Erector set

[Joe Hillmann]

In the kits the blue has been turned to black. but one of them is red (I had planned to make them all red but ran out of red paint. As far as a more orange yellow, I guess that depends on what colors rustolieum makes in spray cans. Actually all of the parts that are blue in the picture are extras so when kids start making there own they have plenty of parts to choose from.

[Dee Gallo]

I love this Joe, I hope they take off big time for you!

[Joe Hillmann]

One thing I had troubles with when designing this kit was what level of realism I wanted it to have. My very first attempt at it was much more realistic. The problem is having the parts that realistic made it very difficult to use the pieces to build anything else. I had to go back and redesign a lot of the parts to make them more generic so they can be used in multiple ways.

That is one big complaint with new lego kits, they have so many special parts in the kits that it is hard to build anything else with them.

I wanted to make these as versatile as possible. So on top of the parts that are needed to build the kit I added 10 extra 90 degree angles and 20 extra flat pieces. All those extra pieces will allow many other items to be built.

[Chuck Stone]

good thinking. I seem to remember instructions with my Erector Set.. I think they
went in the trash with the wrapping paper though. I saw someone else's when
I visited and we followed plans to build particular things.. I thought that was
pretty cool and wished I still had mine.
I know what you're saying about getting locked in. I wonder if the specialty kits
lock you in so they can force you to buy more..

[Joe Hillmann]

Right now I am writing the instruction book so I have to build all the models that I want to include in the manual and take pictures step by step.


Here is a dumptruck. The blue pieces will be black in the kits, the bed raises and lowers with the hydraulic system
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Here is a snow plow added to the front.
DSCF4501.jpg

And a tow truck boom added to the bed.
DSCF4502.jpg

Now to tear it apart and invent something else. Oh what a tough job I have, having to play with toys at work.

I don't think the truck is a cool as the skid steer but it's still not bad.

[Joe Hillmann]

Tractor made with the same kit


Bucket down.
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Bucket up
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Cab added.
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Different angle.
DSCF4531.jpg

[Walt Langhans]

Again, very very cool Have you decided how much you are going to charge for them?

[Joe Hillmann]

Again, very very cool Have you decided how much you are going to charge for them?

Unfortunately the price keeps climbing up $0.50 or $1.00 at a time. Everything is taking a bit longer then planned. Right now it is looking like they will be $38 if I sell them without a screwdriver and wrench/pliers.

I nearly have the instruction manual ready to go. I still have the front end loader to build and write up plans for and I may also include an airplane or helicopter.

I got bored with building them so spent a bit of time figuring out how to make track and wheels for my next kit and came up with this.
DSCF4535.jpg

The problem is to cut out the parts for one short track like that and the wheel/gears takes about ten minutes.

[Walt Langhans]

I have a similar problem in the fact that I could add more detail to what I'm doing but the increase in the laser time starts to push the cost beyond what people are going to pay. But those are very cool and I bet some people will want them. Why not make 2- 3 take them with you and sell them as an add on to the kit and see what happens.

[Chuck Stone]

I like Walt's idea of the add-on.
Makes the kit expandable..and by then you already
know they're committed to your product. You could
have an 'advanced' package.. a track package.. a hydraulic
package .. I'm sure lots of ideas would come to mind, but
they'd all work off of the basic kit.

[Joe Hillmann]

I have been using some 1/8 door skins that are a veneer over a mdf core. I chose it because it is already finish sanded, a very consistent .110 thick (which matters for tab and slot construction), it is very consistent with no knot holes which cause problems with the laser, and I can get tons of it locally. The down side of it is it is dense and slow to cut on the laser. To guarantee I cut all the way through it over the entire bed of the laser I have to run a 4.2% speed.

Mel Falks (a member of the forum) sent me a sample of italian bending ply this week. And I am able to cut that at 15% speed. The problem with it is it is fragile in one direction because all the plys go the same direction. So now I am on the search again for something similar to the bending ply but with the plys not all running the same direction. If I can find something that cuts as nice as the bending ply but is stronger it will cut my lasering time in half which will allow many more possibilities without raising the price or the same items at a lower price.