text:
Which sets use "white brick 2 x 1 with a skid"
let me ask you for a partnumber of part I have found at home and cannot join to any set.
The color is white - brick 1 x 2 with added ramp.
I have the part twice, so I am looking for the set where it was used.

Do the added blue patterns in the picture have any relevance to your question ? Do your parts maybe have a pattern or sticker on them ? If so, could you provide a picture of the actual part(s) you're looking at ?

The blue markings indicate missing material.

Looking at the blue markings in your image it will probably be 2823 - Technic Forklift Fork.

It is used in white in four sets.

That part type is a 6x1 curved slope.
Have a look at https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=curved+slope+6x1&color=1&tab=A#T=A - it lists that piece type, in white, that have either a printed pattern or sticker. See if any of the entries match what you have. Alternately, see if you can provide a photo of the piece in question, or a link to a photo hosted elsewhere.

That was not the question.

@Davidw : while it's likely the blue markings indicate cutouts, they could also indicate a pattern, or might be entirely irrelevant. In the latter two cases, this answer is appropriate. We need the op to disambiguate the question to be 100% sure.

@SanderDeDycker They clarified the meaning of the markings in the comments...

@Davidw : the comment you refer to was posted by a different user. Unless that user has inside information, it appears to be just their best guess presented as fact.


text:
mindstorms ris2 on XP memory error
I have installed mindstorms ris 2.0 on an XP system. Initially it worked fine now I get an “insufficient memory” error. I have reinstalled and tried a different hard drive. No change. Possibly the usb tower is plugged into a different port, should this matter? Any ideas?

I honestly feel really bad you're having so much trouble getting this working for your grandson. I have a classroom set of Robotics Invention System kits I still use to teach robotics, and it's really frustrating the hoops we have to jump through to get the software working on even semi-modern hardware. Kudos to you for sticking to it!

Thanks for that. I started out teaching this back in 99 had a classroom set that worked well also used Dacta, which I still have an interface but want to get two copies of Mindstorms working first.

In response to the error:
"A critical error has occurred. You may be running out of memory, or you may need to reinstall Robotics Invention System 2.0"

This is a bug with the Quicktime version (4.0?) installed with Mindstorms. Two possible solutions:

https://wittykeegan.blogspot.com/2011/12/running-lego-mindstorms-ris-20-on-newer.html
https://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind0911&L=VADCFLL-L&E=quoted-printable&P=1799439&B=--0-2097542931-1259040070%3D%3A26632&T=text%2Fhtml;%20charset=utf-8

To summarize:

Delete the following temporary file. You may need to make Hidden Folders visible to see the AppData/Application Data folder:
Vista/Win7: C:\Users<user>\AppData\Local\Temp\Ris 2.0.mov.#res
XP: C:\Documents and Settings<user>\Application Data\Temp\Ris 2.0.mov.#res

In some cases Step 1 fixes the problem entirely. Sometimes the file reappears and the error message returns. In this case, it's helpful to have a script which automatically deletes the file and launches Robotics Invention System. Copy the following code into notepad, then save as "LaunchRIS.bat":

@echo off

rem Author: Keegan Witt
rem Description: Deletes temp file that prevents RIS 2.0 from launching correctly on newer versions of Windows then launches RIS 2.0

del "%TEMP%\Ris 2.0.mov.#res"
if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == x86 (
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\LEGO MINDSTORMS\RIS 2.0\LaunchRis2.exe"
) else (
    "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\LEGO MINDSTORMS\RIS 2.0\LaunchRis2.exe"
)

Make sure this is saved as a .bat and not a .txt! In notepad's Save-As dialog box, select filetype "All Files" before you type in "LaunchRIS.bat" so it doesn't automatically add the .txt extension.
Double click the script to run it. For convenience, you can make a shortcut to LaunchRIS.bat and use that instead of the default shortcut. You can even change the icon back to the yellow RCX brick by selecting the LaunchRIS2.exe executable in the shortcut properties.

If the problem persists, it's possible you already have a later version of Quicktime installed which is conflicting with the version installed by RIS. Open the add/remove programs menu from the Windows control panel to see what Quicktime versions are on your system. Then do the following:

Uninstall all versions of Quicktime
Reinstall Quicktime 4 from the RIS installer
Reinstall the later version of Quicktime to a different install directory so the two versions can coexist better

Thanks for that I will try it but I think I have found an easier fix. I have set up another user and it seems to be working on that…….almost, it won’t recognise the usb tower…yet. I am working on that.

Possibly try reinstalling the USB tower driver? I know there was at least one revision after RIS 2.0 was released. See here: https://www.philohome.com/sdk25/sdk25.htm

Thanks for that have downloaded. The working second user has now stoped with the same memory error grrrrrrrr

The troublesome temporary file I described above reappears when RIS is launched. Have you tried deleting it yet? You may not even need to go past step 1 to fix this.

No temp directory found. I did a file search and that did not find the file. Reinstalled QuickTime from mindstorms and now get an error “QuickTime error detected, please reinstall QuickTime from RIS” tried several times same error. Any other ideas ?

Got it working with QuickTime installed from the mindstorms folder. First, though I couldn’t find the files shown above, I did a search for all QuickTime files on C:, there were lots in various directories, and deleted them all! I reinstalled mindstorms, without QuickTime then did a separate install of QT. So far that works. The tower is not working yet but that is next when I have tried starting the computer and MS a few time to ensure the QT error has gone.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Black Universal Joints
I'm seeking black universal joints for a project. Do these exist in genuine LEGO form? I'm guessing the answer is no, despite hints (here and here). Ideally, I'd like the 3L size.

Do you know of a non-LEGO source that sells black u-joints?
Do you know if dying the standard gray LEGO u-joints black is possible, especially given that these parts are relatively small and complex?
Do you know if any rapid manufacturing process, e.g., 3D printing, could produce a nice u-joint?

They don't show up as black in any inventory, but that doesn't rule their existence out. But they do seem unlikely to be available by the usual not-in-set means (test bricks, Pick-a-Brick wall, etc.). As far as coloring, I'd think it'd be a lot easier to dye (or paint) something light to be black instead of the other way around.

I'd also recommend searching for "build your own lego universal joint" - some of the solutions may be exactly what you're looking for.

@RSchulz I don't see why you couldn't post your comments as an answer.

Don't think painting UJ's is a good idea, the hinge points are rather small and paint likely would add friction there or glue the hinge points fixed...

@RSchulz I don’t think a build-your-own would work for my project. I’m looking for the 3L u-joint specifically.

@Alex I appreciate the note of confidence, but I was hoping someone would have something positive and more helpful to say. Mine is all speculation and doom and gloom. And I agree with (no at allowed) Michael Verschaeve that this part seems like the worst case scenario for painting.

There is one on thingiverse. I haven't tried it.

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


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How can I prevent rubber bands disintegrating?
These two answers partially answer this question., but I think it's worth its own question to find more options in a more comprehensive answer.

Old Lego rubber bands are known to become brittle over time and break. The two questions linked above indicate that exposure to oxygen or light is the cause, and that sealing rubber bands in an airtight bag is one solution.
In my experience it has only been rubber bands with a square cross-section that decay. I have not (yet) had one break with a round cross-section.
What other ways are there to safely keep rubber bands for long periods of time, both for storage and display?

I don't think you can keep square rubber bands from breaking. They are clearly made of different material than round ones, that seem to deteriorate with time due to chemical processes.

In addition to exposure to heat and UV light (as highlighted in the linked question):

Temperature fluctuations can cause the rubber to expand and contract which will weaken the rubber.
Certain cleaning solvents used on the model may cause damage to the material, it might be best to remove the rubber bands when cleaning models.

There are specific rubber coatings available that can help maintain the elasticity and flexibility of rubber bands. One particular product that I am familiar with for rubber band magic is 'Elastraflex' which is quite pricey and may not necessarily work for rubber bands manufactured by LEGO.
Unfortunately unlike LEGO bricks, rubber bands have a much shorter lifespan when in use or in storage due to the nature of their material.
It may be more economical to buy a pack of non-LEGO rubber bands that have similar properties to LEGO-made bands and storing unused bands in sealed plastic bags. There is a good study of review of alternative options here.


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Identification tool for LEGO parts
I wounder if a lego part identification tool or POC already exist?
I would like to try to build a small POC software using a such recognition concept. Where should I look first?

Possible duplicate of https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/550/13403 and/or https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/6064/13403 :-)

See also https://brickit.app/ - although details of the internal workings are rather scarce. And read https://towardsdatascience.com/machine-learning-lego-image-recognition-using-virtual-data-and-yolov3-f12e0544012 too.

Instabrick has been around for a couple of years. That is the only product that I'm aware of that has actually made it to market, though plenty of other people have talked about building their own.


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Identify helmets from LEGO Bionicle
I found these LEGO Bionicle helmets when looking through a box in my attic. I want to identify the corresponding sets.

Could you get a higher resolution picture with better lighting - especially for the second to last on the first row ?

Top-left is part 50931 "Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Vakama", which appears in two sets in dark red.

Next to its right is 53584 "LegoBionicle Mask Ignika (Vezon)". Judging from the colour, I'd say it's from set 8764-1.

Next is 52806 "Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Matau" from set 8740-1.

Next, I cannot identify the green (lime green? bright green?) spiky one, but fellow user Sander de Dycker identified it as 57553pb01 "Bionicle Head, Barraki Ehlek with Marbled Lime Pattern", in transparent green, which appears in two sets.

Next is 52818 "Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Onewa" from set 8739-1.

Next one is too dark in the photograph to tell apart any identifying details. But fellow user Matthew Jensen thinks it might be 50927 "Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Whenua" from set 8738-1. It's difficult to be 100% sure without a better photograph, though.

Last one on the top row is 78180 "Bionicle Mask Jutlin with Black Top (Shapeshifted)" from set 8691-1.

Bottom row. First is part 50931 "Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Vakama" (same as top row) in dark green, from set 8940-1.
Second one is 64786 "Bionicle Mask Suletu - Flexible Rubber" from set 8731-1

Next is 45682 "Bionicle Mask Huna (Toa Metru)" which appears in 7 sets.

Next one is 46479 "Bionicle Mask Ruru (Toa Metru)" in dark blue, from set 8940-1.

For the next one, I wasn't able to find any masks/heads in orange with brown on top. Fellow user Sander de Dycker pointed out that it's dark red with orange in the face, instead: part 57531pb01 "Bionicle Mask Arthron with Orange Face" from set 8911-1.

Last one in the bottom row is 78570 "Bionicle Mask Radiak with Black Top" from set 8947-1.

