text:
Is there a 2x12 size Lego Brick?
I am designing a rather large Lego structure and I could swear that I have used 2x12 bricks (not plates) in purchased sets. I know there is a 2x12 plate in existence but don't see any bricks online through Pick-a-brick or in the Digital Designer 4.3
However, in the Digital Designer program there are two (2) 2x8 bricks then a 2x10. So I'm wondering if maybe there is an error in the parts for digital designer, and there is actually suppose to be a 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12.
Thank you for your time.
John

There used to be 2x12 bricks a long, long time ago:

There are plenty of legacy parts that aren't included in LDD, and it looks like this is one of them.
This part dates all the way back to 1954. I don't think that they've been used in a set since then, and I don't think they were updated to use tubes on the underside or to not have slots in the end. I don't personally have any of these, but I'd also guess that they were never released made of ABS.
That's the answer to your question, but to help you solve your problem, it is often useful to use large Technic beams when building the framework of a large structure. These are long, sturdy, and can be pinned together to form very long beams. You could pin together 2 2x12 beams in order to get the brick that you're looking for. Technic beams come as large as 1x16, so you can create some really nice beams with these.

It seem there is no 2x12 brick, you can use 3 pcs of 2x12 plates...
I have found the modified 2x12 brick with pegs (47855).

Not to my knowledge. Sorry buddy.

Hi EndlessVoid and welcome to bricks.se! While we appreciate you taking the time to answer the question, we'd prefer if you provided some references or citations. For example what databases did you consult to arrive at this conclusion, what sources does your knowledge encompass, what kind and amount of experience is behind your assertion?


text:
Looking for information on a Lego manual I had as a kid
I had a lot of Lego when I was younger (in the late 80s/90s). In a flash of nostalgia I recently remembered having a great instructions/ideas book that I loved to read through - I can't remember the number, or even if it was an official instruction manual, all I can remember is that it contained information on a 'line plotter', which used a roll of paper and a few pens to draw lines, which at the time I thought was amazing - I may have even built it.
I've been able to find out some information - it appears that the plotter was built by Larry Page (yes, of Google fame!), and I have also managed to find this picture from the book...

Does anybody else have any information on this book? A PDF would be excellent, but any information would be of interest to me.
Many thanks,

The book you're looking for is the "Expert Builder Idea Book (8888)". The complete book is available on Peeron.

You're welcome. I absolutely loved this book, and was always fascinated by the plotter. I don't think that it is any coincidence that I enjoy a career as a programmer, and would site this model as one of the inspirations behind my vocation. I'm delighted to be reminded of it all.

Sadly, I'm not certain that the model in the book was by Larry Page. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Page) says that Page designed his LEGO plotter whilst at University. The Idea Book was published in 1980 when Page would have been about 7 years old. I don't doubt that a prodigious 7-year-old might come up with a clever LEGO design, but I'm not sure that he would be at University by that age.

I agree. I assume the post in which I read about it probably had the wrong picture (which is the one I've included here), nonetheless, the link you provided was the one I happened to be looking for, thanks again.

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text:
What was the slot for in the 1950's slotted bricks?
Bricklink has a list of ancient bricks from the 50s that have slots in them. What was the purpose of the slot? Its positioning on various pieces suggests that there was something specific you were supposed to put there — a window, maybe?

Oh, I should have read further down the page. There were special panes of "glass" in frames that fit the slots.

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


text:
Can anyone identify this strangely shaped piece (1970s?)
I bought a tin of old Lego second hand - most of the pieces date from the 70s and very early 80s. These definitely say Lego on them. They may be damaged. I cannot find them on other brick identifier sites. Can anyone help?

All help gratefully received. The image isn't great but they are the classic red colour. The holes in the side fit the old style metal pins in Lego wheels.

Sadly those rough spots are where plastic pins used to stick out but they're been broken off your parts. Those were part of the support/tipping mechanism on the train model.

http://lego.brickinstructions.com/en/lego_instructions/set/125/Tipper_wagon has a good example (picture) of how those parts are used.

It's a "Vehicle, Tipper End Flat with Pins". It was used in trains (but not only trains) a long time ago (1969-1982), and I actually have a couple from a train I owned as a kid.

Thank you. I did wonder if they were train related. Thanks for the Bricklink reference. I hadn't been able to find them.

They're part of the 1972 train-sets 130, 171, 180, 181 and 724 (picture is set 130)

Yellow version is part of the 1979 technic-set 856.

We had a couple of yellow ones of these. Used for mounting snow plough blades onto the front of the Unimog kit.

I have the Unimog set, but it definitely did not include any parts like this, neither in red nor in yellow. After looking through the official snow plough instructions, I also never saw them being used.

I guess Jono is referring to an older Unimog-set. The 1981 set 8848.

Oh, so there was an older Unimog... Thank you for the clarification.

I have two red ones which I got in a lot of Vintage LEGO, since there were many parts of vintage train stuff in the same lot like the blue train tracks, my guess is that they are parts to the train lego, I could imagine that they were suppose to be parts making up a tipping container...


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Has Lego discontinued presenting alternate configurations on the backs of modern boxes?
When I was younger, the backs of my Castle/Space Lego set boxes showed alternate model builds for the supplied pieces, configurations not detailed in the instruction manual.  I appreciated these creative ideas, showing me other things I could make with the pieces; I found them inspiring and sometimes challenging as they were presented without instructions.  The inclusion of these models made me keep clippings from the boxes in order to replicate designs.
Today, it seems that alternate model designs are no longer presented on the backs/sides of Lego boxes.
Has Lego discontinued this practice, and why?  Has it been dropped entirely for all sets, or is it simply not done for "licensed" sets (Batman, Star Wars, etc.).

Almost all the Technic sets still have instructions for a second model (online rather than printed). I suspect the problem is that sets and parts have become more specific so it's harder to make a decent B model, especially with the smaller sets. 100 parts, half of which are minifigs, just doesn't give a set designer many options.

I don't have enough reputation to post a comment, but in response to this comment by user3509 (and the similar answer from MartenFerret):

I would also hazard a guess that for brand sets part of the deal was that alternate models weren't allowed for copyright reasons - for example, a Star Wars X-Wing set can only build an X-Wing. Lego then probably made all sets follow the same design pattern for their own brand cohesion.

The original 7140 X-Wing model released in 1999 did have the traditional alternate builds shown on the back of the box:

So if it's a licensing-based decision, it was a later one.

I am of the opinion that this response complete with imagery to justify it should remain an answer.

Okay, I have enough reputation now to make it a comment but I'll leave it up as a separate answer instead.

Looking at the website that was linked in the answer by @pfunkadunk, it looks like there were Star Wars sets with alternate builds were still being made as late as 2003, with sets 4482: AT-TE and 4500: Rebel Snowspeeder.

I don’t have an answer to why they stopped, but this site is trying to get instructions together for all the old stuff.
www.backoftheboxbuilds.com

I believe the reason is purely commercial. Why would parents buy another box of bricks if there are pictures of so many things their kid can build with only one set?
Nowadays there are no alternate models on backsides of boxes. Instead, there are some teaser pictures of other sets, and sometimes a message saying "Collect them all!"
Isn't it rather obvious?
Anyone of the same opinion?

LEGO doesn't seem to be that kind of a company.....

"Why would parents buy another box of bricks if there are pictures of so many things their kid can build with only one set?" - I thought the freedom of buying so many things with only one set is exactly why parents are supposed to buy a box of LEGO rather than another toy.

Plus, since you can't build alternate models at the same time as the original, this could be a reason to push for more purchases

@undo Yeah, but they do need profit for salaries and maintenance and whatnot

@Joubarc: Of course, that would require alternate builds to look like valid models on their own, rather than like half-baked brick piles resulting from the attempt to build something with an ill-matching selection of parts. IMHO, alternate builds in former times were a mixed bag in that respect.

I do believe the LEGO Group has limited the instructions to only one build, not including the sets that are meant to re-build differently (in this case there are 3 instruction sheets).

If instead of actually rebuilding the set you mean alternate views (like the back of a model, or the unfolded model, etc.) this still applies to most sets that have an inside, unfold, etc.

I'm referring to the instruction-less alternate builds, which were commonly displayed on the back and sides of the box.

@JoshDM I do believe that the LEGO Company has stopped displaying instruction-less builds, but sometimes you still see alternate views or unfoldings of the same build.

Have they given a reason why?

I believe the parents complained that there weren't instructions provided for the alternative models, so Lego stopped showing them.  I don't know if anyone can confirm this factoid, but I'm sure I read it once somewhere.

This is the sort of info I'm looking for.  Needs more research to back it up, but I'll accept any answer with a sourced variant on this comment info.

I would also hazard a guess that for brand sets part of the deal was that alternate models weren't allowed for copyright reasons - for example, a Star Wars X-Wing set can only build an X-Wing. Lego then probably made all sets follow the same design pattern for their own brand cohesion.

Most sets are licensed. If Lego, say, offered alternate models for Star wars sets, each alternate would need to be approved by disney ...which costs money Lego wouldn't know a return on.

About a half, but not the most, with roughly, 220/477 licensed sets for 2019. And you just cannot really build much SW/DC/Marvel alternatives from SW/DC/Marvel sets. Same goes with most of other licenses. However there are exceptions: 42030, 42063, 42053.

Marten, welcome to Bricks.SE. There seems to be much speculation on the whole license/contract/permission topic. Nobody knows the details of LEGO-Disney contracts. Maybe LEGO has other reasons to not present alternative models on the boxes. We do not know that. If you do, please provide some evidence. @Alex I think that you could build alternate models from ANY set (except maybe buildable Star Wars figures :) You could also speculate that B-models are sometimes better than the A-models, so LEGO wants to avoid this embarassing situation.

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Mega Bloks vs LEGO bases
Are Mega Bloks compatible with LEGO bases? Do they sell larger LEGO bases for them? I am making a table but want to use the correct base.

Hi Charlene - you might find "In what ways are LEGO and MegaBloks Incompatible?" useful as well.

LEGO Bases work with Mega Bloks, as the bricks are the same dimensions. However, certain Mega Bloks pieces, like specialized items and weapons, may not fit optimally with LEGO minifigures.
Certain bricks (including the maxi and DUPLO-sized bricks) are on a larger scale. They produce bricks that will work with DUPLO plates and such. This is probably the most produced size.


