2 (building 4) is obscured in the picture by building 1 so I filled in with another boring cube.
The building behind building 3 (building 5) is another 20 floor tall building.  I made 4 layers of 1-wide plates that looked like an interesting approximation of the picture.  I cheated again on some of the colors not being available in that plate size.  I made the floor into a subassembly and repeated it 19 more times.  I covered it with some plates.

Final Top View

Result

This isn't anything that I expect anyone to build.  It needs lots of refinement, but I won't take that joy away from you!  :) I hope this demonstrates the building techniques that you were looking for.  If anybody wants the file I'll find a place to post it.


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Question about the lantern pieces in the Winter Toy shop set
I have a question about the lanterns in the Winter Village Toy Shop.  I'd like to just buy the parts to make a few of the street-lights in that set. However, from reading the instructions (steps 4 and 5 below) and looking at the globe part, it doesn't seem like it would be stable. It appears to be just resting inside a 2 x 2 dish, is that right? If so, is there a way to make something like this that's more stable. Or have I just misread the directions?

I don't have this piece to check this assembly physically myself to confirm. However, the same design has passed TLG design review not once, but twice: first with 10199 set you mentioned in 2009 as well as 10249 six years later, which is updated version of 10199. So I'm rather confident there is no flaw.
Looking at the picture it seems like Cylinder Hemisphere 2 x 2 with Cutout sit underneath the round plate's ridge, thus making it stable.

I have built this assembly virtually. Here hemisphere is placed above  round plate's ridge intentionally, to show the fact that hole diameter is smaller. Thus, by placing hemisphere below round plate (as it is shown in instructions) will block it from moving vertically.

I have the pieces and I can confirm this is exactly how the connection works and it's very stable. The globe is not going anywhere.

The pieces also appear in flat silver as The Childs toy in set 75318, however there you have to put the halves not below the ridge but above according to the instructions, so the round plate sticks out more, in order to easily attach it to the childs hand.


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Database of parts with alternate numbers
I am ordering parts for some MOC I found online. As I compare the parts needed against my inventory, I find that I already have some of them but under different part numbers. For example, I have part 30526 under 53540 in my inventory from the sets we have collected. It gets even more complicated for some parts like this one here and here, under five different numbers.
Is there anyway to retrieve  all the parts with alternate numbers?

I believe that the part_relationships table in the Rebrickable database can do this for you.

The part_relationships table maps parts to other parts. It tracks relationships such as parts that are prints of other parts, parts that are mold variations of one another, and parts that are alternates for one another. I believe that for your use case, you are interested in mold variations. These are indicated by a M in the rel_type field of the part_relationships table.
You can access the Rebrickable database either using the API or the CSV table dumps. If it saves time, I do maintain a set of scripts to build an SQLite database from the CSV dumps.

What you are asking here is to have all possible part numbers for similarly looking elements. However, while both elements could look to be the same for you they may have significantly different properties.
Both Bricklink and Rebrickable have alternative numbers for the same mould, which is the case with the element in first URL. However, last two items are different elements - one has Thin support and the other comes with Thick support - which is why they are separated. It may be negligible for you, but someone else may find such difference essential.
Another approach would be to lookup by name - searching for "Arm Mechanical, Exo-Force" results in finding both elements, no matter if it is thin or thick version. Looking up by main properties (mainly size) can give you other, alternative elements as well. A good example here would be "Brick 2 x 4" - there is a classic 2x4 brick as well as some modified ones, that would all work fine when building, say a wall. But classic brick may not work if model utilize special properties of that particular modified version of 2x4 brick.
If your issue is with building MOCs that you found on Rebricklable you can adjust your building options. You can apply this permanently across the website in your setting page: Account > Settings > Building Sets/MOCs > Ignore mold variations in parts.

Or you can apply this setting for particular Set/MOC: Build this MOC > Change Build Options > Ignore mold variations in parts

Thanks, especially for the Rebricklable hint. As I am doing all the checking on my own computer using python and CSVs, I hope to have a list of all the alternate numbers of all parts that I have. I am thinking whether such a list exists or not, otherwise this is probably more a question of web scraping and python.


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What set(s) is this piece from?

What set is this from, or what is the piece number?

This is
Part # 45301pb023 : Wedge 16 x 4 Triple Curved with SW V-wing Starfighter Pattern (Sticker)
It appears in
7915: Imperial V-wing Starfighter

Also, although the part with sticker is found only on one set, the piece itself was used in a variety of colors in sets dating back to 2003.

I remember having that set. Unfortunately its in pieces and scattered across my collection now.


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Is there anywhere that you can buy *custom* individual Lego-compatible bricks?
There are pieces I'd like to get, like "door rail" inside and outside corner plates, double-sided plates, 1x1 and corner masonry bricks, 1x1 panels (not a corner, more like Lego 4865), as well as pieces that aren't made in the color palette I want.
I've looked at Lepin and I see that they do have some increased color palette options for "door rail" pieces, as well as masonry bricks, but I'd like to go further (they only have 1x2 bricks/plates for each of those options) without resorting to pay $12+ a piece for items on shapeways (that would get very expensive very fast).  Even $2-3 a piece wouldn't be so bad if I could just get what I want in the colors I want.
Is DIY 3D printing currently the only real option here?

