How long for the non-superhuman to assemble?

[Andy D]

Many of you are aware that I recently returned to Technic after a 5 year affair with Modular buildings. I read reviews and watched Sariel's video reviews on several sets (42009, 42037, 42039 and 42042 bought them all) before jumping in with both feet and my credit card!

I am in the middle of assembling the 42039 (wow, great, fun set to assemble), only about half-way through, already taken me 5-7 hours over 3 days.

Sariel said his build time was 3.5 hours! I am almost double that, no complaints, I am enjoying every minute.

I have nothing but respect for Sariel as a great LEGO MOC'er and builder of sets, but...

I was just wondering how to translate Sariel's build times into something for us mere mortals?

Andy D

[Lipko]

I also build quickly (I only measured the building time for the 8110 Unimog which was 6 hours, 3-3.5 hours for the 42039 is about right too) so that means I'm immortal too. Good news for tonight.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Lipko

[plethorabricks]

My "build rates" average 250 pieces per hour for Technic sets, and 250-400 pieces per hour for System sets, depending on the type and complexity of the build. The 42039 A model took me just under 5 hours to assemble.

I often pre-sort and lay out the pieces before assembly, so when I do this it adds to the overall time, but of course I don't mind, and I never feel the need to rush. Whatever your pace is, just enjoy the journey.

[Andy D]

..l snip

I often pre-sort and lay out the pieces before assembly, so when I do this it adds to the overall time, but of course I don't mind, and I never feel the need to rush. Whatever your pace is, just enjoy the journey.

I always pre- sort as well. It takes about an hour for a set the size of the 420039, but it helps me to be organized and I like seeing what parts are involved in the model.

I am sure my build speed is extremely slow for a Technic right now due to my time away from Technic, but I do spend time trying to understand why things are built as they are, just trying to learn.

Andy D

[TinkerBrick]

Take your Time. As long as it makes you happy, just keep building at a speed your comfortable with.

I tend not to rush it as for me the pathway is part of the goal ( building is some kind of therapy).

If you can build such a large set in a couple hours - fine. If you need days - no one will object.

Happy building!

[Zerobricks]

I also tend to build fast with instructions, the good old 8258 took me some 4 hours too. Where's my immortal badge?

[Edwin Korstanje]

I am not a great fan off buiding sets, even there are mine own created sets , but sometime i got sets for my birthday ore pressent and than my daughter( now 10 years) build them and have only help here with laying the parts for the next step and can only watch .

She is building faster than i can sorted the parts and tease me( dad your are a master builder, but where are my parts :laugh: ) For sets she is a speed builder and i am not.

Edited October 18, 2015 by VFracingteam

[Andy D]

I also tend to build fast with instructions, the good old 8258 took me some 4 hours too. Where's my immortal badge?

BAM! You're immortal! It's starting to look like I am the only mortal here!

The important thing here is the journey (the fun of building), but...

So, how do I translate Sariel's times to my times?

Maybe multiply by 3?

Andy D

[GoldVillage]

I guess im kinda average to slow builder, for some of the latest sets i build i did check long time it takes. Some examples: Arctic truck 42038 just over 4 hours complete with stickers and all (including a small break), 8294 excavator and 42028 bulldozer both approx 2h and 30-40 mins. 42004 backhoe just under 1 hour and the 42022 hotrod and the 42035 mining truck both approx 1h 30 min.

[Rishab N]

I built the 42029 in about 3 hours(not including breaks). Not sure where that places me.

This isn't a competition so just enjoy the build no matter what rate you build at.

[rollermonkey]

I don't sort anything, leaving everything in the bags they came in until I need it. Something like 42009 took me over 10 hours over 3 nights. It doesn't bother me, I just take my time and enjoy the build.

[nerdsforprez]

I think it all matters what type of builder you are.... Or at least how engaged you are. When I am locked in.....i build fast... The arocs only took me around 8-9 hours. But often I build with Netflix going on or something.... And I am somewhat distracted...and I take alot longer. I kinda like to also take longer and study the instructions more.

Any one else watch television or movies as they build?

Edited October 18, 2015 by nerdsforprez

[Kman860]

This isn't a competition so just enjoy the build no matter what rate you build at.

But let's still compare numbers to see who's best :laugh:

I think it all matters what type of builder you are.... Or at least how engaged you are. When I am locked in.....i build fast... The arocs only took me around 8-9 hours. But often I build with Netflix going on or something.... And I am somewhat distracted...and I take alot longer. I kinda like to also take longer and study the instructions more.

Any one else watch television or movies as they build?

Every time as far as television goes, don't think I've ever watched a movie while building though, but it's all shows I've seen before

Edited October 18, 2015 by Kman860

[Andy D]

I think it all matters what type of builder you are.... Or at least how engaged you are. When I am locked in.....i build fast... The arocs only took me around 8-9 hours. But often I build with Netflix going on or something.... And I am somewhat distracted...and I take alot longer. I kinda like to also take longer and study the instructions more.

Any one else watch television or movies as they build?

I usually don't like the TV on while I build, but I do like background music.

I am also an instruction studier, I like to understand what and why, I also study as the model takes shape. My primary focus for building sets is to learn so I can apply to MOC's.

Andy D

[dr_spock]

It can depends if you're young or old. When I was young, I like to build as fast as I can. Now I am old, I go slower and enjoy the moment. Kind of like chuggling pitchers of beer while in college versus savoring a fine wine. I think it took me over 6 hours to finish 42030.