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How can I attach a Technic Linear Actuator to a EV3 Medium Motor?
I'm pretty new to serious LEGO building (never got past very blocky houses as a kid but got into Technic a couple of months ago) and need to connect a Technic large linear actuator (61927) to a Mindstorms EV3 medium motor for a piece of lab equipment I'm making.
Does anyone have any hints on how to do this? The mounting thing on the linear actuator keeps getting in the way and I'm having trouble getting things to line up.

First of all, let's identify the parts you are trying to attach.
The EV3 medium motor is a pretty accurate description, I'll assume it means this.
The linear actuator is more ambiguous, it can mean both the smaller and the larger variant.
For the smaller one, I'd use two 3 x 3 technic beams or two technic triangles, one on each side of the motor, attached by technic pins in the first case or half-pins in the second. The axle can be connected via an axle joiner.
For the larger actuator, I'd use two quarter brackets and two hybrid beams for spacing.

For the large linear actuator you can also used this specialized part (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=61905) but unfortunately it's rare and expensive

Thanks! I edited my question to specify that it's the large linear actuator.

Try this on for size:

Here's an exploded view.

This should be compact, robust, let you change gear ratios (so you can get more speed or more torque; the linear actuators are very slow for most applications.), and mount to your system quite well.
Cheers!

That dropbox link is locked - gives access denied page when trying to view

Fixed; migrated to brickshelf. Should be live soon...


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Reading current motor speed, opOutput_Read
I'm trying to read current motor speed using direct command:
Instruction        opOutput_Read (LAYER, NO, *SPEED, *TACHO)
Opcode             0xA8
Arguments          (Data8) LAYER – Specify chain layer number [0 - 3]
                   (Data8) NO – Port number [0 - 3]
                   (Data8) *SPEED – Output speed level detected, [-100 - 100]
                   (Data32) *TACHO – Current output tacho count

When I'm sending something like this:
unsigned char opOutput_Read[]
{
    0x0A, 0x00,              // bytes in message
    0x00, 0x00,              // message counter
    DIRECT_COMMAND_REPLY,    // tt   = Direct command with reply
    0x02, 0x00,              // 2 values will be returned
    0xA8,                    // opOutput_Read,
    GV0(0),                  // speed in return
    GV2(1)                   // tacho in return
};

I'm getting DIRECT_REPLY_ERROR. What am I doing wrong?

The TACHO parameter is 4 bytes (32 bits).
(Data32) *TACHO – Current output tacho count

However, you have only allocated it 2 bytes (16 bits)
GV2(1)                   // tacho in return

Try using GV4 instead of GV2.

You need to reserve 1 byte for the speed in return and 4 bytes for the tacho in return. However, the tacho has to be 32-bit-aligned and so you will need 3 padding bytes after the speed:
unsigned char opOutput_Read[]
{
    0x0A, 0x00,              // bytes in message
    0x00, 0x00,              // message counter
    DIRECT_COMMAND_REPLY,    // tt   = Direct command with reply
    0x08, 0x00,              // 8 values will be reserved
    0xA8,                    // opOutput_Read,
    GV0(0),                  // speed in return
    GV0(4)                   // tacho in return
};

I've found answer here: http://topikachu.github.io/python-ev3/bytecodeexamples.html. It can be done using direct command:
Instruction        opInput_Device (CMD, ...)
Opcode             0x99
Arguments          (Data8) CMD => Specific command parameter documented below
                   CMD:READY_SI = 0x1D
                   Arguments
                       (Data8) LAYER – Specify chain layer number [0-3]
                       (Data8) NO – Port number
                       (Data8) TYPE – Specify device type (0 = Don’t change type)
                       (Data8) MODE – Device mode [0-7] (-1 = Don’t change mode)
                       (Data8) VALUES – Number of return values
                   Returns (Depending on number of data samples requested in (VALUES))
                       (DataF) VALUE1 – First value received from sensor in the specified mode

so to read speed from port A the one should send:
unsigned char opInput_Device[] =
{
    0x0D, 0x00,              //bbbb = bytes in message
    0x00, 0x00,              //mmmm = message counter
    DIRECT_COMMAND_REPLY,    //tt   = Direct command with reply
    0x04, 0x00,              //
    0x99, 0x1D,              //opInput_Device, READY_SI
    LC0(0),                  //Layer 0
    LC0(16),                 //16=PortA, 17=PortB, 18=PortC, 19=PortD
    LC0(0),                  //default type
    LC0(2),                  //mode 2
    LC0(1),                  //1 value will be returned
    0x60                     //local variable 0
};

For power values (first columns) I get responses:
0 => 07000000 02000000 00,
1 => 07000000 02000000 00,
2 => 07000000 02000000 40,
3 => 07000000 02000040 40,
4 => 07000000 02000080 40,
5 => 07000000 020000a0 40,
6 => 07000000 020000c0 40,
7 => 07000000 020000e0 40,
8 => 07000000 02000000 41,
9 => 07000000 02000010 41,
10 => 07000000 02000020 41,
11 => 07000000 02000030 41
but I'm not able to interpret them.


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Parts/Step not fitting ( technic / gear not aligning)
working on Lego Technic; Recovery truck.
Reached Step 27(book 1)....fixing the rope spool. and found that the white gear wheel is not fitting in. i.e., i have the white gear fixed on the shaft with the spool, but when i try to fit it on the frame, it does not fit in, if i force it in, it goes on a angle.
have relooked at the previous steps and can't see any part missed out or put in wrongly.
Any ideas what i am doing wrong?
isn't the white gear wheel supposed to align with the small black gear wheel?

Are you able to post an image of the assembly and perhaps an image of the instruction page?

i Have added a image of the instruction page on the main post. the orange arrows show the parts which are not aligning. we had disassmebled the assembly to few steps back. will assemble back and send a images.

Problem solved. I had a part wrongly fitted.
both parts look similar ( black gear wheel)...one(part#6012451) is smaller that other(part #4177431).
back on track now. .. :-)

Cheers for letting us know you solved it :)


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Where can I get LEGO bricks to build a life size wall?
I would like to create the structure, meaning walls of my stand in an exhibition, made by LEGO bricks, so I wonder if I can order great quantities of bricks just to create this and if I can talk to an engineer who can design for me a particular product made by Lego's bricks.
Who can I speak to? Can I receive a quotation for that?

This sounds like the job of a master LEGO builder, but I'm sure you can do it too! This does sound like an expensive project, however.

I would say that bricklink.com is one of the best places to buy bricks from.

You can always go to Ebay and buy some (or should I say, a lot) of the 1x16 bricks. I don't know the dimensions of your exhibition, so I cannot give any further information. Good luck with that project!

I'd ask someone like Warren Elsmore to help with this. He's done many unique creations for organisations all over the world, and he's written 3 books about LEGO.
Although I would also consider this idea.
These guys rocked up to BRICK 2014 in London this past weekend and built the walls of their stand with their product of LEGO storage bricks. It worked great. The dimension are huge and still recognisable as LEGO. It would also be heaps cheaper than trying to build it from standard size bricks.

If there is a Lego Users Group in your area, see if you can place a LUGBULK order through them.
Otherwise, your best bet is probably BrickLink.


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What are the dimensions of LEGO 10221 Super Star Destroyer?
What is the length, width, and height of the 10221 Super Star Destroyer set, fully built, including its stand?
I'm trying to make a display case for one.

So the box says 49 inches long, the official description says "under 50 inches long".
I just measured the width (about 13.25 inches) and height (about 9.5 inches) on my assembled set.
So a rough minimum inner size box would be 50"L x 13.5"W x 10"H.

Or, in a little more common units: box should be about 127 x 35.3 x 25.4 cm.

4ft 2in long
14in wide
10 in tall with stand

52in. W x 14in. D x 14in. H is the size of the display case you will need.  Don't try to buy one, I'm looking for one, and the cheapest I can find cost $499.


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Are there LEGO compatible CAD Files For Injection Mold Manufacturing?
I've designed some fun building brick sets that are compatible with LEGO but I know the market for them is smaller than what LEGO would be interested in.  I've contacted some manufacturers at alibaba.com to see if they could produce the sets for me however most of them want me to send them 3D model files.
I can convert the LDRAW files to OBJ files, but are they accurate enough for use for manufacturing?  Has anyone else tried this?

Short answer: no. Look at SBrick on kickstarter, for example, who are currently jiggling dimensions to get molded parts to fit with Lego pieces. There's lots of "a few microns off and try again" going on. Or hit shapeways and see all the lego-compatible parts there, maybe even throw your designs on and get some printed to see.

To clarify, are you trying to get custom pieces created, or custom sets created?  If pieces, the LDRAW files are grossly insufficient.  You'd be better off taking 3D scans of the LEGO pieces as a start.  If sets, look at what Brickmania does:  buys bulk new LEGO, and then repackages it into their own boxes with their own instruction manuals.

Thanks Nick! To start I'm using standard LEGO pieces but in the future I may want non-standard ones.

Look here: http://www.thingiverse.com/tag:LEGO
But be aware- as a single person manufacturing a LEGO compatible item, you might be open to litigation. You would probably win, but winning very frequently bankrupts people either way. Do you really require a unique piece that LEGO does not make? There are many custom sets around that are a kit of LEGO manufactured pieces.

Manufacturing LEGO-compatible items does not open you to litigation.  Manufacturing patented items would.  Considering that most of LEGO's patents expired, especially on their basic bricks, that shouldn't be a problem.  As long as you don't infringe the LEGO trademark, you would be fine.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. You're right- the LEGO patents are largely expired, which is what I was referring to by "you would probably win". However, if you used the word LEGO anywhere in relation to you product (including such things as "works with LEGO" or "LEGO compatible"), there would be some risk. They have sued a few companies and won- mostly Chinese companies manufacturing knock-offs. They do have design patents that cover certain bricks / brick features, so you'd have to carefully avoid those.


