This is ______, returning with my third entry into the K'nex contest, the Guide to K'nex. In this (hopefully), you'll find out the different uses of each piece, their interrelationships, and a few unique ways to make stuff.

Step 1: Basic Information

K'nex is one of the world's leading brands in rods and connectors. What makes it different from other similar sets is the huge variety of things that can be made, ranging from roller coasters and ball machines to robots and buildings. Generally, there are three ways to attach a rod and a connector - through the hole, pushed into the slot, or snapped in the slot. Look at the above picture for more details.

Step 2: Rods - Lengthwise Comparisons

The pictures above show the various lengths of classic and micro K'nex rods.

Step 3: Right-Angled Triangles

Length variables :

Classic

Green Rods

+ 1 =

White Rods

+ 1 =

Blue Rods

+ 1 =

Yellow Rods

+ 1 =

Red Rods

+ 1 =

Grey Rods

Micro

Black Rods

+ 1 =

Yellow Rods

+ 1 =

Grey Rods

+ 1 =

Red Rods

+ 1 =

Purple Rods

+ 1 =

Blue Rods

+ 1 =

Orange Rods

In the second picture, the formula is - (x + 1) + (y + 1) + ............, where x, y, and the others are the lengths of the rod

Step 4: Spacers

Alternatively, you can use the Y-clips.

Step 5: Miscellaneous Pieces

These are the special pieces that are used for a few tasks that would be otherwise impossible.

Step 6: The White Rod

The white rod is slightly different from the other rods. For example, when two connectors are clipped on its slots, it loses one space and leaves only 5 out of 6 spaces. Also, the Y-clip can be clipped on half of its end, as shown above.

Step 7: The Connector Gun Barrel

The orange connectors can be slid on the white rods in such a way as to allow exactly an orange or a grey connector to slip between them. This is mainly used in true-trigger guns as the gun barrel and the gap for the trigger.

Step 8: Other Stuff

With K'nex, you can form equilateral triangles, too! Just attach three equal rods to hinge joints or ball-socket joints, or follow the first picture to do so using the 3D grey connectors.Plus, the micro spacers can slide in the hole of a classic wheel to form a free-spinning wheel on a micro rod. Even more, the micro rod is of the same width as the nose of a tan lock, so it fits perfectly in the smaller holes of a wheel or a connector.