Why are there no Adobe PDF building instructions available for the 8421 XL Mobile Crane?


I developed the 8421 XL mobile crane in 2006 and at that moment the original Technic® 8421 mobile crane set was still sold by The LEGO® Company. I decided NOT to publish the building instructions on my website from legal and etic perspective, because The LEGO Company® did NOT publish their own building instructions at that time on their own website. Thus, I never made building instructions in Adobe PDF format. This means the only material I could share are the MLcad files. And, I don't have plans to invest time in generating the Adobe PDF building instructions.


Note: The LEGO® community (Legolijntje) had created building instructions of the 8421 XL, see PART-1 and PART-2.


Are you aware 'The Far East' do copy-cat your designs and make money of it?

 

Yes, I am aware and I never have approved these companies for doing so, nor do I receive royalties. It's happens unfortunately to many Designers & Developers and is very hard to prevent this as a Company, and even 'impossible' as a single Person.


Why are there no part list (extra parts needed) available for the 8258 Crane Truck modifications?

 

Two main reasons:


The 'Special Models' files for download are compressed with WINrar; where can I find the decompression software?

 

Download freeware decompression software from www.7-zip.org (Microsoft Windows only).


I'm not able to open your files (Microsoft Excel files, MLcad files or Adobe PDF files). Can you send them per email?

 

No, due to the size of the files (especially the Adobe PDF building instructions) I can not send them by email.

 

Regarding the Excel inventories; I can not find the part numbers on Peeron or Bricklink

 

This was the case in the past. All my inventories are up-to-date with the Bricklink system.


Can I buy your models (from you, or in shops)?

 

No, I don't sell my models.... and there are no shops officially selling my models; except 'The Far East' without permission...

 

Are there specific original Technic® sets necessary to build your models?

 

Not particular, but I use some sets as a starting point (i.e. the 8275 remote bulldozer was bought to start the Prinoth Leitwolf project... because it had all the PF elements onboard). Everyone has to figure out by themself if additional Technic® sets are needed, depending on the Technic® sets you already have.


How do you collect all the extra parts for your models?

 

Mainly I buy all additional parts from Bricklink (www.bricklink.com).


Where can I get LONG pneumatic hoses (as used in the Dump Truck 10x4)? On Bricklink I can't buy them.

 

It is difficult to order LONG pneumatic hoses on Bricklink. However, www.blokbricks.com sells LONG pneumatic hoses per metre. Although these hoses are not LEGO® original, they fits excellently on the LEGO® pneumatic parts. And they do route easily through the holes of the Tecnic® parts as well. My experiences with these hoses are very positive !


How can I upload your parts inventory (excel) to websites as Peeron and Bricklink?

 

For most models, Bricklink XML part inventories are created. These XML files must be 'copied-paste' into the upload section on Bricklink. See the instructions within the PDF part inventory of the model.


Where can I find the building instructions of the original Technic® sets, as shown on your 'Photo Gallery'?

 

Original building instructions can be find (for instance) on: www.LEGO.com.


Which Prinoth Leitwolf model (NT or OT) is superior?

 

Actually, the R3 version is the most recent Prinoth Leitwolf model. The NT (stands for NEW TRACK system) is superior to OT (stands for OLD TRACK system). And the NT is remote controlled with PF, which is not the case for OT.


Is The LEGO® Company aware of your models?

 

Yes, they are aware of my work and I got the opportunity to test their new track system for the Prinoth Leitwolf NT model.


What kind of process do you follow to design such professional LEGO® models?

 

Starting point is to decide which vehicle I like to rebuild in Technic® LEGO®. Next step is to collect photo's from different angles of the real vehicle. Then I try to find technical white papers on the internet regarding functions and dimensions. And after calculate the scale sizes, I start building with the bricks. During this building it is important to be very critical about the result (good is not good enough). Finally, after completion of the model I ask kids of my family and friends to play with it. This phase results in play-ability improvements of the model. If everything is still perfect, I redesign the model in CAD (MLcad); and even then some updates are made.


You must have lots of LEGO® bricks...

 

Not really, I don't buy every set every year.

And, I reuse developed models for new ones. In total I do have ~ 75.000 bricks (estimated guess)


I notice that most of your instructions are not for free anymore since 2013; why did you change this and are the selling instructions a 1:1 copy of the 'free versions'?

 

The reason to move from free to selling instructions is twofold:


Important to mention is that I have categorized my instructions as follows:


Can it be that the towbar (beam 9L) of the 8052 trailer is too long?

 

Yes, it must be a 7L beam. The PDF instructions and inventory are corrected per 8 July 2011.

I noticed that your video's on YouTube are shared under 'WuppieSoft' ?!

 

Yes, I use WuppieSoft as alter ego of Designer-Han.


Is the SBrick® remote control system for LEGO® Power Functions still available?

 

Yes and No. The SBrick® application is NOT available anymore in the official download stores (e.g. Apple Store); however, if you still have the application on your smartphone, it should be possible to use the SBrick® system.