text:
Identify rarity of Pantone minifigure
I'm trying to find out if the item gifted to me is authentic and if it is by any chance rare so I can display it well to showcase it. I'm not sure if I have a Lego piece indeed.

Hello and welcome to bricks.se. What makes you think this is LEGO? Is this printed somewhere on the piece? At first glance this looks like a cheap clone figure, but without knowing more that might be a misconception on my end.

Nothing on that figure looks like LEGO. The head, lengh of arms, shape of torso, shape of hips, ... all look wrong. I would say it so clearly not LEGO that just asking is a clear sign that you are very new to LEGO.

Due to the Pantone and Q930-2-1 I would guess it's a Kubrick toy. So it's definitely not Lego.
You can buy it on eBay for $11 Australian (plus shipping).

So it's clearly not LEGO, but the question I'd ask would be if it's compatible or not?  I.e. similar scale, fits with LEGO pieces, etc.  Otherwise, I'm kind of wondering why these were made, other than to show off the quality of their plastic and color selections?

I have a lot of bricks that are almost Lego-compatible, but weirdly not quite. So who knows?!

@RSchulz being perfectly compatible probably would require an extra $0.10 to $0.20 per small set in better manufacturing tolerances and QC.  Cheap crappy knockoff makers can't afford that because like all race to the bottom junk their margins are near zero and their upstream suppliers are constantly demanding to be charged lower prices for the same items.

@DanIsFiddlingByFirelight Pantone isn't just some crappy knockoff company though, they're pretty well respected as one of the most widely used color standards if not as a toy manufacturer.  Not sure about Kubrick or Medicom though - those sound more like classic bootleggers.  It's a weird partnership to be sure, unless they're just using the Pantone name, possibly without permission, to lend themselves false legitimacy?

@DarrelHoffman assuming Pantone is involved I'd assume the colors to be as close to perfect as practical; but they're not experts at making bricks and are presumably using whatever molds and QC that their clone brick partners employ for other projects.  OTOH you're right it could be scam from top to bottom.

I'm not talking bricks that are close - I'm talking about bricks that are, like, 20% larger in every dimension.


text:
3 studded zig-zag brick
I have a bag of bricks - one brick has 3 studs and it is a zigzag shape. Any ideas which set could it be?
It is cream coloured and among the other pieces included is an 8 sided dark grey flat plate.

Can you provide a photo or additional infomation?

When you say Zig-Zag, is it this kind of shape you have in mind? https://www.bricklink.com/PL/2462.jpg

A picture of the entire bag, with pieces clearly visible, will aid tremendously in determining which set the bag is from.

It sounds like it could be a Brick, Modified Facet 3 x 3 (2462) in tan.
Hogwarts Castle (4th edition) has that piece as well as an 8 sided dark grey flat plate. But without knowing what other parts you have, it could be several other sets (such as #75953 and #10235 as mentioned in the comments).

Could also be "Hogwarts Whomping Willow (75953)" set.

Or 10235 Winter Village Market. In other words: we need a good picture of the bag and its contents to accurately determine what you have.

It doesn't look like there is a lot to go on but it could be any of those sets potentially.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
Minifig head with orange glasses - Which set is it from?
I am trying to make a LEGO minifig self-portrait, and I found a head that looks similar enough.
But I can't for the life of me figure out which set this is from.  Do you know?

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3626cpb0469#T=C&C=3
I am aware I can buy the head in isolation, I am just curious if anyone knows the set it comes from.

This is likely from the Skier in CMF Series 2:

TLG has used a number of different head molds at different times. The head that you linked to is the hollow stud mold, whereas the one listed in the inventory for the set uses the blocked open stud mold. My guess is that a small number of these sets used the blocked open stud mold, and that's how there are a few of these floating around.
If you're curious, these are the main mold variations:

Awesome find, thank you so much!

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


text:
Blender has "weight" but not the part itself?
New to Blender, I downloaded it to look for some parts that aren't available on Studio. I saw one part, 54937, listed in Peeron and LIC. I also looked on LDraw.

For my download, I found part 54937 in weights but the actual part doesn't show up.
Why is that?

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  This question may be on-topic here, but I'm guessing you will get a lot more useful eyeballs on your question over at Blender.SE.

As far as I can tell, this part is not available to you because no one in the community has invested the time to create an LDraw model for it. The model files for most libraries of 3D LEGO bricks are based on the LDraw models created freely and collaboratively by the community.
Your part should be on LDraw here, but it is not there, indicating that it has never been added to the library.
Let's take a look at the part:

Most LDraw parts are built from a number of common primitives, such as studs, boxes, and clips. For example, here's the entire definition of a 1x2 brick:
1 16 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 1 stud3.dat

0 BFC INVERTNEXT
1 16 0 24 0 16 0 0 0 -20 0 0 0 6 box5.dat

4 16 20 24 10 16 24 6 -16 24 6 -20 24 10
4 16 -20 24 10 -16 24 6 -16 24 -6 -20 24 -10
4 16 -20 24 -10 -16 24 -6 16 24 -6 20 24 -10
4 16 20 24 -10 16 24 -6 16 24 6 20 24 10

1 16 0 24 0 20 0 0 0 -24 0 0 0 10 box5.dat

1 16 10 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat
1 16 -10 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat
0

It's easy to add parts that use mostly flat surfaces and common connection families. It is much more time consuming to add parts the include irregular curves and molded details. The above part would be time consuming to add, and would require the LDraw part author to have the physical part on hand, which likely contributes to why it hasn't been added.
For what it's worth, I saw that you also asked about this on the LDraw forums. That's a good idea, and hopefully one of the part authors will have this part on hand and be willing to add the model for you.

I see, that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the reply. I did supposedly find someone able to make custom parts... for $ of course. So I will look go with that assuming it's not too expensive.


text:
Box seals: Two arrows instead of 4-digit manufacturing code, is this a fake?
I have bought a lego architecture 21001 "John hancock" from a website.But as the title, there is no 4-digit code on the sticker. Could you guys help check if the stick is not the original one?

According to Brickset this set's shelf life was:
LAUNCH/EXIT01 Jul 2008 - 31 Dec 2011

I have 42000 set from 2013 (and some others too) which still use stickers with arrows like one of your pictures. So it wasn't until few years later currently used stickers (with production week marked) have been introduced.

Hi Alex, many thanks for the clarification. it's a great relief for me!


text:
How do I build this robot car?
I want to start using more LEGO Technic, but I'm not sure what the best way is to buy the parts without breaking the bank.
I'd really like to make a robot like the ones shown in this video.
Making Lego Car CLIMB Obstacles

They identify these parts:
SBrick https://www.sbrick.com/sbrick.html
BrickController 2 app (Android)
PlayStation 4 wireless controller
But where do I get the rest?  Their channel recommends BrickLink, but that mostly seems to be individual pieces and vintage bits of Lego (unless I'm using it all wrong?)
Is there a low-cost way to buy most of the things shown here?  Should I buy a kilogram of used Technic elements on eBay and hope for the best?
Which motors, gearing systems, and batteries are they using here?  How are they connected to the SBrick? Is there a single kit that gets me 90% of the way there?

I think it would help if you could clarify a little what precisely you are looking for. For example: Are you looking for resources to show you how to use Technic parts? Are you looking for sources of third party kits like that particular model? Are you looking for more information about how to identity the parts in a model and how to source them on sites like BrickLink?
Speaking of BrickLink, some sellers do offer custom kits though it's a little buried in the interface. You are correct that the primary trade is in individual parts though.

good point - added some definition at the end

One more thought, I tracked down the actual video on Youtube and checked for more information and the About text for the channel explicitly says they don't publish building instructions, so it's unlikely you can contact the creator and get a parts list that way.

There are several ways you can start with LEGO Technic.
If you have no elements whatsoever the best (cost-efficient) approach is to buy a set that contains most of the parts. Or a couple of sets. Bulk lots could also be useful, however, they may not contain the most expensive elements (like motors). Specific elements could be acquired from Bricklink or BrickOwl.
It is also cost-efficient to buy sets that contain electronic elements already since these are usually more expensive when bought individually.

Which motors, gearing systems, and batteries are they using here?

Motor - Power Functions M-Motor (as a "set") or Electric, Motor 9V Power Functions M with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom (as an "element")
Gears - multiple have been used in a video. You can find all of them in the Technic, Gear section. These are used in the pictured model:

Technic, Gear 24 Tooth (2nd Version - 1 Axle Hole)

Technic, Gear Worm Screw, Long, Axle Opening Type II

Technic, Gearbox 2 x 4 x 3 1/3

Technic, Gear 40 Tooth

Battery - battery box used in the video is Electric 9V Battery Box Power Functions (Rechargeable) with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom. It is rather expensive and I suggest much cheaper and commonly found Electric 9V Battery Box Power Functions (Non-Rechargeable) with Dark Bluish Gray Bottom instead.
Please be advised both motors and battery boxes belong to the Power Functions system which has been recently discontinued by LEGO.

How are they connected to the SBrick?

SBrick is a controller and has connections compatible with the ones used by the Power Functions system. Each motor has a cable with a connector, so no extra cables are needed here.

Is there a single kit that gets me 90% of the way there?

The Pictured model doesn't use a huge bunch of elements, so it is rather hard to define what 90% is. Personally, I would probably look for some used sets with motors and battery box. And acquire the rest from Bricklink.

Great answer  - much appreciated!


text:
LEGO Bugatti Issues
This is my first post and my first LEGO set.
I recently built LEGO Bugatti Chiron with all the features working.
I am however having an issue with the rear axle/wheels.
The rear brake calipers fall off and touch the alloy itself. Also, one of the gears falls out if I push the suspension too hard!

Welcome to Bricks.SE! Bugatti Chiron is pretty big set and contain a lot of gears. Could you post a picture of the gear you have trouble with? In case it is hard to take picture of that particular location, perhaps referring to certain step in instructions could be beneficial to address your issue.

