Brickshelf user vana treats us to an amazingly designed and photographed UCS scale Terran battlecuiser from the game StarCraft. The traditional greebles on studs technique prevails once again, making the model extra detailed.
Monthly Archives: July 2008
Langeoog Island
Every so often I’m absolutely dumbfounded by a LEGO model. In this particular case German builders Andreas and Kai Böker do it by presenting what I consider to be the best non-urban train layout I’ve ever seen. While looking at the details is exciting enough the panorama shot is a must in order to absorb the true brilliance of this layout. I could spend hours looking at this.
If Alta-Vista has translated correctly this layout is presently on display on the actual island of Langeoog so if you’re in the neighbourhood check it out. And if any of our German readers can help me out with information I’d be forever grateful.
Jimbo has a rough day
I took some time of time off to finish Jimbo’s rough day:
When the one-eyed snaked attacked, the two friends forgot to check their footing. Jimbo lost an arm and a leg to a mine, and it looked like his buddy Frank was about to lose even more. One could argue that the odds where against them.
“Finally, some action!” Jimbo joyously exclaimed, trying to build a makeshift shelter using his own blown-off leg and hand as a crude tool. He had always been one tough son of a bitch.
See more on either flickr or linusbohman.se.
Palm Springs and zeros and ones
Matt Wagner (jedimasterwagner) is fast becoming one of my favourite LDrawers. As can be seen in this latest work he treats the rendering process as a means of creating artworks as well as for constructing models. I’d love to see the image he based this on for comparison.
Leian Castle – paradise on the rock
Pun intended in the title, Rocko‘s to-be-featured masterpiece for BrickCon in October is one grand sight to behold. This structure is home to Rocko’s favorite minifigs (the ladies in Slave Leia torso and legs), but naughty men beware, the cats are hungry. Too bad details like these won’t be revealed until the convention, but that’s just another reason for me to be there.
Swagman robot by Teikjoon
Even robots sometimes get down in the dumps and have to scrounge for a living. Though this reminds me of something from the Futurama universe, Teikjoon sets this lovely little vignette in the Star Wars universe, where — on a planet embargoed by the Trade Federation — unemployed robots “choose to stay operational, scavenging for energy packs”:
Harrison’s 1984 vignette is doubleplusgood
I suspect Harrison may end up spending time at the Chestnut Tree Cafe for his inability to goodthink, but his vignette is doubleplusgood regardless:
Arnold Skolnick’s Woodstock poster in LEGO by Noddy
Artist Arnold Skolnick’s famous poster for a certain “Aquarian Exposition,” billed as “3 Days of Peace & Music,” came to be so closely identified with Woodstock that many people can’t think of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, or The Grateful Dead up on that stage without thinking about Skolnick’s dove perched on a guitar.
Noddy/V1 recreates this iconic poster in LEGO:
Via Klocki.
Wilson’s ATVs evoke deep feelings of nostalgia
“Simplicity” is a word you’ve heard me say a lot here on The Brothers Brick, at least in part because simple creations evoke those nostalgic feelings of sitting on the floor as a 10-year-old and throwing together a bunch of pieces into something so cool you keep it together for years. (I still have a really big gun I built more than 20 years ago lying around in one of my minifig boxes, just because it makes me smile.)
That’s why I love the ATVs that reader Wilson built, in varying configurations:
Click the pic for the full gallery on Wilson’s site, ThinkingBricks.com.
Team Fortress 2 Sentry gun in LEGO by Steve Barker
We were certainly impressed with Brendan Mauro’s Team Fortress 2 minifigs, but Steve Barker rightly says of his Sentry gun (also inspired by Team Fortress 2), “I think I am more proud of this MOC [my own creation] than any of my others so far.”
Justifiably so, Steve, justifiably so!
Via Kotaku, with a hat tip to many readers, including Peter and Jack.
MINDSTORMS NXT Rubik’s Cube solver by Hans Andersson
Hans Andersson’s Tilted Twister is a Rubik’s Cube solver built from only parts available in the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT retail set. Here’s what Hans says:
An ultrasonic sensor detects its presence and starts to read the colors of the cube faces using a light sensor. The robot turns and tilts the cube in order to read all the faces of the cube. It then calculates a solution and executes the moves by turning, tilting and twisting the cube.
Check out the video of Hans’ MINDSTORMS Rubik’s Cube solver here:
If you want to build your own Rubik’s Cube solver, you can check out Hans’ instructions, executables, and source code on his Web site.
And don’t miss the MINDSTORMS NXT Rubik’s Cube solver we featured a year ago, by Daniele Benedettelli.
Thanks for the tip, Clay!
Gizmodo tours the LEGO factory
Alas, the secrets of the LEGO factory are revealed through Gizmodo‘s exclusive video footage taken on the Giz Goes to LEGO trip. In three short clips, Jesus Diaz from Gizmodo covers the entire process of making LEGO from the granules in the warehouse to the sets ready to ship out. Click on the image below to read the details and treat yourself to the excitement of seeing your favorite bricks being made.
