BrickEngineer: LEGO Design

LEGO Engineering for LEGO NXT and Robot Enthusiasts

Colorful LEGO Storage Ideas


In a previous post, Storing Your LEGO Collection, I discussed various options for storing one’s LEGO collection. Several of these options included tackle boxes since they can hold several utility boxes with adjustable partitions, while providing top bulk storage. I have found them to be quite useful in providing portable storage for small to medium LEGO collections.

Plano has come out with a new line of colorful tackle box designs geared for arts and crafts storage. These are the Creative Options
line of Storage Boxes and Organizers. The color scheme is a avocado green base with a purple lid and gold handles. These storage units are excellent for storing small LEGO collections while providing portability.

Here are some of the available models:

Grab N’ Go Rack System with 2 Deep #2-3630’s and 1 #2-3650 -Avocado Base/Purple Lid/Gold Handle

It comes with Two Deep #2-3630’s and One #2-3650 Prolatch Utility Boxes and Bulk Top Storage. It has dimensions: 13.1 x 9.9 x 13.6 inches

Multi-Craft Rack System

This includes three 2-3650 and two 3449 utility boxes and a compartmentalized top access storage on lid and large bulk storage area. Its dimensions are 17-3/4-Inch (Length) x 9-3/4-Inch (Width) by 11-Inch (Height).

Creative Options Grab & Go Storage Box/Organizer

This includes four #2-3500’s Prolatch Utility Boxes and Bulk Top Storage. ITs dimensions are 11-Inch (Length) by 7-1/4-Inch (Width) by 10-Inch (Height)

Be sure to check out some new ideas at:
New LEGO Storage Opportunities

The Blossoming Lotus: LEGO Kinetic Art

I call this creation The Blossoming Lotus.  It was originally posted on Online Cortex, but I have decided to repost it here because its just plain fun. Basically it is a large 2D version of a Hoberman sphere. Why did I not make a large Hoberman sphere? First, the parts to make the circle cost almost $80 US. Second, I have other more pressing projects I am working on.

The Blossoming Lotus Kinetic Art

The Blossoming Lotus Kinetic Art

It is about 4 feet in diameter when completely extended and is pretty impressive. Its relatively easy to make. My design consists of constructing each petal with two interlocking pieces: a single-claw arm and a double-claw arm. The parts needed to make the two arms are illustrated below.

Parts for a Single Lotus Petal

Parts for a Single Lotus Petal

To make the entire circle of petals, one needs 20 copies of each petal. The job then is to put them all together. I will post detailed instructions on a website in the near future. For now, here is a closeup of the blossom when completed.

Close Up of the Lotus Blossom

Close Up of the Lotus Blossom

And of course, the project wouldn’t be complete without that animation above made with MLCAD, L3PAO, and POV Ray. The animation was straightforward—once you get the geometry right (which is not straightforward). I will post a lesson on the geometry and the animation of this creation in the future as well. For now, enjoy.

10+1 LEGO Design and Engineering Tips

1. Use only parts that are necessary…no less and no more.
In the course of trying to fortify a LEGO construction, it is extremely easy to get carried away and add too many parts. If you are like me, you have a limited supply of parts.  Using too many parts rapidly depletes your supply and can add significant weight to your creation.  If you are building a robot, this extra weight can really slow it down.

2. Build strong connections
We all know that when stacking bricks to make a wall, you need to stagger the bricks so that the next layer of bricks holds the bricks in the lower layer together by covering up the cracks.  This is one way to build strong connections.  You can do even better by bracing the wall with a beam by pinning it to technic bricks embedded in the wall.  By adding a few carefully chosen pieces, it is possible to significantly strengthen a structure.  Just be careful not to go crazy and violate Tip #1.

3. Be aware of design constraints
Every time you add a LEGO part to your creation, you limit the possibilities of what you can make.  When you have nothing you can make anything.  When you grab a brick, you can now only make things that have that brick in it.  Each part constrains the creation. Be aware of parts or constructs or mechanisms that place too strong of a constraint on your design.  You dont have to get rid of them, but just be aware of the role they play in constraining what you do next.

