Tag Archives: Ben Smith

Prepare thyself to be school’d, mediaeval style!

You know what we don’t see a lot of in LEGO castles? Monks and monasteries. Which, given their importance in the Western medieval world, is a shame, even if knights and castles are more exciting. Thankfully Ben Smith is on hand to scratch that scholarly itch. Ben is clearly a learned man when it comes to wall texturing. There’s a huge variety of tiled parts on show in the weathered walls, giving it a mix between graceful architecture and the reality of what time does to buildings. I like how the bust above the doorway makes use of a forestman’s hat (a part closely associated with LEGO castle folklore, of course) in grey, as a shield. Very meta.
Scholarly discussion

*Pink Floyd space noises intensify*

A long journey to colonise distant star systems require long, space-y psychedelic songs made by musicians such as Pink Floyd, Gong, and Brian Bennet. I was listening to Life on Mars by Dexter Wansel, when I saw pictures of The Ark by Ben Smith. One year in the making, it is a massive rotating vessel which resembles something from the television series The Expanse. Inside, tiny nature habitats built by collaborators Tim Goddard and Inthert provide residence for the people voyaging across the stars.

The Ark

Almost a meter in height, this SHIP hides a custom steel frame to bear the weight of electrical motors, LED lights, batteries, and thousands of LEGO parts. This behemoth of a build is as detailed as it is large, with plenty of greebling to feast the eyes. When taking a closer look, one can marvel at the geometric achievements of circular and conical sections of varying diameters. As for those not as keen for grey space machinery, there is some microscale landscaping by Tim Goddard and Inthert. For there must be life within this cold ship, as the inhabitants yearn to settle down on a distant planet.

The Ark

See Ben Smith’s flick album documenting the long and arduous build process of The Ark. And put on some Pink Floyd while you’re at it…

Groundbreaking hovertank seems to defy gravity

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you, this hovertank is indeed hovering! Space enthusiast Ben Smith has created a floating hovertank inspired by the fan-favourite Galaxy Patrol from the LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series 7, that not only looks awesome with a rugged colour scheme, but breaks the laws of physics. The boarding ramp is the only point of contact with the sand blue terrain, which raises the question: How is a ramp on the front of the vehicle able to actually hold it up and not collapse?

Infantry Fighting Hover Vehicle

Find out more about how it floats!