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How can I make custom LEGO packaging?
How can I print high-quality custom packaging for a custom-made model?
I am aware of DesignByMe. But as many of you know, the pieces for that are limited, as are the options for making your own box.
If I have six images that I can apply to each face, what techniques can I use for getting the images on a real box, and where do you recommend getting a box most like those sold by LEGO?

Printing companies would be your best bet, although not many will print singles.

Since you mentioned DesignByMe - You should know that LEGO is discontinuing that program on January 16, 2012 so if you do want to take advantage of it you only have 10 days from now. http://designbyme.lego.com/en-us/FAQ/default.aspx

Maybe a search for custom box design although I doubt they'd make small volumes either. It would look very professional, though.
What I've seen fans selling custom kits doing is using simple white boxes with stickers on them. Usually the buyers are more interested in the contents anyway. Sticker printing shouldn't be a problem (as it's going to be put on cardboard a simple inkjet-sticker sheet should do), and I assume plain white boxes shouldn't be too hard to find.
An laternative would be to print your images on cardboard which you can fold yourself, but then you'll need to think properly about placement of images. If the cardboard is thin, you can use it as an outer shell for an inner white box which would be more solid. 3mm cardboard may be overkill, but that's the general idea.

For our lead singer's birthday, his sister created this lego kit  which came in two boxes, one for the band, one for the...accessory. All in their own baggies.
She printed the images onto normal paper, then glued these to thin cardboard boxes.
They came out looking absolutely brilliant - feel free to compare with the real thing at www.metaltech.me

Thanks, this is a very good answer as well. Not sure if I'm going to change this to the accepted answer though...


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What sizes of bricks (building scales) have carried the Lego brand name?
Apart from regular Lego and Duplo, what other sizes of brick have there been that have carried the Lego name? What is the compatibility between the different building scales?

The sizes are:

Regular Lego bricks.
Duplo. Intended for younger children. Bigger than regular Lego bricks, but compatible with them. Some are branded "Duplo", whereas others carry the "Lego" brand. Still produced.
Quatro. Intended for younger children than Duplo. Bigger than Duplo, and compatible with Duplo. No longer produced.
Primo. Intended for babies. Bigger than Quatro, and compatible with Duplo with special interface bricks.
Modulex. Intended for architectural models and commercial signage. Early sets were branded Lego. Not compatible with regular Lego bricks. No longer produced.
Samsonite Jumbo Bricks. Not compatible with regular Lego bricks. No longer produced.
Lego Soft Bricks. Not compatible with regular Lego bricks.
Lego Storage Bricks are brick-shaped boxes for storing Lego. Some of them can be stacked, so you can "build" with them. However, they're not compatible with other bricks.

There are also various "bricks" used as promotional material, such as the large fibreglass ones you see at the Legoland theme parks. You can't build with them, and they're obviously not compatible with regular Lego.
Although they didn't carry the Lego brand name, Olo and Minitalia were made by Lego for the Japanese and Italian markets. They're the same size as regular Lego, and compatible with it. They're no longer produced.

Besides Classic and Duplo (2x as big in each dimension, hence the name) there are several more official dimensions of LEGO bricks:

Quatro: 2x as big as Duplo in each dimension, so 4x as big as LEGO Classic: http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=48201#T=S&O={}

Modulex: Smaller brick width than Classic LEGO (5/8th), and with a 1:1 relation between height and width, whereas Classic LEGO has a 6:5 relation: http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=Mx1111L#T=S&O={}maller

Jumbo: Fits in between Duplo and Quatro, 3x LEGO Classic in each dimension: http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=x1446#T=S&O={}

Primo: 2x as big as Jumbo in each dimension, hence 6x Classic LEGO: http://alpha.bricklink.com/pages/clone/catalogitem.page?P=31000#T=S&O={}

There are still several more sizes, reported in Dag Bricks' excellent spreadsheet, but they are not similar to normal bricks in form and/or function, such as LEGO Gears, LEGO Soft Bricks and LEGO Tubs and cups.
Here is a comparison picture between some formats; from top to bottom: Modulex, regular, Duplo, Quatro and Soft Brick:

Source used: http://www.dagsbricks.com/2013/09/lego-techniques-system-sizes-wrap-up.html

The bottom brick in your last photo looks like a Soft Brick, not Quatro

The image of the five stacked red bricks does note end with Quatro. It's Modulex, Lego, Duplo, Quatro and the bottom one is 6 times larger than standard Lego. You can easily tell since Quatro uses hollow studs just like Duplo. But I also measured pixels in the picture to make sure. Jumbo Bricks is not in the picture.
I found this page when searching for what Lego called the sizes 6x and 20x the standard brick. My search will go on... Thanks!
Pontus

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How much weight can a handle of Technic pegs and beams support?
Some Lego spaceships have handles attached, made out of Technic beam and pegs, and attached to the model using Technic bricks, pegs, and axles.
For example, 7644: MX-81 Hypersonic Operations Aircraft has a handle on the top (circled below), and the shuttle in 7690: MB-01 Eagle Command Base has a small handle on the bottom side.

This handle is great for play, transport, and mounting, and I'd like to incorporate this feature into my own designs. However, I don't know what a safe number of pegs and beams is relative to the weight of the model. To be really useful, it needs to support not just the weight of the model, but a reasonable amount of centrifugal force caused by rapid course adjustments as it flies around my living room. Are there official Lego Group guidelines on this, or has someone done a study of the strength of peg-and-beam constructions?

Tristan Lostroh did an exhaustive test of both studded beams and stud-less beams with and without connections. Here are his results:

Studless beams are better in tension than studded
Studded beams are better in transverse than studless
Studless beams are stronger in transverse with the pins on the side
Connections to other components will fail before the beam (Either connections themselves  or the connection area of the beam)(IE the
  (unstressed) centre of the beam    will not fail)
Pin connections will probably pull apart before they fail catastrophically
The more pins, the stronger the connection
In transverse 3 pin overlap, with 2 pins used is almost as strong as 3 pin overlap and 3 pins used
Beams in transverse conditions won’t fail (but will bend) if the pivot points match the end of  the connection
Lego is quite strong for its weight

From the report it looks like two beams linked with 5 pins will break at about 57lb of transverse force.
Edit: Just for the fun of it I calculated this 'real life' scenario. Imagine a kid with 40cm  arms spinning around a 2lb Lego ship.  To create the 57lb of centrifugal force necessary to break the handle he would have to turn at 252rpm.  I don't think any amount of sugar can do that.

If only I could +2 for the edit - I'll ask my boys to try this evening after trick or treating ;)

After calculating it, I pictured my kid spinning like the Tasmanian Devil at 252rpm. I was laughing so hard I had a though time typing the edit.

A nice display of structural strenght is seen on the Millenium Falcon lego set 10179-1 : http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=10179-1

The link now 404's

@AidanConnelly The link is now fixed

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How can I identify LEGO sets from a box or bag of parts?
I am a lifelong LEGO Maniac, and my kits from when I was a kid were passed down to my nephew, who has just passed them down to my son (40 years of history...).
The trouble is that none of my old plans/directions are still around, and neither are the plans/direction from my nephew's kits. My nephew and I started to do a quick inventory, but he couldn't remember all of the kits that were in the hoard (three large boxes so far).
Is there an easy way to figure this out? Does LEGO offer any of their old plans for free online or will I need to pay for them?
Can anyone offer help in identifying some of the fairly recent stuff? I can post images if needed. Some of the newer parts are quite unique.

The following question also has details of how to get hold of instructions for older sets: Where can I find instruction booklets?

This previous question raises the problem of identifying kits from list of parts: Is there anything like a 'recipe generator' for LEGO models?

Your best shot is to identify an individual piece and look it up on Rebrickable, BrickLink or BrickSet. Since these all carry set inventories, you'll be able to find lists of sets in which the parts can be found. Try to start with more unique parts, chances are they are in a few models only.
Once you're sure you've found a model for which you've all the parts, build it using the instructions from LEGO.com or for older models instruction scans Rebrickable.
If identifying LEGO parts proves too difficult for some of them, ask experts.

You might want to include the note that almost all parts have their element or part id embossed on the underside.

Actually, no, I don't want to do that as it's not really the point of this question and it has been covered in another question. However, you're quite right that I should have at least pointed to that corresponding question on how to determine the name of a brick. I've added that.

Also, once you have parts for at least one kit identified, use http://rebrickable.com/ to find other kits that you may also have had with those parts.

@Joubarc +1 for a good answer, I check out those links and I'm sure they will help with ID'ing the more obscure pieces.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid Some of the kits I have date back to the early 1970's, and don't necessarily have part numbers embossed on them.

@bakoyaro: good point, I shall make a mental note of that

This is great information. Thanks so much for sharing.

Find for the rarest piece(s)
My usual method for identifying a set I'm not familiar with is to find the rarest part. It's not always possible to find the rarest part but I can usually guess which parts are rare given how many of them I have in my collection.
For System sets I will usually ignore unmodified bricks, plates and tiles in common colours.

Example
When I was trying to find the set in the example shown below from this question. I ignored all the plates and the two black 1x1 studs as they were all common parts in standard colours.

The only two parts remaining were the blue Minifigure Seat (4079) and the  blue Steering Wheel (3829).
From those two parts it was easy to identify it as a vehicle and with the arrangement of the pieces I could tell it was a four-stud wide vehicle. Since around 2005-2010 it has become more common for LEGO to produce vehicles 6 or 8 studs wide so I assumed it was a fairly old set.
To identify these two pieces I used the catalogue search on Bricklink, if I didn't know the name of these pieces I could have search by category, or if I knew the piece number (found often on the bottom of many parts) I could have searched for that as well.
Every piece on Bricklink has a list of 'Known Colors', the steering wheel had 222 set entries for the colour blue and the steering wheel had the minifgure seat had 68 results for the colour blue.

I sorted the list by selecting 'Year Released' to 'Up' so that I would see the oldest sets first and set the preview mode to 'List with Images' so that I could see both a photo of the set and relevant information. (I also recommend using  'Thumbnail Gallery').

