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.

A whole new spin on LEGO roller coaster track

Roller coaster parts had been a long time coming when they were finally released last year. I, personally, was someone begging for them, and was ecstatic when given the chance to review the LEGO Creator Expert 10261 Roller Coaster. Since then, it’s been cool to see what others have done with the track. This time, Daniel Church has built a super cool Steampunk monowheel. All the greebly bits create a lovely design, and the triangular signs and 2×3 pentagonal tiles finish it off well.

The best part is that it actually moves! Who doesn’t love a good LEGO build with movement? I hope the next task is to make it stand by itself and remote controlled!

If Steampunk is your thing, we have another steam-powered monowheel (with other vehicles) for you! We’ve also drooled over a gorgeous windmill and a cool chess set, or two.

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Sail away on crocodile head power

No LEGO creation impresses me more than a well done microscale build. When building bigger, you can essentially sculpt any shape imaginable with basic bricks and plates. With microscale however, the parts you choose can make or break your design. Take david zambito’s Calm Seas for example, and focus on the trees and the ship. AT first glance, the trees might look pretty straightforward since he uses a leaf to represent a tree canopy. For their trunks though, he’s used a long horn instead of a straight bar, and this choice makes the tiny palm trees lean in a way that feels natural.

Next up is the brilliant little ship. Before I gush about the bow and sails, I’d like to recognize the apt use of a droid arm as the bowsprit. While it wouldn’t have been my first choice, now that I’ve seen it, I can’t think of a better piece to use in its place. Now on to the true stars of this build…. The obvious standouts are the crocodile heads as sails, which stand out as trapezoids, whereas most LEGO elements are rectangular. What’s more, the ridges over the eyes make them appear to be blowing in the wind. My favourite aspect of the entire build is the mummy’s headdress as the bow of the ship. Not only does the part fit in with the scale, but its functional areas are both used: the ship connects to the inside where a minifgure head would normally go, and the stud on the front of it is the connection point for the bowsprit. Take a closer look yourself and see what other amazing parts usage you can find.

This chunky mech is more than just brute force

This bulky mech by Zane Houston is called a brawler, and it could not match its name any better. From the large wheels built into the legs to massive shoulder and hip joints, this is one heavy mech. However, this is more than a simple brute of a model, as there are plenty of details worth mentioning. In particular, the mech has several pistons and other mechanisms that ground it in practical construction. Throughout the model, the builder has also added simple repeating details like cheese slopes in the thighs, and canisters in the forearms.

In addition to some fantastic angled structures that would look quite at home in any massive LEGO spaceship, the color blocking is also well-executed. However, I think my favorite detail would have to be the 2×2 round bricks with grooves tucked into several joints, playing off of the more noticeable gears.

In this giant castle, every little detail is beautiful

Whether made out of real-life bricks or LEGO bricks, castle walls can be as simple as bricks stacked one on top of the other. However, some real castles have detailed walls, as does this LEGO castle by amenk sachio. The combination of sloped and arched grey bricks make the giant stone walls appear as if they were designed to be part of the finest renaissance château.

Particularly cunning is the use of socket joints to create arches: the wider end makes them naturally curve when stacked – an effect utilized here to great success. On top of the fine masonry, this castle is adroitly adorned with golden embellishments, with plant, animal, and weapon pieces used to create architectural details. My favourite detail of all is the repeated use of Witch-King crowns throughout, tying the entire fortress together.

Journey to the center of the earth with this wacky drilling companion

We recently featured a tunneling drone, which was uploaded on the initiative of a year-long online mecha building project – Mech Monday. One of the builder’s sources of inspiration was Markus Rollbühler, who built this adorable drilling robot for the latest Mech Monday.

While not overly complicated, this little guy has a bright and well-blocked colour scheme. The robot also features some unique parts like the chrome silver Rock Raiders drill piece, which is used instead of legs. With its weird and wacky expression, this is a mech any miner would love to take to work.

Come join us! The Brothers Brick is recruiting now [News]

Have you ever wanted to tell the whole world about the awesome LEGO model you just saw? Are you the person your family and friends look to on Facebook or Twitter for the latest LEGO news and the best LEGO creations? If you have a passion for LEGO and want to share it with the world, The Brothers Brick might be the place for you.

As a TBB Contributor, you’ll get to highlight the news you find, showcase your favorite LEGO models from other builders, and even show off whatever you build yourself. You will be writing 3-4 new posts each week. But all that sounds easier than it actually is.

To help make sure that you’re successful as a new Contributor, here’s what we’re looking for:

Adult LEGO builder (AFOL) aged 18 or older.
Established track record in the AFOL community, whether on Flickr, a LEGO fan forum, or somewhere else.
Good communicator and writer, as evidenced in comments and forum/group discussions.
Previous blogging or article writing experience a strong plus.

