When I first glimpsed images of LEGO set 80102 Dragon Dance, I was very excited to see the details of the mechanism and how the dragon moved. Sadly, this set, along with a couple of other Chinese New Year themed sets, are only available in the Asia-Pacific region.
I would not be deterred! As soon as I noticed the building instructions had been posted on LEGO’s website, I downloaded them and built my own copy, substituting parts where necessary. Thankfully, the stand and mechanism inside are built using basic bricks and Technic pieces, so I was able to reproduce them exactly.
I turned the crank for the first time… and I was a little underwhelmed with the results. The motion of the dragon was… clunky. It’s not really bad, it’s just not at all what I had envisioned in my head. I immediately went about to rectify the situation, and eventually came up with a solution that satisfied my itch to have a smoothly flowing dragon.
The video above details the changes I made, and gives some pointers on hiring the best dance troupe. If you are lucky enough to have acquired this set, and would like to make the same changes, step by step building instructions are below, along with some notes on the build.
You will need extra pieces to make these changes, which you can find listed at the end of the instructions or on the Rebrickable page. You don’t necessarily need the exact pieces I’ve listed. For example, the 1×1 Round Tile with Bar just ensures that the plate underneath the support is properly oriented, but you can use a normal 1×1 Round Tile if you are careful to ensure the orientation of the plate yourself.
There are a few tricky bits with this modification, mostly when assembling the crank shafts and cams to ensure they are oriented correctly. I’ve tried to make it clear in the instructions how they are oriented, but it would be worthwhile to pay extra attention during those steps.
You will note that I also changed the order of assembling certain parts. For example, the supports are no longer built separately after building the base. As a result, you will need to get those parts from bag 3 right from the start.
Just curious, did you ever post instructions for the spiral motion? That was a great combination of vertical and horizontal movement!
No, I never did.
I will attempt to build the smooth dragon with your modifactions . Your steps show the basic build in the beginning .Do I build the original up to that point and your step take over ? Have just started building again after a long lay off and get a lot of satisfaction building models that have motion. Very few of the new kits appeal to me and none of my club members build this type model . Congrats for getting the plane pursuit onto brinklink. Thanks .
Yes, it’s noted in the instructions as you go through them. For pages 1 to 11, build all those components as I have indicated. Starting on page 12, there are notes on what steps to use from the original instructions.
Do you happen to have the parts list for your version of the dragon as well? I looked at the list of the original parts and they are cost as much as a new set which has become quite expensive
No, sorry, I never made instructions or a parts list for my version of the dragon. As far as I remember (it’s been a while), I tried to build it as close as possible to the original set, just doing some colour swapping and replacing the printed pieces with non-printed ones.
Jason,
Good morning! I am looking at the parts list, and I had a question. The parts list assumes you don’t have the complete 80102 set, correct? I have a friend in China, so I have the set. However, I don’t think I need all the listed pieces to update it to your specifications. Am I correct? Thank you!
All the parts listed in the parts list are extra pieces you need in addition to the official set.
Thanks for this! I have the official set and I saved building it until I got the parts for your modification. And now it’s great!
I did find that the bottom part of the poles that come in contact with the cams to be rather weak, since they only connect with one stud and can get disconnected if too much pressure is pressed down on the pole. I would imagine if Lego wanted to do something similar, they would need to find a more secure connection.
This adaption has great motion and movement, I enjoy fluid instead of jerky motion even out of my legos. What you have done is great. Thanks for the guide and parts list to make it happen.
Hi Jason! 🙂
Great improvements to the dragon dance set! So much better than the original set. I’d like to suggest to make the vertical movements larger. Is it possible? It would make the wave more noticeable.
Thanks!
It’s possible for sure, but probably not within the same base. It would require some significant redesign to make it larger.
Honestly, you’re a better designer than those hacks at Lego! Kiddding they (mostly) do great work too. I’m curious, are you a trained engineer? All of your mechanical designs seem so far beyond what I can come up with on my own. That dual crankshaft is brilliant!
By the way, any plans for releasing plans for the star wars mechanical design? Is this tied up due to the Lego Ideas submission for the mechanical dog fighters? I must have it!!!
Thanks, I do have an engineering degree, though all of my working career has been in software development. Instructions for the trench run will probably be coming at some point, but, yes, I am waiting to see what happens with the Ideas project first.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for providing the instructions and parts list to adapt this set. I managed to obtain one from Asia. When I downloaded the official instructions after seeing your first video I figured out the 45 degree concept too, but had no idea how to make it happen. Off course you did and I’m all the happier for it. Thanks! Arthur aka Thuurart
A nice fluent motion improvement! I can’t believe they originally created so jerky locomotion.
If You like all these tricky machines, I’d love to see your version of Prague Orloj (A medieval astronomical clock with a lot of motion, like several appearing statues of Apostles in 2 windows…). Anyway, you’re welcome to visit my city for inspiration. 🙂
Thanks for your enthusiasm!