A history of Technic pins
Posted by Huw,
I first wrote a history of Technic pins in February 2019. Since its publication seven new ones have been introduced and three have been superceded, so I thought it would be worthwhile updating it.
The first Technic sets launched in 1977 came with just one type of pin; however, the very first 'Technic' pin produced predated them by some 7 years, and it wasn't made from plastic...
Metal pin (1970)
If fact, it was made from metal and appeared in 800 Gears. Motor and Bricks, released in 1970. It was designed to connect the new gears in the set to the existing train motor, which accepted the metal axles of train wheels.
That set also introduced the cross-axles that are still in use today.
3673: Connector Peg (1977 - )
The first six Technical sets, as they were called at the time, introduced many new pieces including beams, gears and connectors. This humble pin was among them. It was used to join beams together as well as at rotation points. Being frictionless, the resultant structures could be a bit floppy.
Prior to 2021 it was only ever produced in light grey (old light grey before 2004 and light stone grey afterwards: from now on when I refer to light grey I'll mean both colours), but it's now been made in yellow. Use of the new coloured one appears to be confined to non-Technic sets at the moment.
6562: Connector Peg/Cross Axle (1978 - )
A year later this frictionless pin made its first appearance in 855 Mobile Crane, to mount wheels with axle holes to beams.
Originally it was mostly produced in light grey until being entirely replaced by the tan version in 2004.
There have also been black ones, in two space sets, and BrickLink alleges that a white version appeared in some versions of 8558 Cahdok and Gahdok although I believe the vast majority contained the friction version.
4274: Connector Peg W. Knob (1981 - )
This pin seems to have been originally designed for holding toothed angle connectors together in the 1981 Technic assortment, as can be seen clearly on 8845 Dune Buggy. That piece is now obsolete but this pin enjoys life nowadays as a means of interfacing Technic and System parts.
Until 2001 it was exclusively light grey but since then both grey and blue versions have been in use. Interestingly, the blue version appeared only in System sets until 2004, after which it also cropped up in Technic.
It was also produced in white for a few sets released 2003-2005, most notably in 10042 U.S. Flag where they were used for the stars.
4459: Connector Peg W. Friction (1982 - 1990)
The original frictionless connector pin resulted in floppy constructions which must have been seen as a problem in the increasingly complex Technic sets of the early 1980s. This pin enabled beams to be connected together very securely. In fact, so securely that it's extremely difficult to get them apart again. The only way to remove this pin from beams is with pliers or teeth.
If you come across any, throw them away, do not mix with the later version or you will regret it!
2780: Connector Peg W. Friction (1990 - 2019 )
Technic fans of the 1980s had to risk breaking their teeth for 8 years before the awful version above was replaced with this usable one that we know today.
Like many of you, I suspect, I own more of this part than any other LEGO piece.
Officially, it's only ever been made in black but there seems to be a whole range of colours available on BrickLink, including transparent. Presumably they are LEGOLAND model shop or factory escapees.
In 2020 it was superceded by 61332.
6558: Connector Peg W. Friction 3M (1993 - 2019 )
The 3 long friction pin first appeared in three 1993 Technic sets, in black. Pins and axles were either grey or black in those days which made sorting and locating all the more difficult.
Clearly LEGO saw this as a problem too because it was phased out in 2008 in favour of blue. I understand, from conversation with a System set designer at the time, that they were not happy about it because it had often been used for gun barrels and similar.
Let's not forget the solitary white one!
In 2020 it was superceded by 42924.
32002: 1 1/2 M Connecting Bush (1996 - )
When researching this article I was surprised at how late this one -- for connecting to half-width parts -- appeared, given that the first half-width liftarm (2825/32006) had been around since 1989.
The original dark grey version was superseded by tan in 2013.
32054: 2M Fric. Snap W/Cross Hole (1997 - 2019)
This one, that has an axle hole in the end, has been produced in 13 different colours although nowadays only appears in black, red and light grey.
I believe its original intended use was as a pin that can be easily inserted and removed to join subassemblies because its first use was in 8277 Giant Model Set which built various modular models.
