Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

The Ministry’s Floo Network makes commuting easy for Arthur Weasley

There’s nothing great about morning commutes, but they might a bit more tolerable if you have access to the Floo Network, like Ron Weasley’s father, Arthur. He uses it daily to commute to the Ministry, and this fantastic LEGO vignette of Arthur stepping out of the Network by Eero Okkonen is perfect.

The green flames licking Arthur’s legs are actually Duplo grass elements, a piece we’ve been seeing a lot of lately, as it’s the mandatory element in the latest round of Iron Builder. Yesterday we featured a lovely sitting room using the element, and we’ve previously seen it as a flying carpet, a hut’s roof, a cyborg dinosaur, and a very clever medical device.

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Relaxing in the green room

OK, so this LEGO green room may not be the waiting area for celebrities, but chances are it’s also a lot homier. This modest den accentuated with emerald tapestries is yet another of Jonas Kramm‘s fantastic uses for the Duplo grass element. Look closely, and you’ll spy the unwieldy element in two distinct applications, but don’t miss all the other wonderful details while you’re searching, from the bearskin rug to the agave plant made of alligator tails.

Jonas built this lovely den for the Iron Builder contest, where he continues to make excellent work of the Duplo seed element, having previously used it as a flying carpet and the roof of whimsical huts.

Smashing LEGO like a Rock Star: a conversation with Canadian Iron Builder, Tim Schwalfenberg [Interview]

This week we headed up to our great neighbor to the north to track down Tim Schwalfenberg. Tim lives in Canada, is 21 years old and is currently studying Materials Engineering at his local university. He also likes to publicly smash his LEGO builds too, but more about that later.

TBB: Hi Tim! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your relationship with the Brick?

Tim: Sure! I have found LEGO to be a great creative outlet when I need a break from all my calculus or physics courses. While I’ve been building almost as long as I can remember, it wasn’t until my first year of university that I started to look at LEGO with the intention of making anything beyond the rainbow-warrior spaceships of my earlier years. Through a combination of some inspiring creations I stumbled upon through MOCpages and finding myself with too much free time on my hands, I decided that to try out this LEGO thing more seriously. Thousands of pieces and hundreds of creations later the LEGO hobby has become an incredibly important part of my life. The itch to build has become a constant companion that is easily rewarded by long hours tinkering away on a table-scrap covered table.

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Bat-rules are made to be broken

We all know Batman only builds in black, and sometimes in very, very dark grey. But it seems like he’s made an exception to his rule, and it turned out pretty sweet. We have to thank Lucas for giving the Batmobile from Dawn of Justice a new shade — even if the light grey sees it remains at the darker end of the spectrum. A little something special for Comish Gordon too — a redesigned Bat-Signal in the same hue.

Life is like a box of chocolates

Remember that feeling when you open a brand new box of fresh chocolates and you can’t decide which one to try first? That was exactly my first impression when I came across John Snyder‘s box of LEGO sweets. Glossy tiles and dishes are coupled with thick white rubber bands, and the results really look like actual chocolate — from milk chocolate (in tan) through to rich dark bitter morsels (in dark brown). And best of all, the model has fabulous presentation — capturing the box on a dinner table with some sweets in a glass bowl.

Wide-mouthed fighter will make you smile

A flying cement truck doesn’t sound like a great idea, yet Damien Labrousse has used LEGO’s concrete mixer parts to great effect in his Basking Shark Fighter. The gaping air intakes might grab your initial attention, but you’ll linger over the whip-smart colour scheme, and the wonderful angles of the rest of the fuselage.

The angular styling reminds me of the funky geometry of the fictional MiG-31 “Firefox”, from the Clint Eastwood movie of the same name, but it’s those massive engines which lend this little fighter a big character all of its own.

Remember, beauty is found within

The Beast’s rose by Anonymous Brick is not the first LEGO rose we’ve seen, and with recent release of the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, I’m sure it won’t be the last. The flower’s petals, made from minifigure capes, are excellent and very natural looking, as is the nicely curved stalk. A great detail is the fallen petals, making the rose look unique. My only issue is with the model’s base, which may be a little too simple, but overall this is a beautiful LEGO creation.

You want to know what I was before all this? I was nobody. Nothing.

Fans of the graphic novels or the AMC show will appreciate these Walking Dead LEGO creations by Jonas Obermaier. The first scene features everyone’s favorite post-apocalyptic redneck, Daryl Dixon. Jonas created a sleek motorcycle for Daryl that has just enough detail (look, there’s even some chrome!) to look like a million bucks. He also turned out Daryl’s legs for a more natural pose.

