Tag Archives: Nautilus

Ammonite? No, this is an ammu-nite

We feature LEGO builds for many reasons here on the Brothers Brick. It might have some great parts use. Perhaps it imitates natural shapes in ways not thought possible with plastic bricks. The most important reason though is, of course, when a build inspires a good pun. So you have Sandro Quattrini to thank for the title of this post. (Naughty-lus was also considered, but I think we can all agree the right call was made here.) To be fair, it fits the other categories rather well too, although I’m not sure I’ve seen too many armed nautiluses (nautili?) before. Maybe that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want to get hit by the bullets, or the discarded shells…

PITtober 2022: Notilak

The mysterious black nautilus

Currently, our study of the nautilus suggests their shells are traditionally white and dark orange. But then again, we understand less about our ocean depths than we do about the moon’s surface. For all we know, there are beautiful black nautiluses residing in the murky depths beyond our reach. If there are, I hope they look like this one built in LEGO form by Moko. Sleek and mysterious. The unique curvature is made using the crane jaw element from recent space-themed sets. Not only does the swirl look cool, but the design made by the axles in the Technic brick holes does as well.

Nautilus

Curious where the baseplate came from? This particular base only came in the 2009 Pirates set, 6241 Loot Island. While you’re here, stick around for some more animal builds, as well as other creations made by Moko.

What the shell is this creature?

As a kid, I developed a mild obsession with prehistoric creatures, especially dinosaurs, and loved looking for fossils along limestone bluffs. I found a tiny trilobite or two, and a few segments of worms, but never anything cool like a chambered nautilus. That would have been awesome, since all the pictures of plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs had nautiloids, too. And then one day I discovered that animals of that sort still exist, and look almost the exact same as they did 200 million years ago. Mind blown! And then I see that Jonas Kramm built one out of LEGO bricks, and, as is usual for Jonas, the build is amazing. But he also did it with only 101 pieces. Mind blown again.

Nautilus | 101 pieces

It’s a study in concise use of LEGO elements since there is no wiggle room to get complex and piece heavy; every element has to be carefully considered, like a DUPLO plant and a pearl of great price in the oyster. The colors are spot-on, and the cephalopod eye staring at me is perfect. My only complaint is that the shell of Jonas’ model does not exhibit a precise logarithmic growth spiral. Come on, Jonas! Why can’t you do the impossible with just 101 LEGO bricks?

Scuba do’s and don’ts

The ocean life is captivating in this LEGO build by [Jack Frost]. Kelp plants and an elephant tail and candlestick anemone all sway across ocean floor while Sam the scuba diver navigates the water. The build is a wonderful combination of interesting techniques and part usages. For Sam’s scuba suit, the builder uses wheel tires, a printed hinge panel and my personal favorite, aquatic mech arms from the Alpha Team line of the early 2000s. The connections at the figure’s joints are incredible and the flexibility of Sam’s flippers looks remarkably realistic. And don’t forget the neat Hero Factory-armor nautilus swimming past. The movement captured overall brings this scuba diving scene to life.

Sam the Scuba Diver

Like this builder’s style? Check out some more featured creations by [Jack Frost] in our archives!

A most mysterious mechanical mollusc

The nautilus is one of those amazing creatures both strange and beautiful. With a spiral shell that seems to be a natural manifestation of the golden mean. And when interpreted by Mitsuru Nikaido, this cephalopod takes on an even more usual form, as Mitsuru builds mechanical versions of living creatures. Aside from the many curved sections, and the sprouting tentacles, my favorite detail would have to be the Hero Factory chest piece for eyes.

LEGO Mecha Nautilus Mk2-10