General Tips

The colours that I consider 'standard' are Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Black and White. These colours are probably the most common and are almost always included in bulk brick buckets.

Around 2004, the colour of light/dark grey and brown bricks were changed slightly. Modern grey bricks are often known as 'bley' because of their blueish tint. Related: What is the bley (blay) color?

Minifigure Tips

There was only one variation of the head for Minifigures prior to 1989, the classic smile head. This piece continues to be used for classic releases as well as Modular sets although it is not as common. We can rule out any 'non-classic' minifigure heads as being after this year.

Minifigures with two-sided heads were not produced until 2001.

Minifigures with short legs were not produced until 2002.

The first minifigures with realistic skin tones were released in 2003. Only yellow minifigures were available previously. Related: Why do some minifigs have yellow heads and some are flesh colored?

Microfigures were first released in 2009

There are a number of ways to start figuring it out, my method is as follows:
Try and identify some of the following:
Unique pieces
Unique minifigs
Stickers on pieces
Unique logos
Color schemes or unique colors
The minifigs, stickers and colors are usually enough at least point you to the right theme category (ie space, pirates, castle, city, star wars, etc.) and often will narrow it down even further.  A logo or minifig is usually a giveaway of what set group you're looking for.
For example a recent bulk buy I got had a number of Joker images on tiles and a number of unique purple and green colors that made it clear there was a Batman themed Joker set in the mix.
From there you can look up parts lists on Bricklink or Peeron, as well as find directions for assembly.  To narrow it down to a specific set and make sure you have all the parts.
If your not super familiar with the lego themes these sites will also give you a place to find them.

Those are great sites!  I'd never seen them before.  Thanks for sharing those - definitely useful.

Lego has an online page that can be used to download manuals in PDF format. Unfortunately, the page mentions that manuals are only available for kits that were released in 2002 or later:

We currently have over 3300 building instructions available onlinevwhich date back to sets packed in 2002.

You might want to contact Lego customer service to see if they might be able to direct you to other resources for these older kits. According to squidoo.com, Lego customer service can provide older instructions for a fee. That page also lists several alternate resource that you can search to find older manuals for free:

Free Lego Instructions
World Bricks
Lugnet
Peeron

One very good way is to look for numbers on pieces, especially when they are printed. A number on a Lego piece is almost always the number of the set.
These often come in places where there is supposed to be a number; like license plates on cars. If you have a license plate brick with a number, that's almost 100% certain to be the set that the car belongs to.
There are exceptions; for example, the Lego trains from the eighties had a "timetable" sticker that listed several numbers; each number was the number of another train set. (In other words, each train had a separate entry on the timetable). If you find that sticker, you have either a railway station from that time, or a train set from that tine that included a timetable. But, this will still narrow down your search.

I've never noticed that!  I'll have to check some of my pieces!

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Can Lego soccer (football) parts be used for anything other than soccer?
I had the Lego soccer field, but took it apart. What else can the parts be used for besides soccer?  I'm specifically wanting to know about the green bases and minifigure stands.

The green parts are great to make a green smooth field, which is kinda obvious. Landscaping is one usage, and if you find it too uniform, don't forget you can cover some areas with additionnal hills or whatever. The Technic hole in there can come handy as you can easily attach something in it. Since it'll rotate freely, your added decoration can even be placed at an angle. Trees come to mind too: you can attach them to the Technic hole too, and maybe fill the green curved area with brown 1x1 round plates to symbolize earth.
The fact that it's green isn't always the most important aspect; sometimes you'll just need a big horizontal flat surface just for its flatness. I've used some of these parts (tan ones) to create a flat layer udner a SNOT river (basically a wall of blue bricks on the side). Doing that with 2x2 tiles would have been cumbersome, and more importantly I could use parts which I usually have no use for. In my specific case, the fact that they can be attached on duplo bricks was a plus.
The minifig stands aren't that much useful, but the spring in them means you can hope to build interesting mechanisms, especially projectile ones. Have a look at the instructions of set 7020 — Army of Vikings with Heavy Artillery Wagon, the designer of that set did an excellent missile launcher with it.
Don't get me started on what to do with the soccer balls.

The minifigure stands make great commodes if you ever build a scene with a restroom.

Bricklinks information about Sports Minifig Stand, has information on where it's used in some sets that are not sports-related. For example:

Viking Ship
Troll Assault Wagon
Troll Warship

I don't own any of these sets, so I don't know exactly how this piece is used in there - maybe someone else can give information about that.
The Sports Field Section 8 x 8 has only been used for Sports sets (soccer and basketball).

I suppose the Vikings designer was in love with that part. I've only built 7020 and I didn't know about the others, but I guess the usage is similar in all sets: launch some form of missile using the spring power. But I think the magazine mechanism in 7020 is really a nice touch. Fire up to 10 projectiles without rloading!

The Minifig Stand that appears in the Viking and Troll sets is black and not white like in the football set.

@Ambo100: as you can see on the photo in the question, football-sets include black and white ones.


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Are there any health concerns with letting children use old LEGO kits?
I have a hoard of LEGO kits that passed from me to my nephew, and now to my son. Some of the kits that are included with the set date back to the early 1970's. Are there any health risks with passing the older kits down to my son? Have there ever been recalls or warnings published about the chemical make-up of older bricks?

The most important thing is to make you keep any swallowable magnet out of reach.
This is potentially lethal if two magnets are swallowed and attrach each other from different part of the intestine, as unfortunately did happen to a kid a few years back with some other toy. That's why LEGO has completely redesigned train magnets to be completely encased in the buffers, which are a way too big element to swallow.

You can put the magnets out of the buffer and swallow them... Seems not to work.

@Sibbo: I don't believe you can since ~2009. You have to break it to get the magnet out; anyone capable of breaking it is probably not going to swallow it.

Hm okay, my trains are about 5 years old...

@Sibbo: Joe is right, magnets are fully embedded in buffers now, that's what I was talking about.

The LEGO group pride themselves on their low product recall rate, which I believe generally only effects parts that break too easily or similar - often this is related to Primo or DUPLO components that are aimed at very young children.
I'm not aware of a recall due to the chosen materials - as noted in this question the LEGO Group switched to their current material (ABS) in 1963, however the exact composition may vary from modern bricks.
It probably wouldn't hurt to take a look at the advice for cleaning the bricks in warm, dilute soapy water or with a mild bleach.
Certainly any effects would have to be low level and based on long term exposure, as my kids haven't shown any adverse effects to using my collection from the late 70's onwards.
Just one further point of note: The original rubber bands from the Technic sets are prone to deterioration - so watch out for them giving way.

The hole in the stud of heads is actually going away now.

A health risk with old, well used hand me down bricks is the possibility of broken pieces and foreign objects like staples, glass shards, old batteries, (loose magnets!) and stuff being mixed in with the elements. It's always a good idea to check through them before you hand them over to the next generation of builders.

Nothing really worse than the newer kits, quite frankly.
Below 3 years old, they tend to explore what the world has to offer by putting small bricks in their tiny noses. for these reasons, an adult need to be there all the time brick toys are in use. If the bricks happen to be the adult`s toy, rigorously stowing them away when not playing is in order.

Indeed, there's a reason LEGO sets carry a "not suitable for children under 36 months" warning. All kids are different though and if they're still inserting things at 4 then adjust accordingly ;)

Old bricks might just be plain dirty. If your LEGO sets have been collecting dust on a shelve for twenty years, you might want to clean them off first.


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How do I build a sloped roof with a 60° rake?
I've seen the sloped roof on the "Winter Village Post Office" and similar using plates, and I want to build a roof with a similar angle:

What should I use to ensure they are well attached?

See the instruction for that set on pages 56-59, 65 and 68/69 for the 3 different roofs of it.
they're using a different technique and different pieces for all of them, so this perfectly shows up some alternatives (technic-like parts for the big roof to the right, blocks with studs on the sides for the small 90°-roofs and 1x1 with clips for the roof to the left).

In the past, LEGO produced a perfect element for this:

It's probably hard to find in big quantities now, so I give it more for reference than anything. I wish LEGO would still produce it though (not to mention its educative value).

That's an interesting piece I've never seen (nor have in my collection).  I wonder what made Lego abandon it?

I imagine they stopped producing it because you can create the same slope with other available elements (like hinges), and those other elements provide a much wider range of building possibilities.

Maybe they didn't like the fact that the angles are not integer (53,13° at the bottom); but then again they have Technic beams with the same angles. I'm quite curious too as to why they stopped it..

To keep it simple I would use hinges placed on top of the wall, connect the roof plates and angle them to fit.
 <-- or -->
Edit: You could even add a small plate hinge at the roof ridge, under the roof plates.  This would keep them from separating.


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How can I easily remove a jumper plate without a brick separator?
How can I easily remove a jumper plate?

I find it very difficult to remove this kind of brick with a brick separator.

There's actually a new Brick Separator coming that has an offset anti-stud that can be used for jumper plates.  Check out this Brothers-Brick article: http://www.brothers-brick.com/2011/10/05/new-brick-separator-adds-technic-axle-pusher-tile-removing-wedge/

@Grandpappy: That looks beautiful.

@Grandpappy They seem to be including the new brick separator in a few sets now - especially larger ones.

A 1x1x5 brick has enough leverage to remove most jumper plates. Apply pressure to the top of the brick and pull or push away from the length of the jumper plate.

Even a 1x1 brick works in certain cramped places, although It doesn't provide as much leverage.

If I had a big enough lever I could move the world.  Clever!

I'll try to show how I'd do this using a 2×12 plate (or something similar). Imagine you're looking at it from the side:
      n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_ --> Pull     | narrow, long plate
     _n_                                    | jumper plate
_n_n_n_n_n_n_                               | baseplate

n = stud
Just attach a plate or brick to the top of the jumper and push it to the side so it will tip over.
PS: I hope the ASCII-art makes clear what I tried to explain - I don't have a LEGO-designer here at work

I like this idea, considering how common this brick is. I'd have to try it for myself thought to see how well it works, especialy in tight spaces.

for me this works better because you only need a bit pressure and can pull very easy. when using a pillar like you suggested, you'll have to push relatively hard to avoid to slip of.

