"DEAR LEGO: Please Make This New Part"

[DLuders]

If you could ask The Lego Group (TLG) to create a new part for your Technic MOCs, what would it be?

"Hi-Lift" wants "a heavy 64T turntable made with 4 main parts 32 screws 32 nuts and 3 mm diameter balls": http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=385425 .

"ErikLeppen" has many wishes for new parts: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=396420 .

"Jamavamo" wants new differential design: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=382952 .

"Radbot" wants various geartrain, drivetrain, and suspension elements: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=196086 .

"Barman" has designed new parts to fit the Lego pneumatic system: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=376243 .

He also has designed "Parts to couple 2 linear actuators. See the examples and the gif animation how it all works": http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=376249 .

Finally, "Barman" has many other unique part designs that would be COOL if Lego produced them: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=376235 .

Do YOU have any designs in mind? Sketch them out or describe them here -- TLG may be listening!

[Enilder]

Just like to comment in general based on what I've seen through those galleries.

To me, LEGO is there to make you think outside the box. Most of those designs seems to be integrated for ease of creating "MOC" or for convenience for beginners (like blackbox). I will be the first one to say that I am not in favor of your idea. It's good that (if those parts ever get to be made) those parts will allow many people to get into it with their "cool" factors such by providing people with fully assembled differential, gearbox, etc. I am not an expert (and you can say that I am a beginner) but I am not convinced, yet.

On top of that, I don't think that it's worthwhile for them to create these parts unless people are willing to pay extra. PFs on the other hand, big success imo!

my 2cents.

[CP5670]

There are some new types of gears I've wanted to see since I was a kid.

The main thing is a large ring gear with teeth on the inside, so we could make planetary gearing mechanisms. The turntables have long been the only piece like this, and the center hole is too small to be of any use in practice. This type of gear would open up tons of new possibilities.

Gears with helical teeth would also be very useful. They could be connected at angles not possible with normal spur gears, and would also be quieter and stronger.

Another one I can think of is a 24t idle gear, similar to the dark gray 16t one. The type 2 differentials already have this kind of gear built into them, so they just need to make that into a separate piece.

Edited February 5, 2010 by CP5670

[kondzios230]

Something like this and this with inverted type of holes-especially in first one. That parts should make studless construction easier and sometimes stronger, too, so I want them :D

[roamingstop]

Actually the pneumatic piston valve would be a real pleasure to use - especially for mechanical / motorised control and it does fit with moving outside of the box - a little. Longer pneumatic pistons would obviously be nice as well.

A triple stroke pneumatic part would also be quite interesting. It should be possible to produce if the pistons could be adequately sealed. However it is not too much outside of the box to be worthy of a new design? Some of the more recent angle brackets, or electronic limit switches for PF functions are probably also interesting (and something to work on).

A real bonus would be a PF servo control system - a fixed range of movement (either rotational or translational) which occurs when C1 = 1 and C2 = 0, and opposite when C1 = 0 and C2 = 1; and middle (neutral) in all other cases (similar to XOR gate). Yes it would make MOC's easier. But it could be used for steering RC type vehicles, or additions to points for electronic RC track.

[quilkin]

The part I most often need is simple: a combination of this pin and this axle pin so you can join three liftarms, only one of which has an axle hole.

[Oky]

We already have a thread for this over in the Embassy here. And considering it's in the Embassy, there is a much higher chance for your prayers to be heard there.

[DLuders]

We already have a thread for this over in the Embassy here. And considering it's in the Embassy, there is a much higher chance for your prayers to be heard there.

OK, there are some good suggestions on the "Embassy" thread from May 2009, but there are too many non-Technic parts mentioned. My thread is concentrating on Technic.

I'd like to see the phantom Power Functions SMALL motor. There's already a LARGE ("XL") PF motor and a MEDIUM PF motor, so it's logical to expect a SMALL PF motor. It sure would be ueful to attach on the ends of liftarms (high speed but low torque applications).

[allanp]

Great thread, I am all for new parts and I think the technic line would benifit greatly from and be enhanced by many of the parts you have highlighted from myself (me being radbot) and others. My favorites are (starting with my all time most wanted part):

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800130 and the cylinder here http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/radbot/c...r_new_parts.bmp

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800175 not sure about the strength of the hinged ends but the idea is brilliant

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4030043 combined with another new part, a new pf servo

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800184

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800133

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800186

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3800193

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=385425

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/radbot/c...box_example.bmp and http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/radbot/c...xplanaition.bmp

A more detailed explanaition of some of my wishes are here:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=36939

My wanting these parts has nothing to do with my abilities to think outside the box. These parts would just make things much better IMHO.

OK, there are some good suggestions on the "Embassy" thread from May 2009, but there are too many non-Technic parts mentioned. My thread is concentrating on Technic.

Agreed. I welcome a new parts thread focusing only on technic as I don't have to wade through the mud of great but non-technic parts.

I'd like to see the phantom Power Functions SMALL motor. There's already a LARGE ("XL") PF motor and a MEDIUM PF motor, so it's logical to expect a SMALL PF motor. It sure would be ueful to attach on the ends of liftarms (high speed but low torque applications).

Yes, a more reliable version of the 9v micro motor in a PF format would be great. Do you think it would be more useful if it was low speed but high tourqe?

Also an "L" motor, which is basically the same motor inside the "XL" motor but without any gearing down. This would make it one or two studs shorter than the "XL" motor and put the fun and challenge back into building proper geartrains with fast spinning gears and such . It would also enable us to protect our geartrains using the white clutch gear (which is useless on the "xl" motor) by having it much further up the gearing down gear train.

