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.

Nothing better than some intimidating mecha to start a day

Today we take a look at two great LEGO mech builds by exceptional builders. They have some similarities, like darker colours and menacing looks, but each in its own unique style.

We will start with XF56DAL3 Stingray by Moko. I have a soft spot for Moko as a builder, since he was one of the first builders I was exposed to when I discovered the online LEGO community, and he’s still active! As far as the build goes, there is a good balance between clean surfaces and greebling. My favourite details are the mech’s menacingly sharp head, and the hoses made of gold ring pieces from LEGO Lord of the Rings. But what makes this mech a truly amazing model is the posing and photography.

Continuing on, we have this industrial-looking THR-01 Droid by Marco Marozzi. The colour blocking is spot-on and I could easily imagine the mechanical function of each individual detail. While not as complicated and large as Moko’s build, it has no less character or spirit.

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Functioning LEGO hammer drill [Video]

While the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is an amazing collector’s item, there’s no denying that it makes a fantastic parts pack, especially with all those orange Technic panel pieces. František Hajdekr has used those panels in a unique way, fashioning them into a cordless drill hammer.

If you look closely at the build, you may notice the Technic power functions XL-Motor. This isn’t a flashy model; under all those orange panels is a working mechanism that causes the chisel to move back and forth. While it might not help you in your next home improvement project, it’s certainly a fun idea! You can see it in action below:

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest, yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

This amazing pirate-themed collaboration between Grant Davis and Eli Willsea was built in just three weeks. The gorgeous diorama features excellent rockwork, moving features in the waterfall and the ancient stone calendar, as well as lighting inside the temple. One more very important aspect of the build, in my opinion, is the ratio between the land and sea, which adds a lot to the overall impression of the creation.

I highly recommend you check out the many closeup photos showing all of the incredible details in this build, as well as the following time-lapse video which highlights some of the moving features:

Purple space tank enforces the will of the gods

Having grown up playing the Halo series, I was initially excited to see some of the series’ classic vehicles appear in plastic brick form. But that excitement was immediately overcome by heartbreak when I noticed a toy construction company other than LEGO picked up the franchise. That hasn’t stopped builders from recreating some great scenes and vehicles in the far superior LEGO medium. Taking a break from the castle theme, I tried to throw down with my own creation:

I initially tried to build the big Covenant anti-aircraft guns from Halo 3 but quickly realized I didn’t’ have enough dark purple (a problem I thought I’d never have). So I went with a smaller version fictional to the Halo universe but still within the Covenant aesthetics we’ve come to know and love.

LEGO Primitive Technology tiled roof hut

To an untrained eye, this mud hut by Magma Guy might seem like just another medieval farmer’s house, but I assure you, this is placed in current time, in our world. Inspired by the Youtube phenomenon Primitive Technology, Magma has recreated the focal point of the Youtube channel’s most popular video, Primitive Technology: Tiled Roof Hut, which has over 21 million views and shows the process of building a simple structure completely from scratch. The model has all the details captured exceptionally well, from the ceramic roof tiles, to the rock and mud walls, as well as the stone foundation and a picture-perfect recreation of the stick door. The scenery is also complete with some ceramic pots and the “Primitive Technology” guy with a resin torch.

As a great fan of the videos myself, this creation means even more to me personally, especially the extra photo showcasing some of the creations from Primitive Technology’s other videos.

30 scenes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince recreated in LEGO

If you read our site often, you’ve probably noticed that a group of builders have been collaborating on an ongoing Harry Potter LEGO series. Each builder has tackled a different book in the series, producing a small vignette scene for each chapter. Mel F. recently finished the sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, with 30 vignettes for the book’s 30 chapters, and the tiny scenes just keep getting better and better.

Mel’s take on the Harry Potter vignette series is quite spectacular and a little different than those who have come before her. Most noticeably, Mel incorporated several intricate building techniques and even some microscale buildings (the Burrow) into her series. Of course, she also included a plethora of Unikitty tails (Mel’s signature LEGO piece) into her builds.

If you missed any of the previous Harry Potter vignette series, be sure to check them out here:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by Marvel V.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by Markus Rollbuhler
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by Kevin Wollert
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by Thorsten Bonsch
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Vaionaut

See each of the fantastic Half-Blood Prince vignettes below.