[Captainowie]

So, how do I translate Sariel's times to my times?

I don't think anyone here can answer that for you. As you've seen, different builders go a different rates, so that translation factor will be different for everyone. If you really want to know, you'll have to time yourself doing a couple of models, and work it out yourself.

But even then, presumably the best you'll be able to do is get an approximation, as the translation factor is probably different for each model as well as for each builder. I'd suggest the best thing you can do is look at the time posted by the reviewer, compare it to the other times posted by the same reviewer, and think "It's a long build", or "It's a medium build".

I also agree with what others have said - it's not a contest. It's completely irrelevant whether you build faster or slower than someone else, unless you want it to be. If it makes you happier to be able to say "I built 420xx in only 3.5 hours", then more power to ya, but I doubt you'd get much praise from the rest of the community.

For what it's worth, I'm on the slower side. I think it took me three evenings (about 15 hours, maybe) for 42009. But that just means I got 50% more enjoyment out of the build than rollermonkey :-P.

Owen.

[Moz]

12.

The answer is always 12.

I don't really build for speed, and often have to force myself to follow the instructions. I like to read ahead and work out what things are for, then tweak the design. Like the friction pins in the Unimog steering, which appear to have been a complete thinko by the designer. I used non-friction pins there and haven't tried it the other way. I just got the crane and Arocs, and the crane I managed to build it almost exactly except for some extra boom sections. But the Arocs I'm struggling with, I just don't really like the build. It may go into the parts bins without being completed, as I'm finding the crane much more interesting.

[Lipko]

As others have said, it really depends on why you build. I only buy sets for parts because I simply cannot afford to have big space for a collection. I can hardly get time to build my MOCs, but I like to build the sets too, to learn things and I like to build from instructions, but I don't want to leave the build and the pieces out for overnight. These lead to building as fast as I can. I still enjoy building from instructions, slow building makes me impatient.

[TheNextLegoDesinger]

I also build quickly (I only measured the building time for the 8110 Unimog which was 6 hours, 3-3.5 hours for the 42039 is about right too) so that means I'm immortal too. Good news for tonight.

i dit the mog in about the same time.

I usually don't like the TV on while I build, but I do like background music.

I am also an instruction studier, I like to understand what and why, I also study as the model takes shape. My primary focus for building sets is to learn so I can apply to MOC's.

Andy D

seconded

As others have said, it really depends on why you build. I only buy sets for parts because I simply cannot afford to have big space for a collection. I can hardly get time to build my MOCs, but I like to build the sets too, to learn things and I like to build from instructions, but I don't want to leave the build and the pieces out for overnight. These lead to building as fast as I can. I still enjoy building from instructions, slow building makes me impatient.

i think i found my twin, all my sets stay builded for about 1.5 months. in the meantime i make them RC, go ofroading with it, make them better and when i dont like it anymore i dissasemble for my mocs

[MaxSupercars]

Sorry guys... it really does not impress me if someone build something fast... The main purpose of building is enyoing it all...

Max...

[Freekysch]

I am a very slow builder, I do not like to hurry when building a Lego set, I like to take my time and enjoy the built. 42009 took me about 12 hours to build, in 3 separate days.

[Milan]

I dont see anything superhuman in fast set building or mere mortal in slow set building, nor i think it is important how fast you build, and certainly not worth to be affected by that.

Take your time, and enjoy the build in pace you like.

[dimaks13]

Now I don't understand. I always build with my lowest normal speed with enjoying, but I finish 100-150 pcsed technic sets in 20-30 minutes, 200-250 pcsed technic set in ~50 minutes, 300-350 pcsed technic set in 70-80 minutes and 550-620 pcsed technic set in 100-150 minutes (these are the ~ piece numbers of my technic sets at the time of writing this post)

Edited October 18, 2015 by dimaks13

[Andy D]

Thinking more about this.. I think one of the differences in builders is experience. I remember from several years ago I could tell the difference in a beam length just by the feel, now after years of not touching a Technic set the difference between an 11 and 13 beam is not as obvious as before and the difference between 9 and 11 is not as obvious as before, but the more I handle the pieces the more obvious the differences and feel becomes.

To the experienced builder, it can be obvious as to what comes next, but to me, I still have the sense of wonder and awe of the construction. It is kind of like the "puzzle build" discussion several years ago, the more experienced the builder, the more able to just build and ignore the instructions and come up with the same construction as if the instructions had been followed, I am not there yet.

Also to the more experienced builders it is obvious why two pieces are put together the way they are, sub assemblies are obvious, but to me, it is still a surprise as to the what and why. When I am surprised I study the why to try lo learn why so I can become a better builder for MOCs. I have been building with studful pieces, mostly buildings and the like for the past 5 years, so I am not often surprised, but just getting started back with Technic there are frequent surprises and that is something that makes it fun for me.

As I said earlier, it is the Journey, not the Destination in LEGO building (for me), I was just curious as to how long and why different people had different build speeds relative to Sariel, kind of a fun exploration, not really as serious topic. But then again, that is what LEGO is all about... FUN!

Andy D

[750ACE]

Due to limited time allowed for building some of my recent building has stretched over the course of a month but only 1 day a week. The ucs sets would sometimes drag out a couple of bags at a time for one sitting. I do have the issue of skipping many steps and just building the finished section... the instructions do get boring.