39
votes
What did Lego set instruction manuals look like in the past?
The earliest LEGO sets did not have any kind of instruction manuals, since they were sold as sets of building blocks, without any specific models in mind.
Exmaple: Set #7002, Automatic Binding Bricks ...
- 15.6k
24
votes
Accepted
Is this an error in the updated Harry Potter Diagon Alley build/instructions?
The wall behind the shelving unit is not a standard wall built with regular LEGO bricks, but a panel, which is hollow on one side.
The parts that are sticking out at the back of the bookshelf are ...
- 10.2k
20
votes
Should the LEGO Batcave step 264 use 1x1 Technic bricks?
This is likely correct. Here's the instruction step that you mentioned:
In order to keep costs lower, TLG tries to limit the number of unique elements in a set and in an individual bag within a set.
...
- 39.8k
15
votes
Identifying Vintage LEGO Instructions
These are instructions from "LEGO Books - Idea Book #1 or 221", that was released in 1973.
YouTuber BrickTsar uploaded his entire childhood book HERE.
Similar to the LEGO Idea books I had as a kid ...
- 8,923
13
votes
Accepted
Why do gray axles appear black and black axles appear white and black in this manual?
I don't have this set, but used 8421 as a test. This set is also released in 2005.
Looking at the PDF you see the same color scheme of the axles, were the black appear to be gray and vice versa
When ...
- 7,883
12
votes
Accepted
How were these building instructions from the 1970s produced?
They would have been hand drawn.
Technical illustration used to be a highly skilled job, similar but slightly different to design draughtsmanship. I can still recall the latter being used about 20 ...
- 637
11
votes
Accepted
When did LEGO start adding a progress-bar to build instructions?
I've had an answer from LEGO customer service. They only advised one other set which includes the progress bar, which is "Star Wars Hoth AT-ST (75322)". They did however mention "a ...
- 545
10
votes
Accepted
Where can I find the instructions for the crane on the back page of Lego Juniors: Construction (10667)
I rebuilt the model as best as I could in Lego Digital Designer using only parts from that particular set.
There were a few parts where I couldn't actually find a piece in that set so I used a ...
- 17.6k
10
votes
Accepted
What are these numbers for this element name?
Bricklink lists it as
Technic, Axle 5.5 with stop
The blue number is the length of the axle. It is mentioned in the part list to distinguish axles of different lengths in a set.
In this case, ...
- 2,615
10
votes
Official instructions for 2018 LEGO employee Christmas gift 4002018?
As TheBrickBlogger said, you need to wait:
Even contacted their customer support and the reply was:
I don't think those are every available publicly
Not unless you are an employee
And after ...
- 813
10
votes
Why do gray axles appear black and black axles appear white and black in this manual?
The cause is simple. The images are authored in a vector or CAD format. When Lego rendered these vector images to the low resolution images in the PDFs, the thin outlines got turned into lines with a ...
- 101
9
votes
How to cross reference a part to all instruction guide pages
I'm using the discontinued program LEGO Digital Designer where what you want to do can be done with the program's Selection Tools.
BIG NOTE: The only thing you'll have to do is to search for your ...
- 8,923
9
votes
How can I complete the build of this Lunar lander from the Space and Airport Set (9335)?
The best I could find in terms of instructions for 9335 is this page, which seem to contain all the prints included in the set. However Lunar lander is missing. It looks like one of those "...
- 22.4k
9
votes
Looking for instructions for Nanoblock Synthesizer (NBC_038)
I found video on YouTube for model speed build. Playing on 0.25 speed produce an acceptable result with parts being used in each step. At the second part of the video instruction sheet is also visible ...
- 22.4k
9
votes
Grand piano page 269 of instructions - are the gears suppose to stop after a quarter turn or keep going when reversing directions
Tl;dr - Your piano appears to be functioning correctly. The step you mention appears to be resetting the gear to a known position. The playback direction is clockwise and free of restriction. The ...
- 939
9
votes
Piece in Lego 21327 Typewriter Step 26 can’t be flush as depicted in the illustration
Below your half bush (what you call a "gray spacer") there should be a liftarm 1x3 half thickness in dark bluish gray (both added in step 25). However from your picture, there seems to be a ...
- 10.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Extra wing pieces (21+22) in Ferrari Daytona 42143. Did I miss a step or did Lego get it wrong?
The instructions had several errors. Here's an overview:
https://racingbrick.com/2022/06/lego-technic-42143-ferrari-daytona-sp3-instructions-errors-and-fixes/
One of them is the two panels you ...
- 10.9k
9
votes
Accepted
What was the purpose of the triangular corner marking and the "points" in Lego instructions starting around 1992?
There doesn't appear to be much information left on this. I've only really found this eurobricks thread, that attempts to answer the same question.
In summary, it appears to have been a marketing ...
- 2,712
8
votes
Help! What set is this?
Spider-Man: Spider-Cycle Chase (Set 76004)
I found this by going to bricklink.com, searching for a recognizable piece, then seeing which sets that piece could be found in.
- 5,216
8
votes
What is the maximum size of Lego instruction booklets?
While there are multiple sizes of instructions and lack of database with dimensions my answer is based on personal observation.
Looking at the stash of my instructions from multiple sets (including ...
- 22.4k
8
votes
What did Lego set instruction manuals look like in the past?
Based on my experience throughout pretty much the entirety of the 90s, they didn't really look all that different back then regarding the style, what you would call the "Auto CAD" look I ...
- 1,297
8
votes
Identify this set: bags with grey, blue and red
Based solely on Minifigure Armor Breastplate with Pentagonal Cutout on Front and 2 Studs on Back with Trans-Neon Orange Shoulder Pads Pattern (wow that's a mouthful)...
...which appears in just 12 ...
- 7,794
7
votes
Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?
BrickLink Studio is a design tool to build models (like LEGO Digital Designer) and includes the ability to create instructions as PDF or images. Therefore the models are divided into steps via the ...
- 345
7
votes
Instructions for LEGO bag dated 2007 bought at a Thrift store
Based on the parts, it looks suspiciously like an internal part bag for 10232 Palace Cinema - which means there's no specific instructions to make something with just those parts - the whole set of ...
- 19.5k
7
votes
LEGO bag with no instructions or box
It is from '4645 Harbour' which was produced in 2011 and bag 2 contains blue wall panels and stone grey 1x10s.
Instructions can be found here.
- 346
7
votes
What is the largest jump in LEGO instructions?
Car Chassis 8860 gets my vote for complexity of a single step.
The instructions are laid out so that you have two pages like this on top of each other. I was building this model with my 11 year ...
- 1,146
7
votes
Accepted
Is this non-disassemblable LEGO instruction step real?
It turns out it is real, just not from a single set itself, but from the official instructions for a combo-model between Exo-Force models 7700-1: Stealth Hunter and
7701-1: Grand Titan to make ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
Advice on Power Functions for an 11-year-old?
The easiest way to start out with Power Functions is to get an official LEGO set that comes with Power Functions. This will allow your child to really understand how Power Functions works.
If he is ...
- 10.2k
7
votes
How were these building instructions from the 1970s produced?
I doubt in the mid 1970's that The LEGO Group had any computer aided design tools. I was in university during that time and this kind of documentation was all hand drawn illustration.
Remember that ...
- 1,093
7
votes
What did Lego set instruction manuals look like in the past?
The scans of vintage manuals you will find online do not do justice to the quality of the original printed copy.
The fans that have made these scans have done a great job but if you have not held one ...
- 1,093
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