You don't have to push hard but it helps.

That ascii-art is surprisingly simple and efficient. As for the answer, sometimes adding a brick opposite the your 2x12 plate helps too, as that brick will stay in place and you can lift the 2x12 plate as well as pulling it, producing a lever effect too.

Use the new Jumper Tile 2.0 instead! Easier to remove! Comes in many1 colors2! Advanced features3! Comes in many colours4! Lighter than the old, clumsy version!
Don't wait, contact your closest LEGO reseller to upgrade your collection of obsolete jumpers to new, shiny ones!
1. Three.
2. U.S. version only.
3. The same as Jumper 1.0, plus Easier removal
4. U.K. version only.

Seriously though, LEGO just added a groove on jumpers, see the difference:

Which admittedly doesn't help you right now, but at least you can take comfort in knowing LEGO adressed the issue somehow.

My first inclination with this question was "I swear there's a groove on the bottom..." but then I checked the nearest model and there wasn't. I guess this is why.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this change.

Interesting, but doesn't answer my question.

@Ambo100 I didn't think it would, honestly. If I had wanted to answer seriously, it would just have been a slightly different take on oezi's answer, which I think is the easiest.

Use the new brick separator:

...when it becomes available.

You beat me to it :-)

It looks like it performs just as well as the old brick separator would with jumper plates. Until it's released and we know for sure that it works it's not viable for now.

@Ambo100: There have are already been a few on Bricklink, and they have been specifically designed with this task in mind. ut you're right, of course: we won't know for sure until someone publishes their experiences. Let's hope they're good, and that this tool lives up to its promise.

It's now available for sale on the online shop.

Place a regular 1x2 plate on top of it (the hollow stud of the jumper plate fits around the post in the bottom of the 1x2), and apply lateral force to the combination. They should come off together. Then rotate the two to separate them from each other.

There are a few parts that can be used in place of a brick separator

This won't help with jumper plates in the middle of baseplates, but can be useful in other situations.
Original here.

Somehow, I'm not sure that helps with tiles on a baseplate. See also my comment on your other similar answer

Sure, in the middle of a baseplate this wouldn't help.  But there is nothing in the question about baseplates.


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What are the differences between the NXT and the RCX?
What are the differences between the NXT and the RCX? I know that the NXT is newer, but what features does it have that the RCX doesn't have, and vice versa (if the RCX has features that the NXT doesn't)?

NXT
RCX

3 motor and 4 sensor ports
3 motor and 3 sensor ports

Has encoders integrated in its motors so that they can be used as servos
Would need an additional rotation sensor on a sensor port to use as servos

Uses RJ12 connectors with the latch offset to one side
Uses regular 9V connectors (2x2 with metal in studs)

Uses a direct USB cable or Bluetooth for connection
Uses infrared to communicate with PC via an IR tower connected by a serial (1.0, 1.1) or USB (2.0)

Graphical 100X64 matrix display
Small numerical display with many limits

Technic oriented - uses technic pieces (no studs)
System oriented (studs) with small amount of technic

Uses graphical programming language with many features1
Uses a limited graphical programming language (apparently can't even run on XP)

Can play 8Khz wav files
Can play simple tones

Uses 6 AA batteries very quickly
Uses batteries more slowly

256 KB of flash memory that can hold a max. of 64 files of varying types
32 KB of RAM that can store up to only 5 programs

The original 1.0 version of RCX Brick had a 10v connection plug, but this was dropped from the later versions included in the Robotics Invention System 1.5. The NXT can use a rechargeable battery in place of the six AA batteries, and the rechargeable batteries also have a 10v transformer plug.

RCX retains its memory (including firmware) for a very limited time when not powered, just enough to change batteries. NXT uses flash memory and keeps it all when not powered.

1: Note that even powerful computers have trouble running big programs, and can easily mess them up. There exist many third-party systems for both RCX and NXT. Full list on Wikipedia.

Don't both systems have a graphical programming language and how is the NXT more advanced?

From what I remember, NXT is more event based and allows you to connect blocks non-linearly. It's hard to explain, but contains more features.

Two things: 1) RCX can also use pins, but as only 4 connection points.  2)You can use more than the graphical programming with RCX.  You can use NQC (C like programming) or straight C code (if I remember correctly, by using a third party library)

@pcantin Please add that as an answer and delete the comment.

@pcantin I've always wondered, why can't NXT use other languages?

@Pubbuy The NXT most certainly can use other programming languages, some of them even let you do it with the original firmware unlike the RCX! :)

@daviesgeek I don't know anything about NXT. This is why I didn't add this as an answer but it would prefer to add it to this answer (I will edit it, since it's a CW)

@HaydenStudios: Are you mad? The standard RCX firmware (the one loaded by the provided Lego-branded software, as opposed to the preloaded stub) was used with RCX code, NQC, and one other textual Lego-provided language that has been almost completely forgotten.

@Kevin Cathcart: I stand corrected. I have never actually used the RCX with other programming languages before, but I really thought someone said on the MindBOARDS that you needed different firmware for NQC. Maybe it was just that there is an optional enhanced firmware like with NXC. Oh well. Anyway, that's besides the point. The point that I was trying to get across to Pubby was that there are alternate programming languages for the NXT as well. P.S. Would that "forgotten" programming language to which you are referring be LeJOS?

No, I'm pretty sure the "forgotten" language I am refering to is "MindScript", part of the retired Mindstorms SDK (back in the RCX only days). If I recall correctly, it was more capable than RCX Code, but less capable than NQC, so NQC quickly supplanted it. But it has most (all?) of a decade since I last did much with my RCX's so my memmory is a bit fuzzy on those details.

Where does the adapter cable come from for using RCX motors with the NXT brick?

@JamesLauer - They were previously sold by LEGO themselves. You may have better luck on BrickLink or Amazon.

The NXT can, with the use of an adapter cable, use the RCX sensors and motors, however the RCX can not use the NXT sensors and motors.
The NXT brick, motors and sensors are larger than the RCX counterparts which makes them harder to implement into a size constrained construction. However as said, you can use the RCX motors/sensors instead with the NXT brick if wanted.
The NXT programming possibilities are far greater than the RCX, both in the official and third-party languages. It has far more RAM and CPU to work with, where the RCX is a bit limited in this regard.
There is a large selection of 3rd party NXT sensors, from highly sensitive light sensors to touch screens, WIFI and GPS sensors. The NXT simply more possibilities as it provides both an analog and digital interface to sensor developers. (And it can use all the RCX custom sensors too of course.)
The NXT wires are however thicker and less flexible than the RCX wires, so they are a bit harder to hide/control in your construction. You can also get some pretty long RCX wires, up to 1.5m in length iirc.

RCX was a surpise hit.  For NXT, TLG approached a select set of individuals in the community and picked their brains.
The NXT is very open; schematics are available for sensors, 3rd-party sensors are available, etc.

RCX also had third party sensors (sonic range finders, IR range finders, ...).  I'll try to find a reference (...it was ten years ago)


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As of November 2011, should I buy the NXT 2.0 now, or wait and buy the NXT 3.0 later?
I have played with the original RCX when I was in school, and I'm so in love with it. Now I have just got my first job and I would like to get an NXT robot. However, I saw in this Wikipedia article saying that it was released back in 2009.
So the question is: should I wait for NXT 3.0 to come out (probably soon?) Or should I just go ahead and buy the NXT 2.0?
Also, is there any news on any upcoming refresh of the Mindstroms sets?

The difference between NXT 1.0 and NXT 2.0 is minor, so I wouldn't hold my breath for a NXT 3.0.

I thought it was released in 2006 . . . it's been out a long time.

As of November 2012, the rumour of a NXT 3.0 is getting so thick that it's not going to be a rumour for much longer, so yes, you may as well wait.

Well, the question as it is too localized (specific moment in time), and I don't think you'll get more meaningful answers anyway. When the NXT 3.0 eventually comes out, the question as it is written will be moot; it would need to be rephrased (by asking to compare both versions maybe) but it'll probably easier to just ask another question.

And as of January 2013, the next version of Mindstorms, Mindstorms EV3, has indeed been announced officially

Note that even this announcement doesn't mean you shouldn't buy current NXT2.0 sets - there are still good reasons to do so, price being one (especially if LEGO dumps his current inventory at some point, which is possible), and  retrocompatibilty being another.

First off, there is not going to be an NXT 3.0. If there is, I would be extremely surprised.
This rumor was started back on April 1st, 2010 with a post on this blog (scroll to the bottom). Since then, many of people have been tricked. They even made another post the day afterward confessing that it was fake. Despite this, the rumor traveled to people who don't follow The NXT STEP, making its origins uncertain to them, and assumed it to have been announced by TLG.
With the Robotics Invention System, they stopped at the 2.0, and just waited some years before releasing the NeXT generation. I expect the same pattern here. So just go ahead and buy the NXT 2.0.
As for just Mindstorms set updates in general, there was once talk about expansion packs for the NXT kit that were supposed to be released by LEGO a few months later, but that discussion took place several years ago, so it is probably a no-go.

I think saying "there is not going to be a NXT 3.0" is quite speculative, even if your reasoning makes a lot of sense and I admit I would tend to agree to it. That said, even if there was a NXT 3.0 coming, no-one at this point would know when and what, so waiting for it is indeed pointless.

@HaydenStudios - Well I was at a toy store just now, and the guy said mindstorms 3.0 will be out next year (2013). So ahm, why would you say there is not going to be an NXT 3.0 ? You might argue that you didn't know this in Nov 2011, but then you probably never had any idea about the future of this system, and maybe you shouldn't make such strong claims without backing it up with evidence / references.

I've update the question's title to state that this question was asked on November 2011 to avoid any other confusion. I think @HaydenStudios's answer is not wrong, as that's relevant as of the date that this question was asked.

