Hot answers tagged instructions
27
Yes there is! Rebrickable.com is dedicated entirely to doing so. You can save time and import your LEGO collection from Brickset.com (If you have an account). The site will then search for other sets and MOCs you can build from the bricks you have in your collection.
23
The Lego Digital Designer is ideal for this job. Avalible for Mac and PC it allows you to build models from scatch, order them, and get them delivered. Or, if you've got the bits already it can make instructions for you. It has a range of technic items (see image below)..
Importing a model will also enable you to view the part number and details which could ...
16
Here is an approximation of the bridge that appears on the cover of the catalog pictured above. Unlike the version in the picture, this model uses bracket pieces to attach the arched section to the rail bed. All the pieces in this build were available prior to 1994.
The arches are decorative and do not really contribute to the strength of the bridge. This ...
11
If you want to know if you can build a certain set with the parts you have, you can have a look at set inventories on Peeron or BrickLink
You can also even enter a list of your own parts on Peeron and have it check it against existing sets, thus letting you know what you can build, or what you need to buy to build the set you want.
8
LEGO have made mistakes several times in the past and will continue to do so, (as is the norm for a toy manufacturer of it's scale.)
I can only speculate that the best way to ensure instructions are correct would be to build the model. Following the instruction as you build you're able to pick up more than just missed steps.
8
These sites are absolutely marvellous:
Let's Build It Again - this has user submissions too
BrickFactory - if you can't find it on here, then it can't exist
WorldBricks - looks to be another cracking resource
(Having just spent some time looking through these, I just don't know why I hadn't tried looking for this stuff before.)
8
Your best shot is to identify individual piece and look them up on Peeron or BrickLink. Since both carry set inventories, you'll be able to find lists of sets in which the parts can be found. Try to start with more bizarre parts, chances are they are in a few models only.
Once you're sure you've found a model for which you've all the parts, build it using ...
8
Here are the PDFs donated by Friend Of George. Here are the unit catalog PDFs.
The starter kit for each pod has an inventory list, a set of cards containing units which can be built, and a set of X-TRA cards. The cards and inventory list can be printed on card stock for better durability.
The Advanced Rules contain additional rules and Advanced X-TRA ...
7
For physical manuals, I personally like to use clear presentation sheet protectors similar to the ones that @BradC mentioned. Regarding organization, I place the ones that I refer to frequently in some binders, sorted by theme, while sets that I don't use as much go into a set of hanging file folders.
If you don't mind electronic storage, you could download ...
6
See AlternativeTo's list.
LEGO Digital Designer (official; most popular)
LDraw (2nd most popular)
Konstruktor
MLCAD
You can do all this in Google Sketchup with SketchyPhysics simulation, of course! And the pieces are easier to fit in, and GS is generally more flexible and easier to use, unlike LDD. The disadvantage is, you don't get LDD's Building ...
6
My 7190 Millennium Falcon kit has a mistake where the inventory for the page doesn't include two pieces on it. So, invariably, when I'm building it I forget to include those two pieces, and they are left over until the very end, at which point I have to follow this process:
Say "Dammit"
Flip backwards through the booklet to find the page that last added ...
6
I found here a link to the LEGO website on archive.org with the X-Pod playoff section intact.
The download links for the rules and starter kits still seem to work.
The units catalog is slightly broken, but I was still able to print all of the unit catalogs into PDF format using PDFCreator. For them to print correctly, click on the Advanced Rules tab, ...
6
There are quite a few individual sites out there offering that sort of thing, however one of the best I've come across is:
The MOC pages on Rebrickable.com
This is because the site allows you to catalogue all your parts and then search for other sets and MOCs you can build with your existing collection.
5
Your best bet is probably to browse the list of Technic sets on Brickset (sort by year of release, ascending).
There aren't that many before 1990 so it should be easy to find, one which sounds a bit like what you describe is 8865 Test Car from 1988.
5
Not necessarily.
It really depends on what you mean by "accurate." Most (probably 90% or more) of Mega Bloks elements have identical, or at least functionally identical, LEGO elements. However, there are a number of Mega Bloks elements that you can only approximate with LEGO elements. For example, Mega Bloks hinges rotate around the center of mass ...