In general: Doing a reverse image search from a cropped portion of the photograph usually yields good results, but it's easier to do when the photograph is taken with a white background, good lighting to minimize shadows, and closer up (macro photography would help a lot). Unfortunately a carpet background doesn't help much, as happens with the black mask/head.
Otherwise, bricklink searches for "bionicle head" and "bionicle mask" with the advanced search option of filtering by colour do provide short lists of parts which are quick to look through. The downside is that one needs to know the exact lego colour of the part, which is not always an easy task (as happens with the bright green spiky one and the pearly orange one).

Second to last on the bottom row looks like Dark Red Bionicle Mask Arthron with Orange Face.

Fourth on the top row looks like Trans-Green Bionicle Head, Barraki Ehlek with Marbled Lime Pattern

@SanderDeDycker I've edited my answer with the information you provided. Thanks for identifying those elusive parts!

Sixth on top row appears to be Bionicle Head, Toa Hordika Whenua


text:
Identification green plane-tail-like pieces
Any idea from which set these pieces do come from?

Welcome to Brick.SE.  Thanks for the clear picture with a nice background of a different color than the part. :)

These are Sand Green Tail Shuttle pieces, found only in 2509: Earth Dragon Defense - exactly 4 pieces per set:

Out of curiosity how did you identify them?

@ThorbjørnRavnAndersen I recognized the shuttle tail piece from my own Space Shuttle set, and started with looking up 2x3 modified plates. There were way too much of those, so I focused on the colour instead and got a hunch that it has Ninjago dragon vibes. From there it was quite straightforward.


text:
Very unusual-shaped piece - large octagon, recessed, with alternating panels and 4 stud sections
Does anyone know the name or number for this Lego part. I've searched and searched but can't find it:

This is part 2618 - Cockpit 10 x 10 x 4 Octagonal with Axle Hole which was produced from 1999 to 2009 and comes in 8 sets.

Thank you so much, Phil! You are an absolute diamond!

@rez9000 If the answer has helped you, please mark it as accepted.


text:
What LEGO piece is above the blaster with clip?

I can’t seem to find this exact piece. I was wondering if you could help me find it?

Those black stripes tell me that the image is a still from a video, and I'm assuming it's from the 2022 "Skywalker Saga" videogame. It'd be nice to have a reference to the original video in order to give a bit more context to the question.

Looks exactly like the microphone minifig utensil:

https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=90370
However according to bricklink, it does not exist in blue.
Then again, neither does a technic half pin come in lime, so this is likely a render than an actual build
Update: There was a question about the blaster with clip in the comments, that blaster does exist:

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=15445
But again it does not come in the color depicted, just black and dark bluish gray

Thank you. That’s a shame. I’ll just use other colours

Isn't there no clip like that, either (a double clip)?

@Davidw. updated my answer in response to your question

Ah, I was thinking it was one of the (better looking) more traditional Star Wars style blasters.

Definitely a render (probably from the 2022 Skywalker Saga video game), the minifig geometry, the lighting, and the materials are all dead giveaways (even aside from the color mismatch with real parts).

Green and blue are weird colors for a gun anyhow.  I don't think they were ever depicted in those colors in any of the films (though maybe in the LEGO Star Wars shorts - I haven't watched all of those.)

@DarrelHoffman, I don't think bananas were depicted in the films either

I think that's with the "Comedy Weapons" option enabled - this turns the weapons into silly "everyday" items - Han's blaster is a banana, and I think this is supposed to be a water-pistol (i.e. a Super Soaker or similar).


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If we threw every single LEGO piece ever manufactured into a pile, how big would the pile be?
My cursory research of LEGO tells me that the manufacturing of plastic LEGO bricks began in Denmark in 1947. If we were somehow able to obtain every single LEGO piece ever created since 1947 and make a pile of them, roughly how big would the pile be? Would it fill 10 Olympic-sized pools, maybe?

10 pools? Based on the amounts of LEGO I've seen, I would assume, it will take less than a year.

Somebody can probably make some estimates from the data in https://www.fi.edu/sites/default/files/PressKit_ArtOfTheBrick_Quirky_LEGO_Facts.pdf: 1/ The company has made 400 billion LEGO elements or 62 bricks for every person on the planet. 2/ If stacked on top of one another, the pieces would form 10 towers reaching all the way from the Earth to the Moon. 3/ The LEGO bricks sold in one year would circle the world 5 times.

It's definitely hard to give any accurate numbers, but let's try some rough estimates.
On one hand, user Grover from the EuroBricks forum points out (emphasis mine):

I have around 200,000 bricks in my collection. [...] I wound up with a bunch of [boxes with] dimension: 33.78 x 37.78 x 40.00 cm (~45L).  If I pack the bricks into these until they are full, it takes about 20 boxes to hold the collection [...].  No idea what the weight is on that, but if you consider 10,000 pcs/45L of volume, that might give you a rough estimate.

On the other hand, the "Art of the Brick Quirky LEGO Facts" document linked by DavidPostill says (again, emphasis mine):

The company has made 400 billion LEGO elements or 62 bricks for every person on the planet.

I'm assuming short-scale billions (109), not long scale billions (1012). Billions are confusing.
Putting the numbers together we've got 1 800 000 000 litres (or 1.8×109 litres, or 1.8 million cubic meters).
Punching that figure into wolfram alpha provides a few amusing comparisons: that's 1.7 Empire State Buildings, or a cube with 122-meter-long edges.
But you're not interested in cubes. You ask:

If we [...] make a pile of them, roughly how big would the pile be?

Assuming that your pile is a cone with its radius equal to its height (i.e. it has a 45° slope), and doing the numbers, that would be a cone 120 meters high and 240 meters wide.
You also ask:

Would it fill 10 Olympic-sized pools, maybe?

A standard-sized Olympic swimming pool is (at least) 50×25×2 meters or 2.5 million litres. Doing the math throws out a rough estimate of (at most) 720 standard-sized Olympic swimming pools.

Again: these are very rough estimates based on the information linked above. It's possible that there's a more accurate estimate if more reliable numbers are used.
In particular, it should be possible to do a query to the bricklink database, and get the amount of parts for sale, per part; that should give an idea of how the different parts are distributed (i.e. "how many 1x1 tiles are there for each 2x4 brick?"). Normalize those numbers to bump the total to the "400×109" figure. As bricklink has data about the dimensions of each part, it should be possible to get a good estimate, maybe getting rid of very large parts along the way. Do not forget about the packing fraction, too.

That is a lot of plastic

It's not that much, if you put it into perspective. ABS plastic is 1kg per litre, so the mass of ABS plastic ever used in lego can be estimated as 1.8 million metric tons. The yearly production of plastic (in general, not just ABS) is estimated at 360 million tons. All of lego ever is ~0.5% of a year's plastic.


text:
What is the procedure for connecting PoweredUp remote to Boost motor brick?
I have a PoweredUp remote from Passenger Train 60197 and the motor-brick from Boost Creative Toolbox 17101.
Sometimes I can connect the remote to the motor, sometimes I can't. When I do manage to connect the remote, sometimes it controls A and B (the main motors on the brick) sometimes it controls C and D (the external ports on the brick)
Is there a specific sequence of buttons to press to guarantee a connection and guarantee that it controls A and B?
I have read about firmware updates and have connected both the remote and the brick to my phone using the Android PoweredUp app, but don't know how to tell if firmware updates are required.
Just to be clear the aim is to control the brick from the remote without using an Android phone.

This video from Hispabrick magazine demonstrates it perfectly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHv8or2GnFE
PRESS and RELEASE the green buttons on both devices and WAIT until they connect, the lights on the devices will match.
Lots of people have problems with this step, either they keep the buttons pressed (which will cause the devices to switch themselves off) or they don't have the patience to wait the couple of seconds until the devices connect and repress one of the buttons in which case the connection cycle restarts...
When connected there seem to be 3 modes:

mode 1 controls A and B, i.e. the internal motors
mode 2 controls B and A, i.e. the internal motors in reversed order
mode 3 controls the external ports C and D, you can connect various motors, but also a train motor and external leds. The latter two don't operate in bang-bang mode (all on or all off) but you can set the speed/intensity gradually...
There seems to be no mode where D and C or switched, or that an internal motor and external port are combined (e.g. "A and C" or "B and D")

You apparently cycle between the modes by shortly pressing (and releasing) the green button on both devices, the lights on the devices change (and match) when successful.
Regarding firmware updates, keep your app up to date on your Android device and it will automatically upload any firmware updates as soon as you connect a Powered Up device. You'll notice by the cycling colors the device displays while updating, it may take a few minutes,... It's a bad idea to interrupt any firmware update so please be patient.

Thank you for the quick and comprehensive answer!


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Identify brand of this non-LEGO 2x4 plate
I found this on my old desk and then I remembered that I used to buy fake LEGO sets with parts like this. Maybe someone knows what the name of the brand that produces parts like this (I don't know if it's made in China or not but mostly from there)
Edit: the scale is the same as the real LEGO pieces, it doesn't have any emblem on the stud or part id.
Edit2: okay i add another pic and a vehicle set with a sticker. I try to rebuild it as i could remember it
Edit3: it was Chaobao but i need your help to find some information about this brand

So, it fits with Lego? If not, could you include with a piece of Lego for scale? And please include a photo of the other side, since many manufacturers put an emblem in the stud (like Lego does with their logo).

Nope it's not fit, also there's no emblem either. The backside is the only clue to identify the brand

That looks suspiciously similar to the kawada/locbloc from this other question - not just the two strips, but the six small ridges at each side. It'd be nice to have a clear macro photograph of the top of the plate to see if there's an embossed logo as well.

there's nothing on the top of the plate/stud. that's why i took the picture only underside

Take a picture of the top anyways. And one by the side, to compare the height (and bevel) of the studs against known brands.

I've finally found it, It was Chaobao. I was searching through the images on google then i found this pic, i recognize those wheel and the slope pieces (it even had the same horizontal line on the pic above).
I'm really sure this was the brand but i need more information about this Chaobao because because they have no official website or anything.

That's a bit of a stretch - there might be other manufacturers with the same wheel mold. It is true, however, that chaobao seems to be using "slotted" plate undersides, as noted in https://www.reddit.com/r/buildingblocks/comments/2dr5vg/brand_highlight_chaobao/ckk35j1/?context=3

@IvanSanchez maybe, but i still need more info. Do you know someone who maybe listing every chaobao brick set?

Sadly set databases for clone brands are basically non-existant.  The most comprehensive resource I know of is Communist LEGO and they don't mention this brand that I've found.

