olivierz's Technic MOCs

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Features : deploy/retract boom raise/lower boom rotate body 4-piston engine driven by the wheels cabin roof is openable, but as Held der Steine would say, that's not a feature, it's just the roof not being attached :) This alternate model uses over 90% of the parts. A lot of effort has been put into making the base structure strong enough to withstand the heavy weight and pull caused by the arm & boom, and protect the turntable against heavy torsion. Still, when the body is straight (unrotated), the sheer weight will slightly pull the turntable away from its driving gear, causing it to skip. Download instructions

  Image gallery on Bricksafe This is a replacement for the Control+ base using Power Functions elements. It also uses the older hubs (instead of the new planetary ones), so the overall gearing has also been adjusted to compensate for the fact that the older hubs do not have internal gearing. The amount is 12:20,12:20,20:28 ≈ 3.9x. Otherwise I tried to stick as much as possible to the original design, although I did change a few colors here and there. I also made a structural reinforcement so that there is less bending near the center (c.f. the beams to which the fake shift stick is attached), as well as doubling the  shock absorbers in the rear, were the weight is.  There's also brand new feature : a gear-operated battery lift (see video).  This mechanism serves two purpose: the battery can be lifted out, therefore accessed without unbuilding anything, not even bush pins; then, because worm gears can't be driven, it also effectively locks the battery in place. As a r...

  Every since I've seen Desert Eagle 's snow plow , I've really wanted to build it. Unfortunately no instructions were available, so I decided to recreate the model from the presentation video (after asking). Of course everything inside is not visible so I redesigned it all. I've also improved sturdiness in various places, reduced the number of motors from 13 to 8, and replaced or removed most non-Technic parts. This is an advanced model and the assembly of some of the sub-modules is challenging. I spent months on the design, and then again as much on making the instructions. Making instructions for this was such a daunting task, for the first time, I considered not doing any. All original features are preserved: (see video at the end - very shaky, sorry about that) 4-track drive mid-section steering rear pendular suspension raise/lower plow raise/lower crane deploy & extend crane arm steering wheel turns along with steering openable door & side-cover Plus addit...

  As an optional add-on for the Heavy Duty Snow Plow , this compact module associates flashing lights to a given motor, that is, PF lights will be flashing slowly while the associated motor is being operated (see video). It makes use of a CaDA PF micro-motor (not included in inventory) and an older 9V pole-reverser. Feel free to reuse. Download instructions Download parts-list  (Bricklink-XML)

  Image gallery on Bricksafe MK-Bricks used to have quite a few good models, unfortunately he's not on Rebrickable anymore. Among those, there was the Hamster Cruiser (formerly MOC-23417). The original instructions were a somewhat difficult to follow photo sequence, and I've now gathered the motivation to do proper instructions. I've also fixed a few design issues and some mistakes in the original instructions & parts list. Despite its relative small size, it took me several weeks to create these instructions. This design is quite difficult to model digitally. There is a structural weakness that I didn't fix because I only noticed it when testing the model, after the instructions were done: the yellow connector attached to the rear shock absorber pops out easily when driving around. About the parts : not included in the inventory: the hamster & hamster flag the cabling is made for newer versions of the RC-motor (made by other manufacturers) with an integrated P...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe This model has something we don't see often: remote-controlled pneumatics. Some time ago I've seen a video of that and was impressed by how much smoother it is than manual operation. I wondered why it's not more common, and now I know: it requires a ridiculous amount of servo motors. This is a hybrid model with a mix of pneumatic and mechanical functions: Fully articulated crane & bucket through 5 motors. Functional motorized outriggers that are able to lift the truck off the ground (albeit with difficulty near the end). Liftable cabin to reveal motorized pump & driven V4. Pressure control system to automatically turn the pump motor on & off. 6-wheel HOG steering Trailer attachment: compatible with Krone Emsland pneumatic tipper from Isenheim . The frame is very compact, and very sturdy. It's also relatively heavy, as it has 6 motors and two battery boxes. This is an advanced model - all the cabling & tubing and sub-model a...