In 2020 it was superceded by 65304.
32556: 3M Connector Peg (2001 - )
Eight years after the friction version was produced, this 3l pin surfaced first in four Bionicle sets in 2001 before finding more widespread use the following year.
It was originally light grey before being switched to tan in 2008.
43093: Conn.Bush W.Fric./Cross axle (2002 - )
This is another one that arrived relatively late, given how prevalent it is nowadays.
It was originally black, which must have made finding it in a pile of similar pins nigh on impossible, so thank goodness it was changed to blue just a year after its initial production.
A white version was used for the teeth of Bionicle creatures in 8558 Cahdok and Gahdok, in 2002.
11214: Con. Bush 2M Fr. + Cross Axle (2014 - )
Twelve years passed before a 3l version of the pin above was produced and it's now used in just about every Technic set.
Until late last year it was produced only in dark grey but now it seems that it's been switched to red. I wonder how they decide what colours to standardise pins in...?
18651: Cross Axle 2M W. Snap W. Fric. (2015 - )
I guess it was inevitable that this one would follow the one above given how useful it's proved to be.
It's only ever been produced in black, so far...
61332: Connector Peg W. Friction (2020- )
After twenty years, the second version of the ubiquitous black pin (2780) was superceded by a new design in 2020, which in my opinion is very much inferior.
The slots that ran lengthwise either side of the central raised section have been removed which makes is much more difficult to insert and, especially, remove. It's not quite as bad as the original 1980s version, but almost.
I suspect that the lack of central slots simplifies the moulding process considerably, so it's probably been changed as a cost saving exercise.
42924: Connector Peg W. Friction 3M (2020 - )
The second-most ubiquitous pin was also redesigned in 2020. Like the black pin, the central slots have been removed to detrimental effect.
65304: 2M Fric. Snap W/Cross Hole (2020 - )
This is the third pin that suffered a downgrade in 2020 with the removal of some of the central slots.
I have taken to discarding the new versions of this and the pins above to prevent them contaminating my stock of the older, more usable, versions.
65249: 4.85 Bush, W/ 2 Module Cross Axle (2021 - )
Six years after the introduction of the friction version of this pin, a non-friction one appeared in 2021 sets.
Initial ones were white but this year it's also been produced in light grey.
77765: 4.85 Bush 3 Module, W/ End Stop (2021 - )
This non-friction pin appears to have been produced primarily for use as an axle on motorcycles, for example in 76179 Batman & Selina Kyle Motorcycle Pursuit, although it has also been used in numerous other sets.
65826: 4.85 Bush, W/ Single Tube (2021 - )
This pin, which is non-friction and has a stud-hole on the end, was produced for 45345 SPIKE Essential Set, although it first appeared in 10279 Volkswagen T2 Camper Van.
Its primary purpose seems to be to simplify connecting Technic and System parts together.
89678: 4.85 Bush Friction W/ Knob (2022 - )
The last pin to be introduced is perhaps the most useful of the recent additions, and one wonders why it's taken so long for it to appear given that the non-friction version was made over 40 years ago.
So far it's only been cast in red which makes it easy to differentiate from the non-friction grey, blue and white version.
So, who knew that the humble Technic pin, that we all have thousands of, could be so interesting? :-)
228 likes
65 comments on this article
Love these articles. (:
Huh, never knew the first one was metal! I love these weird articles!
You learn something new every day
The new versions of the Connector Peg, its 3M version and the 2M Friction Snap with Cross Hole are a pain to connect to the beams, I knew it wasn't a problem happening only with me! ahaha
Really wish that Lego return to their previous versions. I can't just throw away the new versions and exchange for the old versions since this isn't so easy to do in Brazil.
Truly an excellent story!. thank you Huw! I tried to buy several 3M 6558 black pins to replace the same blue ones .. especially in the sets where the blue just can't be seen !!
Agreed with the first poster, these articles are great. I always knew taking apart the black technic pins felt like more of a pain when I was a child (the bite marks on many of them will attest to that), but I had no idea there was a reason behind it and not just "I was a child".
