Unimog U423

June 1, 2023 Leave a comment


For my 100th Rebrickable MOC I had to celebrate with a Unimog.

Free Instructions can be found at Rebrickable.com.

So it turns out that I have built a lot of MOCs over the years, and many of them have instructions posted on Rebrickable. Late last year, I recognized I was going to post my 100th MOC on Rebrickable, so I wanted to celebrate the occasion in some meaningful way. After a little thought, it became clear that building another Unimog was the only way to celebrate!

I have build a number of Unimogs over the years, but if one thing has happened during this time, it is the consolidation of the 1:21 scale truck that has become a standard in the LEGO MOC community. LEGO sets like 42098, 42078, and 42128 have helped to standardize the 1:21 scale truck, and many other MOCs have followed suit. Building a Unimog in this scale seemed like a good idea.

I planned right from the beginning that multiple implements would be available for the truck, so the design would need to be able to accommodate each attachment. To support this, a front, rear, and center PTO would be needed, and mounting points on the front, rear, and bed would need to be easily accessible. Once these standards were set, I measured the scale, and made a draft with all the set points fixed. As I built, the steering was finalized as well as the 2 cylinder fake engine. The truck used a rear wheel drive setup, and the rear axle has portal axles and a pendular suspension. Right above the rear axle, I placed a linear actuator to move the tipping bed. After some tinkering, I decided to use a large 36z gear on the left of the truck to move the bed up and down. It is placed just behind the steps, and looks like the left side radiator. Finally, there is a PTO on/off switch on the right of the truck that turns the rear and center PTO on and off.

As I was building the truck, I built the attachments as well, which allowed me to make sure the attachment connection points were ridged, accessible, and standardized. From the beginning I planned on the following attachments: plow, gritter, front winch, rear crane, and bed crane. The front attachments are connected using a 5l axle with stop, and the bed mounts are connected using four 3l axles with stop.

The front plow has worm gear lift and can tilt left and right. Free instructions for the plow may be found here. The rear gritter attaches at the rear and connects to the center PTO gear. When the PTO is turned on, the center auger and the rear spreader both turn. The top of the gritter can open to drop small 1×1 round plates to use as salt. Free instructions for the gritter may be found here.

The front winch and center crane and bed can be easily attached as well. The front winch has a locking mechanism that allows the winch to be locked as needed. The rear bed has a knuckleboom crane that folds up for transportation. Instructions may be found for both here.

Finally, a rear knuckleboom crane is also available. This crane uses the same crane as above, but uses a different attachment point. A small interior cam mechanism that is worm driven is used to connect the rear crane to the truck. Two outriggers are on both sides of the crane and are locked by worm gears as well. The crane folds completely and extends as needed. Again, free instructions for the crane can be found here.

Maybe I will find additional attachments, trailers, and implements for the truck but for now I am done. This project worked just a well as I had hoped and was perfect for my 100th MOC. The truck is just the right size, and has all the features I wanted it to have. The functions work well and integrate with each other well. Each attachment was great addition as well, and gave the truck lots of distinctive styles and looks. I hope you enjoyed the build as well.

Happy building!

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Off Road Knuckleboom Truck

January 5, 2023 1 Comment


It was time for another truck! Free instructions can be found at Rebrickable.

I have been building a lot of tractors and construction vehicles lately. I love building them as they offer a lot of movement and features. But it was time to build another truck. LEGO truck MOCs are beginning to coalesce around the “Mack Anthem standard” which is a 15 module wide truck in about 1:20 scale. Many MOCs are being designed in this scale as it is a good playable size, and fits the scale of some of the more recent LEGO trucks that have been released. I wanted to offer another truck in this scale, with some fun playable features.

I started with a chassis that uses a simple pendular suspension on the rear axle, which is damped by 2×1 rubber connectors. The rear axle drives a simple I3 fake engine under the cab through a two speed transmission. The transmission changeover is on the right side of the truck. Front steering is controlled though the HOG light on the top of the cab.

I have found a simple way to add a three way tipper bed in my trucks, and I have used it many times before. A mini linear actuator moves simple linkage under the bed that can pivot in three different directions. Each corner of the bed has a removable axle that allows control for which way the bed tiles. But in the past the control for this tipping function was in a tricky place to reach, so I wanted to route the control to the top of the cab. I managed to add this right next to steering light. I used a top pivot design on the bed sides and rear, locked by a 3/4 pin on the bottom.

Finally, I added a crane, and since I had a little space left over, two stabilizing outriggers. The outriggers are a simple two link design that are controlled with a worm gear mechanism. The crane is a little more complicated. It is mounted on a small turntable with a rotation control on the left side of the truck. The first lift mini linear actuator is controlled by the third HOG on the top of the cab. The second lift stage is controlled by another mini linear actuator. Finally, the third stage has an extending boom that allows the reach of the crane to extend a little more. The crane can lift some; not a lot, particularly when the boom is fully extended. By removing the three HOG knobs, the cab tips to show the engine. Also, both doors open.

I loved the way this trucks looks. The beefy tires, and the cabover design give the truck presence and look of toughness. The crane was a lot of fun to play with even if it could be a little stiffer. However, this may be the last time I use this three way tipper design. I am happy I moved the control to the top of the cab, but the linkage does not have the power it needs at the start of the tip. I will have to come up with something better for the next truck.

Stay tuned, and happy building until then.

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End Loader

November 16, 2022 1 Comment


Time for another Eurobricks contest! Free Instructions are available at Rebrickable.com.

Another Eurobricks contest was made available, and this one was right up my alley. In fact, I was so excited about the contest, I made two MOCs. The contest was to create a small, less than 10,000 cubic stud, construction vehicle. I figured an end loader is perfect for the contest theme, and it was a while since I created one. I build a quick draft of the shape including where the steering, engine, and bucket would go.

At this scale I decided quickly that adding an engine would be a great feature, but four wheel drive would only distract from the look and the function of the bucket. The engine is a little 3 cylinder unit that is mounted transversally behind, and powered by, the rear axle. This placement allowed for steering and bucket tilting to be placed in a HOG placement.

Drive Mech

I next worked on the linkage for the bucket. It took a couple of tries, but I finally got a linkage with full movement. Two mini linear actuators are placed on the side of the loader for bucket lift, and are linked together. The manual control is a small gear on the left side. The bucket tilt uses a Z-linkage design that allows for the bucket to move correctly through the lift movement and not dump any load. This is controlled by a single mini linear actuator, with a controlling gear on the top of the engine cover. The head of the bucket allows for quick change between a bucket and forks. Finally, steering is controlled by the HOG on the top of the cabin, and keep my high standards for steering feel with low slop.

I was pleased with this little creation, but it was not as interesting as the other MOC that I designed. So while everything worked well, and looked great, I submitted the other MOC for the contest. I hope you enjoy the MOC, and feel free to build one of your own.

Happy Building!

With Hookloada
Instructions Available
Mech

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John Deere Scout

November 3, 2022 1 Comment


Another addition to the vastly growing Thirdwigg Farm.

I built the Atmos Tractor a couple of years ago as a small little project. Soon I had created a number of attachments and trailers to work with the tractor, and soon I was more tractors and other machines were added. But the balance needed some additional tractors, so I decided to make a little partner.

The John Deere Scout specifically so I could use the new Tractor tires that came from Lego 42122 and Lego 42129. But I wanted to it to be a smaller tractor with many of the features needed for full Thirdwigg Farm integration. Thus, the tractor had to have the common front and rear attachment points, a rear PTO, and steering because I put that it everything. Soon it was clear that the size of the tractor was going to make a fake engine poorly done, so I left it out. But I wanted some other feature to make this tractor unique.

The front bucket uses a worm gear function to lift the front arms. It is driven by a mechanism that drives rear, and then up to the top of the cab. There is a little gear for the HOG function that is just behind the steering HOG. A small worm gear mechanism is used to tilt the bucket. The arm can be easily removed if the desire is for the tractor to mount something on the front attachment point. The rear PTO is connected directly to the rear differential, and the common three point hitch is installed as well. Finally a trailer hitch is attached.

I also made a couple of attachments specifically for this tractor including a snow plow and scrapper, and a little trailer. Both may be found for free at Rebrickable.

With each additional tractor I add, I think it will be the last, but I keep having more ideas, and each one has been fun to design. I was pleased with how this tractor turned out, and how well it functioned. The tires look great at this scale. Most importantly, it matched well with each of the other tractors. The instructions are freely available at Rebrickable along with all the other Thirdwigg Farm builds, so feel free to make one of your own.