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What pieces are used to create this Djembe MOC?
I sent an E-mail to the creator but haven't heard back. Any thoughts on the part numbers on the Lego djembe? Trying to build one for Christmas gift :-)

From the looks of it, the base is made out of a 4x4 red plate (#3031) and a 1x4 red plate (#3710).
On top, you have 3 1x4 red tiles (#2431) arranged in a U shape within the center of the U 3 1x2 tiles with center stud (red - #3794) and 1 regular 1x2 tile (#3069), like so:
________
|_______|
| |_o_| |
| |___| |
| |.|.| |
|_|_|_|_|

The seat is a hinge piece (#3938 on #3937), sitting on 2 of the 1x2 tiles with center stud, whereas the djembe itself is a 1x1 cone (#4589b), an inverted 2x2 round disc (radar - #4740), a 2x2 round disc with X hole in center (#4032) and then the finishing 2x2 round tile (with optional pattern - variants of #4150).
The cone, inverted disc and 2x2 round pieces are attached together using a Lego Friends magic wand #87994pb01 or a Bar 3L (#87994), though I don't have access to such a bar and hence wasn't able to try it out in my draft build, but I did test out a Bar 4L (#30374) and know that that works if trimmed down to about 3L. Alternatively you can use a tool screwdriver (#6246a), but this doesn't secure the top 2 round pieces very well.
Here are step-by-step instructions :) :

I'm guessing a small rod (Bar 3L) or similar? Possibly trimmed/halved.

The only small rods I have are 4L, and even they don't fit tightly onto the 2x2 round plate. In my quick build the top stays on relatively ok, but it is not a normal strong Lego fit and the top of the djembe will fall off if you hold the model under an angle.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid: You are probably right - the Bar 4L (#30374) fits into the X of the 2x2 round plate. As there is no "Bar 3L" in the Lego catalog (according to BrickLink) it is likely a 4L bar trimmed down to the right length. I have updated my answer with this info.

I would use a #6246a small screwdriver to hold the top to the base of the drum.

@PGmath that's what I originally suggested in my post, see the best I have figured out so far is to stick a tool screwdriver (#6246a) inside, but this doesn't secure the top 2 round pieces very well.

I found the right bar! It is a Friends magic wand #87994pb01. Updating this in my answer.

@PhilB.: Actually, there is a generic Bar 3L too: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=87994

The 3L was used in the Dwarf Warrior minifigure as I recall - his axe handle was shorter than the classic light saber/Harry Potter wand.

Thank You!!! I have ordered and will post pic. Once again Thank You :-)

I just tried this build with a 3L bar and it doesn't fit. The bar sticks out the bottom enough that you can't put the cone onto a stud, not even a hollow stud like the one on your jumper.

The screwdriver works fairly well if you push it up until it secures the dish to the round plate, and then only a little bit of the handle pokes downward but it's enough to attach the dish to the cone.

The screwdriver trick works so-so, it doesn't really secure the dish to the round plate very well (at least not on my try-out build). As suspected by Zhaph - Ben Duguid and myself, there might need to be a little trimming done on the 3L Bar :(. Thanks for trying it out @Mr. Shiny and New :)


text:
What is LEGO Junior?
Are LEGO Junior bricks bigger than regular LEGO?
I can't decide between Junior LEGO and Duplo for my son who is just over 3.  I had thought the Junior sets might constitute a happy medium, but am now less sure.

LEGO Juniors sets use normal LEGO System bricks.  In other words, they are exactly the same size as the "normal" LEGO bricks.
However, the Junior sets are specifically designed for younger children.  They often have large single-use pieces (for example, for walls or frames), and are generally very easy to construct.  They also limit the use of small or difficult to handle pieces as much as possible.
Depending on how advanced your son is, my guess is that Duplo is the most appropriate.  If he no longer attempts to put toys in his mouth, and can focus/concentrate on a task for a decent amount of time, and has started developing fine motor skills, then Junior would probably be the most appropriate.
For reference, LEGO labels the Junior sets as appropriate for 4-7-year-olds, but I have met only a couple 4-year-olds that I would give the Junior sets to.  Most 3-year-olds should probably be playing with Duplo.

excellent answer, though did you mean 3 yrs old in that next to last sentence? my 4 year old and his friends love lego jrs sets...seem age appropriate for age 4 to me. on the other hand many 3 yr olds dont have the dexterity for little legos nor the attention span to follow the directions. but they like the lego figures and vehicle bases...so a lego jr spiderman car would be ok for a 3 yr old imo...lego jr batcave not so much.

Lego Juniors is fine for 3-year-olds who know not to put toys in their mouths. My son, when he was three, was playing with regular System Lego (of which Juniors is a subset) and it was okay. If it's important to you that your son have things like vehicles, or minifigs, and that he build the whole set himself, then Juniors is the way to go.
Otherwise, I see Lego as a longer-term investment: most kids enjoy playing with it from 3 to 13 or later. Stuff like the Juniors kits, or Duplo, gets to be too babyish after a couple years, but the regular stuff is still good forever. So if you just want your son to build, get a box of basic bricks (regular Lego bricks, not Duplo) and let him build. There are no instructions for him to worry about.
If he has any interest or aptitude he'll be ready for the kits that say they're for 5+ or 6+ in no time, and those kits will mesh well with the stuff you've already bought.


text:
Is there a LEGO Tyre Shop set?
Is there a LEGO set of a tyre shop (garage)? In other words, a set with play features where tyres could be disassembled by a tyre-changing machine, with a lift for cars or bikes, and other tools for this kind of work?
If it does, please could you give me the set number?

Assuming you are asking for a set that has play features resembling an auto mechanic's shop, then you have a few options:

The closest is probably 1966 Car Repair Shop.

1966 Car Repair Shop is a 1985 set.  It does not feature a lift, but it does have a jack, and includes a wrench (and other play features) that simulate a mechanic's shop.

Another good choice that's still in production is 4207 City Garage

City Garage has an elevator lift (no mechanic access underneath it), and it has a mechanics shop, including spare tires and tools to work on the cars.  However, it's not as "good" of a shop as 1996.

Lastly, if you're ok with Duplo, the closest set is 3619 Traffic City.

3619 Traffic City features a real working lift and mechanics shop.  However, it also features other play features like 4207 City Garage.

There is a new one. It's set number 60097.


text:
LEGO or DUPLO ringing doorbell
Does anyone know if this piece can be found anywhere or what it is called?
My kids had a ringing doorbell appox 28 to 30 years ago, where you push down a red button that sits on top of a curved yellow DUPLO or LEGO piece. (similar in shape to an eyeball piece)

I think you mean this part: Duplo Brick 1 x 2 x 2 Rounded Top with Bell

It comes with 3 different prints.
There are several sellers on bricklink selling the part.


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How to connect chain links to the axle
In my project I want append two 21 chain links to the axle 12.
Is this any axle connector with knob ending?

Can you provide some more details on what it is that you are trying to do? Perhaps some pictures of what you have tried already and where you are running into trouble?

I add picture later, because at this moment I am on work and I have only phone. I want build castle door but I have problem how to connect chains to the axle, not axle endings, but aprox. 4 studs from axle end.

You probably want something a little similar to this:

There was a similar setup in the Bespin Cloud City scene that used a string attached to two studs that was wound around an axle in the same way.
As Phil B. suggests, adding an additional round plate on top of the chain will provide you with a bit more support for the stud, at the possible expense of making the winding thicker - it will tend to wrap around the plates then.

You might want to add an extra 2x2 round plate to the top of the plate w chain to prevent the chain from coming loose - so sandwich the chain between the two plates


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can someone identify this lego character for me?
I have a mini figure that I can't find on the web or any where else (I also don't have any instructions for it). Not sure where it came from but I found it in a pile of lego at home that I collected years ago.

Can someone please tell me what number these 'pieces' are or tell me what lego set this came from. That would be great!

this appears to be
Robot Devastator 4 - Red Eyes

from the following sets
8101-1:Claw Crusher
or
8107: Fight for the Golden Tower
or
8112: Arachnoid Stalker or 8115: Dark Panther
Partlist for Devastator
Bricklink part list

That figure came in quite a few Exoforce sets a few years ago in both silver and bronze. As far as which sets, I don't recall, but I hoped it helped.

That looks like "Robot Devastator 4", which came in red-eyed and regular versions.


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The program downloaded from the education ev3 programming software has a error "VM program validation"
I cannot run the program from the ev3 software.It only shows "VM program validiation" How do I stop this from happening?

Do you get this for all Programs you try to run, or just this one?

All the old programs work except for this one.

How did you download the program to the EV3? According to this post on the Mindstorms forum this can occur if there was a problem sending the program, usually via poor quality Bluetooth adaptors.
You can confirm this if the downloaded program is only a few bytes in size on the Brick.
If this is the case, try downloading the program via a USB cable.

I used the usb  cable

Hmm, I assume you've tried deleting it from the EV3 and re-loading it?

I just learnt that the error occured because of another program had a similar name.


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City scale connection for five-bladed helicopter rotors
I want to build a Super-Puma helicopter in city minifigure scale and form, I have the basic design planned, but I am not familiar with any five-sided technic connectors, which I will need for the rotors.
I have thought of a potential idea, but it is still a little too large for city scale helicopters:

Any better ideas out there?
Update - I had this idea, but it is quite loose, maybe I could tighten it up by using PC dishes on PC sticks (PolyCarbonate pieces used together bind to each other).

I tried wrapping string round the pegs and they still wobbled, this one's tricky.

5-fold symmetries are difficult to build in LEGO, especially at small scale. Here is an attempt, still a bit bulky...

LDraw file here.

I like this, replacing the 1x5 plates with technic connectors number 1 (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32013) and putting  a rubber band round it makes it a serious possibility.

I think I have a valid semi-legal design, it is good for display models, although Philo's answer to this question provided an excellent design for playing-with models.

I now have to decide if I want playabiliy or good looks on the model.

If you mount your assembly on a 2x2 rotating tile (3679 & 3680) you have both - playability and good looks :)

It would rotate better, but there is still a poor connection because of the band as a primary component.  If I used the concept that stickers are 'legal' I could increase the diameter of the heads by applying layers until I have a perfect fit, but that doesn't seem fair somehow.

To that point, if I was building for a child, I would definately use Philo's design.  As it is, I should build two helicopters, one with each design, and see what I think.

I mounted the assembly on a technic peg in a 2x2 round brick on a turntable.  It spins very well, but the blades are at different angles every time it stops.

