Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

These brick-built blades are looking sharp.

At first glance, you might think Aiden Rexroad has traded in LEGO bricks for a swordsmith forge. But don’t despair. It turns out these swords aren’t metal after all, but rather some amazingly realized life-sized recreations.

First up, Aiden’s katana was built to celebrate 10 years of Ninjago, which makes sense because the curvature on this blade feels like a bit of Garmadon’s sorcery at work. And the way the handle is detailed with the diamond shapes that replicate the traditional wrapping is outstanding.

Aiden’s long sword is equally impressive. While the blade is a little more straightforwardly built than the katana’s, there’s still a lot of technique at play here. The inverted sloped wedges, for instance, do an impressive job of creating a realistic shaping to the crossguard.

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This Super Nintendo Entertainment System is more than meets the eye

There’s a worry that when someone builds something in LEGO that looks so much like the real thing folks may simply pass it up when scrolling through social media. We at The Brothers Brick, on the other hand, are slightly more astute than the average bear when it comes to spotting clever LEGO creations. I can assure you, fellow bears, that this creation by Julius von Brunk is a clever one. It likely would have been featured anyway if it was merely a well-built LEGO facsimile of the Super Nintendo Game Console. Normally, we’d highlight this or that sweet build technique, point out a nice parts usage here or there then move on with our day. Shampoo, rinse, repeat. But then. But then upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that each element, the game console, cartridge, and both controllers transform into robots!

Click here to see more. You know you want to!

The perfect combination of Star Wars and Gundam

This stunning model was created by Grammaticul with incredible renders by Tong Xin Jun. The build features elements of a classic X-Wing fighter incorporated into a Gundam mech. The red head crest is actually built to simulate the Rebellion symbol with a kunai piece creating the pointed centre. The X-Wing cockpit is embedded within the mech’s torso and features all main colours of a typical Gundam design. In this first image, there is also the nice touch of a snake piece representing smoke ascending from the barrel of the gun.

The wings and boosters are splayed out on the back of the model with vibrant pink engine details. Ninja daggers represent the tips of the laser guns which extend from the main wing segments.

With all that weight, it is no wonder that the model would need a stand. Perhaps we will see this build face off against a TIE fighter combined with a Zaku in the future. The intricate details of the model provide it with a slender and elegant style while having recognizable features of both an X-Wing and a Gundam.

Intercity Express or modern day Magic School Bus?

Some parts LEGO produces seem to have a single purpose, the purpose they were designed for. However, most of the time these parts have studs or anti-studs so they could be used to build with. Vince Toulouse managed to incorporate the Life on Mars air pump The pump isn’t the only interesting piece Vince used. There is Bionicle seaweed and dragon tails used as engine exhaust pipes and the headlights are Clickits flowers. The round and curvy shapes of the dark green parts complement the shapes of the air pumps wonderfully. It’s nice to see the colour sand purple pop back up in a creation as it is a fairly rare colour. Somehow this model reminds me of the Magic School Bus which also always is a good sign.

Eroded rocks and wand fences

I love a good Tudor style build. And since LEGO is slow when it comes to producing castle themed sets we love to feature medieval fan creations here at The Brothers Brick. This creation by Robert features some lovely techniques. The one that really catches the eye is the use of upside down 1×2 dark blue plates for roof shingles. The roof needs the texture added by the plates because it is quite present in the build and without it the roof would look quite bland. The waterwheel is ingeniously made with a lot of A-shape wedges. For the rocks they used a variation of round bricks. This makes the rocks look like they got smoothed out by the eroding water traveling down from them. Also the cute fence made out of wands with sprue attached deserves a quick mention.

Do they take turns riding each other?

Racing around the universe can get lonely, but the Student Scissors has found a solution – A cool bike that transforms into a robot companion! Viral Racer Unit-01 features a great looking pilot figure that makes use of the head from the Collectible Minifigure Series 19 Galactic Bounty Hunter atop a studly (although almost studless) brick-built body. The teal accents are carried over into the fenders on the motorcycle – a vehicle that has, shall we say, more to it than meets the eye.

Yes, the bike transforms into this cool reptilian looking mode. I really like how the dual radar dishes that make up the tires split, and how the dinosaur tail elements go from fenders to tentacles. Best of all, the overall shape of this mode doesn’t really suggest the motorbike version; rare feat in transforming models.

But best of all, the two figures fit perfectly together, ready to take on the world. Or worlds.

If you in the mood for more multi-form goodness, be sure to check out our transformable tag!