Happy building.

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Lego 8440 Update

April 11, 2022 1 Comment


I am on a little bit of a old set update kick right now, so here is another one.

Free instructions are available here.

When I do an update, I like to add features, but keep the look and feel of the original in a way that you see the build and know what it is referencing. It’s is easy to see the old studded design and have the impulse to recreate the set with studless beams. But there are a lot of new parts that have been released since those old sets were released and many of the new parts allow for a lot of new functions.

For this set, I started first with the bodywork. Once the bodywork was where I wanted, I would fit in as many new functions as I could. It turned out that not many functions were added. But at least the bodywork was a nice update to the original.

Updated 8440 (red) over original 8440 (light trans-blue)

I kept the V6 that 8440 had, and devised a new rear transmission to the rear wheels. It is single speed, but it is geared up in a way that the engine spins faster than it does in the original. I then started adding details to the engine that would fit under the engine cover. I had to keep some exhaust pipes, and cooling radiators, but it took a little time to get those to look the way I wanted. I finally found a solution that was a step up from the old pneumatic tubes.

8440 Update Chassis

Keeping the front steering was simple, but fitting it into the narrow nose was a little bit of a trick. The final result is not too interesting but works well, and allows for a removable nose. A simple rear wing was added as well, and can be easily removed.

The remake did not add as many new functions as I originally wanted to add. True, the design stayed faithful to the original, but a wanted a little more than that. Everything worked well, and looked great, but it was a little too simple. Maybe the next update I do will have a little more opportunity to make some updates. Until then, happy building.

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LEGO 42126 V-8 4×4

October 29, 2021 1 Comment


Sometimes a LEGO set needs just a little more content. 42126 is one of them.

Instructions may be found on Rebrickable.com.

LEGO 42126 was introduced in the Summer of 2021, and I was immediately drawn to the pickup as it included some features I like, such as steering, suspension, a decent (at least in the USA) price, and it’s Orange! But there were serious features lacking such as four wheel drive, a V-8 (I know, I know, a Raptor, and many of Ford’s F-150s use a turbo V-6), and the rear suspension geometry was weird. I agree with others, that some parts of the design like the rear taillights and the front headlights are a little off. But, like 8081, I saw some potential here, and I ordered the set.

In fact, before I even received my copy of 42126, I was designing and a building a new chassis. The V-8 was easy enough to add, as the space under the hood is extensive. Adding in a front drive axle was a little more complicated. To keep the width, steering geometry, and suspension travel the same as 42126, adding a front drive axle would take a little work. I used a floating differential design, which allows the differential to move freely as the suspension travels through its movement. The steering link was flipped upside down, and relocated in front of the drive axle. The suspension swingarm and shock absorber mounds did not change.

42126 V-8 4×4 Chassis

Immediately behind the engine firewall a differential that connects to the V-8, and the rear axle. The rear axle is changed to replicate a better movement of the rear Raptor. LEGO noted how the half module offset of 42126 was a feature they had to work on to get the placement of the axle correct. However, this feature was only needed as the pivot point of the rear axle was so to the rear of the pickup. By moving the pivot point of the rear axle farther forward, the travel pivots less, and creates a better axle movement of more up and down. This also helps place the axle better when one side is up, and the other down.

While I made no changes to the exterior, I made minor changes to the interor. The colors of the seats have been changed so they match one another a little better. Finally, with a little bit of cross frame bracing, the pickup was done. When 42126 finally arrived, I removed the bed, the doors, the hood, and the roof from 42126, and my F-150 was done.

I like making modifications of sets more than I like making B or C models of them. As such, this project was an enjoyable one for me. I worked fast, and I liked the improvements I was able to make to the original. I like the look of 42126, so keeping this consistent was fine for me, and the additions of the V-8 and the four wheel drive was a fun challenge to pursue. Now to see if I can do a Sport Truck version of 42126. Stay tuned….

Happy building!

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8854 Update

October 21, 2021 1 Comment


Winner, Winner, Chicken dinner is what we say in my house!

Free instructions are available at Rebrickable.com.

