Tag Archives: BobDeQuatre

V is for Classic Space! Wait, what?

Sometimes it takes several tries to come up with a clever name for an article and boy did I miss the mark with that one! That’s OK, famed LEGO builder Bob DeQuarte tells us this was his first time building a Classic Space spaceship and he struggled quite a bit, especially with the engine design. It took a few tries, experimenting with different engine sizes and placements but we think the end result was well worth the effort. Check out why we think building in the Classic Space style is well worth the effort and, while you’re at it, please let me know in the comments what a clever-er title for this article could have been had I have not half-assed it like a total schmuck.

CS Star Explorer

Verdant dragon may cause a brushfire

Mythical dragons are no stranger to the LEGO medium, especially those of the elemental variety. But BobDeQuatre has provided us a nature-themed version as rare as a four-leafed clover. Two gorgeous, leafy wings spring up from the dragon’s wooden back, adorned with the occasional pink flower. A line of vines lead up to the beast’s rooted face, providing the same angular features as its scaled, traditional brethren. But the real success here is the design of the dragon’s arms and legs. Formed of rock, they blend into the build’s setting, leaving me to wonder where the landscape ends and the mythical wonder’s body begins.

Protector of the Vale

Can’t make space wine without water

Building a colony on another world won’t be easy. It’ll require tons of resources that you better hope are available on the planet and that you can build close enough to them. Builder Bob DeQuatre is certainly aware of the issues that go along with settling new worlds. As a precious and necessary resource, water is certainly worth a hike to retrieve. This nuclear-powered, armored water tank, dubbed the Dionysus, was designed by the Mars Corporation to quickly transport water from remote extraction sites to the main outpost. Massive wheels and an armored body ensure that every drop makes it back safely. All while looking absolutely gorgeous with that white and red color scheme and interesting angles around that elevated cabin.

Dionysus

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Remember to stay hydrated, even when exploring Mars

How many glasses of water have you had today? I bet, fewer than you you should! Instead of yet another boring reminder, I’d rather share with you this fantastic water extractor built by BobDeQuatre. Named Poseidon, this machine is much more advanced than your ordinary LEGO rover. According to the description, this thing can melt extraterrestrial ice and lift water up to the surface. I cannot confirm if this is true, but I can totally confirm some great part usage in the rover’s design. The cockpit reminds me about the 31107 Space Rover Explorer set which uses the same combination of pieces; although, the Poseidon is much more massive and impressive. Now, go and get yourself another glass of water..!

Poseidon

Shrine on you crazy diamond

LEGO models with smooth curves and bright colors – they’re just a joy to behold. But there’s more than colors and curves to like about this build by BobnDeQuatre. In Takoizukame – The Shrine Keeper, those qualities are combined with some sweet part usage. Take, for example, the hubcaps in the upper arms. Or the Chima flywheels in the feet. And is that a Ninjago Spinner at the center of the mech’s chest? *Chef’s kiss*

Takoizukame - The Shrine Keeper

The rearview also showcases some great building techniques. Check out how the 5×5 arch bricks switch orientation and mix and match with the quarter-circle tiles to create smooth transitions and complex shapes.

Takoizukame - The Shrine Keeper

At the end of the day, though, it’s probably the fact that the colors remind me of the Downtown Diner that makes this mech near and dear to my heart. Retro-Town-Ninjago is a popular sub-theme, right?

Skull Island, when is the soonest I can move in?

I was a kid in the ’70s and ’80s with above average drawing skills but typically childish tastes in what I liked to draw. With the Hardy Boys, Johnny Quest and Treasure Island well within my wheelhouse of influence, it was a sure bet that many of my childhood drawings included some kind of skull island. Whether it be a Dino-Skull Island, Rhino-Skull Island or Bat-Skull island, I was totally into it and would imagine a whole slew of baddies who inhabited these remote, exotic islands hellbent on ruling the world. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that…not much has changed in my adulthood; my art still boasts similar themes from childhood, including a skull island lair or another from time to time. This is why I was so thrilled to find a kindred spirit in Bob DeQuarte.

Skull Island

In one fell swoop, this builder rekindled so many childhood dreams and sparked, let’s be frank, more than a few recent ones. For this, I am thankful for builders like Bob. Anyway, I just wanted to say my piece about this awesome island. I hope you can all be as thrilled about it as I am. Just in case we’re tracking on a similar wavelength, here is another time Bob opened a magic door into childhood dreams.

Skull Island

What’s cooler than cool? This spaceship.

Ice Planet 2002 might not generate quite the same level of nostalgia among adult fans of LEGO that Classic Space does, but for a certain generation of builders it surely evokes fond memories of trans-neon orange chainsaws and the coolest visors that LEGO helmets had yet seen. It does for me, at least. Bob De Quatre certainly knows how to balance the distinctive white and blue color scheme, with the trans-neon orange accents, that made Ice Planet so distinctive and immediately recognizable back in its heyday. This planetary explorer uses its extensive monitoring equipment to scan the surface in low orbit, looking for whatever it was that these frosted spacemen were trying to find. I never knew what I was supposed to be finding with those chainsaws and ski/snowshoes, but I knew my crew looked good doing it.

Ice Explorer

The angled faces and down-swept wings show Bob to be a master spaceship builder. Fun highlights are the feathered sections of the wings in front of the air intakes and the opening pods on either side of the tail fin, which can deploy probes to the planet’s surface for added reconnaissance. Nexo Knights’ greatest gift to builders as a theme was perhaps the introduction of many new elements in trans-neon orange, especially the angular canopy used so effectively here. But that is not all that Bob has used well; don’t miss the DUPLO radar dish beneath the cockpit and the Bionicle armor behind it. Now that’s one cool ice-cold spaceship.

Party on in this re-themed Slave I

When a piece that’s exclusive to one set gets released in a new colour, it can be appealing to base a tribute to the original set around the new piece. That’s exactly what BobDeQuatre has done with the transparent purple windscreen from the LEGO Movie 2 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus set, which had previously only existed in transparent clear in the Ultimate Collector’s Series 75060 Slave I.

UCS Party One

While many parts of the original model could be substituted for parts in the right colour scheme, some had to be replaced if the correct parts didn’t exist. I especially like the way the curves over the wing mounts were sculpted. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the weapons have been removed, as this ship is built to have fun, not chase the Millennium Falcon. And what better way to emphasize its readiness to party, than with a fun pair of cat ears. Meow!