There’s something fishy about Skaldar Port

What is better than a nice medieval building made out of LEGO? An entire medieval city! Louis of Nutwood created Skaldar Port. A place that apparently is salty, damp and a bit stinky. It’s supposed to smell like fish. Even though it smells, it’s a place of hope for a lot of people who want a fresh new start in life. What makes this build amazing isn’t just its size. Each little building could perfectly work as a stand-alone creation. The stonework on the little houses is made with great attention to detail. There are a lot of different bricks used to depict the crumbling bricks of the building. From slopes to tiles to bricks to wedges. Using the same technique for the roof and the Tudor style throughout the build creates a uniformity to the creation that is really nice.

These caves are several miles down, but only six studs deep.

Mystery and adventure await all those who are brave enough to ride the secret elevator to the underground boat dock in The Deep Down, by Eli Willsea. Limited to what he could fit in a carry-on suitcase for a cross-country convention trip, Eli managed to pack a mountain of detail into a microscale space. This build gets some amazing results from some deceptively simple techniques, like the boat dock made from half-pressed together plates and the roof of the house held on only by gravity.

But it isn’t only simplicity that makes this build shine. The scene includes a working elevator and lights that illuminate the underground chambers for an extra eerie atmosphere. Take a look at the video below to see all the features of the build in action and get inspired to do some exploring of your own.

Rendezvous with this SHIP for all your refueling needs!

Back at it again with the SHIPtember fare, we have an intricate, industrial SHIP by builder Sunder_59. This model is the latest of Sunder’s giant spaceships and there was plenty of planning as usual. This tanker, the ORS Hinduan, features plenty of brick-built cylindrical and spherical elements within its asymmetrical design. The shape of the ship, especially with the elevated bridge, is reminiscent of naval freighters. Equipped to refuel ships large and small, this side of the ship has landing pads and refueling stations above each tank while two large, extended refueling rigs are attached to the bottom.

Sensor and communications arrays extend from the front of the ship, though I imagine the pill-shaped section jutting out from the base is a form of docking mechanism. On the other side, the detailed, exposed elements of its large engines fit into a near-future, “hard sci-fi” model, like the ships of The Expanse. Known as greeble amongst builders, the mechanical components that Sunder has built into the engines elevate the design to something more realistic. For example, the orange spheres held in the rigging are probably reactors which is a delight to see accounted for within a design. The left side of the ship includes (what I imagine to be) an extendable solar panel as well as different piping around the tanks.

Some close-up shots give you a chance to appreciate the various techniques that Sunder_59 used to sculpt this. The bridge and refueling platforms are wonderful details. The bright yellow is eyecatching but compliments the blue(s), grey, and white of the ship’s body.

This builder seems to really understand how to build a SHIP from design to the challenges and benefits of space. For example, note the dark grey booster sections on the front and back of the ship which help adjust its heading and orientation. I can’t wait to see what Sunder_59 brings us in SHIPtember 2022.

On a trip to Southern Europe without the hassle of traveling

What do you do when you can’t go on your trip to Southern Europe? Right, you just build a mini version of it! Andrew Tate made this lovely LEGO town square with a combination of different European style buildings. The build features a restaurant, a clothing shop, and lots of apartments above the shop and the restaurant.

There are a lot of nice details added to the buildings. One of my favorite elements is the fluted profile brick being used in brown as shutter and in tan as pleated blinds. The 1×1 tiles on the blue building do a great job representing tiles. The sand green building has windows adorned with loaf slopes. One of the things that really make this creation a lot of fun is the number of levels it has and the activity that is going on on each level. Your eyes can scan the picture multiple times and every single time you’ll notice something new. I can already imagine myself sitting on that lovely city bench underneath the blooming gazebo enjoying the busy city life in front of me.

Titanic ship on a tiny budget

Struggling to find the cash or time to invest in the enormous new LEGO Titanic set? Well builder POMXLEGO may have a solution — why not build your own teeny-tiny version instead? This is an excellent microscale model, managing to nicely capture the essential elements of its larger inspiration — the shaping of the hull, the colours, and the raked angle of the masts and funnels. It’s immediately recognisable without attempting to cram too much into its tiny footprint. I love the use of inverted vertical clips along the top to create texture and detail.

Alien’s Nostromo recreated in the brick

1978’s Alien is a watershed moment in sci-fi cinema — tapping into the enthusiasm for all things sci-fi following the success of Star Wars, but using its interstellar setting to spin a very different, very adult, and very scary tale. LEGO builder Bousker perfectly recreates the film’s opening sequence with this depiction of the eerily quiet interior compartments of the starship Nostromo. Ron Cobb‘s original production design for the ship’s interiors have become as iconic as Giger’s famous design for the film’s beastie. The Nostromo has an industrial functionality and a cold but lived-in look, coupled with a whiff of the 70s with those curves and stark white walls. Bousker has captured the feel of both design and sequence perfectly — I particularly love the curved couches, the ladder between decks, and the scattered equipment awaiting the rousing of the crew from their cryosleep. Classy touch to add the cinematic black strips to the image too.