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.

Guns? Check. Rotors? Check. All systems go!

Sometimes the inspiration for a LEGO build comes from the builder’s head, or from some media franchise, or from some particular piece that suggests a creation just by its shape. Sometimes it is all of those, as this build by Andreas Lenander demonstrates. The build was begun by thinking about the rim from the Harley Davidson Fat Boy, which led to thinking about the airships from Avatar, which led to a very cool, very capable-looking heavy gunship. A couple of these bad boys cresting the ridge, launching missiles from the under-wing batteries, spraying lead from the nose mounted gatling gun, would be sure to send the enemy running in fright. It is like a combination of the A-10 Warthog and the AH-64 Apache, and I love it.

Besides the rims, the build uses some of the grenade tips that I associate with newer Batman sets as its missiles, stuck into Technic pins and then stuck into the underside of bricks. It is a simple connection, though slightly “illegal“, but it is a great one to remember when trying to reverse stud direction. The Technic axle connector on the nose looks great, too, with the four notches giving the impression of multiple barrels on the machine gun. It is a bit light on greebling, despite what one might expect from a sci-fi build, but I think it is more appropriate to make it look smooth and professionally engineered, rather than cobbled together. After all, if you want to take down some Na’vi with your military-industrial complex, you have to look sharp and pack a big punch.

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Poised and ready for the 2019 National Dog Show

How did the holidays sneak up so fast? Thanksgiving is almost here! While it has already passed for some, the American holiday arrives in less than a week! For many, there is more to this holiday than thankfulness and feasting. People gather from all around to appreciate the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as the American National Dog Show. And builder Christian Giomo is ready to take the win (whether he intended to or not). This West England White Terrier is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The pup is full of expressive character, with eager eyes, open mouth, pink ears, and luxurious brick-build locks of fur. The shaping of the complex face is exceptional. Bonus: the head can twist to the side to give it that delightful head-tilt that makes dog lovers swoon! Speaking of which, if you love dogs, take a look at these former canine champs, as well as a few everyday heroes.

Build your own LEGO pumpkin napkin rings for Thanksgiving dinner [Instructions]

Last year, my family requested that I build some LEGO napkin rings for Thanksgiving dinner. I eagerly set out experimenting with LEGO turkeys, Pilgrim hats, brick-built pies and more, but those all were too complicated for an already-full dinner table. The design needed to be simple, stable and instantly evoke the Thanksgiving spirit. The idea struck that a simple pumpkin ring would work perfectly for a harvest table.

I experimented with a few options, since the opening had to be big enough for a rolled napkin but strong enough not to split when holding it in place. After trying and failing to get the right shape using a studs-up technique, it became apparent that rotating the whole build on its side was the way to go. TBB’s Chris Malloy provided a final moment of brilliance suggesting the curly whip for the top, and the design was complete. Continue reading →

A shockingly cool Bionicle build

I’ve been a fan of LEGO’s Bionicle for a long time. I came out of my dark age just as the theme was launching in the US back in 2001, and they were some of the first sets I bought. When the line came to an end a decade later, LEGO fans kept the theme going strong with tons of unique creations. Anthony Wilson is among those builders, and their latest offering, Valkyrie: Toa of Lightning, is breathtaking. The base figure has a strong color theme in white and purple, with a brick-built mask. Quality building techniques are at play throughout the model, my favorite being the small offsets created in the armor on the thighs. (The unique shaping of headlight bricks allows for the gap.) There is also a lot of great part usage, including tricycle frames in the hips, worm gears on the legs and forearms, and even a zip-line handle in the chest. As impressive as the base figure is, what made me want to write about this model are the lightning effects. A couple of minifigure-accessory magic sparks hint at the awesome discharge happening on the Toa’s right arm. Made up of layers of hero factory armor and weapons, the angular electric effects have an almost liquid quality to them.

The build on the Valkyrie is probably several levels above what LEGO would have released for a kid-friendly set had the line continued. So maybe, just maybe, Bionicle is better off left in the hands of the fans. Oh, who am I kidding. They need to bring this theme back, and soon.

A new take on the most classic Star Wars ship

Remember the scene in The LEGO Movie when Batman says he doesn’t know where to get a hyperdrive, and then he freaks out when the Millennium Falcon suddenly shows up out of nowhere? That’s how I felt when GolPlaysWithLego‘s gorgeous model flew across my screen.

See more photos of this amazing LEGO Millennium Falcon

Using the force to fight to the Teth

With the recent launch of Disney+, there’s been a lot of buzz about The Mandalorian, the latest Star Wars series to hit the TV screen. Builder Jaap Bijl reaches back into Star Wars’ televised past with a Star Wars: The Clone Wars duel between Obi Wan and the bounty hunter Cad Bane. The purple planet of Teth is well-represented here, with nicely sculpted rockwork and enough tonal variety to keep things interesting.

Both characters are locked in a fierce battle, complete with sabers waving and guns-a-blazing. While they may be the stars of the show, my favorite element in this scene is the black and gray tree. The leaves are cleverly sculpted from curved slopes, along with a few ball and socket joint connections.

