Until 3 years ago, it would have been hard to predict just how ubiquitous an item the soap dispenser has become. So much so that they now pop up in LEGO models, like this one by Pedro Sequiera. It’s a neat model, very nicely presented – it looks worthy of being a still-life piece regardless of its brick-built nature! It’s spring-loaded, so it has some built-in functionality to it. But the best detail might actually be the labeling on the side. A selection of printed tiles make up the typical warnings you might expect to see on soap bottles. Mainly these are re-purposed number plates, but the use of piano tiles for a barcode is so clean!
Tag Archives: 1:1 Scale
Forget the window display, THIS is the Louis Vuitton / LEGO mashup we need!
While I’m certainly not familiar with Louis Vuitton’s line of products, I adore the life-size recreation of household objects in LEGO. And qian yj once again hits it out of the park with this highly-detailed makeup case. Each piece in this kit is expertly crafted to match the original, be it an eyeliner pencil or palette of blush. And the case itself is a work of art, checkered in white and light gray bricks with medium nougat along the edges. The use of the 1×2 jumper plate to add some texture to the leather trim is a pro move. And the detailing on the clasps, both for the main case and the interior tan box, is unbelievably impressive! If I squint, it’s hard to tell that this isn’t the real thing.
And if all of the above wasn’t impressive enough, the fully-detailed interior of the case is designed to hold all the displayed contents. It even has the reverse side of the main clasp visible, showing the attachments where the buckle is fastened to the “fabric” of the outer box. For me, that’s what sets a great part apart from a good build: when a model still remains accurate to its subject, regardless of how it’s viewed. LEGO and LV, if you two want to start working together, it’s time to take some notes!
Happy (cup)cake day
While I have gotten LEGO as a birthday present quite a few times in my life, I’ve certainly never gotten a birthday cake made of LEGO! This delightful party spread by Lego Monkey has all the right trappings for a great birthday for an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL), however, with not just the gift, but the cake and even the coffee also made of the brick. Of course, it’s part of the ongoing Iron Builder competition where Lego Monkey was tasked with using the teal cylinders in as many ways as possible, hence their proliferation on the cupcake and bow.
A LEGO chest full of D&D winning
Some people have a special talent for cooking, crafting, music making, and what have you. Esteemed LEGO builder Sean Mayo’s special talent lies in…well LEGO building but also mixing in other nerdy hobbies and making them super cool. I mean, take this treasure chest chock full of neat little Dungeons & Dragons doodads, for example. It includes a collectible silver figure, dice storage complete with dice and bag, a vertical holder for a notepad and D&D spell cards, and a gold coin. Sean tells us he has taken the classic Castle LEGO dragon of yore and combined it with the D&D logo to make the graphic. Clever!
The whole shebang can be stored neatly inside the box. What Dungeon Master wouldn’t want this at their next gaming event? If this wasn’t enough to warrant a full-on nerdgasm, then you may also be thrilled to learn that the outer panels are easily interchangeable to instead reflect a pirate theme or whatever else you’d like. What a special talent indeed! My special talent? I’m glad you asked! I write sensitive poetry about the man from Nantucket. While you’re mulling that over, check out some other Dungeons & Dragons-themed creations from other people around the world who also have special talents.
A twosome of terrific Trek tech
Set your phasers to positively delighted because LEGO builder Kevin J. Walter has a duo of 1:1 scale Trek tech for you to dork out over. First up is a Tricorder used to sense data, record data, and analyze said data. Star Trek medics use special Tricorders to help diagnose diseases and collect bodily information about a patient while the engineering Tricorder is used for…well, engineering purposes. Captain Kirk mostly used his to categorize hot space babes that he made out with. I like the attention to detail here and it looks as if you can fold it up and stow it in your Star Trek uniform that somehow had no pockets.
Next is a Type II Phaser for shooting space baddies who were not cool with Captain Kirk or anyone else (especially Kirk) making out with their babes. Unless you count a smartphone and a taser, we have to wait a couple of centuries until we can have such cool tech. In the meantime, check out why Kevin J. Walter continues to impress us dorks with his masterful LEGO work.
Are you ready to see the dessert menu?
