The light at Isla Roca

[Corvus]

Hello,

Recently, I've become obsessed with lighthouses. Not a bad obsession, mind, but I've decided to start on my biggest project ever- the light at Isla Roca. Since I have no experience with large MOCs, I'd like to ask EB for advice on how to start, and what to do on ordering bricks. Here's the plan- I've sketched up some rough drawings:

As you can see, it's probably going to be pretty big, and will take a while to make for an unskilled builder such as myself. I'm planning to use a certain tecnique, and I've made a very rough model from parts from my bin:

History:

Constructed in 1891, the light at Isla Roca has been thrown into neglect due to it's remote location and relative unimportance to the shipping routes. Recently, the light has been renovated by a group of Americans who fell in love with the light when they first sailed by in their yacht. Since then, the light has been restored to it's former glory, and the electric light replaced with a Fresnel lens. It has also been given the nickname of "Cayo Pollo', roughly translated into "Chicken Key" because of the many nesting seagulls and other seabirds on the island's southern cliff.

Anyway, I look forward to working on this project. It's going to be fairly difficult because I'm not very experienced, but it'll be fun all the same.

Please, building advice gratefully accepted. :-)

Will

Edited January 25, 2008 by Mr. Mandalorian

[Brickadier General]

It's a good prototype, but if I were you I think I would use a combination of 1x3 bricks and round 1x1 bricks. I think that would make it a little more structurally sound. Cale Leiphart did that with his water tower, and it works pretty good. Only problem would be getting that 4 wide wind on there. Lego did make 3 wide windows though, so those could always be used. Anyway, good luck with this project.

[oo7]

Not a bad obsession? That is an excellent obsession, my friend! There really aren't enough well constructed Lego lighthouses out there and I'm really glad to see that you happen to have such ambition to make one. I'd be more then happy to help you in any way but I wonder if there any chance you could be more specific in what you're thinking you need tip on. Are you planning to male an interior? If so, then how many floors do you wish to put in?

Perhaps this will be of interest - this guy did something pretty nifty in the way of floors but I'm not sure if you'll be able to successfully replicate in your larger size.

Here's what the final product of that one looked like -

I think yours will be awesome set on actual coastline unlike this one floating in air. ;-) The little history blurb looks good too!

It's a good prototype, but if I were you I think I would use a combination of 1x3 bricks and round 1x1 bricks. I think that would make it a little more structurally sound. Cale Leiphart did that with his water tower, and it works pretty good.

That does indeed work pretty well. I'll endorse that too! *y*

Edited January 25, 2008 by oo7

[Corvus]

It's a good prototype, but if I were you I think I would use a combination of 1x3 bricks and round 1x1 bricks. I think that would make it a little more structurally sound. Cale Leiphart did that with his

....

,and it works pretty good. Only problem would be getting that 4 wide wind on there. Lego did make 3 wide windows though, so those could always be used. Anyway, good luck with this project.

A three-wide window would work much better. The four-wide makes the side it's on slightly flat.

Not a bad obsession? That is an excellent obsession, my friend! There really aren't enough well constructed Lego lighthouses out there and I'm really glad to see that you happen to have such ambition to make one. I'd be more then happy to help you in any way but I wonder if there any chance you could be more specific in what you're thinking you need tip on. Are you planning to male an interior? If so, then how many floors do you wish to put in?

Perhaps this will be of interest - this guy did something pretty nifty in the way of floors but I'm not sure if you'll be able to successfully replicate in your larger size.

.....

....

I think yours will be awesome set on actual coastline unlike this one floating in air. ;-) The little history blurb looks good too!

That does indeed work pretty well. I'll endorse that too! *y*

Floors are an issue- I was planning to put in just a staircase, but the method looks very good. I'll try that. As for the size, I'm fairly sure I can go in between my size and his. I'll probably make it three to four stories.

To be specific on what I was planning on- I'm curious how the larger builders, such as the castle builders, plan their MOCs. I'm on fairly shaky ground on this- I know what I want it to look like, but it's going to be difficult to get the right amount of peices.

Thanks, Will

[AzMean]

for the island base, you could get the baseplate from the World City COast Guard set.

LINK TO BL

[Corvus]

for the island base, you could get the baseplate from the World City COast Guard set.

I've seen someone make a lighthouse with that as a base before. I'd prefer not to use it for two reasons:

1. It's not very impressive. It's a single peice, and I think it would detract from the lighthouse's *planned* beauty.

2. I never really liked the peice in the first place. The rocks are creepy, IMO, and it has built-in steps. I want the lighthouse to look remote, and this plate would make it look more... civilized, for lack of a better word. (It's Friday- I can't think. :-$ )

As for the island, while I'm reluctant to build on a baseplate, the big rock island is looking pretty imposing to build. It'll cost a lot, too. If I can't make a good rock island, I'll switch to trying to build the light on Cayo Loco, from Jimmy Buffet's "A Salty Piece of Land", which started this off. If you haven't read it, I reccomend it.

Will