Grum's Shed

[Grosse Kind]

if you don't do it now, you WILL need to pull the whole frame apart - and that's hard enough for us able-handed people!!! (extremely rigid construction!)

Don't tell the establishment Rowie, but with my laziness levels i've generally only had mild battles to semi strip most sets to where i can argue with them. Diffs, tranny's, pneumatics etc, i bypass my fat fingers which often won't grip certain things (near lost my thumbs in an accident. Has been good for a giggle and i got back into technic to retrain them) anyway and get ma tool on. Couple of implements i utilise that vary in implied levels of violence but with precision and care its been fun to buggerise around with changes to sets. While not quite modular, my 8880 has never been into base components since the fateful day i got it together and found some twerp had screwed up royally on their component inventory check and she sat unfinished till he got his shit together. I strip susbsections where needed, but on the whole the chassis and its workings remain pretty intact. Like when you work on a car, you generally wouldn't smash the windscreen and melt the pieces and remould it back to one pane because you need to get in the glovebox. You open a door, do whats needed, and put things back when done. Resto/cleano/sello/etc aside, theres not a need to break em down to base components, just most have that desire in head as "how it must be".

Clive, it's still not too late, even now, but its not gonna be very fun to do. Besides, LHD isn't so horrible, it just shouldn't be legal for use is all ;)

My 853 i stripped (near) full, but it never went back together as it was and even then, the front hub sets stayed intact cos they could. Righto Grum, you win. I'll do a thread on it for everyone to niggle and pick to pieces, hahaha

[grum64]

I agree Glen, LHD shouldn't be legal but, for reasons best known to themselves, parts of this big wonderful world we live in think it right and proper to drive on the wrong side of the road. Strange, yes but I guess that's their prerogative :classic:

Edited August 18, 2016 by grum64

[grum64]

Build Day 4 - Days build time 5hrs 20mins / Total build time 19hrs 50mins

Another day, another build update.

Today's been another good day. I feel I'm still making pretty good progress although I'd have got a bit more done had I paid closer attention to the instructions. I made several mistakes simply because I missed certain things or fitted a part out of place.

Note: For those of you who've not built the 8880 or other sets from this era I suggest you download the instructions and have a look through them. To say they're different to todays over simplified, almost encyclopaedic sized instruction books is something of an understatement.

Myopic disfunctionality aside, the other real problem today was fitting the shocks. I had problems trying to fit them and have the axle they were to be fitted on to held in the correct position, a problem made worse by the steering arms already having been fitted. Cutting a long & very boring story short, I huffed and puffed but ran out of time so will fit them next time.

I've had a go at taking better photos but with the build being this big, on my laptray and me using my mobile it makes this a little difficult to achieve. The photos are closer than previous ones but they aren't as I would like. Maybe I'll ask Gilly to do them in future. She wanted to take them but Mr Independent....

Today's build pics

Edit: Spelling corrections

Edited September 26, 2016 by grum64

[syclone]

Wow, you sure did a lot of progress, you are convincing me completely about this being the best Lego set ever

[grum64]

Wow, you sure did a lot of progress, you are convincing me completely about this being the best Lego set ever

Thank you young fella. Looking at your latest TC10 post it seems I'm not the only one making good progress.

As for the 8880 being the greatest set ever, well I don't know about that. Personally I've never really been a big fan of it but it's growing on me. The more I build, the more I'm getting to like it. Who knows, by the time it's finished I might, just might, share your opinion of it.

Edited August 20, 2016 by grum64

[Andy D]

At first I had my doubts about this set, but it is starting to look interesting.

Can't wait to see the BWE! I wil most likely not be able to start the BWE until sometime in November, so I look forward to living the BWE through you.

Andy D

[grum64]

I had doubts about the 8880 but like you, it's grown on me. I've not had time to do any building for a week or so but hope to get a few hours this weekend.

As for the BWE. At the rate I'm going there's every likelihood that you'll have yours finished long before I even think about starting mine.

Edited August 31, 2016 by grum64

[grum64]

Reason for the above. This is my 'to build/rebuild list'

8063 Tractor & Trailer

8068 Rescue Helicopter

8109 Flatbed Truck

8110 UniMog

8258 Crane Truck

8274 Combine Harvester

8275 Bulldozer

8285 Tow Truck

8292 Cherry Picker

8416 Forklift

8466 4x4

8475 RC Buggy

8633 Supersonic RC

8675 Outdoor Challenger

9397 Logging Truck

9398 Rock Crawler

42029 Custom Pickup

42030 Volvo Front Loader

42039 24 Hour Racer

42042 Crawler Crane

42043 Mercedes Actros

42052 Heavy Lift Helicopter

42054 Claas Xerion 5000VC

42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator

42056 Porsche GT3RS

[KikoTube]

I vote for the Frontloader :)

[grum64]

I vote for the Frontloader :)

Thank you but 'voting' ended on this a while ago with the 8880 being the clear favourite which is why I'm now building it.