Should that be "red brake calipers" instead of "read break calipers"? Or better still "rear brake calipers". And also "rear axle/wheels" instead of "real axle/wheels"


text:
Does anyone know what piece this is and its number? Large red hemisphere with angry face
I would like to know what piece this is, found it in my collection.

These are Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere with Dual 2 Fingers with Globlin with Yellow Eyes Angry print and Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere with Dual 2 Fingers with Globlin with Yellow Eyes print. Both come from the same set - Beast Master's Chaos Chariot (70314)
Part numbers to all sorts of catalogs can be found on Rebrickable pages linked above.


text:
Which LEGO sets do these pieces belong to? Star Wars? White, grey, yellow
I got these LEGO sets from a consignment sale.  They were all in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.  Any thoughts on which sets they came from? The first bag is open and I've been assuming that the loose pieces came from inside it, but I suppose that could be incorrect.  The other two bags are still sealed.
The loose pieces look similar to some of the pieces from the LEGO Star Wars Anakin's Jedi Interceptor 75281 LEGO set.

According to BrickLink:
Bag 2 has at least 2 white 15625 (Slope, Curved 5 x 8 x 2/3 with Four Studs). Only two sets have at least 2, and only 1 also has a yellow Technic coat hanger 99773 (Technic, Liftarm, Modified Triangle Thin, Type II) - 75170 (The Phantom)

The big rounded windscreen looks like 50986pb001 (Windscreen 10 x 6 x 3 Bubble Canopy Double Tapered with Dark Bluish Gray Jedi Starfighter Pattern) which was in 3 sets. Only 1 also has a black 47407 (Wedge, Plate 4 x 6) - 7661 (Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring)

Bag 3 is also from 75170, because you can see the torso of Admiral Thrawn in the bottom left corner. The seal code on the bag corresponds with the lifespan of this set as well - R7 means 2017. The good news is that Admiral Thrawn is exclusive to this set and hence expensive to obtain ($60+ for a new one on Bricklink).

Looking at all pictures, I think you have part of bag 1 and all of bag 2 and 3 of set 75170, plus some random parts. In the loose part picture you can see Kanan Jarrus as well, another expensive minifigure at $20+ on Bricklink. This figure also belongs to 75170. The red motorcycle fairing (18895) can be from a number of other sets, so these are truly random parts thrown together.

The 8x8 piece with a sticky-outy bit is 15624  Brick, Modified 8 x 8 x 2/3 with 1 x 4 Indentations and 1 x 4 Plate https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=15624&colorID=85&in=A - in 13 sets in DkBley.


text:
Missing 1 of 6 bags to a set, how can I identify what parts are missing
I bought a used set and it has 5/6 bags.  How can I identify what parts are in bag 1 so I can order them?   Set is 7964

Lego's own building instructions will show you which bag you open when, so if you are willing to look at each step before bag 2 is used, they must have come from bag 1 (unfortunately, this includes minifigures).

This is fairly easy to do if you add all the pieces to a wishlist in Bricklink (go to the page for the set and then click on the Part Out link under My Wanted List. You can now go through the building steps from the manual and mark each piece needed in the wanted list. When done with the first bag you have a list of all the pieces you need, and you can order them straight away from Bricklink using the list and the Buy All option.)

This sounds like the easiest way to get this done at this point, but hopefully somebody will compile a database of these someday.  This is a good bricklink project for TLG to fund now that they've taken over. :)

I, for one, would prefer they spend their money elsewhere, instead of on maintaining a database that almost nobody ever uses. If they already have the data (and surely they must, to fill the bags) in such a way they could easily export to BrickLink (much less likely), then sure, why not.

Perhaps they would rather not share that data as not to help the clone brick manufacturers

True. They already publish it in the instructions, but there's a difference between making information available and making it easy. Anyone who wants to can measure a 2x4 brick, but that doesn't mean Lego needs to go out of their way to publish the size.

I'm not aware of any LEGO related online catalogs keeping track of individual bag contents. So there is no convenient way of knowing what's missing.
One way is to do as mentioned by RSchulz, but I find it tedious to identify each piece and make a note of them.
If you are willing to open the rest of the bags you could check against existing set inventories on Bricklink or Rebrickable. Such way you don't need to identify the name (the most tedious, probably), part number and color. Only thing is needed is to note the quantity you already have.

peeron.com used to have a bag field, but that hasn't been maintained for a long time.


text:
What set are these bags from? bearded mini-fig head, tan, dark tan, maroon, white and black bricks, some small black windows
I picked up two sealed bags up from the church thrift store. Markings are 2017, 515R8, 13149, bag numbers 3 and 4, Each bag has at least one flesh colored, bearded mini-fig head, tan, dark tan, maroon, white and black bricks, some small black windows. Can anyone identify the set?

I am no expert brick sleuth, but I see a white Dinosaur Tail End Section / Horn and a dark tan 4x12 plate, which I believe narrows this to 75930-1 Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate. That set apparently has six bags total, so if that is correct you're indeed missing most of it.

That seems to be correct. Thanks!

Based on the

Black Window 2 x 6 x 2 Train Front / Boat
Dark Red Slope 75 2 x 2 x 3 - Solid Studs
White Dinosaur Tail End Section / Horn

these bags should be from
75930: Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate


text:
Help identify set - Star Wars Episode 1-3 Era
Been organizing old toys and ran into this completely built part that looks like some backdrop item from Tatooine - a vertical thing you see near Luke's farm. It looks very familiar, and I can swear I saw it on one of the boxes along some other, main thing.

For reference, the same box had a Gionossian fighter from Episode 2 and Darth Vader's ship from Force Unleashed series. Images of those below.

These parts are from
4488: Millennium Falcon
this set contains additional parts to build a Y-wing Fighter when also using additional parts from sets 4489, 4490 and 4491.

That's a great find! I think it might be from set 4491 though, since I also found a bunch of loose brown block that fit the picture. Thank you!


text:
Identify an unusual double-ended ball socket link part
This part is made up of three pieces - two identical ball socket ends that fit the standard tow ball size, and a thin rod connecting the two that is freely rotating. This allows the two ends to rotate independently of each other. The visible section of the rod is three studs long, and each end is two studs long, making the whole assembly seven studs long. The pieces do not appear to be designed to be disassembled by the user, hence my assumption that it is a single part.

That is 4 separate parts. They can be disassembled, but they are somewhat fragile. The ends are part 6644 Technic Flex Cable End - Ball Connection with Cage:

The middle section is made up of a length rigid hose with a flex cable inside.
Rigid hose:

Flex cable:

The cable end includes a hinged door that allows flex system hose to be freely inserted or removed while the door is open. Once the door is in the closed position, the hose is locked in place. Here's what the part looks like with the door open:

If you're curious why you might want such a piece, it can be used to transfer translational motion down an irregular path. Here's and example from set 8412:

The part is first used to connect the flex system to the control stick inside the helicopter cockpit:

It's then used to connect one of the cables to the main rotor to provide pitch and roll control:

So it's basically the brake/shifter cables on a bicycle then?  Neat.

@DarrelHoffman Exactly! It's very similar to those cables.

Can you really (non-destructively) disassemble these pieces? I always thought they were rather permanent once that door locks closed...

@KRyan You can. I store mine fully disassembled, and I don't recall ever breaking one. They do feel very fragile, though.


text:
How do I keep track of my Bricklink orders?
I just noticed "This order will be purged from the BrickLink website on …" on the bottom of one of my Bricklink orders.
How do I keep track of the inventory I bought on Bricklink after the orders are deleted? Can I somehow create an inventory from them? I just want to know which bricks I bought in an accessible manner.

Good answers here. As all of them suggest to download ordered items and manage your orders in an offline manner.
Another way is to, keep track of your collection (sets and loose/extra bricks) online in Rebrickable. Here you you have an option to import orders directly from Bricklink.
Click the  Import/Delete Parts button on the Part List page that you want to import into.

Choose a file or external site to import from.
From a Rebrikable help guide.

If you go to your order overview, you can click on Download
On the next page select the checkbox 'Include detail items'
This should give you and overview of all orders including exact parts bought in each transaction.

To add to @user18321’s answer, here are two other ways:

Within BrickLink: go to each order and click on “Add to Wanted List”. Now add the pieces to either a new wanted list (perhaps under the order number?) or dump all your orders into one big Wanted list (e.g. “Purchases”).
Using BrickStore: download this free software, give it your BL credentials, and it will download your orders for you (Using “Import”>”Bricklink Orders”). It has a great UI that allows you to manage your collection, and amongst others allows you to pull up current cost values for the items you own (ctrl-A ctrl-G).


text:
Ev3 classroom 1.5.2.0 not working
When I try to create a new project or open an old project, the program does not work.
We have 10 computers (desktops) with different versions of Windows 10

Stuck on this.

Hi Martin and welcome to Bricks.SE! Can you please share more details concering your issue? Does "stuck on this" mean you can't advance from the depicted state? Can you see any error messages or can you use other functions?

We have the same issue. Similar set up.


text:
Does a LEGO Technic Power Functions L Motor work with a v1 receiver?
Does a LEGO Technic Power Functions L Motor work with a v1 receiver? I really want to know it, because then I know what motor I should buy.

Yes, they appear in combination in the 42030 and 42095 sets.
The L motor only appears in combination with the V2 receiver in the 41999 and 9398 sets.
In my experience, there is a small performance loss when used with the V1 rather than the V2 receiver.
I once asked Lego support why the Volvo 42030 came with the V1 rather than the V2 receiver as depicted on the box-art and was told that the motors might damage the set when used with the V2 receiver and that hence the receiver was swapped out late in the design phase (after the box-art was already made)


text:
How is the roof on this bridge town formed?
I recently came across this build from Markus Rollbühler:

It includes many great details and building techniques. I'm curious how the conical tower roof is formed, though:

It's obviously made using a number of cheese slopes:

How are they all attached?

Something cheesy is going on with that roof.

