Jason Allemann has used nothing but LEGO to build a fully functional combination safe. Not only does the safe lock with a three-number combination, Jason has designed the safe so that the safe itself cannot be removed from its outer case and opened without either knowing the combination or physically breaking LEGO pieces!
A picture doesn’t really prove it, so here’s Jason’s amazing video.
If you want to build you own LEGO safe, you can download instructions from Jason’s website.
TheBrickAvenger has posted his most ambitious LEGO diorama yet, with this scene inspired by the heyday of piracy in the 17th-century Caribbean. While one’s eye is certainly drawn to the steeply slanted roof, clock tower, and minifig action, the standout detail for me is the studs-out half timber construction. The builder also uses three completely different techniques for windows, including an ingenious but incredibly complicated bay window shared back in March by Sheo. Spend some time poring over the picture — I’m sure you’ll find something I’ve missed that’s even cooler.
Anyone who saw this year’s Mad Max: Fury Road will instantly recognize this model by Matt De Lanoy as the most metal truck ever to appear on screen. The Doof Wagon, as it’s known in the Mad Max universe, carries the hortator for Immortan Joe’s crazed army of raiders, blasting out an insane rock ballad while the truck screams across the desert in the middle of pitched combat.
Builder extraordinaire Nick Trotta is famous for building highly complex spacecraft and polishing them to perfection, and that reputation is well-deserved as evidenced by the Atomium. Not only has Nick built a stunning model, but he’s rebuilt and redesigned it enough times that he can build it completely from scratch in one sitting, as if he were following (his own) instructions. This works out great for us, though, as we get to see exactly how everything fits together, thanks to a nifty time-lapse video of Nick building the model start to finish.
And if one isn’t enough, his previous model, which is also lovely but has a more industrial workhorse feel, also features a complete construction video so we can learn a few pointers.
Even though I’ve mainly been building military models over the last couple of years, I appreciate a good spaceship. And I’ve always been disappointed that I haven’t been able to play the iconic and influential Homeworld games. French builder Dorian Glacet has been playing Homeworld 2 lately, and built this great ship (actually a true SHIP at 105 studs long) with classic colors and stripes.
Dorian’s SHIP may look a lot like many of the other Homeworld-inspired spaceships we’ve featured over the years, but when I looked at his photostream, I was struck by the rather innovative approach to the ship’s core, which is entirely “studs-out”:
Dorian then attached greebles and the ship’s skin to this core:
Check out Dorian’s photostream on Flickr for more, including preliminary digital designs and work-in-progress shots.
Jordan Schwartz built the vehicle driven by Immortan Joe from the latest Mad Max movie. It features the stacked 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Villes along with the powerful engine and front plow. Surely getting a ride in this bad boy will take you straight to the gates of Valhalla!
Well, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a lot of groovy Mad Max Colon Fury Road builds popping up on our radar this week. Here is the “gigahorse”, excellently rendered in LEGO by alex & milo. I wish I could tell you more about the gigahorse, but I haven’t seen the movie yet and wanna avoid running into any spoilers (…and I suspect the longer I put if off, the harder that’s gonna be!)
Even when they are not electrically powered, Jason Allemann‘s creations still has ways to demonstrate motion. Check out these simple gravity-powered walkers.
Got builders block and need a break? Want a challenge? Or just want to test your building know how? Then I suggest you check out the fun little Reverse Engineering Contest. Unlike a lot of LEGO contest that ask you to create something, this one asks you to copy a build. They’re all small and deceptively simple, but once you actually sit down and start playing with it, it’s not always as easy as it seems.
This marks the first, of nine, weekly challenges:
It starts off simple and gets progressively harder. So why not join in on the action? Stretch your building brain a bit with these building exercises – oh and don’t forget to read up on the rules on how you could win some prizes. Though this contest is one where the best reward is figuring out all the puzzles.
Oh who am I kidding, a Birds set, and most importantly: rare and useful pieces from contest runner Ryan H. (LDM) is a pretty great prize.
Jason Allemann has come up with a design for Lego ballista that can launch a 2×4 brick 15 feet (which will let you hit almost any target in even the biggest dioramas). The best part is that he has posted step-by-step instructions for you to build your own. Time to get ready for battle!
As a small child back in Japan, I used Go pieces to create serpentine roads across tatami floors for my little Tomica cars, but my family left Japan before I ever played a proper game. I still get nostalgic whenever I see Go games. Joe Miller built this fully functional 9×9 Go set completely from LEGO, using some rather complicated techniques to place the black lines on the board.
The lines themselves are the tops of 1×2 half-panels wedged into full (3-brick high) panels, combined with some serious sideways and upside-down (SNOT) construction.
This crazy house is the fault of César Soares and it’s an eye-catcher. It really has some unusual angles going on, both on the roof and the walls. I also like the patches and repairs. It gives the house a sense of character and helps create a story in your mind.
