This rendition (yes, it is a render) of the ubiquitous surge protector or “power strip” is spot on. Matt Bace did an awesome job. It looks like you can plug it in and go to work!
Yearly Archives: 2015
Ask a Lemur – Brick Separators, Mold Variants and Twerking Squidbots
Gidro aho, Dearest Readers!
As you know, I am the intern for The Brothers Brick. Yes, I am a lemur and I’m here to answer your questions regarding LEGO, the fan community and inner workings of The Brothers Brick. Talking to you all is truly a highlight for me. I look forward to it all week long! I have finally gotten caught up on my backlog of lemur loot. I just put the last pile on Simon’s desk and will ask him to mail it out tomorrow on his way to the airport. He is heading out to get ready for his weekend with the lucky winner of our “Win a Weekend with Simon” promotion. It was one of our most popular events yet. We had to set aside the conference room for entry overflow because the mail room couldn’t handle the flood.
Remember to post your questions in the comments. Each week I will be sending some loot out to the people who ask my favorite questions!
Now on to the good stuff.
Are you aware of any plans for a new brick separator tool?
I am not aware of any plans for a new official brick separator. LEGO upgraded their separator recently and I doubt they would change it again so soon. But, really, you never know. The new version is interesting. It feels a bit more flimsy than the old one but it has new features, such as being able to use the end of the handle to remove tiles and having a short technic axle on the back so you can push pins out.
I recently found out about a third party brick tool called The Brick Popper. I haven’t gotten my paws on one yet but it looks like it could be rather useful, especially for removing plates. Anyone out there have one? I’d like to hear if it is any good. I’ve been using my teeth to remove really troublesome plates and the contributors are getting irritated by the teeth marks.
UCS Red Five X-Wing improved
Released in 2013, LEGO’s Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) Red Five X-Wing was much better than the original from about fifteen years ago. It is a fantastic set, but a set nonetheless, with all the limitations in terms of construction and parts usage that this entails. The engine nacelles are too small, the fuselage sides aren’t angled properly and while the nose on the model gets narrower towards the front, it should also be tapered when seen from the sides.
As a fan, James Cherry (crash_cramer) does not suffer from the same constrains as the set designers. His UCS X-Wing took him two years of intermittent tinkering, but the result is a massive improvement. “— Red Five standing by.”
Some days, all you need is a swing.
Sometimes the best things are the simple pleasures. Swinging on a swing set is definitely one of those. You get to feel the wind in your hair, and work up the courage to leap off when the swing reaches the perfect height.
Alexander Safarik’s (Malydilnar) brick-built version is ready for anyone who’s willing to come and swing for a while!
Classic cars that should have been
I must be on a car kick today.
These classic little cars are just adorable, well designed, and have so much character. Chris Elliot‘s got quite a few of them in his photostream; I couldn’t pick just one.
So, dear reader, chime in, in the comments: which one is your favorite?
1899 Kastner Stadtauto
1958 Bruegger-Radnor Centaur Taxi
1992 Ace Roadster Concept
Fancy a ride?
This was just too lovely to pass up. I don’t know the make, model, or anything about the bike itself, but I do know that I just love the styling and sculpting that Hirnlego-lego-lego-lego‘s put into this lovely build.
Cleaning up space dust
Let’s give Tyler a hand...
This build, by Tyler, depicts the sad end of a tragic story. We don’t know the details but we know it didn’t end well.
I love the construction here of the hand and chains, of course. But I think the unsung hero here is the backdrop. That is some lovely brickwork going on there!
Beorn the Skin Changer
This depiction of Beorn, the shape-shifting man from Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is quite striking. Adam Dodge has made something pretty unique here. I really love the symbolic look and feel of this piece. The beard is awesome and the bear is beautifully made. The pose of the bear as it reaches towards Beorn’s treasured horses is a great touch too.
Teslatown – A Steampunk Metropolis
Rod Gillies created this lovely steampunk harbor town for Brick2014 in London. I love the whimsical, compact look he has going on. It’s also got all kinds of motors and lights and what-not, as seen in this video taken at the convention. I love the use of the Lava Lamp. That’s some creative thinking outside the brick!
Check out the video as well!
Strike and counterstrike
I suspect the ongoing HARDnuary challenge will generate many more great builds before the month is out. But as we recently revealed, there already appear to be two ‘heavy hitters’ in the ring. For his latest entry, Carl Merriam decided to build a bunch of matches. That’s right, your eyes do not deceive you… The entire scene below is made from LEGO!
But Kosmas Santosa is no slouch, and responded by playing the nostalgia card with this equally stunning recreation of a vintage cassette recorder, complete with tapes.
Breann Sledge wins 24k gold grand prize in the Bionicle Battle for the Golden Mask Contest
This mask was up for grabs in a multi-site contest, designed to welcome back the Bionicle theme. Each of the sites involved ran a contest and the winners went head-to-head for the grand-prize.
Breann Sledge won the gold mask with this highly detailed bad boy, Akutahn the Makuta of Okoto. I think I detect a bit of Breann’s Alaskan roots in that name. Standing over 20 inches tall and loaded with all the awesome detailing and posability that we expect from Breann, this top-notch villain is totally a winner.
Check out the other incredible finalists after the break!
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