That was a riveting read!
The metal pin was also with the first gears sets. so you could motorize your gears creations.
But all changed in 1978 when Technic was launched.
You find a few parts that has just changed designs in the Technic. White axles got Black. Buzing changed design and came in grey and so on.
PLEASE don't throw away vintage parts. Geez.
VERY Minor critique: The reasoning to avoid 4459 really should be in the end of that section instead of the beginning of 2780. At minimum there should be statement leading the reader to the next part for the reasoning.
Yes, the information is right there in the next paragraph... it just doesn't flow well since it is past a section break.
As I said this is a very minor critique. YMMV.
Awesome and informative article as always... I hope you are planning ahead to make these style articles into a compilation as they would make a cool coffee table book!
I love these kinds of articles.
This read kept me "pinned" to the edge of my seat, and I eagerly await the next "riveting" edition at some point in the future!
:-P
i was really hoping you were going to say the original pin wasnt made of plastic but of bread.
or some other equally useless random material.
Screw the 2020 updated friction pins! What a bad decision that was. And why can't the 3L friction pins come in other colours too?
@Goujon said:
"Huh, never knew the first one was metal! I love these weird articles! "
I knew that because I had some back in the day. Thank you @Huw for making me feel old :~D
On a more serious note, 4274 Connector Peg W. Knob is particularly useful even for non-Technic FOLs because it allows you to connect System parts anti-stud to anti-stud, albeit in an imperfect and often ‘illegal’ way. I used that technique to reverse the direction of the build in my mod of Gargantos to create a D&D beholder: https://brickshelf.com/gallery/AmperZand/Fantasy/beholder_2.jpg
Wow, I knew new pegs felt hard to connect in newer sets. What a strange change to make. It's not set-ruining by any means but it does indeed seem like a step in the wrong direction.
The 4274 half-pin reappeared in white unexpectedly, in this year's 10300 BTTF Time Machine, in the Mr. Fusion :-)
@WesterBricks said:
"The 4274 half-pin reappeared in white unexpectedly, in this year's 10300 BTTF Time Machine, in the Mr. Fusion :-)"
Interesting that they felt the need to ressurect it. Does it need to be white?
I wasn't aware how many of those "newer" pins were introduced so early during my dark ages....my Lego world only existed of the original friction pins, and those three basic gray pins.
As for those original friction pins, they were indeed a pain to remove, though the easiest trick was usually to just put the stud of a 2-wide plate in a hole next to it and use the other stud to push it out.....which obviously didn't work nearly as well if it there wasn't an open hole next to the pin....
@TomKazutara said:
"Black and Grey"
You are like a broken record :-)
@ohrmazd said:
"i was really hoping you were going to say the original pin wasnt made of plastic but of bread.
or some other equally useless random material."
Pin may be close enough to the French word for bread, Pain, to get some joke going there.
Anyways, as for the different types of the 2L friction pin over the years, I'll have to disagree with the article to an extent. I don't have any of the really old, super tight ones, but I'd really like to acquire some and keep them separate, in order to have something to use in Technic builds that have to stay together, and don't have room for more reinforcement. Also, while I agree that the new slotless pins don't feel as nice and are harder to remove, I have broken many of the intermediate style, often through having the middle get crushed at the slots, so hopefully the new design will make the pins last longer under my hard Technic MOCing usage!
And Huw, Technic and pins Master, stroke again. I am always impressed by the knowledge of the theme, its history, you have. I always learn something new. Excellent article, I love them.
I still really want a version of 4274: Connector Peg W. Knob but with an axle instead. Mainly just so we can easily make R2-D2's leg without needing to cut a flex tube.
@Huw
The link for the train motor is incorrect (BrickLink Page Not Found)
Shall not be this one ?
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=bb0006&idColor=7T=C&C=7
Incidentally, the pin in the main image only appeared in green in one set, 8213 Spy Runner.
Great article, thanks!
