Every once and a while I see something so creative I have to build something like it. I happened with my HH-65. It happened with my Zil 132. And to some extent it happened with my Spitfire. But when I saw the Urban Buggy from Chrismo, I though I have to make something like it. It was such a fresh and creative design. It had such great lines, a perfect stance, and a unique driveline setup. But while imitation and outright plagiarism are the most sincere forms of flattery, I thought something of my own design would be a better contribution to the LEGO community. I present my Talon Track Car.
You may find the full gallery here, and the instructions here.
I designed this car to be fast and stable, just like a track car. I started with a drivetrain that would be reliable and effective. A PF XL for drive, and a PF M for the steering. I placed the PF M in the front mounted directly on the suspension unit, with a return to center spring in the middle of the mount. The system is set up differently than in my Rumble Bee, but uses the same return part. Each suspension arm would have a single shock absorber. Directly behind the steering motor was the XL for the drive. It was geared up with a 20z/12z ratio, with the driveshaft connecting directly to the 20z gear that turned the differential. The rear suspension used an independent setup that was developed a long time ago for my Red Car Bigger (great name, huh). If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The suspension was planted. I placed the rechargeable battery box and the IR receiver behind the rear axle.
The car was quick, and didn’t have any problems, but faster would have been cool. The return to center system worked well, especially for the quickness of the car, and the quickness of the steering. It was easy to control. The car was robust, and crashed well. So go ahead and build your own. Enjoy.
My Mini Feller started after I made this MOC. I wanted to do a small little project, and I wanted to do something fun and simple, and I thought the Mini Feller would be a great partner to the Mini Skidder. The skidder is a simple design, that uses simple construction techniques, unlike the Feller. Also, you can build your own. Feel free to check out the instructions here.
I started with the rear grabber. I added a simple worm gear to 8z connection that moved one of the arms, and connected it to the other arm with a 16z to 16z connection. The axle that connected to the worm gear would exit out of the top of the grabber and allow for movement with your hand. I attached it to an arm that would attach to the MOC. The arm would be connected by two arms on each side of different lengths, so the grabber would move in an arc, and connected to the chassis. On the chassis I connected the rear arm to a 24z gear, and placed a worm gear above it.
I connected the rear part of the skidder to the front part with the new small turntable. This allowed for simple gear connection with a 20z gear to the Hand-Of-God steering. This worked well, and kept the model simple. Just in front of the steering mechanism, I added another 24z gear for the plow. Taking a cue from set 8069, I set the worm gear vertically, and connected it to the exhaust stack; simple and pretty. I then filled in the space. A simple body was added, as was the plow, and wheels, though not in the cleanest of ways.
It was fun little design with simple solutions for the functions. It’s not as complicated or compromised as my Feller, but still a playable MOC. Also, its easier to build should you feel the need.
Building with Lego is a continuous formation of compromise. While my ideal of what my Mini Feller would include was significant, what I could actually accomplish was a compromise of space, function, realism, and frankly the amount of frustration I was willing to tolerate. So while the final result is a watered down version of what I would have liked, it was the result of me compromising amidst the situation.
I wanted to make a small model go with my Mini Skidder. The MOC had to be the same scale, have a decent level of fuctions, and work with my Skidder. A feller seemed like a good option. As I looked at what function this MOC would have, I ambitiously stated it must have a working blade, working steering, working grapper, and a working tilt function. All these functions would be controllable on the back or on top of the cab.
The steering was simple enough. I added a small turntable at the bottom of the chassis to give the frame some support. The HOG steering axle would come out at the top of the cab, and join the front and the rear with a small link arm. Simple enough. Likewise, I added a differential in the rear part of the chassis, geared up the rotation, sent it though a couple of universal joints to the front of the Feller, connected it through a pair of 12z bevel gears, and attached a saw blade. Again, simple enough I had steering and a working blade.