At first, I assumed that this was a clever technique using something flexible like a net or tubing. After a bit of digging, I found a similar tower roof on a different build by the same person:

Someone had asked about the roof technique on that build, and Markus included a photo looking up the inside of the roof structure:

The build makes use of round elements of different sizes with elements of an appropriate length clipped around them like spokes. This is a great technique that delivers a nice result if you have loads of parts and patience available.

I'm not quite sure pictured technique has been actually used in build posted in question. Maybe a variation of it, but not exactly the one mentioned here. Picture clearly shows two cheese slopes are kept together with single robot arm while original build has each cheese slope placed individually.

@Alex That's a great point. I assume the the inside structure is similar, but the build from the question only uses one cheese slope per spoke.

You can attach the cheese slopes to the light grey "light saber grips", leaving out the darker grey robot arms.

This exact building technique, while possible, wouldn't be used by LEGO, since wheels could be stressing out parts and connection looks to be rather weak (wheel doesn't have bar connections). TLG, however have recently announced Sunflowers (40524) set, which is using similar approach, but with "legal" technique, as seen Brickset review.


text:
Does anyone know what this piece is? 3224730, with a bar at right angles to two more-rectancular bits
I found this piece and don't have any idea where it came from or what it would be used for. The number "3224730 2" is stamped on the side. For scale reference, the long round bar portion fits in a minifigure's hands.

Does it also have a LEGO logo stamped on it anywhere? My first guess is that's it's a sprue but it's hard to tell.

@NathanStohlmann No, it does not have LEGO stamped on it.  Maybe it's not LEGO?  The circular part is the same diameter as LEGO bars.  It was mixed in with all my other LEGO parts.

@NathanStohlmann Looking closer, there are some fine mold seams visible along the length which I would not expect on a LEGO part.  It seems like not being LEGO or being a sprue are probably good guesses.

The texture also doesn't resemble LEGO.

I'm somewhat skeptical about this piece being LEGO as well. However, the font is very similar to the one used by LEGO - all of the digits are the same on my LEGO elements. But then again, the number of digits (8+1) is just too much for any known LEGO element.

Long shot, but 3224730 matches the part number for a turn signal component used in a number of Chevy vehicles which is large enough to feasibly contain this part inside. Perhaps this is an internal part (specifically internal part #2)? Found the part number via this Ebay listing and it appears to be sold under a more generic Chevy part number (20962250) elsewhere. I can't find any good diagrams and I don't have one to tear down to verify this hypothesis.

This is not a Lego piece, If you look at the colour (or a trained eye does) This is probably a knock off lego set, as well as lego doesn't make these sort of pieces and lastly with every Lego piece ever made the have the icon, try to find it, If it isn't there it's a fake.

"every Lego piece ever made the have the icon" - that is not true!

Just to emphasize the previous comment, not all official LEGO parts have the LEGO logo on them. The vast majority do, but there are plenty of examples that do not.

How can you identify this is non-LEGO element by relying on it being made in Black color? It may be obvious with some other colors and color shades, but Black is a common color for lots of LEGO elements.


text:
Can you identify this LEGO part? - 8x8 lattice design with 2 studs by 2 studs in the middle
The piece is red 2.5" X 2.5" square, Lattice design with 2 studs by 2 studs solid tile in middle and 8 studs on each outside around the edge

It's 4151 Plate, Modified 8 x 8 with Grille. There's a newer variant with a hole, too.
In red, it was in only one set: 6989 Mega Core Magnetizer

That was definitely one of the sets to gaze at longingly in the catalog as a kid.

That's a great set too.

M-Tron was my favorite, I didn't have this one back then, but I think I do now after buying a huge tub used of legos many years ago.

I'm not that old but I feel the vibe :)


text:
Can anyone help me with what set this bag belongs to? brown door, some flowers, a $100, an envelope
There is a brown door, some flowers, a $100, an envelope

According to BrickLink, the only set with all of:

2 x 2 corner brick in yellow
wedge plate 3 x 3 in dark bluish grey
1 x 8 plate in yellow

is 31108 Caravan Family Holiday

Is that a 1x2x2 brick in white on the left, though? If it is, I have no idea what set this could be. I feel it has to be a panel, but it doesn't totally look like a panel to me.

Thank you! I appreciate it!

@RSchulz that is https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=22885&idColor=1 , a 1x2x1 2/3 brick with studs on the side.

Gah! So it is. I don't know why I didn't just look through all the white pieces.


text:
Part identification of an element used in the snout of a micro-scale whale
I need help identifying this part:

I would think something bionicle, but going through the list on bricklink I couldn't find anything, it's sort of similar to a bionicle eye, but not quite.

This is tricky one. According to my research this element is foot/boot of Belville figures and Bricklink doesn't have dedicated entry for this piece. Perhaps it isn't meant to be disassembled/assembled, but that doesn't stop AFOLs from doing so.

In case somebody would be looking to ID the bottom part of the same sub-assembly it looks to be Belville, Clothes Child's Leg Cast

Amazing work, @Alex!

"Perhaps it isn't meant to be disassembled/assembled, but that doesn't stop AFOLs from doing so." The same image is using a disassembled minifigure hand for the one of the masts of the ship, so it's pretty clear whoever made the model doesn't care about that! ;)

@nick012000 maybe that person had his Belville figure badly damaged and salvaged some bits :)

@nick012000 The hands are meant to be detached, and they do have separate inventory entries on BrickLink.

@RSchulz I'm not quite sure about such statement. Hands always come attached. And when you buy LEGO set it comes with loose elements which you need to put together (assemble), so at no point you need to remove hands apart. Speaking of arms - these also have BL entry. And this is definitely done to meet AFOL's needs as their removal isn't straightforward, especially if you don't want to damage torso/arms. So the fact that some elements have entry in BL catalog doesn't mean they were supposed to be removable.

I was trying to think of a set where the hands were clearly meant to be interchanged, but nothing came to mind. I agree with all your points. I just have this weird impression that there was a minifig where you were supposed to swap the boxing gloves for hands, or swap out a hook for a hand, or some such. Perhaps it is just all the times I had to do that to restore minifigs to factory configuration after kids messed with them.


text:
Align 2xX plate on "sandwiched" brick (height of 5 plates)
I'm using "baseplates" for my builds which are built by using two 16x16 plates with one brick height between them (to connect multiple baseplates with Technic bricks and pins).
Now I'd like to build "edges" on the sides where no further baseplate is connected. The problem is, that, although the baseplates have a height of a 2xX plate, I cannot align them correctly centered.

Is there any SNOT technique to get the 2xX plate aligned as for (A) which I cannot use, because modified brick 32952 does not fit between the two plates of the baseplate. For variants (B) modified brick 87087, and (C) Technic brick with modified tile with pin 2460 the attached plate would be slightly displaced.

It doesn't matter whether the attached plate would be "studs out" as in (B) or "studs in" as in (C), as long as it aligns as in (A).
(Bonus points if all bricks needed are available in white.)

Does attached element should be the of same thickness as a plate? What if the was one stud thick with no Technic pins visible?

It seems like you're inventing your own way of building baseplates, when at least two fairly widely used standards (Moduverse and MILS) exists. Consider just using one of those standards.

I've seen the MILS standard some time ago, which inspired me for by base plates. Although, they are quite similar (MILS with a base plate as bottom plate and Moduverse with one additional plate layer -- if I'm right). I guess you would have similar problems with both of them when designing an "off-module" edge as with my design? Or are their height a better fit? (Mine, at least, is exactly the height of a 2xX plate ...)

It might be an addition in Moduverse+, but edges exists for Moduverse (I don't really care about that myself, but I've seen that)

Found one solution using Bracket 2 x 2 - 1 x 2 Centered, where perpendicular plate is actually centered and fit two plates on each side seamlessly.

My other idea, which I had in mind initially, was to use Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Pin, which can fit existing Technic bricks in your baseplates and leave presentable back side without any pins visible. Benefit of such solution is that you can have your baseplates same on each and every side (you don't need to make specific "edge" baseplates), thus allowing you to shuffle them however you like as this solution would work with any of them.

Wow. I didn't "find" that bracket, although I've already worked with it! Also in combination with the second option I could build a "pluggable" edge part without modifying the whole base plate. That's excellent!

Perhaps too straightforward but how about simply sticking a brick out with 1 stud and attach any kind of bracket to the top or bottom of the protruding end of the brick ?


text:
Are Technic and Education sets overpriced because they're "educational"?
It seems like to get a Technic set of any substantial size costs hundreds of dollars. It's kind of insane. Technic is marketed as "educational". Sometimes I wonder if The LEGO Group is assuming all parents who value educational toys are loaded.
I realize LEGO can be pricey in general, for various reasons. But whether you measure it by weight in plastic or number of pieces, does being Technic or Education make sets more expensive on average?
Of course we have to take into account when a set has a motor or other electrical parts, but I've seen sets that are all plastic, seeming to be priced above average, possibly just because they have a lot of gears and other "machine" parts.

In order to make this question answerable more details are needed. Especially which sets you have in mind. There could be reasons why certain sets are valued higher or lower, compared to others, some (but not all) of the reasons could be: age, size, distribution area, production numbers, and so on. Another thing to mention is that Technic isn't the same as Education as they are targeting different audiences. It would be nice to have country/region mentioned as well, since it is known that various themes have different interest in each region, which could affect the pricing as well.

@Alex Okay, all fair points. I will try to provide some more examples and expand my question. It might not happen today though, so please bear with me.


text:
What motor and remote control can be used for LEGO train 60197?
I got the LEGO set 60197 passenger train and its missing the 3 components. The motor, the battery, and the remote. I've tried to look online for it but the only motor I see online is 88011. Is that compatible?

If you happen to have the appropriate kind of conductive track, 60197 can also be powered with the older 9v or 12v motors (part nos. 590 / bb0012v).

It would have been nice to know you location, to provide direct URLs. Below are details for UK, however prices would be in similar price range in other markets.

