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.

LEGO Technic 42112 Concrete Mixer Truck [Review]

The Summer 2020 LEGO Technic wave has had a surprisingly high level of controversy surrounding it. The 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey got cancelled, and the 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler can’t move without being paired with a smart device. That just leaves the 42112 Technic Concrete Mixer Truck to try and put a positive spin on things. This 1163 piece set will be available in North America starting September 1st, and is available now in the UK from the LEGO Shop Online (US $119.99 | CAN $159.99 | UK £89.99). Technic fans have been asking for a concrete mixer for ages… Can this offering satisfy that demand? Or will this set finish off the season’s offerings with some cement shoes?

Click to read the full hands-on review

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Ironclad, reporting for duty!

Before the battleship sailed the seven seas, before the dreadnought instilled terror across the globe, there was the ironclad. Creator Sunder_59 is a shipbuilder in his own right, having a history of both starship and naval vessel construction in his roster. His most recent digital build is the ironclad, father of all metal warships.

Every little detail is impressive. From the billowing of the sails to the curvature of the ship’s hull, the wood deck paneling to the various gun mounts, it’s all here. Everything was taken into account, even right down to the bronze propeller.

We hope to see more historical builds from Sunder_59 soon. Share your favorite part of this creation below!

On the back of a dewy mountain

I love single-use LEGO elements, those pieces that are so specialized that they can only be used to make the one thing they were designed to build. Take, for example the head of a dewback from Star Wars. It’s very useful for building, well, a dewback, but not much else in the hands of an average builder. But in the hands of a master, like Simon Hundsbichler, that same piece becomes a mossy hill in a microscale creation. Add in one of the hip assemblies from the same creature, a video camera as a tower, a Bionicle leg as a coniferous tree, a werewolf head as a cliff, and about thirty other pieces, and you have a miniature masterpiece.

A nice place to be snowed in

They say all snowflakes are unique, and that seems to also apply to microscale castles in the snow. This excellent creation by Simon Liu is rich in clever part usage. Orange unicorn horns, tread attachments, and 1×1 roof tiles add just the right splash of color to the grey stone. In the castle there are plenty of clever angles and building techniques to explore. I like the use of rail plate to form the walls, and that inverted bucket at part of the main tower. For the snow, various tooth plates in white add texture and context for the scene. It’s a tiny winter wonderland!

As a cool bonus, this scene also fits inside a LEGO snow globe ornament for that added touch of whimsy. It’s a creation very much on the same level as Simon’s other great builds.

The perfect reading nook

Spending all this time indoors would be easier if everyone had a cozy reading nook like this one by Jonathan Fictorie. I love the details like the open book, tasty beverage in a brick-built wine glass, and the rustic feel for the chair and end table. The textures of the brick the wall are only surpassed by the intricate stained glass work in the window. This model has all the comforts of home I could ask for.

Click here to take a closer look of this cozy scene

A terrible name for a pretty plane

Despite the cancellation of the event where I was going to display them, I’m still building a collection of LEGO minifig scale experimental aircraft. I like building them, and there’s always next year (or the year after that). The latest addition is the British Aerospace EAP. This stands for Experimental Aircraft Programme. Americans may object to the spelling of “programme.” However, they should bear in mind that it is British. The name is still terrible, though. It just doesn’t have the same ring as, say, Spitfire, Hurricane, Lightning, or Tornado. Furthermore, it doesn’t suggest that it refers to an actual aircraft rather than to some study.

It was designed in the early eighties, as a technology demonstrator for a new fighter to counter the Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker. These jets were far more advanced and agile than most of the jets that served NATO. Italy’s fighter was the ancient F-104 Starfighter. The RAF and German Air Forces still used F-4 Phantoms, from the sixties. The new Soviet jets outclassed all of them. New Tornado jets entering service wouldn’t fare much better, because they were fighter bombers. The three countries started collaborating on a new fighter. However, as is common with European defense programs, the collaboration soon ran into political difficulties. Germany hoped to collaborate with France, instead and withdrew its funding. Nonetheless, the UK’s defense industry forged ahead, with private and with UK and Italian government funding.

British Aerospace built a single prototype. It’s a very pretty aircraft, with an elegant fuselage, a cranked delta wing, and canard foreplanes. It first flew in 1986 and was retired five years later, after about 250 flights. The French would only collaborate with Germany if the French industry could have the lead. So, when the time came to build a production aircraft, Germany joined the UK, Italy, and Spain. They built the new European Fighter Aircraft, popularly known as the Typhoon. Now, that’s a good name. The British, with their EAP, paved the way, though.