@Huw said:
" @WesterBricks said:
"The 4274 half-pin reappeared in white unexpectedly, in this year's 10300 BTTF Time Machine, in the Mr. Fusion :-)"
Interesting that they felt the need to ressurect it. Does it need to be white?"
Technically the bottom edge is slightly visible if you tilt Mr. Fusion back to add fuel as in the movie, and if it were blue you would see a tiny blue sliver in the middle of the white reactor.
They've left standard color pins in other sets where it was even more noticeable like Dom's Charger, so who really knows.
I'm pretty sure I don't own any of the 80s black pin, was it really that bad? I wonder why it took so long to get a replacement version.
I'm disappointed with the newer pins. They're just so unsatisfying to use and change one of the core constants of part continuity. And all seemingly for cost cutting. After years of high profits...
And yeah, those colors they are locked to are not great
Interesting article though.
This explains why all of huw's childhood pictures, he's missing teeth
The annoying thing about that friction half-pin is that it came out around the same time as the new Batman sets, but they didn’t use one to keep the GitD 3x3 round tile on the batsignal from spinning freely in 76179. I suspect shifting movie release dates may have caused those two to land near each other on the calendar instead of several months apart (maybe a year?), but it still sucks. And I forgot to order some from B&P before the PaB merger, and now it’s too new to show up.
@MrGurt:
So, it’s an illegal technique, but if you get a white 4274, you can actually fit it inside the bottom of the tube running up the center of the R2 body. Throw a white cheese wedge on the stud, and you’ll need to press down a bit to get everything to align. This works for any astromech that’s white, blue, red (with the friction version), light-bley, or any color that’s really close to light-bley. If you feel rich, you can even get them in black. So we just need dark-bley, dark-red, dark-blue, dark-green, green, and turquoise now. And dark-purple, for whenever they get around to making a nice dark-purple astromech for Mace Windu to hang out with.
@WesterBricks:
Between the two of them, I count Mr. Fusion as far more important than any F&F car, so thumbs up for their priorities.
I never needed pliers or teeth to remove the original Connector Peg W/Friction: just use any axle to push it out from the other side. (Not always possible, I admit.)
I don't mind color-locked parts. In fact, if the decision were up to me, each kind of pin would come in just one unique color. Then you could store them all together, no need to sort!
Oh yes, the legendary 4459… I try to keep every piece in my sets as authentic as possible; even rebuying old and fragile versions of parts that I had killed in masses as a child. But there is one exception! When ever I run into a 4459 I replace it by a newer one (which you luckily get in about every second set as a spare) and put those surviving the removal (for some I really needed massive violence…) in a storage bag. According to my data 64 already made it there – and what scares me most: there are still around 150 haunting in old Technic sets.
Am I the only one who hates the blue pins. I'd happily have them all in black and grey and just spend longer searching for pieces. But I only use them in system anyway. I don't build technic.
I do remember one time making the mistake of using a friction pin with a shock absorber...I had to drill that one out since pushing/pulling it out required so much force I was afraid the shock absorber would break.
And I'm probably not the only one with still a has a bunch of 8-tooth gears with an axle pin stuck inside....
Great article, Huw. Glad I'm not the only one who has a small pair of pliers to hand when I'm taking Technic sets apart.
Nice article, but is not 'superceded' a misspelling of 'superseded'? The first form is used 5 times, and the second once (for the part 32002). I am familiar with the s spelling, and I initially thought that the c spelling was a variant, but according to the Cambridge Dictionary only 'superseded' is correct:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/english/?q=superceded
@TheK79_selbst said:
"Oh yes, the legendary 4459… I try to keep every piece in my sets as authentic as possible; even rebuying old and fragile versions of parts that I had killed in masses as a child. But there is one exception! When ever I run into a 4459 I replace it by a newer one (which you luckily get in about every second set as a spare) and put those surviving the removal (for some I really needed massive violence…) in a storage bag. According to my data 64 already made it there – and what scares me most: there are still around 150 haunting in old Technic sets."