When using a motorized pump to drive pressure into a pneumatic system, a drawback is that when the pneumatic functions are not used, the pressure keeps building up, putting strain on both the pneumatic components and the motor. It's possible to couple a pneumatic actuator to a PF switch in order to automatically shut-off the motor when the pressure gets too high, but this approach typically uses strings to create the force that the actuator needs to work against, and I don't like to use strings. So in my pneumatic crane truck , instead of strings I'm using the weight of the battery that drives the motor/pump. Once enough pressure builds up to allow the small actuator to lift the heavy battery, the vertical motion activates a PF switch that turns off the motor. Once pressure drops (because it's being used by pneumatic functions) the battery falls and the motor/pump restarts automatically. Note that it's been designed for Lego pneumatic components. I've observed t...

  When I first saw images of this set, I thought it was just another tracked racer. But after seeing the review on Rebrickable , I was very impressed. It flips, and they solved the ground clearance problem of such vehicles (which normally prevents having a proper cabin) in a brilliant way. Unfortunately (though obviously) it's using Control+ and I have no intention of getting into that, so I put my current project on hold and started working on a PF mod. I also replaced all the new alternating beams (I'm still not sure whether I want to get into that either). And of course also this new weird 19-wide frame; I don't think such pieces should be made, it's overspecialized and reminds of those weird Technic parts they made for Bionicle 20 years ago. I adjusted the gearing to compensate for the speed difference between the PF & C+ L-motors (20%). I did what I could to make the battery box as accessible as possible for changing batteries, but it's difficult as it'...

  I really like Technic-Dragon's MOC-63471 Reachstacker , the big problem is the video-instructions, which are quite tedious to follow. So I finally gathered the courage and made myself proper PDF instructions, which I'm also sharing with anyone who's interested. Note however that it contains a significant amount of changes that suit my tastes: switched to 6-port battery box. switched to 2x S-motor. changed cabin operation to manual to avoid an extra battery box. various reinforcements and increased securing of motors. various color changes. replaced or removed most of the non-Technic parts. changed steering to use modern gear racks and replaced old 9V-style electric cables. redesigned mudguards because personally I don't like the trick of placing beams on soft axles to create curved surfaces. small redesign so that the boom can rest flat on the cabin when lowered. added a linear clutch to the boom extension; but those new clutches appear to be quite useless: they requi...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Like previously , I've tried to make a mini-version of my last Xerion attachment . At first the prospects of success seemed grim, but it worked out in the end. The proportions are a bit off, and it looks bulky, but the desired functionality is there: the digger wheel & conveyor belt are driven by the tractor's wheels. This time no modification to the mini-Xerion is required, only removing the existing attachment. Though be sure to move the tractor's tool level as high as possible, otherwise rattling will occur. Note about parts : the somewhat uncommon 44374 parts are not strictly necessary, they can be replaced with half-bushes. Making the instructions was quite a jigsaw, and I spent a disproportionate number of hours considering the size of the model. Download instructions Download parts-list  (Bricklink-XML)

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Features : raise/lower + tilt shield raise/lower ripper V6 engine driven by the tracks openable hood This alternate model uses 90% of the parts. Note about the shield: if you're not using stickers, you can flip back the 11x3 panel; the only reason it's flipped is to hide the sticker. A lot of time went into making the instructions. Download instructions