Train motor LEGO | Bricklink (as part) | Bricklink (as set)
Remote Control LEGO | Bricklink (as part) | Bricklink (as set)
Hub LEGO | Bricklink (as part) | Bricklink (as set)


text:
Transformer 45517: power supply or charger?
I would like to build a charging station for EV3 with rechargeable battery (45501).
Does the transformer (45517) give a simple stable dc voltage (power supply)? Or does it provide a controlled voltage / current depending on the charge with charging a method (CC-CV or other)? What is the charging method?
In other words: the charging intelligence is in the rechargeable battery or in the transformer?

The charging circuit is in the battery, so any 10V, 700mA DC power supply should work. The circuit driven by a MP26123 chip.
The battery schematic is available from the EV3 Hardware Developer Kit on the MINDSTORMS download page for anyone who wants to confirm this.

Thanks a lot David for your very completed answer.

Don't forget to mark this as the correct answer if you find this helpful (it helps other people find the answer too).


text:
What is the correct Snowspeeder to pair with the UCS AT-AT?
What is the correct sized Snowspeeder to pair with the UCS AT-AT (75313)?

Related https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/16383/what-is-the-correct-snowspeeder-to-pair-with-the-at-at

From Brickset: "The vehicle measures 62cm in height and 69cm long".
The same measurements of a real AT-AT would be 22.5 meters and 20 meters.
Therefore the 75313 is scaled between 1:36 and 1:29, depending on whether the height or the length is more important.
A model of the 5.3 meters long Snowspeeder at these scales would be anywhere between 14.7 and 18.2 cm long, so the 75259: Snowspeeder – 20th Anniversary Edition at 18 cm would definitely be in the correct scale range, and it has a passing level of details as well.


text:
Identify this set - bags with white, grey, brown and blue bricks
Found these two bag from a box of toys given by friend And they don’t have any idea what set the bags belong to.
The QR code on the bag shows 6172092, googled it but no luck. Can anyone help? Thanks

I can see a blue 4x4x6 corner door frame, and a 10x10 black net (inside the cardboard box labeled "6124286"). That's enough to identify the set as 60174-1 Mountain Police Headquarters.


text:
Is there any good comparison of Lego Electric systems?
Coming back to Lego after a 20 year break gave me headache when discovering the electric systems available. Is there a good comparison around or could we make one here? What connector fits, what voltages etc. What will my 9V system fit with? Anything compatible with Mindstorms?

Is this what you are looking for: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/1605/what-are-the-electrical-properties-of-electric-lego-systems It could use some updates to cover Powered Up.

That looks spot on, wonder why it didn’t show up when searching. Anyhow, thanks!

Guess it need update with power up and the new robot inventor system.

I've expanded and updated that answer to include Powered Up.

@jncraton wow great!


text:
Motor problems in 60051
The motor in my High Speed Passenger Train set (60051) has stopped working properly. I just put brand new batteries in and it acts just like if they were worn. Moreover, the little brown capacitor inside the assembly gets VERY hot and after just a few seconds of running, the motor stops entirely.
I have a hard time reading the numbers on the capacitor, but I think it says RO40017 70395. I can't find anything on the Internet on that. I was hoping to buy a new capacitor to replace it, since  I think it is broken.
So, could it be the capacitor? Might it be the motor?
I have tried it directly on the battery pack and I have tried with the 'step' thing and the remote control, both same results: Hot capacitor, motor stops running.
Edit: Upon request, a photo:

Could you show a picture of the opened up motor? I think what you call a capacitator might actually be a thermistor. As a current overload protection, they are supposed to get hot and provide resistance according to their temperature...

@MichaelVerschaeve The problem, as I see it, is that it gets super hot almost instantly. As in so hot that the plastic casing becomes rather warm after much less than a minute.

Yes, but the thermistor is doing what it's supposed to do, limit the current. You're getting too much current because something in the inner motor itself has worn down or the motor is somehow stalled... I would write this of and replace the motor as its not a good idea safety wise to short a thermistor. You could contact Lego support and see if they'll replace the motor (for a new set they would do so happily, but this set is unfortunately already retired so I don't know)

Heh, me trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about :D There must be something wrong inside the motor then. It spins freely when I turn it though.

Contact LEGO customer service, they might be able to receive you a new motor for free.
For Bricklink users: here is the listings page to buy this exact kind of motor, in both "new" and "used" conditions.


text:
EV3 file opens to lobby and won’t open any of the saved programs on it
Help!! I am using the Mindstorms app on a HP laptop to program missions to an EV3 brick for a robotics team.  We saved our programs yesterday after finishing programming a couple missions. Today, the file will only open in Mindstorms to the lobby with no programs opening at all!  The file itself says I last saved to it yesterday, and it says there is 40 KB in there, but it won’t open.  I have tried restarting computer and Mindstorms app, sending the file to another computer with that app (won’t open) and searching for it saved somewhere else on the laptop…all a no go! I have also opened last years file and it opened just fine, so I don’t think it is the Mindstorms app.  Can anyone help with suggestions on how to get my file opened and get the programs back?  We have 2 1/2 months of programming on there and we have qualifiers in 3 weeks!

I’m voting to close this question because this question is not about LEGO but rather about recovering files in Microsoft Windows.

Do you have a backup copy of the file available (possibly an older version) ? Can you open the ev3 file as a zip file (and if so what's in it) ? Did you transfer the program to the ev3 brick ?

I agree with Phil: this question has little to do with the site's scope. Still, I feel sorry for you for losing all your hard work - this must be truly terrifying to you all. What you still can do: 0) Create a backup of everything that is left NOW. 1) Try to find older versions to restore. 2) Try to rename a copy of the file to .zip and open it, comparing it to a working file. 3) Get in touch with the Mindstorms app developers / maintainers - they might have a tip about possible backup file locations or recovery steps.

I don’t think this question is about LEGO, but rather about Microsoft Windows (assuming that is what runs on the laptop) and hence it doesn’t fit here on this forum. However, here are some suggestions:

It looks like your file has been corrupted during the previous save. To prevent this in the future, it is best to make a copy of the program at the end of each day and keep it somewhere safe, for example on a USB thumb drive. This will also save you if your computer were to crash some day.
In the meanwhile, try going to the File Explorer in Windows, find the saved file and right-click on it. Hopefully it shows something like “show versions” which might allow you to find the state of the file from a previous save.
If that option is not there (and it very well might not be), use this as an opportunity to teach your grouo about the value of backups, and redo the programs. If this is for FLL, you might have printouts of the programs for your binder, which you can use to recreate the program?

Good luck.


text:
What set does this unopened bag belong to? Lots of grey and brown

I found this bag number 7, but cannot figure out what Lego set it belongs to.

Based on having a lot of Light Bley 1x4 with studs on the side and black ladder with clips and a boat steering wheel of some sort, it must be 21310 Old Fishing Store.

Thank you.  But this set doesn’t look familiar at all.  My kids have never had this type of set. I appreciate any additional help you could give.  Thanks!

I have looked at all sets that were in production in 2017 (seal code on your bag ends in 7 which means 2017) and that were large enough, AND had Black Plate 4x10 in it, as well as the LBG brick 1x4 with studs on side AND the tan windows, and as @RSchulz already concluded, only 21130 qualifies.

@PhilB. That number is for production date, which doesn't always relate to year set was introduced into market. For example, all sets manufactured for beginning of 2022 will have 2021 marking. Pictured bag could have also been an additional production of something that has been introduced in 2016. Apart from that, spot on!

@Alex - I never said I looked only at sets that came out in 2017. I said I looked at sets that were IN PRODUCTION in 2017, which indeed includes sets that came out in 2016 and even 2015, and even 2018.

@PhilB. In case of 21310, yes, it is highly unlikely it was produced in 2016. But I don't think there is a good way of knowing what was in production in 2017. Say 10220, it was available for over 9 years. So if you find it sitting on a shelf in 2017 you cannot tell if it was produced same year or sometime in past 6 years.


text:
Saturn V build step 124
Step 124. Having some difficulty from the diagram figuring out how to orient each of these four pieces. Can't figure out if the light grey nozzle is suppose to snap into the bracket shown in step 123. So far no problems except for this. LEGO needed a bottom view of the assembly.

You just need to slide each of these 5 sub-assemblies onto black/yellow axles. There are no further attachment points between this sub-assembly and the rest of the model.
Instructions suggests you need to point each nozzle toward next engine in outer circle (except for center one, which works in any orientation). You don't really have other options for orientation since parts you've put together on previous step limit positioning of the sub-assembly found in Step 124. And looking at the pictures from various reviews I found over the internet I don't think there is a good way of picturing engines from the bottom since colors are dark and pretty much the same.


text:
Help identify 1x2 modified plate with both pin and axle holes
Trying to identify this piece to buy some extras. Can't find anything like it on Bricklink.
It came in a MOC set, not official Lego.
Any help greatly appreciated!

I suspect a clone branded item. Does it have "LEGO" inside studs?

Yeah, it's definitely a clone brick. I guessed there must be a Lego equivalent but maybe not. Any idea if there's still a way to order the part on its own?

LEGO doesn't have any elements that have such geometry and offer connections for both pins and axles. The closest you can get from LEGO right now is Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Pin Hole on Bottom

And Technic, Brick 1 x 2 with Holes if you need to attach two pins/axles.

Thanks Alex, that confirms what I've found too. The other is the 1 X 2 beam with axle and pin holes but no studs.

https://rebrickable.com/parts/60483/technic-beam-1-x-2-thick-with-pin-hole-and-axle-hole/


text:
Make and take set identification - white, tan, brown, and a long yellow axle
My kids got these pieces in a plain clear bag for Christmas 2021. I think it is part of a LEGO Make-and-Take event at a Toys R Us from this past year or something but they didn’t get any instructions. Is anyone able to identify and get instructions for it?

Whatever it is it's not inventoried on BrickLink: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=14769pb196&in=S

I put together a model of this owl, using my best guess when there was ambiguity. It uses all the parts in the image, plus some extras (namely; the wings, beak, eyes, some slopes).
You can view the 3D model here: https://www.mecabricks.com/en/models/Abjp4W9Dj5y

Searching for Lego Make and Take, I found this Harry Potter Owl model that appears to be made of the parts from your bag, but you may be missing a few.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find building instructions for it, but they can definitely be inferred from the image.


text:
Need Help identifying LEGO castles
would anyone be able to assist with identifying the following 2 LEGO castles? We’ve tried looking on the catalogues so far but no luck. If anyone can assist, I’d appreciate it :) thanks!