Your last sentence made me think of this modified song:
"150 old style pins in the sets, 150 old style pins, take one down, pass it around, 149 old pins in the sets..."
I have my 4459 super friction pins still. Kept in a separate drawer. I do break them out on rare occasions when I really need something stuck. But a lot of them do have teeth and plyer marks on them. The update is super useful. Good to know about the newer friction pins lacking slots.
32054 or its newer mould are now also produced in pearl gold and silver.
Also, the white version of 4274 appears in 10300 Delorean
11214 is now produced in both red and dark bluish grey. Some sets even contain both colors.
I encountered 77765 for the first time last weekend while building 42134: Monster Jam Megalodon. Exciting times.
Cost cutting.
That's the central theme with LEGO everywhere nowadays it seems.
Diminishing parts quality, colour consistency issues, sticker mania, lack of B-models that used to be the norm with Technic (remember when they even came with printed instructions?), lacklustre sets, and when they include powered elements you don't even get a physical remote any longer, just a crummy app...
Technic used to be my favorite theme. Over the past few years it has become one of the many reasons that drove me into a second Dark Ages!
Plus I agree with everyone who hates the colour coded pieces. I am so happy that at least other manufacturers keep supplying those pins (and axles) in black, grey and other unobtrusive colours.
What's wrong with looking for them anyway? Anyone who keeps pieces properly sorted will have no trouble with that at all.
But, judging by modern instructions from TLG, people apparently not only are too stupid to build anything that requires more than one piece per step, they are also too lazy to search for pieces - a process that used to be one of the joys of building back in the day. It can be highly relaxing and even therapeutic, having to slow down a bit once in a while.
But I guess today's ADHS ridden kids need instant satisfaction everywhere all the time.
I’m glad those medal technic parts don’t come in sets anymore because of my little cousins. If they did come in sets these past years, I wouldn’t be here sending this message...
I mentioned this on the old version of the article as well, when it was published, but there are two versions of 2780: Connector Peg W. Friction (well, they probably have different IDs I'd imagine). The old version is thicker and thus doesnt fit 3.18 bars through it, like the 3L pins. The newer version is thinner and does fit a 3.18 bar. I have no idea when this change was made, beyond that early bionicle sets contained the old version.
Because the first ones I owned were from said early bionicle sets and didnt fit bars inside them, I just went on assuming they didnt until I came across a set using the technique in 2016. Pretty sure the change was made much earlier than then, though, because I seem to own very few of the thick version, so the change was probably made in the early 2000s
43093: Conn.Bush W.Fric./Cross axle has a similar variation, all the black ones I own are of the thicker variety, and I think all the blue ones are the thinner version but obviously Im not gonna check them all.
Pin with tow ball also has the same variation, I have a mix of ones that will fit a bar and ones that wont.
**EDIT** The oldest set I own which is currently assembled with 100% original parts is Jango's Slave I from 2002, and it has pins which fit 3.18 rods through them. So if anyone has anything assembled with definitely original parts from 1990 to 2001 that they can test, I'd appreciate it. Both whether they fit a rod at all, and whether a rod can be passed all the way through. These 2002 ones I just tested are definitely a lot tighter than more recent 2780 pins.
@DFX said:
"Nice article, but is not 'superceded' a misspelling of 'superseded'? The first form is used 5 times, and the second once (for the part 32002). I am familiar with the s spelling, and I initially thought that the c spelling was a variant, but according to the Cambridge Dictionary only 'superseded' is correct:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/english/?q=superceded "
'Supercede' is what has been taught in U.S. schools and accepted version in our legal, scientific, and publishing industries since at least the 1950s. Apparently, the 'c' version has been the accepted alternative in all English-speaking countries since the 17th century.
As a linguistic philosopher, I accept the view that language is a constantly evolving communal enterprise. As one who loves language, I also understand that poor grammar and spelling hardly rate as 'evolution.' In between these 2 competing principles, is where artistry and good taste lie. Simply put, I'm with Huw on this one.