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Another somewhat experimental vehicle: a reversible rover. That is, it can flip over and continue normally. The concept is not new, but it's seldomly made in Technic. In this particular model, the cabin is also RC and can be rotated back into normal position if the rover is flipped. Also, it has exotic steering: turning is achieved by putting on neutral one side or the other. It works, but it's not very efficient: since the neutral side offers no resistance, it tends to just go along and leads to an extremely large turning radius. It's implemented with a servo motor, so it's implicitly return-to-center. The wheel support arms can freely rotate 360 degrees. There's also an openable bay window under which the steering mechanism can be seen in action. I'd say it's not really suitable to play with extensively, as it's heavy, the turning radius is too big, and the clearance is too low to allow acrobatic off-road. But I think it...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Features : Boom can be raised and extended. 'Plier' mechanism to grab the container. Movable cabin (spring-locked); the cabin also has all the goodies: openable doors with handle & stopper, mirrors, blue seat. Rear HOG steering 4-cylinder motor driven by front wheels. Pseudo-differential using linear clutches, in order to weakly couple the front wheels; this allows combining torque to drive the fake motor, while still preventing one side from blocking the other. Container has openable doors with handle & stopper. This alternate model uses over 90% of the parts. Note that it's not for beginners. The idea of a movable cabin comes from MOC-63471 . A lot of time went into making the instructions. Download instructions

  Image gallery on Bricksafe Those are usually standalone machines, although it just looks like a fixed attachment to some vehicle. So instead I made it into a removable attachment for the Xerion. It turned out much harder than I anticipated. I never went through so many redesigns when making a model. It doesn't require any modifications to the Xerion. It's also designed to sustain with minimal flex the significant stress that incurs when lifted off the ground. It has the following features: Motorized bucketwheel & conveyor operation. Switch for neutral (decouple from the Xerion's power output). Levers for the two coupling points. Knob to lift the entire tool off the ground. The Xerion's attachment lift knob can be used to lower the tool into the "ground" for digging (but since we can't dig into the table, there's not much practical use). Notes on usage when attaching the tool, the Xerion's coupling has to be set in the highest position. if low...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe I've had this machine in mind for some time, and I've finally gathered the motivation to build it - it's challenging to design. I've looked at several existing such machines for reference, but I haven't tried to reproduce any particular model (I generally prefer no-brand, original designs over the exact reproduction of a real-life model). It comes with several features (see video): Remote-controlled driving. Due to the tracks being operated at very low speed, there is visible bobbing motion which normally averages out at higher speed. transversal substractor for steering in curves Motorized rotate cutter drum run conveyor belt rotate gathering arms Manual raise/lower boom extend/retract cutter drum Openable motor housing All motorized functions are activated simultaneously with a switch, and all manual functions can be operated while the motorized functions are running. The build is very compact. If you like that kind of thing, you'...

While working on my last alternate model , I was trying out parts combinations and when stumbling upon this: I thought, 'hey, that looks like a tie-fighter!'. So I decided to change it a bit and make it into a model, partly as a joke, partly as a satire of modern instructions. I thereby present a 9-pages instructions for a 5-parts model :) Download instructions