4
Mistakes do slip through from time to time, and are actually not so uncommon.
Most of this is hearsay, but as far as I understand the persons in charge of doing the instructions are not the designers themselves. Similarly, there is certainly a Q&A process which aims to ensure the model is as faultless as possible, including the instructions. Building it ...
4
the two sets that come into my mind when reading the description are a Go-Kart (8842) and a Roadster (8832) - maybe it's one of those (would be a lot easier if you remember some additional details - the main color, for example).
4
The online consensus on this question seems to be using LDraw, and progressively create the model while saving the steps (like this tutorial explains).
However, I remember an other way, but I can't put .. oh wait, it was using MLCad.
4
If you have an Android device, the app Lego Scans is also very convenient.
Ever lost a LEGO® scan or you maybe want to take a trip down memory lane?
This app enables you to browse through 4000 LEGO® scans by box number or by theme.
You can choose to save the scan image files to your SD card for offline viewing! This also enables you to view the scan ...
3
I tried LDD at first, but frankly, the order in which it adds the parts is often quite nonsensical:
I also tried a bunch of other tools, some of which are mentioned elsewhere on this page, with mixed results.
So what I ended up using, with great success, is LIC (LEGO Instruction Creator). It's beta, somewhat buggy, and for all I can see it was written by ...
3
You should look at LPub4. This is an OpenSource (GPL) tool that can create high quality instructions from LDRAW compatible files. It runs on Windows and OS X and with my patches on Linux as well.
Note that the LDD license states "Any commercial use of the software is strictly prohibited" so keep that in mind if you are intending to do anything commercial ...
3
Lego has an online page that can be used to download manuals in PDF format. Unfortunately, the page mentions that manuals are only available for kits that were released in 2002 or later:
We currently have over 3300 building instructions available onlinevwhich date back to sets packed in 2002.
You might want to contact Lego customer service to see if ...
2
LPub is a program designed specifically to produce step-by-step construction documentation from LDraw files. I haven't tried it myself (it's Windows-only) but I believe most of the fan-created instructions out there are made with it.
Edit: As Retracile notes in his answer to a similar question there is a newer version, LPub 4, which also supports Mac.
2
What about clear sheet protectors like these inside a 3-ring binder? I imagine most are designed to hold a single page, and not an entire booklet, but these heavy-duty acid-free ones could be up to the task:
You could have separate binders for different product lines, and sort by set number or name, and the cover of each would be visible as you browse ...
2
My wife found some magazine holders to keep her magazines organized in a 3 ring binder. Those might be helpful for some of the larger manuals.
Storing them in order by set number or alphabetically by set name and including an index sheet could help you find the sets easier.
2
Depending on what you have, your best bet is probably to re-build each set, and sell than as complete. Try BrickLink if you're not in a hurry to sell. You can see how much sets are selling for, and price yours accordingly. You can list them until they sell, and they only charge a small percentage when the items sell. If you want fast cash, sell them on ...
2
Although lxf files must be loaded with LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), it's not always the case that lxf files are loaded correct/completely with LDD. This because the fact that LDD uses a database where the parts are stored, but it doesn't contain all parts and the database changes from time to time. When trying to load older files, you have about 100% ...
1
The parts list page for the Ultimate Collector Edition Millenium Falcon (10179) contain 5 mystery pieces that aren't included in the set, and aren't used in the build.
See What is piece 4211642 from 10179 - UCE Millenium Falcon?
1
Yes - I remember as a child, I built the USS Kittyhawk (a set that is an absolute nightmare to build with Mega Bloks) out of LEGO parts. All of the pieces, aside from the stickers, have either an exact or pretty close LEGO equivalent. You will also need to do the deck with plates instead of the large MegaBlok plates, but this allows for much more detail and ...
1
If I could motivate myself, I'd be tempted to use scanned PDFs and would put the paper originals in a box, in plastic bags, like precious comic books. I'd use the model numbers to refer to them, plus collection folder names (both for physical and digital documents)
My kids are currently in the process of shredding my 20-30 years old instructions manuals ...
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