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I built the Saturn V model a couple of years ago when it came out - a lot of fun and it now stands in pride of place in the corner of my office. This model int

I built the Saturn V model a couple of years ago when it came out - a lot of fun and it now stands in pride of place in the corner of my office. This model intrigues me, but it would be a b*tch to store/display once made though... I wonder why LEGO didn't just respond to the plethora of customer requests to make the LUT (tower) for the Saturn V model? It would have been just as many parts and would have complemented the rocket model.

mstade 7y ago
I would absolutely buy a set for the tower. Like you I bought and built the rocket, and have it on display in my apartment, but having it stand vertically next to a tower would be so much cooler than the little stilts it's on right now. Sounds like a fun weekend project though, do you know of any good unofficial instructions?
- cyberferret 7y ago
  I found a few sites that described how to build the LUT out of standard pieces. There was a guy selling a 'kit' on eBay which comprised of some instructions as well as the standard parts all bagged up, but it was super expensive (around $250 from memory). I will see if I can still find the URLs (if they are still around). EDIT: Looks like these guys do a LUT kit: https://www.welightbrick.com/products/nasa-saturn-v-launch-umbilical-tower https://www.welightbrick.com/products/nasa-saturn-v-launch-u...
  - braythwayt 7y ago
    They are very careful not to mention what type of bricks are in their kits. Do you know if they’re reselling genuine Lego? Or a third-party “clone” of Lego bricks?
    - giancarlostoro 7y ago
      They likely just want you to buy the whole thing from them instead of doing it yourself.
      - braythwayt 7y ago
        Possibly. But there are a lot of Lego-compatible third-party bricks out there, and lots of people online selling kits made from non-Lego bricks. I generally have no problem with this, as it allows certain types of kits to exist that Lego wouldn’t otherwise make. It’s no longer my bag, but for example Lego generally avoid military models, but third-party Lego-compatible sets fill the void. On the other hand, Lego are—to my knowledge—the only brick manufacturer licensed to produce Star Wars kits, and this company is advertising a Tie Bomber. Lego doesn’t currently make such a kit, but you can’t go around selling Star Wars kits without having a certain flair for playing very fast and loose with IP. Which leads me to want to double-check before placing any order for any kit. I’m not saying that other bricks are bad, but I do want to know exactly what I’m buying before making a decision.
    - deadbunny 7y ago
      IIRC last I looked at it making the LUT out of genuine Lego was next to impossible due to the number and rarity of some pieces. I know there is a Lepin set for the LUT which I bought a few weeks back for $160~. Despite being massive IP thieves they do make decent enough bricks, the QC certainly isn't on par with Lego and I've had a few (1's out of 1000's) being a bit loose or mis-moulded but I'll happily buy sets from them for non Lego designs and track down the designs and pay the author for the instructions separately if available.
      - braythwayt 7y ago
        “Massive IP Thieves” is one way to put it, “Liberators of our modern fairy tales” is another. But it both amuses and troubles me when companies like this make their logo look an awful lot like the Lego logo, and call their sets things like “Execytor Star Destroyer” (sic). It’s one thing to make something compatible with Lego, that’s perfectly legitimate. It’s another thing to make unlicensed Star Wars sets. My heart does not bleed for Disney’s shareholders, not one iota. But I’m troubled by anything that looks like it’s set up to fool buyers into thinking that they’re getting a genuine Lego product. The Lepin logo crosses that line for me, their sets do not.
        cr0sh 7y ago