Jonas’s other Walking Dead build is a gruesome scene featuring Negan. There are a lot of interesting building techniques here, but what I love most is the ribbed hose (cut into strips) used to enhance Negan’s bat. And word on the street is that Jonas is working on a larger Walking Dead display for ComicCon Germany, so we should be seeing even more Walking Dead LEGO very soon!

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for March 27, 2017 [News]

The Brothers Brick gives you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our Weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of March.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: Star Wars fans rejoice! This week we learned about the next Star Wars UCS set and took a friend into space.

LEGO unveils new Star Wars UCS Snowspeeder with over 1,700 pieces – This sleek snowspeeder comes with two minifigures and 1,703 pieces, priced at $199.99 USD and will beavailable Star Wars day (May the 4th) in LEGO stores and from the LEGO Shop Online.
Review of The LEGO Batman Movie 70900 The Joker Balloon Escape – With balloons, macaroni and purple tux tails, this small set packs a punch, though if Batman wears the balloon backpack, does that mean the Dark Knight rises?
LEGO Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity – Our fearless Iain Heath took his LEGO model of scientist Stephen Hawking on a special trip to go where no LEGO man has gone before.
Amazon LEGO sales on Star Wars, Nexo Knights, Moana and City – This week’s LEGO deals from Amazon include TIE Fighters, U-Wings, castles, floating rafts and a bulldozer!

TBB INTERVIEWS & INSTRUCTIONS: Take a trip back to the eighties with this cute cassette tape build and learn about a builder of tiny trucks.

Build your own classic mix tape – Hudson Rippetoe captured sweet musical memories with his LEGO version of the cassette tape, which you can build or buy.
Interview with Czech builder of tiny trucks and tools, František Hajdekr – We tracked down a builder known for his small versions of big vehicles and equipment of all kinds.

OTHER NEWS: There was a massive amount of LEGO news from other places around the web this week. Here are a few items we noticed and thought you might enjoy.

Tape lets you stick your bricks wherever you want, Geek.com – Haven’t had a friend forward you this yet? Now is your chance to learn about tape that’s raised $1 million USD so far.
LEGOLAND Japan opens on April 1, CNET – LEGOLAND Japan joins two other parks in the US and one each in Denmark, England, Germany, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.
Tom Yoo makes the Nike Air VaporMax out of LEGO, Highsnobiety – Artist Tom Yoo builds another sneaker to join his Air Jordan 9, Air Jordan 5, Nike MAG and Yeezy 350 Boost.
Ten things you need to know: LEGO Speed Champions, Top Gear – Craig Callum, design manager at LEGO, shares some secrets behind the Speed Champions sets.
LEGO turned to the internet to save itself from oblivion, Stuff.co.nz – LEGO’s senior innovation director David Gram shares innovation tips he’s learned by working at the company.

The one that didn’t get away

Many people build animals out of LEGO, but mostly they call them something general, like “fish” or “bird”. But every now and then there is a creation like this rainbow trout by Lino Martins, which is very much specific. While the construction is simple for the most part, the trout has all the details that it needs. I knew exactly what it was just from the thumbnail, so that has to stand for something!

Explore the moon in this tin (tin) tank

What better way to explore the lunar surface than in a LEGO version of TinTin’s moon tank? Stefan Johansson has nailed Herge’s classic design, notable for its twin bubble cockpits upfront. The tank’s blue and grey colour scheme is accurate, and it’s making we wonder if the original comic strip from the 50s provided any inspiration for LEGO’s original Space theme? Stefan has included figures of Professor Calculus, the Thompson Twins, Captain Haddock, and TinTin himself, all clad in fetching orange spacesuits. All that’s missing is Snowy the dog popping his head up under one of the domes.

Who winds up the watchmen?

The LEGO watchmen stalk the streets, keeping their eye on a wary citizenry. Dwalin Forkbeard‘s sinister steam-driven sentinel would like to remind you that if you’re behaving in accordance with the law then you have nothing to fear from their oversight. This is great steampunk/clockpunk building. I love the use of the welding mask, the twin-barrel blasters as control sticks, and of course, the design of those fabulous spindly legs. But the highlight of this model for me is the wonderful streetlight.

Dwalin says he took inspiration from the Tallboys of the Dishonered videogame. I recognise this in some of the elements, but I also think this has a nice clanky style all of its own.