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.

In space, don’t walk—crawl!

You know what I love about science fiction (AKA LEGO Space)? There are pretty much no rules. Oh sure, you can argue that a castle isn’t science fiction, but it is if you slap some rocket boosters on it. And that also means if you want to make a giant treaded machine for moon roving like this one by SweStar, no one can stop you. It may not be as unconventional as a rocket castle, but there’s no denying that it’s pure cool.

This tracked crawler is actually modular. It comes with its own smaller rover and a variety of tanks (you just know those yellow ones are explody). And in case the worst happens, you can get out quick with the detachable cockpit which turns into a Neo-Classic Space-themed spaceship.

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Papercraft and LEGO make for the cutest crab

Exceptional arthropod builder Takamichi Irie probably could’ve engineered a crab completely out of LEGO. He didn’t need to make a paper shell – but that wasn’t the point. Combining his love for LEGO creatures with his uncle’s passion for papercraft, he has formed an adorable crab.

Under that paper shell is the unique parts usage we’re used to. The hotdogs work well as legs, and the bulb elements (Bionicle eye) are perfect for the eyes. In addition and as usual, the arrangement of the pieces makes it look organic.

This artistry and attention to detail must run in the family because Takamichi has also gained inspiration from his late grandfather. The last time we featured one of his pieces, it was a mixed media bull also using papercraft. Check out it and his other work in our archives.

Life is like...something, something

There’s an old adage I’ve heard somewhere about life being like something or another but damned if I can remember it now. Sometimes the ol’ reptile brain is not as responsive as it used to be. Maybe it’ll come to me at some point. Anyway, for unrelated reasons, here’s a LEGO box of chocolates built by Kale Frost. It’s amazing that you can make LEGO look so tasty and decadent. The sheer variety of chocolate treats here can be written into some kind of clever analogy or another but I’ll leave the creative thinking to you. While you’re mulling that over, here are the other times we’ve been totally smitten by something Kale has built.

Not just your garden greenhouse

If you’ve never been to a botanical garden, you should go. As a kid, the first one I ever visited was the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, Canada. I recall feeling like I had entered a wonderland. And as I saw the greenhouses, I realized I would never look at them the same way again. Since then, of course, I have been exposed to many large gardens and massive greenhouses, but I’ll never forget the beginning. This LEGO build by Kris Kelvin (Montgomery Burns) reminds me of that experience. It may be mostly veggies as opposed to flowers, but those big greenhouses sure are striking!

The huge display is filled with nice element usage, especially through the implementation of minifigure parts and accessories. There are also a couple of fun touches for those keen to investigate closely. Although it’s not a new technique, I’m personally fond of the fence design. Apparently, this will be part of an even larger diorama, which we can’t wait to see in its entirety! In the meantime, check out some of this builder’s other excellent work.

This barber can help get you back into polite society again

I remember barbershops! They were popular before all this COVID stuff. Since lockdown, some of us have taken matters into our own unskilled hands. One neighbor gave himself the “Robocop” haircut while another gave himself the ever-popular “I’ll never recover from this financially” hairdo. As circumstances have it, I’ve been rocking the “Crystal Palace” look for months now. No muss, no fuss, no nothing! With my goatee, I resemble the bassist for a heavy metal band or a tiny bouncer. Once things get back to normal this LEGO barber by Vir-a-cocha should get your hair looking as hip and cool as his own. He seems like he’d be a fun conversationalist, too. I really miss barbershops! Do yourselves a favor, next time you go to a barber or beautician, be sure to tip them well and let them know they are greatly appreciated. I also really miss hair.

It is currently cowabunga hours

“The perimeter’s quiet.” “Yeah, a little TOO quiet.” It feels like we’ve all forgotten that there were actual Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sets some time ago. Unlike the lifespan of LEGO’s short-lived theme, LEGO fans will build Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo for generations to come. Alex Jones (Orion Pax), the builder of all things pop culture, recently designed some nifty large scale figures of the loveable pizza-consuming reptiles.