I apologize for posting this really late, but I feel that I need to post this for posterity. Prior to January 2013, LEGO didn't specify what their next kit was, people just assumed it was an NXT 3.0 since rumors of such had been floating around the past 3 years. But it turned out that it was announcing the next generation, the EV3, not a newer version of the NXT. So my prediction was correct that the NXT 2.0 would be the last NXT kit.

I was interested in Lego Mindstorm 3 too, so I asked Lego directly. This is what they replied (on 9th February, 2012):
I'm afraid that LEGO Mindstorms 3.0 you inquired about isn't available to purchase at the moment! It might be around soon, but I can't tell you about any new LEGO® toys until they're actually available for purchase!
Well, it might be around soon sounds that it is worth waiting for it and I hope that 2013 will be the new version out.

Go ahead and buy NXT 2.0. NXT 2.0 sensors are compatible with NXT 1.0 sensors and vice versa.
So, I'd expect NXT 3.0 sensors to be compatible with NXT 2.0 sensors. Buy NXT 2.0 and buy individual NXT 3.0 sensors once they come out.

Saying that the future version will be compatible is highly speculative (as is calling it NXT 3.0). For example, while there is some compatibility between Mindstorms RIS and Mindstorms NXT, they are quite different systems. While stepping from NXT 1.0 to NXT 2.0 was basically a refresh (using the same central brick), there is no saying at this time that it will be the case for NXT 3.0, and since the central unit will be different, all bets are off. There's not even any certainty they'll use the same cables (although that would seem a reasonable thing to do)

Well, apparently all elements, central unit, sensors, and motors are new, but the connectivity is the same and LEGO confirmed the old sensors would work with the new EV3.

It's already verified that they are going to release soon. Check with any Lego store . It will be released by  first quarter next year.

Where has it been verified?

Don't know. There's a photo(shopped) 3.0 box floating around (identical to the 2.0 cover with the exception of the gold version number), above the comment "The truth is – We have not heard anything from LEGO. LEGO typically announces new product releases to distributors and re-sellers months in advance.", and there's nothing on the LEGO press site yet...

And now that it's been announced officially, we see it's not for 2013Q1 either but for "second half of the year"


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Is there a logic to the way The LEGO Group fills the plastic bags?
When opening a new box, most of the pieces are in closed plastic bags, and sometimes inside those plastic bags is another plastic bag for smaller pieces.
I find the pieces, for the most part, rather random.  Sometimes a particular brick shows up in more than one bag.
It seems like an odd way to make sure all of the pieces are there in the box, and yet, a box is rarely, if ever, missing a brick.
Any rhyme or reason to how Lego packages the pieces for a new set?

"Sometimes a particular brick shows up in more than one bag." Perhaps that particular brick is used in more than one model (if the set features multiple models together)?

The goals for packaging are most likely efficiency and dependability.
I would think LEGO's interest is to achieve this using an automated process. This explains why a missing piece is a very rare event.

Size concerns: Similar piece volume in each bags.
Sub packaging symmetry: Same bag used several time in a box.
QA is done by weighting bags. Extra (small) pieces are favored over the occasional missing piece.

Check this video on the lego plant automation.

The main goal is certainly packaging efficiency (possibly where parts come from in the factory, for example), but there are other factors coming in.
Sets which have "modular" building need to have numbered bags, and the numbering has prioity on other considerations — you'll need all bricks for module 1 to be in bags numbered "1" (plus sometimes, unbagged parts).
Also, elements which are too similar are usually in different bags. This helps finding them when building, but another reason for that might be the random checks which are done on bag contents during the packaging process, as I believe these are manual.
Sometimes, if an element is in huge quantity in a set, it can also get its own bag; and as jfyelle says, sometimes a same bag can appear twice in a set — it's easier for packaging than two bags with different contents.

This way of packaging is most likely optimized to prevent packaging errors.  One of the leading method is the poka-yoke technique.

Poka-yoke is a technique for avoiding simple human error in the workplace.

By using jigs, automated(robotic) counting and other means this method aims to eliminate errors in a repetitive workflow.

"Something that applies to Lego could be to not have large numbers of the same piece together in the same bag." Given the bags I have seen this is utterly false. Lego packaging is mostly automated, and it can be checked to a very high degree of accuracy by weight.

poka-yoke is not only for manual jobs but for automated systems (as stated in the page I linked to).  I'll remove my last sentence since it assumes that Lego as some manual packaging.  The rest is good I would be really surprised if they were not using an existing method like poka-yoke.

Yes. In the instructions, you will see a big number 1 or 2. These numbers are also printed on the bags. So all the parts you need for section 1 will be in bag 1, all the parts for section 2 will be in bag 2, etc.


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What kind of activities can I expect to find at a LEGO Kids Fest?
There is a LEGO Kid's Fest coming to my community soon, but I noticed that the admission price is steep ($20.00 for each adult). What kind of activities can I expect for the kids?
Link to LEGO Kids Fest Website

"Worth it" is pretty subjective. "What activities are there" would be a better question.

Down voters please note the update to the original question

The available activities vary from city to city, but are listed on that city's page under "Fun Activities". According to the site, they do not vary notably from day to day.

Cleveland, OH (November 4-6)
Hartford, CT, USA (December 2-4)

Some common elements at all the events which are not regular at other Lego attractions are:

Creation Nation - Build your own LEGO creation to add to a huge map of the United States. In the days following the event, come back to the website to see photos of the completed map.
Big Brick Pile - Mix children's imagination with a big pile of brick -- more loose brick than you've seen anywhere else -- and you'll be amazed by the results.
Mystery Mural Build - Join fellow LEGO KidsFest attendees and contribute to a giant piece of LEGO artwork. Assemble a small, color-coded tile of LEGO bricks and add it to the Mystery Mural. As the weekend progresses, the picture develops. In the days following the event, come back to the website to see photos of the final result!

As well as the standard model displays, building areas, race ramps, and store you'll find at Legoland Discovery Centers, Legoland parks, or regular Lego stores.


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How can I use System and Bionicle elements together?
I have a small collection of Bionicle elements that I would like to incorporate into my System builds but I am a little unsure how to use them.
What are the different ways to use these two types of bricks together?

since the bionicle-pieces only have holes for technic-connections and no studs to use then directly with bricks, you'll have two possibilities:

build some kind of "adapter" using technic-pieces. you could use pegs to connect the bionicle-piece with some kind of technic-brick.
put the studs of your system-bricks into the bionicle-pieces technic-holes - which may not be the best idea

I'd prefer the first option - it's easy, more robust, not controversial and just need two or three pieces in most cases. for example a brick with axle-hole and a small axle or a brick with hole and a simple peg is all you need to get started.

As oezi says, Bionicle elements are usually compatible with Technic connections only, but there are quite a lot of system bricks which have Technic connections as well.
As for what to do with Bionicle elements, only your own imagination can answer that. Once you've an idea about what a specific Bionicle element is going to represent in your creation, how to connect it is usually not the biggest issue. So, go surprise us!
Of course, some green Bionicle elements are best used in wilderness, as they have "wild" shapes — allowing you a little more freedom than if you wanted to build buildings. Giant weapons on the other hand may become a cool building decoration.
The best example I can think of is this palmtree which is just brilliant.

You can also attach the first generation Bionicle masks using their, 'stud,' joint, the second generation masks are a bit looser, and the later masks have Technic connections.
I have only ever used this to provide a texture at the front of a spaceship, but if you have the right masks you could use the gaps to create gun covers, etc.


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How can I automate orders from Lego Pick-a-Brick?
Is there a way to automate the process of ordering from Lego's online Pick-a-Brick?  I'd like to be able to go from a .csv with part IDs to a filled cart on their site, or even all the way through to a placed order.  Are there any options short of using a web testing/automation framework to drive the site?

Considering LEGO tends to change the design of their web pages from time to time, I'm sure even a web automation will prove difficult, but I don't see any other way.

I believe that many AFOL user groups had previously been able to buy in bulk from LEGO, but I don't know if that's still an option with the release of pick-a-brick - however as Joubarc points out there are often limits on the number of different elements, as well as a group limit on the number of bricks. Couple that with the fact that the process often takes months to deliver, and it's not an easy option.
Another option would be to take it offline: the LEGO catalogue often lists Pick-a-Brick elements and has a postal order form, so you could format that up in your spreadsheet application of choice and mail it in.
Doing a quick snoop around the network traffic when adding items from Pick-a-Brick shows that currently it uses a fairly simple post to submit the details to the basket:
ba     0
bricks 4239601,1          <- ElementId,quantity
cat    UK
id     4239601,1          <- ElementId,quantity
sid    0.4886243118128015

So something could possibly be created, but as Joubarc points out, there's no guarantee that the site would continue this way.

Cubs do indeed have this option, but there are conditions which limit its usage. In particular, there may be a limit in terms of number of different elements, so if you have to compromise between all members of the club to select the elements you'll order, it means most of the time you may not be able to get exactly what you want. And of course, while the club may be able to send a csv file (I'm not even sure about that), they'll have their own internal process to deal with. Ha, and it takes months, too, so it's a very diffrent route from the PaB.

+1 for the postal form idea; I hadn't even thought of that.  Another limitation with the BulkLUG route is the restriction that you aren't to resell the parts.


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Historically, what types of sets have proven to be a great investment?
My brother recently sold some of the lego he had as a child, and they went for a lot more than they cost originally, even taking inflation into account.
So, what types of sets have risen in value most over the years?

BTW: I'm of the opinion the real value in Lego comes from playing with it, not trading in it. But for the purposes of this question I'm just interested in the financial side of things.

The less sets there are available, the better the chances of a rising price. This implies the sets that will get more expensive with time are:

Sets that are or very close to being out of production
Sets that are expensive when they come out (> less sales)
Very large sets (expensive > less sales)
Licensed sets like Harry Potter or Star Wars (short production-time > less sales / collector's value)
Sets with unique/limited parts or colors like the maersk-ships
Collector's editions

But note that it's never so easy - licensed but small sets for example won't become very expensive as they usually sell very well, so you should look for a set with a combination of this criteria. For example: a very big licensed set like the Millennium Falcon.

It's indeed never easy, but usually the set which proves to be the best value are these which you just missed.

My research has been limited, but the resale price of the larger star wars or batman sets (original rrp over £75) is phenomenal.

Which is why everyone is going to buy and not open the new large Star Wars sets, ensuring in 5-10 years they're worth... about the same as they are now.

Additionally are sets with production issues, such as the Ant-Man Final Battle set which was scooped up by resellers once rumors spread and thus disappeared from retailers shelves before holiday shopping time. It instantly went to double and then quickly triple retail value.


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What is the best way of getting muck out of bricks?
I purchased a large bulk load of bricks for my 7 year old. Most have washed up quite well, but some of the bricks have various substances stuck in their underside.
The types of foreign substances vary, eg. mud, playdough etc.
What are good ways of getting the muck out of the bottom of bricks?

best way i found so far is simply using a plastic-toothpick (wooden ones should also do the job). just get the muck out as good as possible and then wash the bricks again the remove the rest.
if the muck is too hard for a toothpick, use a metal needle or a very thin screwdriver - but only do this if you can't avoid because you might be scratching/damaging the blocks (wich shouldn't be so problematic to the inner- and underside, but anyway you should avoid it).

@oexi: Good ideas - probably better than the cotton buds I've used that leave muck right in the corners.

I suggest to let them soak in water for a long period of time (2 days) before trying to clean them.  The water will not affect the Lego plastic but some other elements (especial dirt and food) will soak it up.  This makes it a lot easier to simply rinse out or scrub off the dirt.
The plastic toothpick (like @oezi suggested) is great for very small corners. For the tougher crud, I suggest wood tools (like sculpting tools) since they won't scratch the  soft plastic but are hard enough that they don't just bend.

You could also get yourself a can of compressed air - it works on very small areas on my motorbikes so I'm sure it'll do an equally good job on some lego bricks.  Here's some on Amazon...

Soaking in water for a long period of time (a few hours is usually enough) and then using a pipe cleaner to sweep out the residual muck has proven to be very effective. The pipe cleaner is gentler than some of the other things that I've previously used (toothpicks, small screwdrivers, etc.). A Q-tip with a very small hide should also work well.

For larger quantities of really tough muck that's stuck in the tubes on the bottom of bricks, I've had some success with scewing in a cross-headed scew and then pulling it out.

I have to wash my Legos (mostly Duplo, but also some regular ones) regularly, as my creations are actually used as toys for my sugar gliders (small exotic animals), who can't be "potty trained" and often use their toys as toilets.  I soak the blocks for a few hours or possibly overnight in a 50/50 solution of hot water (hottest I can get from the tap) and white vinegar, adding the blocks after the water and vinegar are mixed since temps above 104F can damage Lego pieces.
The warm vinegar/water solution takes care of most of the cleaning and disinfecting on its own - remaining debris can often be removed just by rinsing the piece in a strong stream of warm tap water.  For more stubborn muck, I've had good luck using the small (nipple) end of a baby bottle brush and for crevices where that doesn't fit, I use pipe cleaners (in both cases, after the pieces have had a nice, long soak).


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Starting out with trains: PF, RC, 9v or what?
I've always wanted Lego trains as a child, but never had any. However, now my son is old enough to appreciate them, I thought I might invest in some 2nd hand sets. The problem is, what standard to settle on?
Growing up, I always wanted to go 9v because of the automatic points etc. but is it still worthwhile going that route since Lego have long since stopped producing compatible hardware?

While the format of the track has changed, the gauge and the size of the wheels has remained the same.

I've poked around for 2nd-hand track, and it's all grossly more expensive than stuff straight from the Store. Lego is always a collectors item. You're prolly best off going straight for PF.

If you opt for an older system which isn't produced anymore, it's going to be very hard for you to reach a decent collection and maintain it. Even 9v which was only recently been discontinued will be hard to find, especially straight tracks.
Also, 9V points were not automated, so if you really want automated points, you'll have to go back to 12v, which is even older and harder to get in quantities (not to mention the parts become fragile).
Rolling stock will usually be fairly compatible since the gauge has always been the same, and magnets have always been used as coupling mechanism. So there you can buy whatever you find.
And if it's for your son, keep in mind that other relatives (granparents for example) may be less informed than you and will tend to just buy whatever they find in stores. So if you go for a 9v layout but your kids receives PF tracks, he won't be too happy, much to the chagrin of the relative.
On the contrary, if you opt for plastic-only Power Function trains, even if someone manages to buy you 9v track, you can use it as is, it's fully compatible. Also, the flexible track part is easy for a kid to work with and not bother too much about whether the layout will work or not, something which can't be said for older systems where you would sometimes need to draw your layout in advance to know if the geometry would make sense.
In short, I think it's easiest for a kid to just embrace the new Power Function trains, but stay clear of the two "RC" trains which weren't too good.
(Of course, for a very young child, Duplo trains might be a good choice too ;-)

Hi. I'm new to Lego in adult age, and new to bricks.SE. Help me a bit please? So 9V and PF are compatible, right? I want to buy Maersk (PF) and good old 9V (from my dreams from catalogue of 1993)

@abatishchev Welcome to bricks.se! I was about to suggest you ask this as a question, but I see yoou just did. But in short, the Maersk train is not even motorized to start with, so yes, you can motorize it with a 9V motor and tracks if you have them.

9V straight track is available in good quantities on Bricklink.com. It's a bit expensive, but it's definitely available.


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What are some 3rd party mini-figure gun makers that distribute in Canada?
I'd like to buy some flint-lock era mini-figure guns for my collection, something like these guns. What I don't want is to pay the outrageous customs fees to get them to Canada. Does anyone know of either some Canadian makers or Canadian distributors?

Please do a simple research before asking a question.

@pcantin I did do some research before-hand. I knew of the brick republic website talked about in one of the answer, but it is only a distributor of some of the BrickArms line, and does not seem to have any of the flint-lock era type of guns that I described in my question.

I have never paid customs fees on orders from BrickForge or BrickArms. The key is to ship via the US Postal Service. Shipping via couriers like UPS usually results in customs brokerage fees which is what drives up the cost.

I simply googled and found brickrepublic based in Pointe-Claire, Qc
Trick : I usually arrange with visiting/traveling folks to bring small packages in Canada and avoid the outrageous custom fees.

I knew about BrickRepublic before, and it seems to have a nice collection. But, as I talked about in another comment, it does not carry the type of guns I described, sorry.

If you're that picky, you can certainly afford the custom fees. ;p

You may want to try Modern Brick Warfare. They have a ton of custom LEGO-compatible weapons.


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Is the 3rd party vendor Amazing Armory still around?
I heard that he was a scammer, but he made some good stuff and quite a few people have some of the great visors and guns he made.

I realize that it's a late answer, but ToyWiz and BrickArsenal.com just started carrying this line, and Amazing Armory is active on Flickr. Also, Firestar in the UK carries it. I hope that helps.
Also, I work for ToyWiz.com and Brickarsenal :)

Cheers Bebs, and thanks for the full disclosure ;)

the most complete info i found was on brickblogger.com. the amazing-armory homepage still isn't online ("coming soon") - just like it was about a half year ago when the article was written. at that time you could buy parts on bricklink.com and firsestartoys.com where i can't find them today.
the unavailability on bricklink in addition with the still-not-online webpage pretty much sounds like amazing armory is out of business - but i don't have facts that prove this speculation.


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What does SNIR stand for?
I know that SNOT means "Studs Not On Top", but I've also seen "SNIR" used, often in the same context as SNOT, but clearly different - what does it mean?

SNIR is the abbreviation for "Studs Not In a Row" - almost self-explaining, but for more information, take a look at this small article.

[...] very useful on walls and other things. In Lego, studs (nubs, dots, etc.) are in a row, and a straight one. Using SNIR  makes studs be in zigzags or diagonal lines. [...]

I've seen pictures of a house on a beach which uses this technique with walls built entirely of 1x1 plates in various shades of grey, and in various orientations (thus not all aligned). I wish i could find it back, because the result was indeed superb

Found it: Old fishermans house near the shore, by Reinhard "Ben" Beneke, who probably pioneered the technique.

Told you. Funnily enough, I just noticed now that there's a link to it in the article of Didier Enjary mentionned in the question. It's footnote [2], referred to right after the word "SNIR".

@Joubarc - I completely missed those footnotes :S


text:
Can I remotely control the points on PF train tracks?
I'm interested in investing in power functions based trains, but want to automate switching points. Is this possible? What is the cheapest / easiest way of achieving this?

Purist solutions only?

@Joubarc: Anything else would be cheating! ;-)

@Kramii There goes my Arduino answer...

There is a pure way of changing the points at a track. It requires as few pieces as you like: a motor and two technic beam/bricks. This video demonstrates the principles of point changing with a NXT motor and will work with PF and RCX.

You can use Mindstorms to program the events that trigger the points to change. It will cost you extra, but there are benefits.

One elegant solution is to use pneumatic elements, as a small pneumatic pump is enough to move the lever. If you're lazy to figure out how, you can buy a kit from a fan which will allow you to control 2 points (you'll need one more pump to generate the pressure). With the included instructions, you can build more controls if you have the parts, or simply buy more kits. (He also sells compatible pneumatic hose by the meter, and his custom waggons are nice as well).
His design is very compact, probably much more than you'll be able to get with electrical power; plus, it saves energy. The only drawback in my opinion is the hoses which you'll need to run from your control station to each point, which are slightly larger that electrical cables.