@chicks Yeah, this is my only hope so that I can rebuild all of the fake lego set that I have


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Which bricks are still protected by copyright / trademark / patent law?
In 2010, The European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg validated a lower-court ruling, in favor of Canada's Mega Brands, that Lego's bricks can't be legally protected by trademark law because their two rows of interlocking studs are a functional, technical shape that cannot become the property of any one company.
In 2015, the ECJ rejected an attempt by Best-Lock, a UK-based toymaker, to appeal against the trademark protection of Lego’s figures, ruling that LEGO mini-figures should continue to be classed as protected shapes.
In December 2016, German toy manufacturer Delta Sport filed an application for the declaration of invalidity of design 001664368-0006, trademarked the with the EU since 2010, applying the same reasoning used by Mega Brands to win their lawsuit in 2010. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) initially sided with Delta Sport in 2019, but this ruling would later be overruled by the General Court of the European Union (EGC).
What is the impact of these lawsuits on items sold by brands such as Qman, BlueBrixx, Cobi & 3DWise, or artists like Stefano Bolcato or Andy Morris (aka "Little Big Art")?
To which degree is one legally allowed to produce and/or sell LEGO-compatible bricks or artworks inspired by LEGO?

Don't you think there's a huge difference between "LEGO-compatible bricks" and "artworks inspired by LEGO"?

@RobbieGoodwin : Is there? Both are essentially derivative creations inspired by LEGO products or components or LEGO products. The whole distinction between "art", "merch" and "toy" is rather arbitrary IMO...

Sorry John. I still think there's a huge difference, and I now realise this is one place where that doesn't matter. a jot.

@RobbieGoodwin : Can you please elaborate? In what way is there a huge difference, in your opinion? And why do you believe it doesn't matter? You completely lost me here, with your train of thought...

Sorry I Posted that before realising it doesn't matter here. Broadly, bricks are bricks. I took "artworks inspired by LEGO" to mean "models built using LEGO or compatible bricks". I failed to see through that tenuous wording to the fact that "artworks inspired by LEGO" might be both a sophisticated attempt at describing simple bricks, and in other circumstances a more mundane term for models specifically designed by LEGO. I now see that while those are three, very different things, the difference doesn't matter here.

@RobbieGoodwin : When I'm talking about "artworks inspired by LEGO", I'm refering first and foremost to paintings / prints like those made by Stefano Bolcato & Andy Morris, jumbo-sized mini-builds like these flowers by 3DWise & this human-sized money tile by Andy Morris, etc.

Thanks and sorry to point out, that makes things less clear. I doubt LEGO could claim copyright to any of those linked examples… but the artists would.

Copyright applies when any work is created, even if it is based on other copyright works.  If the derivative work can't get a license from the underlying copyright holder, then fair use or the first-sale doctrine may cover it.

This is a complex topic. If you are considering designing a LEGO-compatible product, you may want to consult a lawyer who is an expert in this area. With that in mind, here's my attempt at an answer.
Terms
First we'll define some terms. From Wikipedia:
Copyright

A type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy and distribute a creative work, usually for a limited time.

Trademark

A type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others.

Patent

A type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention.

Industrial Design Right or Design Patent

An intellectual property right that protects the visual design of objects that are not purely utilitarian.

It is very easy to get these mixed up.
Trademark never expires, and relates to a specific design or mark that identifies a product or brand. The shape of the LEGO minifigure is trademarked. The word "LEGO" is also trademarked.
The "Red LEGO Brick" judgement from 2010 struck down the idea that the shape of the 2x4 LEGO brick could be trademarked. The reasoning behind this decision was that the shape is functional and it would not be possible for another company to design another shape that functioned in the same manner without being essentially the same item.
Copyright rarely applies to functional designs like building blocks. It is used for purely creative works. It may apply in the case of box art, instructions, or complete set designs.
Patents cover novel and non-obvious functional inventions. The stud and tube design was successfully patented in 1958 and the patent has since expired.

Design patents are a bit different than regular patents. They still represent novel and non-obvious functional inventions, but can be granted for a different visual structure that performs a similar function to prior art. For example, the Coke bottle was covered by a now expired design patent, but is still covered under trademark:

The 2016 Application for Declaration of Invalidity that you mentioned revolves around a registered community design (RCD). I believe that this is an EU legal structure that is effectively a design patent or industrial design right.
The application referenced the 2010 2x4 brick trademark case. The rationale for denying this request to have the RCD invalidated was partially based on the arguments related to trademark in that case not applying to an RCD. Trademark should rarely apply only to specific non-functional design elements, otherwise the patent system need not exist as entities could simply permanently trademark everything they design. Patents can be more broad in the designs they cover, as they allow only for a limited period of exclusive use.
In practice, very few elements appear to be eligible trademark. The minifig is the most common one that I'm aware of. The 2010 case makes it clear that regular bricks are generally not eligible for trademark protections, even bricks like the 2x4 that are iconic and largely synonymous with the idea of a LEGO brick.
That implies that most element designs will fall under patent law rather than trademark. In order to be eligible for a patent, the design must be novel and non-obvious. If a patent is awarded for a design, it will typically be protected for some number of years, typically on the order of about 25. Here's an example of a recent LEGO element patent:

The patent on that design is expected to expire in 2034.
One may think that in order to make elements that are free of patent infringement, it would be sufficient to be aware of all of TLG's non-expired patents. However, anyone can be granted a patent for a LEGO-compatible element. Here's another recent patent:

That patent was awarded to Mega Brands, so even TLG can't make that element until the patent expires in 2036. Unfortunately, determining which designs are patent infringing currently and which are not is non-trivial, and there is a reason these companies have legal teams.
Thankfully, there is a somewhat simpler answer to the question:
If an element already exists, and was created long enough ago that its patent would have expired in the jurisdiction of interest, it should be free to use.
This does assume that the element is not eligible for trademark protection, but it seems that most are not. Anyone can manufacture and sell a LEGO-compatible 2x4 brick in a product. All other common building elements that were around in the 80s, or obvious extensions of these elements such as the 1x5 plate, should also be fine. Beyond that, it gets complicated.

Out of curiosity, what is the purpose of that last block?  I can see what it does - placing the brick on the left causes the brick on the right to pop off, and vice versa.  But what would you need that for?  There's easier ways of separating bricks that don't require designing everything around that bulky mechanism, and it doesn't look like that'd pop them off with enough force to make a fun little catapult or anything like that.

@DarrelHoffman Both bricks could be part of separate moving mechanisms. First thing that comes to mind would be two ferris wheels, that are side by side, but should only move when the other has one gondola on the ground. So pressing one gondola into the ground, would release the other one to rotate further. Or releasing something on a zip line? Basically manual activation/unlocking of a moving mechanism.

@Minix Maybe?  But it looks like you'd just wind up with a loose brick, higher by the height of just the pegs.  Seems to me there are plenty of easier ways to accomplish that, but I'd have to see it in action.

@DarrelHoffman Owning a patent does not necessitate manufacturing the protected design. Might be that Mega has realised the same thing you did, but after submitting the patent application.

@jncraton : Thanks for your detailed answer. With respect to your initial remark, I am indeed contemplating starting a business that involves both LEGO-compatible items (similar to BrickArms) or derivative products (similar to Little Brick Art & 3DWise), targeting the AFOL-community. And I guess I'm trying to figure out how to avoid stepping into a legal minefield...

@JohnSlegers Good stuff. I hope that the new venture goes well! From what I've seen, TLG is much more likely to go after trademark and whole set copyright infringement than any element patent issues. This is especially true for small startup ventures run by AFOLs filling a niche in the community. There is literally a display case of those sorts of products at the US HQ in Enfield. TLG tends to have a positive relationship with those sorts of businesses as long as there's no trademark infringement.

@jncraton : TLG did go after the 3D printing community a while ago, getting 3D-printable files of LEGO parts folks were sharing for free removed with takedown notices. They also had 2 T-shirts removed that I was selling on RedBubble a few years ago, with respectively a minifig & a minifig head on 'em. This kind of actions is what makes me rather reluctant to even touch anything LEGO-related for my business...

@JohnSlegers TLG does protect their trademarks (logo, minifig likeness, etc) as both of those take downs show. This is quite different then going after the design of individual building elements.

@jncraton I can see the parrot being covered by trademark, but the blaster doesn't seem to be a good example of this. It is made of two simple LEGO parts that have been around since the 80s and the LEGO mark is not present on them.

@jncraton That said, there was no legal decision in that case. It was a takedown request, and the site decided to honor it. It may be that the claim of the blaster being trademarked wouldn't be defensible.


text:
NXT - Mirror motor rotation
I'm trying to make a program in NXT 2.0 that mirrors the (manual) movements of one motor to another.
I managed to start motor B running in the right direction but I am having trouble controlling the number of degrees. I tried using the degree output of the sensor as input for the motor but it doesn't work: the B motor moves a bit but not the same amount of motor A.

So I tried with a loop instead: rotate motor B until its position is equal to motor A.

The second solution works slightly better but is still not precise.
Any suggestions?

i am not familiar with NXT programming, but is there no way to tell a motor to go to a specific position?

@user253751 doesn't look like it's possible. I can only set the amount of degrees,  rotations or time

position would be degrees? I don't know whether if you say degrees 90, it means rotate BY 90 degrees (from wherever it currently is), or rotate TO exactly 90 degrees (so it goes to the same place every time).

@user253751 it (should) rotates of the given degrees from the current position

Maybe calculate the position of motor B minus the position of motor A, and move motor A that number of degrees?

@user253751 I've tried that already. I'm passing the value to the motor but it doesn't move the right amount.

A good way to do this is to use a control algorithm with feedback to control the position of the second motor. You can research "PID" to learn how to make your own.
Or if you want an out-of-the-box experience, there is a PID block from HiTechnic available that does this. It can be downloaded from here (search for "PID"). There is also a YouTube video showing how the block works.

That's great! I didn't know you could program your own blocks. Is there a guide on how to create them?

This sounds like a great question that others might be interested in. So you should ask it as a new question rather than in the comments. :-)


text:
Which brand made clone bricks with "HL" on the studs?
This brand also copied some of the original lego sets such as 8418, 8150, and 8151(weirdly its colored in red rather than blue)
I don't need you to identify what's this part is, i just wanna know the brand's name

I haven't been able to find anything with HL or with 7H. Is it possible the writing is Cyrillic?

Could be, i don't know either

I tried to search a bit with 7H in cyrillic but did not find anything (and there is no letter looking like L in cyrillic)

It's "HL" then. This quite hard tho...