@StyleCounselor said:
"'Supercede' is what has been taught in U.S. schools and accepted version in our legal, scientific, and publishing industries since at least the 1950s. Apparently, the 'c' version has been the accepted alternative in all English-speaking countries since the 17th century."
As its origins are in the Latin verb 'cedere', the correct version should indeed be 'supercede'. Actually the word 'cease' has the same origin, (being based on 'cessare', which is a frequentative of 'cedere').
If 'supersede' was correct, you should also use 'sease' from now on. Looks and feels totally strange (and that is coming from a non-native speaker of English).
Thank you for your input @StyleCounselor (or should that really be @StyleCounsellor :-) )
My spell checker didn't object to the 'c' version and that's the way I've always spelled it, probably out of ignorance more than anything :-)
Throw them away? Throw them away??? But the old-style friction pins are useful, when more friction than usual is needed. They have saved my bacon with some joints more than once. Agreed that they should be kept separate from the rest of black pins though.
@pig , I hear that can be used to solve the floppy door problem of the DeLorean, so perhaps they should be kept after all...
What about https://brickset.com/parts/6271188/4-85-bush-1-module-w-foil-connector which is in the Forma sets?
@icehockeyhair said:
"What about https://brickset.com/parts/6271188/4-85-bush-1-module-w-foil-connector which is in the Forma sets?"
Yes I guess that one could be included, but then if I did so I'd also have to consider the one with a ball joint on the end, and probably many other parts with pins.
Excellent article! I love these types of historical looks. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks @StyleCounselor and @AustinPowers for the explanation, I have checked the Merriam-Webster and Collins dictionaries and both acknowledge the 'c' version as a disputed spelling variant:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supercede
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/supercede
Reading the comments and references on both sources, it seems that the dispute goes deeper, with some claims that the 's' version is the incorrect one since the 'supercede' spelling does have etymological justification. I think I will use 'supplant' and 'replace' from now on to stay out of trouble...
@magmafrost:
I don’t know when the change was made, but I am familiar with the thick wall/thin wall 2L friction pin. Additionally, I can only remember seeing the 3L friction pin with a tiny rectangular interior that would never fit a bar without use of a 2-ton press. I think the full bush friction pin has had an odd interior shape also, but I’d have to look at some to say for sure. Regardless, I’m curious when the 3L friction pin has been used as a bar-mounted gun barrel, since that’s something I would have sworn is impossible. Plugging them in to standard Technic pin holes, for vehicle-mounted cannons, I could see. I actually did that with four for my Bionicle Droideka, but I had to fit 1x1 cones over the tips as muzzle flare to add 4L bars to represent laser blasts because I couldn’t just plug them into the tips of the pins.
@StyleCounselor:
“Supercede” gets flagged for a spelling error, and Dictionary.com defines it simply as “a frequent misspelling of supersede.”
@AustinPowers:
Looks and feels totally weird? Yup, welcome to the English language. We have a rule for every exception, and an exception for every rule.
@DFX said:
"Thanks @StyleCounselor and @AustinPowers for the explanation, I have checked the Merriam-Webster and Collins dictionaries and both acknowledge the 'c' version as a disputed spelling variant:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supercede
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/supercede
Reading the comments and references on both sources, it seems that the dispute goes deeper, with some claims that the 's' version is the incorrect one since the 'supercede' spelling does have etymological justification. I think I will use 'supplant' and 'replace' from now on to stay out of trouble..."
Or is that cuplant and replase?
@Huw said:
[[Thank you for your input @StyleCounselor (or should that really be @StyleCounsellor :-) )
Damn! That's funny.
Hat tip to Mr. Powers for the etiology.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor :
“Supercede” gets flagged for a spelling error, and Dictionary.com defines it simply as “a frequent misspelling of supersede.”
@AustinPowers :
Looks and feels totally weird? Yup, welcome to the English language. We have a rule for every exception, and an exception for every rule."
My bluish-red friend, beware of spelling and grammar correcting software. Consider the source. I come from a family of engineers and IT people. I even met my wife in a Differential Equations class. Language is rarely the forte of our brothers and sisters who specialize in improving technology.