There are several 3D printing services that can print anything you want, you would just need to create the 3D model of the parts you want

There are several ways to obtain pieces that are not in the LEGO pallette that I know of:

Through 3D printing at home. This has become much easier as 3D printers have seen significant improvements in resolution, precision and affordability. The challenge is to make a part that works as well as a regular LEGO brick, as that requires very tight tolerances. On the other hand, dimensions of common bricks are very easy to find in the public domain.

Via a 3D printing service using someone else’s design for a part. Check out Shapeways and even Etsy to see if a part has already been designed and manufactured by another fan. There used to be room on Bricklink for custom items like this, but since LEGO bought Bricklink these products have been removed from the site. Especially in the train hobby there are many individuals printing custom items such as wheels, track, connecting rods, couplers etc.

From a LEGO compatible brand. I would first look at reputable brands such as Mega Construx, Kre-o and the like, before going the illegal-clone route with companies like Lepin. The downside is that there are no part catalogs and trading sites for these brands (like Bricklink and Brickowl for LEGO), so you will need to look at sets and see if you can spot the piece you need. Perhaps some brands have a customer service line where you can ask questions about specific parts. Another downside is that color matching with your build can be problematic, but that likely holds for options 1&2 as well.

Note that many AFOLs consider it part of the fun of building with LEGO to use only available parts to solve a particular challenge.

Some things can't be solved by fancy building techniques, though.  I can saw some plates to make a door rail inside corner, but not so much an outside corner.  And I could paint pieces to expand the color palette, but would prefer not to.
I've contacted several companies and they haven't replied.  At least with Lepin there packages of parts available like this: https://lepinland.com/shop/moc-single-bricks-figures/tile/10pcslot-moc-bricks-plate-modified-1-x-2-with-door-rail-fit-with-32028-diy-building-blocks-best/
I just wish someone offered even more options.

3d printing works, but a lot of people steer away from it because it tends to be slow, brittle and expensive. The finish of most 3d printing is also rather rough, and it can be rather difficult to get it to match cast parts. You need to figure out which plastics you are going to print with, as they all have trade-offs.
The really good 3rd party bricks and accessories use injection molding (as does Lego) to make parts. This is more expensive and time consuming than 3d printing, but it gives better results and allows far more economy of scale. Go check out Brick Arms if you want to see what you can do with DiY injection molding.
Cutting / drilling / painting Lego - Some people do this. It might work if you are skilled with an exacto knife. Depends on your skills and goals.
Generally any 'make your own brick' solution is going to be either expensive to buy from someone else or involve you investing a lot into infrastructure to make it yourself. There isn't any silver bullet for this (yet). Lego is terrified of the technology that allows cheap fabrication of high-quality bricks, because it could mean the end of their market dominance.

You can solve the "brittle" and "rough finish" issued by printing in ABS and post-processing with acetone vapor.  Not much you can do about the "slow" aspect of 3d printing, though -- it takes me about 45 minutes to print out a classic 2x4 brick.

I have some compatible plates with studs top and bottom in 1x1, 1x2, 1x4 and 2x2 studs bought on AliExpress. Quality is good. From same source I also have some 1x2 bricks with antistuds on top and bottom.
Price also very good, with postage either very cheap or free, though delivery can take a while as they come from China - though my orders arrived before the expected date, in 1 case over a month early!


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Identifying some LEGO figures
I just bought my kid these awesome LEGO figures. Can anyone identify them, since we are looking up their building instruction.
Thank you

Three of those sets are from "Legends of Chima" series and one is from "Hero Factory".
CHI Gorzan (70202)

CHI Fluminox (70211)

Frost Beast (44011)

CHI Laval (70200)


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What are these minifigures?
Does someone know what theme or set these minifigures are from?

Hi Brick Adventures, welcome to Bricks.SE.  It looks like Alex has answered this.  If you agree it is our custom in StackExchange-land to click the checkbox by the answer to indicate that you have accepted it.

First one is Ultron Sentry from Iron Man vs. Ultron (76029) set.

Second is a minifigure made with torso and legs from Duros Alliance Fighter, Jet Pack, Minifigure, Headgear Helmet SW Hoth Rebel Trooper, Minifigure, Visor Snow Goggles and unknown head. All come in Rebel Alliance Battle Pack (75133) most likely since it contains all parts and similar head piece seen in your picture.

Last one is Aaron - Flat Silver Visor, Clip, Curved Slope and Tow Ball on Back, without the slope and tow ball on the back it seems. It is from Moltor's Lava Smasher (70313)

The third one is Aaron from Nexo Knights. The first is an Avengers character. The second is likely Star Wars.


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Which 2018-2020 sets are good for roof parts?
What 2018-2020 sets are best for roof parts, such as corner slopes, 2x2 slopes, 2x4 slopes, etc.?

Just out of interest, why only 2018-2020 sets?

@bryantp26 I think OP's preference is chose from sets that are still fresh and widely available.

@Alex OK. thanks!

yes I'm looking for sets available on stores. Because giving bricklink order from another country is taking too much time because of covid related situations.

I would suggest to look into buying individual parts on Bricklink in desired color, shape and amount. Any other set you can buy most likely won't have all the parts you need and you are left with otherwise unnecessary elements.
If you really need a set with roof specific parts, the set I could think of now is Emmet's Dream House/Rescue Rocket (70831). Selection of slopes isn't ideal and color (blue) may not fit your need, however the amount of specific items is substantial compared to other sets. Newbury Haunted High School (70425) could also be a candidate for some number of slopes, but it is still rather limited.
Alternatively, you could look into creating your roof without using slopes. Take a looks at sets like 31078, 75954, 10267. You can build your roof with plates and tiles if used wisely.

