Hi all! I've recently got interested in Technic models. I've bought a few sets and seen many amazing technic creations online. And so I've decided to try making my own. Although I keep trying, I always end up with nothing except frustration. It seems too difficult to create anything. One of my difficulties is incorporating functions into the model as technic models are not so easily built upwards. Does anyone have any advice?

Start with something small, and build from the inside out. Happy Christmas!

Try looking at instructions for inspirations. There were a lot of different mechanisms used in Technic sets.

I've come out of my dark ages around 1.5 years ago, and I've just recently started being able to build decent MOC's. If you were used to studful building, getting used to studless building takes some time. Being able to imagine what kind of connection or mechanism or gearing etc you need for something takes some time. I really had trouble at this stage.

My advice is don't be too hasty. Try to build official sets and other people's MOCs as much as you can and try to take your time while doing so and analyze mechanisms and stuff. You start to learn bits from each and every one, even if you're not aware of it.

Also try to start small. I find myself building better if I have some kind of limit, size or piece count or anything. If I don't try to adhere to a limit of some kind, I find myself building too ambitiously and failing. This may be temporary and may pass as skill increases over time (hopefully ).

This doesn't happen in all the sudden - I build with technic for many years, still I'm not very good in designing my own models. If you just started, I think buying and building the sets is inevitable first step. Not only you learn the techniques and get used to the parts and connections on the go but you also aquire more pieces to build your own models with. It's very hard to build something reasonable with shallow stock of parts :)

I have to agree with what everyone else has said about this skill set not coming on overnight. I have been building with technic for 5-6 years, and only with my latest build have I felt that it is designed and built well enough to show here (even in its WIP state), but I hold my self to ridiculously high standards. My suggestion would be to start small with only a couple of functions. Maybe throw a couple of pictures here, and get our opinions, and see where that takes you.

Merry Christmas,

John

I agree with everything I read here, I still not build as good as I like, my advice is build from the inside out for me functionality over aesthetics.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll start small and get more experience. Does any of you know what sets I should buy for parts and to learn new techniques?

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll start small and get more experience. Does any of you know what sets I should buy for parts and to learn new techniques?

8043, 8258 and 42008 have interesting gearboxes, and are very complex.

Well, 8043 is a set you only should buy, if you want to make it better like the Ultimate Version from Jurgen Krooshoop. Otherwise forget about it, since it is way to expensive for what you get. I got lucky and could get it very cheap, so it didn't bother me that much, that the design Lego had chosen for this set, doesn't work very well.

8258 is also way too expensive, but can be considered a nice model with good complexity. 42008 is the best buy out of that short list and I like the looks as well. Must be the dark green.

Regarding complexity and used techniques you should check out 42009, 42043 and 9398 as well.

But you learn the most, building things you like and finding the right solution for the problems you encounter in the process.

Edited December 26, 20159 yr by cookiedent

i started when i was around 9-10 with building technics but started mocing when i was 14 (now 16 and a half) and i have still a lot room for improuvements, i have only build 1 moc of someone else, i mostly got my techniques of sets and my self. I have a few moc's on my flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/127716413@N05/albums/with/72157654173602586 ) but all of these aren't build in a day, they still had a lot of testing and changing. For me the 9398 and 8110 were for me the game-changing sets. Every single set since then got modded to the bone and i think this can really help, buy and build sets and start modding, i know some people just buy sets and put them on a shelf but that's not me i like to change them make them better and then tear them appart and make a moc out of it, that's for me what lego is made for.

but everything depends on what you like, if you like crawlers the 9398 is a must and the 8110 is a help, if you like cranes the 42009, 8043 and 42041 are great, but if you want to build realistic cars you should get the 42039, 42025 ...

i think you should start modding and then start mocing. the competitions here are also a good start second moc was in the TC7

since these 3 years i started mocing i made 3 carts, which got better with experience, 3 crawlers, a buggy, a detacheble goosneck trailer, a dumper trailer, a dolly trailer, a tracked multi prupose vehicle and a wip baja truck wich was dumped because i didn't had enough parts. this seams a lot but just keep building.

good luck

TNLD

I'm only a little ahead of you and I agree with the above comments in addition to this: put yourself a moderate challenge and tackle it. Find solutions to each partial problem by searching on YouTube. About buying sets chose one from the last 2 years in order to have good price. I advice U start with 42029 and 42030. The former teaches you car mechanisms and the later is a big experience without lots of complications and gets you all powerfunctions motors. Later next year try to catch 42043 and 42042 on a cool discount. I started with 42008 and I felt its too complicated for a beginner trying to understand how to think when designing. But I like it very much anyway as its a rich set in parts and functions.

Just like others, I agree with most said here, but I'd add one thing: use LDD (Lego Digital Designer) to conceptualize some solutions if you don't have perfect 3D imagination.

Aside from that, the most important things to remember (in my opinion) are: building the key features first, analyzing the instructions and/or models already done by someone else and not getting yourself boxed ("thinking outside of the box" instead) - find workarounds and look at the problems from many perspectives (like, if you can't fit a gearbox, maybe a chain will do).

I'm in the same boat I feel way out of my league seeing all the great MOCs on here, I really wanted to make an off-road Rc buggy, bought 42028 and 42037 and built them to understand how they worked and tried from there, getting there now :)

I try getting more sets this year. I'll also find out more about building technic models. Thanks

Yes, building sets from instructions is a good way to learn.

But be sure not to forget the smaller sets. I think small sets show very well how you could use parts to create a whole. I think a small set like 42032 or 42021 can teach novices a lot.

For the rest, be sure just to get going. Take the bricks and build. It might not be good, but at least you get experience and will discover things. After all, in the end, you gotta learn by doing :)

I would also suggest building other people's MOCs, you can find a lot of instructions on Rebrickable. For example Nico71, Madoca1977 have good offroaders. You will find new techniques when building. And remember - you can't make a good MOC without failing couple of times!

I just finished the 42042 Crawler Crane. It has some interesting techniques and a very interesting distribution gearbox and it is only $150 U.S. for all these reasons, I recommend the 42042 as a good learning experience.

Andy D

Experience over time. Familiarize yourself with technic and basic mechanisms through step by step instructions of MOCs, official sets, or references such as Sariel's technic book. After that, I find the fastest way to learn is to practice replicating other builder's ideas through pictures in order to get used to building mechanisms without any instruction, and once you have enough experience then you start making your own MOCs without thinking twice about how something looks or works. Also, everyone has an area they excel at. I got my first Technic set in 2010/11 and today I still struggle to make decent bodywork, but I love making frames and running gear for all kinds of vehicle MOCs. Good luck!

EDIT: as others have said it'll take a while but building up a good supply of parts will make it much easier to expand your knowledge

Edited January 10, 20169 yr by z3_2drive

Google "No-Starch Press". They have several books on LEGO building techniques and they are available in PDF or print. The main one for building is "The unofficial LEGO Technic Builders Guide". Excellent material for MOC's - transmissions, steering, suspensions, mechanics etc., as well as good hints for how to scale and build a model. It may be available at other on-line resources, but they are a good company to deal with.

Ed