Use a tire instead of rubber band.

I am intrigued by mechanical problems like these and couldn't resist adding my own solutions in the hope of being helpful.  I threw together the first few ideas I had that were fairly compact and used contrasting colors to help the eyes figure out the building techniques.  They are all raw designs that are free of cosmetic pieces to expose their construction and welcome a builders tweaking for specific applications.  Lastly, if there is anything that needs clarification then please comment and I will add details.

Having such a tight middle, the top design requires a very thin axle, like part# 2569 antenna, or part# 93550 sword/foil.  If this is an issue, then adding pieces will open it up giving you more options.  Here is a photo of it pulled apart for clarity and an additional photo demonstrating one of many variations possible.

Those are all really rather neat - any chance you could expand on the top one a bit more? I can't quite see how that all holds together.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid - Info added, thank you for the interest :)

Cheers, very neat, and also cleverly adjustable too!

I know this is an older thread, but I think I've come up with a small improvement on WindFire's build using part# 33492 Cone 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2/3 truncated.  Its slighty larger than a head so it's a tighter fit.

Also, using part# 85861 Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud allows it to have a bit better hold than the clip connection.  Now to somehow improve the elastic option.


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Cracked LEGO torso
I recently discovered that my LEGO Legolas minifig from LEGO Lord of the Rings has two small cracks starting from the base of the torso on each side, but I wonder: will these cracks extend and damage the fig?

"LEGO Legolas" makes me chuckle every time.

This is fundamentally the same as Minifigure Torso Cracks. While waiting for your replacement, you may find the answers to Repairing LEGO minifigure torso damage helpful to minimise further damage :)

LEGO Legolas's lass lets LEGO Legolas lasso lots of LEGO lasses.

These cracks will often get worse over time as the legs are removed and replaced, or simply from normal play. Even if they don't get worse, the legs probably already have low clutch power which may be causing the legs to simply fall off.
Given that LEGO is still producing a Legolas minifig, they will almost certainly be happy to replace that torso for you. You can either find the piece that is broken and submit a replacement request to LEGO, or you can contact customer service directly and explain which piece is broken.

This really depends on how much you plan to use LEGO-las. If he's to be used just as a display or collectors item, he should be fine; to ensure safety, super-glue the poor elf's pants to his body.
If you plan to make him hop around and destroy orcs on a regular basis, try super-gluing the cracks from the inside while the pants are removed or it will get worse.
If the crack is too small to super-glue, I wouldn't worry till LEGO-las' legs get loose, which will happen if he is excessively used for play.


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Execute program programmatically
I want to program our Ev3 for FLL (class assignment), and I want to use an object oriented approach in a very procedural environment. Is there a programmatic way to execute another program inside the same project using the augmented LabView? (This is more like using other programs as methods rather than programs, and then calling the "methods" to do a certain task like pull a lever, push a button, move the wheels...)

to clarify, I only can use LabView, unfortunately we can't use C++ or Java.

As a general note, LabVIEW is a dataflow-driven language, rather than OOP or procedural.  Just like OOP is a great aid for certain situations, using a dataflow-driven language is helpful for control system programming.

see what I didn't realize before is I can make my own blocks with the Ev3. That's how I have other "Programs" to execute.

This is more of a LabView answer than a Mindstorms answer, but you should be able to create a SubVI that represents a task, and then you can place that in the main VI.
This help document might be useful:
http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/372962A-01/lvnxt/creatingusingsubvi/


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Can I Conect 2 NXTs so that they work together?
I am building up a robot and I want to use 2 NXT connected together because I need more than 3 ports A,B,C. So my question here is: When I write the code, is there anything different I have to do?
For example do I write the same code I would use for 2 NXT and just connect them together or do I have to do something more than this?
I found a way to connect them but I have not found examples yet of the blocks (nxt code software).

You might also find How can I use more than 3 motors with one NXT brick useful :)

Without 3rd party hardware or software, the only way to do this is to use Bluetooth messages. For example, you could write motor power to a Bluetooth mailbox on one NXT. The other NXT just has a simple program with a loop that reads the Bluetooth mailbox and connects it to a motor block.


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Starting a wholesale LEGO business
I would like to start a company trading in bulk LEGO. I have been told, however, that trading in volume is quite difficult and good discounts are only really given to the likes of Walmart and other huge players. So I would be interested to know if there are other secondary sources in Europe or North America, where new LEGO can be bought in bulk.

See also: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/2780/where-do-bulk-lego-sellers-on-ebay-get-their-bricks

And also What's the most cost effective and efficient way to buy bricks?

You can buy LEGO in bulk at any official LEGO store. It is called the PAB (Pick-A-Brick) Wall. They will sell them to you buy the cup, or if you need really large quantities, you can also ask them for full boxes. Keep in mind that the selection changes seasonally, and you will not be the only seller who buys parts this way, so there will be competition.
Other than that, your only other option is to take advantage of sales at retail stores. Right before Christmas is an excellent time to stock up as many stores have great deals. Also, right after Christmas when stores are clearing out last year's stock to give room to new sets (LEGO always releases a whole range of new sets in January).
LEGO does not sell parts in large bulks to individuals, unless you become an official LEGO Certified Professional. However these people get access to huge amounts of LEGO not because of reselling the pieces, but because they are creating art. In general LEGO does not like resellers and will not support them in any way. You will have to find your own resources/angle if you want to get into the business.

I had no idea you could buy the Pick-a-bricks by the box! How large are the boxes?

Yes, if you ask nicely and they have surplus at the store, they will sell you boxes. The boxes are the same size, but the content is different: "...just to give you an idea about the content of a LEGO PAB box for basic elements, there are right about 2,800 1×2 bricks in a PAB box... This means that there should be around 5,500 1×1 bricks, 1,400 1×4 bricks, 1,400 2×2 bricks, or 670 2×4 bricks in a full box. More details in this article: http://thebrickblogger.com/2014/05/lego-pick-a-brick-wall-changes-follow-up/

Trading in LEGO isn't an easy way to make a lot of money. The margins are much smaller than they were, and you'll face stiff competition. That said, it is possible to make a profit if you do your research and you're willing to put the effort in. Few of us make a fortune, but many of us make enough to fund the odd purchase for our own collections.
To trade LEGO successfully, you're going to need several things:

A lot of dedication and enthusiasm for the product.
A good source of information.
A regular supply of cheap LEGO. Not just any LEGO, but LEGO that is of interest to your target market.
A reliable place to sell your LEGO.

So, where to source your LEGO?
I am given to understand that TLG won't deal with you at all unless you're able to take substantial quantities of stock - I've heard the figure £40,000, but I can't recall where, and to be honest I question its accuracy. Nevertheless, you're going to have to sell a lot of LEGO if you want to deal with them directly, let alone get the big discounts that are reserved for sellers like Amazon and TRU. The remaining ways to buy LEGO from TLG - such as PAB and the replacement parts service - tend to be expensive and unsuitable for bulk purchases. (And forget LUGBULK - the T&Cs prohibit reselling).
You may be able to find a wholesale distributor of LEGO, but this isn't an area on which I am qualified to comment. Furthermore, it may be possible to buy remaindered or damaged stock from wholesalers or resellers. I don't have a lot of experience in this area either, but some time ago I came across auctions for pallet loads of goods, some of which included LEGO. Whether or not this is still a viable approach I couldn't say.
An alternative - the approach I use - is to buy LEGO from regular retailers when it is on sale. If you research the market you will be able to find sets at substantial reductions, and by combining offers you can pick up 10s of boxes of LEGO at a good discount. Of course, you need to be choosey, as the cost of storing, selling and shipping LEGO quickly eats into your margins. Even though I've been at this game for a while, I still make small losses from time to time. Fortunately, these can be offset by the wins. The main problems with this approach are that (1) the risk that you won't get the returns you expect, (2) supplies are limited to what is on offer at the moment, and (3) you may need to hold on to some sets for a while: getting a good price for your LEGO is often more about timing than anything else.
My final idea - one I have yet to try, but which certainly looks viable - is to consider buying used LEGO from private sellers with a view to selling at a higher price. The two general approaches to this are (1) to pick and choose individual sets where you can see a market and a profit, or (2) buy bulk loose LEGO at low prices. Either way, you may end up spending a considerable amount of time sorting, cleaning and replacing LEGO parts.

Also define what you mean by "Bulk LEGO" - just the pieces in bulk, or are you planning to purchase sets in bulk and resell them online (so basically becoming a LEGO retailer like Walmart/Toys'r'us and the likes? The latter would probably be something you can get set up by working with TLG directly (I have no experience though).
To resell pieces I would think you would need to go the route outlined by @TheBrickBlogger.


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If I design a lego set
If I design a Lego set that you may be interested in selling, whom do I contact in the company?
My husband iis constantly building new buildings etc. Thought your company may be interested.

Note: Lego Answers is not affiliated with The Lego Group. We are a fan site, answering your questions.

Lego has a website called Lego Ideas through which fans can submit set ideas. Other fans vote on their favorite projects, and if a project receives 10,000 votes, Lego will consider making the set into an official release.


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How can I find LEGO bargains on eBay?
Sometimes I have been able to find some good deals on used LEGO sets, however most of the time I spend looking for sets is trial and error.
I usually search from Toys & Games > Construction Toys & Kits > Lego to weed out most of the clone brands and sort by Best Match.
Are there any particular good search terms, web services or techniques that can make it easier to find LEGO bargains on eBay?

I don't think there is a single strategy that will always work - it all depends on what other people are looking for at the same time as you are looking. For example, I have seen Lego Maersk train sets (I'm a Train fan :) ) sell for $250 in certain auctions, but have managed to pick up one with extra power functions for less than that in a separate auction.
Here are a few things that might make your life easier:

Create searches and save them (you can even get notification emails for new finds this way). These are called "Followed Searches".
Use the tips and techniques in the Advanced Search section of eBay Help to refine your searches. For example, if you want LEGO but not Duplo, you could search for "Lego -Duplo".
Always compare with current retail values (check Amazon.com, shop.lego.com or brickset.com) if the set is still current
For sets that are no longer current - look at brickset.com to see what they used to go for. If you have the time, check out Bricklink.com and see how much the same set costs there, or, if you really have the time, use the Inventory feature and see if you can get a better deal just buying the set pieces :). For the popular holiday train (10173) for example, which easily sells for >$500 on eBay, the cost in pieces is typically around $200 on Bricklink, lower if you already have some of the critical pieces.
When it gets to bidding, look into using Sniping software, which allows you to place a bid in the closing seconds of an auction. This often helps you win auctions if no others are using snipes. JBidWatcher is a good starting point.
For bidding, check out what others have already bid ("Bid History") and also look at "Show Automatic Bids". This allows you to see who is really eager to get it and how often they have bid.

There are for sure other techniques out there, but these are the ones I find work best for me.

oh - and BrickPicker is also a good reference point for assessing the value of a (current or retired) set and can give you a decent indication of the value of the set you are considering to bid on.

I've put together a basic web service that does this if you are specifically searching for bulk LEGO (e.g. 5 pounds of assorted bricks). It is available here:
https://joncraton.org/lego-by-pound/
It searches US eBay for bulk LEGO via a number of search terms. It then limits the results to only those for a which a weight can be determined from the listing title. It excludes all results for which the price + shipping is over $10 per pound. The results are returned sorted by soonest end time.
This has been very helpful for me in identifying bulk lots that are a good value, so I wanted to add it here as another method of bargain hunting on eBay.

I don't know about ebay, but I have used bricklink to get parts. I looked for an old Unitron set (Star Hawk II), and it produced an itemized list with links to each part, or group of parts. I was able to order small groups of parts from different vendors (other users) on that site. You may want to factor in shipping or use the terminology you get from bricklink to search ebay, as most enthusiasts tend to keep the vocabulary the same. Hope that helps!

The following is for complete sets:
First of all, I get a feeling for what currently is a "bargin". Prices for sets vary a lot throughout the year. Therefore, I do the following:
Search term: lego "set number"
Search options: auction, soonest end time
After a few auctions have ended, I already know what would be a good price for a given set. Then I save the search and look for promising auctions, with patience. Usually I don't follow "MISB, NEW etc." because I want to build, not put away sealed. I also watch out for "no minifigs" because that reduces the price significantly. I also don't care about the original box. Building instructions, on the other hand, are important to me.
Sometimes, missing parts come in handy when you know how to replace them (or already have them). Even simple missing parts tend to reduce the final bid.
Note: After a couple of months your bargin price may not be a bargin any more: Once, I didn't buy a used 42009 for around 110 Euros, now it costs at least 160. Too much patience is not good if you really want to own a particular set. :)
Note 2: I have never understood the "Best results" default. "Best" means that many other bidders are already aware of that particular item. Not good for bargins.


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Linking two blocks
I am in a contest and would like to use one Mindstorm block to control another.  I am new at this.  We are in invention section of the contest and trying to develop a pipe laying machine. Basically I need to know if they can be linked along with a way to do it.

Not sure if this is a duplicate - as far as I know the principle is slightly different for EV3s. If using LeJOS, you can connect the EV3s via USB and make one the slave and the other the master. I'm not sure how to do this with the standard Mindstorms software though, which is likely what is used in this contest (I assume it is the FLL :) ).

@PhilB. It's tagged [tag:nxt] there's nothing else to say that this is using EV3s.

I hadn't seen the tag - you're absolutely right, it is tagged as #nxt. So yes, looks like a duplicate.


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Protecting a minifig from wear
I've purchased a few of the Lego keychain minifigs. Each time I've bought a new one was to replace the previous one because it had most or all of the paint rubbed off from going in and out of pockets and whatnot.
Here is my most recent example of the wear on my minifig keychain.

You can see that the mouth is almost completely missing.
Is there something that I can do to protect the paint and keep it from rubbing off?

I was going to say don't keep them in the same place as your keys but I realise how stupid that sounds. I'm just curious, do you know what Minifigure it is?

Yep, I have to say I've resigned myself to replacing my keychains every year or so as they tend to lose their hands and printing.

I actually lost a hand on this one and then my wife mysteriously found it in the back seat of her car a few months later. It's a shame they have to be replaced instead of just 'retired'.

This guide here (off-site backup) in the BrickJournal magazine has a section titled "Step Three: Protecting Your New Figure – Application of a clear top coat". It recommends Future’s floor wax or Badger overcoats and discourages the use of nail polish due to its tendency to yellow when exposed to sunlight.
They suggest applying two layers, each dried with a hair dryer to achieve a smooth, bubble-free surface.
Admittedly, these instructions are for display models, not figures that are going to endure the wear during play or everyday carrying along several keys, but these layers can be reapplied when they are damaged and will protect the figure and its paint while the overcoat is intact.

The link is 404

@JonasStein Thanks, I have no idea whether the error is transient or if the site is gone forever, so I have added another link to the same document stored on another site.

zovits recommends not using nail polish. I once had a chipped tile floor that I painted with nail polish. It stayed looking good for over 5 years. This was in a high-traffic part of my kitchen. The polish stayed shiny and prevented the tile from chipping further.
I suspect that a keychain probably isn't going to be sitting in the sun too much, but even so, the ABS plastic will discolour anyway, irrespective of the nail polish.

I would think a clear coat of paint would protect it fairly well, until the clear coat rubs off, so you may need to reapply periodically or apply multiple coats.  Just make sure whatever you use is approved for plastics and it should work fine.
A thin coating should still allow most of the joints to work, if that isn't a requirement you could apply a thicker coating of a clear epoxy.

Have you tried something like this? I figured this would be the answer but I was hoping to hear something a little more definitive with relation to using on a minifig of some kind.

http://www.customminifig.co.uk/custom-lego-painting-guide/
Here's someone that paints LEGO's. The seal they use should work for you. You should apply more coats for more protection.

How about sealer?
Yes, always. If you spend this much time working on something, you want it to last. Sealer should be the last thing you do to your custom, painted parts before they are complete. I recommend an acrylic matte finish, but some people use gloss for certain things (it is supposed to protect better). I personally don’t want a “shiny” look on finished parts.
Another option is to use a gloss coat, allow to dry, then apply a flat coat for “maximum protection without the shine” (sounds like a commercial!), but I usually just stick with flat sealer only.

Tip: You should include the name of the sealer in your answer in case the link ever breaks.

My solution to preserving your LEGO figures graphics would be to use translucent plasti-dip, which is normally used for tools to give them a grip as well as color code them. Assuming, of course, that you're using the figure as a key fob and not actually playing with it.
My first idea was that a clear, squeeze self-sealing coin pouch would work, but couldn't find one, then plasti-dip came to mind.


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Issues connecting the EV3 on Windows 8.1 64bit
I have got a computer with Windows 8.1 64 bit and I have installed LEGO Mindstorms EV3 software Home edition and tried to connect the EV3 brick to the computer, but the brick didn´t connect to the computer. Where is the problem?

Did you try USB or Bluetooth or both?

OP's not been back to this question and there are open questions about the problem.

I'm going to assume this is a Bluetooth connectivity issue because connecting the cable is trivial, and I've found connecting with Bluetooth quite tricky.  This may not be the only way, however it has worked for me.  The main issue is that you first need to "pair" the EV3 with your computer.
Setup (you have Bluetooth, and it is turned on):

Make sure the computer has Bluetooth turned on.  On my Win8 computer, there is a Bluetooth icon on the task bar when it is active.  If you don't see that icon, or don't know if Bluetooth is on, go to: PC Settings > PC and Devices > Bluetooth (also under: Network > Airplane Mode.  If you can't find it, try searching for Bluetooth on the computer)
set the EV3 to have Bluetooth Visibility checked true.  This is under the tools tab (far right) on the EV3.  Move the cursor to the Bluetooth line, and click on that to see the Bluetooth details.  Both "Visibility" and "Bluetooth" need to be checked on boxes on the right (ignore the icons on the left, they look like radio buttons but are not).  Once those are checked, the EV3 will be visible to the computer's Bluetooth.

Once you've confirmed that visibility is on, and Bluetooth is working, there are a few different ways you can pair your computer with the EV3.

from the computer's Bluetooth software
under the Control Panel > Devices and Printers, you can "Add a Device"
from the Bluetooth Icon on the task bar ("Add a Bluetooth Device").

No method is better, whichever you find first.  Once it starts scanning, it should display the EV3 within a minute or two.   When the EV3 when is found, choose "pair" or "connect".   Now, switch to the EV3 which should display:
"Connect? (your computer's name)"

Move the cursor to the check box (default is on the "x" as in "No"), then you will be shown the passkey: 1234.  No need to change that.  Click that check box too.
Now, switch back to your computer, where you'll be prompted for the passkey.  Enter 1234, and it should complete the pairing.   If you are interrupted (I believe you have 2 minutes) it'll lose the connection and you'll need to start again.
After all of that, you should be able to start the Mindstorm software, open a project, and in the lower right, choose "Available Bricks" tab, and see your EV3 (if not, click the "refresh" button in that window and it should show up).  Once there is a check box for your EV3, click that box to finally connect.
The hard part is the pairing.  Once paired, it is simple to connect in the future.  I just make sure the EV3 is on before the Mindstorm software is started.  If the EV3 is turned off, I have to click that "refresh" button telling the computer to find it again, then check the box to connect.
Final note: on the Bluetooth menu of the EV3 (where you check Visibility), there is another item "Connections."  This isn't merely a title.  Click on this, and it will display all computers that it has paired with in the past.  You can click on these and have them removed.  I've had to do this occasionally to re-establish connection with a computer.  This is how you would remove old connections too, if you wanted to clean things up, or just want to make sure there aren't any left-overs from earlier connection attempts.

Make sure that the robot is actually on: it's a simple mistake but one I've made more times than I can count! If it's via USB, make sure that the USB port and the wire are both working. If it's bluetooth, similarly make sure that both parts are working correctly. Hopefully this helps!