Another typical solution is to use a motor which controls the point. This will take more place, and you have to be careful that the motor doesn't run too far (use a clutch gear). One promising way is to use the new small linear actuator:  which should behave more or less like the mini pneumatic pump; but of course any other Technical solution should be good. Use your imagination, or dive into BrickShelf in search of inspiration.
Of course, you'll need to run electrical wires, or use infrared receivers, but then you'll be limited in the number of points you can control. Note that sometimes, the configuration of your layout means that pairs of switches can be controlled together (think of a bypass to change from one track to the other), so that you can spare some control channels, or wires.
--
Non-LEGO solutions can be achieved with about anything, including solenoids (electrical actuators), which LEGO doesn't produce. One other elegant solution I can think of is to use bike brake cable, but I have no real idea if that would be easy to do.

I don't care about the downvote, but I wouldn't mind an explanation about it either.

I just found this link on another forum.
This is a set of instructions for using a medium power functions motor to switch the point. It is quite compact and is compatible with the infrared receiver.
(page 7 of 8)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whoward69/3731639719/in/set-72157621512518259/


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Is there a database of original Minifigure configurations, including their personal gear?
Is there a minifigure museum? I have a gallon jar (& more) of minifigures that my kids have mixed and matched. Is there a website I can reference in order to put the minifigures back in their original configurations (including their gear)?

Thanks! I'd say you are all correct! I haven't read the book yet, but the websites are great. I'm having a blast.

I perused the websites & read the book review. Does anyone know if the book shows the accessories that go with each minifig? The links show them bare handed.

I'm on the waiting list with the KING CO library system. Hoping to have a definitive answer soon.

Our library has declined to stock the book at this time.

The website Brickset.com has an extensive database of sets, digital copies of instructions and a Minifig database built in cooperation with Bricklink. The layout and style may be a little more user friendly than the Bricklink catalogue and if you register on the site you can keep track of your collection.

The Unofficial LEGO Minifigure Catalog lists every minifigure ever produced, up to 2010.

I must admit, however, that I can't comment on the quality nor usefulness of this book for the task in hand, as I have not actually seen a copy myself. Unfortunately, the cover price is just too high for something I wouldn't use that much. Nevertheless, I hope the link to the book will prove useful to  someone else.

You are right. It is a bit spendy. I imagine it would be an entertaining book to check out at the librairy.

At BrickLink you can browse through, what seams to be, all the existing Minifigures.
This link is the query that seams to returns most of them but you will have to dig around in the other Lego themes(categories) to find the other ones.


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Can I get LEGO compatible wheels 3cm in diameter or bigger?
I want to make a formula one car at least 30 cm in length out of standard LEGO parts. None of the LEGO wheels I have are big enough for this scale. Where can I get some big wheels that would look ok? The big tires here are too big. I looked on BrickLink, but just got confused.

30mm diameter wheels seems small for a 30cm car, to be honest

You are probably right. I may have to scale it down a bit to fit the wheels.

You may want to have a look at some official LEGO sets of that scal to check what LEGO has been using.
For example, 2556-1 — SHELL Promotional Set F1 Ferrari seems to be about that length and uses 49mm diameter wheels and tires.
A similar wheel can be found in more recent sets, such as 8041 — Race Truck, which may be cheaper.
You can also look in the specific section for wheels on BrickLink for other sizes.

Ok, thanks. There are a some of those on bricklink, but rather pricey. Do they fit a standard technics axle?

Wheel 30.4 x 14 VR with the tire is ~3 cm (the 30.4 and 14 is mm). It also looks good for sports cars.

Worth noting that the units are millimeters in the descriptions, right?

Thanks. Do they fit a standard technics axle?


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Steering mechanism for City-scale vehicle
I'd like to build city-scale (6 studs wide) motorized vehicles with PF remote control. There are already several suggestions on how to motorize wheels. The next challenge is steering
 mechanism that can be connected to motor (with gears or by other means). Sure, solution with 2 rotation axes is preferred, but rigid axle turning at center is OK too.

That sounds incredibly ambitious. Do you have a model you would like to modify or are you building from scratch?

@Ambo100 actually I've seen a working model carrying 2 M-motors, train battery box and IR receiver.

I tried out rack and pinion steering but it didn't work to well for such small scale. It would be around 12 studs including the motor, and another 8 for the back end motor. Wouldn't work unless you had a bus.

It's difficult, but not impossible. A rigid axle turning at the centre would be mechanically simpler. As my crude drawing illustrates;
I would place a 24-tooth gear over the 2x4 wheel axle. A 8-tooth gear is optional but will provide finer control over the steering. The two teeth gears can also be replaced with a pulley gear.

This technique however will not work with current Lego CITY vehicals unless the wheel arch is removed or replaced.

So the wheel axel where the gears are connected would not be connected to the frame of the vehicle? In other words, the wheels would be connected to the axel, which is connected to the gears? I'm not sure I understand how the movement would work...


text:
How do I print images onto minifig body parts?
I have seen a few custom minifigures out there with images on certain body parts never produced by LEGO. What is the best way to achieve this? I have heard of some people printing out the image on paper and gluing it, but I don't want to do that. That would look horrible even if I got the background of the picture to be the same color as the plain piece. I've also heard of printing an image onto sticker paper and applying it. That would probably work on a torso, but probably would do a bad job of deforming around legs, heads, or certain types of helmets. Anyone got any other ideas?

There are some people out there doing brick printing, but as far as I know it requires flat surfaces.

If you want actual printing onto Minifigures there is http://brickprinter.com/

Ah, that's nice. But it doesn't have quite as much customability as I would like.

You can do that with scale model water decals. You can buy that in blank sheets and print out your designs with an inkjet printer. You can also use products that help those water decals set (adhere) and conform to the surface deformation and use scale model varnishes to seal it in place.
Shopping list:

Water decal sheets
Setting solution (sticks better)
Solvent solution (conforms to the surface)
Varnish/Finish

As stated in this other question about painting Lego bricks: Don't expect it to sustain the normal usage of LEGO bricks. This is good for display or light usage (like playing D&D with custom minifigures)

Are these like transfers or are they more like the stickers you get in LEGO sets?

They are decals (transfers). the same stuff used for scale models.

That's a shame, the question I just deleted was about the  stickers that come with LEGO sets.

This question is about 'How to add an image to a LEGO minifigure'. @HaydenStudios covers paint, printing and stickers in his question. I guess if you need to know specifics about stickers and not transfers-decals you could ask that question, but your original question didn't sound like that (to me a least).

The way that Lego does it is with whats called a "pad printer".  Brickprinter.com also uses a pad printer.  It takes a lot of skill to get the printing to work correctly.  You have to have the proper amount of solvent in the ink to get it to adhere to the part and not smudge.  The solvent also softens the ABS plastic so that the ink actually embeds into the part.
Pad printers are also quite expensive.  On the order of tens of thousands of $$$ for one that will do multiple colors in sequence.
I've been looking at using special "direct to substrate" (DTS) printers. There is an inkjet printer that has a 5000+ dpi resolution, can print on ABS using solvent inks, can print on an object upto 2" thick, and also has the capability of printing pigmented white ink (so you don't have to only print on white bricks).  This printer is also expensive, though not as expensive as a pad printer.  Used on eBay runs about $5000.
For the general user, it's probably best to stick with water slide decals, since the average cost of a 8.5"x11" sheet of decal paper is about $1.  There are different kinds of paper (inkjet and laser), so make sure you get the right kind for your printer.  Laser printed decals do not REQUIRE a clear coat to protect them, but I still do.
I also use an ALPS printer that uses resin based inks.  The printer has been discontinued, but the supplies are still available.  Generally colors are printed in layers, but in addition to the cyan, yellow, magenta and black ribbons, there are metallic silver, metallic gold, chrome silver, chrome gold, chrome magenta, chrome cyan and the most important color, white.  This allows ALPS owners to lay down a layer of white (opaque), then add the semi-transparent (cyan, yellow and magenta) inks on top.  Kodak used to make a printer (First Check) that used compatible ink cartridges and they also produced a Red, Blue, Green and Orange ink.  Useful if you can find them, but pretty much impossible to find.

I am a principle in an imprinting facility, that services clients from automotive to toys and beyond:
http://www.ableprint.com/
In the past couple of years we have had the opportunity to service companies that wanted us to print their designs on LEGO pieces. To make it easier for other users to get an idea what it would cost was to dedicate a web page to those prices:
http://www.ableprint.com/legos.html
Any pad printer with multi-colored equipment should be able to perform this service, maybe even at a lower price.

My affiliation is that I am a principle in an imprinting facility, that services clients from automotive to toys and beyond. In the past couple of years we have had the opportunity to service companies that wanted us to print their designs on Lego pieces. To make it easier for other users to get an idea what it would cost was to dedicate a web page to those prices.  Trust that makes my response longer and more useful to others on this forum. Any pad printer with multi-colored equipment should be able to perform this service, maybe even at a lower price.

I've updated your answer to reflect this affiliation and linked to both your main website and the pricing page for LEGO pad printing.

just looking around I see that used pad printers are not really so expensive if you plan to do a lot of bricks you might look into getting one here.
http://www.brickprinter.com/

I don't think BrickPrinter sells used Pad Printers - are you suggesting they should bulk order from them? Even second-hand multi-colour pad printers seem to be listing around £2,000+

There is a solution: http://www.wayprinter.com, see also a video showing printing on Lego bricks.

You could try UV printing, but they cost a lot. Maybe try searching for budget UV printers. I am also looking for one.

It would be better if you explained how this type of printer works, right now I'm just assuming it uses an ultraviolet light...

How about transfer paper (also known as water slide paper). I've seen my friend do it on some of his parts and it works great!
I'm looking to use it on my mocs too.

Hi, and welcome to Bricks. We're really looking for longer answers, that ideally add more than the existing answers - both the accepted answer and the next most voted answer discuss transfer/decal paper.


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Is there a standard scale for building "minifig scale" creations?
I've seen many impressive models built to "minifig scale" (e.g. the enormous USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier), but is there a standard (or at least widely adopted) scale e.g. 1:60 that these models obey?
It seems any scale based on the height of a minifig won't work due to the fact the minifigs are not well proportioned for people. For example, I stand taller than my car (as do most people) yet trying to build a LEGO car that is less than four bricks high would be extremely difficult and result in an unusual looking model.
Are there any tips on choosing a scale that allows well proportioned looking models, that doesn't dwarf the LEGO minifigures that ride in/on them? Is "minifig scale" dependent on the type of model (vehicle/castle) or generally deemed to be whatever looks about right?