Also, Mr. Powers needs no welcome to the language. He is clearly educated and English is a Germanic language after all.
On the Lego front, I heartily agree that Lego should never be thrown away. Damn the risks! Do you really want to die with perfect teeth?!
(Edit: StyleCounselor's counselors advise never chewing on Lego and instead using pliars, tweezers or chopsticks if necessary).
great article. also has anyone else noticed that this part: 65487 is very hard to put in to peg holes? (I'm not sure how to prefix part numbers, cause using the number/hash/pound sign seems to only work for sets not parts)
@magnumsalyer said:
"great article. also has anyone else noticed that this part: 65487 is very hard to put in to peg holes? (I'm not sure how to prefix part numbers, cause using the number/hash/pound sign seems to only work for sets not parts)"
Yes, https://brickset.com/parts/design-65487 , can be a right PITA to get into holes! it must be due to the material its made from.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @Huw said:
"Thank you for your input @StyleCounselor (or should that really be @StyleCounsellor :-) )
Damn! That's funny.
Hat tip to Mr. Powers for the etiology."
I meant to write 'etymology', but neglected to supercede my correcting software. Then again, based on how the discussion is proceeding, perhaps 'etiology' was correct after all. ;)"
Hue - thanks for the updated reference guide. Sad to see that LEGO is not taking the high road for quality and making slight adjustments that are not for the better all in the name of saving fractions of $$$s. I have quite a few of these pins and now need to keep my eye open for the replacement when sorting...makes no sense.
@tjkemperle:
It’s probably not just about cost savings. With the slot filled in, these may use more plastic, depending on how other dimensions changes. Tooling will be a lot less expensive, but setup on the molding machine will be a lot less involved if the old versions used retractable sections. It’s also possible they had spring-loaded bits that would push out of the way to allow the parts to be ejected, in which case they no longer have to make sure those are functioning properly. And they may have also made this change with a specific quality of the part in mind (whether or not they succeeded in that aim is a different issue).
"There have also been black ones, in two space sets, and BrickLink alleges that a white version appeared in some versions of 8558 Cahdok and Gahdok although I believe the vast majority contained the friction version." Good thing our queens have gotten a good dental plan!
18651: Cross Axle 2M W. Snap W. Fric. (2015 - ) One of the few Technic Pins I was around for the introduction of. I remember BIONICLE fans going nuts over Lord of Skull Spiders for these fellas. Funnily enough, just today I had a close scare as I ordered a bunch of parts for a project and thought for a moment I forgot to add these to my Bricklink wanted list. Luckily they were included!
Re: 6562 2L non-friction axle pin, I believe Bricklink inventories are incorrect, as many people don’t know the difference between the non-friction and friction versions. There are currently 109 Sellers who have listed the friction version in tan, and 43 who have listed the non-friction version in blue. At the time C&D was released, there weren’t many people outside the Bionicle community who even knew that they existed. Of the 37 Sellers who have white non-friction versions listed, not one has an actual photo included in the listing (all use a computer-generated image), nor do any of them include text that indicates the Sellers recognize that their listings’ legitimacy could be called into question. There are also Sellers who have listed non-friction in four colors (green, dark-grey, dark-bley, orange) and friction in four colors (bright-green, green, olive-green, and pearl-light-grey) that have never been released, with only one providing a photo of the part in question, and many listing them at unusually low prices for what would be considered a Q element. There are also nine listings for light-bley, and 39 for light-grey friction versions, neither of which has been released. One Seller even includes photos of a non-friction version in light-grey, and another has a computer image of a light-bley non-friction version, all being sold as friction versions.
@StyleCounselor:
No, it’s all good, because I have corroborating evidence from an aggregate site for dictionaries that states outright that “supercede” is a common misspelling, and doesn’t list a single instance of any dictionary that considers it to be a legitimate spelling.
I only own one Gear Set, 803-2. That too had two of the metal axle pins for connecting a gearwheel to brick 7049. No trace of them in the instructions for that set though.