I'm afraid these aren't pure LEGO sets. I can spot many non-LEGO elements and accessories, which explains why it is hard to find in LEGO catalogs.

In your first photograph I spot what seems to be Panel 1x4x5 Wall with Window in dark bluish gray:

The list of sets containing such a part in that colour is very short, and none of the sets resemble the construction in your photograph.
The second photograph seems to feature the same part, but in light bluish grey instead. Again, the list of sets with that part in that colour yields no matches.
It's safe to say that you're not dealing with LEGO sets, but with clone brands instead.

Also, the brown head on a pike in the top left corner of the first photo doesn't seem like a Lego thing to me.

And the 1x3x2 half arches, and the white cups used as torch holders, and the black helmets, and the inverted 2x2 slopes with four indentations. It's hard to make an exhaustive list.

My recollection of castle stuff is rather dated, but to me it looks like some  genuine parts (or very near copies) and some parts from clone brands that don't have genuine equivalents


text:
Are there known manufacturing issues with 1x1 gold cones?
Are there any known issues with LEGO 1x1 gold cones?  We received a set containing them and two broke within an hour (under normal use).
They were part of this set.  You can see one on the top of the locomotive and house.  Anyone have positive (or negative) experiences with Lego on sending out replacement parts?

I have dozens and dozens of broken pieces that are dark reddish brown (from different sets) - 1x1-s, 1x4-s, etc. I have a dedicated container where I collect these - every single one of them broke on first use. Haven't yet seen issues with gold yet but some colors seem to be extremely poorly manufactured (dark reddish brown, light blue, etc.).

It is unknown what could have caused your issue. LEGO does change plastic and coloring formula from time to time. While rare this still may result in customers having similar issues with bricks sometimes.
Please get in touch with LEGO Customer Service and they will be more than happy to help with your issue and take a note of what went wrong to address the global problem (if there is one).

Did this, and they were happy to send replacement pieces.


text:
Classic Space part? near-triangle with 2x6 on one end and 1x2 on the other and a lot of empty space between
Is this a classic space part? Found in a box of old LEGO.

This is
Part #30036: Wedge, Plate 8 x 6 x 2/3 with Grille
In White it appears in two Exploriens sets

6856: Planetary Decoder

and

6982: Explorien Starship

You have correctly identified the part, however the question was a little different. I suppose the answer is "no"?


text:
Has the colour "White" changed over the years?
Recently, I bought a new and sealed 70828 Pop-up Party Bus, 2019, a quite underrated set, in my opinion. I was surprised to see that the many white parts are not as white as I expected. I compared this set with white elements from my other sets. On the picture, you see elements from the 5974 Galactic Enforcer, 2009, 70810 Metalbeard's Sea Cow, 2014, and the 31109 Pirate Ship, 2020.

It is not quite obvious on the image, but all sets have exactly the same, ivory white. For comparison, I placed them on a blank white paper. I remembered having seen much brighter shades of white in older sets, so I dug deeper and found a 6982 Explorien Starship, 1996 with many yellowed white parts, but also some parts that hadn't yellowed at all:

On the picture, you see the famous 30037 Wing Plate Bi-level 12 x 9 x 2 1/3 over the Pirate Ship sails. Again, the light for the picture is not the best, but the white colour from 1996 is much brighter than the more recent version of LEGO White. I assume that in 1996, all white parts were of the same hue.
My question is whether there was a change in the LEGO colour "White" and whether this change can be attributed to a certain date or a known change in the production process?
Any hint is appreciated. Happy new year, by the way!

I have done some research on this question and I can tell it wasn't easy to find an answer. With some deeper digging I found this thread on Eurobricks related to color variations and where they are coming from. https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/98441-color-variations/
In short it says since early 2000 Lego is using only 1 color of pelets instead of using pre-colored ones. Because of this color variations have been noticed.

Nice find! That post covers some interesting aspects, also partly praising the new pellet method. However, my examples above seem to show that there is very little colour variation, at least from 2014 to 2021, for the white pellets.

This change is the reason why we see color inconsistency.


text:
What is an effective method for breaking down and storing large sets for future rebuilds?
I would like to breakdown and store my Harry Potter Castle (71043) but not sure the best method doing so. I have young kids that would love to rebuild this some day so I want to make sure I break this down properly and store so that rebuilding later will be easy. Do I start at the back of the manuals and work forward storing zip lock bags of each manual section? Do I break down by part type? If I do that then we would be rifling through 30+ bags during a rebuild. Anyone have experience with this set and breaking down?

I don't have that particular set, but going through the instructions in reverse order and storing the parts in numbered bags will produce the most like-new rebuilding experience. You can even put everything back in the original box and store it that way.
The big weakness with this method is that you can't really use those parts for anything else. That's probably fine if you only have a few sets and don't intend to do any custom building, but I find myself very limited when storing by set. I personally store as much as I can by part (and then by part and color when I have a large number of a particular element). We have another good answer covering sorting techniques if that is useful.


text:
What is a Planetary Decoder? What does it decode? How does it work?
This answer to Classic Space part? says

In White it appears in two Exploriens sets

6856: Planetary Decoder

and

6982: Explorien Starship

Question: What is a Planetary Decoder? What does it decode? In association with what planets might it be used? And if possible what kinds of signals does it receive and how does it work?
Having just written an answer about optical communications in space the title of the set really piqued my interest!

According to various lego catalogs of 1996 (the set's release year), it's referring to the main play feature of the set :

The two transparent red and blue dishes at the front of the craft can be used to reveal different designs on two included tiles :

Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Alien Egg Pattern (Sticker)
Tile 2 x 2 with Groove with Dinosaur Skeleton and Bone Pattern (Sticker)

One such catalog (1996 Holiday US Shop At Home) gives some more background information :

Transcription :

D. Planetary Decoder
It soars through space, then lands on uncharted planets to search for alien clues! This fully equipped craft has adjustable rocket engines, a rotating telescopic laser, alien clues and decoding equipment. 79 pieces.
#6856 Planetary Decoder $8.75

Cool decoding equipment detects dangerous dinosaurs? Blue screen reveals dino chomping on a bone and red screen reveals dino with mouth wide open.

For some more lore on the Exploriens range of sets, the Bricks 'n Pieces March 1996 issue dedicates some pages to it eg.

These sets came out during my prime Lego-obsessed years, and I can absolutely confirm that this is precisely what was meant. I had a subscription to the Lego magazine, which I believe explained it explicitly.

@KRyan : thanks for prompting me to check the catalogs - I've updated the answer with the most detailed one I found for this set.

Interesting tidbit: the decodable stickers are magnetisable, so they can be picked up with the magnets that can be seen on the Explorien Starship and some other sets.


text:
How can I place a motor in the middle of a Technic beam with an odd number of holes?
Can you give me some advice how to make it so motor will be in the middle, but at the same time keep the functionality of the 2 axles on the sides? It can go further up if necessary.

Can you confirm two conditions please: 1) should each axle rotate in different directions? 2) should axles spin at the same speed?

Yes, that's corrrect

Just an observation. I hope you've used blue pin to attach gear just as a placeholder in your picture. This won't work well with real bricks, even with frictionless pin. It is better to use an axle instead, braced with liftarm/beams from both sides.

Something like this would work. Since this is just an idea pictured assembly doesn't feature any bracing required for this solution to work properly. Another thing to mention - 8T gears doesn't like high load (both torque and rotational speed), so keep that in mind as well. Axle in the middle has been added just to show it is connecting 8T gear with 16T below.

To minimize wear on the 8T gears, consider replacing the with 24T gears (if they fit inside your model), like so:

I'd address this with bevel gears:

Interesting. What are the advantages/disadvantages to bevel gears over a solution closer to OPs original design (such as Alex’s solution)?

More symmetric solution, avoidance of the 8 tooth gears (which Alex also indicated don't bear load/speed well), less backlash (or at least the backlash distributed symmetrically over the resulting axles). Not knowing OP's further design intentions my solution might of might not fit better, but at least OP now has an alternative option.

It also has an advantage of being already well braced. And for some reason I have a suspicion it may even have less friction.

If size is an issue, you could use a 7L beam if you removed the outer two black frames, and replace outer two tan bevel gears with double bevels.

@Matthew, not sure what you mean, but I would imagine such solution has poorly braced gears

My mistake, you are right, I forgot about the torque...


text:
Identification of this set with red, white, and blue bricks (mostly)
Consider:

What set do these pieces go to? There is a minifigure that looks like it might be space-related.

This appears to be 60079-1 Training Jet Transporter.

I found this by searching for 6096487: BRICK 4 X 6 W/BOW, INVERTED and looking at sets that included this part and some of the other parts visible in the bag.

Thank you so much!

No problem. If this is a correct answer, you can thank me by upvoting and accepting the answer.


text:
2 Questions, 1: LDD V4.3.12 not connecting to internet 2: I can't find any EV3 electric parts
(I'm new to LDD)
Hi, I'm trying to use LDD for designing a robot for my Lego Robotics Class. It's just whenever I launch LDD, it just keeps saying that I'm not connected to internet and asking if I want to launch offline mode. (This may be fixed when the internet is fixed) I also can't find any EV3 parts in the menu's for that sort of stuff. I've tried the filter thing and it did nothing, so I don't really know what to do for either problem.
Any help?


text:
Blue transparent piece

Which piece is this? Seems space related.

On bricklink, that's called Trans-Light Blue Windscreen 5 x 2 x 1 2/3 with design number 6070 and item numbers 607042 or 6153478.

What sets does it appear in that color, out of curiosity?