It got complicated as I tried to add the arm features. The lifting of the arm would be done with a 8z gear with a worm gear. Because there was a driveshaft to the front blade, the 8z gear needed to be placed on the axis of the arm, but out of the way of the driveshaft. The required a 1 stud offset that also needed to be directed back through the steering axis to the rear of the Feller. I used a CV joint to allow the axle to slip as the feller would steer.
The tilt feature would require a parallel control that would allow the elevation happen while keeping the feller blade parallel to the ground. This would require another 8z worm gear connection at the lower rear pivot point of the arms. I was running out of space. Of the 7 studs to work with, one was used for the universal joint, one was used for the lifting gear, one for the mounting liftarm, and one for the lifting arm. I could not add another worm gear system, while being able to actually lift the feller blade. Additionally, adding a link for the gathering arms would also have to work through this pivot point if I wanted to isolate the movement from the lifting and tilting feature. I had to give. A compromise was necessary. I felt the stability of the feller blade had to be paramount, so I added another support arm. I also felt gathering arms must remain as they are essential to a feller. Sorry, but the tilt feature got the ax. It was the correct decision, but it still tasted a little sour.
It was a great little MOC, and I had a good time creating it. I hope you enjoy building your own. The full gallery can be viewed here and the instructions can be viewed here.
I confess. I took the bait, and started on the 2012 You Design It, We Build It before the final rules had been confirmed. I should know better. After all my schooling, you would think I have a good idea about how to follow directions. The first direction is, wait for directions. But, with all LEGO building, I enjoy what I am creating, and so even after the rules and directions have been given, I still want to contribute to the LEGO community. So, my next MOC is another Trial Truck, built with the intention of being easy to play with, easy to build, and tough enough to handle child play. All with instructions, so you can build one.
I built this model based on what I thought could be improved on set 9398. While this new set was a great step forward for the LEGO company, I felt there where a couple of changes that should be made to make the model a better off-roader. Because I was working with the assumption that this would be something LEGO would produce, I gave myself a couple of constraints. First, the model had to be less than, or equal to, the cost of 9398. Second, the model had to have improved off-roading skills. Third, the model had to have easy playablity, so the drivetrain had to be reliable, the battery should be easy removable, and it should be easy to drive.
I started the frame before the axles. I placed the battery box directly over the driveshaft. An XL motor was place behind the BB and three 16z gears above the driveshaft. One 16z gear went up to the fake motor shaft. The driveshaft would connect front and rear to the two axles through the new ball joints from 8110.
I then built the two axles, starting with the rear. To keep the speed of the Mack similar to the 9398, I would gear down the XL motor to about 1:4. The driveshaft came out of the ball joints and connected to the differential. I chose two 12z/20z gear sets as the final reduction. This would keep the driveline a little stronger, and help keep various axles from working their way out of the gears, much like the design of the 9398. The final gearing was 1:3.89. It’s not a stump puller, but it could still move up most hills.
The front axle was a little more tricky. Basically, it had a similar setup, with a PF M motor placed on in it to work the steering. This was by design. To keep the driveline reliable, and limit the failure of steering, I kept the steering part of the axle, rather then having components placed in the chassis, and then connected via a shaft to the front axle. The steering is a little quick for my liking, but it works flawlessly. To understand more about the axles, check out the instructions.
Through a little trial and error, I connected the suspension, and tweaked it so it would function in a way that was robust, and allow for great movement. I am still not pleased with how it turned out aesthetically but it functioned without problems, it supported the model well, and allowed for sufficient articulation, so I left it.
I then added a simple body, a basic rear bed, and added some engine components such as exhaust, intake, and a simple turbocharger behind the fake motor. When I was done, I noticed the cab looked a little like an old Unimog. This seems to be a theme with me, as I love the look of the Unimog. On the other hand, I do not like the look of too many cabover truck designs, as such, many of my trucks have the slight setback cabover design that is very similar to the Unimog. My T55 is like this, and this is why I have built so many Unimogs.
