Tag Archives: Iron Builder

From the arena of Iron Builder comes Iron City

The competition is heating up over at Iron Builder and we’re all pretty thrilled about it. That means job security for us and entertainment for you bloodthirsty readers. This time esteemed builder LEGO Monkey has constructed Iron City where I presume the competition is held and all important Iron Builder decisions are made. I love the overall lofty city-in-the-clouds feel and the Monkey makes excellent use of the seed part 41 times in this particular build. For those who may not know, Iron Builder has two renowned builders duke it out for a month or so building some amazing LEGO creations all while using a specified seed part. It’s kinda like Bumfights except without all the controversy and litigation. Speaking of jokes that peaked in 2008, I went a couple of bouts in the Iron Builder arena way back when I had other haircut choices but I won’t link the results here because I’m still recovering from the mental trauma. Instead, check out how other Iron Builder competitors have fared lately.

Iron City

Spend a night at scenic Moonglow Cavern and leave your cares behind

What do you build when you have an abundance of a long and awkward LEGO parts in a bright color? If you are Eli Willsea then you build a beautiful and tranquil mountaintop retreat with a great view of the stars. This peaceful scene complete with a waterfall and a collection of scraggly purple-leaved trees also includes an orrery, a bunch of blue mushrooms, and a telescope to admire the stars. Watch your step, though, because with that waterfall cascading down across the path, those round steps are sure to be slippery.

Moonglow Cavern

Darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter, and the LEGO is teal

I defy you to look at this underwater LEGO organ by Eli Willsea and not start humming the tune to “Under the Sea”. See? It’s in your head now! And you won’t forget this build in a hurry either. It centres around the cylinder pieces used as the organ’s pipes, the seed part for the current round of Iron Builder. The slits in this particular piece make it a great fit for this instrument, although there aren’t many organs I know of that are painted turquoise. But put it on the seafloor, and suddenly the teal makes perfect sense. The little crab at the keys is pretty cute as well. Presumably, it’s a homage to Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. The only other musical sea-dweller I’ve heard of is Davy Jones, and he didn’t look that friendly…

The Sound of the Sea

This round of Iron Builder is just getting started, so why not see some previous entries in our archives?

Iron Builder meets Tin Man…

LEGO Monkey took a big swing with his latest Iron Builder entry, crafting an iconic scene from one of the most well-known movies in cinema history. But you can’t argue with the results. The star of this build is the seed part (the 1×5½ cylinder with bar handle), which clumps together beautifully in a recreation of the Emerald City of Oz. But we have to give a Best Supporting award nod to the landscape, particularly the way the green wedges imply a winding hillside that allows the yellow brick road’s forced perspective effect to work so well. And, even though Dorothy and her three traveling companions all have official minifigures, Lego Monkey pulled this scene off without owning any of them. That’s what we call a special effect!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

A smooth build for a bumpy ride

Embrace your inner child and take a trip to an amusement park of LEGO in this wonderful build from KitKat1414. For this Iron Builder contest round, the seed part is the LEGO Friend’s theme horse saddle in dark azure. A rather versatile part, the saddle here is put to use in a lovely variety. In the foreground we have the standout bumper cars with their fishing pole contact shoes to supply them with power from the ceiling. A cool use of magic wands still in their sprues are the railing details behind the bumper cars. A roller coaster train sails by in the background, affording some breezy sights. Further in the background is a little stand made of the saddle turned on its side.

Child’s Play

A seedy little workspace

It may seem like an ordinary day to you or me, but in Kit Nugent’s (KitKat1414) world, things are a bit more interesting. In this masterfully built LEGO slice of life, a man is confronted by the fact that 25 Friends Horse Saddle in Dark azure has infected his home. As you may have guessed, this is part of the Iron Builder competition, where the challenge is to incorporate the seed part (in this case the aforementioned saddle) into a build in the most interesting ways possible. Not only are there the “easy” wins of a flower pot or bookshelf, but Kit has incorporated them into a standing lamp and even a chair’s backrest. But the best use to me is turning a bunch of them into floor trimming.  Oh, and that rug made of carrots is pretty sweet, too.

Closed for Business

More inspired part usages (include more saddle-y goodness) await in our Iron Builder tag!

That blue choo-choo voodoo

I’m sure by now, Caleb Schilling is sick and tired of the azure saddle LEGO part he’s been working with throughout this round of Iron Builder. But, build by build, the LEGO Master continues to find new uses for the clunky piece. This adorable locomotive is no exception, utilizing 31 of the saddles. While they’re primarily used to make up the sides of the engine and attached cars, each one features a new configuration, showcasing each of the part’s sides. The pairing of the dark azure saddles with dark blue and black makes for an excellent color combo, and contrasts the blurry green background of the countryside whizzing by.

The Sapphire Express

Catching a snowflake before shredding on them.

Kit Nugent takes us to the top of a mountain with this Iron Builder creation. Kit used the seed part of a horse saddle to build both a ski lift and a snowboard. The way all the parts of this build hang together over the forced perspective mountains gives the scene real sense of motion and gravity.

Morning's First Snowflake

A double duty mashup swiped from the jaws of defeat

Not to be outdone by his friend and competitor, Caleb Shilling has a few tricks up own sleeve and has used the dark azure LEGO saddle piece eighteen times in this captivating little scenario. The reason? Well, Iron Builder is currently heating up like a used Toyota on a cross-country trip. If you’re observant you’d note that was an entirely different metaphor from the one I used earlier today so clearly, I’m a literary genius. While I await a lucrative book deal from Simon and Schuster, check out the predicament these intrepid divers are in. This was also entered in Vignweek 2022 where they are mashing up styles. In this case, we have Aquanauts divers of yore executing the Chewbacca maneuver from Star Wars in which they brace the trash compactor, call for help, and escape from peril, then it’s Miller Time. So is that pulling triple duty then?

From the Jaws of Defeat

Saddle up with The Iron Sentinel

LEGO builder Kit Nugent has been on fire lately!. Well not literally (I hope). I mean that his Flickr stream has been heating up like the radiator of an old Buick and may catch on fire if he doesn’t cool it off. Wow, that was way more awkward than I had hoped! Anyway, check out this Iron Sentinel. It uses ten dark azure saddle pieces and was built for the Iron Builder competition which itself is heating up like the cam shafts of the same aforementioned old Buick. This humanoid is so flexable he can get himself into all kinds of cool Spider-Man poses. This won’t be the first nor last hot Iron Builder entry from Kit. Check out our smoking hot archives to see what I mean.

The Iron Sentinel

Back in the saddle with a new business

This exquisite LEGO storefront by Caleb Schilling is all about new beginnings. It could be the opening of a new store, the blooming of a flower after a long winter, or the next season of Iron Builder. Utilizing 15 of this horse saddle seed part, the build puts them to use in the awning, a flower pot, and as the clerk’s apron. Beyond the seed part, I’m also partial to the excellent front door design in dark green and the intricate white molding on the second-story windows. Overall, there’s a depth to this build that goes beyond a stud count. All the open windows and patterned variations in texture make the creation stretch back away from the screen, inviting passers-by inside to see what’s on the shop’s shelves.

Open for Business

King of the Builders

The premier LEGO competition Iron Builder is back! Kit Nugent starts the round strong with this wonderful king of the jungle. This round’s seed part is the Friends Horse Saddle in dark azure which Kit used 38 times here. The side of the saddle works beautifully as the very Aztec-styled half circles. The white throne has some fantastic part use as well, including white claws and teacups. Lush greenery and the blurred foreground give this a fantastic sense of depth. Stay tuned for more Iron Builder coverage to come!

"Now I'm the King of the Builders ...