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.

Patrolling the Mekong River Delta with the PBR

Army and Marine Corps ground troops bore the brunt of the American casualties in the Vietnam War. Serving aboard a Navy ship off the coast may have been comparatively safe, but part of the US Navy was right in the thick of things too: the Riverine Patrol Force. They operated on South Vietnam’s many rivers, in particular in the Mekong river delta.

Hot on the heels of my USMC Seahorse helicopter, this weekend I built one of their boats: a Patrol Boat Riverine, which, like just about anything in the military, had its own abbreviation: ‘PBR’, which was typically pronounced as ‘Pibber’. These were small and fast boats that could operate on some of the smaller tributaries of the Mekong, often surrounded by jungle, with crews living in stifling heat and primitive conditions. This type of boat was made famous by Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, a war movie whose ‘Making of’ is at least as memorable as the movie itself.

The making of my model was considerably less of a psychedelic trip than the journey described in the movie. Despite the dark green, which is still a somewhat awkward colour to build with, it came together very quickly. The diorama will be part of a collaboration and for it to fit with the other builders’ styles, the boat has very few visible studs. I built its hull mostly with bricks on their side, which gave me both a smooth deck and a nicer shape. I used BrickArms M60s and helmets as accessories for the minifigures, but the rest is all LEGO, including the luscious jungle foliage.

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Get your minifig arms and armor at this medieval weapons house

It doesn’t take a big creation to pack in a lot of detail, and this build by Ah Ki is a great example of that! His LEGO “Medieval Weapons House” sits on a small base but has big character. It demonstrates the use of a cool patch-working technique to give it that rustic feel. There are a few neat uses of parts, like the 1x4x1 fence in the windows and wheel covers (hubcaps) for accents. It also has a fun color scheme.

My favorite part is the forge with its little awning and blacksmith at his anvil. The whole structure has a pretty nice shape to it, especially the roof, which makes a perfect little swoop. I just wish that we could get a tour inside!

Never step on a LEGO again with this LEGO Technic “Rumba” [Video]

Builders of all ages struggle to keep LEGO pieces off of the floor. But those days may soon be over thanks to The Brick Wall! Rather than buying an autonomous floor cleaner, The Brick Wall brought us an invention that could revolutionize any LEGO fan’s life. It’s called the Lego Rumba.

This fully motorized and untethered device can sweep up small technic pins, medium plates, large bricks—even minifigs—from a flat service into a holding bin. Two sets of treads provide the business end of the creation, with rubber strips stuck into the grommets for sweeping power. A robotic grabbing arm allows the model to pick up extra-large items like Technic tires. Click the video below to see the LEGO Rumba in action.

While not conventionally beautiful, the open sides of the model provide an unobstructed look at the functional components that make this contraption go. Check out more of The Brick Wall’s marvelous creations on YouTube.

The lady in red ain’t dancing with me

There is something mysterious about a build where you’re unable to immediately tell what inspired the builder to create such an enigmatic scene. It seems simple enough, but there’s always a hidden meaning. Even just the title of this build (“Vampires”) left me wondering and compelled me to reach out to the builder, WeNoGrayD to learn more.

Keep reading to see more photos and to discover the inspiration behind this creation

A tiny house on a tiny street

Sometimes simple creations can be the most fun and interesting. This one by Eddy Summers is so cute and clever that I’m jealous I didn’t have the idea! I have built a large scale micro-build diorama myself, but there is something really neat about this small snapshot. You can probably imagine making a whole bunch of them, in this perfect square shape, lined up in a row. Of course, with LEGO and a little imagination, the possibilities are endless!

The most talented artist in all of Dream Land

I feel the nostalgia for Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, one of my favorite games as a kid, with Anton Sundström’s build of Kirby’s artist ally Adeleine. She has the ability to make her paintings real and often paints the maximum health tomato, like Anton portrayed here. In LEGO bricks, Adeleine is just as lively and adorable as she is in game.

A monument to a different time

Decay is a powerful tool for storytelling and Andreas Lenander has used it to great effect with this old, abandoned AT-AT. Of all Star Wars vehicles, the AT-AT has the most iconic and expressive appearance in a destroyed state. The rust and slight overgrowth place the walker in an environment without a need for a larger LEGO scene, although Andreas has hinted that a diorama might actually be made in the future.

I love how the holes look just like metal plates caving under their own weight, as well as the damaged leg and all the bits dangling from under the body. The skeleton in the corner is also a nice touch, and I like that the builder made it from scratch instead of using a skeleton minifigure.

Haere Mai! Come Here! Welcome!

Tēnā koe e hoa (Greetings. Hello to you, friend.) from Jed Cameron of New Zealand with his “Not 100% historically accurate” Early European Settlers arriving at a Māori Village. Inspired by a treasure trove of colonial art he found online, Jed has done a great job recreating the look and feel of a pre-colonial Māori wharenui (large communal house).

Jed used an upside down quiver as the koruru (carved head) at the apex of the meeting house to great effect. I love how the smooth tiles illustrate a well-trodden path through the village and the Pouwhenua (carved wooden posts) mark the boundary of the village. This is a lovely little build and a wonderful representation of a crucial point in New Zealand history.

Kai Pai! (Well Done!)

Search and Destroy with the Sikorsky Seahorse

The war in Vietnam was the first in which helicopters weren’t mainly used for resupply missions or as flying ambulances, but were a central element in newly developed tactics. In ‘Search & Destroy’ missions, helicopters flew troops into countryside controlled by Communist insurgents in order to, well, seek them out and destroy them. The troops would then be helicoptered to another location to repeat the procedure. I will spare you the details, but the insurgents had their own ideas about this and things often didn’t work out all that well.

My latest model represents a US Marine Corps Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse helicopter on just such a mission, picking up troops from a rice paddy somewhere in South Vietnam. The helicopter most people will associate with the war in Vietnam is the UH-1 Huey. Consequently, there already are really nice LEGO Hueys out there. I wanted something different, so I built the Seahorse instead. Because this will be part of a larger collaboration, the model represents something of a departure from my normal style. It is minifig scale, I built the helicopter with only a few visible studs and I’ve used some third-party accessories in the form of BrickArms weapons and helmets.

Continue reading →

Microscale SpaceX Falcon booster is landing

Whenever a new element is released by LEGO, it quickly starts to show up in custom LEGO creations. This wonderfully detailed microscale model of the SpaceX Falcon booster landing on a mobile platform by Curt Quarquesso is a great example. Curt used two new transparent orange flame-colored parts (aka power burst bolts) for the rocket thrust and its contact with the platform. These pieces have only appeared in two sets so far: 76097: Lex Luthor Mech Takedown, and 76108: Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown.

Dance to the sinister music of Makuta

Makuta are the go-to villains in Bionicle lore and fan creations, most often portrayed by both as imposing warriors. Anthony Wilson takes a different approach with his vision of Makuta, the Handler, which appears to favor manipulation and shadow magic over physical strength and large weapons. I may just be desensitized to giant robots, but I think this actually looks more terrifying.

The Makuta is, of course, the focal point, with a creepy insectoid head and a robotic looking robe made out of wheels and tyres. What really makes it stand out though, are the little details around it, like the Matoran on puppet chains and the music box, which even has notes built on the lid!

I see a dropship and I want it painted gray

This pair of heavy combat vehicles by Zach Sweigart are packing some serious heat. The dropship features rotating engines for vertical take-off and two more engines on the main fuselage. The angled nose gives the draft a bird of prey vibe. And that mobile troop carrier looks like it could punch a hole into pretty much any target.