The model worked well. the suspension and stability was perfect. The truck was stable, and did not roll over, all while being able to handle various terrains. The gearing was sufficient and would be great for a playing child. It was easy to change out the 12z/20z gears in the portal axles to a 8z/24z setup which made the truck a little more strong.
It would be a great model for many LEGO fans due to cost, reliability stability, and playability. So I have posted instructions for people to enjoy the model as well. I think it would have been a great LEGO set, then the rules were released.
Next time I’ll wait for the rules. Thanks for reading.
I have a love hate relationship with LEGO instructions. On one hand, I think they provide a great service to other builders. This has become clear with my 8081 4×4, which has been much more popular than I could have imagined, in part because I have published instructions. Builders like to know how other builders come up with ideas to solve problems. But on the other hand, instructions are a lot of work to produce. Especially if they require some rendering program. I guess I could charge people for access to my instructions, but that seems to take away from the access to ideas that I like to support in the LEGO community.
With that I present instructions for my FW-190a3. The FW-190 needs no introduction. It it still one of my more favorite airplanes, so I thought I would make a minifig version, and publish instructions for it. As with all of my instructions, links can be found on my Building Instruction page.
It has been six years since I bought my F1 Wheels and Tires. I bought four, and I paid a lot for them. To date, I have used them once in my Red Sedan; and only two of the four that I own. For some reason, I decided I needed to use them again and I wanted to do a small little project. I was recently reminded about a childhood video game P.O.D. racing, and thought the car I was designing would fit right into the game.
The car is a simple design; a drive motor, a steering motor, a battery box, and a receiver. I knew I was going to design a three wheel car. I wanted to have the rear wheel driven by a PF XL, and a single PF M with a simple return to center system for the steering. After a couple of designs, I decided to place the PF XL motor in the hub of the single rear wheel. I tried a couple of designs to gear the motor up for a little more speed, all with various locations in the car. Nothing worked as well as I wanted. The speed was sufficent, and placing the motor in the hub allowed for a super short wheelbase.
Because the PF XL was place in the rear, I had a lot of space for the rest of the Power Functions equipment. I placed the battery box directly in front of the rear wheel right at the bottom of the car. The front steering axle was place next in front of the battery box. The car had a short wheelbase of only 18 studs. On top of the battery box, I placed the PF IR reciever and the PF M motor which was for the steering. The steering motor passed an axle straight through a Spring Loaded Connector to move a 3L liftarm which connected to the steering rack with a 6L steering link.
I added a simple body using the orange panels from 8110. Keeping with to story of P.O.D. I wanted to keep an agressive stance and look to the car.
The car ran well, and was plenty quick. The steering was sharp and the car was well planted on the road. I had a good time with the design. Now I need to come up with another use for my F1 wheels.
The full gallery may be found here, and instructions here.
For most LEGO enthusists, when they purchased the set 8081, they quickly modified the set with a Power Functions drivetrain. It makes sense. LEGO models are a little more exciting when they are motorized. But I guess I went a little backwards. I wanted to do the fun stuff first, and make the most complicated and compact drivetrain I could make. I posted the instructions here, and they can also be viewed on Rebrickable.com.
But the comments kept coming from people who wanted to see my model motorized. So I thought it might be a fun addition. I added a two PF M motors, a 8878 Battary Box, and an IR receiver. I tried to keep the modifications simple, so I could easily add the motors to the MOD, and take the system out if I wanted to. The drive motor was placed on a simple mount that connected to the frame. The power was fed thought a 8z gear to a 24z gear which then connected directly to the V8 driveshaft. The driveline was unchanged from the V8 down. The steering motor was mounted laterally in front of the rear seats. A 20z double bevel gear drove a 16z gear, then a worm gear moved the final 8z gear which was mounted on the existing HOG steering axle. I removed the passanger seat which is where I placed the battary box, and created a simple mount for the IR receiver. The added weight required a new shock absorber, so I added that as well.
