The Moment Makers

In LEGO Inspiration today, we will show you what we found interesting in LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian set number 75254 AT-ST Raider.

This set has many cool features, including the fact that it is a blend of both LEGO bricks and Technic beams. We are so exited to show some of the AT-ST’s neatest and most creative properties.

This is the way.

Turntable and Transverse Gearing

Like any good Star Wars walker, the “head” has to be able to turn. However, instead of just grabbing the head and turning it manually, this set uses transverse gearing so that a knob in the back of the model can turn the head. The axle of the knob turns a single-beveled gear (see picture below).

This single beveled gear turns another of the same type directly above it (removed for this picture but shown in the photo below). This changes the direction of the motion so that it now is rotating along the x-y axis.

These two gears are contained within a LEGO gear box (part #28830).

The base of a turntable is then placed on top of the gear box, with the axle going through its center.

On top of the turntable base, a 4×4 circular brick (often used in columns) naturally snaps into place. This brick then is connected to the two 2×2 circular plates attached to the bottom of the head. Because these plates have a cross-axle hole through their center, the axle is secured in place, thus allowing the head to turn.

Special Use of the Technic Angle Beam

Another interesting thing about this set is the construction of the legs. There is a double-angular beam (part #32009) towards the bottom of each leg. Because of the two 45° angles and the odd sizing, the middle part of the beam is not separated into standard LEGO Technic holes. Instead, there is just one wide hole. Since connectors are not completely secured in this hole, it usually is not used. However, this set does use it.

A brown 5-long beam, attached to another one of the holes on the double-angular beam, uses a blue half friction connector/half cross-axle to better secure itself. With a second point of connection, the 5-long beam can no longer rotate around the original black friction connector in its second hole.

Technic to Brick Connections

Because of the odd shape, both is thickness and in angle, of an AT-ST’s legs, the legs are a creative mix of both Technic and standard bricks.

A Technic flexible beam joint (part #44224 and #44225 [both pieces click together to make one piece]) is connected to the brick in the lower leg by the Technic holes on the brick’s side. The flexible beam joint, though bigger than other pieces such as Technic angle connectors, has the advantage of having a flexible angle (hence the name), snapping to hold the structure at each angle (so it will not change angles when it is not supposed to), and looking like a very cool mechanical part!

While the one side of the flexible beam joint connects to the lower part of the leg (light gray), the other side (dark gray) attaches the lower leg to the front of the base of the body. However, there is more to this connection than just the simple dark gray beam attached directly to the flexible beam joint.

Behind the said dark gray beam, the end of a brown 5-long beam is connected by one point. The other end of the brown beam is connected to the back of the base of the body. Therefore, a triangle is formed between the back of the body, the front of the body, and the leg, thus making the angle of which the leg connects to the body definite. It is an interesting way to define an angle with Technic beams (without the entire angle structure either formed by a single angle beam).

LEGO Blasters

Of course, it would not be a Star Wars set without blasters! The AT-ST walker has two spring loaded blaster cannons. Pushing the knobs behind a blaster causes the potential energy stored by the spring to exert kinetic energy on the red blaster bullet.

We hope you have enjoyed our article! We have spoken.