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Is it safe to use a hot glue gun for Mega Bloks?
I've just managed to secure a copy of the Mega Bloks StarCraft Battlecruiser set on eBay after they dropped significantly in value with Blizzard clearing out the last of the stock with their recent Black Friday sale. It's going to be here in about a week, and it's the first model of this magnitude that I've ever done. I figure that the actual process won't be any more difficult than usual, but considering the collectible nature of this item, I'd like to make sure that when I put it together, it's permanent.
Is it safe to use a hot glue gun? Naturally, I wouldn't want to try it and find the bricks melting under the heat. I would just test it on some more easily replaced pieces, but I currently don't have any Mega Bloks in my collection, only LEGO elements and Tyco.

You mention the "collectible" nature of the item. I can assure you that after you glue it, the only collector who'll want it is you. Nothing devalues a building toy like glue.

It's probably not the best option to use no: according to Wikipedia, glue guns tend to operate at the following temperatures:

Low-temperature glue guns operate at approximately 120°C (248°F) [...] High-temperature guns operate at approximately 190°C (374 °F)

LEGO and Mega Bloks' primary component, ABS, has a melting point around 105°C (221°F), which is a bit lower than the glue and it will have started to deform around 80°C (176°F).
Your best option would be to use a glue that "welds" the LEGO elements together, such as Plastic or Polystyrene Cement.

@Zaph - Disappointing to hear, but certainly beats finding out the hard way. I'll pick up some plastic cement next time I'm at Hobby Lobby. Thank you for your time.


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Identify this uniformed figure with four yellow buttons and a grey belt
My son recently got a huge box of figures and pieces (from what I can tell an original spaceship with figure too) and I can't figure out what set is from or how old this figure is.

He has four yellow buttons and a silver/greyish belt on a black sticker on his chest. Body and legs are black and no other discerning features about him.

Looks like a 1980's Fireman.  Found an example from the 620 lego set:

i think it is this one, i found a small hatchet and what looks like that lattice part of the car too! thank you

1978 Fireman. I've got a couple from set 374 and 602.


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Lego remote controlled cargo train not working
I've helped my son put together the Cargo Train set (60052) but now we can't get the remote control to work.
It all looks like it's been assembled correctly with new batteries put in, but it doesn't move.

I'm having the same issues... All looks right, remote and receiver on same channel but nothing is working. Should there be a light on the top of the battery box that goes in the train?

yes, the battery box has a green square button that, once pressed, makes a green LED shine. If pressing the button does not turn on the light, make sure you have inserted the AAA batteries properly into the battery holder - they go in 3 at a side (there are 2 sides) and they all face the same direction (so all + markings are on the same side), not alternating as with many other devices.

Thanks PHIL B... I have the battery box out at the moment, and it shows the two outer ones go opposite to the middle one...is that right?

@Dan, apologies, your setup is correct - I got confused with the bulky AA battery box used in Technic Lego - my son got both a 4x4 crawler with the AA box as well as a 60052 Cargo Traîn with the AAA box for Christmas hence the confusion :)

The best way to solve this type of problem is to break it down and isolate the fault.
You might find that it is easier to remove the Power Functions components from the model for some of the following:

Check all connections. Disconnect each cable and re-connect everything. Ensure that the plugs are the right way around (they don't sit right if not) and that they are pushed on properly.
Check that none of the cables are damaged.
Connect the battery box directly to the train motor, bypassing the IR receiver. Does the train work now? If so, the problem is either the remote or the receier. If not, the problem is either the battery box or the motor.

Remote / IR Reciever Problems
If the problem is with the controller / IR receiver:

Make sure that there is nothing blocking the signal between the controller and the IR receiver. Avoid bright sunlight.
Check that both controller and receiver are on the same channel. There is an orange 4-position switch on both the IR receiver and on the controller, and this determines the channel. Leaving one switch alone, try all 4 positions on the other.
Check that the batteries are inserted correctly in the remote. Take them out and put them back in again.
Check that the batteries are aren't worn out. Sometimes even new batteries don't deliver the correct voltage. If you have one, test your batteries with a volt meter. If not, try swapping them with new batteries, or test the batteries in something else to make sure they're OK.
Check that the battery terminals are not corroded. Sometimes corrosion isn't obvious. Try taking the batteries out and putting them back in again, or twisting them around until they may contact.
You may be able to check that the controller is sending a signal. Although you can't see the flashes of IR light yourself, you may find that you can use a digital camera (such as a mobile phone camera) to see the flashes of light when you use the controls on the controller.

These images are from the LEGO web site, which contains more information on both the controller and IR receiver:

Battery Box / Motor Problems
Check the batteries in the battery box, following steps 3-5 above. The little green light should come on when they're OK and the battery box is switched on (the green button is the on-off switch).
There is a great description of the battery box on the LEGO web site, which might help explain things better than I can. This picture is from that site:

If All Else Fails
Contact LEGO customer services. They'll be deligted to help.

Did you check the channel settings on the remote and the receiver? There are 4 channels, and both the receiver on the train and the controller need to be on the same channel :) It's a little orange switch with the numbers 1-4 written next to it.

I just got two new 8885 remotes. Neither was working. Turns out in my case the plus terminals and the plus side of the batteries were not touching due to the terminals being kept too far away by the plastic housing. I bend the terminals a little by inserting a small screw driver behind them and now it works as a charm. Better to take batteries out when actually doing it not as shown on photo with batteries in it :-)

Bit of bad production.

Ruud, thanks for your answer, it was exactly the problem I was having. I went through two remotes and couldn't figure it out.

We have the same problem as outlined above.
We realised that the cheap AAA batteries we bought did not make contact with the positive end of the terminals in the controller.
In other words the bumpy bit at the positive end of the battery is not high enough to make contact inside the controller.
Solution - buy better quality AAA batteries. They will make proper contact.

We have had exactly the same issues with the remote control. We found that by checking the batteries were in correctly and rolling them once inside the unit to ensure good connection worked and the green light came on as well as the light on the reciever. The batteries fit with the outer 2 going one way and the inner one going the other as instructed. Hope this helps

So just bought a brand new LEGO Technic kit number 420030.  Both IR remotes do not work when loaded with fresh batteries.
I just got off the phone with LEGO tech support on this and here's the information they provided. DURACELL batteries are the culprit as they're too short (that's per LEGO tech support).
I beg to differ however as I have side by side remotes (I have a third older remote from a previous kit) both loaded with Duracell and one working one not and the condition remains THE SAME even when I swap the batteries.
THIS IS A BAD BUILD ON LEGO'S PART. THEIR TOLERANCES HAVE NOT BEEN CONTROLLED. Applying the manipulation to the positive post on both controllers as detailed above fixed the problem on each.
BOO LEGO own your issues!

Complaining here does not add value to your answer. In fact, I had to read several time so see that you were indeed answering the question and not just complaining. It would be more constructive to direct your complaints directly to the LEGO Group and provide a more direct answer here.


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70728/2 Ninjago piece too short?
My son is putting together the 70728 set and the grey tall pieces in book two at step 8 seem to be too short, they leave a gap. By about a mm. Has anyone else had this experience?

My first thought is: Is everything seated completely? It's amazing how fast tolerances can add up. One way to check those tall pieces is to get 5 regular bricks (anything of brick height) and stack them up and compare height to the seemingly problematic 1x2x5 light grey pieces, which should be equal.

As this set is built on a plate-built base, it is quite possible that they are not pushed together tightly. I have ran into this numerous times when building the LEGO Modular Buildings as the second and third floors have a plate-built floor. Look through everything that has been built so far and make sure that the plates are pushed together all the way. LEGO does have some tolerance and viggle-room, but it is much less than a millimeter.


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Which parts can I use to connect a cross axle to a car body?
I have some wheels that are connected to cross axles. The wheels don't turn on the axles (they have an X-shaped centre whole ). Which parts can be used to Connect the axle to the car body? It's supposed to be a very basic car for my 4 year old.

You don't give many details, but there are cross-axle to round-axle pegs available, or you can put the cross-axle through a round-axle brick.

thnx , exactly whar i needed


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What set is this minifigure from?
I found this minifigure in an unmarked box, but do not know what set it came from.

It looks like it came from a dog's mouth. Poor minifig has seen some hard times.

Legs and torso are from a Unitron figure: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?M=sp048

The red bandana has appeared in almost 100 sets (often pirate-themed), while the head and hands are generic and could be from any number of sets as well.


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How to fit lego power function LED lights onto cargo train (set: 60052)
can anyone out there explain / illustrate how to fit lego power function white LED lights on the blue cargo train (set number 60052)? We have assembled the engine but I cannot see where or how these lights fit on the engine. I have watched a couple of YouTube videos showing how to fit these on other trains, but not the cargo train. There are not any holes or compatable pieces on the engine that can take the lights - as far as I can see anyway. My son is 7 and I am no lego expert by the way.
Thanks

The cargo train (60052) is not out-of-the-box able to be converted to using LED lights. The light bricks (1x1 round bricks) are fitted on the front bumper of the train with no space left for the light plugs. You would need to make modifications to the train to embed the lights - for example by mounting an additional light on top of the train, or by putting different lights on the front bumper. But you would need special transparent headlight (aka Erling) bricks for that - part 4070 or 30069 is typically used in other train sets.

Oh and here is an example of how you could add working lights to the front of the train - but you would need to work the cables into the design somehow - http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=100657


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How to control a 88004 Servo Motor with a Raspberry Pi?
I am able to control a simple servo motor such as SG90 by using pulse-width modulation. However when it comes to controlling a 88004 LEGO Servo Motor it is simply a nightmare.
By using PWM all I managed was bringing it to its normal position. It seems the pulse length doesn't play a role at all - I've tried several ones...
Another difference between a SG90 and a 88004 is that the first has only three wires (PWR, GND and Control) whereas the LEGO servo has 4 (PWR, C1, C2 and GND).

Which of those wires (C1 and C2) should be used with the PWM?
How long should the pulses be to move the motor through its 15 positions?
Is there another way to control a 88004 directly from the Raspberry Pi such as I2C?

