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.

In the lap of LEGO luxury

Sometimes owning a mega-yacht just isn’t enough. It turns out the owners of this particular M/Y Dytan also wanted a LEGO model of their luxurious ocean cruiser. Thankfully, Arjan Oude Kotte has a certain set of skills that make jetsetters dreams even more dreamy than they already are. This 1/68 scale model is 110cm long and 27 cm wide.
Arjan tells us the original 74m Dytan yacht was built in 2012 by Nobiskrug. She features an exterior design by Reymond Langton and an interior by Reymond Langton and Mark Berryman. She cruises at 12 knots and reaches a top speed of 14.0 knots. She can sleep up to 12 guests taken care of by a crew of 21.

M/Y Dytan

The main image looks a bit render-ish, which it is, but here is a secondary shot of the impressive brick-built model within the context of a real-life LEGO workspace.

DSC_3256

If being on a boat is your jam, then navigate on over to see another large oceangoing vessel by the same builder.

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TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 13, 2021

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second full week of August 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS After a massive flurry of reviews and news last week things we featured more MOCs than news this week. However, there was still BIONICLE and a new episode of LEGO Masters (US) to enjoy!

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

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LEGO Master Chef enters the automat

In case you’re wondering, automats are basically vending machine restaurants. Tons of little windowed boxes hold cold and hot fair available to any customers that drop a few coins in its slots. Well, before inflation and fast food pretty much killed them. Still, I can’t help but be reminded of these eclectic bits of culinary history when looking at this lovely sandwich built by Australian LEGO Master Henry Pinto. White bread with a mysterious orange cheese over some tomatoes and lettuce is exactly what you might find in an automat vending machine. Though white bread can be pretty bland and gummy, Henry’s solid LEGO reproduction is wholly satisfying. Each slice is two studs high with a smooth nougat crust attached to the white interior using modified bricks with studs on the sides. Sloped tiles used in the crust capture the pudgy corners of the bread, contrasting the sharp angles of the greens and the slices of tomato peaking out. Meanwhile, sloped bricks create the distinct cut in the sandwich which I hope runs all the way through the model.

LEGO Sandwich

I will remind you that you shouldn’t eat LEGO food, despite how appetizing builders might make it look. Though, you might actually want to grab a snack before you get lost in more of Henry Pinto’s masterful models.

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Spongebob’s street looks great in microscale

Simon Liu has created this wonderful LEGO interpretation of the classic neighbourhood from SpongeBob SquarePants. The individual houses have been cleverly constructed, each with their own unique features and techniques. Starting from the left, Patrick’s rock house is represented by a domed part from the Star Wars planet series. The house in the middle belongs to everyone’s favourite grouch, Squidward, and has shaping accurate to the original design, thanks to the application of the large wedges which are sunken into the sand. Spongebob’s pineapple house uses small wedges to represent the segments of the fruit with blue rubber bands imitating foliage surrounding the home. There are even microscale versions of the characters outside of their respective houses. All these details result in a display which is easily recognisable and accurate to the original source material.

Sponge Bob Square Pants

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Skidding along the snowy landscape in a beast of a snowmobile

If you have to be out on the frozen wasteland in the deep of winter, I can think of no better place to be than sitting in the cab of this monster LEGO snowmobile by David Roberts. Not only does it sport some hefty treads, and plenty of light for when the sun goes down, but it has a powerful jet engine strapped on the back. The angled suspension will get you safely over any rough terrain hiding under the ice, and those front skids look pretty strong.

Super-Ski-Doo

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Reservations not required, but you might need a sword.

Ho, weary traveler. Fatigue stains your face as the dew of the morning stains the grass. But good fortune smiles on thee. For you have found yourself at the Medieval Holiday Inn, by LEGO builder ilive. These walls of patchwork stone, with their charmingly crooked ingots, have shielded sojourners in need of rest for generations. We can’t provide you with cable, or Wi-Fi, or whatever frivolities the lords busy themselves with at the palace. But we have a warm fire, hearty meals, and a giant barrel full of mead. So, step inside and let me show you to your room. You’ll be sharing a bed with Rogan the Terrible. And this pig.

