Tag Archives: Machine

If you need to start a fire, this robot may be able to give you a hand

This fiery machine was built by Alex_mocs and uses a variation of unusual parts. To begin with, the head is represented by part of a midak skyblaster from the Bionicle theme. The main weapon of this robot is the flamethrower on one of its arms which appears to use a spring from a shock absorber piece. Tyres cover up some of the exposed sections of the joints, making the build feel all the more complete. What about the odd cloth piece around the neck? It is actually a sail piece of the Silent Mary ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean set.

D-A MK I

From the video, you can see the model has a fuel tank on its back which is portrayed by the storage section of the midak skyblaster.


If this build wasn’t strange enough for you, we have plenty of articles relating to weird robots, which can be viewed here.

The LEGO harvester to rule all harvesters

Holy guacamole, Batman, this machinery puts Scarecrow’s to shame! Corn cobs everywhere are shaking in their husks!

Well, this giant LEGO harvester built by Michał “Eric Trax” Skorupka actually has nothing to do with the infamous Gotham criminal, but it sure is impressive. With all the details of the real-life Krone BigX 770, the specs are incredible. With its perfect body-shaping and lack of dirt, it may even look better than the real thing. But it’s not just how it looks on the outside.

Even if you know absolutely nothing about farming equipment, you can appreciate the effort that went into making it move. Inside every expert-level LEGO Technic vehicle is a complex system of motors and gearing that is sure to leave you wondering how they designed it. And this behemoth even puts some of them to shame. It houses 9 motors (one servo, one XL, one L, and six M motors) and is controlled by three Sbricks. It even has lights! Simply put, it’s ridiculously cool.

If you’d like to see more like this, take a look at a couple more of Eric Trax’s other farming equipment builds.

Mobile Suit Gumball

You ever have one of those days when you mention something in idle conversation, and suddenly every site you visit online is advertising a related product to you? I have, and it’s downright creepy. But you just know retailers are looking for even more invasive ways of getting their products in front of you. And, unfortunately, I think we may be getting a glimpse of that future right here. Taking inspiration from pixel artist Kenze Wee’s Cyberpunk vending machines, LEGO builder lokiloki29 has created a futuristic drone that combines convenience with an unsettling feeling of “buy or die”.

Mobile Vending Machine

Built at miniland scale, this creation looks completely plausible. The variety of products on display do look tempting, and Ninjago-sourced logos are right in line with the aesthetic. Cheery red domes and curves create the impression of a friendly gumball machine. My favorite detail, though, is minifig hammers as feet. Those dainty pads makes this whole thing seem cuter somehow. Maybe I will get myself a little treat from this scuttling nightmare that followed me home.

…and that’s how they get you, I guess.

1980s Tape-recording technology

Builder Sven Franic completed a LEGO tape recorder that is a blast from the past. Thanks to Sven’s attention to detail, it looks almost like the real thing. One of the buttons is pressed down, and a cassette tape is visible through the clear window. The power cord is unplugged, revealing the machine’s two-pronged outlet. I especially like how Sven used the Tile, Modified 1 x 1 with Tooth / Ear Vertical (used as floppy ears in Unikitty figures) for the fast-forward and play buttons. They almost look like they were made for this build.

Tape recorder

Micro LEGO Technic stepper mechanism [Video]

Elegant, functional mechanical models don’t need to be large. In their “LEGO Technic Micro Stepper Mechanism” video, Lego Technic Mastery demonstrates how to build a simple, manually-operated stepper motor that can attach to any Technic beam. This stepper machine has four 90° stops, allowing for precise quarter turns in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction.

At 0:56 in the video, Lego Technic Mastery provides a shot of all the parts needed for this mcahine plus step-by-step instructions. I followed the instructions and built my own “little stepper” with little difficulty (although I did break a LEGO rubber band in the process).

Check out Lego Technic Mastery’s YouTube channel, which includes an awesome pneumatic robot hand!

Catch you on the flip-side

If conversations about audio equipment have you fondly remembering terms like “45 rpm”, “B-side”, “mix tape” or “VHF” then you’re probably ancient like me. Or you just rented Guardians of the Galaxy. Either way, this LEGO trifecta of vintage gear is far out, right on, and out of sight… Can you dig it?

First up is this 70s kitchen scene from Swedish retro-fanatic LegoJalex, featuring a portable radio and a color palette that practically defined the home décor of that decade. Looks like something right out of the 1973 IKEA catalog (and strangely, the 2010 catalog). It’s groovy, man.
  
Next, are these super-accurate recreations of turntable / cassette player units from the same era, created by Indonesian builder Yul Burman Karel. I swear, the one on the left looks like the exact one I used as a kid. Ok, time to boogie!

Check out the ABS on that!

Since creating the air hockey table we featured a while ago, Turkish builder Sinan Bitişik has taken to accurately reproducing all manner of real-world machines using LEGO, including a weed wacker, record player, road paver, AC unit and even an oven. But I particularly love the attention to detail in his latest piece, a brick-built lat machine

…of course, it’s crying out for a Miniland scale body builder to put it through its paces!