I answered my own question, twice. But i finally found it. It was Brick Intellect, but why the name on the stud was "HL" instead of "BI/BL" or "BT" as it show on to picture where the B and T are marked red


text:
4.5v/12v connector contact problems
I have pulled out several 1970s and 1980s 4.5v and 12v motors/trains from my childhood for my children to play with. Everything is working pretty well, except that we have recurring contact problems plugging the cables into either a battery box, motor, or transformer. A lot of wiggling is needed to make the connection, and it's hard to keep the motor turning without holding the connector in place.
Since the plugs just seem to be metal cylinders, I assume the sockets must have some kind of spring that has worn out. Do you have any advice on rejuvenating them? I don't want to try to replace all the motors and power supplies :)

At least with 1980s grey cables, the pins on the plugs are split, and if the four segments of the pin get pushed together the connection becomes loose. Gently easing the segments apart with the tip of a small electrical screwdriver or the blade of a penknife restores the plugs' tight fit -- but don't force them apart too far, or you may damage the pin.

I'd suggest a razor blade or very thin bladed knife.  Unless the gap's a lot wider than I remember even a small flat bladed screw driver is going to be too thick if you accidentally push it in all the way.

You are absolutely right, I don't know how I managed to get confused about the plug pins. I blame brain fog. I was able to spread them with a tiny screwdriver and things are much better now. Sorry for wasting your time!


text:
Looking for a PC controlled motor that allows for very small and precise movements
The image below is a LEGO specimen stage designed for a stereo microscope.  I am looking for a recommendation for a PC controlled motors that allows for very small and precise movements.
I want use the motors attached to my specimen stage to make a very small height adjustment and then I want to send a command and capture an image from the camera-mounted to the microscope.
Here is the workflow I hope to achieve by motorizing the specimen stage:

On KeyPress (from with C# Windows application)

Activate stepper motor, adjust height (z-axis) by 100-200 µm
(maybe 2-4 steps in a 200 step per revolution motor)
Wait 200 ms (allow time for vibrations from movement to stop)
Activate Camera - capture an image
Save image (auto-named) to my folder.

Possibly using SDK like:
https://github.com/pololu/pololu-usb-sdk
Any Suggestions?

Working solution:
The picture with the stepper motor on the input:

Full View:

What is "very small" ? How precise ? Did you account for the inherent slack in the system from the gearing (turning the first gear in a series of connected gears needs some movement before the last gear in the series starts moving) ? Does it need to be immediately reactive (is it allowed for the movement to take a while to occur and/or complete) ?

Worm gears are usually slow, but quite accurate.

My first thought would be to hook a servo motor to an Arduino board, and use the Arduino's serial-over-usb capabilities to receive commands from a computer. However, the slack inherent in technic gears is gonna be an order of magnitude larger than the precision of any half-decent servo. If the goal is to raise/lower the platform repeatidly, two chained worm gears might be a better option.

The slack in the technic gears are a problem.  I am currently minimizing this affect by always adjusting upward because weight of the stage  + slack of the gears does cause the platform to drop when adjusting the height downward

That's why newer designed gears to fix this issue.

LEGO gears were never designed to be precise so there always going to be some slack. But as I mentioned, you can achieve reasonable accuracy with worm gears. This would work if you want to make fine adjustment in single direction - while doing so you will have all gearing connected snugly, thus reducing any slack. But if you moved something to far and need to move it back a little then all gearing will come out of accurate setup until you reduce slack in opposite direction.

Ok I need to my improvements

Should I use a stepper motor or servo motor or are these the same. Can someone help me understand the differences?  thx

The stepper motor is an open loop motor with gear like rotor that rotates otayes in steps (not continuously going) and servo used a position sensor that rotates by an gearbox until exactly at X degrees

I don't have any motors with positioning systems.

Or I don't have a 3D printer to make adapters

You could always build your own stepper motor from a regular lego motor, eg. one of sariel's designs.

this is too much adjusting the x y movement, but you can use LEGO motors with a rotation sensor that you can use as a servo.

i don't have a knob wheel in my parts

i don't have enough parts for my improvements like fewer gears or anything

delayed, pls wait for an answer to my fans..

Lego gear teeth have a pitch of 3.2mm (I did not measure. Maybe trust the www?)
You want .2mm or 200 µm.
3.2mm / .2mm = 16
Worm gears provide this with 360 degrees/16 = 13.5 degrees
I'd suggest 4 motors, each driving one set of worm gears on the four corners of the platform being raised/lowered. Of course, you may not have four motors. Adding a gear train will lower the accuracy. There are 40 tooth gears, that when combined with the 8 tooth gears could work. The worm gears are tricky, they need to be braced; their symmetry is not obvious.
Interesting problem.


text:
Weird "reflection" when rendering on BrickLink Studio
When I was rendering my train MOC build, I noticed a weird "reflection" on every black piece. What is this? Are the resolution or quality too low?


text:
Is there a guide on how to code custom blocks for NXT?
The answer to a previous question pointed to "custom blocks for NXT". I am not talking about creating "My Blocks" in the "Custom Palette", but code blocks that can be imported into LEGO Mindstorms NXT.
Are there tools to code these custom blocks available to the public? Where can I get them?

Custom blocks are created using National Instruments LabView software. The instructions for how to do this are still available at https://download.ni.com/evaluation/mindstorms/NXT_Creating_MINDSTORMS_Blocks.pdf.
After some digging, I was able to find https://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-Labs-Toolkits/NI-LabVIEW-for-LEGO-MINDSTORMS-LabVIEW-Module-for-LEGO/ta-p/3516439?profile.language=en which looks like it still has download links that work.
I haven't actually tried installing and running anything though.

The link for LabView is a dead end but I found it here: http://www.ni.com/download/labview-development-system-7.1/3578/en/


text:
Different shades of Transparent colors for Lego part 30602
I have two 30602 lego parts that look slightly different. The top one is "transparent black" but the bottom is a bit darker. Does anybody know what's going on here? I'm trying to identify which set is the bottom part coming from.

I'm not at all certain, but is it possible the top one is just Transparent (Trans Clear), and the bottom one is the Transparent Black? Could you re-take the photo on a white background?

This is, most likely, a production inconsistency or caused by aging.


text:
What sets are these black curved pieces with fine-lined stickers from?
I got these pieces recently and would appreciate any help finding out which LEGO sets they are from.

These are:

Wedge 6 x 4 Triple Curved with Scales Pattern Model Right (Sticker)

from set 8075: Neptune Carrier
and

Wedge 8 x 3 x 2 Open Left with Long Orange Claw Pattern (Sticker)

from set 8076: Deep Sea Striker

Thank you so much :)

Coincidentally both nautical-themed, though you wouldn't guess that at first glance...


text:
What set is this bag from? Black, white, technic
Here are some pictures of the front and back of the bag:

It appears to be a bag from set 70815 Super Secret Police Dropship.

I recognised these two parts from the bag:

and used BrickLink's set finder to find sets with both parts.

Well! I had no idea BrickLink had such a thing, or I wouldn't have written my own.

I didn't know it existed either, until this question prompted me to see if it existed. There is a certain charm in using one's own code.


text:
I would like to check on a step in the BMW M 1000 RR build
A bit of a silly question here really but I am assuming the three decals in step 523 are simply three different options you can choose from for that piece ?

Assuming you're referring to set 42130 - BMW M 1000 RR, and specifically this step in the instructions :

Then yes, the 3 black 2x4 tiles, each with their own sticker, are alternatives from which you can choose your preferred dashboard.


text:
I need the name or number of the bricks that the minifigures are on

I need the name of grey pieces that the minifigures are standing on.

It's not a very clear picture, but I suspect it's not a single part, but rather made from the following 3 parts (stacked on top of each other in top to bottom order) :

1x Light Bluish Gray Slope, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3

1x Light Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 2 x 2 x 2/3 with 2 Studs on Side

1x Light Bluish Gray Brick 2 x 2

And attached onto a base plate, resulting in (color added to show the separate parts) :


text:
5x3 Half Round Problem
How can I hide on top of this with tile pieces?

To make it like this:

Edit:
Thank @jncraton for the solution
Before answering I made it like this:

But now it looks way better and it will be more stable:

If the two small 1x1 quarter round tiles need to have clutch (meaning when you turn the build upside down, they won’t fall out), I am afraid the answer is “You cannot”.

Okay, thank you, but i was sure someone achieved something like this before.

How much of the volume do you have available for supporting the two quarter round tiles ? Just the volume directly underneath the tiles ? Or more ? How much more ?

Would two Cylinder Half 1 x 2 x 1 fit eg. ? (edit: I see @jncraton had the same idea)

@UranMaster Welcome to Bricks.SE and thanks for the clear pictures of what you are trying to achieve.

If you are able to use up some additional space inside the build, you should be able to use 68013 Brick Round, Half 1 x 2  (one under each tile) to support the corners:


text:
Identify this set with long black irregular shapes with light grey edges
Please help me identify what this is please.

Based on part 18675pb13 it's 75179-1 Kylo Ren's TIE Fighter

That's the body on the left - but the wings on the right are from a different set entirely, right? This set doesn't have that much LtBley in it, and doesn't have any of the 10x10 wedge pieces.

the right wings look like they're from 75154 Tie Striker


text:
How to cross compile for ev3dev using Docker
How to add ev3dev libraries/headers to docker cross-compile setup?
I have assembled ev3dev on BrickPi (with Raspberry Pi 1 - chip BCM2835). I think, it all should be pretty similar for EV3 brick too. I do want to cross-compile and I have been able to download the docker image:
`ev3dev/debian-stretch-cross   latest    8e3b0aa8f243   4 years ago     732MB`
`ev3cc                         latest    8e3b0aa8f243   4 years ago     732MB`

I access the compiler via docker run (docker run --rm -it -v /home/r0bis/src/robotics/helloArm/:/src -w /src ev3cc)
The compiler can compile hello world program that I can then put on RPI and run successfully. However when I try to compile examples that include ev3dev specific libraries it fails. In the tutorial I do not find what would be the best way to add the missing libraries. I thought that the libraries/headers would be included in the docker image; maybe they are and I just do not know something. Help would be much appreciated.
Screenshots
compiler@3547e87f257e:/src$ arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc port.c -o port
port.c:8:17: fatal error: ev3.h: No such file or directory
 #include "ev3.h"
                 ^
compilation terminated.

Desktop:

Manjaro Linux 64 bit
Connection Type: SSH over ethernet
Software: Text editor, ssh/sftp connection; would like to set up VSCode eventually

Robot:

Device: BrickPi 3 (Raspberry Pi 1 B+ (BCM2835)
Versions:

System info (from ev3dev-sysinfo)
Image file:         ev3dev-stretch-rpi-generic-2020-04-10
Kernel version:     4.14.114-ev3dev-2.3.5-rpi
Brickman:           0.10.3
BogoMIPS:           697.95
Bluetooth:
Board:              board0
BOARD_INFO_HW_REV=0010
BOARD_INFO_MODEL=Raspberry Pi Model B Plus Rev 1.2
BOARD_INFO_SERIAL_NUM=00000000d374d92b
BOARD_INFO_TYPE=main

You might want to file a github issue with ev3dev.  https://www.ev3dev.org/support/ explains how.  Please drop a link to the github issue back here so folks can see how it goes.