EDITED

It works!
#Importing the necessary library
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
from time import sleep

#Reference by GPIOs IDs
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

#Assigning the GPIOs to the Lego's command wires
C1 = 21
C2 = 26
moveFactor = 14.285714286

#Setting up the necessary GPIOs
GPIO.setup(C1, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(C2, GPIO.OUT)

#Setting up the PWMs - (GPIO ID, Frequency)
pwm1 = GPIO.PWM(C1, 1200)
pwm2 = GPIO.PWM(C2, 1200)

def setPosition(position):
    pwm1.stop()
    pwm2.stop()
    i = round(position * moveFactor, 2)

    if position >= 0:
        print 'Position: ' + str(position) + ' at a Duty Cycle of ' + str(i)
        pwm1.start(i)
    else:
        print 'Position: ' + str(position) + ' at a Duty Cycle of ' + str(i*-1)
        pwm2.start(i*-1)

#Testing the commands with a LED
try:
    setPosition(-7)   #180 Degrees
    sleep(2)
    setPosition(7)    #0 Degree
    sleep(1)
except:
    pass

pwm1.stop()     # Back to the normal position (90 degrees)
pwm2.stop()
GPIO.cleanup()

Did you need to raise the voltage levels to 5v or 9v, or were you able to control it via 3v3 directly from the pi?

LEGO "Servo Motor" has little to do with a RC servomotor. To drive it, you need to:

Power it at 9V (probably works at 5 volts, but with less torque) through PWR/GND terminals
To move in one direction, send a PWM signal (1200 Hz, 0 to 100% duty cycle) on C1 and keep C2 at GND level. As duty cycle varies, servo motor will move along 7 positions on one side. See this video.
To move in the other direction and reach the 7 other positions, send PWM to C2 and keep C1 at ground level.

Thank you very much Philo. Just another question from someone who has very limited physics knowledge. What exactly do you mean by "0 to 100% duty cycle"? Would you be so kind and write a very simple algorithm? Thank you!

The duty cycle percentage is the ratio between powered time over cycle period. Eg. here, a 30% duty cycle at 1200 Hz means 250µs on / 583µs off.

Hi Philo. Thanks for your replay. I just created a code in Phyton based on your explanation (see the edited question) but unfortunately it still does not work. Would you help me by reviewing it and making the necessary adjustments? I would be very thankful for that.

Problem is that I am not Python savvy... Might be a physical  interface problem too?

As best I can tell the above instructions are correct, but I couldn't get my servo to go to any position other than -90/0/90, no matter what PWM duty cycles I used.  It turns out that my cheap 88004 clone motor for aliexpress only has 3 positions, so it's not 100% compatible.  A bit disappointing but it was cheap & does work for some applications...


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Creating ski gondolas/tramway with Duplos
I've got a three year old who just came home from a ski vacation where he was enamored with the gondolas (like below).

I want to make one with Duplos for him. I'm most of the way there, but have a few specific issues.  He has a 21 month old brother, so I can't use regular legos (or I think this would be easier).
I have the cab from this set:

I plan to attach it to the bottom of a regular wheel base (like the wheel base from the same set), which creates the gondola - all good so far.  However, I haven't figured out how to recreate the track/wires/etc. without some permanent modifications.
I have a pretty large supply of Duplos to work with (including the large powered train set), and I live in an area with a large Lego Store and a Legoland, so I probably have access to anything that is produced and sold in the US, and I don't mind buying odd sets - I just haven't found something that seems like it would work.  I have plenty of duplos to build a little mountain with, and the little guy has sufficient imagination that he won't require a specific color scheme or a skier minifig (which I also haven't found).
I have considered using track, but I don't think I quite have the space for that (as it would take up a lot more) - and would rather do something that appears more like string/wires, as he's very aware of how that works and is very bright and detail oriented.
Specifically size-wise, I plan to build a mountain around 10-20 dots square, and about 8-12 bricks high (this depends in part on how many bricks I decide to use, and on how high it needs to be to make the gondolas work).  I would put the gondola 'base' a bit away from the mountain, and the gondola end point near the top of the mountain.  Sort of like how Playmobil did theirs:

except with a nice large Duplo mountain and a less complex base (I probably would just do a 8x4 platform or whatever size was necessary to manage the setup.)
In particular, I'm looking for suggestions for how to manage the hanging aspect.  Since it's on a wheel base, I can put that wheel base on top of strings or wires or something else, but I don't know how to do that within the Duplo setup; I can make large knots or something through small openings in various piece combinations, and use regular string, but I'm not sure I could do that in such a way that the wheels would stay on (These are regular wheel base wheels, so they don't have anything that would help them stay on the wire/string).

For the pulling mechanism there have been several Duplo winches (though I have no idea whether there is a current one, I'm afraid). However, for the track I immediately thought of using those (very sturdy) ribbons that they use around mail order boxes. If you have two parallell and they are pulled tight the wheels might stay on and the look might still be acceptable to your son as resembling wires?

Hmm, ribbons like that do make sense to me, the wheels would stay on something that wide better than a string or similar.  I'll look about for winches.  Fortunately the 3 year old is imaginative so as long as it's in the ballpark it should be okay!

Now that I think about it, our train set has exactly the winch you're talking about - not usable as a track but definitely usable as pulling device, if my child will let me use it :)

Looking good :)

What I have done so far: used a ribbon like suggested, but more of a clothes ribbon. It works well - the fabric fits in the spot behind the wheels and friction is usually enough to prevent it falling back. I have yet to add the winch (not sure it will be  long enough but will see when I get it next weekend). I used a simple stack of squares to anchor it - on the bottom needed a bit more support for some reason but nothing fancy.
(The buildings were child made, by the way :)

As a follow up to this - my child loved the concept, and proceeded to remake it five or six times before moving on as children do.


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Representing pregnancy on LEGO minifigs without a dome
So far for pregnancy I have tried a fetal carrier that I put on the minifig's back but this limits her movements. Specifically she can't bend too far in either direction and also she can't lay down the way she normally would (she would have to like bend her legs when she lays down or something to keep the fetus inside).
My minifigs don't have a hole in the belly where I can put a big white dome to illustrate pregnancy.
So what is the best way to show pregnancy without a pregnancy dome?

I sincerely wish I understood what you were asking here, but I just don't get it. Are you trying to make a minifig look pregnant? I would generally ask for photos of what you have tried already, but in this case, I must admit that I'm a bit hesitant - I don't want to frighten the children! Please do clarify, what movements does the "fetal carrier" restrict (and what is one of those, anyway?) And why, oh why, did you put your the mother in a "pen" that looks like a jail cell? The mind boggles. :-) BTW Welcome to this site. I hope you find it useful.

This is the absolute strangest question I have seen here. I don't even know what to start. Fetal carrier, pen, jail-cell, pieces coming off violently during birth, pregnancy dome???!!! This makes me scared! :(

I have voted to close as "unclear what you're asking". Please edit your question to clarify and to provide more context.

What about using one of those pieces that goes over the head peg so you can attach a backpack, except hang it on the front side and attach a dome that way instead?

I've removed the elements of the question relating to the pen/crib as they don't seem relevant to the main part of the question. I'm assuming that you're also looking for a sort of "easy access display area" to hold this minifig which might be better suited to a different question.

Kit Z Fox, the neck bracket does not fit over the pants peg.

The best piece to represent a round belly is the "Plate, Round 2 x 2 with Rounded Bottom" (part 2654). The "dome" pieces are way too big. Connect the rounded bottom plate to the bottoms of two "Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Headlight" bricks (part 4070), also known as the Erling brick. Use short legs to get the total height right.
Note that the pegs on the leg pieces are slightly larger than a normal stud, so they make for a very tight fit in the back of the Erling brick. They do fit with some force, and they are difficult to remove.
FYI, I experimented with a few iterations, including one using a 2x2 flat tile on a bracket, and this was the version that had my non-Lego fan wife exclaim, "Oh yeah, that looks good!"

This version cannot bend her legs, unfortunately.

As far as I can see, most LEGO pregnancies appear to cheat, using glue or Blu Tack to attach the various elements on to the stomach of the minifig.
One example I've seen is the use of a 1x2 tile, as seen here at the Brick Testament:

In this image, Mary could be holding the tile in place, but in other images, her hands are not near enough.
Also to your point of lying down - in real life I've noticed that some pregnant women prefer to lay on their sides rather than their backs, certainly during the later stages of pregnancy.

I can't get neck brackets to fit over the minifig hip studs.

Hmm, curious I'll have another go - I'm sure I've done something similar in the past...

They do not fit. The leg pegs are slightly larger than a stud. (This is also why the use of slopes as skirts results in a loose connection.)

One alternative is to use an appropriate decal rather than trying to construct something.

Image courtesy Flikr.

I usually hang the minifig back plate with knob on the front with a dome, or I use two between the torso and legs (they will fit) and attach a dome or something else.


text:
Which train motor is more powerful, 9V or 12V?
I recently picked up LEGO bricks again and due to lack of space I'm planning to build a multilevel train layout.
I do have a descent amount of 12V track along with trains and switch points, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to switch to 9V.
Because there will be a lot of inclined track on this layout I was wondering which train-motor-units are more powerful.
The ones I have, 12V from the gray era, or the track-powered 9 volt ones?
12 volt:

9 volt:

See Pulling Power of LEGO Trains 1966 till 2009 (Systems: 4.5V 12V 9V IR)

@LarsTech - any chance you could post that as an answer, possibly with a short summary?

A user on YouTube posted the following video that tests a lot of the various train motors in Lego history for their pulling strength.
The battery model train from the 1960's destroyed the competition.
Pulling Power of LEGO Trains 1966 till 2009 (Systems: 4.5V 12V 9V IR)
The newer engines do not have rubber traction to grip, so they have a tendency to slip more.  The lack of weight on top of the engines also hindered some of its ability.  The newer engines tend to be faster, but not more powerful.
Another link that summarizes many of the various Lego motors (unfortunately, it didn't include the 12v line):
LEGO® 9V Technic Motors compared characteristics


text:
What is this notched or angled 1x2?
It looks old. the only markings on it is LEGOS stamped on the top of the stud holes, and a number 2 stamped on the bottom. It looks like a normal 1x2 with a slight triangle taken out of each side.
I couldn't come up with the right words to describe this piece to determine on my own what it's called or what set it might have been from. But maybe someone else has seen this before?

Old style minifig legs (70s). Sets that have it

damn, missed it by 10 minutes.

ahh, yes, that is it. The new legs will go fabulous with the legless old style minifig torso I already had in my collection before this acquisition. :)


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Light on color sensor is blue
We had the sensor color on red and it was working with our remote.  We changed the batteries in the 'brain' and now the light sensor is blue and won't work with the remote.  Any suggestions? It's a mindstorm EV3 sensor.

