Yearly Archives: 2019

The heart is the soul, and sometimes the path to death

Biocup 2019 has kicked off this year with a preliminary theme of all things scary. Biocup is a fan friendly organised event where builders challenge themselves to use Lego Technic, Bionicle, CCBS (Creature and Character Building Systems) and Constraction with having little or no traditional LEGO System bricks involved. This particular round is themed on creations built on things that scare or put fear into your heart or send chills down your spine. Builder [VB]’s creation of a heart nailed right through is something to be afraid of. As much as the heart is one of the strongest muscle in the body, it’s also the one that can be the weakest or darkest in soul.

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Nothing compares to the simple pleasures of riding a bicycle

Builder Mel Finelli is back on the saddle with another amazing bicycle creation, and this time it’s of a 1960s Schwinn Stingray. The construct itself looks like it defies all logic and gravity even up to the handlebars floating. I can attest they do all fit together and hold well, having seen her earlier creation of the LaFrance Super-Streamline in person. What enables this magic to happen is LEGO flex-tubes threaded through the colored parts. What may look simple in the end is the result of whole lot of patience and planning. It was definitely worth it.

Click to see more details of the build

Coastal Defence the East-German way

I live in a Dutch seaside town that lies mostly below sea level. So, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of coastal defences is the seawall visible at the end of the road. However, there’s an entirely different type of coastal defence of a less peaceful nature. The “Rubezh” coastal defence system looks like something straight out of a GI Joe cartoon, but it was a Soviet mobile anti-ship missile launcher. The version I built served with the East-German Navy, until German reunification at the end of the Cold War in 1990.

In early August, I’ll be at BrickFair Virginia, displaying LEGO models in a Cold War military collaboration. I’ve written about several of these in the last few months. I also intend to highlight some of the models by other builders who are participating. I’ve mostly built Western systems for the collaboration, so I wanted to build another Eastern block model. I specifically wanted it to be East-German because the division between East and West Germany was central to the Cold War.
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Tank Man immortalised in ABS

Singaporean LEGO builder Jeffrey Kong‘s latest composition is a simple yet moving piece marking the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident. Kong’s work, both with the brick and with the public, has inspired me many times, and this time its a combination of the two. The scale he’s chosen has brought out a well crafted yet ominous tank and unknown protester, with the large Chinese character 点, imposing its presence. Translated to “a small amount, a dot or a drop”, this character is censored annually on China’s internet. You can read more on Kong’s Instagram. Every part within this build is a common element, leaving a stark example that you don’t need countless complex combinations to achieve an elegant creation. I find the impressive compositions here relate more to the contrasting colour use and symbolism of what it represents. I do thoroughly enjoy the 2×2 round plate with Rounded Bottom that he’s employed inversely as the tank hatch though.

All 7 new LEGO City Space sets for summer 2019 are now available [News]

Get ready to head to take to the stars with LEGO City, as the new summer 2019 wave of space-themed sets are available in the USA starting June 23. With rockets, extraterrestrial rovers, a space shuttle, and even a small space station, the line is embracing a new era of space exploration. While the sets have been available since June 1 in Europe, they received a slightly later launch of June 23 in the USA and Canada. Check them all out below.

Click to see all the new sets

Nothing square about this slim spaceship

LEGO Spaceships come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes delicate, sometimes brutal, sometimes massive, sometimes tiny. Frequently featured spaceship builder Shannon Sproule often surprises us with his unique style, and this search and rescue vessel does it again. Most of the repair ship is barely wider than a standard 2 stud brick, but the slender and tall profile is bristling with grappling arms, hangar bays, and lots of sloped parts to add a little flair. One of my favorite parts is the game die used along the underside. If you are a purist though, don’t look too closely at that bent antenna on the top (wink).

A welcoming watchtower

Although watchtowers are meant to be a lookout for warding off foes, this one by Ayrlego is a bit different. With its colorful trees and clever archway, it’s rather inviting, and I can’t decide which of the two features I like better! The window coverings are also a lovely touch, with tasteful stickers that play off of the doorway curves.

Ayrlego is skilled at creating a whole picture and story in a scene. Just take a look at this period-traveling Wainwright House or a vine-laden jungle lookout.

Little Apple gets an upgrade

This little LEGO beige box, by Thilo Schoen, is none other than the original 1984 Apple Macintosh. Over the years, I’ve seen quite a few builds of the Mac in question. But Thilo’s Hello Mac! is sporting something special. With the real one traditionally packing 128 KB of RAM, this sweet little recreation has been retrofitted with technology 25 years its junior: a 2009 iPod nano. Built tightly around this powerful futuristic processer, Thilo has kept its iconic shaping with some seamless SNOT work. The beveled edge framing the screen hasn’t been lost in the process either. I’m particularly fond of the modified 1×2 grille bricks used along the bottom as venting. Most impressive to me though, was that he has raised the front side up one plate thickness. This subtlety allows the whole unit to give it its classic tilted face.

Danish waterfront built in Danish bricks

Nyhavn is Copenhagen’s “New Harbour” district–a bustling waterfront and canalside area of the city popular with tourists. Miro Dudas put together a microscale LEGO slice of Denmark’s capital, complete with multicoloured houses, outdoor seating for the area’s many bars and restaurants, and some cute little boats. Using 1×2 bricks “edge on” is an effective technique for all the windows, and don’t miss the underside of 1×2 jumper plates used to create some of the ribbed metalwork of the waterfront pilings. The large base, spelling out the district’s name, is relatively simple, but enhances the presentation of the model, making this microscale creation feel surprisingly large.

A digital angel for difficult times

Builder Eero Okkonen returns yet again to The Brothers Brick with another amazing large scale figure. Say hello to the Blue Angel of Hallow – described by Eero in his blog post as “a superdigital being who watches over multimedia connections, protecting people from malignity and sourness.” Truly the sort of guardian we often need in today’s digital world.

Eero has once again found underutilized parts to create interesting textures and shapes. Insectoid wings bring more than a hint of circuitry, and the use of Space Port solar arrays for the skirts is inspired. The glittery solar panel sticker has an entirely different look when seen from the underside, reminding me of static or high jpeg compression. The blue of the armor and Clikits bracelet halo contrasts well with the magenta highlights and light green Hero Factory swords of her hair.

Explore where paved road ends with the new LEGO Technic 42110 Land Rover Defender set [News]

Today, the first product pictures of the new LEGO Technic sets became available. Here comes 42110 Land Rover Defender, a 2573-piece LEGO Technic replica of the legendary utility vehicle. The model has no electric elements, yet the retail price of the set in the UK will be £159.99 (according to Smyths Toys). The Land Rover is equipped with a working steering mechanism (which is standard for LEGO models of its size and class) and a 4-speed sequential gearbox, which is a very pleasant surprise for all LEGO Technic fans. Besides, the chassis carries 3 differentials and an independent suspension. The final touch is a working winch at the front of the vehicle.

Click here to learn more about the new LEGO Technic set…

Dreaming of owning a Dodge Challenger? Here’s your chance to build one [Instructions]

Thanks to Hachiroku24, instead of just dreaming of a Dodge Challenger R/T, you can now build your very own American muscle car. Gotta love how that set of binoculars seem to fit perfectly as the signature recessed headlights that one can instantly recognise from afar.

Here are the parts that you’ll need:

And here are the build instructions in this video: