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.

Shall we play a game?

Builder Joe is back and this time he’s built a technically and technologically impressive LEGO desktop complete with a window into a virtual world. The entire scene is a practical-built exercise in forced perspective as an off-screen player manipulates characters in the medieval game with her mouse and keyboard setup.

There are several instances of nice parts usage in this scene including minifigure legs as keys on the keyboard and balistraria. I’m also quite keen on the warm, swirling sunset built into the background. There’s also an adorable duck with brick separators for a bill.

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.

Brother, that is going to leave a stain

When I look at this dilapidated cyborg creation by Anthony Wilson My first reaction is to feel sorry it, as it seems to have sprung a leak, spilling ooze out of its chest. Until I take a closer look at the tank on its back and see some poor creature wriggling around inside. In any case, I love the many gears cobbled together to form the torso and the gangly, mismatched arms.

Here’s how Adam Savage does LEGO sorting and storage [News]

Adam Savage, famously one of the co-hosts of Mythbusters, is known to have a penchant for thorough sorting and storage solutions, keeping his (very full) maker workshop meticulously organized. He frequently extolls the virtues of an efficient workspace on his YouTube channel, Tested, as he goes about building recreations of various movie props and other nerdy DIY projects. But what’s less well known is that Adam is also an avid AFOL (or Adult Fan of LEGO), and consequently, his needs for organization extend beyond shop tools and construction supplies. Adam’s latest video delves into a topic that’s extremely familiar to us: sorting LEGO.

Here at The Brothers Brick, we’ve also been doing a series of articles on sorting, since so many of us find ourselves with extra free time lately due to the stay-at-home orders in many locales. Everyone’s system is different, since it should be designed to fit your needs. Adam’s system is similar to my own, starting with color first and then dividing out in part type, with the occasional diversion to sorting some elements by pure functionality with no regard for color. Many builders have other methods, though, so be sure to check out our article series to learn more about LEGO sorting.

Adam, being the ultimate DIY-er, though, doesn’t just stop at sorting, but takes it to the next level with a custom-built storage cabinet as well.

Check out the full video below. Continue reading →

LEGO 10273 Haunted House is now available [News]

LEGO’s recently announced Creator Expert 10273 Haunted House is now available for LEGO VIPs (free to join). The newest spooky Fairground Collection free-fall ride comes with 3,231 pieces, nine minifigures plus a skeleton. The set retails for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99.

If you want to motorize the free-fall ride in the Haunted House, you’ll also need an 88009 Powered Up Hub (US $49.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99) and two 88008 Medium Linear Motors (US $16.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £14.99), though the designers of the set say the free-fall ride is just as fun operated manually.

LEGO is also offering 30369 Beach Buggy as a gift with purchase for orders more than US $40 through June 7th or while supplies last.

Get a closer look at the Haunted House and the optional Powered Up Hub and Motors needed to make it move on it own

A giant, lumbering herbivore [Video]

As soon as I saw this picture, I knew the build had to be from Dan Schlumpp. There are loads of dino nerds out there, and plenty LEGO dino nerds, but few have tackled movement so well. Dan has created several iterations of these prehistoric animatronic creatures. Each time he continues to perfect his skill. It’s not just the movement, it’s also the complexity of the specific dinosaur he’s trying to emulate. Wrapping organic-looking armored plating around a finite mechanical frame isn’t easy. But I’d have to say this heavy-footed Triceratops is my favorite thus far. That head is excellent!

Of course, you have to watch it walk to appreciate the build fully. The gaps in the body are necessary for the ability to create realistic movement. That movement is what makes the gaps forgivable, though, because that hip and tail swing is awesome! They really bring this creature to life.

We’ve had the pleasure of covering Dan’s previous iterations, including one of his initial dino skeletons, as well as more recent Stegosaurus.

Hang in there, gas stations. We’ll need you in Valhalla!

The apocalypse didn’t happen quite as we had expected. Most of us have the masks and social distancing down pat, but when is it appropriate to start wearing spiked shoulder pads and warpaint? I mean, will shouting “witness me!” while spraying chrome paint over my teeth whisk me away to glorious Valhalla, or will it just make me look foolish at a Starbucks? I really want to do right by this apocalypse thing. I can assure you, the last thing I want is to look foolish at Starbucks while ordering a pumpkin spice latte. This LEGO abandoned garage by Kai/Geneva reminds me that this has been more of a stay home, stay safe and watch Netflix kind of apocalypse. I do hope that they hang in there, though.

While I have not visited a gas station in nearly three months, there may come a time when we’ll have rage-fueled war convoys, and when that happens, we’ll need all the gas we can get. So hang in there, please! Someday, when apocalyptic fashion dictates, I may outfit my little Beetle with truck tires and steel girders and wreak bloody havoc on the Fury Road…or to Whole Foods to pick up some kale and quinoa. You know, the impulse items.

Why buy a new speeder when you can build one?

Does your speeder jerk when accelerating? Or maybe you started noticing that ticking noise coming from the engines after the oil change? I think you should stop by Alexander Blais‘ garage. It’s not the fanciest one, and they might not be accepting credits, but these guys know their trade. Look at all the crates and boxes lying around; some say there is no such spare part they don’t have here in the garage. And forget about silly service droids. You don’t want to trust your lovely speeder to a soulless machine, do you?

LEGO 70433 Hidden Side – J.B.’s Submarine [Review]

Hello and welcome to the Hidden Side! Although the theme debuted last year, this is our first review of a Hidden Side set and I’m pleased to be your guide on this spooky journey. Today we are looking at one of the new sets from the theme’s third wave, Hidden Side 70433 J.B.’s Submarine. It is the smallest of the new wave and a fun, affordable entry into the series. There have been two previous waves with a total of fourteen sets following the ghost hunting adventures of heroes Jack Davids, Parker L. Jackson, J.B. Watt and their ghost dog, Spencer. In this outing, Parker takes a submarine, presumably of J.B.’s invention, down to the depths of the ocean to discover the Statue of Evil. The set includes 224 pieces, and while LEGO hasn’t officially revealed the price yet, we believe it should come in around $19.99 USD when it launches on June 1, 2020. Now, let’s strap on our diving gear and take the plunge down to the bottom of the sea.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Who you calling’ Shorty?

Sometimes bigger projects get furloughed by a lack of parts and waiting on orders. In the meantime, Isaac W. has whipped up this LEGO Volkswagen T1 Shorty with the parts he had on hand. It reminds me a bit of the zinger custom car phenomenon of the 70’s. What’s neat is the 15-stud long kayak is just slightly longer than this Shorty T1. Cool, right?

Hospitality on hold

LEGO builder Alex Eylar captures the mood of many with his latest creation Lonely Chef. Alex says he’s missing restaurants during the current lockdown, but in this melancholy composition he also manages to communicate the quiet despair felt by many in the hospitality industry. I’ve spent my entire working life in the bar and drinks trade, and right now it feels like I’m watching the whole industry slide off a cliff in slow-motion. On a less gloomy note, this is a wonderful LEGO model — clean lines and a simple colour scheme, nicely-lit, and well-photographed. I’m looking forward to when such creations depict a moment from our history, rather than from our present.

Alien brotherhood is a beautiful thing

If alien life does exist in the universe, it would likely come in forms that we can not even imagine, like this pair of critters taking a break outside their battle tank to stop and smell the methane flowers. This digital scene by Ivan Martynov makes about the best use of the hotdog part that I have seen in quite a while, to attach the crowbar-footed legs to the bulbous underside of this most unearthly “tank”.

LEGO 31109 Creator 3-in-1 Pirate Ship [Review]

One of the beloved classics from LEGO is the Pirates theme. It first saw its debut in 1989 and made waves through the mid-90s capturing the imagination of young ones all over the planet. These days, fans who grew up during the early days of LEGO’s early success pine for a return of the three golden classic themes: Space, Castle, and Pirates. LEGO is well aware of this and instead of an outright re-issue, the inspiration never died, but only revived and modernised to steal the hearts and minds of the newer generation today. One such example is the latest Ideas set, 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay. Now, I believe there’s a good chance the LEGO Creator Pirate Ship will be remembered decades later repeating the very same cycle of nostalgia, albeit in its own special and unique way. The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31109 Pirate Ship has 1,264 pieces and comes with four minifigures. The set is slated for a June 1 release, but the final price has yet to be revealed, but we will update this review as soon as we can confirm it. Let’s up anchor and set sail for a journey of discovery on how the LEGO Creator Pirate ship fares in today’s context.

Click to read the full review of the Creator Pirate Ship