4. Dont become TOO attached to your creation.
Sometimes we find that we really really like a certain aspect of the construction or a set of parts, but nothing else works. The tendency is to get rid of everything else and then build up around those parts we really like. However, these parts are placing strong constraints on the design… often too strong, which is why nothing else works. The solution is to get rid of the problem. In this case, you have to get rid of the set of parts you like because it is over-constraining the rest of the design. You dont have to destroy it (see Tip #9)… just set it aside, but be sure to remove it from your creation.

5. Be open to new ideas.
There is always more than one way to solve a problem. Be open to new, and seemingly crazy ideas. Sometimes these lead to ingenious solutions. If you suspect that you are having problems similar to those described in Tip #4, take some time out to brainstorm and see if you can come up with a new idea!

6. Build in stages.
Designing a complex structure or mechanism in one step is almost impossible. Break the construction up into stages, and consider each stage separately. Sometimes a given stage will still be too complex. If so, break that construction up into stages as well. Just be aware of the dangers in Tip #4 above. Your solution for one stage might be awesome, but if it doesn’t work well with your solution as a whole… it has to go. Again, if you have enough parts, keep your creations. Otherwise, at the very least preserve their memory by building them in a LEGO Computer Aided Design (CAD) system.

7. Watch for opportunities.
Sometimes we get lucky and we find that a part or a set of parts can serve two or more functions. This is an excellent situation as it saves you both parts, size and weight. Watching out for these opportunities, and taking advantage of them when you can, can really help make an elegant and efficient design. Just be careful not to become too attached to the idea, as you could end up in trouble as described in Tip #4.

8. Study your design.
When you are all finished, take some time to study and test your design. Consider both form and function. When considering form, you are concerned mainly with aesthetics (beauty). What do you like about the design? What dont you like? Is it too big? Is it bulky? Can it be made smaller, sleeker, more elegant? When considering function, you are concerned mainly with its operation and effficiency. Does it do what it is supposed to? Do the parts go together well? Does it vibrate? Do the gears mesh properly? Does it get stuck? Is there too much friction in the system? Could it be smoother? Is it safeguarded against parts breaking in high torque situations? Then consider the big picture. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? If you could do it over again, what would you change?

9. Keep your designs
I have mentioned this tip several times above. If you have enough parts, and enough room, keep your creations. Otherwise, at the very least preserve their memory by building them in a LEGO Computer Aided Design (CAD) system and generate building instructions. That way you can keep a good idea. Who knows if it will come in handy later?

10. Do it over again!
When building mechanisms that require careful consideration of either form or function, you should plan to make several prototypes (a prototype is a first design). Don’t destroy what you just constructed. You may need to refer to it by copying a part of the design that worked well. You may also need to see if you have improved the form or function by comparing it to your first attempt. I personally plan to make at least three prototypes until settling down with a final design.

11. Color coordinate your creation
I dont apply this rule to my first prototypes, but as I settle in on a final design, I work to choose the brick colors carefully. Of course, we do not always have enough parts to do this, but it is worth the extra effort. Colors scattered all over a design leads the eye to seeing it as haphazard rather than elegant. A careful choice of colors can really enhance the form of your creation. You can also use colors to enhance the function by color-coding functional segments of your design. This is maybe better for illustrative purposes (as in a LEGO CAD design), but usually I choose the latter and aim for an elegant coloration.

Kevin Knuth
Albany NY

Storing your LEGO Collection

It can be very difficult to figure out exactly how to store one’s LEGO parts. This depends greatly on the extent of your collection, and how mobile it needs to be. Below I offer a wide array of suggestions ranging from the size of one NXT set through tens of NXT sets with thousands of dollars of extra parts. Here I will review the solutions that I have found useful, and at the end I will provide a detailed description of my particular storage strategy.


Utility Boxes with Compartments
Clear plastic utility boxes with adjustable compartments are excellent for storing LEGO parts, keeping them separated, and making sure that they are accessible. I have found the products manufactured by Plano Molding Company to be especially useful. The Plano Prolatch with Adjustable Dividers
is secure and allows one to carry the box around without fear of accidental opening. These utility boxes are also included in the larger Plano Tackle Boxes, which provides an excellent means of both storage and transport.The new Custom Divider Systems (CDS) give you a great many ways to divide each box into bins with the greatest versatility. The other divider systems work well, but this is a nice option.

Small Box
Plano No. 2-3500-20
9-1/8″ Wide. x 1-1/4″ High x 5″ Deep
Up to 9 adjustable compartments
Order from Amazon.com
These fit into the Plano 1354 Tackle Box
below
Medium Box
Plano No. 2-3650-20

11″ Wide x 1-3/4″ High x 7-1/4″ Deep
Up to 18 adjustable compartments
These fit into the Plano 1364 Tackle Box below
Large Box
Plano No. 2-3750-20

14″ Wide x 2″ High x 9-1/4″ Deep
Up to 20 adjustable compartments
These fit into the Plano 1374 Tackle Box below

Tackle Boxes
Plano tackle boxes are designed to hold multiple (typically four) utility boxes above. This provides for a readily mobile storage solution. Your LEGO collection can be carried from your home, to the lab, a friend’s house, or into the field at a moment’s notice. Here is a photo of my Plano 1364 Tackle Box that I use for most of my construction needs.

Plano 1354 Tackle Box (3500 size)
I have found that the 1354 Tackle Box is a bit on the small side for even the smallest collections. You will be surprised at how many distinct kinds of Lego parts there are, when you find that they will never fit into the 9×4 compartments. However, this tackle box can hold 4 utility boxes, and you often can put an additional box in the top compartment.
Order at Amazon.com
Plano 1364 Tackle Box (3650 size)
This is a really nice size for a tackle box. I can easily store at least two NXT sets in this tackle box as well as many extra parts. Four Plano ProLatch 3650 stowaway boxes
fit in the tray resulting in 4×18 = 72 compartments. I also manage to keep an additional 3650 box in the top of the tackle box. I can often work with just this subset of my collection. In addition, it makes travel easy.
Plano 1364 Tackle Box at Amazon.com
Plano 1374 Tackle Box (3750 size)
This tackle box can hold a large number of parts. The top bulk storage compartment is sufficiently large and deep to actually hold smaller robots! The 3750 size utility boxes are very spacious, and this tackle box comes with one of the newer Custom Divider System (CDS) utility boxes, and one flip-sider, which is good for fishing tackle, but not so useful for LEGO parts. For this reason, you may need to buy an extra 3750 box to replace the flip-sider. And you may want an extra 3750 to fit in the top compartment.
Plano 1374 Tackle Box at Amazon.com

Compartmentalized Storage
For a more extensive LEGO collection, one may require more storage space for small parts, such as pins, axles, etc. Akro-Mills makes some very nice organizers with a large number of small drawers.

Akro-Mills 10724 24 Drawer Storage

This organizer can hold a healthy supply of small LEGO parts. The organizer comes with partitions that can be inserted into the drawers allowing one to keep more parts.Overall Size: W=20″ H=15.81″ D=6.38″ (inches)
Drawer Size: 4.25″ W x 5.25″ D x 2.0″ HI have three of these. One holds all of my pins and connectors. The second holds all of my axles and axle connectors, and the third holds all of my gears.
Akro-Mills 10124-2 44 Drawer Storage
This organizer can hold a healthy supply of small LEGO parts. The organizer comes with partitions that can be inserted into the drawers allowing one to keep more parts.Overall Size: W=20″ H=15.81″ D=6.38″ (inches)
Large Drawers: 4.38″ W x 5.25″ D x 2.0″ H
Small Drawers: 2.13″ W x 5.25″ D x 1.50″ H
Akro-Mils 10764 64-Drawer Storage

This organizer can hold many small LEGO parts. The organizer comes with partitions that can be inserted into the drawers allowing one to keep even more parts.Overall Size: W=20″ H=15.81″ D=6.38″ (inches)
Small Drawers: 2.13″ W x 5.25″ D x 1.50″ H

Large Storage Bins with Drawers
The larger collections require more extensive storage. Storage bins with drawers are excellent for storing large numbers of bricks of many colors and types. Stackable bins with drawers facilitate organization and access, although they require a good bit of space… or rather, your collection does!