        > The Lepin logo crosses that line for me, their sets do not. Maybe they'll eventually go the way the vast majority of knockoff ATMega328 Arduino makers did; at first, many copied everything down to the logo (first with the Duemilanove, then the Uno - prior versions weren't copied afaik), colors, everything. Most of the time poorly. A few did as the license allowed - copied everything except for the name and some other key things. Those were legit knockoffs. Some eventually started changing up the colors, adding features, coming up with their own branding and names; eventually some moved into making their own "custom boards" that had no connection with the Arduino other than being compatible. Most would (and still do) advertise as being "Arduino" or "Arduino-compatible", or they use some variant of "-duino" in their name (which actually makes no sense once you learn where the name came from - and originally Massimo and the others implored people not to use such naming - but that didn't last)... Today, there are few actual counterfeiters of the boards - but knockoffs are a-plenty. And the nice thing is, the companies that "knockoff" the designs actually keep some of the discontinued models still going. With the org now moving toward 32-bit microcontrollers and moving away from the old 8-bit ATMega line, those manufacturers may be the only way in the future of getting these lower-cost boards which still can satisfy most use-cases, which 32-bit based boards would be overkill for (short of just buying the raw 328 controller and custom-building your own compatible). So maybe today Lepin is crossing the line - but maybe over time they'll move to their own - but still compatible - system (to be honest, based on what I've seen on Amazon with some of the more "technical" STEM kits they and other manufacturers are making, that's the direction they seem to be moving in).
- mgnn 7y ago
  In absence of a tower, how about this display solution: https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/eo2ufs/my_attempt_at_a_lego_saturn_v_display/ https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/eo2ufs/my_attempt_at_...
  - wccrawford 7y ago
    Wow. That's simply fabulous. I'm seriously considering copying this idea now.
  - chooseaname 7y ago
    That looks really cool. Only thing missing is the steam coming off.
  - rkagerer 7y ago
    Another angle from further down that thread: https://external-preview.redd.it/mmt_drJQ7vWZi6Uu-DHLx5JaUTpVmu6X_2BAh_qYHto.jpg?auto=webp&s=1dd063e571d5e2005a4598b2a23959c287ad9ffc https://external-preview.redd.it/mmt_drJQ7vWZi6Uu-DHLx5JaUTp...
- honestoHeminway 7y ago
  Unrelated, but sort of depressing that several generations now look back to the cold-war, greatest generation archievements. How little we accomplished when it comes to larger steps - fusion, manned exploration of our system.. its kind of sad. Still a titanic archievment.. Maybe its really necessary for our leaders to fear for life/influence, to get the sort of struting victory dances, that the space race of old created.
jeffbarr 7y ago
There are some really good fan-created plans for LUTs, including a spectacular 8000-piece one by Nathan Readioff. PM me for pix and other info.
lobotryas 7y ago
Because such a set would lack playability and have zero mass appeal (you would never buy this set stand alone). There was an Idea submission for such a set and it was rejected bu Lego: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a88109ec-9970-4fe1-98b4-9bd535856ab4/official_comments#content_nav_tabs https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a88109ec-9970-4fe1-98b4-9bd5...
- monocasa 7y ago
  The ISS model specifically says it's for adults, 16+, so playability isn't a huge deal. Additionally IMO they're missing the boat by sticking to their classic distribution model that has the restraints you say. I mean sure, some sets aren't fit for shelf space in a Target toy aisle, but they should be able to JIT packaging for just about any set that's had the work put in as long as they don't run afoul of trademark.
  - em-bee 7y ago
    i hope someone will build a thingiverse like site where you can upload any model design and order the necessary bricks to build it. there won't be a trademark issue for the brick producer, as they are only delivering an assortment of bricks. the model design comes from elsewhere. trademark may be enforced against uploaders of protected designs, but that is no problem as the design can still be shared elsewhere and it can't outright prevent anyone from ordering a certain assortment of bricks.
    - wopian 7y ago
      What about BrickLink?
      - em-bee 7y ago
        actually, what i was thinking of is more like https://rebrickable.com https://rebrickable.com, where i can select a model and the buy the bricks for it.