This list is just those I've still to build.

[syclone]

Oh , I see 8675! I have one , but the accu was playable only for 10 min, bought a racing 2000 mah one, now faster and longer racing

[grum64]

Oh , I see 8675! I have one , but the accu was playable only for 10 min, bought a racing 2000 mah one, now faster and longer racing

I've got a few Dirt Crushers and use 7.2v 3500mAH batteries in them. With these Jake & George get a good 40 minutes+ of flat out fun out of them.

[Andy D]

Reason for the above. This is my 'to build/rebuild list'

8063 Tractor & Trailer

8068 Rescue Helicopter

8109 Flatbed Truck

8110 UniMog

8258 Crane Truck

8274 Combine Harvester

8275 Bulldozer

8285 Tow Truck

8292 Cherry Picker

8416 Forklift

8466 4x4

8475 RC Buggy

8633 Supersonic RC

8675 Outdoor Challenger

9397 Logging Truck

9398 Rock Crawler

42029 Custom Pickup

42030 Volvo Front Loader

42039 24 Hour Racer

42042 Crawler Crane

42043 Mercedes Actros

42052 Heavy Lift Helicopter

42054 Claas Xerion 5000VC

42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator

42056 Porsche GT3RS

And I thought I had a long to be built list! I have no where that many sets in my queue.

Looking forward to building the BWE and CLAAS with you!

Andy D

[suffocation]

42042 Crawler Crane

42043 Mercedes Actros

I love these two! The crawler crane is one of the most educational sets out there thanks to its intricate gearbox and impressive structural reinforcement. The Actros is pure building enjoyment, what with the modular assembly and the brilliant suspension system.

[grum64]

And I thought I had a long to be built list! I have no where that many sets in my queue.

Looking forward to building the BWE and CLAAS with you!

Andy D

These are just the sets in my shed. I've around another 40-50 sets stored in the loft or at our eldest sons.

I tell myself not to buy anymore but I can't resist a bargain.

I love these two! The crawler crane is one of the most educational sets out there thanks to its intricate gearbox and impressive structural reinforcement. The Actros is pure building enjoyment, what with the modular assembly and the brilliant suspension system.

I'm looking forward to building these. One day.

[grum64]

Build Day 5 - Days build time 7hrs 40mins / Total build time 27hrs 30mins

Firstly, thank you to my local hospital for cancelling my (very early) appointment just as we were about to leave the house

Having been gotten up at stupid O'clock and having nowhere to go there was of course only one thing to do. Get in my shed and build.

Today's building has been blissfully frustration and problem free, one of those days when everything went well. Even the 'engine' went together easily which for me is almost unheard off.

The result of this rarest of days has been the very noticeable progress shown below.

Edited September 26, 2016 by grum64

[Pvdb]

Nearly done. You are definitely getting quicker and quicker. You'll have that above list done in no time at this rate

[Edwin Korstanje]

So that's a great progress.

You have in a very good condition 8880 there

[Blakbird]

So that's a great progress.

You have in a very good condition 8880 there

When you build the way grum does, you need clean parts. You don't want to buy a set that has this in its past:

[Siegfried Meyer]

I don't think that's chocolate

[grum64]

Nearly done. You are definitely getting quicker and quicker. You'll have that above list done in no time at this rate ������

Thank you Paul. I have Addenbrookes to thank for today's good progress.

As for the list. You've seen how big my shed is and I'm now running out of storage space

So that's a great progress.

You have in a very good condition 8880 there

Thank you Edwin.

The set is in very good condition compared to some I've seen. I've only had to replace one grey beam as it has some discolouration and one white plate due to yellowing. The wheels are in good condition with only minor discolouration on one of them.

I've had to replace a few cracked half bushes and couple of thin liftarm triangles (2905) but I expect this on a set of this age.

The stickers are all in remarkably good condition with no peeling etc., As far as I'm aware they're all there, even the mirror stickers with each one still across the two tiles the original owner stuck them on.

...You don't want to buy a set that has this is its past:

I'm not sure I want to know what caused that

Edited September 2, 2016 by grum64

[Jay Psi]

Should there be a spoiler/warning for that photo? Half a lifetime on the internet has dulled my sensibility somewhat, but I imagine anyone eating really wouldn't want to unknowingly see that picture...

[suffocation]

She's gorgeous, Grum. I can't get enough of these WIP pictures - they really let the beauty of the build sink in.

[grum64]

She's gorgeous, Grum. I can't get enough of these WIP pictures - they really let the beauty of the build sink in.

Yes, the old girl's growing on me.

Thank you for your kind comments. The pictures aren't as good I'd like them to be but as I'm taking them with my mobile phone I guess they're not too bad.

[Blakbird]

I'm not sure I want to know what caused that

Just a bad day for the dog. Makes you rethink what to do with the parts you buy off Bricklink though.