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.

This LEGO Volkswagen Beetle is a Bumblebee in disguise

For those of us who were in our early teens in the eighties, Michael Bay got it all wrong when he made his first Transformers movie. Listen to me, Mr. Bay: Bumblebee turns into a Volkswagen Beetle; not a Camaro. Travis Knight, the director of the new 2018 Bumblebee movie, was a teenager in the eighties and is a self-confessed Transformers fan. He nailed it.

We’ve already featured a really sweet LEGO version in Beetle mode by hachiroku24 and a screen-accurate Bumblebee robot by ekownimako. However, they don’t actually transform. I happen to think that this a pretty essential feature of any Transformer.

Making it transform is certainly not easy, but I pored over pictures of new Bumblebee toys released for the movie. I also happen to have a LEGO Beetle design that I like, which I could use as a starting point. It is quite small, though, at about 19 cm long (roughly 7 inches) and there is a lot of stuff that needs to fold into it. The end result is flimsy, it doesn’t really want to stand upright unsupported and it’s not nearly as nicely proportioned in robot mode as in the movie, but it works: the Beetle unfolds into a Bumblebee.

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How small can you go?

Sometimes, the leviathan is small. In this magnificent tiny vignette by Grantmasters, a lone ship rides a ferocious ocean. It’s a safe bet that it’s the Pequod, since it’s hunting a white whale. As usual, Grant’s build is rife with excellent parts usages, from the little known Belville figure feet making most of the whale’s body, to the beard for a tail, or the axe blades for water.

Turning back the clock to classic aviation with the DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 is among the most iconic aircraft in the world, with a distinctive shape that’s instantly recognizable. Unfortunately for LEGO builders, that shape is also rather difficult to produce with LEGO bricks. However, that hasn’t dissuaded Vaionaut, who turned his skillful hands to this classic and produced a masterpiece. He started with an earlier design by Obuh Samateus and significantly overhauled it for accuracy and stability. Apart from the excellent shaping of the compound curves in the aircraft’s fuselage, the small touches, such as the brick-built German flag on the tail and the chrome non-custom chrome cowling on the engines, really make this model sing. The small service truck is easy to miss, but it’s a fantastic accompaniment also.

A shiny upgrade for the N1 Naboo starfighter

Embracing custom LEGO pieces can have dramatic results. In builder Inthert’s case, the decision to swap out standard grey bricks for custom chrome elements (taking a cue from the UCS Naboo Starfighter) on the upgrade of his 2017 version of the N1 Naboo starfighter is a shining triumph. Not only does this new version of the classic Star Wars ship capture the sleek lines of the original, something we saw from him recently in his TIE-Proteus model, its burnished finish echoes the art deco motifs of the Old Republic. I’m put in mind of the allure of vintage sports cars, whose glistening engines can’t help but entice even the non-motor enthusiast.

Charming North Pole residence could be Santa’s other house

Now that Santa’s big night has come and gone, the man has earned some rest and relaxation. What better place to unwind after a very busy holiday season than this lovely chalet by Jack R., perfect for relaxing with a steaming cup of hot chocolate after a day of skiing or snowboarding. Above the door, the stained glass look, made with transparent orange plates behind turntable bases, adds a touch of warmth to the scene.

Next to a nice stack of firewood outside, a couple of Santa’s sled team also enjoy a nice rest. Jack demonstrates a great use of battle droid torsos as the reindeer heads.

How low (and fast) can you go?

Masterful builder Jarek has turned his hand away from building incredible Star Wars models to something a little closer to home in our world, but still nearly as fast. This snazzy Formula 1 Ferrari has remarkably accurate lines, something that’s exceedingly difficult to accomplish in LEGO at this scale. In fact, LEGO’s official designers in Billund have tried their hands at this very car, which appeared in 75889 Ferrari Ultimate Garage. He’s captured the spindly nature of these heavily glorified go-karts, and even sitting still this thing looks fast.

Especially impressive, though, is that Jarek hasn’t overlooked the small details, like the exposed chassis and suspension at the car’s rear.

Let’s go for a ride! This LEGO Junkrat from Overwatch will blow your mind!

Blizzard’s Overwatch brand is now an official LEGO theme and it seems to be inspiring even more fans to create their favourite characters from their favourite bricks. This time it is Joffre with his interpretation of the insane Junkrat character.

The build perfectly captures the character, from various explosives to his iconic leg prosthetic and his crazy face — the latter probably being the best part. All sorts of colours in the hair capture the singed ‘do, while the raised eyebrows and his tongue sticking out show what a fun-loving guy he is. The pants also give a surprising amount of detail in their exotic colour scheme, which is a big plus to the overall build.

Mr. ROBIN’s NeighborHOOD

Hong Kong builder, mamax711 brings us his rendition of Robin Hood’s home. It’s an excellent fit for the medieval rogue, right down to the organic-looking shape of the building, the patchwork, and plant growth. Robin’s home would be well-hidden in a dark forest. I love the non-traditional angles of the walls and roof-lines and would love to see the interior framework holding everything together. Since this is Robin Hood’s house, I am guessing it will have to remain a secret.

Incredible LEGO microscale city is 8 years in the making and not done yet

For Christophe Pujaletplaa, a LEGO city is a living thing that grows and evolves like a real city. Having begun in 2010 when he rediscovered his childhood love for the plastic bricks, Christophe continues to expand and update his tiny LEGO metropolis, which he’s dubbed Microville. Only, it’s not so small anymore, rounding out at nearly 50 large LEGO baseplates, or more than 7 meters squared.

Even when Christophe started in 2010, he had lofty goals, already planning for a much larger microscale LEGO city than most of us have ever attempted. When he began, he used whatever bricks he had in his collection, and augmented them with cups of red bricks from his local LEGO store.

Click to continue reading about Microville

Taking them down one STAP at a time

The next best thing that came out of the Star Wars prequels, next to having Darth Maul and his dual lightsaber scenes (for me at least) were these STAP (Single Trooper Aerial Platform) Droids. I’ve always thought they were quite functional and neat looking while being able to navigate smoothly through jungle terrain. This build by SP Design is quite a delightful reminder that this particular pair of vehicle/character could be a set issued under the constraction theme, similar to the Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike. I’d probably get a bulk load of them just to have an army. It’s also been a while since I’ve watched the prequels and maybe time to do so again.

Brothers Brick LEGO Creation of the Year 2018 [News]

Developing a shortlist of the finest LEGO creations of 2018 was difficult enough, but narrowing it down to a single “best creation” proved even harder! However, after much debate amongst the team, the Brothers Brick is delighted to announce the Jakku Star Destroyer collaborative build by Eli Willsea and Grant Davis as our LEGO Creation of the Year for 2018.

Click to see the winning creation

Brothers Brick LEGO Builder of the Year 2018 [News]

Each day the team here at The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO models from the global community of LEGO builders. Their creations inspire, excite, and amuse us every day. But each year there are a handful of builders who take things to new heights — displaying their skills across a range of building styles, and amazing us with their parts usage and building techniques.

The Brothers Brick is delighted to name Chi Hsin Wei (AKA LEGO 7) as our LEGO Builder of the Year 2018.

LEGO 7 has had an incredible year, in both quantity and quality of LEGO creations. Across a range of styles and subjects, he’s showcased excellent building skills. We’ve loved seeing the different models he’s built during 2018, and we hope you’ll enjoy this retrospective look at his last twelve months…

Click to see some of LEGO 7’s models from 2018