If you thought a LEGO watering can wasn’t much use outside of setting a scene in a garden, you have not seen an Iron Builder competition. In the contest, an unusual seed part is used in each build, to challenge the builder to think creatively. gGh0st does not disappoint with this caterpillar, whose many segments use the watering can in lime to great effect. The spout makes the perfect leg, clinging to the branch. But I do wonder what this would look like from any other angle…
I could write a whole feature about this hornworm by Moko to tell you all about how magnificently they used the Crane Grab Jaw with Axle and Pin Hole. That the axle looks just like little caterpillar legs. I could tell you that the use of the sport helmet for a little nose is cute as a button. Hedwig’s eyes work perfectly for this little fellow as well. And that it is really nice to see the binoculars and the horn in orange make an excellent mouth while continuing the colour pattern. I could do all that, but I am not going to. I am just here to point out that Moko used not one, not two but three types animals on in the twig the caterpillar is walking on. It is a frog, a rat and a dog. And to me that is just golden.
This adorable LEGO caterpillar built by Jens Ohrndorf is the perfect illustration for a children’s storybook. Just the critter alone is cute, from his paint-roller antennae to his “fuzzy” body and flower-stem spines. But when you add those balloons, it’s magic. It really does give the illusion of this fellow’s body being lifted up. He didn’t quite use enough, though! Don’t worry little buddy! Be patient and someday soon you’ll be a beautiful butterfly!
Jens is great at giving his builds life and that spark of character. Just check out this fun cactus!
Tim Lydy surprises us with his LEGO Mister Mind build. Not being familiar with the source material, I thought at first it was just a cute little caterpillar. But I was sadly misinformed, this is none other than DC’s most evil and devious villain Mister Mind, an alien worm and the nemesis to Shazam. I was drawn to this creation because I really enjoy it when something really small gets turned into an upscaled LEGO model. (Keep in mind, I still thought this was just a mere caterpillar.) The body is made of a bunch of projectile disks on what I presume is a piece of flex tubing. The head is made of the insect cap headgear and the butt is a sport helmet with vent holes. The eyes are quite cleverly made of two minidoll necklaces. Did you spot the paperclip on the floor?
When LEGO came out with these massive tires a few years back vehicle builders rejoiced, but sometimes you need something more for building large tractors, monster trucks, post-apocalyptic mono-wheels, or other things needing outrageous tires. A builder who goes by the name of Sariel found some amazing non-LEGO tires that fit LEGO hubs perfectly, and used them on this legendary Caterpillar 797F Dump Truck. The real thing is 25 feet (7.7m) high to the canopy, 49 ft 6 in (15.1 m) long and weighs in at a staggering 624 tons when empty. This model is considerably smaller but no less impressive and, as LEGO vehicles go, it is a force to be reckoned with.
With its rugged stance and attention to detail, I would have been impressed enough if this were a stagnant model. However, as this image illustrates, it is jam-packed with Power Functions and a robotic Mindstorms EV3 unit to give it that extra push of awesomeness. I can see myself playing with this big Cat for hours all the while making truck noises like a six-year-old. It doesn’t take much for me to revert back to a six-year-old but, given this post’s title, you would have guessed that already.
In fact, you can even see it in action in Sariel’s video!
[Update: an earlier version of this article mistakenly identified the tires as LEGO elements. We regret this error.]
When it comes to earthmoving equipment, the Caterpillar brand stands out as a time-honored tradition. The company’s 320 Hydraulic Excavator packs some serious digging power, and looks amazing as this 1:30 scale LEGO model built by Sheo. It looks accurate to the original, right down to the tracks and hydraulic digging system. The driver’s cab is particularly impressive, expertly formed with rigid tubing, clip, hinge, and bar elements. Other inspired details include black whips for handrails and studs-not-on-top building to form the shape of the CAT logos on the vehicle’s body.
Sheo. even used his tractor to recreate an action-packed scene from the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.