@nick012000 - Just click the BrickLink link! All the info is there. Here, a shortcut for you, it says there are 12 sets with this piece in this colour: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=6070&in=S

@Vilx- The Bricklink link didn't seen to be working fore on mobile, since it went all greyed out and unresponsive, but on a second look, it seems like the issue was a cookie permission popup that appeared outside the field of view of my phone screen.

@nick012000 - Ahh, yes. Been there, done that! Glad you could figure it out. :)


text:
Is there a way to create a database of bricks that are connected in different sets
I'd like to build a database (for a machine learning project) of which parts are connected to which part for a large library of (official) Lego sets. Is any such database available or would it be possible to create one from publicly available Ldraw files?
You could imagine that each set is a graph, each node represents a part and the edges of the graph represent that two parts are connected.

This is an interesting question but from my understanding of most LEGO CAD software, bricks are stored as positions rather than as connections. The software knows how each part is arranged but not how they connect. Some parts may be directly adjacent for example but not necessary physically connected. Most connections are made using studs, pins and axles, so it might be possible to analyse positions of those pieces.

Is any such database available

I do not believe that a graph database like this exists.

Would it be possible to create one from publicly available Ldraw files?

This would be difficult to create. LDraw files do not store connection information. They store part locations in 3D space. Modelling tools frequently support snapping parts together and/or snapping to a grid, but that information is not directly stored in the LDraw model files as far as I know.
Going from an LDraw file to a connection graph seems possible, but it would require modelling precise connection information for each part for each connection family. It would then require a physics engine that could model the parts and perform collision detection for each connection point to determine if a connection exists and what it is connected to.

Stud.io uses it's own proprietary file format, but it is based on LDraw files and seems to have quite good collision detection...

Or, you could feed all the relative coordinates to a machine learning algorithm and make this your machine learning project!


text:
Connected EV3 bricks don't react (EV3 Classroom)
I have a big robot that needs four big motors to drive it and two small motors for other functions -> I need two bricks to communicate with each other because they need to use the same sensors.
I get the bricks connected via Bluethooth, but when I send messages with the "send message" and "when I receive message" block, the other brick does not respond.
What could be the reason for this?
I use:

Both bricks with 1.09H
EV3 Classroom (1.5.3)
The bricks have different names

Brick-to-brick communication is not possible using the EV3 Classroom software. You will need to use a different programming environment.
The broadcast blocks in EV3 Classroom (and other Scratch-based programming languages) only send messages between stacks of blocks within the Scratch program. They do not send messages to other connected EV3s.


text:
Piece in Lego 21327 Typewriter Step 26 can’t be flush as depicted in the illustration
When sliding part #6327028 down the left three rods as depicted in step 26, that piece becomes snug with the gray spacer piece from Step 25, but there’s a gap on the two left rods. The 1x5 black spacer (part #6327028) can’t remain level if brought to be snug with the black spacer piece, as depicted in Step 27. I’ve rebuilt the mechanism from the beginning with the same results. Either Lego forgot to have us add a spacer, or the illustration is wrong.
I’ve made the 1x5 black spacer (part #6327028) level from the gray spacer, but I’m wondering if the arm on the rod second from the left will be all right floating there. I can’t find anyone complaining about this issue online, but I do see complaints about the mechanism jamming, and here I am finding a problem with the mechanism.
If I threw in a gray spacer piece on the second rod from the left, that would ensure the arm is fastened snugly in place, but that 1x5 black spacer would still be off by half a brick according to the illustration. Suggestions?
(Thanks RSchulz for the assist!)

Can you add another picture of the opposite side of your assembly?

Below your half bush (what you call a "gray spacer") there should be a liftarm 1x3 half thickness in dark bluish gray (both added in step 25). However from your picture, there seems to be a black element there instead, likely of full thickness

@MichaelVerschaeve Your comment seems like an answer to me :)

@zovits, done...

Below your half bush (what you call a "gray spacer") there should be a liftarm 1x3 half thickness in dark bluish gray (both added in step 25). However from your picture, there seems to be a black element there instead, likely of full thickness. Any chance you put a black 1x3 full thickness liftarm there instead?

Thank you! That’s exactly what went wrong. I became sick after making this original post, so I’m only now able to reply. I appreciate your help.

@Sickbrick don't be so hard to yourself. We've all made mistakes in the past. On a positive side - thing this is an easy fix!

Thank you very much for your careful, detailed answer. I am embarrassed to say I had done the same mistake! Thank you for not telling us to take everything apart, put it back into the box, and return it to Lego because we are too inattentive to build this detailed a project. Stay healthy,
Attila

I’m on that right now and have rebuilt this 3 times!! Great clarification!! Thank you!

OMG thank you so much. I was delighted to discover this thread when I googled the exact same problem. I had made the same mistake with the same piece, and just knew it was wrong when it didn't sit flush, but couldn't for the life of me, see the error. Clearly, it's a common problem as this thread has had 938 views! I really appreciate the detailed Q&A. Cheers from Sydney, Australia.


text:
Mindstorms v2 QuickTime won’t work
Still trying to get Mindstorms v2 working on Windows XP SP3. QuickTime causes software not to run with error code 2095. Have tried reinstalling QT several times. Tried different versions, no change. Defragmented hard disk.
Any ideas, it is driving me crackers, yes even more crackers!

How is this question different from https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/16966/3498?

I have narrowed the problem down to just a QT problem. Originally I thought it was associated with mindstokrms but the error remains with mindstorms removed completely. I am just hoping someone has come across a solution as no links I have tried on google work.

The answer to the other question already specifically addresses QuickTime issues.

Correct but as I said in my reply to that post, I did as suggested and it still didn’t work. Hoping someone might have another idea.

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.
Hopefully I can relax now!

Good stuff! Glad you were able to fix it, I'll add this to my bag of tricks.

Thanks, it was an uphill struggle. Tower working now. The next job is to get the Dacta interface b working!


text:
Help identifying sealed LEGO bag - 4 large yellow wheels, a windshield, a motor and a figure in an olive green shirt
I bought this bag of LEGO bricks at a yard sale. It is sealed and I thought I could identify it by the number on that bag but got nothing. It appears to be a car and has 4 large yellow wheels, a windshield, a motor and a figure in an olive green shirt.

Can anyone help me in finding what set this goes to? It has the large number 3 followed by 627S0. I tried the QR codes and they didn't help either.

FYI: Bag numbers/QR codes are useless. They are only for production tracking at the Lego factories. Those numbers get re-used every couple of months/years and have no firm relationship with the set itself. It is even possible that a Lego set contains 2 identical bags with different numbers. (42055 even has 2 pairs of identical bags. In my own case 1 pair had identical numbers and the other pair had different numbers on the bags.)

This bag is from :
75940: Gallimimus and Pteranodon Breakout

keyparts:

Windscreen 8 x 4 x 2 with 2 Studs and Bar Handle
Torso Female Jacket with Pockets over Sand Green Shirt with Green Stripes, Reddish Brown Belt Pattern / Olive Green Arms / Light Nougat Hands


text:
Identify unusual parts - 1x2 with a circle on the end
I found 8 of these in a box of miscellaneous Lego but they don't have a part number on them. Anyone seen these before? Any idea what the part number might be so that I might be able to identify the set they are from? Thank you

Bricklink just gives them the part name buffer. They're for trains.

lovely thank you. train buffer! about the only thing I didn't think of!!! :)

Looks like this piece's part number is "3488" as seen on Rebrickable.

lovely thank you.


text:
Unidentified Lego bags in set 11015 (Around the World)
I’ve found some extra bags in a Lego set (11015). Qr codes are 6201540 and 6172064. Any ideas? Thanks!

Welcome to Bricks.SE! Please be advised that QR codes are irrelevant when it comes to set identification. Take couple of clear pictures of you bags you have and edit your question to include them.

How have you determined they're extra bags ? Are you sure they're not just a normal part of the set ?

Set 11015 "Around the World" contains three instruction booklets (PDFs available from this LEGO webpage over here).
Two of the three booklets show a relation between numbered bag and mini-models:

It's possible that OP misplaced or is missing one of the instruction booklets, hence the confusion.
(Though, IMO, being a "classic" set of mostly generic bricks, the fun is forgetting about the instructions).


text:
Estimate building time for a given LEGO set
I'd like to be able to estimate better how much time a LEGO set will take me to build.
Are there any resources online that indicate average or fastest building times for a given set?
I suppose it also depends on type of set (for younger or for adult builders, Technic or System,...)
What would be your estimate given the amount of elements in a set and type of set?

Do you have couple of sets in mind? Time it takes to build will wildly depend on experience (how much you know your elements and their colors) and the type of parts you have in a set. Building biggest Technic sets for the first time will take considerably longer than having it as, say, 5th build. And even if you building same sized (parts wise) Technic/System/Creator/Mosaic set each will take different amount of time.

Sometimes, set reviews will include a build time as well (depending on the reviewer), so looking for reviews can be a good place to start. But I suggest just getting a feel for how fast you build on average (in parts per hour eg.), and that'll give you a ball park number for any set (which you can then adjust for difficulty if needed). A rough guess could be around 10-20 seconds per part, or somewhere in the range of 200-400 parts per hour.

@Alex, the set I had in mind was the recent ideas globe set, only having today in the afternoon time for it, I was wondering if I could build it in 1 sitting before having to start a busy work week. I totally miscalculated, didn't even finish half of it.

@SanderDeDycker, I think your comment should be an answer instead.

@MichaelVerschaeve : I haven't created an answer because I don't feel confident my experience can be translated to a general rule. It depends on too many factors. That said, finishing near half of a 2500 part set in an afternoon (assumed to be around 4 hours), is right in the middle of the rough estimated range I mentioned above. So at least you'll be better at estimating for future builds !

"fastest building times for a given set" If there are sites tracking this, I'd imagine multiple people will start speedrunning some of the popular sets. Which wouldn't help you much for an average estimate.

@Mast Yes, but I'm also interested in speed building... seems to overlap too much to ask a separate stack echange question.