I have done so already and I am reading into docker technology as well. I will post all back here when it is solved

So the answer is mainly about usage of docker in context of cross compiling for RaspberryPi.
First we get the cross compiler docker image (you need to be part of docker group or use sudo):
docker pull ev3dev/debian-stretch-cross

That gives you the cross compiler environment, but to have ev3dev specific C headers, you need to get them there. They belong to https://github.com/in4lio/ev3dev-c and you need to compile and install them. Instructions are given in `https://github.com/in4lio/ev3dev-c/tree/stretch/docker/README.md' file - which you will also have if you do
mkdir -p ~/src
cd ~/src
git clone https://github.com/in4lio/ev3dev-c.git

Because I want the C development headers in place (they get put into /usr/local/include/) and not install every time I run the container I put them inside the Docker image. To do that I open the Dockerfile located inside ~/src/ev3dev-c/docker/ and make edits. They are not the best, probably, since I probably use sudo too much, but here is the modified Dockerfile:
FROM ev3dev/debian-stretch-cross:latest

RUN sudo apt-get update
RUN sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends swig3.0 python-dev
RUN sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends build-essential
RUN sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends git
WORKDIR /home/robot
RUN sudo git clone https://github.com/in4lio/ev3dev-c.git
WORKDIR /home/robot/ev3dev-c
RUN sudo git submodule update --init --recursive
WORKDIR /home/robot/ev3dev-c/source/ev3/
RUN sudo make && sudo make install
RUN sudo make shared && make shared-install
RUN sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

It works and the resulting image will be about 300 MB larger than ev3dev/debian-stretch-cross. In order to make the image file you change into the same directory as the Dockerfile is, make sure your 2 files you will need to execute have execute permissions (e.g. chmod ug+x ./build.sh) and run the build.sh file. After a little while it should successfully add ev3cc image to your docker images and you can now run it executing dock.sh
[user@computer ev3dev-c]$ docker images
REPOSITORY                    TAG       IMAGE ID       CREATED         SIZE
ev3cc                         latest    021f7f962c28   9 minutes ago   1.09GB

Before executing dock.sh though, change one directory up. The script mounts your current directory into a corresponding directory inside the container, where you can do the compilation. (And while you are at it, do not forget to examine Dockerfile and other small files in the same folder - they are very small scripts and pretty self-explanatory)
cd ..
./docker/dock.sh

then you will be put inside the container prompt and will be able to compile the hello example issuing make command:
compiler@ev3dev:/home/robot/ev3dev-c$ cd eg/hello/
compiler@ev3dev:/home/robot/ev3dev-c/eg/hello$ make
make -f ../Makefile.Debug
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/robot/ev3dev-c/eg/hello'
arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc -I. -I../../source/ev3 -I../../3d_party -O2 -std=gnu99 -W -Wall -Wno-comment -c hello.c -o ../../object/hello.o
arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc ../../object/modp_numtoa.o ../../object/brick.o ../../object/crc32.o ../../object/ev3.o ../../object/ev3_dc.o ../../object/ev3_led.o ../../object/ev3_light.o ../../object/ev3_port.o ../../object/ev3_sensor.o ../../object/ev3_servo.o ../../object/ev3_tacho.o ../../object/hello.o -o Debug/hello -lm
***  Debug/hello ***
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/robot/ev3dev-c/eg/hello'
compiler@ev3dev:/home/robot/ev3dev-c/eg/hello$
compiler@ev3dev:/home/robot/ev3dev-c/eg/hello$ ls -l Debug/
total 116
-rwxr-xr-x 1 compiler compiler 111140 Jun  3 11:26 hello
drwxr-xr-x 2 compiler compiler   4096 Jun  2 16:14 mingw

Now as you have seen your compiled hello example is in your Debug subdirectory and it is accessible to your host computer (because of -v volume mount from docker run options in dock.sh) as ~/src/ev3dev-c/eg/hello/Debug/
You can use any ssh transfer program such as FileZilla to transport the compiled hello binary to your robot and run it there - for example from ssh prompt. Connection to your robot via ssh is described here  - but any tutorial how to connect to another computer via ssh will do. You just need to know either the IP address of your robot, or it's resolvable hostname on your local network:
robot@ev3dev:~$ ./hello
Hello, LEGO World!

So cross compilation works, but now for RaspberryPi (using BrickPi 3) I need to understand how to deal with the problem that brickpi3 does not automatically recognise motors or sensors plugged into the ports - i.e. supplied examples do not work. For EV3, though, things should be fine. - YES, checked - works fine for EV3.
AND Brickpi3 works fine too - it is just that instead of autodetection routines you need to supply which port number the motor is actually plugged in :-)
If you have not installed the ev3dev c libraries on your raspberrypi - not to worry, you can just tell the compiler to make the program with static libraries; file size is not very large (about 600 kb).


text:
How can I connect a 4mm Stepper motor shaft to a technic gear?
How can I connect a 4mm or 6mm stepper motor D shaft to an old Technic gear?
I would like to mount an old 8-tooth gear to a 4-6 mm diameter stepper motor shaft.
Lego part: 3647:

Stepper motor:

Potential solution found on 3D Printing StackExchange.
Working solution:

I did find this pattern for a 3-D printer.
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-print-models/hobby-diy/mechanical-parts/6mm-dshaft-to-lego-axis-adapter

For 6 mm shaft the hole used to accept LEGO Technic axle is slightly less in diameter than 6 mm. So you may try modifying one end of of Technic connectors (some examples below) to fit the motor shaft and use usual Technic axle on the other end of connector.
6538c - Technic, Axle Connector 2L (Smooth with x Hole + Orientation)

6538b - Technic, Axle Connector 2L (Ridged with x Hole x Orientation)


text:
Power from single XL-Motor to both rear and front axles
I have a single XL motor and I would like to make my small car a 4WD one.
Currently, it is just front-wheel drive.
Any good instructions on transmitting power to rear wheels as well?

How that can be done depends heavily on the design of the car, so no general instructions exists. I simple cases, and very generally it's something like: add a gear to an axle driven by the motor, add another axle with a gear that connects to the first, and goes from that point to the back axle and transfer power to that. If there's a differential on the back axle, that's probably where you want to deliver power.

While @Henriksupportsthecommunity provided some generic details I find this question rather broad. Please edit it to ask some specific question you are facing with your 4WD implementation. One advise - XL has high torque, so brace everything as much as possible not to damage your gears and axles.


text:
Gun turret for a Star Wars ship?
Would someone know what set this belongs to?

That would be set 75246 - Death Star Cannon :

One of only 4 sets that have a Trans-Red Dish 3 x 3 Inverted (Radar).


text:
A query about the balance of the 42130 - BMW M 1000 RR model
I have reached assembly step 632. The bike has a tendency to lean forward with most of the weight at the front, and is only just staying on the display stand. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Edit:
I have now completed the build and the bike is definitely front loaded and sits with its wheel on the desk and the rear end raised. Again, has anyone else found this issue ?
Here is a picture to illustrate the problem.
Here is another picture to illustrate the problem.

Your front and rear wheel/tires are likely swapped. I didn't realize until I finished the entire set and had the same problem as you. Swapping the front and rear tires solved my issue.

This is the correct answer, from the picture, the thicker (and hence heavier) wheel is in front while it should be in the back

@MichaelVerschaeve I think you are right. It looks to me that the fatter wheel is on the front as well. As the front is slightly heavier anyway the swapped wheels add enough weight to tip the model.

I do not have this issue. My model balances fine on that stand.

There are some elements behind the front wheel I leave out as they keep falling off (only attached on the studs of a couple of half pins) but that should hardly make a difference...
Here's a picture of the bottom of the bike, perhaps you've done something in error there ?

I just finished my own build of this one. It is front-heavy, but not enough to tip over. It sits relatively stable on the stand. Those radiator pieces are indeed  irritating. They are only barely attached and kept falling of while attaching the various pieces of fairing around the engine-block. I wonder if replacing the blue half-pins with the creme-colored ones will help. The creme ones have slightly longer studs and maybe a little more grip.


text:
What is part 53119 supposed to represent?
This part appears in 50 sets, but of particular interest is what it's supposed to represent. Is it a bag of trash, or animal faeces?
In Minifig series 19, dog sitter appears with 1x 53119 where it appears to imply a doggie doo-doo.

But it's also used in many other sets where doggy doo-doo wouldn't be appropriate/fit the theme. It also makes a good fairy cake icing.

For an attempt at an objective answer, I went though all sets released in 2019 or 2020 with this part (13 sets total), and looked to see what the part represents.
The results:

Brown in col19-9: Dog poo
Brown in 11940: Possibly poo, maybe just a lump of dirt
Brown in 41429: Human poo
Brown in 75969: Cupcakes/muffins
Brown in 41422: Panda poo
Brown in 71722: Possibly poo, maybe just a lump of dirt
White in 41431: Cupcakes
White in 43180: Ice-cream
White in 43170: Seashell
White in 43183: Decorations on a box. Mabe a seashell?
White in 21322: Seashell? Foam?
White in 43176: Seashell
White in 43188: Contents of a pot. Soup?

So by my count we have: 3-5 poops, 4 foods and 2-4 seashells.

Based on the bag art for set 11940, I'd assume it's supposed to represent a catapult stone. (Also, after checking the build instruction for set 41429, I have to agree with your evaluation: the part is hidden deep inside the airplane build, completely out of sight and with no structural function, under the toilet seat in the plane's restroom in a cavity that looks like it represents a septic tank. It feels like whoever designed that set probably had a lot of fun hiding that little "easter egg" there. :D)

I'm marking this as the answer, because it shows a good level or research and understanding of the question.

I just built 76389 (Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets), and the part is used as an Easter egg in one of the towers. I think it's supposed to represent Bassilisk poop.

This question is hard to answer objectively.
It is a small "swirl" and like many pieces, represents whatever the designer/player wants it to. It comes in white (where as you noted, it is usually a cake icing or a rock) and in brown, where it looks like it is primarily a poo. But it can also represent a decorative element like a flourish.

Perhaps the best attempt at an objective answer would be that the imaged set is in fact the earliest release (and only release from 2019) with the part, so it is possible that "dog poo" was the original intention for this part (altough it is likely that other sets with other uses were in the pipeline).