An icy castle of the Great North

When I first saw this I thought it captured “cold” perfectly. Cool colors and just the right amount of snow and ice in the right places. But this LEGO castle, built by Jonas Kramm, goes beyond that. What’s impressive to me are the angles, shaping, and use of so many different elements to achieve the look. For example, he fit a Technic pulley wheel into the new Minions eye element to create a unique window, and dark brown scabbards are used for trim detail. Additionally, there are a number of pieces making up the icicles and snowdrifts. Most notable are the minifigure accessories used on top of the lamp posts and under the eaves of the front door. A couple of my favorite parts are the fiber optic cable for icy flowing water and the hidden parrot. Find them? Zoom in to take a closer look!

Jonas has been very busy lately! Take a look at more of his work in our archives.

The not-so-little red truck that could

LEGO supplies builders with the parts to bring a wide variety of interests to life, and many builders take their inspiration from real-world objects and vehicles. Vladimir Drozd has a talent for building large Technic scaled vehicles jam-packed with details and moving parts, and his latest creation, the Scania LK 141 is no exception.

This workhorse features a full steering assembly and a motor to move both rear axles simultaneously.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 8, 2020

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second week of August 2020.

We got to spend some quality time with the new Technic 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB REVIEWS AND INSTRUCTIONS: This week we learned how to make a safe courtesy of Tiago Catarino and took a close up look at the Technic 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler!

How to build a safe to go with your brick bank [Instructions] – Come check out Tiago Catarino’s (@tiagoreiscatarino) recent LEGO tutorial, a tiny safe!
LEGO Technic 42114 6×6 Volvo Articulated Hauler [Review] – We take a close look at LEGO’s latest addition to their Control+ line of vehicles. Is this a Technic set that’s worth the hefty price tag?

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

- LEGO is launching braille bricks for students across the US, CNN – The LEGO Foundation designed and created a line of bricks molded with studs that correspond to numbers and letters in the braille alphabet.
- Epic LEGO Battles Are A Smash On YouTube, Forbes – For those who want the old school-stop motion animation there are now some truly impressive “creators” who have utilized LEGO (and similar looking) plastic bricks to recreate famous battles.
- Fans reverse-engineer LEGO Mario’s barcodes to make real-life Paper Mario, Nintendo Wire – Flexing creative muscles and coming up with new ways to use old pieces is what keeps LEGO so popular and relevant even in the digital age.

You could win a LEGO replica of your cat in celebration of International Cat Day, The Brag – What says “I love you” more than having a giant replica LEGO version of your cat?
10 impressive LEGO skateboarding ideas, Surfer Today – Are you a sidewalk surfing enthusiast? Do you have any free time? Build your own skateboard-inspired LEGO set.
New documentary goes behind the scenes at Legoland, Windsor & Eton Express – The four-part series will give audiences an intimate look at the theme park through interviews with model makers, hotel housekeepers and roller coaster designers.

That’s one angry shop

Some places are inviting, but this microscale Seaside Shoppe by Halhi141 seems to be a grumpy fellow. Maybe I’m seeing things, but the crossbeams, red awning, and doorway arch make a perfect little face screaming “Go away!” And who puts a store on a remote island anyway? Still, that didn’t keep me from appreciating the excellent LEGO building techniques in play. Check out the minifigure scaled book that forms the roof, and the clever binocular chimney with cattle horn smoke. The landscaping is also worth a closer look, as cherries are used to create some perfect little shrubs. And I really like the curving path made from a animal tail element.

Mircoscale creations, when done right, pack a ton of detail into the tiniest places. Just check our archives for even more tiny goodness!

Surfs up with the Duflo!

Here’s the scene; you get a sweet haul of used LEGO from a garage sale at a great price. Their loss, your gain, right? You race home to inventory your new acquisition only to find there’s plenty of LEGO as advertised but also some busted Matchbox cars, a few hairs you’d rather not speculate on their origin, one stinky flip-flop, and a DUPLO van body. Aw, nuts, “baby Legos”! You can let it totally harsh your mellow or you can do what Edward Lawrence did and build a custom surf van out of it. Introducing “The Duflo”, it uses System LEGO parts to construct a kickin’ sound system a knuckle-dragging stance, and a re-colored surfboard from the 10252 VW Beetle set. The exhaust pipes fit just perfectly in that cutout area. It’s like it was meant to be!

Wake up samurai, we have some hot dogs to burn!

Up-and-coming builder Aubrey Beelen presents a detailed cyberpunk street scene with a food vendor. While the scenery appears desolate, it is colourful and packed with stickers that enhance its futuristic nature. The fun, rugged minifigures also reflect the genre of the build alongside the vibrant speeder. In addition to a detailed exterior, the food stall includes cooking appliances and Power Functions LED lights that brighten up the kitchen.

Read about the details of this cyberpunk street scene!