The color of the LED on the LEGO EV3 Color Sensor depends on which mode it is in.
From the EV3 help file:

COLOR MODE

When the Color Sensor is in Color mode, red, green, and blue LED lights on the front of the sensor will turn on.
REFLECTED LIGHT INTENSITY MODE

When the Color Sensor is in Reflected Light Intensity mode, a red LED light on the front of the sensor will turn on.
AMBIENT LIGHT INTENSITY MODE

In Ambient Light Intensity mode, a blue LED light on the front of the sensor will turn on dimly.

If you want the LED to be red, make sure you are using the Reflected Light Intensity Mode in your program.
If you are doing this and the LED still does not turn red, you should contact LEGO MINDSTORMS customer support.


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Giant LEGOs--that aren't QUATROs?
We got a big tub of secondhand LEGO bricks, and included was a random pile of what appear to be giant LEGO bricks. They are a bit bigger than DUPLO bricks but smaller than QUATRO bricks and have an old style LEGO logo stamped into the studs. They're all the same size. What's the story of these bricks?
Here's a picture of them. I've put a DUPLO in the picture for scale ;-)

I think these are LEGO Jumbo Bricks from Samsonite.

Left to right: normal brick, duplo brick, Jumbo brick and Quatro brick.

Yep, looks like a match.

Are lego jumbo bricks of any notable value? or are they not worth any more than other used lego products?

Not a lot of Jumbo Bricks sell, but bricklink shows they sell for around $3 each


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Chamber of Secrets set 4730 assembly issues
We recently obtained a secondhand set with no instructions that I identified to be "The Chamber of Secrets™ 4730". So we downloaded the Building instructions from Lego's website and started to build. But there were a few issues we were confused about as we built--and I was hoping some other lego expert builder might be able to clarify.

Step 3 on page 5 adds a 2x3 brick that hangs off the side of the board. What is this piece for? It seems kind of extraneous, and the best I could come up with was that maybe this was to attach the baseplate to another baseplate from the set?

Starting on page 16 through page 20, you build 3 towers. The instructions are incredibly vague about where these towers are attached and which orientation they should face. Page 61 is the only place I can see that even shows the towers attached to the buildings, but it only gives you a side view with how overly compressed the images are on the pdf, it's hard to see. Any 3d models of this? or photos of a different angle of the completed models?
Am I correct in thinking pages 62-66 is an alternate build? That isn't intended to be made at the same time as the previous pages? (I'm not missing a ton of pieces am I?)
Hinges... The ones added on page 32 in step 17 of the skull-face wall. To what should they attach? They appear to, perhaps, be used to attach the skull-faced build to the two large builds? But where exactly?

It kind of looks like it ought to fit like this...but the 3x4 towers are in the way:

This was the only thing I could come up with that fit, but the placement seems awkward:

I don't own the set but found some pictures of the assembled Set 1 and Set 2
It looks to me that you can reenact the scenes of the movie with this set, therefor you have the different sections of the room, where in the movie the action takes place. You can combine the different sections to create 1 corridor by placing them as shown on page 61, the bricks of question 1 & 4 can be used to connect them.
The towers are placed on the wall sections for example as: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=5727533
Pages 62 and further are indeed alternative builds, I don't know if this can be done with the parts of this set, but I thibk so.


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Two-state clicker button
For no particular good reason, I think it would be interesting to build a Lego button that behaves somewhat like the button on a click pen: as you press it, it alternates between a "down" state and an "up" state.
I've researched how pen buttons work and done a fair amount of Googling. I've experimented on my own. I haven't yet been able to figure out how to build such a thing. It's surely possible. Any advice?
Edit: OR I'd accept, as a solution, the official (Googlable) name for such a mechanism. If I can find a number of examples online I assume I can figure out the Lego version myself.

The Lego trains have something like
this. It's not a solution for your problem yet though, as the actual "clicking on/off functionality is in the battery holder brick.

And I think the cycling happens electronically as opposed to mechanically since, at least on my train motor, the button always returns to the "undepressed" state.

The technical name for what you're looking for is a latched push button.  You might try latching instead of latched, and you might try switch instead of push button, but switch will also give you a lot of toggle switch results, which isn't what you want.

If you are referring more specifically to the pen mechanism, you are looking for a bistable cam system.  You can, of course, also search for pen mechanism, which gave me lots of pretty pictures from Google.

Ok, I have managed to build a working cam mechanism using LEGO Technic. Only thing missing is a big enough spring or elastic band to pull the entire assembly upwards - Still thinking through that part but sharing in the hopes that others can take my idea further (My current best thought is to have rubber bands on the outside of the mechanism pulling the "clicker" upwards.). Here is a demonstration of the mechanism at work (was difficult to demonstrate with just one hand as I haven't lined the walls of the vertical holder enough and sometimes the up/down motion goes under an angle): video on youtube.
Pictures:
The entire mechanism:

Clicker in the "up" position (i.e. retracted pen):

Clicker in the "down" position (i.e. pen out) - my hand is in the picture as there is no spring to provide pressure upwards:

The insert with the loop (I believe this is what is called a "cam"). There is a resting point on the top (the "down" position) as well as a resting point on the bottom (the "up" position):

The "ball" - in this case a simple Technic axle with 2 1/2-width bushings on it - is supported in this mechanism, which allows the black part to slide freely from left to right. This "ball" moves around the loop defined by the "cam" from the previous picture:

This is impressive. Thanks. I was hoping for something smaller and with fewer pieces, but this is definitely an example of a working mechanism.

What you can do is use an old-style spring loaded missile, the rubber tip is soft enough to let you trigger the launcher without putting the missile back in, and you don't need to trigger the launcher to lock the missile.

I you press the flat bar at the top it works about 90% of the time.

Thanks for the response, but it seems like a solution should be possible without special parts (I don't own this missile part) and it seems like a solution should be possible that works 100% of the time.

Fair enough.  I'll have another think.


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EV3 T Rex problems
I am new to this and I need some help with  the moveabsolute block which is described in Chapter 16 of Daniele Benedetelli's book. In figure 16 - 2 he describes the block and here is my problem: I cannot find the first symbol all the way to the left in figure 16-2 . I believe it is called  "connection " or "connector" .   Right of that symbol  is the symbol "speed" followed "degree" and "brake"
Where do I find this symbol  "connection or connector"?
Where do I find this block or do I have to assemble it myself ?
If I have to assemble that block myself - how do I do that ?

Is there any chance you could include a picture of the figure in question?

The Lego Mindstorms EV3 Laboratory by Daniele Benedettelli

Open / create the EV3 program for the T-Rex
add the motor rotation, math and large motor blocks to your program. Don't search for the first block.
Select the 3 blocks you just added.
Select My Block Builder under tools menu. You get a new window
Give the block a name.
In the top half of the screen click the button add or edit parameters 4 times (4 Connections)
On the parameter setup tab you must changes the values according the book.
Under Parameter Icons tab you can add some icons to the different parameters.
When finished select the finish button

Now the My Block will be created and opened. Here you see that the first connection block is added. Now you can add the different signal lines.
In your main / used program the 3 blocks are replaced by your My Block

Thanks a lot Zeph and Joost ! Unfortunately I cannot add a picture.

Loost, could you explain a little more detailed what you mean by "...add the different blocks you want in your MyBlock to the editing screen, select them"   My problem that I cannot find that symbol  "connection, or connector "  which is displayed in figure 16 -2

Joost, could you explain a little more detailed what you mean by "...add the different blocks you want in your MyBlock to the editing screen, select them"   My problem that I cannot find that symbol  "connection, or connector "  which is displayed in figure 16 -2   You can also explain in German if that makes it easier , thank you again !

I tried to clarify my answer. I hope this will explain how to create the My Block and how you get the connection block

Joost,  thank you very much for answering so detailed. Great help !! I will try your steps and let you know how it works.


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Opera house 10234 book 2 instruction 20 left hand side and then 22 has got me stumped. Can't figure out how these pieces fit. Please help
Opera house 10234 book 2 instruction 20 left hand side and then instruction 22 has got me stumped. I am not sure whether there is a space between the "high 2 and the blue 4. Please help

There is indeed 1 stud between both parts.
The gray 2x1 is on the yellow 1x1 and 1 stud of the brown 6x1, than there is 1 free stud on the brown piece. The blue brick is on the remaining 4 studs of the 6x1


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Mindstorms EV3 PC application won't load
Installed Mindstorms EV3 application on MS Windows 7 Home Premium v6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) and I keep getting the same error message when launching.
A white window pops up with the following:
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 has detected a problem during application launch. Press OK to close the application and get more information about fixing the problem.
There is only a single "OK" button to press and it then launches the web browser to a lego page link which cannot be found.
I have checked with Lego tech support and they suggested the issue was with MS Silverlight which I un-installed and re-installed along with the EV3 application... all to no avail.
Any ideas?

I have the same problem, did you find a solution?

To my surprise, re-installing Silverlight did resolve the issue for me on .Windows 10)

I had this problem with windows 10.  Installing the latest silverlight from here: https://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx did the trick

This also works for fixing Mac OSX

Try this guide I found in the LEGO Education Website:  https://education.lego.com/en-us/support/mindstorms-ev3/software-launch-issues

If the program opens but loading appears the whole time, just open a new program and save it... and open it again, it will work.
This is a glitch.

You will need Exit the application then remove the folder
C:\Users\LegoLeague\AppData\Local\LEGO\MINDSTORMS EV3
Then restart the EV3 Mindstorm application


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Question about a Lego Compatible brand with "B L" logo
My son has a small orange and grey space ship building set. It has two astronauts with it. The logo on the bricks shows the letters "B L" on them. We're trying to find instructions online so that he can put it back together. I'm not familiar with this brand and I have no idea where the gift was purchased. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

My guess is:
bestlock construction bricks, a inferior lego clone brand
Best-lock
logo should be this

the only grey and orange set i found

Space ship
couldn't find the instructions

Could it be this one?

http://web.archive.org/web/20160410154631/http://commandercottontail.com/index.php/blog/get_post?id=12
If so, I included some photos of the instructions about halfway down in that review.