As others have said, there are probably too many factors to say how long a build will take. But, I thought it would be good to compile a list of factors that affect build time. Feel free to add to the list.
The Lego building process can be divided into two sub-processes; searching, and assembly.
Factors that affect searching time:

Number of parts in the pile (mixing numbered bags will increase searching time)
Experience of elements and colours
Any prior sorting of parts by size/colour (will have an overhead time cost, so only useful for large builds)
The distribution of parts (having many unique parts will take longer)
Eyesight and lighting
Determination
If the set is incomplete it can take considerable time to realise

Factors that affect assembly time:

Number of steps
Experience (both of the specific set and in general)
Building of symmetric/repeated sections in parallel
Build complexity
Dexterity and hand-eye coordination
Determination
Errors in Lego instructions (very occasional)

I am not sure it is possible to give specific guidance based on simple characteristics like part count or theme. In addition to the factors of the person (or people) undertaking the build raised in the comments, design also makes for wildly different building times.
For example, any set that has bilateral symmetry can be built comparitively quickly by building both sides at the same time even if they mirror each other. Sets that are not symmetrical will often take nearly twice as long. Another more obvious example is the use of advanced techniques that can sometimes make build time much longer, sometimes can drastically reduce complexity and build time, and sometimes have no effect.
Set type and part count do not take account of either those or similar factors like modularity and inclusion of large parts like BURPs or chassis. Labeled age range and part count can probably, at best, simply give a relative indication and no more.

I haven't checked how long it takes my 7 years old daughter based on number of pieces, but I saw she needs about 5 minutes per EUR of the set (with set prices in 20-50 EUR range; Friends mostly). This is for a new freshly opened set.
So, I would guess about 2 min/EUR for an adult that has built some sets but isn't a Lego fanatic. I haven't actually timed myself, though. So, I estimate a 10 EUR set would take about 20 minutes to build, a 100$ one would take slightly more than 3 hours etc.
Transferring these numbers to number of pieces per hour, at 10c/piece it gives ~300 pieces/hour. This sounds reasonable enough to me at first glance, but it is a fairly inaccurate method - though I believe all such estimation methods are.
Note this is only for assembly. Old large sets are slightly slower as all pieces are mixed together instead of being in bags, but it probably shouldn't slow you down too much.
But if you need to find pieces with many sets mixed together, well, 10 sets is a problem, 100 is a nightmare. You should probably sort pieces first (by color, type or whatever else you prefer). And after sort you are still looking at a much longer build.

First you need to sort the pieces. So lets say you can sort 12 pieces per minute, then you later need to find them which is probably 6 pieces per minute and assemble them like 3 pieces per minute. So in total you need 7 minutes for 12 pieces. So in 4 hours you can do about 400 pieces.
It is a veeery rough estimate.

This is rough, very rough. This doesn't take in to account many things that reduce timing drastically. I know not everyone is as familiar with LEGO bricks as LEGO fans are, but 4 hours for 400 pieces set is way too much in most cases. School Day (60329) is just for the reference, to understand what ~400 piece modern set looks like. Another example is when you assemble big set, say Technic, you may be asked to put a lot of pieces in single step (116 pieces for set #42131, step 997), which doesn't take an hour to do.

This answer does not consider that some people might not even sort the pieces before building, or do so only roughly.

@Zovits, new sets I don't sort, they come in numbered bags which contain few enough different elements that the time spent sorting won't be compensated by the faster building imho. Second hand or older sets I definitely sort. Some people enjoy building in "hard mode" where they throw all bags from all steps together, I don't... Also, at whoever downvoted, the user shared his/her perspective/experience, he/she shouldn't be downvoted for that

I would say I do about 300 to 500 pieces per hour.

Hi Klaus and welcome to Bricks.SE! Do you base your estimate on personal experience, calculations or other sources? Could you please elaborate?

Its a correlation between number of parts + the set weight (to incorporate whether its many small pieces or rather few big pieces).

Hi MervX97 and welcome to Bricks.SE! Could you please elaborate on your answer? I mean it is not clear to me whether the weight you mention would positively or negatively correlate with either the piece size or the estimated building time.


text:
Issue during VW T2 Volkswagen (10279) van assembly
My build does not match instructions on page 41:

When I place blue piece on top of the crossbar, there are spaces  on either side not one space. I have been extremely careful in following directions. What should I do?

Could you post a photo of what your model looks like before/after placing the blue 1 x 10 brick?

I am sorry. . .am new contributor & cannot figure out how to add photos. Normal copy/paste does not work and there doesn’t seem a way to access photos to choose them for porting over.

@PHom : does this meta FAQ help ? How to upload an image to a post?

Thank you Sander, but I don’t have “10 reputation to embed images” and there is no picture button (to press) that shows anywhere on the screen. . .fyi, I’m on an iPad.

@PHom : just by virtue of asking this question, you have the reputation now. However, that button might indeed not be available on iPad as indicated in the answers to this question : Is there any way to upload a screenshot from an iPad to this site (or other StackExchange sites)?. Those answers do however provide some alternatives, most involving somehow getting a url to the picture, or using a computer to add the picture.

If you're having difficulty, and have some other way of sharing the picture, please feel free to do so, and one of us will do the necessary to integrate it into your question.

PROBLEM SOLVED (“pilot error”). . .thanks everyone!!


text:
Where can I find Orient Expedition 7419 gameboard tiles to print?
I lost the cardboard gameboard squares.
Does anybody have a high quality scan of the tiles so I can print them ?

You are asking us to help you commit a copyright violation

Please clarify your specific problem or provide additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it's hard to tell exactly what you're asking.

You can buy missing items on Bricklink.

I think you refer to parts 4189445pb01 through 4189445pb11, all pieces of "gear" from set 7419.
The low-resolution scans available from the BrickLink item descriptions might be enough, though they will require some labour on your part. You can also consider buying second-hand tiles from BrickLink vendors. I don't think there are publicly-available high-resolution scans.
Otherwise, do try contacting LEGO support; they might be able to help with a replacement.

Highly unlikely that LEGO will able to help with unique replacement parts for 19 year old set.

Somebody might have some printable files tucked away in a drawer, and asking has zero risk of anything.

Thank you for your constructive answer @IvanSanchez.


text:
How do I build my LEGO slope so it connects to the flat top without any notable ridges?
I'm currently building a functional LEGO escalator that is minifigure-scaled and with staircases transitioning from flat platform to stairwell to flat platform. Here's my progress so far:

Here's the stair design I use for this escalator:

Now that I have clearly defined the necessary framework for the slope, I am currently working on the escalator's flat top (yellow). However, I couldn't come up with any designs for getting the flat top to "connect" to the slope without any ridges or gaps that could catch the stair's shafts.
My ideal result should resemble this design, with the slope still retain a 39.5 degree angle and the top has to be flat:

Ideally, this build should utilize legal techniques for ensuring stability due to its technic nature.
I want to create an escalator like this but at a minifigure scale, therefore I don't intend to use LEGO's dedicated escalator piece.
Bricklink and any Pick-A-Brick retailers of similar fashion are not locally available for me, and I don't have the necessary bricks at my disposal, so therefore I couldn't physically test out my builds.

"I don't intend to use Lego's dedicated escalator piece." I didn't know there's such a thing. Which part do you mean by that?

@zovits this piece, mentioned in OP's previous question.

An update on my query: I've figured out a design that can reasonably get the slope to connect to the flat top with as little ridge as possible: using a 1x2x1 panel to extend the brick slope using a SNOT bracket, and fitted with a cheese slope wedge on the flat top also with a SNOT bracket. Here are the Stud.io renditions of the design:
As far as Stud.io and the real model shows, this seems to be a legal building technique. However I am still not sure, as the slope might induce stress on the slope.


text:
NXT Sensors/Motors not working
I went back to using the NXT brick after two years and I'm having some problems:

Motors do not respond to degrees or rotations;
Ultrasonic Sensor and Color Sensor are not working;
Touch Sensor is ok;

My Firmware version is V1.31. What can it be?

Do you have enough parts to cross-check the non-functioning items with other hubs? That way you could narrow down the problem scope - as of now, it can be in the NXT hub internal hardware, the firmware, your software, the port on the NXT side, the cable connector, the cable itself or the end device (sensor/motor).

Thanks for the reply, I changed the capacitor C61 and everything worked again.

If you'd write an answer detailing how you managed to find and fix the problem I'd definitely upvote it. If you could add photos to help others with the same problem, I could add a bounty as well.


text:
Are both a Mario and a Luigi required for 2-player mode?
The Luigi Starter Course advertises the ability to "team up for new adventures":

Does this 2-player mode strictly require a second Luigi, or would a second Mario also work? What about 2 Luigis?

Two-player mode is intended for Mario and Luigi, but it also works just fine with two Marios or two Luigis, as can be seen below for two Luigis paired with one another:

A matched pair appears to support the same operations as a Mario and Luigi pair. The only significant differences appear when the two interact in certain scenarios. For example, the initial dialog is now "hello, Luigi" followed by "hi, Luigi" and Mario's name is correctly not used.
While the app isn't required for all two-player functionality, it is recommend to pair both characters with the app to receive the most recent updates. This is especially important for Mario, as early firmware doesn't include 2-player mode.


text:
To which set belongs this door with stickers on both sides?
I try to identify sets in a large bag of unsorted Lego (will probably have to ask some more of these in the coming days).
This piece is a real odd-ball: A black door with (mostly silver) stickers on both sides. I'm not sure if the door-frame goes with it, because they were separated in the bag, but it is the only door-frame in the whole bag.
The frame looks almost white, but it is actually grey. The shiny silver really messed up the white-balance of the camera.

The stickered part is 57895pb056 which only appears in set 75954 "Hogwarts Great Hall":

That appears to be the one.. Unfortunately my large bag of unsorted stuff doesn't have anything else from that set....

As a counterpoint, I have bought this set used, and after taking it apart and going through the entire BrickLink inventory, I've discovered that it's the one piece that's missing. So perhaps it's mine!

Who knows? I got this bag in The Netherlands. Is that anywhere near you?

@RSchulz : did you mean to put beta links in your answer ? They don't appear to be fully functional (doesn't actually show that the part is in that set for me eg.).