LEGO 8854 Update

I often participate in online LEGO contests, and most of them are on Eurobricks.com. In the summer of 2021, Eurobricks announced TC20, Technic Studless Recreation. I participate in many, but not all, of the contests that Eurobricks offers. The requirement was to pick an old studded set, and recreated it in studless Technic. I couldn’t sit this contest out, as it checked all the right boxes for me. Entries would be smaller to stay in scale, the builds would be feature packed, and it they would have a deep nostalgic connection. I was in.

Choosing a set to recreate took some time. I started with a list of 32 sets, and started to whittle it down from there. Quickly I removed some of the sets for various reasons: interest, size, not right now, too sacred (8880). I ended with a top three of 6357, 8855, and 8854. 6357 would be interesting to me, but after doing 8640 a couple months back it could wait. 8855 had some opportunity. It is a classic set, and instantly identifiable. I built a little mock-up, and let it sit for a couple of days. I didn’t come back to it.

I am not sure why I did not settle on 8854 right away. I love building Unimogs, and when I do updates I like to add some features. 8854 was missing suspension and an engine, so everything was right for me to recreate this iconic set. I had made my decision and I started posting my progress. First, I had to decide the scale. I made the decision to use the newish Batmobile tires in the build, which make the tires a little larger than the original 8854. I added a stud to the wheelbase to compensate, but otherwise the scale would remain the same.

Next, I had to figure out how to add all the features I would want, while keeping all the original features. HOG for the steering would remain on the top right side of the cab, naturally as a beacon. I then added a control gear for the outriggers on the top left side of the cab. The rotation of the crane would be on the right of the truck driven by a worm gear, and all other crane controls would be on the crane itself.

Fitting in the suspension and engine was a little tricky. Adding the engine was simple enough. There is a differential on the rear axle with portal axle. The driveshaft goes forward to drive a I4 mini engine. Suspension is a dual pendular axle setup: both axles pivot side to side. The front and rear axles are linked together so that when one axle pivots right, the other axle pivots left. It is a simple design that functions well.

LEGO 8854 Engine

Designing the crane was the easiest part. Panels form the base of the arm, and a simple extending boom as created using studded technic beams and some rack gears. A worm gear extends the boom.

The cab is where I had some trouble. 8854 has a funny shaped cab to my eyes. First, it is very narrow. Second, the hood slopes very steeply. Third, the windshield is not very steep, more car shaped than truck shaped. I rebuilt 8854 in Bricklink Studio to help me compare the two designs over each other. I found this to be a helpful step, and allowed for some good feedback from other Eurobrick members. I ended up making the hood a little more flat and slightly shorter. The roof was made a little longer, which made the windshield a little more steep. Then added the fenders that wrap around the wheels a little better, and headlights and a grill that referenced the original grill. I was pleased with the final design. Oh, and I added seats, opening doors, and a dashboard.

Being able to compare the two versions side by side helped me feel comfortable with how the build was going. Most of the time I use Studio when the build is complete, as do not like to tinker in Studio. However, being able to see changes in real time, was immensely helpful. I could ask was the new version staying true to the original? If not, what was the specific part that was making it feel/look off? Being able to overlay both versions on top of each other was helpful, and a step I will do again in the future.

Cab Comparison Overlay

It turns out the design was good enough for a first place! I was thrilled that through both a voting and jury stage, this update was picked over 46 other designs. In addition to that affirmation, I was pleased with how the MOC turned out as well. The functions all worked well, and the control of each was simple and effective. I only wish the suspension was little more stable, but this was only noticeable when the crane was fully extended. I’ll use the suspension again in other MOC soon. If you love 8854 as much as I do, I hope you will give this update a build as well.

Happy Building.

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LEGO 8850 Update

May 6, 2021 1 Comment


After updating 8640, I wanted to update another set with a Technic Fig. There was only one option, 8850 Rally Support Truck.

Free instructions are available at Rebrickable.com.

8850 Update Side

Every once and a while I return to an old LEGO set, and try to modify and improve what was offered by The Lego Group when the set was released. I like to harken back to some of these influential sets because it helps me take stock of all the improvements that have happened in parts and design in LEGO Technic. 8850 was one of the first sets to use the, then new, cylinder and piston parts that have been used ever since. The set also had a driver, steering, and a robust design. When I set to work on this MOD, I placed the following constraints: keep the size, keep the engine, keep the steering, add suspension, update the bodywork, and keep the driver. Make it yellow.

