Lego Builders - How Do You Do Yours?
Discussion
Having just finished my first Lego model, the VW Campervan, I am keen to press on with some others.
When I bought the Camper, I emptied all the bits into a big plastic tub and throughout the build I found most of my time was spent looking for certain pieces.
Are the bags put together in any particular order, e.g. are all parts for a certain few pages in the book lumped together? Or is it just a mix of bits and you have to search?
Does anyone have a particular approach to sorting out bits pre-build in order to make things easier?
When I bought the Camper, I emptied all the bits into a big plastic tub and throughout the build I found most of my time was spent looking for certain pieces.
Are the bags put together in any particular order, e.g. are all parts for a certain few pages in the book lumped together? Or is it just a mix of bits and you have to search?
Does anyone have a particular approach to sorting out bits pre-build in order to make things easier?
I colour code my Lego using plastic tubs. Once split into the various colours I then break down the colours into different sizes/shapes to keep all separate.
I usually end up with a dozen or so plastic tubs on the table. Makes it all a little easier - better than having to sort through dozens of different shapes, sizes & colours.
I usually end up with a dozen or so plastic tubs on the table. Makes it all a little easier - better than having to sort through dozens of different shapes, sizes & colours.
Some of the largest sets have bags labelled for sections of the build - so you use all the "1" bags for the first section and so on. This is usually shown in the instructions which will say how many bags in each section.
Otherwise, with a brand new lego set, I haven't got the enthusiasm to sort all the parts out before I start building, although that's one approach,
However, you'll find there is some grouping of the parts in the bags, but not in any logical pattern that I've been able to work out.
So, you'll find that all the yellow 7's are in the same bag, but that bag may also contain all the red 13's and the grey rods.
Sometimes there are identical pairs of bags, I guess this is just done due to the way the packing machines work.
So, what I do with a new set is:
1) If there are labelled bags, sort them out. Use the count in the instructions to make sure you've got them all!
2) Check for any pairs of bags, if there are any put them together.
3) Find enough plastic tubs (more on these later) to have one for each bag (or pair of bags). If that's going to be too many tubs to practically work with, sometimes I'll combine the bags if they have similar parts.
In this way you'll still spend a lot of time searching, but you'll gradually get to realise which tub a particular part is in.
When I take a kit apart, I first of all work out how many tubs will fit into the box for putting it away! Then I work out how best to group the parts by size, and/or by colour, until I've used all the tubs. So usually I'll have 1's and 2's together, 3's and 4's, etc. Maybe all the 3's and 4's together, or maybe one tub with grey and another with coloured. This makes the future rebuilding a lot easier.
For tubs, the best bet are the ones you get takeaway meals in. If you can't be bothered washing them out, you can actually buy them quite cheaply - I bought a box of a hundred from a cash and carry for less than £10. That way, you don't mind using as many of them as you need.
TL:DR - I think I'm OCD!
Otherwise, with a brand new lego set, I haven't got the enthusiasm to sort all the parts out before I start building, although that's one approach,
However, you'll find there is some grouping of the parts in the bags, but not in any logical pattern that I've been able to work out.
So, you'll find that all the yellow 7's are in the same bag, but that bag may also contain all the red 13's and the grey rods.
Sometimes there are identical pairs of bags, I guess this is just done due to the way the packing machines work.
So, what I do with a new set is:
1) If there are labelled bags, sort them out. Use the count in the instructions to make sure you've got them all!
2) Check for any pairs of bags, if there are any put them together.
3) Find enough plastic tubs (more on these later) to have one for each bag (or pair of bags). If that's going to be too many tubs to practically work with, sometimes I'll combine the bags if they have similar parts.
In this way you'll still spend a lot of time searching, but you'll gradually get to realise which tub a particular part is in.
When I take a kit apart, I first of all work out how many tubs will fit into the box for putting it away! Then I work out how best to group the parts by size, and/or by colour, until I've used all the tubs. So usually I'll have 1's and 2's together, 3's and 4's, etc. Maybe all the 3's and 4's together, or maybe one tub with grey and another with coloured. This makes the future rebuilding a lot easier.
For tubs, the best bet are the ones you get takeaway meals in. If you can't be bothered washing them out, you can actually buy them quite cheaply - I bought a box of a hundred from a cash and carry for less than £10. That way, you don't mind using as many of them as you need.
TL:DR - I think I'm OCD!
Edited by Morf on Thursday 28th August 14:52
I mainly build Technic, and use plastic tubs, like takeaway ones.
When I sort the pieces, I put solid colours together in their own tubs, then a tub of gears/wheels, a tub of black/dark grey pins, a tub of blue/cream/light grey pins, a tub of shafts, a tub of female connectors, then a tub of other special bits.
It works for me, but it does mean I use about 10 tubs on the table when i'm building, or taking models apart.
When I sort the pieces, I put solid colours together in their own tubs, then a tub of gears/wheels, a tub of black/dark grey pins, a tub of blue/cream/light grey pins, a tub of shafts, a tub of female connectors, then a tub of other special bits.
It works for me, but it does mean I use about 10 tubs on the table when i'm building, or taking models apart.
goforbroke said:
I mainly build Technic, and use plastic tubs, like takeaway ones.
When I sort the pieces, I put solid colours together in their own tubs, then a tub of gears/wheels, a tub of black/dark grey pins, a tub of blue/cream/light grey pins, a tub of shafts, a tub of female connectors, then a tub of other special bits.
It works for me, but it does mean I use about 10 tubs on the table when i'm building, or taking models apart.
^+1When I sort the pieces, I put solid colours together in their own tubs, then a tub of gears/wheels, a tub of black/dark grey pins, a tub of blue/cream/light grey pins, a tub of shafts, a tub of female connectors, then a tub of other special bits.
It works for me, but it does mean I use about 10 tubs on the table when i'm building, or taking models apart.
Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff