SlyOwl’s latest creation combines two of my favorite themes into one sweet little ship. Crammed with all the fun details we have come to expect from this builder, this pirate ship sets off on its quest to plunder the Steampunk world!
Category Archives: Building Techniques
Steam is hard, let’s go shopping
Making big LEGO steam engines that run is hard work. LEGO train track has very sharp curves which mean all sorts of clever trickery is required to make a steam train even get around it without looking totally stupid. Fortunately Cale Leiphart is quite an expert in it and shows off a lovely 4-4-0 locomotive (that’s eight wheels) from the Maryland & Pennsylvania railway. The presentation in front of the Twin Cities LEGO Train Club’s layout is pretty snazzy too.
The transforming mecha of Izzo
One of the things I love about Izzo is the building phases he goes through. Lately, he’s been on a bit of a transforming kick.
For several of his transformers (lowercase T), Izzo has included a diagram illustrating the stages of their transformation:
Izzo’s diagrams include a handy chart showing precisely how transformable each mecha is, ranging from “Fully Transforms” at the top to “Does Not Transform” down at the bottom. I suspect Izzo is being hard on himself with his low transformability rating. ;-)
Be sure to check out all six of Izzo’s transforming mecha on Brickshelf. Izzo also has a great roundup post of recent transforming mecha by other Japanese builders. You don’t need to read Japanese — just click the links!
Brent Waller releases Batman Tumbler instructions
We featured Brent Waller’s desert-camo Tumbler back in April, and now he’s released full instructions for the black version of his LEGO Batman Tumbler.
You can download the instructions from Brent’s site (4.5 MB PDF), or view the parts list and page-by-page instructions in HTML.
Neo-Classic Space LL-497 by Peter Reid
Peter Reid‘s series of Neo-Classic Space vehicles evoke simultaneous feelings of awe, jealousy, and nostalgia.
For Pete’s latest, he gives 497 Galaxy Explorer the contemporary treatment:
Pete’s use of modern bricks and current building techniques, applied to the shapes and colors of LEGO from the Classic Space era, results in creations that combine the best of both worlds.
Lino shows his age
As part of LUGNuts‘ “Show your age” contest, Lino Martins rolls out yet another jaw-dropping tribute to the open road.
Lino’s 1971 Cadillac Eldorado:
Sweet ride, Lino!
A horse by any other name...
…wouldn’t be as cool as this one.
Check out this incredible pegasus by edulyoung
Many thanks to Bruce of VignetteBricks for pointing this out on Classic Castle
How to armor your post-apocalyptic minifigs’ shoulders
Big, bulky shoulder armor can certainly contribute to a minifig’s overall ApocaLEGO look, but attaching helmets is difficult and limits the minifig’s arm movement and poseability.
Austin S (MOCpages) has figured out the perfect combination of bulked-up armor and range of movement by using the old Rock Raiders helmet:
Cool. Off to try this on my own figs…
Exterminate! Kill the doctor!
Steven Locke (legoavon) presents a work-in-progress Dalek and Davros which are already by far the best I’ve seen at their size (Steven has also built bigger ones which are possibly better). His part use is breathtaking. I invite every sci-fi lover to browse Steve’s folders as he is an incredibly talented builder.
A classic dilemma
Master craftsman Jojo illustrates a fairly classic dilemma for LEGO builders: form over function or function over form. The differences are, for the most part, subtle but the ‘form over function’ design is definitely a little prettier.
Spanish-style modular cafe by peachtree
Japanese builder peachtree (Brickshelf) has completed a Café Corner-standard building in a lovely Spanish style:
There’s so much to love about this beauty, from the awning, exterior staircase, and window details to the interior, ivy-covered walls, and mottled roof.
(Via Brick Town Talk.)
Royal Knight’s Outpost
The latest creation by Tom Snellen is bursting with charm. According to the builder, this is his first foray into serious landscaping, as well as his first attempt at a tower with more than 4 sides. It was obviously a success!
