Monthly Archives: July 2019

This epic LEGO coal mining shovel is nearly as tall as its builder

If this 1:28.5 scale model of the Marion 5760 Mountaineer stripping shovel doesn’t make your jaw hit the floor, then I suggest you take a closer look. Personally, I am glad that it is equipped with robust power functions to lift mine back up. Beat Felber, also known as Engineering with ABS, has created an absolutely stunning model of this monster of a machine used to scrape off the top layers of earth from seams of coal in Ohio. The Mountaineer was in operation from 1956 until 1979, and considering how massive the LEGO model of it is, I can only imagine how enormous the real thing was. It must have moved a lot of dirt. I almost said “a ton of dirt”, but I’d bet the shovel could lift a lot more than a ton of rock and dirt in every scoop. (It was closer to 60 tons per scoop! – Ed.)

Marion 5760 The Mountaineer

Click here to dig deeper into this build

Ferrari 250 GT has earned its stripes

The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB was one of the most successful GT racing cars of the early 60s, and even without considering its trophy-winning prowess, was undoubtedly one of the coolest looking. Noah L‘s LEGO version is as classy as its inspiration. The model’s shaping is excellent, nicely capturing the car’s stylish curves. And that central tricolour stripe is just lovely.

LEGO Ferrari Sports Car

In an impressive display of building skill, Noah has crammed in a detailed interior, an engine, and opening doors, bonnet, and boot — no mean feat in such a tight footprint.

LEGO Ferrari Sports Car

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 28, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of July 2019.

LEGO Masters is coming to the U.S. and looking for contestants. Have you got what it takes? Keep reading this week’s Brick Report for a closer look.


TBB NEWS, REVIEWS AND INSTRUCTIONS: This week was all about a treehouse with an announcement and a review. Plus, learn to make your own Golden Snitch!

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An enigmatic maze

Sometimes you don’t need a wide breadth of pieces to build a great LEGO model. You just need a large quantity of a handful of elements. That seems to be the case with this eye-catching maze by Dutch builder Erik Eti Smit. Using a repeating pattern of tan arches, curved slopes, and striking red slopes, Erik has crafted a stunning maze for some hapless dwarves.

Doolburg

Click to see more of the maze and dwarves

Two will battle, only one shall return

Sometimes simplicity tells a great tale — a lone Japanese temple with a wide vast landscape with a battle in the snow, perhaps for the freedom of a prisoner of war. The 3×4 modified tile that comes with as the character stand in the collectible minifigures series, somewhat less commonly found in builds, is put to good use as the roof design for this lovely scene by Brickr. The toribusuma, which is the curved part at the edges of the roof, reminds us of a time when sometimes the only way to bring honour to the family is through “harakiri” sacrificial death.

Winter Showdown

It’s dangerous to go alone, take this Link sculpture!

Hey! Listen! Builder Vincent Kiew has built a terrific homage to one of the best RPG video games ever made, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Series hero Link (please don’t call him Zelda) has been lovingly recreated here astride his trusty steed (also not named Zelda), ready for an epic adventure in the kingdom of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

This is a delightful model that brought a smile to my face as soon as I saw it. Upon closer inspection, I was immediately impressed by the iconic Zelda touches and the creative use of parts. The horse is chock full of building techniques that combine together to create the complicated musculature. The modified 1 x 2 plates with 3 claws make a beautiful mane and the I really like the minifigure crutch as stirrups. The award for best part use, however, must go to the implementation of Samurai helmets as hooves. If it looks like it’s defying gravity, that’s because it is! The horse was originally held up with transparent bricks which were then quickly removed for the photograph, and luckily it all remained intact.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The Link figure captures the character perfectly and his clothes are nicely rendered, with special modifications for riding versus standing. The use of car hoods for the hips of his tunic while riding and unicorn horns for his hair wisps are both great touches. As a Legend of Zelda fan, I really appreciate all the attention to Link’s equipment. The details on The Master Sword and in particular, The Hylian Shield, are beautiful. The builder even goes so far as giving him a tiny Shiekah Slate hooked to his belt with an Elves goblin eye tile to finish it all off. Now you may ask, “But, where is this Zelda we keep hearing about?” to which I shall answer “It’s a secret to everybody.”

Man and dog versus a whole bunch of mutants

The 2007 Will Smith movie I Am Legend is in my top 10 favorite films from the post-apocalyptic genre, and I’ve always wanted this to have a sequel of sorts. This iconic scene built by Patrick B. is full of painstaking work showing the disarray of a weathered city block. Countless number of brown whip minifigure accessories intertwine as tree roots and vines, crawling all over the building facade and road surface. If you haven’t already seen this movie, give it a chance — and even if you’ve caught it on the big screen, do lookout for an alternate ending that was produced with many different scenes that tell a slightly different tale.