8850 Rally Support Truck Update

The chassis came together quickly, as it is not too complicated, and utilized features I have used before. The rear live axle is simple, and linked forward by two links, and laterally by a Panhard rod. I used the new differential to increase the final engine speed. The front suspension is another simple design; double A-arms with a rear steering link. The steering mechanism travels under the engine, through an idler gear, and moves upward towards the HOG gear on the top of the truck.

8850 Update Chassis

The body work was quick as well, though I needed to slow down to be conscientious to the original design. Liftarms replaced Technic bricks, and the lines were kept. I added some engine detail including a intake, and gave a new grill design. I removed the headlights on top of the A-pillar, because they look silly to my eyes. I played with some ideas for the front bumper including a bull-bar, and other colors, but this simple design ended up being the one I like the most. I gave a little tailgate on the rear with some color, and a little exhaust pipe. Finally, I gave a little OCTAN coloring to highlight the race focus of the truck.

In my effort to improve access to my builds, I have created this MOD in Bricklink Studio, and have made instructions that are a little more clear than the photo sequence instructions I have done in the past. You may find a partlist and download the instructions PDF at rebricklable.com. Send me a photo if you enjoy the build.

Sample of the Instructions

8850 is a tricky set to update, because it has some defining features that I find unattractive, such as the front bumper, the rear, and the upper A pillar headlights. With this in mind, I think I carried the themes through to this build well. The OCTAN livery while keeping the main yellow with white highlights worked very well for my eyes. Functionally, keeping what 8850 had, and adding suspension was a fun project. I am already thinking about how to convert this build into an overland version with 4×4 and more bodywork. Stay tuned…

Until then, Happy building.

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John Deere 5115

February 29, 2020 1 Comment


Sometimes you just do not want to shovel your own snow. Why not get a machine to do it for you?

The full gallery may be found on Flickr.com.

01

I have enjoyed building a number of tractors over the years, and I think it is mostly because I enjoy building all the implements. This little Deere is no exception. When I was making instructions for the Claas Atos, I found some inspiration from this picture. I wondered, “could I turn this into another tractor?” Yes, yes I could. So I was off on another mid-power tractor.

04

I decided on the John Deere 5115, which is a mid-power, open cab row tractor. I used the chassis of the Atos, so the tractor retained the drive, steering, front and rear PTO, and the front and rear three point hitch. I added a green fake engine, a new hood, and some new wheels and tires (Batmobile!). So it was a simple modification of a simple previous build.

I added a variable V-Plow on the front from M_Longer, and a simple spreader on the rear powered by the PTO.

The MOC worked just as well as the Atos, which it should. But the Deere looked a little better. The hood looked more complete, and the proportions looked a little better. Plus the color of the green and yellow always looks sharp.

Happy building.

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Porsche 911RS

December 7, 2019 2 Comments


There is a part of me that finds LEGO 42098 a little gimmicky: buy this truck that fits 5 cars but comes with 1 so you you build or buy more to fill the truck. But, these wheel arches are so awesome that I am going to do just that.

Full gallery including instructions may found here.

fullsizeoutput_1734

After a rough first draft it was clear I was going to be able to steering and a Flat 6 into the car at a scale that would work for 42098, so most of the early work was on figuring out the shape of the car. I knew the car was going to be orange, and I wanted the little ducktail spoiler, so I modeled the car after the 964 version of the Porsche 911. The rear differential is placed two studs in front of the rear axle to allow for more room for the rear engine. I kept the normal LEGO engine parts rather than an axle engine like in 42098. The steering is simple in all in front of the driveline.

911RSDrive

The body work continued to take the most time. I used a great 911 MOC from Paave for many ideas including the seats and the front hood. Eventually, it all came together, after a lot of work on the doors, the roof, and the rear deck. The 911 is a beautiful car and getting all the details is so tricky. I almost feel bad for how critical I was of LEGO 42056. Almost…

fullsizeoutput_1733

One thing you will notice is my use of both the 43mm and the 49mm tires for the rear of the car. I go back and forth on which ones I like best. Also, there was no way is was going to use the skinny 43mm tires for the front. They look silly.

This little car worked great, and functioned as intended. The shaping was off a little particularly with the rear quarter panels, the roofline, and the front headlights. But the shape of the 911 is so iconic that get all the details that have been refine over 50ish years is tricky. Either way if fits on the back of 42098.

Happy building.

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