Indeed, most cars are 4 or 6 studs wide, but to get two minifigs next to each other you really need to be at least 8 wide.

Here's an article on a related topic — Lego train width — which anyone who finds this question interesting will probably enjoy: http://archives.indylug.org/blogs/jeramy_spurgeon/archive/2006/11/02/The-Great-LEGO_AE00_-Train-Width-Debate.aspx

Here's another train-related note: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_model#cite_note-0

It's usually 1:40, based on the minifig size.
However, keep in mind that a minifig doesn't have the same proportions as a full-size human being, so scaling from real-world to minifig-world is not an exact science. Just have a look at LEGO cars, you'll see that they don't really match real cars.

I think what is interesting is that buildings are usually scaled to things other than minifigures.
For instance, a aircraft carrier would be built to airplane's scale, not the actual minifigures.
Most buildings are scaled to the size of the LEGO doors & windows.

Minifigs don't have the same proportions as average humans. They are comparable to a 600 pound male. Based on minifig height,  the scale is about 1:45. Based on minifig width, the scale is about 1:32. If you're making a building, you probably want to follow a 1:45 scale. If you're making a vehicle, you probably want to go with a 1:32 scale. One rule of thumb I read is that each pip equals about 1 foot.

Minifigures are not to scale. Lego has a greater emphasis on play then realism, so every thing is scaled to suit the minifigures.


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How much heat can LEGO bricks withstand?
I was thinking on making a decorative LEGO candle holder. It would be made out of regular ABS LEGO bricks, but also transparent ones. Because there will be an open flame involved, I want to make sure my LEGO bricks don't melt.
How much heat can LEGO bricks withstand?

You might consider using an LED imitation "flameless" candle. These come in different sizes that may fit your idea, and some even have a wax exterior.

ABS maximum temperature is 80°C (176°F) and melt at 105°C (221°F)
Polycarbonate plastic used for transparent bricks melt at 267°C (512.6°F)

Since a candle flame has a temperature in excess of 1000°C (1832°F). I would advise against making a candle holder of LEGO bricks.
Plastic types are explained on this question.

ABS melting at 105C/220F is most likely the reason why LEGO discourage the dishwasher for cleaning bricks.

And it should be noted that ABS can deform under much lower heat than even 80C. Even direct sunlight on a hot summer day can warp parts.

I had Lego MOCs loose their clutch on me after being left in a car for 9 hours during the summer.  Outside temp was about 100F, so inside was quite a bit hotter.  After this, I had to glue the MOCs back together.
So, the shorter answer is that I'd imagine that a candle could damage the plastics at least to the point where the bricks would not hold together very well.


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Is there a Technique or Algorithm for Building Spheres?
There are times when I would like to build a sphere or a dome like this one:

From Small Lego Sphere Project
While this example is great, I find it difficult to scale it to another size, whether smaller or larger, without it...not looking roundish anymore.
Is there a tool available that can design a sphere or dome based on a size?

this questions reminds me of http://gaming.stackexchange.com/q/10910/88 ...

This website generates a sphere in LDraw format: http://lego.bldesign.org/sphere/
Here's a link if you want to learn how it can be done: http://groups.csail.mit.edu/graphics/classes/6.837/F04/assignments/assignment5/
(there are other ways too)

Here is my less popular but earlier Spheroid Generator
http://olson.pair.com/moc/spheroid/
It let's you generate simple sphereres or ellipsoids as well as parabolic "tent" shapes.
The principle is to divide space into 1x1 brick or plate cells, and any cell that falls mostly within an ideal geometric shape becomes a brick (or plate).
Output is LDRAW model format using 1x1 bricks and divided into step numbers.
Alternate approaches divide the sphere into facets for SNOT building; my program can't do that.
I could be persuaded to pick up the project again after 10 years...

I have done it see this video.
I have updated the spreadsheet so that it can give you a visual indication of the cross-section at each layer (in quarters) and uploaded it onto Google drive for public access


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Has anyone automated the LEGO hand sorting process beyond "pawing & piling"?
I need to rephrase my question. Has anyone built or used a large pigeon hole/ chute/ bin collection system to sort LEGO elements? The sorting system doesn't need to be made of LEGO bricks. I just want to know if any of you studio builders sort your elements in a more organised fashion than the average fan. I'm trying to figure out if this is a project I should take on, or a boondoggle I should avoid...

I'm imagining a sorting table with a slotted back panel into which you drop the pieces and retrieve them from a series of collection trays. It's still sorting by hand, but it would accelerate the unbuild/sorting process. It would be great to see if anybody has done this.

https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/6064/quick-way-to-inventory-parts has an answer with a sorting machine build from bricks, NXT and a computer.

While they won't do the sorting for you like that clever youtube video, there are a couple of commercial sorting products that can help you bulk-group your legos by size as a preliminary sorting mechanism, through differently-sized grates.
Box4Blox has been around for a while. Good review of it at Brother's Brick.

Lego has recently produced their own similar Sort and Store shaped like a minifig head:

At our house we organize by color, and have a large bucket of each (mostly because its easier for the kids to help maintain the organization, hypothetically anyway...). I've toyed with the idea of getting one of these, pouring each color bucket through, and ending up with convenient size-groupings within each color. Should be much easier to find what we need.

Thanks. We're getting closer. The obsessive compulsive side of me says I should build one. Rube Goldbrick, here I come.

@MajorStackings: Perhaps a "vibrating table"-style mechanism starting with sorting screens like this?

I was leaning towards a hand sorting device. I had a differnet concept in mind, but this is a great answer. Thanks.

I see a lot of people sort Lego by color, and I don't understand it at all.  If you have your blocks sorted by shape, it's very easy to pick out the right color (assuming you're not colorblind).  If you have the blocks sorted by color, it's going to take a lot of looking to spot the right shape in there.

I have a fairly large collection.  Processing bricks is a lot more pleasant with my homemade device, which is vaguely similar to the devices above, but made from MDF.
Note that the commercial products have holes that are square, not round, so the size of bricks that is blocked by them is kind of variable.  My sorter has two sorting levels, one with 30mm holes and one with 15mm holes.  Because LEGO bricks are 8mm per stud, nothing 4x4 or over falls through the top level, and nothing 2x2 or over goes through the second.  I could have done 22/23mm holes for 3x3s and 7mm for sub 1x1s, but empirically they're rare pieces and not worth the effort. The holes are laid out in a hexagonal grid, on a sheet of MDF large enough to cover - and fall straight through into - my storage boxes (450mm square, as that's the size the sheets come in).  Spacing of the holes and thickness of the MDF was selected to ensure strength - MDF doesn't distort too much before breaking, and using MDF was important because it's cheap, common and unlikely to damage the bricks.  There are sides to each tray to prevent spillage, and nodes on the underside to lock each layer into the one below.
The hardest part in constructing my sorting trays was finding drill bits for making 30mm and 15mm holes; I found only one 30mm spade bit in my local hardware superstore, and I had to go to a commercial tool supplier for the 15mm bit.  I also needed a new drill, as my existing one couldn't spin slowly enough to make round holes with a spade bit.
So, here's the entire unit; you can see the sides to hold a reasonable amount of LEGO without spilling over:

And here's what LEGO swamping the 30mm holes in the top looks like. Most of the time I'm operating at this level; the second level can contain a large number of pieces given they're so much smaller.

The second level gets the smaller parts falling through while you're pawing through the top tier.  You can see the spacing created by the tall corner posts, this is to allow a 2x16 plate (the longest part I'd expect to process - 128mm) to fall through if it wants too - but typically something that long won't fall from the top level, as its lowest centre of gravity lays it flat and so the great length won't fit through the topmost holes.  If one were to slip into a hole, it could be raked into a position to fall, so about 10% or 20% of pieces as large as this fall through to this level.

The small detritus finds its way to the bottom level

Here you can see the locking nodes that prevent the tiers rotating and moving off the tier below.

Prior to building this I experimented with a number of designs and found that they had a common problem of clogging up.  This experiences that to some extent too, but has a vast number of holes to minimize the impact, and a finger poked up from below can clear the blockage.  Radar dishes and large cones, for example, are good at filling holes.
I do have a tumbler to separate out plates and other small items from bricks, but it requires a lot of work to cause the separation so I wouldn't recommend it as a sorting tool.  I could supply an image for those with an academic interest.
I showed my device at my local LUG, and a year or so later another member went and made his own tennis-racket inspired LEGO sifter. I humbly suggest this device suffers from the same problem with square (or sometimes triangular) holes that the commercial devices exhibit.

Thanks for the pics. I bet you've gained a ton of build time by reducing your sort time. I like the size of the footprint of your device as well . It's much smaller than the behemoth I have in mind.

My tennis racquet based one is for sorting mostly Technic, where I have a lot of sub-1x1 parts and very few studded parts, so it works pretty well for that. Rob has it now so it'd be interesting to see how it works with non-Technic.

I designed and built a lego sorting and storage desk for my son late last year. It has 16 bins and 16 corresponding holes in the top. It also has an interior baffle system to keep lego pieces from jumping into incorrect bin. I had to go through several designs to get it to work right, be ergonomic (all drop slots within reach while seated), and make it easy to assemble.
Although I have patent pending on the design, someone with reasonable skills could come up with their own version for personal use.
The table works well, but it is designed for center-of-room use to allow access to all the bins. My son and my wife often sit opposite each other at the desk while sorting to make things go more quickly.
We sort by type mostly, with simple combinations of blocks sorted to one side of the table, and non-block type pieces to the other.

This is brilliant! A compact fordable version would be awesome.  This way you can get it out only when sorting.

