Lego General FAQ & Link-O-Rama
Buying / Selling / Networking
LEGO
https://shop.lego.com/
>LEGO's official storefront.
Pick a Brick
https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick
>Factory fresh individual parts.
Bricklink
https://bricklink.com/
>Individual pieces, complete sets, and some custom sets.
Brick Owl
https://brickowl.com/
>Same as bricklink, but not owned by LEGO Group.
LEGO Ambassador Network LUG Map
https://lan.lego.com/index.php?app=core&module=clubs
>LEGO User Groups host meetups and events and sometimes work together to build local displays.
Reddit's Set Retirement Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SDu5cxeybpqyqGztLdS8IPg91nyRxbVx/edit#gid=898500936
>"[Inside you] there are two sheets, one is sorted by retirement year and the other by theme."
BrickSeek
https://brickseek.com/
>Local store(s) inventory checker, mileage may vary.
News / Reference / MOC Blogs
Brickset
https://brickset.com/
>News page and full database of sets with retail info. Great for finding instructions and deals; even has an API.
the brothers brick
https://brothers-brick.com/
>Mostly MOC's. Shoutout to the Optimus Prime World Premiere.
SWOOSHABLE
https://swooshable.com/
>Nifty resource for building techniques, fonts, and tools.
Brick Economy
https://brickeconomy.com/
>/biz/, but plastic and cardboard. "I'm a thousandaire!!"
Bricksafe
https://bricksafe.com/
>Free storage for renders, CAD files, and instructions.
Brickshelf
https://brickshelf.com/
>Like flickr, but with sovl.
Advanced Builds (pdf)
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/KimT/Mixed/Instructions/advbuilding.pdf
>Good collection of techniques.
/lg/ Links
Our Flickr Group
https://flickr.com/groups/legogeneral
>Come post your creations.
The Lego Iceberg (Depthfinitive Edition)
https://lgfaq.neocities.org/berg.jpg
>credit to Purplish Blue Brotha et al.
/lg/ Discord Server
https://discord.gg/rvtqMuP
>Less captchas, more namefriends.
Archives
https://archive.alice.al/toy/search/subject/lego%20general/
>Link catches a lot of past generals, if OP remembered2topic. Relive almost every argument! (Oct. 2015 - today)
Lego Quest Archives
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Lego%20Quest
>Over a decade of /tg/ quest threads run by the single greatest tripfriend to ever grace the chinz.
Sister Board
https://anon.cafe/lego
>Slow chans just mean you can shine brighter. ;-;
Black Falcon anon's trees
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EgxktyAeOrlka-trEPp70fZRoCzYol3i?usp=sharing
>Steal his look!
Digital Design / Rendering
Bricklink Studio 2.0
https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page
>The official LEGO design and rendering software.
LeoCAD
https://leocad.org/
>LDraw-compatible design software.
MECABRICKS
https://mecabricks.com/
>In-browser designer. Also sells Blender add-ons.
LDraw
https://ldraw.org/
>"The LEGO Group and its new parts has been a disaster for the human race."
MLCAD
http://mlcad.lm-software.com/
>Also exists.
Lego Digital Designer (LDD)
https://www.brickbanter.com/post/download-lego-digital-designer
>The officially deprecated, official LEGO design software.
Fun and Games (Leg godt!)
Brick Films on archive.org
https://archive.org/details/brick_films
>Let's all go to the movies.
LEGO Magazines and Books on archive.org
https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22LEGO+Club%22/
https://archive.org/search.php?query=lego&and[]=mediatype%3A%22texts%22/
>Keep in mind, some books require an account to be "Borrowed".
Brickset's Document Library
https://brickset.com/library
>Brickset also hosts an archive of printed materials and dank wallpapers.
LEGO Books published by no starch press
https://nostarch.com/catalog/lego
>Some of these can be found on archive.org, all of them are on zome other library site that neocities doesn't want me to tell you about. :^)
>Bro-tip: Sign up for oreilly.com 10 day trial to browse every No Starch Press book(including these), no payment method required.
Rebrickable
https://rebrickable.com/
>Alternate instructions for specific sets and custom instructions for general use.
BRIKWARS
https://brikwars.com/
>Rope your local fa/tg/uys into playing with your toys.
Mobile Frame Zero
https://mobileframezero.com/
>"A tense, tactical game of giant robot squad battle!"
Brickit
https://brickit.app/
>A paid app that scans a photo of your Lego pile and matches to instructions. Rebrickable but shitty.
3rd Party / Customs (credit to pastebin author: regos 2.0)
Webrick
https://www.webrick.com/
>Buy 3rd party pieces in bulk. Authorized Gobrick distributor.
Brickstickershop
https://www.brickstickershop.com/
>Reproduction and custom sticker sheets.
Arealight Customs
http://www.arealightcustoms.com/
>Custom parts, prints and minifigs, including curved torsos. Star Wars focused.
Big Ben Bricks
http://bigbenbricks.com/
>Train wheels.
Blok Bricks
http://www.blokbricks.com/index.html
>Technic hoses, custom train sets, and some other stuff.