Medieval Holiday Inn

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The Volvo G990 Grader alternate build is grade A

Prolific LEGO Technic builder Michał Skorupka (Eric Trax) asks the question; what if you have the Technic 42114 Volvo Articulated Hauler set and get bored? The builder and I must be on a completely different wavelength because, much to my surprise, the answer has nothing to do with scaring the dog. Instead, he tells us the answer is to build another Volvo, of course. He’s constructed the Volvo G990 Grader with all the working remote-controlled features you can expect from a great Technic model.

I don’t want to spoil anything for you but there’s a part in the video where he dumps beans all over the carpet and the grader grades them! Check it out for yourself.

Do you still have a hankering to scare the dog? Have a look at our Technic Archives for ideas as to how to make it happen.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

The fiery third Pokémon form: Charizard

If you gotta catch ’em all, then you gotta get Charizard. The final stage of the fire-lizard Pokémon, this LEGO Charizard is seen flexing his muscles as depicted by builder nobu_tary.

Charizard

Nobu_tary is well known for their craftsmanship of animals and birds in LEGO form, as well as objects and characters from Japanese culture. Charizard is another testament to their skill with bricks, using a minimalist method to capture defining features without having to cram in every detail. Yet here, every edge and corner is perfectly fitting of the mighty dragon Pokémon. The use of orange minifigure legs is an example of that: you don’t see claws exactly, but you know they’re there.

I’m also really digging the flaming tail that is characteristic of Charizard. By using a few random red sloped bricks, nobu_tary is able to quickly convey the sense of fire without having to use flame bricks. You get the same experience with Charizard’s head. No eyes, yet its still obvious who this Pokémon is.

If you’re struggling to build a highly detailed LEGO animal or robot, I have good news for you: don’t. Nobu_tary is proof that less is more. Also, if you haven’t seen nobu_tary’s parody of the Year of the Ox LEGO set, you should. It’s hilarious.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Thinking outside the box can take you out of this world

The LEGO VIDIYO line has introduced some notably interesting minifigure DJs and a ton of printed tiles, or BeatBits, that interact with the accompanying music video creation app. As far as parts go, we’ll see what the future VIDIYO sets hold for us, but for now, we have the BeatBoxes. They’re curved cubes with clear bodies that attach to a large, 8×8 modified brick. Inside, a special element holds two hinged plates that display the BeatBits and a fixed horizontal stand for the minifigure. Recently these elements have gained some popularity and builders are showing off what they can do with them. Builder martin.with.bricks elevated his BeatBox out of this world, cleverly using it as the cockpit for a spaceship dubbed the VIDI-1. Bricks are stacked in various orientations to attach to the cube element and wrap around it. The lime green of the BeatBox base is accented by patterns built into the wings as well as vents on the sides and guns on top.

VIDI-1

Inside the clear section of the BeatBox, Martin has used brackets, clips, and rounded 2×1 plates to create a seat, display, and controls for the Alien DJ. Representing “Extra Terrestrial Dance Music” according to the promotional images, this is a great minifigure design from the VIDIYO line. Continue reading

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The beast from the depths

Brothers and LEGO Masters contestants Mark and Steven Erickson are continuing their big building skills with this beautiful leviathan. The scale here is deceptive, as the stand spans several feet, made of transparent bricks with lights embedded. Look closely right in the middle and you’ll spot a tiny Thor battling the mighty Jörmungandr. The sea serpent also has lights in its eyes, as well as a fog machine for real smoke, and the result is astounding.

Ragnarök Begins

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It’s van life for me

Vans may be trending mostly out of style these days as far as new vehicles go, but no one can deny the inherent cool factor of a sweet custom van, like this awesome LEGO Ford Econoline by Tim Henderson. Despite it’s nearly perfect minifigure scale, it’s got a great brick-built paint scheme with white and lime green swooshes on the side that offset the blue. Plus those headlights, made from the bottoms of 1×1 tooth plates, are just fantastic.

Custom Ford Econoline

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How to build your own pocket-sized Taj Mahal [Instructions]

LEGO currently has two display models of the iconic Taj Mahal available to buy. One that is massive and expensive, and new one that is smaller and more affordable. If you’re like me, poor and easily scared by any number over the £50 price tag, you start wishing for LEGO to produce more and more small microscale builds. Luckily, Luis Peña built a tiny Taj Mahal consisting of just 80 pieces, and small enough to fit in your pocket!

LEGO Micro Taj Mahal

Click to see the instructions

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