I've bought thousands of slope pieces on bricklink. This is definitely the way to go.  There aren't many sets that have more than a handful of slope pieces.  When you get into more obscure colors like dark purple it is even more difficult to do this through parting out sets.  However, with bricklink you can corner the world market in an hour or so.  Bru-hahahahaha. ;-)

Yes I know bl is way to go but, since world is changing because of covid-19, it became more and more painful to get packages from another country, at least in my country. So thats why I'm asking especially for sets available on market.

You can try to get them from LEGO pick-a-brick searching for "roof" gives you quite a collection, but misses the ends and corners that are available, so add another search for "45°" to get them.
Combine this with Bricklink and buy whereever it is cheaper or where you can find the wanted quantities of desired elements.

unfortunately we don't have pick-a-brick in Turkey except LEGO Stores. And it is not allowed to hand pick items since when pandemic started.

In Germany, the pick-a-brick in the stores is now handled by the personal: They have a display of available pieces and you can ask for them by their code (like 'E6'). Works well.


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What are these "rail-style" LEGO pieces?
I have acquired several large bags of LEGO - most are the tradition bricks, but what kit are these (see photo) rail-type pieces from? They are identified on the reverse with a letter, such as "E", and a 1 or 2-digit number. Some of the rails contain small teeth the entire length - some are smooth.

Related: What different types of train tracks exist

That gear doesn't look like Lego at all. But those rails where the normal rails in the 70's

@Tonny , The gear is part # 743 :Technic, Gear Samsonite 35 Tooth

@Syberion Interresting... The early Technic gears I'm familiar with are from the 70's. The red (small) , blue (medium) and yellow (big) ones with the white axles. Seems these are even bigger. I had never seen them before.

The rails with the "small teeth" are
Part No: 3230a ,  Train, Track Tapered Rail Curved Inside
Part No: 3229a Name: Train, Track Tapered Rail Curved Outside
Part No: 3228a Name: Train, Track Tapered Rail Straight 16L

OK - Thanks Syberion.


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How old is this brick?
How old would you say this brick is? It has the code 2837 on the inside of it. Any info would be appreciated.

You can find the history of almost any piece by looking it up on Bricklink.

It looks like part of the old 9-Volt motor that was made from 1990 and 2002.

The full thing's part number is listed as 2838 which I assume is the mold ID stamped on dark grey base, while 2837 is the mold ID of the top part.
I don't think it's supposed to come apart, it looks like there are 4 clips on each sides which have been broken off of your piece.

Had a few of these, definitely wasn’t supposed to come apart.

Broken and buried in the ground from the looks of it.  Or is that grease from the motor the inside is crusted with?

Definitely broken: in the bottom view, you can see where all eight of the tabs that held the motor housing together have broken off.

Thanks guys. It had been in the dirt. I didn't recognize the shape at all and the hollowness of it made me speculate it may be old. Broken housing makes sense. Thanks for the info.

Tyler, it sounds like you agree with this answer.  If so, it would be nice to click the checkbox beside it to show that you accept it.  Since you asked the question you are the only one with this power.

Your brick appears to be the housing of the motor for the Lego Technic Dune Buggy, and may be upwards of 30 years old.

Buggy aka RC Motor is totally different motor.

The one I have is identical to the above-pictured.  Don't make me find it!

Do you happen to know which set exactly you are referring to? 8475 or 8284 maybe? I don't see any "Buggy" sets with a motor mentioned in another answer.

@Alex Hi, I cannot provide exact clarification for you.  Might edit to include uncertainty?  Meh.  Focusing purely on the title of question, I would maintain the second half of my submitted answer.


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What is the purpose of the 8 tooth timing gear?
I recently ran across the 32060 Technic Gear Timing Wheel 8 Tooth element when sorting a mixed bag of parts.

This element doesn't appear in many sets as a functional element. Here's one example from the Barcode-Multi-Set (8479) set:

What is the purpose of this element, and how does it work? I'm guessing from the name that it has something to do with timing. Perhaps it is used as a rotary encoder somehow?

When looking at Blakbird's Technicopedia page for this Technic set, this part is indeed used as a rotary encoder in combination with the bar code scanner.
See the last entry on the page.

That makes sense. Thanks! I didn't realize that the barcode scanner in that set could be used to read speed that way.


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Part differences between main and alternate models of 8285 set
Someone is selling the alternate model of the 8285 set

But I'm really more interested in the main model of that set.

Does anyone know how many bricks I'm going to be missing when only the bricks from the completed alternate model is included?
Do you know where can I download an inventory list for the alternate model?

8285-2 model doesn't exist. "-x" naming is used for different sets with the same number or significant difference between versions of the same set. What you are dealing with here is known as "B-model" or "alternate model".