1989 Batmobiles are so hot right now

Even with the release of the new 1989 Batmobile right around the corner, we continue seeing new models of the caped crusader’s classic ride. We recently featured one such design, and now Lucas has delighted us with his latest version. And I say latest, because he’s made a ton of Batmobiles. While I can’t necessarily corroborate his claim that he’s “the ultimate master at building Batmobiles”, he does make a pretty convincing argument.

I’ll let you review the plethora of designs in his photostream yourself, but let’s take a closer look at this one. First of all, I love the size of it. Whether official sets or fan creations, Batmobiles are often oversized for minifigure scale cars. This one looks just right. Second, the use of minifigure accessories is quite skillful; the frying pans for intakes are especially perfect. Third, many of the updates he made in this version were done not just for looks, but also to make it a more stable model. Not only does it look cool, but it stays together too. Taken together, do all these factors make him the master of Batmobile building? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

TRY again (More drunken LEGO building by Chris Doyle)

You know what isn’t supposed to mix? LEGO and booze. But sometimes it does. And wow, can it be a lot of fun to watch. Recently, I shared my tribute to the TRY channel’s drunken LEGO building. It featured one of the three pairs of TRYers who attempted to build sets while smashed out of their gourds. The people I depicted enjoyed my creation, but it didn’t end there. One of the other people in the video, Mary-Claire, asked if I could build her and Lolsy Byrne next. So…here we are.
MC and Lolsy’s attempt at building Yoda’s Hut (75208) didn’t quite go as smoothly, but I think it’s fair to say they had a great time anyway. Even if MC was momentarily confused if their set was from “Sky Wars” or some other franchise… (To be fair, she was really drunk!)

I ran into a couple of challenges in making recognizable likenesses. Lolsy’s nose ring (made from a minifigure gold ring) was difficult to position. Luckily the 2×1 curved slope of her nose has a notch that allowed for the ring to sit on the top of a 1×1 Technic brick built sideways off of her lip. That allowed enough of an offset to have at least almost half of the ring “exposed” below her nose, and flush with the rest of her face.
Mary-Clare’s mouth also gave me a bit of trouble. Eventually I found a combination of 1×2 and 2×2 plates for her lips and a 1×2 rounded plate for her teeth that worked. The mouth assembly is “studs down”, so the connection point on the underside of the 2×2 plate creates a nice suggestion of a tongue…an unexpected but welcome side effect.

I also wanted to add a little something extra to this second build, so I decided to animate a bit of the video. (From about the 6:00 mark). At that point, Lolsy has a few choice things to say to anyone who has a problem with their Star Wars knowledge…click on through to see her LEGO avatar in action!

Standing guard on the Western Marches

Big isn’t always better, as this small LEGO castle by Carter Witz proves. An outpost for a troop of wolf-riding soldiers, the fortification sits on a ridge of rock, accessed by stairway. The texturing on both castle and stairway is excellent, with a wide variety of bricks creating the feel of weathered stonework. I like the little details like the arch above the door and the fence around what I’m going to call “the wolf enclosure”. I think the rockwork might have benefited from a scattering of a contrasting colour, but other than that the forest scenery is well done. I am, however, concerned for the comfort of the soldiers stationed at this outpost. With five troopers already in residence in the tiny castle, I really hope the two new arrivals are not intending to stay for long.

A texture to make your skin crawl off

While I have no discernable ability to build a Bionicle creation myself (though I always dream of one day building one), I’m a great admirer of the amazing creations Bionicle builders come up with. There is just so much more that’s possible than with bricks and plates alone. Take Moko’s Cancer for example. While it would be terrifying to encounter such a thing in reality, as a LEGO creation it’s really quite beautiful. The texture is what I’m really drawn to. Bionicle offers pieces in so many shapes, curved and flowing together that when paired together they give the appearance of a figure missing its skin, like Lord Zedd from the Power Rangers or perhaps something more alien, such as Marvel Comics’ Carnage.

Now you’re playing with portable (elf) power!

With this retro gaming-flavored diorama, Kale Frost‘s early holiday dominance continues. Obviously the Nintendo Game Boy is the star of the show, and darned if it doesn’t look just like the one I unwrapped on Christmas in 1989. Not to be ignored, the wily minifigure elves have appropriated the device for their own purposes. Circuit boards, wires, and batteries are all expertly represented here.

Like Kale’s Santa creation before the iconic portable gaming console diorama is just one part of a larger whole, which is Kale’s bespoke Christmas scene.

It seems as if there are more LEGO stories to be shared from the display, but you can check out the whole thing for yourself at Rundle Mall in Adelaide Australia until January.

As above, so below

In 73 B.C., the overlords of Capua conduct a slave trade in the town center but below, among the rats and stench, escaped slaves plan their counterattack. That is the scene depicted here by Hunter Erickson. This build was influenced by the TV show Spartacus, particularly the beginning of season 3, Hunter tells us. He goes on to say that the show itself isn’t entirely accurate so further research as to what life may have been like in Capua was needed in order reign in some realistic details. The rough stucco feel of the walls are an excellent touch as well as the terracotta roofs and small arched windows, all reflect the specific feel of an ancient Roman city. Call me weird, but my favorite feature has to be the river of green sludge flowing through the sewer. Let’s just hope that one guy washes his hands before eating that giant baguette.