TBB Contributor positions are unpaid — all joking about secure compounds and million-dollar yachts aside, The Brothers Brick is run by a bunch of passionate volunteers who write about LEGO in their spare time. All money the site earns through the support of our loyal readers goes toward server and bandwidth costs, purchasing products to review, sponsoring contests and fan events like BrickCon, and helping out the LEGO fan community wherever we can.

Even though it’s a volunteer role, being a TBB Contributor provides a genuine opportunity to participate in one of the top hobby sites in the world. If you don’t have prior blogging experience, you’ll have the opportunity to learn or improve on tangible professional skills such as writing for the web, headline writing, search engine optimization, and social media strategy.

To apply, fill out the form on our TBB recruiting page. Questions? Ask us here in the comments.

LEGO reveals six new sets to celebrate 80 years of Batman, including classic vehicles, villains and Shazam! [News]

Batman is turning 80 on March 30, so LEGO is launching six new DC Super Heroes sets to celebrate. The line-up of sets includes our heroes Batman, Robin and Batwoman using iconic vehicles such as the Batmobile, Batwing and Batcycle to defeat classic villains like The Joker, Harley Quinn, and The Riddler. In addition to the expected Batman characters, Shazam also comes in one set (most certainly a nod to the upcoming DC film).

The sets range in price from $9.99 to $99.99 USD with general availability starting later this summer on August 1st. One set including Mr. Freeze will be available at Walmart one month early starting on June 1st.

Don’t miss the rest of the LEGO summer 2019 sets reveals, and be sure to check out the new Toy Story 4, Spider-Man, and The LEGO Movie 2 sets that just went sale a few days ago:

LEGO Architecture
LEGO Batman
LEGO City
LEGO City Space
LEGO Creator
LEGO Friends
LEGO Friends Ocean
LEGO Harry Potter
LEGO Jurassic World
LEGO Ninjago
LEGO Star Wars

Click to take a closer look at the upcoming LEGO Batman sets

A bird that looks majestic in miniature

For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is finally here. In observance of the season, Jarema has built a small, yet elegant-looking LEGO bird returning from the tropics. It doubles as an excellent case study in how just a few parts can go a long way in modeling a subject that is instantly recognizable. Coupled with the tilted beak, black wings staggered above white wings imply we are birdwatching from beneath the clouds.

Meanwhile, the placement of each element is carefully calculated. Red crowbars make for excellent feet stretched out in flight, and the mechanical arm doubles nicely as a neck. I particularly love how the minifigure epaulette has been used to form the bird’s belly. It looks like it could hold a fish or two!

An Imperial probe droid. It’s a good bet the Empire has seen this perfect reproduction

Sometimes you look at a creation and don’t even realize you’re looking at something built out of LEGO bricks. That’s exactly what Lino Martins has achieved with his Imperial Probe Droid. At first glance, you might mistake the Arakyd Industries Viper probe droid for an action figure, but upon closer inspection you realize that it is, in fact, made up of LEGO elements.
Of course, it helps that he’s used certain pieces that are perfect substitutes for what is seen in the Empire Strikes Back, for example the Technic pins look almost identical to the ends of the antenna. And that’s just starting at the top – scanning the rest of the model shows more and more components that look enough like the reel thing to make you think it’s searching for your hidden Rebel base.

Great shot kid. That was one in a million!

There’s one thing I never get tired of in the world of Star Wars, and that’s seeing yet another custom LEGO X-Wing model. Each builder brings their own flavor to the table, including neat techniques. What seems easy usually isn’t. For example, builder Koen Zwanenburg experimented with four different iterations and modifications before ending up with the X-Wing seen here. For those unfamiliar with Koen’s work, he’s quite a versatile builder with everything from the cuteness overload of his classic rubber duck to the elegant grandeur of his Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings!

The art of the butterfly

LEGO artists often title their creations with a cryptic title like “Daydream” or skip the title altogether, allowing the viewer more freedom in interpretation. Dario Minisini’s latest creation surprises with a descriptive and beautiful title: “Life is not always grey. There are colors too.”

Multiple gray butterflies leading to a rainbow-colored one makes for a powerful composition. Their flight path seemingly implies that the colorful butterfly and its monochromatic counterparts represent a single butterfly, possibly viewed from a different angle or transformed as it flies through the triangle. Supports are made from bent translucent bar pieces that Dario uses in many of his builds. I think it’s great how Dario manages to keep the creation’s message open-ended, even with the descriptive title. However, it is not quite true that the three gray butterflies are void of color – they use sand blue wedge plates for the undersides of the wings. Could this be a subtle message or just a lack of parts?

Classic Space takes flight in a Macross crossover

Benny is a man and minifig of many talents and versatility, having captured the hearts of many around the world. With the help of LEGO fans, he has been to the Star Wars galaxy, and now he’s taken a leap into the Macross Saga with this unique three-in-one transformable model built by Wallace Chow. I’m impressed by the level of thought and effort it took to represent multiple forms in a single LEGO model, all while maintaining thematic consistency. Each form stands on its own as instantly recognizable.

Click to see the alternate Mech and Walker mode