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Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the earth

Bigger isn’t always better, and this micro machine by František Hajdekr is living proof. I’m always impressed with the amount of detail builders are able get into builds at this scale. The inverted 1×2 plate on the side looks just like grill on the real thing. Follow this simple instructions video and this miniature bulldozer could be clearing away small piles of rubble on your desk too.

You’d better stay up in the sky till the superheroes have things sorted out

Bored with dull city dioramas where everything is awesome? Professional South Korean LEGO-building quartet OliveSeon knows how to ring the changes on the major LEGO city airport hub. How about a massive superhero battle? They’ve done some impressive work recreating one of the biggest screen brawls of the previous year, from Captain America: Civil War. And don’t be surprised: those planes and little yellow service cars are actually from official LEGO City sets, and they look simply perfect in this diorama.

What’s particularly awesome about this scene is the main airport building. I bet that perfectly planned and executed interior would make you forget there’s a battle going outside on the runway! Bonus points awarded for an extremely smart use of the tram from LEGO set 60097 City Square, which here is turned into an inter-terminal train.

And if you like this airport, also check out the incredible LEGO airport we covered in November.

There are no Sneetches who are best on the beaches

The Sneetches and Other Stories is one of Dr. Seuss’ most meaningful books, touching upon the themes of tolerance, elitism and discrimination. The first story in the collection describes the Sneetches, a group of yellow creatures who find themselves swindled by a businessman named Sylvester McMonkey McBean. Kyle Keller has brought a classic scene from the story to life in LEGO bricks:

Some of the Sneetches have green stars on their bellies and discriminate against those who don’t. Realizing this, McBean creates a Star-On Machine and allows star-less Sneetches to buy their own. The star-bellied Sneetches no longer feel special, until McBean presents his Star-Off Machine. But McBean allows recently starred Sneetches through his machine as well until…

“Neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew
Whether this one was that one
Or that one was this one
Or which one was what one
Or what one was who!”

Coincidentally, TBB’s own Iain Heath also just shared his cleverly-built star-bellied sneetch:

I won’t spoil the ending, but needless to say everyone learns a valuable lesson:

“That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars
And whether they had one, or not, upon thars”

Killer Croc’s victorious escape

We’ve seen the Caped Crusader get out of many tight spots when battling his enemies. But maybe this time he might actually meet his demise at the hands of the menacing Killer Croc in this LEGO diorama by Cid Hsiao. Towering over the fallen Dark Knight, the reptilian menace stands on a crushed pavement that has been shattered by his forceful weight.

Every part of this scene conveys a real sense of action in motion. I love the rock formation and imprint left in the pavement where Batman lays, where we assume he has just been hauled. The Bat-Cycle lying in pieces and that broken pavement at the feet of Killer Croc are simply perfect. The star of the show is however Killer Croc himself. Dressed in prison garb and broken shackles, the build is cleverly constructed using simple joints, giving an organic feel to the beast.

An ancient evil ascending from the depths

Actually, for all I know, it might be chaotic neutral. But whatever its alignment, Micah Beideman‘s tentacled monster, with its numerous chaoticly distributed red eyes, sure is scary. The gaping mouth appears to use Ninjago dragon jaw pieces as teeth. And the use of inverted tires throughout the model creates a very organic effect. In my opinion though, the microscale ship both helps and detracts from the build; it adds a sense of scale, but at the same time disrupts the illusion of movement, as it seems overly calm considering that a monster of colossal proportions is rising from the water just beside it. I sure am glad these things are not real. I hope.

Rally the LEGO Overwatch Heroes

Overwatch continues to inspire LEGO builders with the hit game’s fun and varied heroes. Let’s rally up a few more characters to add to a lineup of great LEGO Overwatch builds, like these great characters from Tim Schwalfenberg, Simon Liu, or my own D.Va’s Light Gun. First up, from Dead Frog inc., is Bastion in his partial camouflage from the animated short “The Last Bastion.” The color choices on his robotic death machine and the overgrowth are great.

Next up, from Piggy Brother, is Reaper. The builder has constructed several other heroes from the game, and his Reaper is one of my top favorites from him. The mask, dual hellfire shotguns, and shotgun shell belt are standout details to me here.

Finally (from yours truly) is the time-jumping mascot of Overwatch, Tracer. Her build started with the idea of arranging two translucent orange half-circular tiles in an hourglass shape to create her goggles. One of the most challenging parts of the build for me was finding a technique that would look good as the lacing on her leggings. I thought the undersides of the various 1×1 brick types used structurally was a good solution.