layout: page title: Parts

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What do you do when there aren't just enough pieces? The answer, as usual, is: it depends.

Inventory Replacement

This is for when you need to replace those 1x1 black friction pins that ended up all over the floor at a tournament while you were at a coaches meeting and someone bumped your neatly stacked kits over. Or not, maybe you just go through a lot.

But if you're looking to order extras or replacements from the Kit you have the place to start is with the inventory (so you know which piece it is):

• NXT Base Set (white box)
• NXT Resource Set (blue box)
• LEGO EV3 Core Set
• LEGO EV3 Expansion Set

Bulk Buys

Sometimes you don't really know what you want or need. You're just looking to increase your inventory of bricks to make it easier for your team to build. Or to do team building activities. Or to set up a low tech security system. Have you ever stepped on a LEGO in your barefeet in the dark? Of course you have.

For those times I'd suggest:

• Craigslist
• Ebay
• Yard Sales
• Brick Drives (if you think your school/neighborhood/etc could support it you could always try to hold a LEGO drive)

Some else or Something different

If you're looking for specific pieces, however, there are better ways to find them. There are lots of ways to come across pieces you might need: forum posts, google image searches, you tube videos, competitions, etc.

There are two sites that should be used in any search to see how good of a deal you can get. They're part catalog and part online market place. If LEGO made it, there's a good chance they know about it and have one or two for sale.

• BrickLink
• BrickOwl

Field Trips

If you look around enough you might find 2nd hand retailers that sell pieces. You might find these at "BrickFests", game conventions, comic conventions, or advertising on Facebook or Craigslist.

Near(ish) to me is a store called Classic Plastic Bricks. They don't always have a ton of LEGO Technic pieces, but they did have some and would let you fill a small bucket (without a top) for $8. I got a ton of beams and lift arms.

Wheels

Wheels make the world go around. Or at least they make your non-tank tread robot move.

Finding the right wheels is a big deal.

The diameter of the wheel, small or large, will change your robots maximum speed: slow or fast.

The width of the wheel, along with the tread pattern, will determine how much contact your robot has with the field and how much friction you'll have to overcome in turns or to use in starting and stopping.

Here are some wheels you might find interesting:

• The 81.6mm motorcycle tire and wheel that came in the original NXT Kit.that came in the original NXT set.
  • You can sandwich two sets of these together for a fairly wide, large diameter wheel to give you both speed and grip. (not my idea, from how to build a competitive robot: Master LEGO Robot is a great resource from a veteran coach and he offers up the base chassis his team successfully used for several years.)
  • You can also take the tire portion off and have "rolling skids" in the rear.

• The 81.6x34 ZR wheel and tire from the Super Car Set.

• wheels - http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?q=32247c01

• http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?18175-extra-pieces

• BrickLink: http://www.bricklink.com/

• BrickOwl: http://www.brickowl.com/

Craigslist/ebay buying guide

• check an item on CL/ebay against Brickowl
• - see what going rate is on Brickowl
• - view inventory to see how much of the set you can use
• - http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/tag/4256285830.html and http://brickowl.com/catalog/lego-logging-truck-set-9397