Rebrickable has an option to compare set's main models and some of the B-models as well. However there is no inventory for second model for 8285 set available on Rebrickable. The best I could find is a LDraw file available on Eurobricks.
I've imported this file as a custom list on Rebrickable that could be used to compare with sets and MOCs. Imported file gave me some errors (so final result won't be 100% accurate) and I had to tweak this list a bit as there were wrong color or part type used on a file sourced from Eurobricks.
In the end it gave me a number of 83.% shared parts between both versions. Main model needs the rest 17%, which is roughly 320 parts (92 unique) that are not in B-model (excluding spare parts).
I would like to note this set comes in multiple inventories as it known to be initially released with some parts in Metallic Silver, which later were changed to Light Bluish Gray.
List of parts you would need for main model (not 100% accurate, but very close; may have some minor discrepancies due to issues with source file of alternate model):

I went through the 8285-2/alternate model instruction leaflets and made a list of how many of each part was used for the build.
I only had a (quite bad) PDF from Lego's website, so it might not be 100% correct, but I thought that others might get use of it, so I created it as a custom list on Rebrickable (I'm not yet high enough level to submit it as an official inventory).
Here's a link to the list: https://rebrickable.com/users/Hildesheim/lists/68485/
Here's a link to the comparison to the main 8285 model: https://rebrickable.com/sets/compare/slow/?1-set=8285-1&1-inv=24316&1-user_list=&2-set=&2-user_list=68485
(I don't take any responsibility for the list's accuracy -- might be a couple of parts off...)


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What is the design number of this brick?
Attached is a picture of one of the bricks from the Dinosaur Set 31058. It is however not listed in the content list on lego.com, so I have not been able to find a replacement.

That's 98613c01 - Hero Factory Arm / Leg Extender with Ball Joint and Ball Socket on BrickLink.
LEGO call this item Ball Cup High Friction W. Rubber and use 74261 (design ID) and 6106472 (Element number) for latest sets.
LEGO doesn't always have full list of parts within a set as this depends on parts availability (maybe some other reasons too). You would get much better set inventory on BrickLink. Check your set - 31058 on BrickLink, where you can find the part you are looking to identify.


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How is the neck of the green velociraptor 10757 connected?
I found a green velociraptor in a box on the curb, presumably from the "rescue truck" 10757 box. The head is detached from the body and there is no obvious way to attach it.
I found a light sabre handle that fits as a "neck", as would a basic round pin (on one end).
I can't find what the proper connector is. From official images of the box it looks like it must be a type of stick that is virtually invisible.
I'd appreciate any suggestions to connect the head correcttly.
PS. I may not know the right terminology I don't claim to be a lego expert by any stretch.

Looking at inventory for Velociraptor, included in 10757 set you've mentioned, there is a Technic Pin. Since all of the limbs have half of the pin molded into the parts this leaves us with Technic Pin that is used to connect body with a head piece.

Better pictured by this step from LEGO building instruction (thanks Syberion for the tip):

Correct, this can also be seen in the instructions on page 8


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Where to use the dark gray 1x4 flat pieces in Lego Hidden Side Ghost Train Express 70424
I got two out of three pieces left of these after finished the building and I am now asking where they are supposed to be?

The instructions can be viewed here if anyone cares to help and search.
https://lego.brickinstructions.com/en/lego_instructions/set/70424/Ghost_Train_Express

Step 115 needs all three 1 x 4 Plates in Dark Bluish Gray [BL]/Dark Stone Grey [TLG].

You've probably skipped sub-step 7 of step 115, where both parts need to be added:

Very helpful, much obliged!


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Please help me identify the set these LEGO parts are from
They could definitely be from two separate sets. Any help would be appreciated!

That's an easy one:

It's part of the Modular Buildings series in the LEGO Creator Expert line.
It's a series intended for the advanced builder, consisting of detailed buildings that click together to form a street.

You are the best!

(@AliceShah you can mark it as the Answer by clicking the check mark left of the post.)


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Why stickers instead of printed decoration and vice versa?
I was recently just wondering why LEGO™ would use stickers in some cases and printed decoration in others. I understand it wouldn't be reasonable to put stickers on say, a 1-by-3 brick, but sometimes it appears to be just random. For example, on one of the smooth bricks in set 17101, there is a printed decoration of a code block but I recall seeing in other sets that such pieces related to it have you put stickers instead of printed decoration, such as in this image (with a sticker typo):

Also in set 31313, there are stickers you use on the white technic pieces, which I find quite reasonable unless I don't consider how in the world a factory machine is supposed to print on those curved parts. But now that I've thought about factory machines printing on curved bricks, I'm starting to wonder how they managed to print the decoration on that piece in set 17101.
Long story short, what circumstances cause LEGO™ to print decoration and what circumstances cause them to make stickers instead??

I think it depends on series, if set is licensed as well as targeting audience. Sometime printed parts are used in a place where sticker would be hard to apply.
Architecture series, is a good example where stickers are not used since series are advertised as premium product. Duplo and Juniors use printed parts too as these are targeted for young kids.
Licensed sets usually have stickers though. This may be related to the fact that LEGO treats licensed set a little different, where you cannot buy extra item in B'n'P or get a replacement of specific license related item. So it is better having it unprinted and have an option to replace/acquire a part.
Printed elements also limit their practical use (re-use). Stickers give you choice of applying them or not, while printed parts are there forever1. Good example is 42096 Porsche 911 RSR. It has white wheel arches/fenders with unique print for each of 4 included pieces. Non-printed counter part doesn't exist in this color yet, so these may not fit your MOC. The rest of the Technic Panels have stickers. This leaves a lot of room for using them in other creations (if sticker are not applied). Otherwise panels would be rendered useless if all of them would be printed.

Not really

thanks for making me spend more money on the car


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Looking for a torso piece
I'm looking for this white torso piece here on Aladdin:

I've searched Brickset, Peeron and Bricklink for white torsos and haven't been able to find it anywhere
Does anybody recognize it?

That's Torso LotR Shirt with Ornate Silver Fabric and Gold Clasps Pattern (Saruman) / White Arms / Light Nougat Hands

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!


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How does the Space Shuttle dock the ISS?
The IDEAS International Space Station (21321) comes with a miniature model of a space shuttle. And while that has its place on the space station's stand, the official LEGO product page literally includes the statement "dock the shuttle" with a picture (that's also on the box) of the space shuttle approaching the front of the ISS model in order to dock. It seems to be a genuine "play feature":

But I have no idea how the shuttle is supposed to actually dock, i.e. how to fixate it onto the docking module in a stable and permanent way, given that it has studs facing each other. Besides this picture there is no hint on how to do that and the instructions don't include guides for that either. I also thought maybe it's the other way around (although that would possibly contradict physical reality), but the bottom of the shuttle is covered in float tiles.
So is there a way to actually dock the space shuttle to the ISS? Is there an official build way that the instruction is just coy of mentioning? Does that possibly involve the hinged parts with the airlock prints on them that are right next to the supposed shuttle dock? Or are there any "inofficial" ideas on how to accomplish it, possibly involving additional parts?

I know there are concerns about the space shuttle being a bit out of scale for the ISS when measured against reality and that a custom bigger shuttle might be more appropriate anyway. However, I still wonder how to dock the officially included shuttle model.

Can you please point out where the dock is?? I don't see it anywhere in the image.

@mindstormsboi I thought it's supposed to be the little black fez piece that's sticking out on the front of the ISS and that the shuttle is approaching. But I guess the exact specification of where it's supposed to dock is ultimately part of the question.

Perhaps you can use a photo editor (such as the built-in snip&sketch software on windows 10) to circle the place you're talking about; I don't understand what you mean by "fez piece."

@mindstormsboi: “Fez piece” is a very common description of the black piece that in the above picture is situated just above the shuttle cargo bay on the ISS itself. Even Bricklink calls it Fez: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=85975&name=Cone%201%201/6%20x%201%201/6%20x%202/3%20(Fez)&category=%5BCone%5D#T=S&O=%7B%22iconly%22:0%7D. I see no reason for the OP to point that out more specifically.

It looks like LEGO did not intend to make Shuttle attachable to ISS despite the statement. At least not with a stud-on-stud connection like the set is designed right now.
As seen in picture below, Shuttle is docked using a connection port inside storage bay with its doors open. Not sure if it is possible to replicate opened doors in scale Shuttle and ISS are built.

However if you neglect the lack of this feature and accept the docking with storage bay doors closed a little modification could solve the issue. Existing Fez piece attached to ISS isn't deep enough to accept Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Bar and Pin Holder (to invert stud to anti-stud) so an addition of Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud aka "Apollo stud" in between both of them will help modifying the docking port.

This design with its corrugated appeal also fits quite well visually. I just tried it and although it's not the most robust, it seems more stable than I would have expected and sufficient enough to hold the shuttle in place.

I still find it odd that LEGO didn't include an official way to achieve it, given that they explicitly advertize shuttle docking as a play feature and given how the other satelites and modules can be attached to the station somehow.

@ChristianRau This isn't something we could answer I'm afraid. It is advised to share such concern directly with LEGO support services over phone or website

I don't see how this is a question worth asking the LEGO support services or how they could or would give any reasonable insights into the design decisions there.

@ChristianRau Obviously, LEGO Customer Support won't be able to provide details as to why such feature is missing, however same channel is used to collect feedback as well.

It just so happens that I have this set and have come up with a way to attach it without adding pieces:
All this requires is to move the two second-to-back float pads, take off the fez piece from the dock, attach it in the revealed anti stud on the bottom of the shuttle and put the fez piece back on, with the shuttle on top.
I know it's not realistic because it's literally put on backwards to the way it is in real life and intended by NASA, but that's just my little way of docking the shuttle.

I use these pieces. The same size as the docking in the set, but two anti-stud attachments.

I have this set and didn’t need any additional parts to attach the space shuttle.

Was the white piece included in the set as well? It is definitely not shown in the instructions as intended like this - so if yes, it must either be an extra piece or missing from somewhere else.

The part is shown in step 93 and only used once. I think I just got lucky because it was included two times in n my set. Edit: part number is 6177114

You haven't been "lucky" (or at least not just you alone), but @zovits is right in that it's not explicitly included in the set either. According to Rebrickable, the piece is a genuine spare part (in addition to the one used in the set), as these little 1-wide pin connectors tend to be.

In the extra small unused pieces that come with the set. There is a piece 6177114, you can see the reference in back of the instructions were it shows all the pieces, it is a Technic, pin connector round 1L. This piece will connect the space ship to the fez.


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How tall is the Saturn V set in LEGO units (studs, bricks etc.)?
I'm building a MOC to scale with the Saturn V set and am having trouble figuring out how tall the 1st stage engines are but the entire thing would be really helpful! Thanks!

I know this is already solved, but based on one of the amazon reviews it stands over three feet tall. And yes, I know that's not specific enough.