As Fredric Mention in his answer, what this piece represents is up to the imagination of the creator. Indeed it is used for several things in official sets, often as a cupcake topping, icecream, seashell, or dog poop.
A few interesting uses:

marshmallow
narwhal horn
hermit crab shell

And this set uses a brown one as a cupcake, but also as a dog...

Two dogs, a shovel and minifig's expression pretty much suggest that the subject of this question is poop.

For 1 of the 50 sets, yes.

It's definitely represents faeces in a lot of sets. Children think poo is funny. Most of Lego's customers are children and Lego caters to its customers taste...


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Which basic LEGO blocks exist with studs on top with the same rectangular shapes top and bottom
With the number of top studs for length and width, and heights given as 1/3, 2/3, 1 etc,
What varieties are available? 1x1x1/3, 1x8x2/3, 2x2x1, for example.
What's the maximum size, length and width of such a block?
Are there basic blocks with fractional heights above 1?
Regarding odd lengths. I've seen bricks that are 1 and 3 studs wide or long, but none with odd measurements above 3.  Do any like that exist with odd length or width above 3? For example 2x5x1 or 2x7x1, or 5x6x1.

2x2x1 is just a normal 2x2 brick though, right?

If I understand you correctly, what you refer to as "pin" is more commonly referred to as "stud". Is my understanding correct ?

I'll accept stud as the correct term.

I have compiled a spreadsheet showing all known size according to Bricklink:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vwCvSBmvaGz-Ucl1lTXI4tS55k6w1b2ih2mItxAWiis/edit?usp=sharing
It's hard to say what the 'largest' brick is, but here is some interesting data (only counting unmodified, rectangular parts):

The part with the largest footprint is Baseplate 50 x 50 (discontinued)
The part with the largest volume is Brick 12 x 24 (also discontinued)
The only part (I believe) with fractional height above 1/3 is a Brick 1 x 1 x 2/3

Some other interesting dimensioned parts:

Brick 1 x 3 x 5
Plate 8 x 11
Baseplate 32 x 37

Baseplates also used to come in a lot of multiples of 5. Now they are all multiples of 8.

Regarding odd lengths: Lego very recently started making 1 x 5 plates (and if you stack 3 of them, it's the same size as a brick). Otherwise, no.


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Set Identification - bag 2 is gold, dark blue, greys
What set do these parts belong?

It looks like 76141-1 Thanos Mech

The part 27263 Tile, Modified Facet 2 x 2 doesn't show up in many sets in Pearl Gold or Metallic Gold.


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How to make a real model of The Lego Batman Movie’s Kraken
I remember seeing The Lego Batman Movie in theaters with my dad in 2017, and it was one of my favorite movies of that year. It still is to this day. One thing that caught me off guard was the fact that the villains of the Phantom Zone were from other movies, such as Sauron from The Lord Of The Rings, Voldemort from Harry Potter, the shark from Jaws, Medusa from Lego Minifigures, the Wicked Witch and her Flying Monkeys from The Wizard Of Oz, The Daleks from Doctor Who, Agent Smith and his clones from The Matrix, the Gremlins, the T. Rex from Lego Dino Hunters, and the Velociraptors from Jurassic Park. My favorite Phantom Zone villian, though, has always been the Kraken from Clash Of The Titans (whom a lot of us mistook for Godzilla when the movie first came out) because he just has a sick design and is also the biggest character in the movie, consisting of 111,284 bricks according to a video I found on YouTube. I’ve always wished they made him into a real set.
However, I’ve looked online, and apparently, no one has ever tried to make their own Kraken, nor have they pitched the idea to Lego, which I want to do. It may be understandable as to why Lego hasn’t made this real. For one thing, it would have to be in a pretty big box, with three or four smaller boxes inside for different sections, like the colosseum set they released in 2020. For another, it’d cost a lot of money, and would take a long time to build. For another, it’d be a big build, so you’d had to have the space to display it. However, Lego has made sets of a similar size, like the Colosseum, the Hogwarts Castle, the Titanic, the World Map, the Super Mario Question Block, and the Millennium Falcon. But there is one question I have in mind. If I can’t get Lego to make this into an official set or find someone else to make it real for me, what kind of pieces would I need to make my own?
Let me start with the pieces I think or know for sure he is made from.
When the villains make their way to Wayne Manor, there is a shot of Joker riding the Kraken’s nose as he leads them there. In this shot, you can make out some of the pieces they used for the Kraken’s head.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/brickipedia/images/6/6a/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%BD2.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20180519145817&path-prefix=ru

As you can see from that photo, the main portion of his head appears to be made from 1x4 bricks, along with some 1x3s,2x2s, tall 1x2s,both thin and wide, tall 1x1s, 1x5s, and some 1x6s. As for plates, I can really only make out 1x4s and 2x2s. You can also see one big brick in front of his eye. I don’t know what to call that brick. If anyone knows the name of that particular piece, please let me know. It would really help me out. Speaking of his eyes, the Kraken’s eye is most definitely made of 1x1 bricks, especially around the pupil area, along with 1x2 bricks, 1x3 bricks, and 1x4 bricks.
The rest of his body is harder to tell. For his hand and arms, you can tell from the top and bottom that they used 2x4s. His teeth are probably tall 1x1s and 1x2s. I thought they were made of some 2x2s, but now I’m not so sure. In this shot of the Kraken and King Kong tearing a building the gang is hiding in, that is one of the few full body shots of him you can see in the movie.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/brickipedia/images/6/68/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%BD3.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20180519145837&path-prefix=ru

It’s not that good, and yes, there are slightly better pictures, but I don’t want to wast time finding them. You can watch the movie to look for them.
The Kraken’s lower body I’m guessing is made of 2x2x3s, with a few 1x4s and 1x5s here and there. A single giant stud in the center connects his torso to his lower body. His head is most likely connected with a brick built version of a typical Lego Minifigure neck.  I can’t tell what pieces make up the stud.
A few final questions I have.
What pieces would be best for his arm and tail joints, especially since he has three more joints than an average Lego minifigure?
How to make sure the holes are the right size to fit his arms without them falling out or being too loose?
How to size up his torso and lower body correctly?
Would it be more effective to make his torso hollow or put a single hole to attach his torso to his lower body?
If the jaw and eyes were to move like the movie, how would the mechanism work?
What would be the way to build his frills, spikes, fins and tongue?
If some of the pieces I need for the Kraken don’t exist in that color or are very hard to come by, what is the solution?
Sorry if I made this so long. It’s just that I’d give anything to have a real model of the Kraken, so if I got someone to make it for me, I’d want them to make it look like the movie as much as possible. If someone has any pointers, tips, or suggestions, They are way more than welcomed. Thanks for your help.

Hi Hernandez and welcome to Bricks.SE! I see many questions in your post, most of which are way too subjective ("Should I...?", "How would...?"), therefore as of now, this post is a poor fit for this platform. See the [tour] and [help] pages for more, but nevertheless, please try to rework the question to focus on a single, objectively answerable question.

The large brick you're talking about looks like the back side of part 59349 - Panel 1 x 6 x 5 in green. Possibly also part 3754 - Brick 1 x 6 x 5 though it never came in green.


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Is there a true ball/sphere LEGO piece (or pieces that together form a ball/sphere)?
I recently started experimenting with GBC machines build out of LEGO.
Ball bearings are ideal as balls (have a lot of momentum due to their weight), but are also impacting on the LEGO bricks hard enough that (eventually) they make the plastic crack. (This limits what you can do in the GBC design. You need to avoid large drops or high-speed bumps into end-stops.)
So I'm currently using glass marbles for balls at the moment.
Ideally I would like to use LEGO for the balls.
I realize they would be very lightweight which poses some design issues for some of the mechanisms, but finding solutions to that is part of the fun.
Unfortunately I don't seem to be able to find either single piece LEGO balls or sets of multiple LEGO pieces (like 2 half-domes) that together form a proper ball.
I'm looking for a ball shape with a diameter of at least 2 studs. (Between 2 and 3 studs would be perfect for my purpose, but somewhat larger would be fine too.)
I'm OK with something that has a hole into which an axle, pin or stud can be fitted.
I'm NOT OK with a stud sticking out, because that would affect the rolling behavior too much. A recessed stud that doesn't stick out beyond the outline of the sphere would be OK.
If a true ball/sphere is possible in LEGO, what piece(s) do I need ?

Defining "GBC machine" in the question may be helpful. Searching implies "Great Ball Contraption."

There are several ball designs that fit your needs (and are commonly used for GBC machines) - a selection :

Ball, Sports Soccer Plain, and their various multi-colored variants (eg. Ball, Sports Soccer with Standard Pattern) (14.2 mm diameter ; 1.75 studs)

Ball, Sports Basketball with Standard Black Lines Pattern (14.2 mm diameter ; 1.75 studs)

LegoBall, Bionicle Zamor Sphere, and their various multi-colored variants (eg. Ball, Bionicle Zamor Sphere with Marbled Yellow Pattern) (16.5 mm diameter ; 2 studs) - note these aren't as commonly used for GBC machines as the others, but I've included them since they fit your size needs better.

These are larger than the question was asking for, but for completeness it's also worth mentioning the larger 6.5 stud duplo balls, most famously used with an Indiana Jones set to recreate an iconic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

@Nathan, perhaps add this as an answer ? Also note that the duplo balls come in robotic and education sets...

I had no idea I had so many options. I've never been into Bionicle stuff so I had no idea these existed, but the Bionicle balls fit my use-case perfectly as I'm currently using 16-17mm glass marbles. And they are readily and cheaply available on BrickLink in a whole range of marble-like color-patterns.  I've just ordered a whole bunch of them.

Yeah, I assume I am not alone wishing the GBC standard had called for the much cheaper Zamor spheres. I still regret not buying just a boatload of basketballs when I saw them in a bin at LegoLand California about a decade ago.

If we're going to mention much larger spheres and sphere-like objects (and I don't see why not), there's also:

60934 Bionicle Tridax Pod Half

61287 Cylinder Hemisphere 2 x 2 with Cutout (I know it as Jack Sparrow's globe)

98107 Cylinder Hemisphere 11 x 11, Studs on Top (usually decorated)

852171 Phantoka Ball Shooter, along with 852279 Accessory Pack EVA Balls (neither of which I'd ever known of before today)

If we are wanting to be comprehensive, there is also the Magnet Ball, Technic Ball Joint (I know you mentioned in your comment), Technic Ball Steel, and two of these halves can be connected with a tyre.

@MatthewJensen oops, I forgot about the Magnet Ball (which I think I have from some portion of that Harold Potter set) and the Ball Turret half. But those Steel Ball pieces were a surprise! I wonder how many GBC components one of those would destroy.

The magnet ball could be interesting for GBC's, being weighted to one side to potentially make some cool kinetic effects. One could maybe design a 'stronger' GBC layout for the steel guys!

