Posted February 27, 201312 yr Hi all, I recently received my big box of old Lego Technic from my parents and it completely sparked a renewed interested in Technic. I tried to put some of the models together but since it has been 20 years since I last used it and I clearly wasn't very careful as a kid not a lot of them are complete. To remedy that problem I went out and got 8110, 9383 and 42006 because I am/was a huge fan of pneumatics (sparked by the awesome 8868 and some earlier smaller pneumatic sets) and wanted to try the IR/PF stuff and the LAs respectively so I figured those would be good sets to start out with. Oh and I've also started lurking here but figured I might as well register ;) So with that introduction aside here's my actual question; I love the studless stuff because it makes it much more challenging to create good, solid models. The thing is that I have to get used to all the new building techniques, even the relatively simple ones. I was wondering if there's a place on the big ol' internet that can be used as a reference for a lot of standard building techniques (from simple things like different connections to components like suspensions, transmissions, various gear linkages and so forth). Does that exist? Thanks a lot! A revived Technic fan.
February 27, 201312 yr Get Sariel's Book : http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-LEGO-Technic-Builders-Guide/dp/1593274343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361996367&sr=8-1&keywords=sariel You definitely wont regret it. Welcome to the forum by the way. Dluders will be here any minute now to show you how things go around here.
February 27, 201312 yr Welcome to Eurobricks. I have put together some random building techniques here you can look at.Also try looking at the technic index as well.
February 27, 201312 yr You don't have to purchase a paperback though, you can get a PDF file cheaper from nostarch
February 27, 201312 yr Best Studless, Welcome at Eurobricks and enyoy your buildings. When you starded whit studles building is a crime in the beginning because off the oneven liftarms and no studds. Your brains gona be nuts, but after a month you don't want something else. What Porty already said gets Sariel book and you get on whit al the technic's and Dluders post after this post, all the the books and sites you ever needed i think Get Sariel's Book : http://www.amazon.co...keywords=sariel You definitely wont regret it. Welcome to the forum by the way. Dluders will be here any minute now to show you how things go around here.
February 27, 201312 yr Welcome to the forums! Less than half a year ago, I was more or less in the exact same shoes as you now find yourself in! It was definitely difficult in the beginning, but when I make a MOC now, I exclusively use studless construction techniques! Studded is solely for the aesthetics! As others have already mentioned: GET SARIEL'S BOOK!! It's exceptionally good value, and an absolute must !
February 27, 201312 yr Welcome, I would say that you are in the right place. If you're looking for inspiration, advice and ideas then eurobricks is the place. It has certainly helped me as a returning builder. What I would say is that studless is odd numbers (3's, 5's, 7's, 9's, 11's, 13's and 15's) whereas studded was more even numbers (2's, 4's, 6's, 8's, 10's, 12's, 14's 16's etc). I'm working on something at the moment and I'm using both. But as it's mainly studded i'm having to ensure my odd numbered studless parts fit an even numbered studded part. Example being the roof of the vehicle is what I call "twelve wide", (twelve studs wide), so using a "nine wide" studless beam across the roof is not straight forward. Hope that helps. H
February 27, 201312 yr I don't have Sariel's stupid book,trail and error is the best. Best Alasdair, @ Studless is a new member and a grow up man and don't no that you are a kid and grow up with studless As a Afol that only now the studded technic before there dark age it's hard to understand in the beginning, but you will learning it fast @studless i think
February 27, 201312 yr I don't have Sariel's stupid book,trail and error is the best. error---------------------------------------^ Obviously, but for someone getting into something new, I would recommend this, as he is specifically asking for some guidelines. Best Alasdair, @ Studless is a new member and a grow up man and don't no that you are a kid and grow up with studless As a Afol that only now the studded technic before there dark age it's hard to understand in the beginning, but you will learning it fast @studless i think Couldn't agree more Edited February 27, 201312 yr by D3K
February 28, 201312 yr Welcome to the forum. Lurking here is a great source of inspiration. Soak it up. Experiment. Share what you have created and grow. Can't wait to see your first MOC. It will inspire me in some way. Just like everything else presented on this forum. v/r Andy
February 28, 201312 yr Welcome to the forum! Your story is very similar to mine. I got back into LEGO when my parents bought me a set for Christmas 4 years ago. It was supposed to be a gag gift...little did they know it would revive my interest in LEGO. When I started building with studless, the first thing I noticed was that all the dimensions were now odd numbered. Instead of 1x16 studded beams, I now had 1x15 beams. That threw me for a loop at first, but after a while I got used to it. I think the best way to learn how to build with studless is to build sets from instructions, whether that be by official LEGO instructions or instructions created by talented Technic builders. Just my $.02. Again, welcome to the forum!
February 28, 201312 yr Hello Studless. Something which has helped me tremendously with studless building is to pay real close attention to the model when you are building it from instructions. Don't rush with the build - maybe even spend several days building a model, letting your brain comprehend what you are actually doing. The designers at TLG are really good at getting a lot of stuff packed tightly, so you will learn a lot if you just examine the instructions carefully. You can also download most Technic instructions for free from TLG site, if you want to examine models you don't actually own. For suspensions, 8110 and and 9398 (I assume you mean this with 9383) have good examples of live axle-type suspensions, while supercars like 8070 and 8448 have examples of independent suspensions. For levers, once again the 8110 has some nice examples in the claw and boom. Other sets like the 42006 you own and its big brother, 8043, have some nice linkages too. Another good way to get some nice lever/linkage designs is to watch videos and pictures of real construction equipment. But the best way to learn is no doubt trial and error - theory and reading can only get you so far. Actually attempting to build something teaches you about what you can do and what you can't do with Lego (is there anything you can't do?) and which parts you should use on which situations. Building stuff gives you experience on different solutions, information which your brain can use later on, which in turn makes you a better builder. They say you need to do something 10000 hours to be good at it, and while this is probably more or less an urban legend, it's nevertheless a nice idea how you can be good at anything if you give it enough time.
February 28, 201312 yr Hey Studless, welcome to Eurobricks. Been there, being brought up with studded, and now have a good number of studless sets. I would recommend building from official instructions. You will pick up the principles quicker and understand the need for the cross bracing. Leaving this out will be at your peril! Do bear in mind that there is a lot more planning ahead needed for studless, as extra beams etc are not as easy to add on afterwards. One benefit of the studless beams is that they can pivot tighter on the end hole, without needing the clearance demanded by the corner of the studded bricks.
February 28, 201311 yr Author Hi all, Thanks for all the responses, friendly crowd it seems! ;) I've already started experimenting and the even to odd transition takes some getting used to but isn't a huge factor I think. The main thing is really linkages and efficient use of space. I'm using LDD to sort of test some ideas and I'm already stuck on one idea I just can't seem to get right so that's a fun puzzle (for the interested; 42006 has 2 free turning axles going into the arm for the LAs. I'm trying to get 3 or even 4 free axles in there but having some issues doing it in a space efficient manner). I'm a programmer by trade so this sort of problem solving is especially fun for me. Anyway, again, thanks for all the input. I'll pick up that book as well as it sounds very helpful. Cheers!
February 28, 201311 yr With studded models we tended to build from the bottom up, but with studdless designs we build from the center outward.
March 1, 201311 yr If you want to revive your old sets, there's always the possibility to find replacement parts on Bricklink, so don't write them off just yet. Studless building is great, but so is studded. It's all good. :)
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