Brickforge
https://www.brickforge.com/
>Tons of minifig weapons and accessories, oddities like scooters, centaur bodies etc.
BrickFortress
http://www.brickfortress.com/
>Articulated short legs.
Brickmania
http://www.brickmania.com/
>Custom sets and minifigs, Brickarms weapons, and tank tread links.
Brickwarriors
https://www.brickwarriors.com/
>Custom minifigs, weapons and accessories.
Citizen Brick
https://citizenbrick.com/
>Custom minifigs, printing to order, Brickarms weapons, :| faces.
Combat Brick
http://www.combatbrick.com/
>Military sets and minifig accessories.
Custom Bricks
http://www.custombricks.net/index.html
>Custom printed parts and various minifig accessories.
Eclipse Bricks
http://www.eclipsegrafx.com/
>Custom printed parts.
Minifig.Cat
https://www.minifigcat.com/shop/
>Pretty huge selection of minifig accessories.
Steindrucker
http://steindrucker.com/
>Custom printed and engraved parts.
Brick Tactical
https://www.bricktactical.com/
>Custom printed parts, armors and weapons.
>What's the best set to get back into LEGO?
The one you think looks coolest without making your wallet cry. But I'd recommend 3-in-1 Creator sets for maximum value. You get 3+ opportunities to follow official instructions (there's often a fourth build available online), you can follow a ton of unofficial instructions on Rebrickable, or just have some fun coming up with your own builds.
>How do I sort all this plastic?
To each their own, but I'd advise you sort by part- not by color. Imagine a bag full of every red part you own and a bag full of every 1x2 plate you own. Which one sounds like it would be easier to find 15 red 1x2 plates in? With a small collection they'd take equal mental effort; once your collection gets unwieldy the all-red bag quickly becomes a constant bottleneck in your flow.
>Okay, but what do I sort all this plastic into?
More plastic. A shit-ton of "small parts storage" drawers, Sterilite drawers,tackle boxes, bead containers, etc. Just like the sorting itself, you have to decide what works best for your environment.
>How do I use bricklink?
Consider it a hybrid between your standard webstore and eBay - one unified catalog but every seller runs their own store.
Let's say you're That Guy and you need a lot of Orange Transparent Chainsaws.
1. Search 'chainsaw'
2. Choose 'Minifigure, Utensil Tool Chainsaw Blade'
3. Under 'Lots For Sale:' on the left, choose 'Trans-Neon Orange'
4. Now comes the game of deciding which seller has enough for your needs, is close enough that shipping won't suck, and has a price-per-piece that you can live with.
5. Be sure to browse the rest of that seller's store to see if they have anything else that catches your eye, especially if they have a Minimum Buy listed.
Obviously this isn't the only way to go about using cracklink, but as you browse the site more you'll catch on to other ways of navigating the endless plastic wastes.
>What about BrickOwl?
More or less the same, but they call it Transparent Neon Reddish Orange. :^)
>What are illegal builds?
Any combination of parts that places unnecessary stress on the pieces involved or makes for an otherwise unstable product. Here's a pdf explaining many of them in detail: http://bramlambrecht.com/tmp/jamieberard-brickstress-bf06.pdf
>What happens if I use these techniques?
Not much. While many of these techniques are wise to avoid for stability/durability purposes, unless you're building a model to sell to others you shouldn't worry much about whether or not your build is 100% legal.
>How did you remove the prints?
Source: https://anon.cafe/lego/res/25.html#598
With these two things. I use tape to cover up the sections of the piece that I want to preserve, and use an eraser to rub the exposed area until the printing is gone.
First, I pull off a piece of tape (I prefer this specific brand and type) that's long enough to wrap around the piece being altered, and touch the sticky side with my finger several times so it's not as sticky. The reason for touching the sticky side with a finger is because if the tape is too adhesive, you'll end up pulling off printing when you remove the tape. On the other hand, you want the tape to be adhesive enough to stay in place so you don't end up pushing the edge of it away while you're using the eraser.
Once the tape is ready, cover up the part(s) you want to save. Some pieces, like Harley's head, require multiple pieces of tape layered over each other and require you to remove and reposition the tape during the process (don't try to recycle old tape; always use a fresh piece when re-applying).
Brush the eraser (I recommend the Pentel ZE22 because it's easy to hold) in the direction of tape->no tape. If you brush the eraser toward the tape (instead of skimming across the tape and onto the exposed area), you'll push the edge of the tape away and expose parts of the printing you want to save.
Running the piece under hot water while you pull the tape off seems to help avoid pulling off printing, probably because it loosens up the adhesive.
Best thing is to start with simple pieces that don't have a lot of printing you want to save, so you can get an idea how much force is needed to rub off the printing. Once you get used to that, you'll have an easier time moving on to more complicated removals.
>What happened to the old FAQ?
Did you know google an hero's your account if you don't log in? Moral of the story: don't call something a work in progress then make no progress for 8 years. But look how much cleaner the url is now!
>Can I contribute a link or question/answer and/or yell at the webmaster in private?
legogeneralthread@yahoo.com