I wonder if I should include the Jurassic World Gyrosphere https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=20455

Also Lego set 7029 has a plastic "boulder" that could be an option.

I looked at the inventory on BrickLink.com, and the only sphere is the Zamor sphere that Sander De Dycker already mentioned. There's the Technic "ball", but it's rather non-spherical, so I didn't include it in my answer either. Or are you thinking of some other piece?


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Does anyone know what set these parts belong to? Lots of dark red, with tans and greys
I cannot identify these parts.  Dark gray and dark red parts with one figure.

That round piece near the minifig head would probably give it away if you flip it over, as those patterns tend to be unique (or very nearly so).

Based on 48336 Pearl Gold Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handle on Side - Closed Ends and 47759 Dark Red Wedge 2 x 4 Triple
76104-1 The Hulkbuster Smash-Up


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Help identify this part - possibly train related?
I suspect it might be related to a train coupler but I could be totally wrong. I couldn't find it in the train parts category on Bricklink. It seems similar to part 2920.
It has an open stud on the top and an antistud on the bottom, and a regular axle hole going across. The clip things that are on one side are smaller than the diameter of a regular bar.
It says "(C) Lego Group" and "3" and "01" but I do not see a part number.

It's in the Magnet category: 2607 Magnet Holder 2 x 3 with Clips and Pin Hole. It connects to Magnet Cylindrical.

These were used heavily in the 90s with their underwater line and I think some of the digger line.

They were also the key naming item in the M-Tron space sets.


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I would like to know what set these parts belong - Gold design brick, harpoon spikes, columns, and pink streamers
Gold design brick, harpoon spikes, columns, and pink streamers.
Anyone know this?

That is from Cinderella's Dream Castle (41154)

Set identified by unique combination of Support 1 x 1 x 6 Solid Pillar in Pearl Gold and Brick 1 x 4 in Lavender color.


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Grill decal on a sloped white piece
In this bag there is a grill decal on a slope white piece and a minifigure in a black suit with brown hair.  what set would this belong to?

BrickLink calls the part 3297pb051 Slope 33 3 x 4 with Black and Pearl Dark Gray Vertical Grille Pattern and it's only in 75302 Imperial Shuttle

I initially made a mistake and used 3297px4 Slope 33 3 x 4 with Black and Dark Gray Horizontal Grille Pattern but BrickLink has an entry This Item is similar in pattern to the following Item(s): which saved me there.


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What set do these parts belong to? Bag 4 with lots of dark red
I cannot find these parts anywhere!

Based on 4286597: PLATES W. BOWS 2X2, 6114676: PLATE W. BOWS 2X1½ and the ball socked elements, this bag is from 76104: The Hulkbuster Smash-Up


text:
many round white pieces and gray
I don't see any parts that are unique here.

Based on the number of 4515347: PLATE 4X4 ROUND W. SNAP in white, this bag is from
75302: Imperial Shuttle


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I have not had any luck with this part bag - white dish, white plates, Technic
Can someone please help identifying what set it is?

The parts in the bag do not match bag 6 of Blue Technic Pin 3L, white Dish 3x3 Inverted and white Wedge Plate 6x3 Left make this set 70709-1 Galactic Titan.

Note this is the third question you've asked about recently that turned out to be this same set - see 1 2.  You might want to take a closer look at other bags you've got to see if they're also from this set.

Based on
6279885: TECHNIC ANGULAR BEAM 4X6
,
4163986: PLATE 4X6 W. 12 KNOBS
 and
4168072: PLATE 4X12
 this must be 75302: Imperial Shuttle

This also match up with 2017 copyright mark on the bag, which means your particular copy is produced in 2017 or later as this set is from 2021.


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There are tan and gray pieces
And the two flame pieces, with smaller bag inside.

Indeed there are. What's your question though?

I started looking at sets containing a 6L technic axle in red, and I soon came across 60216-1 Downtown Fire Brigade :

Your bag looks like it contains the main building there - 1x6x5 tan panels, 1x4 bricks with brick pattern, 1x6x1 grey arches, they're all in there.

This doesn't answer the question (because there is no question)


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The bag includes a minifigure, whites, grays, and black
windows, doors, and blue opalesence parts.  minifigure with dark gray suit but I have no clue on these.

Using orange Tile Round 2x2 with hole and white Brick 1x16 I found 60228-1 Deep Space Rocket and Launch Control. This set also has windows and rounded white pieces visible in the bag.


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I am building the LEGO 42131 D11 dozer and some of the parts are moving in reverse when testing
I am building the D11 dozer and some of the tests like 2 and 4 are moving the parts in the opposite direction that they are supposed to be going. I took apart the entire build and rebuilt it and the same problem is still happening.

Could you please tell what tests #2 and #4 are for?

I had the same problem but turns out the app graphics are just wrong. Completed the build and it works perfectly fine.


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There is no bag number for this bag - all yellows and oranges and variants
This bag has yellow and orange parts and the lego tool.

Does this answer your question? How can I identify Lego sets from a box of parts?

The lack of a bag number hints strongly at it being a creativity-type set instead of a build-this-and-primarily-this set.

Does this answer your question? Only green parts and there is no bag number for this bag

This is your 8th or 9th bag question in short succession. And 5 of them only belonged to 2 sets. Just a tip: If you have 1 bag identified check first if any other un-identified bags that you have could belong to the same set. That saves you and us the trouble of another question.

It's also 31105 based on the green bag you also posted in another question, but also because only that set has all of Yellow Brick 2 x 8, Yellow Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud, and some color of Brick 1 x 1 x 3.


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Only green parts and there is no bag number for this bag
Three different colors of green in this bag.

Does this answer your question? How can I identify Lego sets from a box of parts?

11005-1 Creative Fun based on Lime Slope, Inverted 45 2 x 2 with Flat Bottom Pin, Green Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole, Lime Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Bottom Stud Holder


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This bag has reds, yellows, grays, blacks, and wheels
This bag has reds, yellows, grays, blacks, and wheels.  Includes a shovel.

60183-1 Heavy Cargo Transport based on White Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Open Stud, Red Plate, Modified 1 x 8 with Door Rail, Dark Bluish Gray Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole


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Do Duplo trains fit Megablock train tracks?
Do Duplo trains fit Megablock train tracks (given in the picture)?
Note that all the Megablock 2x2, 2x4, etc blocks fit Duplo. I just have never heard about Megablock train tracks' compatibility.

Short answer: No
Long answer: Nooooooo
Size comparison of the trains:

The Duplo train does not fit:

The Duplo train does not fit:

However: some of you may be thinking of the old Duplo Road pieces, like from set 3267

The tracks seem similar in width:

But the Mega Bloks train does not quite fit.

Based on the slightly greater width of the Mega Bloks track, I would expect the Duplo vehicles from that set to fit on the Mega Bloks track (but perhaps not be able to corner that well).

A very thorough answer. Thank you very much.


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Help identifying bricks set - Tan brown black bricks, gold cones
I have bag of Lego but can’t identify what they are. Package number 7 with 728R0 on the bag. Tan brown black bricks some gold cones and single red piece

The bag numbering is not specific to any one set, so that will not help, alas. What does the single red piece look like? Even better, a photo (or three) will probably let us help you.

Does this answer your question? How can I identify Lego sets from a box of parts?

Based on the extremely scarce information provided (take photographs when asking for set identifications, please!), I've scoured sets containing 1x1 cone in pearl gold:

With more than one pearl gold cone
Big enough to have at least seven bags
With a predominance of tan/brown/black

Of those, the only possible match I could find is 7327-1 Scorpion Pyramid. According to the instructions, bag 7 builds the tip of the pyramid, an obelisk, and some decorations...

... with three pearl gold cones, quite a lot of tan and dark tan (easily mistaken with "brown") and some black, but also some blue parts (that OP doesn't mention), and not one but two red snakes.
I've looked at the instruction booklets of other sets, and bag 7 doesn't match my criteria.
Again, this is based on very limited information, and good photographs of the bag (or the parts themselves) are the reliable way of identifying sets.


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This looks like it may be part of a building
Can anyone help tell me what set it would belong to?

There's only 5 sets with at least 12 of those Dark Bluish Gray Slope, Curved 2 x 1 x 1 1/3 with Recessed Stud, and only 1 has Green Dish 2 x 2 Inverted (Radar)
10218-1 Pet Shop

I spent a lot of time thinking those pieces were Light instead of Dark.

10224-1 is Town Hall, not Pet Shop.

@user2357112 Yes, of course. Sorry, I had spent a bizarrely long time chasing down the wrong set because of the light balance, and re-editing and re-editing and deleting commentary and then I missed one. Thanks for letting me fix it.

This build is from 10218: Pet Shop


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What set do these two belong to? curved white spaceship with red stripe stickers
Am having trouble finding the set.

75249-1 Resistance Y-Wing Starfighter based on Light Bluish Gray Tile, Modified Facet 2 x 2 and Light Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 1 x 4 Offset (which is a weird name) - there are 4 sets, and only 1 has those stickers.


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What set would this belong to? Looks like a Star Wars ship, dark red, tan, grey
Would this be a Star Wars vehicle?

75186-1 The Arrowhead based on Light Bluish Gray Tile, Modified 4 x 4 with Studs on Edge and Dark Bluish Gray Panel 1 x 3 x 1; there are only 4 sets that have both, and only one looks anything like this.


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Help identifying a piece - round, about the size of a 1x1 brick
Brick has "C 16" on it.

BrickLink calls it a 33286 Brick, Round 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Flower Edge (4 Knobs on Base)


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Extra wing pieces (21+22) in Ferrari Daytona 42143. Did I miss a step or did Lego get it wrong?
The Ferrari Daytona SP3 (42143) is supposed to have 10x 6319983 (small wing #22) and 11x 6316923 (small wing #21), both in black.
It says so on the part-list and they are in the box.
However I have 1 of each left-over after the build and I can't see where I missed an assembly step. (I may have missed something, but I can't figure out where, even after going over the 800+ pages of the instruction books again.)
As far as I can tell these pieces are located in the following spots on the model:

Front lower spoiler: 2 of each
Head light surrounds: 1 of each
Front side spoilers: 1 of each
Rear diffusor and valence: 4 of each
engine top-cover: 1 of each
And 1x #21 on the passenger side of the dashboard.

That all adds up as 9x #22 and 10x #21.
Either I missed something (can someone please tell me where in the model they were supposed to go) or Lego got their part-count wrong.
Which one is it?