Edited February 6, 2010 by allanp

[Smithy]

From my own point of view the bigger and strong turntable would be very usueful. I've tried to build my own using various designed but not had much success. Unfortunatly I can't see Lego ever building a model big enough that would justify the bigger size.

The Pneumatic valve looks a very simple piece and could be produced at very little cost. Maybee in a pneumatic driven train or similar. Maybe part of a Dacta education set.

[Sumendar]

Setting aside the unlikely ones to happen (bigger x, stronger y, longer z, the prime motivation for parts is a need in official sets, Lego just doesn't sell anything big enough to require these), here are some thoughts:

-2x2 L-shape liftarm, thick or thin, whatever configuration of holes.

-all axles notched and/or axle&pin removal tool, the current (official) constructions can be a pain to undo for an adult, let alone the target age group.

-> Free to use design idea for the tool: crabclaw-like with suitable friction surface for grabbing axles at one end and halves of a pinhole on the side; small hole for pushing axles at the other end.

[allanp]

Setting aside the unlikely ones to happen (bigger x, stronger y, longer z, the prime motivation for parts is a need in official sets, Lego just doesn't sell anything big enough to require these)

Over the years sets have slowly but surely got bigger and bigger with more and more pieces, which I like! But for this reason among others, some things really do need to be made bigger, longer or stronger.

[Sumendar]

Over the years sets have slowly but surely got bigger and bigger with more and more pieces, which I like! But for this reason among others, some things really do need to be made bigger, longer or stronger.

I'm not quite sure about the increase in size as the studded -> studless change just exploded the amount of pins and axles in sets, which obviously raised the piececounts a lot. But even if it does happen, it's not enough that the largest flagships are so large that they should use a stronger version of an existing part: The molds aren't cheap, and a mold that would only be used for one set a year is not going to happen, it would drive the price up too much.

[roamingstop]

A quick concept for a 3 stage pneumatic pump - could be used for tipping wagon functions - or hydraulic boom arms / cranes. Because of the width it would probably suit being a long pump.

Sorry no brickshelf account set up for the image; so I pasted it here.

Edited February 7, 2010 by roamingstudio

[allanp]

I'm not quite sure about the increase in size as the studded -> studless change just exploded the amount of pins and axles in sets, which obviously raised the piececounts a lot. But even if it does happen, it's not enough that the largest flagships are so large that they should use a stronger version of an existing part: The molds aren't cheap, and a mold that would only be used for one set a year is not going to happen, it would drive the price up too much.

I see what you mean about the piece count with all those pins but yes, sets have got bigger. The large increase in pins may also be offset by there no longer being hundreds of plates between the beams. The molds are expensive no matter the size of the part and they do wear out and have to be replaced by new ones. So, for example, when they have to replace the molds for the pneumatic cylinder, why not replace them with molds for longer cylinders? Yes, I know I can double up cylinders but it would be so much BETTER if they were a more useful and realistic looking length to begin with. They would be far from limited to flagships to. A small forklift with a single pneumatic that's at least twice as long as the current one would be great or a medium sized skip lorry for starters. As for flagships, imagine the back hoe or excavator you could make. Imagine doubling up every standard sized cylinder with all that tubing in a back hoe to get the same result. I'm not saying it should replace the current cylinder but if I could only have one length, it would be one with a stroke 2 or 3 times longer that the existing one. Yup indeedy, technic would be better just with that one part alone.

[bluescrn]

As a newbie to studless building, just returning to Lego after quite some years, I'm finding it surprisingly tricky to orient beams the way I want them without lots of small joining pieces. For example, building a small frame around a differential.

So how about studless beams with alternating hole orientation?:

||O||O||O||O||

Also, something very simple that seems to be missing is 2-high studless beams e.g:

OOOO

OOOO

May be a better fit than the usual L-arms in places?

But the number 1 piece I'd like to see is an NXT 3.0 brick with support for significantly more than 3 motors! (Or an NXT motor multiplexer)

[DLuders]

So how about studless beams with alternating hole orientation?:

||O||O||O||O||

Your wish has been granted for Lego-compatible liftarms that have holes on ALTERNATING SIDES. There are 3L, 7L, and even 21L versions available from this Bricklink store: http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=InanimateReason (look on all three pages).

[allanp]

As a newbie to studless building, just returning to Lego after quite some years, I'm finding it surprisingly tricky to orient beams the way I want them without lots of small joining pieces. For example, building a small frame around a differential.

So how about studless beams with alternating hole orientation?:

||O||O||O||O||

These parts have holes orientated in 3 different directions and are ideal for housing the new 3 studs wide differencial.

http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/64179

http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/64178

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4288615 (posted by stang67)

[Brickthus]

Here's few I did earlier:

Modded Parts

Designed Parts

I have many more that I hadn't yet published pictures of, especially a 40mm pulley and tyre, and thin liftarms of all the lengths of the thick ones we have now - I suggested those to TLG in 1997! TLG have a criterion of how easily kids can use them, so that's probably why we don't have more varieties of thin liftarm, as thick ones are easier to handle.

These days, if I have enough of a piece not to harm ability to rebuild a set, I'll probably get the tools out and make the parts!

Pneumatics is a different matter though. A 4-port valve to do this function in a smaller space would be really useful.

Mark

[B-Lister]

I always wanted a gripper claw without a stud on top.

one of the 1x1 tiles, with the modified claw, but no stud.

[Jurgen Krooshoop]

I regularly wish for a non-existing parts while building MOC's. But not having a specific part makes you more creative, having to solve the problem with other parts.