Posts by Daniel

Excuse me, sir, your television is leaking

When you look at as many LEGO creations every day as we do here at The Brothers Brick, you see a lot of similar models. But sometimes, something comes along that just makes you smile, like this wonderful model by Kale Frost. Not only is this retro TV well-crafted, but the test pattern adds a bit of whimsy. I’m old enough to remember when there were only 4-5 channels to choose from, and you had to walk over to the set and jiggle the antenna a bit now and then to fix the picture. and that first time you turned on the new color set and saw that technicolor pattern, you knew you were in for a treat.

Retro TV

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Space battleship inspired by US Navy ships is on-target

Some spaceship builders take their inspiration from science fiction movies or video games, while others use real-world inspiration, like NASA. But some of the most interesting sources, in my opinion, are naval vessels. Maybe it’s because I remember watching Starblazers (Space Battleship Yamato) when I was twelve. Battleships, fighter jets, and submarines in space? Count me in. From the looks of this amazing space destroyer, Ryan Olsen agrees. His original SHIP (built for SHIPtember) looks like a combination of a submarine and a battleship, with a symmetrical central fuselage bristling with an array of railguns, cannons, missile launchers, and even a few Modulex parts, is full of great details. One detail I love are several hardpoints or small docking ports along the center of each side where smaller ships could dock.

USS Halsey

Another naval inspiration is the complex bridge and conning tower, which is covered in sensors, targeting scanners, and communication relays.

A fun fact about Ryan’s SHIP building process is that he often starts his models in a digital format using only parts that exist in real life, in currently available colors for added authenticity, and to explore many details quickly in order to perfect his designs. With his digital design complete, he created a fun info-graphic to point out the many points of interest on his space battleship.

USS Halsey Technical Overview

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That is one smooth SHIP you have there sir

September is quickly coming to an end, and you know what that means… pumpkin spice (the spice must flow). But it also means an end to one of the most challenging and rewarding LEGO monthly build contests. That epic challenge known to many as SHIPtember. SHIP in this case stands for seriously huge investment in parts, as demonstrated by this tall boy by Andreas Lenander. One of the hallmarks of a great ship is its greebles, those seemingly random bits and bobs. Andreas uses them sparingly to spice up the large top section.

SS New horizon - L21

There are lots of subtle curves throughout the build like the small repeated section on the lower sides, and the long smoothed out front section. I also like the tangle of black pipes leading to the main thruster, but I think my favorite part is the large eye-like orange ring on the side. Another nice part usage is the bit of straight roller coaster track used to attach an assortment of sensors.

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TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for September 25, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of September 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS With the end of another fantastic and fun-filled season of the hit Fox show LEGO Masters, this week’s news is dominated by interviews with the three teams of finalists, including the newly crowned LEGO Masters.

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

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A long journey arrives at a most tranquil place

They say that the journey is what matters more than the destination, and that is certainly true for this weary traveler who has reached a gate in his long journey towards a distant temple in this tranquil scene by Andreas Lenander. The walls have a slightly weather-worn look using a few tan plates and even a few ingot pieces mixed in with white. The many black roof areas are accented with several angled black tiles. Two tall trees made with flexible brown tubes are a very nice touch.

Reaching the gate...

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This sleek racer has it all, speed, power and charm

It might not be November yet, but it’s never too early to start building Vipers, and while this little ship by Alvaro Gunawan may not have all of the necessary details to qualify as a viper, a specific type of ship inspired by the video game Gradius it does have plenty of charm. With a pair of prongs flanking a sloped central cockpit with a chunky engine and two thin but deadly guns. The only thing missing is a fin.

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LEGO 40478: Mini Disney Castle is a magical miniature [Review]

When LEGO releases big sets, it is not long before someone comes up with a miniature model to satisfy builders with a more modest budget. Sometimes LEGO even releases microscale versions of their own sets, like the microscale modulars. Well, if you have been craving the huge Disney castle set, but have not talked yourself into spending big money to pick it up, your dreams are about to come true with the upcoming set from LEGO, 40478 Mini Disney castle, which will include 567 pieces and will be available starting October 1st for US $34.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £30.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for all the miniature magic

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for September 11, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second week of September 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS This was a big week for news, reveals, teasers, and reviews from many LEGO themes, from guitars to video games to holiday scenes. Big names like Fender, Mario, Disney, and Star Wars, along with LEGO Ideas. So let’s jump in.

Read on for more news and reviews

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It turns out sand blue is a great color for a spaceship

LEGO spaceships come in all sorts of colors besides light gray and white. Sometimes a color combination just works, like with this smooth-lined ship by Caleb Ricks which combined sand blue with dark red to great effect. The rounded railing parts make a really nice repeated detail along the inside edge of each prong, and the bucket handles set at intervals along the top and bottom of the ship are another nice part usage.

The "Cerulean Star" Moc

The back of the ship includes a subtle exhaust vent, and another interesting part, a pair of vehicle windscreen frames set between the orange engines. The stand sets the ship at a very dynamic angle, which is a nice touch.

The "Cerulean Star" Moc

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Nothing warms you up like a fresh bowl of noodles

There are so many different types of LEGO elements that you can build pretty much anything you can imagine. Some builders make spaceships, some make robots, others make houses large and small. Khang Huynh takes inspiration from familiar sights they see everyday, like this noodle cart stationed next to a dilapidated utility pole. I love the way one end of the cart is propped up an extra stool. The steam added to the photograph, and the dark lighting really help to set the scene.

[Familiar #11] - Hủ tiếu mì gõ | Knock-knock Noodle

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This fighter is both smooth and chunky

The new LEGO Vidiyo theme may not be the most popular among adult builders, but it has certainly introduced builders to some unusual large but potentially versatile parts. In Tom Loftus’s own words, every part is a spaceship part, which he set out to prove, and did quite a top-notch job. This fighter is built around the lime-green base from the pods that serve as the central element of each set.

QUATRO

The grooves designed to fit extra tiles make great cooling vents, and just to show that this chunky fighter can also pour on the speed, there are plenty of thrusters squeezed on to the backs of each engine pod.

QUATRO (2)

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 28, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of August 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS This past week was a bit light on LEGO news, but we did get a new Technic set revealed, along with new sets from The Eternals. We also sat down with two different teams leaving the hit series on Fox: LEGO Masters.

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.