Notice the offset of the pistons in the cylinder casings. That comes from the bent crankshaft, a small part of which you can see in the above picture.
Front view of the engine. That axle in the center is connected to the crankshaft; turn the axle, the crankshaft turns, moving the pistons up and down.
Bottom view, showing the crankshaft and pistons in more detail. The red bricks are another useful type of Lego brick, which I'll talk about in a future BOTD.
This is what I use for holding our little Technic engine together.
This is a simple structure I built using the four pins in the first picture. Notice that the 3 long pin can be used in two different ways: with equal lengths on each side of the beam, as on the yellow piece, or with most of its length on one side of the beam, as on the red piece. Tomorrow: the complete engine.
I don't know the name of this piece, but its holes are at just the right angle for holding the engine parts together. Notice that there is an axle hole on each side that is slightly offset from the others. This is the keystructural element of this piece. What do we use to hold them all together? Find out tomorrow.
The pistons go inside these pieces, through the hole in the center of the piece. The cylinder casings are then arranged in rows, sometimes opposite each other, sometimes in a "V" shape, depending on the engine configuration. But, how do we faster these pieces together? The studs are in the wrong place! Good question; the answer is coming tomorrow.
These two parts connect together to make a crankshaft for our engine. The crankshaft isn't a straight piece, but rather an assembly of straight pieces, each one of which is offset from the one next to it. Since I can't explain it too well, I'll just show you a picture:
Here, I've put the crankshaft pieces together with the pistons from yesterday, and now we have a complete crankshaft/piston assembly. Notice that the black axle on the left and the gray axle on the right only rotate; they don't move up and down with the pistons. This lets the engine assembly be mounted in a model easily.
The piston assembly consists of two parts: The piston head, which comes in different colors as you can see above. The head snaps onto the piston arm, which is the gray piece protruding from the bottom. This allows the piston head to swivel and move, which is essential for the engine operation. Tomorrow: the crankshaft parts.
I'll try and build a Lego palm tree soon, but don't hold your breath. :)
Their shape lets them line up really well, for a nice green fence or privacy screen.
Yep, just your basic bush. Good for making thickets of brush or brambles. Also useful for an underwater scene, especially when you pair it with a red bush piece that fits on the bottom:
There, doesn't that one on the right look like a clump of underwater vegetation now?
I pretty basic piece: Just a simple cluster of three flowers. It does have uses, though. Aside from being a nice yard decoration, there is a stud in the middle, so you can stack multiple clusters on top of each other. You can also add some green slope bricks, and you suddenly have an attractive plant display:
Nice for framing an entryway or some such.
One medium sized tree, ready for planting in the yard of your choice.
Turn the axle at the right, and the gray gear will turn, turning the axle pointing towards you with it. A very compact way to get a large amount of gear reduction.
Here, you can see that the upper part of the turntable can be turned by the gear teeth around the outside edge. The two sets of teeth are on the same plane, which helps when building models.
I use this as the entrance to an arboretum/Japanese garden I built with some Lego plants I bought. I'll show some of those next week.
This is another good brick for such things as rooflines or curves on a vehicle, like you can see in Lego's Speed Racer Sets. I've also seen it used to give just the right shape to spacecraft. I think it is also used in the new Lego set, General Grievous. Another versatile piece.
In a model of an arboretum I've built, I use several of these to fence off the carnivorous plant display.
Or, one could simply use this piece for structural reinforcement in a model. Since it's all one piece, it would be ideal for that in some situations.
This brick is handy for adding that extra finishing touch to your new house, or castle, or skyscraper, or whatever you're building. I got a bunch of these in a grab bag from the Lego store, so I've been using them for fencing. Combine them with some pillars and a roof, and you also have a nifty little bus shelter:
But, it can also be used to reduce friction on surfaces. They're frequently used on Lego's boat models to make them move easier on floors or carpets.
This is a useful piece. I mostly use it for things such as radar dishes. When paired with tomorrow's BOTD, it makes a useful eye as well. It can also be used for abstract art:
This is a good brick for using in walls, as its size can help fill in awkward gaps. Also good if you're building a desert scene, thanks to its color.