Three Drawer Organizer
I have found the Sterilite ClearView™ Wide Three Drawer Organizer 2093 to work very well. Its dimensions are suffciently large to hold a large number of brick. Or one could make partitions (they do not come with the drawer) to store a wide array of parts in a single drawer. At this point, I use 20 of these to store my bricks, plates, liftarms, wheels, and specialized NXT parts. The clear drawers make it easy to see what is inside, and one can easily afix large easy-to-read labels.The dimensions of the three drawer organizer is:
14 5/8″ L x 14 1/2″ W x 10 5/8″ H.

Large Mobile Storage
My lab requires that a large proportion of my parts be easily transported. The best solution that I have found for this is the mobile toolbox together with a healthy set of Plano Utility Boxes (above). I was surprised to find that there is not the diversity in toolbox designs that I expected. I finally settled on the
Stanley Consumer Storage 033023R Pro Mobile Tool Chest.

This tool chest when packed full holds:
4 large Plano 3750 compartment boxes
3 medium Plano 3650 compartment boxes
6 small Plano 3500 compartment boxesThis is in addition to the large top tray that can hold Mindstorm NXT bricks, a great deal of cabling, and other tools that you might need.The tool chest has a handle and wheels, which makes for easy transportation.
Order from Amazon.com here.

See the more recent posts: COLORFUL LEGO STORAGE IDEAS and New LEGO STORAGE OPPORTUNITIES for more ideas.

Meta-Parts: Part III

This is a continuation from Meta-Parts: Part I and Part II and consists of a library of LEGO constructs that can in many cases act as liftarms for bracing various structures. Here we consider constructs made from the LEGO axle joiner perpendicular.

Axle Joiner Perpendicular Constructs I
These LEGO constructs are even more sturdy and can be used as extremely strong braces. These are especially good for LEGO Mindstorms NXT projects.

Axle Joiner Perpendicular Meta-Parts

Axle Joiner Perpendicular Constructs II
This figure shows the wide array of constructs that can be made with both the axle joiner perpendicular pieces. These pieces are constructed from either two or three of these joiners. An example showing seven of them is below. The number of combinations is staggering.

Axle Joiner Perpendicular Meta-Parts

I have found such LEGO constructs to be especially useful in robotics applications.

Meta-Parts: Part II

This is a continuation from Meta-Parts: Part I and consists of a library of LEGO constructs that can in many cases act as liftarms for bracing various structures. Note that these LEGO designs can easily pull apart when you apply forces in certain directions—usually within the plane of their design. They will not be stable for constructions requiring that they withstand forces in those directions. However, if you need to brace against forces that are directed out-of-plane, or to prevent torsion (twisting). These constructs may help. If you are desperate, and are willing to sacrifice purity, a drop of superglue will do wonders.

Planar Constructs
This is a strange set where the construct has round holes that lie in a plane. Some of these constructs are quite strong, but the next set is even stronger still.  These construct provide alternative ways to stabilize axles.

Planar Meta Parts

Rectangular Constructs
The following rectangular constructs are typically much stronger than the previous constructs. These examples sport round holes at either the corners of the side centers.

Rectangular Meta-Parts

Square Constructs
These squares are quite sturdy, and can be constructed to have a good number of round holes in the square interior. The constructs in the lower row enable one to firmly attach two beams at 90 degree angles to create cross shapes.

Square Meta-Parts

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