  Image gallery on Bricksafe In my version with motorized legs , the inner & outer legs have to be operated separately to avoid collision, and I couldn't find a way around that. But I had a feeling it could be done, and there it is: in this new -manual- version, a single crank controls the deployment, lowering & extension of the 4 legs simultaneously, replacing all 12 knobs. It took me a very long time to think of a solution, but in the end it's startlingly simple, and the key lies in exploiting the properties of a differential. The legs will go through the following sequence: when deploying, the outer legs will first move out of the way, then halt until the inner legs have completely deployed, then finish deploying themselves. When retracting, at first all four legs will move until they're not under tension anymore. Then the outer legs will halt until the inner legs have completely retracted, then finish retracting themselves. And this seemingly complex behavior is...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe If you're not familiar with the name, that's the helicopter from the Avatar movie. I like exotic-looking machines, and I've been thinking of building it for some time. I thought it might make a good alternate model for 42069 since the tracks can be inverted to make the wings. I figured I might need 108-110 tread links to have 2 inverted rings that don't have too much tension, and 42069 has... 108 of them. The coincidence was to good to let pass. I've used conv-barman 's great Avatar Helicopter design as reference for the general shape and some of the functions, but overall it's radically different, especially the inner structure. I've spent over 150 hours on the design alone. This alternate model uses close to 90% of the parts, and is fairly large: approx. 60x60cm. Note that it is not for beginners. It comes with several features: The propellers can be rotated with a knob, which also drives the V8. There's a joystick to ...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe This model is somewhat of an experiment. After having done a mecanum-wheel base for 42099 , I was curious to investigate the other similar, exotic wheel type: omni-wheels. However, omni-wheels are arranged in a cross formation, which is a pretty bad fit for a standard vehicle, thus the unusual appearance of this model. Each wheel is driven by a PF L-motor, with 12:28 ≈ 2.3x geardown straight and 12:20:12:20 ≈ 2.8x sideways. The wheels' design is from Nikolas_SSN ( MOC-36546 ). Unfortunately they are quite expensive to build. You'll need a 4-ports battery box, which isn't included in the inventory. The instructions are made with a MouldKing one, but adapting to Buwizz or Cada shouldn't be difficult. Operating with a controller is possible, but tricky since it requires up to 4 buttons being pressed simultaneously. It's probably much simpler with a phone app, but I don't have a smartphone so I can't try. It has independent suspensi...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe This replacement base for 42099 uses mecanum wheels, each driven by a PF L-motor. Mecanum wheels allow diagonal & sideways motion, as well as in-place turning, and drifting. If I'm not mistaken, there are 22 possible movements (6 different types). Very fun, needless to say. You'll need a 4-ports battery box, which isn't included in the inventory. The instructions are made with a MouldKing one, but adapting to Buwizz or Cada shouldn't be difficult. Operating with a controller is possible, but tricky since it requires up to 4 buttons being pressed simultaneously. It's probably much simpler with a phone app, but I don't have a smartphone so I can't try. Geardown is 12:28 ≈ 2.3x, and there are no CV-joints involved. The wheels are based on Yoshihito Isogawa 's design, but heavily reworked: reinforced, and adapted to connect to standard hubs. Unfortunately they are quite expensive to build. I designed the chassis with an indep...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe The inspiration for this model came from astyanax 's Fast Robust Inverted Wheel . I really like it, but it's not obvious what to do with it, and it took me a long time until I finally got an idea. My first idea was to turn it into 'Road Runner', the wheels being the spinning running legs like in the cartoon. But designing the character is beyond my capabilities. This model here is what I thought up next.  The V8 & propellers are driven. A huge sequence of gears is needed to combine the output of both motors and drive that through the tail at an angle: 17 in total to reach one propeller. The head has suspension, so to speak - it rests on a shock absorber. The construction is sturdy and all gears are secured. I've used astyanax 's design as a base for the wheels, although I heavily redesigned it in order to: use non-inverted tracks; a ring of 40 inverted tread links has huge tension in it, and I'm not comfortable with the stres...

  Image gallery on Bricksafe My first attempt at an alternate model of bigger size. The Actisol tool is based on the "Spartea grande culture": There are several features: front HOG steering. the steering wheel moves when turning. rear mockup differential (cannot drive anything). turntable-based pendular suspension (similar to 42099). openable hood to reveal motor & pump (and toolbox!) switch to control raising/lowering of Actosol's wings switch to control raising/lowering of Actisol's roller like the original, the Actisol has 3 rows of tools: moving teeth, a spiked roller and a smooth roller. the arm that attaches the tool to the tractor has 2 degrees of freedom Known issues: the small pneumatic actuator is lacking strength to raise the tool's roller. You can either help it a bit, or wait about 12s, after which enough pressure will have built up. the differential appears to cause rattling when going in reverse, which is a mystery to me, since I don't see h...

I'll join the current trend of making mini-Xerion alternate models. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to try to port my previous MOC to mini-scale. It has a single feature (which was still difficult to achieve): the "propellers" are rotating when the boat is moved. As side notes, the gear on top doesn't steer anything, it's only there to provide a holding point. There's also a slight leeway in the block that holds the wheels, so that if you attempt to make a turn, it's helps a bit. Finally the entire boat rests on two wheels, which leads to pitching, as it would on waves. When built properly, the propellers rotate flawlessly, but only small friction here and there can make it sluggish. If that's the case, just try to adjust things until it's fluid. Download instructions