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.

All a disorganized space base needs is one of these

There is much to love in this scene by BobDeQuatre. Of course, the cute space boxes are nice and the tiled floor catches the eye, but we all know the star of the show is the Space Mariner Powerlifter monowheel suit. While it uses interesting building techniques and resembles Peter Reid’s Ideas Exo-suit, the real reason I find it so attractive is the effort the builder had to go through to have it stand. This difficult equilibrium makes it look like there is a real working gyroscope in the mech, rendering the build very realistic (for a sci-fi mech).

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I, Anubis come for your soul, mortal grave robber!

LEGO themes vary across time and this is one that probably deserves a revisit. The Egyptian-themed release under the banner of Adventurers in 1998 featured exploration of iconic structures in ancient Egypt, and the treasures they contained. Builder Zed reimagines what could have been a set release with a build of a towering Anubis, the god of mummification and afterlife, chasing after an explorer! Unlucky fellow, for I can’t see anything of worth that he’s got to run for except his life!

Time to MAN up and get to work

Cement mixers are probably not the most evocative of heavy commercial vehicles, but that might change after you see this gorgeous 1:25 scale LEGO recreation of a MAN TGS 8×4 by Lasse Deleuran:

There’s just so much to love here, from the extremely accurate cab detailing to the mixing drum, which actually rotates (check out the video). I also love flashy lights, and this truck has plenty. The use of plates to get the swirling pattern on the drum is particularly cool. I’d be silly not to share this awesome still shot of the drum rotating, which also shows off the nicely detailed hopper and discharge chute:

There are so many details to appreciate in this exquisite and unique vehicle. So, while laying cement may not be the most exciting profession, the builder shows us you can at least do it in style.

Who needs a time machine when you can have the 80’s come to you?

With the rise of high-powered pocket computers (also known as smartphones), listening to music has become very clinical and almost too easy. It is just not quite as rewarding to listen to your favourite song if you don’t need to put in the effort of carrying a large, clumsy box around everywhere. This retro 80’s radio by Chris McVeight captures that long-gone era well, with multiple realistic functions like a flip-up handle and exchangable cassettes with a working ejecting mechanism. There are some non-functional elements here that make for great details too; most notably the seamless speakers and the great tuning display.

While non-LEGO elements are generally a detrement to a LEGO photo, 1:1 scale creations are an exception to that rule. Chris’ addition of 80’s-looking background and table decoration really makes you take a second look to be sure this is in fact a LEGO creation.

Harassing your local LEGO farm

Ciamosław Ciamek today brings us simple but very effective, with a small “Barnstomer” plane rudely flying low on a farmer’s land. Take a few seconds to look at this build. There are no complex techniques nor an overwhelming amount of parts — it’s just the right amount of bricks used in the right places.

What I also love about this build is the small scale of the plane. It’s absolutely minute, and there was some cheating done with the build. I assume the minifig head is just stuck on a brick, or one of the 2X2 driver’s bodies that have a minifig head peg. They were popular with the Drome Racers theme in the early 2000’s, and it’s a good way to simulate a full minifig in a small space. Also check out this alternate view, which shows off more of the plane.

Panda ex machina

If we’re all puppets, who is pulling the strings? Cole Blaq presents an interesting answer in a fun little cyberpunk vignette. We should’ve known all along Duplo martial artist pandas were behind everything.

A few good parts will carry you far

Jonathan Elliott’s renditions of the 1972 Renault 5 – 01 are smaller than minifig scale, use relatively few parts, and manage to absolutely nail the look of the car. The five stud wide cars really capture the boxy design of the actual car which was popular for these smaller hatchbacks at the time.

And, speaking of that hatchback, make sure you check out some alternate angles below, where you can see how they were pulled off at this scale. It’s not perfect — the rear quarter side panels overlap them — but it’s still impressive for this scale. With LEGO going towards bigger and bigger cars for both LEGO City and the Speed Champions lines, I love seeing smaller builds like this.

Neptune Discovery Lab returns after a hiatus!

It’s always great to see an old theme revived by creative builders, as Abi Yoga Pratama has done to a Neptune Discovery Lab theme set 6195, utilising parts that were released way back in 1995. A new futuristic explorer vehicle reimagined for today emerges, with sleek lines and a modern look. I really love the two front door frames being used as the sturdy-looking front for the cockpit. These elements are one of a kind and not ever used in any other set.

Tucked at the back, and enclosed within the build are two sub-carriers that could be launch pods for perimeter roaming! Little touches that engage in not only form but function in playability.

All aboard the Hogwarts Express for an adventure and friendship of a lifetime!

The Hogwarts Express is where it all began — where a young boy met strangers that became the best of friends and spun an industry that’s larger than life. It’s no wonder that Stephan Niehoff and his two daughters put special effort into recreating a beloved representation of an iconic element from their favourite franchise. Lifting elements from the LEGO set 4841, but improving it to give rough edges a more rounded curve and adding delightful details such as the handles of the carriages and a revamped undercarriage, all make this build a worthy representation of what could be a proper train set for a Harry Potter fan to truly appreciate.

The transformation does not end superficially on the outside, but the carriages inside get a more appropriate facelift to the delight of our Harry and Hermione minifigure passengers!

Thomas Hendricks versatile repulsor engine

I love a build with a good backstory. BobDeQuatre has created a story of a family of three speeder racers, starting with Thomas Hendricks building a prototype repulsor engine in his workshop. Making good use of stickered bricks and complete with a raised drafting area with chalkboard and designing table, Thomas’s workshop looks great.

Take a peek under the hood as we explore three generations of racers using variations of this amazing marvel of modern machinery.

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LEGO looks great, even when it’s garbage

Life is a mess. Look anywhere and you’re sure to see clutter, trash, and other signs of waste. This is a fact builders can easily forget when aiming to create a lifelike scene, but it’s certainly not the case with this pile of garbage by David Guedes:

If you’ve ever been down an alley of any major city on the planet, then this is going to be a familiar scene. The busted toilet, piles of cardboard boxes, newspapers and other assorted trash capture a common though rarely highlighted aspect of the inner city. It’s this attention to detail which can really bring a LEGO city scene to life. Heck, I’d go so far as to say this garbage looks rather attractive. The real stuff, well, not so much.

Snub-nosed speeder leaves behind nothing but dust

This wonderfully compact and cleverly built speeder by W. Navarre demonstrates small size doesn’t necessarily mean small details. Though I have to admit I’m not entirely sure what it means (if anything), the Chinese touch is a pretty interesting and unique take on the typical Star Wars-esque speeders we see. And I’d be remiss not to mention the great looking tree or the remnants of a boot on the skeleton’s foot. The use of a Nexo Knight armor piece to construct the speeder’s front end is hands-down the best detail.