Monthly Archives: May 2011

Izzo builds a monster

Izzo says it’s raining today. We wish it would rain all the time where he lives, if this is the result the rest of us get to enjoy.

LEGO mecha by Izzo

LEGO HP 4842 Hogwarts Castle $35 off from Amazon

Amazon.com has the LEGO Harry Potter set 4842 Hogwarts Castle (not to be confused with the smaller 4867 Hogwarts)icon at $95, down from the MSRP of $130.

Lots of lovely tan. And remember, you don’t just have to buy LEGO from Amazon.com to help support The Brothers Brick — just click through from the main page anytime you buy something from Amazon and part of the proceeds will help keep TBB running.

(Via FBTB, which needs your support, too.)

Tunable, playable LEGO ukulele

On the whole I’m used to seeing one thing pop up in Ross Crawford’s (RoscoHead) photostream: cranes. So spotting a LEGO ukulele there this morning was somewhat of a surprise. Discovering it worked was less of a surprise after the initial shock.
uke4

To quote Ross:

Realising I’ve never owned a uke, I decided I’d try to make one. But instead of using wood, like any normal person, I decided to use LEGO bricks. Of course, there were some challenges: 1) Shape, 2) Strength, 3) Tuning, 4) Intonation

So, after all that, I ended up with what I like to call an alto ukulele – it is tuned to C-F-A-D (normal ukes are generally tuned to G-C-E-A). I also thought it needed a stand so I can display it on the mantle piece, you can see it poking out the bottom. And I think it really sounds OK, but you can judge for yourself: Puff the Magic Dragon

And for those who missed the link in the quote, here is Ross playing a well known song on his LEGO ukulele.

head

Incidentally, this is how you make a tuning peg out of LEGO. Clever, no?

Fear the robot chicken

I always knew those crazy chickens in the backyard were up to something. Thanks to the clever mind of Angus Maclane, now I know and knowing is half the battle.

[Enter gratuitous sheep joke here]

I looked at it, so now you have to. Guy Himber has done it again and I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or run away. I do know one thing. It’s disturbing on a deeper level because someone just saw this over my shoulder and swore at my screen. So it must be good, right?

(Before anyone asks, all the pieces are connected…except for the eyebrows and nostril bits)

Stark raving sane, indeed.

You never can predict when inspiration will hit. Nelson Neto (NaNeto) was watching Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, and was struck by the roving theater. So he built it, and it’s wonderful.

This creation is just PACKED with details. I am particularly fond of the luggage on top and the functionality of the theater itself. There are tons of great photos, though, so check it out!

What would C3PO drive?

Clearly, C3PO would drive this landspeeder by Luka (kost u grlu). It makes great use of the limited palette of gold parts available. What really kicks this creation up, though, is the interspersing of detail and mechanical bits throughout, much like C3P0’s exposed midsection. The use of the Build a Buzz’s helmet visor as a windscreen is just icing on the cake.

Protocol Droid's Landspeeder

Half-Life 2 Combine Strider by thire5

While most of us have been busy playing Portal 2, Martin Latta (thire5) isn’t one to leave a great Valve game like Half-Life 2 behind!

Martin’s Combine Strider is sure to strike fear into every Resistance fighter, even if they’re armed with rocket launchers.

Half-Life 2 Combine Strider

My new favourite set

I love self-reference and this LEGO model of a LEGO moulding machine is as self-referential as they come. Sadly if you don’t already own one of these (I don’t) then I doubt you ever will. It would appear only 68 were made for the LEGO Inside Tour.

Cars 2 trailer in Lego

Patrick Boivin was commissioned to make the official Cars 2 trailer in Lego, and he did a great job bringing out the personality of the characters through their animated facial features. The rest is some pretty smooth stop-motion action.

Thanks for the tip [Dablackcat]!

Space Shuttle Endeavour launches with LEGO aboard [News]

As we reported back in November, LEGO and NASA signed a deal to release sets like 3368 Space Center and even send LEGO up in one of the final Shuttle missions.

Endeavour launched earlier this week and is now docked at the International Space Station, where astronauts are using a specially built, clear glovebox to build some really awesome LEGO sets — for science! The box ensures that our favorite plastic bricks don’t get lost in the inner workings of the ISS, and — years in the future when the abandoned ISS hangs like a beacon of past glory in the evening sky — jams a crucial gear or something and brings the whole thing tumbling down on Perth.

LEGO space education sets

I like the little Hubble a lot. I’m trying to dig up how the general public can get these models (comment if you know), which were apparently made available to teachers so kids can follow along down here on boring old Earth.

Jesus Diaz over at Gizmodo has a nice write-up with all the details.

Microscale World War II planes and armor

I’ve been enjoying Kaptain Kobold‘s fun little LEGO creations for just about as long as I’ve been blogging, and I’m especially enjoying his latest set of microscale arms and armor from World War II.

Alan’s Renault FT-17 tank and Heinkel He 162 “Volksjäger” fighter jet illustrate that you don’t have to put a lot of parts together to make really great, recognizable models.

Renault FT-17 - Side Heinkel He 162 'Volksjäger'

My favorite is this Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, complete with spinning prop and tiny guns.

Messerschmitt Bf 109