I've been contemplating this question for quite a while.  In the great tradition of this site I felt this needed practical verification.  I decided to make a ruler based on scaling up set 5005107, LEGO Buildable Ruler to measure the Saturn V myself.
tl;dr
| STAGE             | Studs Tall | Bricks Tall |
|-------------------|------------|-------------|
| S-IC first stage  | 52.2 studs | 43.8 bricks |
| S-II second stage | 33.8 studs | 28.3 bricks |
| S-IVB third stage | 50.5 studs | 42.1 bricks |

My conversions are not perfect based on the calculator, but they're close enough that I don't think I messed up anything.
Overall
As we know, this is a huge set.  I needed my ruler to be >32 studs tall to measure any of the stages.  Here's my setup:

I've included pictures of the bottoms of the rockets since they nest somewhat so you can see how tall the rocket engine part ends up being versus the entire shell of the rocket.
S-IC first stage
The bottom:

The top:

I read that as 52.2 studs or 43.8 bricks tall.
S-II second stage
The bottom:

The top:

I read that as 33.8 studs or 28.3 bricks high.
S-IVB third stage
The bottom:

The top:

I read that as 50.5 studs or 42.1 bricks tall.

This is great! I'm glad that you are finding things to do while stuck at home. :)

Thanks so much!  I have been working on the ruler for about a year, but I do have much more time lately.

Other answers seem to be focused on stage dimensions, rather than engines as asked in the question, so I'll address that.
Scaling is a pretty easy math. Stud is 8 mm and brick height is 9.6 mm. Given that the entire 100 cm (1000 mm) Saturn V rocket is 125 studs or 104 bricks and half plate high (104.166667).
The real Saturn V is 363.0 ft (110.6 m) tall. So given the height of a rocket of 1 meter scale is very easy to calculate as 1/110.6 or rounded to 1/111.
Now let's get to the size of Rocketdyne F-1 engines made from LEGO. The following image shows side engines are made of just 4 parts (height wise) and are 1+2+1/3+2=5 and 1/3 bricks tall (or 16 plates). Converting to studs we get 6.4 studs and in metric it is 51.2 mm.

On the box the entire rocket is shown to be 100cm. I just measured the first stage, that is 40,7cm.
Else you can go to service.lego.com and download the instructions aand start counting/calculating (the studs face in different directions, so you can't just count).


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Looking for two specific Lego pieces

I've been browsing through Bricklink for most of my morning trying to find these two specific LEGO pieces. If someone could help me find the number ID for these, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Sorry for the image quality, it's the best I can do.
Edit: Here's another pic of the first piece:
Edit Edit: Okay so I did find the first piece on Bricklink. It's categorized as a minifig weapon and its' ID is 15071.

Cannot recognize the first one as it might be a clone-brand part, but the other is Pneumatic Hose Connector with Axle Connector

The first piece is: Minifigure, Weapon Gun, Blaster 1 x 2 x 2/3 with Studs on Sides and Handle
Part # 15071


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Help me identify this Batman set
I've tried to look up what I thought were specific bricks without luck, so please help me. I know it's a Batman set, but not much more. The red shield is #17979, its red transparent. There is a hook behind with #24144 and a "bat-rang" #26-01

I did new research on Rebrickable and found out it is #76086 - Knightcrawler Tunnel Attack


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Can you identify the set for these two LEGO bags?

Looking to identify the following 2 bags

Bag 6    identifying possible help = 741R7  2015 Lego Group  135149
Bag 8    identifying possible help = 142R7  2015 Lego Group  135149

I am hoping the minifig heads might help.
Let me know what you experts think.  I just randomly found in my stash.

This is set # 70909-1: Batcave Break-In

Based on
Plate, Modified 10 x 10 Octagonal Open Center
and
Hips and Legs with Jacket Tails Pattern

PERFECTION!  I can 100% match up the parts to this set.   You are amazing.  Thank you!


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Elevator on rails
I'd like to build an elevator for my apartment building.  My plan is to use rails and grooves  to allow the elevator to slide up and down.  This means I have to build the elevator with the studs facing forward instead of up.  I'd like to have 4 rails on each corner of the elevator and slide them along grooves outside the elevator.
Here's some pictures of what I've built so far:

The problem is that because of the dimensions, I can't quite get the grooves and rails to line up with eachother.  How do I calculate a set of dimensions for the elevator that will allow it to attach to 2 pairs of grooves.  I supposed I could use just 1 pair of grooves in the middle, but I think that would be less stable.

Not an answer, but check out the elevator in https://brickset.com/sets/10224-1/Town-Hall, as seen in https://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/10224-1/10224_Back_02.jpg. This can give you ideas how to get the elevator to "stop" at a floor with a few Technic bits.

Another elevator you could check out would be in the Ninjago City.

If you'd like to keep your build studs up and avoid dealing with the 6:5 ratio, you could try to use Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Arm Up with the already mentioned Brick, Modified 1 x 2 x 5 with Groove, as the 3.18 mm bar will slide in the groove just fine.

Another option would be to keep the rest of the elevator car studs up, and only turn sideways for a few smaller rail pieces, like these: Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handles

Lego bricks are not sized similarly in each dimension. The height to width ratio of a brick is 6:5, which means that 2 bricks stacked on top of each other with their studs up are 6 plates high, but the same 2 bricks stacked on top of each other on their sides (studs facing sideways) are only 5 plates high. Said differently, bricks placed sideways (studs to the side) align correctly with a regular brick pattern every 6 sideways placed bricks.
Use these facts to plan your rails and grooves.