The model worked alright. The drivetrain did well to handle the new power, and I could easily control the Crusier. The steering motor was a little too powerful for the upside down facing steering rack. It skipped a little under load, which was a problem over rougher terrain. The drive motor was a little taxed, so a PF XL would have done a little better. I guess I could add that, but I am ready to move on to my next model. Stay tuned.
Traction. It’s all about traction when designing a trial truck. Because of this, many builders have tried a number of different solutions in designing their own trucks: differentials, gearboxes, various numbers of wheels, various gears ratios, countless suspension designs, and on and on. So why would it be any different for my trucks? Every truck I make is a reaction to some set of problems I have encountered with a previous truck. This is my current solution.
The Kenworth T55 started as a proof of concept, and turned into a design of a fictional truck. I wanted to somehow see if there was a way to use differentials in a successful trial truck. For this to work, two things had to be accomplished. First, there had to be a way to keep the tires from spinning uncontrollably when they lost contact with the ground. And second, the torque going through the differential had to be low enough that it would not shred the gears inside the differential when the truck encountered an obstacle. Could I make axles that had a limited slip differential while having all of the gear reduction at the hub?
Enter turntables. I have seen some ideas before, most sigificantly from Borec, including this truck, so I went to work. I designed a mount for the wheels and tires, and placed the universal joint as close the wheels as I could. Then I used a limited slip differentail design, and sent the driveshaft back to the body. A simple steering design was used, and the two fuctions passed through the common design of using a differental body through a turntable.
The chassis was designed to keep the weight low, both is mass and location. As is common, I used the Power Functions XL motor for drive, and I decided to use the 8878 Battery box as it was significally lighter than the other design. In addition, I would have a drive shaft and a steering shaft running the length of the truck, so the motor and power pack needed to set on both sided of the truck. Also, because I used the turntables, the drive shaft was very high. This gave great ground clearance, but I needed to keep the heavy components low. By having both large components on the side, I was able to keep a short wheelbase of 30 studs, and keep the mass centered and low. The driveline was complete.
Ever since my GMC 2500, I have held to the belief that a linked suspension is the most efective setup for four wheel trial trucks. The design keeps all four wheels firmly planned, and does not have the wobbling feel of many pendular suspension designs. But as is often the case, I ran out of room to place a link rod between the two wheels so I opted with useing the rubber connectors to keep the axles level. I added a body, and a steering motor, wired everything together, and I was done.
So how did it work. As you can see in the video, the suspension was effected by the steering and drive shafts. This further confirms my thoughts on the linked suspension. Second, the turntables did not really add much. They added a lot of friction to the driveline, and though they kept the differentials safe because of the tall final gear they did not really isolate the forces on the differential as much as I would have liked. Third, the limited slip differentials worked well, but still allowed for too much wheel slip. I ended up replacing the rear with a locked axle, which seemed to work well. So, for the next truck, bring back the linked suspension, and find a better differential solution. Maybe then I can find some more traction.
Truthfully, I was excited about set 8081 when it was first announced. I liked the size. I liked the coloring. I liked the stance. But mostly I liked the potential. Most of the Technic community dismissed the 8081 because of its watered down functions, but I was interested in making some changes to see if I could make the Cruiser Extreme.
I first added a V-8. There was plenty of room, and after seeing a great modification from Efferman, I had some ideas. It was a simple addition.
Next was the drivetrain. This was a little more complicated. I wanted to make it four wheel drive, and I wanted to make sure there were three differentials. I rebuilt the rear axle, so It would have a more active setup. I put in longer shocks, and added a Panhard rod, and two stabilizing links. It worked well. The front axle was more challenging. The new CV joints made the project a little easier. Once I had the differential place, I had to fit everything around it. The steering rack was placed upside down, and was connected directly to the existing steering link in the original 8081. Then I added a Panhard rod on the front of the axle, and rebuild the front bumper, and everything was set.