@SanderDeDycker The link to the set on that brinklink parts-page seems empty indeed. But the 2nd link (and the image above) are clear enough.

For clarification : my comment wasn't intended to cast doubt on the correctness of the answer (it's correct and I upvoted), but rather to suggest using the regular non-beta links in order to avoid confusion - unless there's a reason to use the beta links.

@Tonny I can categorically deny ever buying used Lego in the Netherlands.

@SanderDeDycker I only shared what BrickLink seemed to want me to see. I also had trouble with the set list being empty, but had just assumed it was a compatibility issue with my browser or some such, not with BL itself.

@RSchulz: I've submitted an edit that switches to the classic links. Feel free to disapprove/revert if that's not desired. For info - all the way at the bottom of the bricklink pages, you should have a link available to switch to the classic view if you ever need it. I'll clean up my comments here as soon as they're no longer relevant.

I wouldn't delete anything - everyone can look back on this (hopefully brief) time when BL was a bit messed up.


text:
What set is this? Minecraft and Star Wars?
We have these sets in the Lego box. No box or instructions. I tried looking up codes and can’t find them. The silver part is the most unique one I can find to help look for it. And I think we have a small starwars set too?

Orange fish isn't included in any SW set. It also doesn't come together with Pearl Dark Gray beehive. There's more than one set in here.

Yeah, that part I’m nearly positive is from Minecraft . I think the only starwars is one or two packs to the side with a small grey cup, hair and little gun

What do you find when you scan the QR code on the wrapper?

why am I seeing the "silver" part as black?

I can find only one set that includes both Minifigure, Weapon Gun, Blaster with Clip, Dark Bluish Gray and Fish, Orange and that is 76942 Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape.

That blaster kind of resembles a Star Wars element and I think I see a lightsaber also; but there is a lightsaber in this Dinosaur Escape set as well and the blaster only appears in one Star Wars set.

I don’t recall having this set, but we do have that tinny Dino, and the hair looks similar. We did have some Jurassic park sets  years ago.

The Pearl Dark Gray Beehive
and bag #2 with Bright Light Orange Arch 1 x 4 x 2
are from
11015: Around the World

The bag on the upper right is from
21164: The Coral Reef

Minifigure, Weapon Sword Pixelated (Minecraft)
Technic, Axle 5L in yellow


text:
Parts identification (some may not be Lego) bugle, cart, vehicle front, broken-glass texture
Some more odd parts from the large bag of unsorted Lego I recently acquired.
Hope that someone can identify them.
The 2 pieces on the right are probably NOT Lego. No logos on there.
The colors are exact Lego shades though and the push-bar on the shopping cart piece fits a Lego Friends mini-fig hand.
The trans-clear orange canopy has a "broken-glass" texture cast in the plastic (it is not a visual only). Bottom side is normal.
The stickers on the 1x4 slope are a mess. There are 3 stickers on it side-by side, with an extra Shell logo sticker on top of the Ferrari sticker in the center.
(The nose-cone/front-wing piece is probably from the same Ferrari themed set.)
I would have though the canopy piece and the race-car nose would be easy to find on BrickLink but I can't find them.

The bugle looks like a Playmobil one to me

@Zhaph-BenDuguid Was my first guess as well but mine is slightly larger and differently shaped.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid and Playmobil of course is just enough thicker that it can break Lego clips/hands.  Keep well away

That shopping cart looks like it'd be rather small in scale for a minifig.  And it's definitely too small for Playmobil, which are a bit larger than LEGO.  (Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to search for "shopping cart" as every website that sells toys or anything else has a virtual "shopping cart" for checkout, so you get too many false positives.)

Playmobil Bugle Horn Musical Instrument on EBay looks the same as that horn, including the matching dimple at the mouthpiece and crease on the lower front curve.

@DarrelHoffman Actually the cart is of correct size (or just a little on the large side) for a Lego Friends or Disney Princess mini-fig. Chest high on a "standard" mini-fig. Too small for Playmobil. I have 2 of them and on closer inspection I could find a logo on the second (it was too worn on the first). Logo says "PLUS" which is a Dutch supermarket chain, so I'm now guessing some sort of promo-material. I never shop at PLUS as I have several other supermarkets closer by, so I have no idea what they have done for promotions.

@CitizenRon I think you should make that an answer, or edit it into the main answer to expand its completeness.

I would, but a few unverified sales labels on EBay would seem to be to be a bit less than definitive evidence.  Without finding something official from the manufacturer, I thought I'd just post what I found as corroboration of the theory.

The race car nose part is officially called Wedge 4 x 2 x 1 1/3 with 1 x 4 Base:

It's found in a single set, alongside with the Slope, Curved 4 x 1 and the Sticker Sheet for Set 30190 which contains all stickers applied to that part.
The canopy with a "broken-glass" texture is a Wedge 4 x 4 Fractured Polygon Top:
The bugle and the shopping cart are most probably not LEGO pieces. If they were, they would be found under the category Minifigure, Utensil, but the only bugle there is this one, which looks completely different, just like the only shopping cart is an entirely other design.

That is helpful. Going through the related sets I can definitely identify 30190 (Ferrari polybag) for the nose and the slope with the stickers (I've got another 1x2 tile with sticker as well from that set). Stickers are obviously on the wrong piece. The canopy seems to be from a Nexo Knights set, but there are 2 candidates (based on the mini-figs I also have) and either one wouldn't be complete.

I wouldn't have thought to look for the car nose under the "wedge" heading. I was looking car, slope and wing categories.


text:
I need to identify a minifigure head piece

This is the part I need to identify

That's Minifigure, Head Medium Nougat Eyebrows and Contour Lines, Wide Grin Pattern - Hollow Stud on Bricklink. It was used just by one minifigure - Newt Scamander from "Collectable Minifigures: Harry Potter Series 1".


text:
Was the color variation on 1970's transparent pieces really that bad or are mine unusual?
Having gone through a bunch of old 1970's Lego (I rebuild all my original sets during the Covid lockdown) I noticed that color-less transparent bricks and slopes have a lot of color variation to them.
These pieces are supposed to be "plain" glass. Not the multitude of trans-clear colors we have today. While they are all supposed to be "uncolored" I found that there are at least 4 distinct colors variants:

Plain "uncolored" glass
A very light grey-ish variant
A very light blue-ish variant
A very light brownish variant

I know that Lego has changed dyes and plastic composition over time and that has an effect on color.
However this is more than a slight variation. The faint color is noticeable even if you look at a single piece without another piece near it for reference.
Side by side the color difference really stands out.
This discoloration is not from storage conditions. This Lego has been stored in boxes in a closed cupboard (no UV exposure) at constant temperature (19-20 Celsius) for many years. Even if there was some storage effect it would have affected all the Lego in the same way.
Furthermore: I clearly remember that as a kid back in the 70's I already noticed this and I tried to use only the same color variant in a single build.
I also recall having 2 identical sets (653) with different colors for the transparent pieces and also having 2 color variants appear in a single set (420 and 445).
Was this normal back in the day or are my examples unusual?

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/86301-trans-clear-lego-thru-the-years/

It would have been nice to have couple of pictures included in the question, just to clarify different shades on translucent colors this is all about.

@Alex I'm 500 km away from my Lego at the moment. I can add a picture later but that won't be any earlier than Sunday.

@MichaelVerschaeve Very enlightening link. And that picture says it all. Even has 1 color (yellowish) that I never saw before.

@Alex That link Michael posted has a way better picture than I could possible make myself.


text:
How many minifigs have unique heads?
Most minifig heads seem to be shared by a few designs, but Alex's answer to a minifig identification question left me wondering: how many minifigs have heads that are unique to them?  Presumably you're talking about a unique, widely recognizable character.  Or a more precise way to put it: how many (and which) minifig heads have only one minifigure associated with them from official sets?  And I think we should limit the set of minifig heads to those that bricklink calls "Minifigure, Head" and leave out "Minifigure, Head, Modified".
I'm guessing most of these are going to be for Star Wars or other licensed themes, but I'm hoping someone can find a good way to come up with an answer that lists the examples or show how to do a bricklink query to determine the answer.  If the list is included here it would only be complete at this point in time, but that would still be cool to see.

Do you only consider minifig heads with the standard head piece or other non-standard heads like The Simpsons, Disney etc minifigs?

I think you may get this kind of information on Rebrickable, but I didn't find the proper mean of doing that. Quick search reveals that each part has number of times it appears in sets listed and that results are limited to 1k entries. You may ask, politely, on Rebrickable forums to run a custom query for you.

@Ambo100 Since bricklink categorizes those "non-standard" heads as "Minifigure, Head, Modified" I think we can safely exclude them.  It seems fair to assume that most of those are for unique character minifigs and so a new question might be "which modified minified heads are reused the most?"

A data point I find interesting: Velma was only ever in one, big Scoob set. She's quite rare. But her head wasn't. I assume it was in a build-a-minifig kiosk somewhere, since there's a store in Deutschland with almost 200 of those heads: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3626cpb1377&idColor=90#T=S&C=90&O={"color":90,"st":"4","iconly":0} (Alas, even with the bracketing, the URL gets mangled and you have to manually sort by Highest Quantity yourself.)

There are 2,140 heads that have only been included in one minifig based on the current Rebrickable database. I generated the full list of all heads (as of March 28, 2022) including the unique number of minifigs they have been used in.
For those who are curious or want to explore this in a different way, here's the query I used:
select
  count(1),
  part_num,
  color_id,
  name
from
  inventories
  join inventory_parts on inventories.id = inventory_parts.inventory_id
  natural join parts
where
  set_num like 'fig%'
  and (
    part_num like '24581%'
    or part_num like '33464%'
    or part_num like '3626%'
  )
group by
  part_num,
  color_id
order by
  count(1) desc;

It's worth noting that "unique" here is based on the mold, print, and color combination used by Rebrickable. A minifig head with the same color and print but different mold (often open/blocked/closed stud) will count as a unique head in this query.

I salute your SQL skills.