Based on this, moving the rail to the other end of the stack of red plates (and moving the grooves 1 stud towards the front) should work, like so


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Miniature Lepin box door stuck inside box itself
Yes, maybe the title may be confusing, but this image says it all:

I got a Lepin city set not too long ago, and it included this box. I have no idea how this happened but during use the door mysteriously got stuck inside the box. I'm not really surprised since the set came with an excessively loose head, but I need to get this door out of the box.
Part seperators are too big and bulky to fo the job, so that's not an option. I don't have any minifig crowbars either, and using my fingernails hurts and aren't strong enough. Alternatively I use that golden sword in the picture to grip the handle and attempt to pull out the door but the space available to move the door is very limited, and it gets too tight. Thus when I keep pulling the sword starts to bend, and eventually it loses grip and drops the door. I tried this method countless times and have had no luck.
What can I do? How can I get the door out of the box? (obviously it shouldn't require damaging parts)

Have you tried a pair of pliers?

@Aziraphale no, not yet, I doubt I even have those. I'll check later when I have time.

I'd try wedging a sewing needle or a thin bladed knife into the left side gap between the frame and the door, in order to try to pop the hinge out of the frame.

Tying a loose loop on a thin enough thread, looping it around the handle, pulling it tight and using the thread to pull the handle outwards could possibly work, even if excessively fiddly.

So, am I understanding correctly?  It is a LEGO door stuck in a Lepin box?

@chicks both elements are lepin

@zovits oh jeez looks like i lack brain for such simple problem, go post that as an answer. I have already solved problem with credit to your comment.

I could only add an answer detailing the ideas in my proposals, but you could add one based on exactly how you managed to do it, with all caveats and things to be aware of. That'd be worth much more for future visitors :)

The image for this question is a broken link.

Finally, I did it. I wasted two days waiting for answers when the solution is actually very simple.
I just lifted the box cover with my fingertips just a tiny bit, so that there was enough space to stick something thin between the box cover and the box itself. I did not lift as much as possible because:

My fingers would slip and drop the box lid again, because the remaining space to lift it all the way out would be too tight

I need enough space to stick something thin in between.

Then I got a thin-blade knife, as zovits recommended, and pulled it down like a lever, making the other end go up and force the cover out. Easy!

See, your answer is a lot better than any of the ideas above :)


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Old RCX Wires Have Become Grey and Brittle
I have a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System 2.0 (3804) that I acquired back in 2003 (17 years ago), and the wires have become grey and brittle.

The wires used to be black and smooth, and stayed that way for a solid 10 years until I stopped playing with this set in the fall of 2013. Last summer (July 2019), I got it out again for the first time in 6 years, only to find that the wires had become grey and brittle. I tested them, and they seem to be working, but I don't know how much longer that will be the case. At one point, I yanked on one of the wires a bit when detaching it from a motor, and it broke very easily. Clearly, even though the wires still work, they're not as versatile as they used to be.
Any ideas what caused this? Was it the long-term storage in the box? Was it that there hasn't been any current running through these wires in years? Or is it just inevitable that this will happen as the set ages? They've been in the box, sitting in a room at room temperature for several years.
Has anyone else with an old RCX-era MINDSTORMS set experienced this problem? Any suggestions on what can be done to stop or slow the deterioration of these wires, or perhaps even reverse the effects? It would make me sad if I couldn't use this set anymore. I had a satisfying fill of fun with this set from age 6 to 16, but I'd also love for my future posterity to get to enjoy it.

Nice to see you back on the forum, Hayden!

This is a common issue with the older Lego 9V cables. Lots of sources, including myself, have experienced the same thing - this particular chemistry of insulation ages poorly, no matter how well it's stored. Cables made later, circa 2004-2006 don't seem to have this issue - the insulation is less rubbery and more plasticy, and is still shiny like new to this day.
As far as repairing them goes, it's fairly simple and cheap, albeit a bit tedious. See this reddit thread and this YouTube video. The procedure which worked for me is as follows:

Use a thin flathead screwdriver or knife blade to pry off the back of the connector. There's a little tab that holds it in place.

The inside of the backplate has two ridges for guiding the wire out the back of the connector. Sand/cut these off - you'll need as much space to work with inside the connector as possible. I used a dremel.

The old wires are not soldered to the connectors so they are easy to remove. They are held in place by two tiny forks which are pushed through the insulation to connect the metal inside.

There is a little post in the center of the connector which the wire folded around. Twist it off with some needle-nose pliers.

Cut some 24-gauge speaker cable to size. Does not need to be speaker cable, but most speaker cable I've seen has two leads side by side, like the original RCX cables. You can even use two separate insulated wires if you can't find double wire.

Attach the new wires to the metal contact pads inside the connector. This is the hardest part, because the amount of space inside the connector is very small; remember you have to put the backplate back on when you're done. I could not achieve the sharp fold of the original wires, so don't bother trying. I also could not achieve the solderless connection with the little metal forks - so I soldered the new wires to the pads.
TIPS FOR SOLDERING:

Use high heat and as little time as possible to melt the solder to the wire and contact pad. Applying heat for more than 1-2 seconds will deform the plastic on the top of the connector. No pressure; if you need to add more heat/solder, just make sure the contact pad is cool to the touch before you try again.
I like to ball up the bare wire at the end of the speaker cable and stuff it into the back of one of the metal studs, then melt solder over top.
Don't bridge the gap between the two contact pads!