Not only is each Ninja Turtle recognisable by his coloured masks but also of their unique weapons. Alex also went out of his way to make each character a different shade of green. And it wouldn’t be possible without the Hulk arm pieces coming in those colours. I particularly like the use of minifig seats as the shells and minifig legs as the hands and feet.

Check out more builds by Alex here!

TBB cover photo for April 2021: The Sports Car of the Century

If you’ve seen gull-wing doors that open skyward, then you’ve seen the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupé from 1955. Tobias Munzert created a LEGO Creator Expert-scale replica of the most beautiful car in the world using mostly parts from the official 10262 Aston Martin DB5 set. In addition to the silver colour scheme, he captured the curves of this car in precise detail, down to the slight curve of the front intake. Tobias also included basic functions that all display models need: opening trunk and hood, and the opening gull-wing doors.

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Everybody gangsta till the TIE Fighter’s wings fold up

Moff Gideon does not simply fly a boring TIE Fighter. Rather, he is a man of class and mysterious wealth and is special enough to have his own personal spacecraft. When he arrives at the scene flanked by his stormtrooper army, there is no escape for Rebel scum… Michał Kozłowski built the TIE variant seen in The Mandalorian, known as the Outland TIE Fighter flown by Moff Gideon.

While not completely bespoke to the cold and calculating Moff, this craft has a unique folding wings feature. As Michał demonstrates in his YouTube video, the wings fold easily but can also stay upright when in flight mode without wobble. He achieves this by having lightsaber blades inside several Technic pins to create the necessary friction to be stable.

Check out more TIE Fighter builds we’ve featured here on The Brothers Brick!

What’s happening in the back alley

We’ve featured quite a few LEGO facades, but it’s surprising to see how much life might be behind these buildings. Kris Kelvin (Montgomery Burns) depicts the back lot of two buildings in excellent minifig-scale realism without sacrificing any detail or action. This diorama is bustling with new shipments of lobsters, Scala bottle elements, and pork chops. In addition to the goods, you’ll find dark tan tiles scattered across the sidewalks and air conditioners that really capture that city grime. There’s also a variety of bar and fence parts to create all sorts of railings, gates, and pipes throughout. We’ve spotted the use of some rare brown fence pieces incorporated into the tall gates of the lot entrance. And at the intersection, there’s a pair of stoplights supported by bar handles and lightsaber hilts.

According to Kris, this build, along with an autumn garden, is part of a larger city diorama in progress. While we’re waiting to see it all come together, visit our archives for a look at some more detailed dioramas.

This is one cool CAT

There’s something extra cool about LEGO creations that could easily double for high-end action figures. Omar R Ovalle knows just how to deliver that sort of build, as seen here in CAT. Part of their “Space Monkey and the Astronuts” theme, this is one heavy duty worker. There are a lot of clever tricks in play here, but one you might not expect is the use of black electrical tape to bypass sourcing some hard to find LEGO elements. Personally, that just feels like a smart extension of custom sticker use, which is also used here to great effect.

Omar cites Marco Marozzi as a source of inspiration for this creation. You can certainly see the influence when you look at some of Marco’s featured builds. How about you? Inspired? What sort of mech do you want to build today?

A quite literal tea house

How does one turn an onion dome into a teapot house? Just ask Jonas Kramm! This little creation contains exactly 101 parts and my guess is that the onion dome is what inspired the build. Note the use of the Wampa horn, baseball bat and hinge top as architectural detail. The use of the flintlock musket as a tree trunk is really clever. And the rocking chair design is simple but effective. All I am wondering now is how Jonas managed to obtain a featureless friends face.

A long walk to the nearest gas station

Master of eerie landscapes Bart De Dobbelaer returns with Marooned of CZ-57. As usual there are tons of great building techniques and details to enjoy, but the standout feature this time has to be the golden lake made from Ninjago dragon wings. Or maybe it’s those curves in the the ruins. Or the dark orange plant life. No, wait, it’s the gold and green insectoid life forms. Yes, definitely the bugs. Unless you’re counting that great life-pod build. Oh, well…I guess it’s all pretty nifty.

If you like this build, check our archives for more great environments from Bart. And then continue on to do more exploring with great creations from other Space enthusiasts. You didn’t have anything else pressing to do today, right?