Martin Gebert has served up some delicious looking brick-built creations that would make even the most seasoned pastry chefs drool with envy. The four-tiered cake, with its layers that get darker the higher you go, is decorated with a generous serving of minifigures beards. And this fruit tart is sure to delight even the most discerning of sweet tooths. Be careful, those reddish-brown plates have a tendency to snap, and the fragments can get caught in your teeth.
A 1:1 build worth a closer look.
This pair of brilliant binoculars by Tom de Kesel takes standard tires and treads and gives them new life. The treads obviously form the neck strap, but it turns out that rubber tires turned inside out produce perfect lens casings. One remaining tire does duty as the focus wheel to add the finishing touch to this perfectly rendered prop replica.
This pistol will make you beg for mercy.
I’ve never played Overwatch 2, but I’m willing to bet that no weapon in the game is branded with the LEGO logo. That doesn’t stop this build by Simon Liu from being any less impressive. The numerous angles and the rounded shaping are executed to a precision that would make any future gunsmith envious. My favorite detail is putting the oft-unseen reverse side of the masonry brick to use in a sci-fi build.
You light up my life
LEGO has released a lot of 1:1 real-world items lately, and if you’re willing to collect them all, you’re well on your way back to a vintage workspace. You’ve got a typewriter and a globe, and even a lunchbox if you’re so inclined. But you’re still on your own if you want to keep working after dark. Builder Castor Troy, in collaboration with builder Max Brich, have found a solution, though. This art-deco inspired lamp is wired with LED lights to shine through that Tiffany-style lampshade. The solid base has just enough detailing to suggest metalwork, which carries up nicely into the delicate curves formed from LEGO plant elements and tubing in the lamp stand proper. It certainly fooled me into thinking this was an antique at first glance, anyway.
Sadly, this is only an idea at present, as those stained glass bits consist of parts LEGO hasn’t released in transparent colors. But, in the meantime, we can take our inspiration and make our own forays into custom building. In fact, we’ve got a lot to offer in our archives if Art Deco is your thing.
It’s like a window into my paunchy, balding soul
Felix Jaensch has used about 14,500 LEGO pieces to build this rather unflattering fellow and now I wonder if he has caught a glimpse of me checking the mail. Paunchy, check. balding, check. Coffee stains, socks, and sandals, disheveled appearance, surly attitude; check, check, check and check. I don’t recall giving you permission to build me in LEGO, you jerk! Upon closer inspection though, Felix tells us this figure is 175 cm tall, which is slightly taller than I am, so we can now add short to my list of qualifications as a slovenly malcontent. At least he didn’t swipe my total likeness after all. This dude bears a close resemblance to Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force but it isn’t quite him. Felix doesn’t state a specific person in his write-up but he’s a fairly average representation of what a lot of us are like.
See him in his full, coffee-stained, grumpy, socks and Adiletten-wearing glory.
Building life-sized sculptures are pretty much Felix’s thing. Check out our Felix Jaensch archives to see what I mean. Now get off my lawn, you ingrates!
A LEGO build that shows us the weigh…
Caleb Flutur had always wanted an old brass scale to display, so he decided to build one. Looking like it just came out of an apothecary shop, Caleb’s work definitely measures up to the real thing. Capturing such an ornate design with such a limited color pallet must have been tricky, but the final looks to balance form and function brilliantly.
A flaming sword is scarier than a regular sword
This new LEGO creation by Geneva Durand begs the question; what is scarier than a regular sword? A flaming sword, of course. No, it’s true; it’s like science-fact written in the annuls of science-y stuff. The same can be said for flaming arrows, a flaming axe, and Flaming Hot Funyuns. I mean, have you seen those things? How are they even considered suitable for human consumption? Anyway, the builder tells us this 1:1 scale weapon is not quite swooshable but you can swing it around a bit if you’re careful. And it is super fun!
Geneva borrowed an epic cape from her brother and while we’re not quite sure if this is a real human in the photo, here’s a shot of a human-like figure standing with the sword to show off its imposing scale. It’s an image suitably bitchin’ enough to be airbrushed on the side of a 70s-era van or a Molly Hatchet album cover.