Once both wires are attached, add a small bead of plastic glue or epoxy on top of the two contact pads and the cable. The glue transfers force from the cable to the connector body instead of to your crappy solder joints.

Reattach the backplate. It should snap into place with a little force, use the screwdriver again if you need to. Mop up any of the glue that squishes out around the backplate - especially make sure the metal contacts on the underside of the connector are clean! Test to make sure it works.

As I said, it's tedious, but this procedure is effective and creates a strong connection between the cable and the connector body. I'm currently repairing about 40-50 wires using this method to get a little more life out of a Mindstorms classroom set.
The RCX light sensors from this era suffer a similar problem because their cables are attached to the sensor body. They can be successfully repaired in a similar way (refer to that YouTube channel I linked).

Thanks, this answer is fantastic! I'm relieved to see that this is a known issue, and that there wasn't much I could have done to stop this from happening. I might try to find some time to do this eventually. Although if you or someone else were to set up a small business that offered this kind of repair service to save me the trouble, I'd strongly consider paying someone else to do this for me.

At a guess the plasticizer used to make the cable sleeving flexible seems to be evaporating. Perhaps this is common with natural rubber (latex) and vinyl based wires.
You could try the plastic restoration products but I am doubtful that you will achieve long term stability.
The LEGO connectors at the ends can be disassembled and the cabling replaced.
I have done this for some of my Mindstorms cables with mixed results as I have been unable to find twin lead ultra flexible wires that match the dimensions of the LEGO original wires.
Should we expect that everything that the LEGO Group offers for sale to last for 60 years?

While the answer by MindS1 is the standard solution that comes up with internet searches, I've found it is possible to use the wires usually used for Arduino jumper wires. These are slightly smaller than the original wires, which means they can be used without having to break off the ridges or forks.
I found it is possible to make a connection without soldering, however, after lots of experimentation, I found the I needed to strip the insulation off the end of the wire - offset slightly to match up with the forks - twist the wire, and fold it back on itself a couple of times, then with a fine tweezers and a bit of fiddling, they can be pushed onto the forks.
I also found that by using these, I could get the wire into the indent, and reconnect the backplate.
For the light sensor, I was able to remove the old cable - this does require desoldering - and solder on 90 degree male jumper pins which female dupont jumper cables can plug into. Although this does require cutting out an indent for the plug to fit in.
As said, it is tedious, and you will have to experiment quite a bit with the first one, but once you work out a method that works for you, then once it's done, it's done.


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Can you identify the set from these two LEGO bags?
Can someone please help identify this LEGO set? I’m not certain the 2 bags go together.

Left Plate W. Angle 3X12 only comes in Bright Red in 6 sets. Only 1 set also contains this piece in White.
31047-1: Propeller Plane

This set also contains:

403224: Plate 2X2 Round in Bright Yellow
4560179: Flat Tile 2X4 in Bright Red
4211440: Technic Brick 1X2, Ø4.9  in Medium Stone Grey
6083620: Cross Axle 4M With End Stop in Dark Stone Grey

So both bags are from the same set.


text:
Have I got a mystery croissant lurking in my Lego collection?
I've loved every minute of a massive LEGO sort-out recently, but a mystery imposter lurked in there.
My kids swear blind that we've had these two types of croissant for over seven years, but I don't think it can be so. Surely LEGO never made two types that were so close in appearance? And the imposter brick doesn't say "Lego" anywhere on it.
On the left we have an authentic LEGO piece (of which we own four or five), and on the right, the possible imposter (we only have one, which is telling). I thought it could be Playmobil or Sylvanian Families, or something like that.

My kids swear blind that the one on the right came from a Belville set, but a web search suggests not. They also insist it doesn't belong with any of their other toys, but I'd rather trust an internet stranger than my own kids ;)
So my question is - is the piece on the right definitely LEGO or not? And massive kudos if you can spot what it really is.

That does not look like a croissant to me...

Surely the one on the left is a pig in a blanket. It could be a croissant, I suppose, but that looks awfully like a hot dog wrapped in something. The one on the right does look like a croissant.

@user91988 It looks like that so that the minifigures can hold it.

The right piece is not Lego.

It cannot be connected to any other piece. No stud, anti stud or shaft that fit a Minifig hand, like the 1 at the left has.
Searching both bricklink.com and brickset.com only 1 croissant mold is found

Also Lego pieces of this size will contains the Lego name and copyright.

We have one Belville set at home (7586 - Sunshine Home) and I can confirm that it includes the mold linked in this answer (left one in pictures).

It looks like the other answer about Barbie is correct, but it's worth pointing out than in the Lego Friends sets there are loads of different "accessory" pieces which don't have holes and can't fit into another piece:  hairdryers, hairbrushes,etc.  The croissant could easily be something from one of those sets.

@MaxWilliams LEGO Friends accessories have at least one option to connect with other elements. Items you've mentioned have so-called  "3.18mm" or "bar" connection option. Actually, left croissant has two of these on each end, unlike the right one.

It looks like a possible match for these doll accessories.
"This listing is for a Barbie coffee shop or bakery accessories. Included are hot chocolate mugs, a coffee to go mug, croissants, muffins, donuts, a to go box, and a bakery display plate."