The instructions had several errors. Here's an overview:
https://racingbrick.com/2022/06/lego-technic-42143-ferrari-daytona-sp3-instructions-errors-and-fixes/
One of them is the two panels you mentioned, they ideally should be added in step 1127, but you should be able to add them afterwards as well. There should be two red axles sticking at the back near the bottom where they attach.
Jordan Paxton (Engagement manager for the Lego group) was at the Parades De Coura lego fan weekend last weekend and explained during a Q&A session that the missing instructions happened because of something earlier in the build steps that needed to be updated and the update cascaded until this step and caused missing pages.
I've been told that rather interestingly the parts are also missing in the picture of the model on the box-art.

Aha... And I spotted those other manual errors myself as well. Already fixed. The mounting position is easily accessible on the complete model. And found another (minor) error: step 978, 979 have the angles wrong on fairing pieces #61 and #63 which looks really weird. Funny enough the corresponding steps on the other side of the vehicle don't have this mistake.

From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU! I had the exact same problem.


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Trying to identify this piece - 2x2 flat bit with a longer rounded part with ridges
I’m trying (and  failing) to identify this piece for my son
What would you call this?

That would be Engine, Strakes, 2 x 2 Thin Top Plate.

It appears in a small number of Classic Space sets.

It's hard to tell from the image, but it could be either Light Gray, or Light Bluish Gray as in these two sets

The part seems to be slightly dented, which IMHO is a sign of its age. That's why I'm assuming old Light Gray.


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Pybricks on Android Tablet
I have a ZTE Grand View 4 Tablet (K87CA), 8 inch screen, Android 10,  with 2GB RAM, and the screen is blank when I go to https://code.pybricks.com/. Nothing happens.

What browser are you using? It should be one that is bluetooth compatible like Chrome or Chromium...Also, I'd like to note that using the pybricks webpages from a tablet is rather unorthodox usage, likely not tested very well or at all. You're supposed to write Python code on those webpages, so a device with at least a keyboard seems desirable.,

Chrome is the automatic choice on Android, so I use it. Bluetooth keyboards are easy enough to use as these have Bluetooth 4.2 Should not be a problem. For Power Functions App 8" screens are great. Don't understand why the web page doesn't load.

There was a bug in Pybricks that caused an empty page to load for existing users when a new version was released. It should be fixed for new users, but existing users will need to clear the cache for this page:
Windows
CTRL+SHIFT+R
MAC
CMD+SHIFT+R
Android
You can clear the cache for specific pages with these steps:

Go to settings in your browser
Select Site settings
Select All sites
Use the search icon to search for Pybricks
For each entry, click Clear & reset


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Technic pin on a pole: is it an illegal technique?
I have two 2714b pieces that I want to put together to make a longer pole. Is sliding the technic pin of one pole over the end of another pole illegal? (If it is, how else could I make a long and thin pole like this?)

I dunno if puting a pin in that hole is legal, but my guess would be LEGO would not do this because such a construction would be relatively fragile and easy to snap.

TLG has been using "bar inside Technic pin" technique, so I assume this is considered legal connection. One thing to consider though - some newer elements with pins are no longer round inside, so you cannot fit bar type of element there anymore.
One example from 42043 set (I'm sure there are more examples, but this is something I had in my head immediately):
Roof assembly has these LBG Technic, Pin 1/2 with 2L Bar Extension (Flick Missile)

Later, in Step 64, you have horns attached with half pins.

Are you certain that bar type elements don't fit any more in pins? Do you have an online resource to support that claim? I've built recent technic sets and the pins didn't seem altered that drastically...

@MichaelVerschaeve Correction: not a pin, but a connector with pins - newer version of Technic Pin Double with Axle Hole has been changed and doesn't accept bar elements.

interesting, seems worth an SE question and answer on its own...


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Missing Decals After Purchasing
Good day,
I just bought a brand new Lego Speed Champion Toyota GR Supra 7690. After reaching home and unboxing it, I realized that my set was missing the decals. Is there any way that I can get the decals for my Lego set?

Contact the store, or try customer support.

I had a similar problem with my McLaren Elva, the printing of the stickers was severely misaligned with the cutting.
I used the Lego Customer Service Missing Bricks form to report the problem and they sent me a replacement free of charge, not even shipping.
Side note: It did take about two months to arrive, likely due to the pandemic and the fact that I'm out of the way in New Zealand. But I hope you get yours sooner.

Missing bricks service often takes several weeks at the best of times even if you live close to one of their distributing warehouses.

@Tonny That is a little disappointing to hear

I've used missing bricks twice, and in both cases, the turnaround has been < 2 weeks.


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Identify 2017 Bag #2? Cash register and “I love HLC” stickers
Can anyone help identify this Friends set? Bag #2 has 2017 copyright with “511R8” on bag. Cash register and “I love HLC” stickers in set.

A photo would be ever so helpful if you could post one. I've taken a stab at it, but the set I found doesn't have a cash register. Almost all sticker sheets nowadays will have a long (like 8-digit) code on them, which will make identification super reliable.

The numbers on the bag concern the bag itself, not the set it was in, so that is worthless. "HLC" in "I love HLC" probably means "HeartLake City", placing the set in the Friends-theme - they have a lot of pieces/stickers with that text, there are also several shops with cash registers there. To be more precise I second RSchulz's request for a photo.

Is it this piece? That is 87552pb049 and only shows up in 10763 Stephanie's Lakeside House

This piece isn't a sticker, but shows up in multiple sets that have a cash register.


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What is this set with tan plates and dark red and dark tan tiles?
What set does this belong to?  The two top tan plates slide out.

It looks like it includes only parts from Ninjago set 2507 Fire Temple, however it appears to have been changed around a bit.

One can see the temple splitting in half, and the base halves sliding out, in the images at https://rebrickable.com/sets/2507-1/fire-temple/


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PoweredUp App for iOS: How to import/export my Project?
I'm running the official PoweredUp app (3.8.0) for iOS on a full-updated iPad Mini (iOS 15.4.1), and have created a custom Project (i.e. collection of blocks) in the App.
I cannot find an App option to export the Project.
Also I can't find the App's project files in the iPad Files App, or in Mac Finder when the iPad is connected via USB to the Mac.
I can do a full iPad backup to the Mac but I'm looking for a more targeted solution, for example to export the Project from the iPad and import it into another iPad or iPhone running the PoweredUp App.
I tried googling -- the only posted solutions refer to the Android App.

You can't officially. Screenshot your project.


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When did LEGO start adding a progress-bar to build instructions?
Set #40549 has a stud moving along a progress bar at the bottom of each pair of pages, as you move through the instructions. The stud moves left to right.

I've never seen this in any other instruction booklet.

Why does this set have it?
Are there other sets which have it?
If it's a new feature for all sets, when was it added?

I have e-mailed LEGO support, to see if they can enlighten us.

I've had an answer from LEGO customer service. They only advised one other set which includes the progress bar, which is "Star Wars Hoth AT-ST (75322)". They did however mention "a select few", so there may well be more. I've asked if there's a complete list of released sets that have the progress bar.
It has been added in 2022.
Update 12th February 2023
Harry Potter set 76406 (Hungarian Horntail) has a Harry minifig progress bar.
Harry Potter set 76403 (Ministry of Magic) has a Mafalda Hopkirk/Hermione Granger minifig progress bar.

It's also in the 2022 "The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter™" 75325 manual, with a Mandalorian minifigure instead of a stud.


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What set which involves building a dump truck has the most pieces?
I'm trying to recall a bricks set I used more than a decade ago which I remember needing an inordinate amount of pieces to build a dump truck or similar piece of construction equipment. I haven't been able to find such a set on my own so hopefully I can get some help here. Frankly, I'm not sure if it's even a LEGO set or different brand.
While don't remember much about it, it's still important to create a post that has a definitive answer so I'll settle for identifying which LEGO set has the most pieces and involves building a dump truck.

That is pretty much a description of any dump truck LEGO has ever made. What were the colors? Number of axles? What size it was? Was it Technic or System? Any specific features (like text or images on stickers) were present?

I'm trying to cast a wide net. "Any" number of features/ colors/ or other identifying information. The only requirement it that the set involves a dump truck

Slightly tongue in cheek, so not an answer, but the "LEGO set  has the most pieces and involves building a dump truck" must be 42055 - Bucket Wheel Excavator, even though the dump truck accounts for only a small fraction of the almost 4000 parts.

There's a few candidates.
At minifig scale we've got 4202-1 "Mining Truck" modeled after a haul truck, with 264 parts:

On the Technic side, there's 42114-1 "6x6 Volvo Articulated Trailer" with 2193 parts (as pointed out by @MatthewJensen):

But if your criteria is "a set which involves a dump truck", then the answer (for minifig scale) is probably 60188-1 "Mining Experts Site" with 857 parts, albeit with a rather simplistic truck...

Or, as user @SanderDeDycker points out, technic set 42055-1 "Bucket Wheel Excavator" with 3929 parts and a relatively tiny dumper:

Looking at the list of construction sets ordered by descending number of parts did help in choosing these.

This is exactly the kind of answer I'm looking for! Thank you! I'll wait a short while before marking it as accepted

Your edit with the Mining Truck is the set I've been looking for! I don't think I was able to identify in my search because it wasn't explicitly referred to as a dump truck.

There is also 42114 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler


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EV3 Home Shuts down after 2 min. (lights orange, and 3 Icons Triangle, Gage, Manual)
I just purchased a second hand LEGO Mindstorms Home EV3.
The brick turns on, allows firmware update, etc. However, after about 2 minutes the unit makes a noise, LED's turn red, and 3 icons appear.

Triangle with exclamation point
Gage with arrow pointing to the right (I assume overheat?)
Manual with exclamation point

Question: does anyone know what this error message indicates?
There appears to be some battery corrosion as if it was stored and the batteries leaked.
Additionally Ports 1 and 2 indicate "Error" or "Unknown" and sometimes they think a Sound DB sensor is plugged in even though nothing is plugged in.

There is a full map of the EV3 user interface here.
Although the popup in the photo is in the diagram, it is not labeled. So we have to go digging around the EV3 source code to find out what it means. The icons can be found in this bitmap. The icons are mapped to names here. Using this information, we can deduce that from left to right, the icons are WARNSIGN, WARN_POWER and TO_MANUAL. Further search of the code reveals two conditions where all 3 of these icons appear together. WARNING_TEMP and WARNING_CURRENT.
So either the battery has high temperature or the brick is using too much current. Given the statements about the malfunctioning input ports and the battery leakage damage, I would suspect that the battery leakage has cause some sort of short circuit that is causing high current usage. You could try removing the cover and cleaning up the damage with isopropyl alcohol. Although to get to the back side of the circuit board, you have to desolder the battery terminals.

I would also contact the seller, and ask them if they knew the circuit board was damaged.

ok thanks for my answer