Thanks! My wife asked me to build my son a storage system for his Lego collection in late 2014. I spent days searching the internet for an idea like what Major Stackings mentioned in his post here. My wife sent me all sorts of Pinterest ideas, but I knew he wouldn't keep any of those organized because they all involved large containers spread all over the place, or stacked on top of each other. He actually uses this desk as an all-in-one sorting, storage, workspace, and display system.

Here's a video I found, featuring a fully automated LEGO sorter made out of LEGO itself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6lZ9rSZwDzE
Keep in mind that the time it takes you to build and use one of these is probably greater than the amount of time it takes to sort by hand.
EDIT:
I don't think slots would work great as the bricks could fit into multiple shapes/sizes of holes. One thing you could try is a "panning for gold" method - put pieces in a bowl and swirl them around. The heavier ones should fall out. Don't know how well it would work, but it is worth a shot.

Thanks! It's not quite what I have in mind, but thanks for your help.

@MajorStakings How is this not helpful? The only difference with what you want is the output sorter (shoots instead of buckets)

That's the video I was looking for. I like how this sorts beyond the colour of the brick.

@pcantin: I think the device in the video is awesome, but it seems somewhat limited by the number of elements types it can sort at one time and by the speed it can sort them. I'm picturing a sort by hand "mailslot" pigeon hole system that routes to dozens of trays at once.

@MajorStackings The hard part is not the output mechanism.  Recognizing the bricks is everything and this system is amazing at that (even using computer vision).  Once that's done, optimizing the speed can be done several ways and on several components (software, mechanical, structural).  One simple way to augment the speed would be to put many similar detectors in parallel but connected to the same input and output systems.

The device in the video is fantastic but is that a UV light it uses to illuminate the bricks for identification? Nooooo! The enemy of the blue/white/light grey brick! But just don't sort your bricks too often and it should be ok :-)

Yes. Jacques Mattheij made a pretty awesome machine using some feeders, machine learning, and air blowers to sort out the top 1000 parts by popularity. It looks like he's well on his way to sorting two metric tons of bulk LEGO: https://jacquesmattheij.com/sorting-two-metric-tons-of-lego
More discussion on Hacker News, including a bunch of comments by Jacques under the handle jacquesm: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14226889

We have a small business sorting LEGO for customers (www.brick-sort.com)... and we've tried many different machines. Bottom line is that, unless you're dealing in tens of thousands of parts, Pubby is right: "...the time it takes you to build and use one of these is probably greater than the amount of time it takes to sort by hand." I think people forget about the "using" part of this. Someone has to stand there and shake the basket. Someone also has to break-apart the bricks. I find that our minimum wage labor does the job much faster.
When sorting by color, yes, it helps to have a table with a big hole in the center where you can toss the bricks (a bucket underneath catches them). The problem with collection trays affixed to the side of the table is that they fill-up quickly.

I've considered building a pigeon hole sorting station inside a stepvan. I'm not sure if it would ever pay for itself though.

The most promising approach that I have seen is being used by LETZGO (http://www.letzgo.co.kr/home) a Korean start-up that aims to make Lego affordable by offering Lego sets on a rental basis.  Naturally the rental process makes sets liable to lose/damage pieces and so they appear to have developed an automated process for sorting and to verify the integrity of sets.
There is footage of the system in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WD1sM-b2Qc
It appears to weigh pieces in addition to using various computer vision processes to effectively identify pieces individually.
It sounds like they may be considering open-sourcing some of this system (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck7IOx2Pp3c).  Show your appreciation and share some love with the creators!  (and cross your fingers they are willing to share their work!)
An automated Lego sorting system developed by the global Lego community would truly transform the hobby of Lego!

If you happen to know more about this project please leave a comment :-)  If you speak Korean you should find out more!

You and I arrived at similar solutions.  I used plastic buckets to sort by size:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lego-Brick-Sorter/

Hi David, and welcome to LEGO Answers. We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context - and not just links to another site - if you could include a copy of your key image that would help immensely (i.e. step 2). Thanks :)

adding images is a great way to make an answer come to life :)


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How well does the new interior lighting system intergrate into a new build?
I enjoyed the interior LEGO lighting I saw at Brickcon 2011. How does the lighting system affect the fit of the LEGO elements involved?

I owned some old 1x2 light bricks. The light part fit into Technic holes. I didn't notice any heat issues with them.

Considering the new PF lights are more compact at the point where the light is, I would say it's easier to integrate in creations. They do have a big block on the cable where the two lights are separated, but that leaves you more liberty compared to previous 9V lamps for which you had to have the cable connector on the lamp itself, which took quite a lot of space.
As such, you may be able to fit PF lights in tighter places, and have less constraints on the orientation (I'm thinking ceiling light with the bulb directed downwards, for example).
By the way, that's an area where a lot of LEGO fans are more willing to toss purism aside and use their own leds and cabling, which can easily be done without damaging a single brick, takes less place, and usually costs less.


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How can I minimize the number of merchants for given set of requested bricks?
This question should be answered in Bricklink FAQ, but I didn't find answer there.
I'm a casual Lego hobbyist, I have a few sets with random pieces missing, about two dozens of them. Some are truly rare. What is the best way to find smallest group of sellers having (collectively) all required bricks? It will minimize cost of sending packages overseas.

You can create a wishlist, then view sellers ordered by the number of lots they have of the items in that wishlist.  That should give you a good starting point.

Number of unique lots, otherwise you'll find that a lot of sellers have multiple listings of the same item (often at the same price) because they keep second hand lots together.

First of all, create a wanted list. View the largest sellers in your country, go to their stores and browse by your wanted list. After going through 2 or 3 stores, you will find bricks less common still on the list. You'll have to browse stores selling that brick to get them.

My experience is that finding the largest sellers in any country aren't necessarily the best to use. If you have a wanted list, use the "sort by parts (unique)" page.

Speaking from my experience, this is the technique I used to limit my creation to no more than 5 stores. But yes, if you need specific unique parts, maybe that's not the best idea.

Yeah, it depends on what you want. If they're readily available then biggest shop is likely to work ok. But for any parts that aren't common the big shops are unlikely to have them. I buy mostly Technic parts and even the larger Technic-specific sellers tend not to have less common parts.

authors: 北京做假证_北京办文凭毕业证 - spam


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Can anyone find a photo of the "LEGO bricks, not LEGOS" insert?
Debates aside; I have been told that there used to exist a message either in Lego catalogs or inserts in boxes that reads as this:

The word LEGO® is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the
  LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it
  special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys'
  and not 'legos.' By doing so, you will be helping to protect and
  preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for
  quality the world over. Thank you! Susan Williams, Consumer Services.

Does anyone have a photo of this insert or catalog text that they could share?

Just a bit of related nostalgia, here is a photo of a "Susan Williams" letter.

Here you go, from a scan of a 1985 US catalog at Brickset:

The text reads, verbatim:

Dear Parents and Children
LEGO® is a brand name that is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely appreciate your help in keeping it special by referring to our bricks as "LEGO Bricks or Toys" and not just "LEGOS". By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand name that stands for quality the world over.
If at any time we can be of service to you regarding our products, please feel free to write to us.
Susan Williams

The text you quote above is slightly different and may be a variant from a different year, or perhaps it's just slightly misremembered.
It's from one of the "mini-catalogs" that came with the sets, so this was both a catalog and a box insert.
I don't see any such message in the 1978 catalog, but the one from 1979 has this:

which reads:

Dear Parents and Children
The word LEGO® is a special one. It's our very own brand name for the brick supplied by our Company, LEGO Systems, Inc.
Look for the name "LEGO" - we're proud of it. It's on every brick we make!
Susan Williams
Susan Williams
Customer Service

The handwritten "Dear Parents and Children" appears to be completely identical, as does the "Susan Williams" signature. But, the famous admonition does not appear.
However, in 1980...

Dear Parents and Children
The word LEGO® is a brand name, and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Pleas always referring to our bricks as "LEGO Bricks or Toys" and not "LEGOS". By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud, that stands for quality the world over. Thank you!
Susan Williams
Customer Services

This continues (with slight variations in the text) through 1986, but in 1987, the request is gone:
]

Dear Parents and Children
The LEGO Group takes great pride in DUPLO® and LEGO® brand toys, and if we can be of service to you regarding our products, please write to us.
Susan Williams
Customer Services

I don't have a picture of the insert, but according to Matt Hamilton on meta, a very similar notice was once at the legos.com URL:

The problem is I am quite skeptical about the catalog statement and that is what is commonly quoted on the net. Being skeptical, a "used to be available" on a website doesn't quite cut it for me. I opened plenty of sets in the 80s and looked quite thoroughly through catalogs and I don't ever remember such a statement. Surely if it existed one of the fanatics here would have spotted it.

I'm pretty sure it was on the mini-catalogs that came with the sets, the same ones where you could special-order packs of bricks.

I'm fairly sure this used to be the message that appeared when you visited legos.com, now it just redirects to lego.com

Just a note, this doesn't answer my question. Although it is similar. It's a good answer, hence the upvotes, but it is not the right answer.

There is a page on the LEGO web site about Fair Play which is very much available and not "used to". The wording is a bit different, though:

If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".Also, the trademark should appear in the same typeface as the surrounding text and should not be isolated or set apart from the surrounding text. In other words, the trademarks should not be emphasized or highlighted. Finally, the LEGO trademark should always appear with a ® symbol each time it is used.

The page also links to a brochure which is certainly worth reading (although it's not quite what you requested).
Edit: as far as inserts in actual catalogues go, I don't really remember seeing any. Iv'e had a look in the book 50 Years of the LEGO Brick which contains copies of a few older catalogues, but didn't find anything.
It's also interesting to know that in that book itself, LEGO is usually written without the trademark ®, and that quite a few times is is used as a noun as a shorctut for "The LEGO Company".

Indeed, we have had this discussion over on meta too:  http://meta.bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/9/do-we-use-lego-or-legos

@Zhaph-BenDuguid - Yes, you did discuss the Lego/Legos thing, but I am specifically after a photo of the mythical insert/catalog. This doesn't actually answer my question.