mstade 7y ago

I would absolutely buy a set for the tower. Like you I bought and built the rocket, and have it on display in my apartment, but having it stand vertically next to a tower would be so much cooler than the little stilts it's on right now. Sounds like a fun weekend project though, do you know of any good unofficial instructions?

cyberferret 7y ago
I found a few sites that described how to build the LUT out of standard pieces. There was a guy selling a 'kit' on eBay which comprised of some instructions as well as the standard parts all bagged up, but it was super expensive (around $250 from memory). I will see if I can still find the URLs (if they are still around). EDIT: Looks like these guys do a LUT kit: https://www.welightbrick.com/products/nasa-saturn-v-launch-umbilical-tower https://www.welightbrick.com/products/nasa-saturn-v-launch-u...
- braythwayt 7y ago
  They are very careful not to mention what type of bricks are in their kits. Do you know if they’re reselling genuine Lego? Or a third-party “clone” of Lego bricks?
  - giancarlostoro 7y ago
    They likely just want you to buy the whole thing from them instead of doing it yourself.
    - braythwayt 7y ago
      Possibly. But there are a lot of Lego-compatible third-party bricks out there, and lots of people online selling kits made from non-Lego bricks. I generally have no problem with this, as it allows certain types of kits to exist that Lego wouldn’t otherwise make. It’s no longer my bag, but for example Lego generally avoid military models, but third-party Lego-compatible sets fill the void. On the other hand, Lego are—to my knowledge—the only brick manufacturer licensed to produce Star Wars kits, and this company is advertising a Tie Bomber. Lego doesn’t currently make such a kit, but you can’t go around selling Star Wars kits without having a certain flair for playing very fast and loose with IP. Which leads me to want to double-check before placing any order for any kit. I’m not saying that other bricks are bad, but I do want to know exactly what I’m buying before making a decision.
  - deadbunny 7y ago
    IIRC last I looked at it making the LUT out of genuine Lego was next to impossible due to the number and rarity of some pieces. I know there is a Lepin set for the LUT which I bought a few weeks back for $160~. Despite being massive IP thieves they do make decent enough bricks, the QC certainly isn't on par with Lego and I've had a few (1's out of 1000's) being a bit loose or mis-moulded but I'll happily buy sets from them for non Lego designs and track down the designs and pay the author for the instructions separately if available.
    - braythwayt 7y ago
      “Massive IP Thieves” is one way to put it, “Liberators of our modern fairy tales” is another. But it both amuses and troubles me when companies like this make their logo look an awful lot like the Lego logo, and call their sets things like “Execytor Star Destroyer” (sic). It’s one thing to make something compatible with Lego, that’s perfectly legitimate. It’s another thing to make unlicensed Star Wars sets. My heart does not bleed for Disney’s shareholders, not one iota. But I’m troubled by anything that looks like it’s set up to fool buyers into thinking that they’re getting a genuine Lego product. The Lepin logo crosses that line for me, their sets do not.
      - cr0sh 7y ago
        > The Lepin logo crosses that line for me, their sets do not. Maybe they'll eventually go the way the vast majority of knockoff ATMega328 Arduino makers did; at first, many copied everything down to the logo (first with the Duemilanove, then the Uno - prior versions weren't copied afaik), colors, everything. Most of the time poorly. A few did as the license allowed - copied everything except for the name and some other key things. Those were legit knockoffs. Some eventually started changing up the colors, adding features, coming up with their own branding and names; eventually some moved into making their own "custom boards" that had no connection with the Arduino other than being compatible. Most would (and still do) advertise as being "Arduino" or "Arduino-compatible", or they use some variant of "-duino" in their name (which actually makes no sense once you learn where the name came from - and originally Massimo and the others implored people not to use such naming - but that didn't last)... Today, there are few actual counterfeiters of the boards - but knockoffs are a-plenty. And the nice thing is, the companies that "knockoff" the designs actually keep some of the discontinued models still going. With the org now moving toward 32-bit microcontrollers and moving away from the old 8-bit ATMega line, those manufacturers may be the only way in the future of getting these lower-cost boards which still can satisfy most use-cases, which 32-bit based boards would be overkill for (short of just buying the raw 328 controller and custom-building your own compatible). So maybe today Lepin is crossing the line - but maybe over time they'll move to their own - but still compatible - system (to be honest, based on what I've seen on Amazon with some of the more "technical" STEM kits they and other manufacturers are making, that's the direction they seem to be moving in).
mgnn 7y ago
In absence of a tower, how about this display solution: https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/eo2ufs/my_attempt_at_a_lego_saturn_v_display/ https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/eo2ufs/my_attempt_at_...
- wccrawford 7y ago
  Wow. That's simply fabulous. I'm seriously considering copying this idea now.
- chooseaname 7y ago
  That looks really cool. Only thing missing is the steam coming off.
- rkagerer 7y ago
  Another angle from further down that thread: https://external-preview.redd.it/mmt_drJQ7vWZi6Uu-DHLx5JaUTpVmu6X_2BAh_qYHto.jpg?auto=webp&s=1dd063e571d5e2005a4598b2a23959c287ad9ffc https://external-preview.redd.it/mmt_drJQ7vWZi6Uu-DHLx5JaUTp...
honestoHeminway 7y ago
Unrelated, but sort of depressing that several generations now look back to the cold-war, greatest generation archievements. How little we accomplished when it comes to larger steps - fusion, manned exploration of our system.. its kind of sad. Still a titanic archievment.. Maybe its really necessary for our leaders to fear for life/influence, to get the sort of struting victory dances, that the space race of old created.

jeffbarr 7y ago

There are some really good fan-created plans for LUTs, including a spectacular 8000-piece one by Nathan Readioff. PM me for pix and other info.

lobotryas 7y ago

Because such a set would lack playability and have zero mass appeal (you would never buy this set stand alone). There was an Idea submission for such a set and it was rejected bu Lego: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a88109ec-9970-4fe1-98b4-9bd535856ab4/official_comments#content_nav_tabs https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a88109ec-9970-4fe1-98b4-9bd5...

monocasa 7y ago
The ISS model specifically says it's for adults, 16+, so playability isn't a huge deal. Additionally IMO they're missing the boat by sticking to their classic distribution model that has the restraints you say. I mean sure, some sets aren't fit for shelf space in a Target toy aisle, but they should be able to JIT packaging for just about any set that's had the work put in as long as they don't run afoul of trademark.
- em-bee 7y ago
  i hope someone will build a thingiverse like site where you can upload any model design and order the necessary bricks to build it. there won't be a trademark issue for the brick producer, as they are only delivering an assortment of bricks. the model design comes from elsewhere. trademark may be enforced against uploaders of protected designs, but that is no problem as the design can still be shared elsewhere and it can't outright prevent anyone from ordering a certain assortment of bricks.
  - wopian 7y ago
    What about BrickLink?
    - em-bee 7y ago
      actually, what i was thinking of is more like https://rebrickable.com https://rebrickable.com, where i can select a model and the buy the bricks for it.