I AM LEGEND

A collection of hard-hitting hardsuits.

One of the hallmarks of a great LEGO creation is when the subject stands entirely on its own merit, and the use of plastic parts is so completely integrated that it transcends the medium. When I first saw these LEGO Hardsuits by David Collins in my Flickr feed, my first thought was, “Cool action figures!”, followed by “OMG, that’s LEGO.” Not only are these battling hardsuits very nicely detailed with bright colors and custom stickers, but they are also much larger than they first seem.

Check out David’s colorful hardsuits in more detail

Let’s run away with the circus!

Builder Ian Hoy turns our attention to the center ring with this beautifully built circus scene. Heed the carnival barker in his jaunty top hat as he calls to you — “Step right up folks and stare in awe and amazement at this action-packed quintuple of animal performers, each one with its own special talents on display! Hurry, hurry! Take a peek, you won’t be disappointed!”

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_013

Each of the animals in this scene could stand on its own, but the combination of all of them together makes for a truly marvelous show. If I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be the leaping tiger. Hou manages to imbue it with action, movement and just a touch of danger.

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_006

The scooter-riding bear is a close second with his whimsical expression. The dog as the carnival barker is a brilliant touch, and the magician’s rabbit also provide a nice dose of humor and expression. Taking center stage is everyone’s favorite big-eared elephant Dumbo, although Hou doesn’t reference him as such in his descriptions of the piece.

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_007

Every performer has a level of detail and building creativity that is a joy to look at up close and leaves me wanting to figure out how the builder did it all.

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_012

The setting of the scene is equally rich in detail, from the bejeweled stage lights to the speakers and rounded stage. The use of flags on the sides also adds to the festive atmosphere and the font on the word “circus” is particularly impressive and creative. I’m also particularly fond of the use of the backside of the pieces to create the curtained backdrop. Many builders go to great pains to not show the back, but Hou does a terrific job in this case and it all blends together perfectly. As an added bit of humor, in the corner behind the tiger there looks to be a crate full of food, including a cooked turkey, to make sure the performers are well fed and ready to play.

Luckily, the fun doesn’t stop with the front of the model! The back and outside are equally impressive, utilizing a second lettering style and a simple but effective representation of a circus tent.

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_009

Like any good traveling spectacular, at the end of the day the whole shebang can be folded up and moved on to the next city, ready to thrill audiences with the greatest show on earth!

DOGOD_Animal_Circus_010

We have proof that the earth is as flat as a LEGO baseplate

If it’s on the internets, it must be real. Thus, by Laws of Cyberspace, I decree that there is sufficient evidence to prove that the earth is flat. LEGO Certified Professional Ryan McNaught collaborated with Centuri Chan to turn this conspiracy into reality by building a scaled-down Flat Earth. However, just proving the earth flat is not enough — all fakery perpetrated on the sheep-like masses by Them must be debunked! So Ryan and Centuri toiled away (probably wearing the necessary tin-foil headgear) to reveal the truth behind key moments in our history. The truth is out there, and it may keep you up at night — just be careful where you walk barefoot in the dark!

Some of the real-life moments captured with LEGO bricks include a behind-the-scenes view into the making of the movies purportedly about men landing on the moon, which of course was filmed in a Hollywood back lot. Lots of coffee and croissants were needed to energise the hard-working crew. We must never forget.

Let the scales drop from your eyes to see more truth as revealed in LEGO bricks

Grab a bite to eat at the Potion Shoppe

You feel that? That’s your sudden desire for a picnic lunch. A second ago you didn’t feel it but now you do. You may or may not want these particular food items, but you do want food now. That is the power of suggestion and it just goes to show how suggestive LEGO can be. In this life-sized food arrangement, builder Little John sculpts strawberries using these red wedges. The quarter cheese wheel, even the knife and cutting board evoke memories of healthful weekend lunches on the patio. The carrot uses much larger wedges in orange, these plant bits and green hoses for the stalks. My favorite item on this menu is the fried chicken drumsticks.

Potion Shoppe - Food

Like what you see so far? It turns out this is merely one element of a much larger collaborative immersive experience called the Potion Shoppe that was on display at Brickworld in Chicago. Bon appétit!

Build your very own Golden Snitch [Instructions]

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, then you may have dreamed of catching a Golden Snitch while hurtling through the air on your very own Nimbus 3000. Now, thanks to these instructions by hachiroku24 you can! Well, part of it at least. Get ready to catch a Snitch without having to deal with temperamental brooms, rogue Bludgers, jeering crowds or soul-sucking Dementors.

The designer has done a great job of capturing the filigree delicate wings and ornately carved sphere of the Snitch using an assortment of knives and swords. You could easily make custom adjustments if you want to show your Snitch with folding wings, or even no wings at all. Chosen One saliva not included.

Lego Golden Snitch MOC