Other Pete J's thread of Lego building (current project: 76210 Iron Man Mark 44 Hulkbuster - Alternate)

I do wonder about the mental health of the designers of these kits sometimes.

 

Grr. Two identical pieces missing that have halted progress, so close to the end.



Two small orders made, luckily there are two UK sellers who both have the one piece left I need - it was last made in 2013...

Do elaborate - I'm curious!

 

Well, just looking at the construction of the arse-end of the Y-Wing (as the most recent example) I feel like to have designed it, you must have some serious depth of knowledge about Lego pieces. And with you saying here that two pieces from 2013 are needed, it strikes me that the designers for these kits must eat, sleep, and breathe Lego pieces to have designed them into a kit.

 

@liratheal Ah, I see your point!

So the short answer is yes, they do eat sleep and breathe Lego. Whilst I'm thankful to them for providing the instructions, if you look up a few Lego MOC videos that talk to the designers, my takeaway is that outside their job, for most of them, Lego is all they do! Certainly I aim to have a few extra hobbies, as variety is the spice of life, as they say.

Still, at least they're not out on the streets causing trouble, I suppose...

 

Mjolnir complete!



To be perfectly honest, not a very good MOC. Whilst visually it's fine, it has very little structural integrity - the main reason it's upside down is that the handle is only held on by four studs and this is about the only way it'll stay together, unless it's inverted and something is made to hold the handle in place.

Oh well, it looks good enough and if I find time on my hands, maybe I'll set about doing my own design.

 

Stormtrooper Blaster complete!



The final missing parts for the Y-Wing have turned up, so that'll be completed very soon.

 

What an awesome thread, some really incredible kits! I've just put the finishing touches on the Space Shuttle kit and I'm very impressed indeed, but they can't hold a candle to some of these MOCs.

 

At last...Y-Wing complete!



A little funny story to go with it: the last piece to be placed (a 1x2 sand blue tile) had mysteriously gone missing. Despite having a good look around for it, no luck. I did have a 1x2 sand blue plate that would've sufficed, but if you're going to do something properly, do it 100%. So, I used it as an excuse to order a few esoteric parts for other projects. Lo and behold, this morning, when walking around, I felt something underfoot, and there the part was! Oh well, at least other projects are a little closer to completion.

This also means that the original trilogy starfighter collection is complete!



Now, do I finish off the Shelby, or have a go at completing one or two mini projects over the weekend?

 

It's been a while since my last update, so I thought I'd pipe up.

Lego orders
I ended up doing a couple of decent sized orders for Lego parts - the second order I did as the store I bought the first order from gave me a 10% off voucher. The first order has been allocated to the various projects I'm collecting parts from and the second order is currently spread out on my Lego table (formerly my dining room table) awaiting allocation. There's going to be a third order soon (see below).

Shelby GT500
I've started building the 6 speed motor actuated gearbox, but am missing a relatively rare part. Fortunately there are three UK stores that have the part in new condition, so I'm going to use that as an excuse for a third Lego order.

Robocop (50cm tall version)
I've bought the instructions for this. Whilst a damn cool looking project, the designers (who are also the designers of the Chestburster model I'm amassing parts for) have a tendency to use very rare parts - indeed, one of the parts is from a 2004 model and to get my hands on it will require me to buy a whole set from the USA. Been holding off collecting parts for it but it's time to start.

New Official Lego Avengers sets!
This is fantastic timing for me as I'm almost done finalising my Avengers collection, so at least a couple of the sets will be getting purchased. I'll just focus on the sets I'm interested in.

First off, the Infinity Gauntlet:

This is top of the list for me - a definite purchase. I'm hoping to integrate it into my mini Thanos vs Iron Man diorama that's been floating around in my head for a while.

Next up, FINALLY, Iron Monger!

I've searched in vain before for an Iron Monger MOC, but it's strangely neglected. Absolute travesty and a failure to honour The Dude. Another guaranteed purchase from me, though I'm going to hold off building it straight away as I'm sure a MOCer will tweak it a bit.

On to Endgame Final Battle:

While I won't be splashing out on this set (or at least, not straight away), the introduction of the new Thanos large scale figure is something I am interested in. Getting Thor with his axe and the section of the crumbled wall with the Avengers logo on would also be great. I'll keep an eye out to see if I can purchase these individually. There's also the Mk85 Iron Man, which may be a revamp (and has a new shield). Actually, all the minifigs are of interest to be honest.

Finally, The Guardian's Ship:

This is one to see if I can get in a sale I think. Annoyingly, Drax, Gamora and Yonda are nowhere to be seen - all of which demand relatively hefty prices at the moment!

Rumoured UCS Tumbler update/re-release



No, the above image isn't a new model, it's the retired set. I would've bought it at the time but it's actually very limited functionality wise. I'll be attempting to purchase this either way if the rumours are true as there's already a MOC or two that convert the old set into a fully steerable RC model, and if it is an update, maybe it'll have more functionality - hopefully actual steering.

 

I'm with you on Warmonger and the rumoured Tumbler; i'm also liking the smaller black panther flyer.
Not fussed by the Guardian's ship, as i was gifted the previous iteration of that ship as a leaving present from my previous job.
Will probably try and pick up the iron man minifig from the compound set (and maybe the ant-man van) but the new big-fig Thanos makes me want to vomit. Why the combination of big-fig body and min-fig head? ick.
Gauntlet is a hard pass for me, it just doesnt interest me.

EDIT:
Which of the following do i build first?

or

or

 

@MadGinga Ecto-1 of course!

 

Another vote for the Ecto-1

 

At the folks' over the weekend, but managed to build this little chap:



Brucie will stand next to the big Hulkbuster soon.

Not much else to report otherwise, other than I bought a Lego set from the USA specifically to get this piece:



Needed for Robocop's cod piece!

 

...and here's the little chap in his rightful place:



In other developments, I've found that another two elements required for Robocop are just as rare as the previously mentioned part. Damn. If I'd known beforehand, I might not have started on the endeavour.

 

That is gorgeous...

 

EDIT:

And a nice video about the typewriter Gareth posted above:

 

Update time:

So, the good news: the Mustang's gearbox is done!



It's a marvel of engineering: an actuated 6 speed gearbox, designed ~5 years before the Chiron's nifty little 'orange bit' was released. Another nice touch is that the design also has a 'clutch' (see bottom left of image above) that allows a change of gear when the car is in motion

And now for the bad news: I've got to take the damn thing apart and rebuild it. Why? Well, the previously mentioned clutch mechanism blocks the steering column, now that I've been converting it to right hand drive. Additionally, I'll have to switch the brake motor to the other side. Ah well, it'll be worth it in the end.

Other updates:

LEGO 76190 Marvel Iron Man Monger Mayhem

Bought! Might build it tomorrow as a little break.

Robocop

Robo's cod piece has arrived - an extremely small dent on it, so I might try to see if I can flatten it out (though it's barely noticeable to be honest). The set also had some other parts that could be used in the other projects I'm collecting parts for. I've also received another set bought specifically for one other of the three ultra rare parts, which will also have some parts to go into other projects if they're in like new condition. Just one more set to buy for the remaining ultra rare part

 

Update!



Gearbox reassembled, as well as other bits and bobs switched round for the RHS conversion. I fired up the drivetrain and it worked like a charm.

Tomorrow: onto the rear axle, maybe more depending on what else happens.

 

...and here's the rear axle:



Had to wiggle things a bit to get everything running smooth.