djlamrsw Posted January 20, 2015 Hey guys! I would love to build mocs but I have a few problems. 1) One of the worst problems is that I live in India and I only get to go back to England once or twice a year thus making it hard for me to get lego and go to lego conventions. 2) I don't really earn money fast, I have £164 at the moment but that would get me quite a few big pick a bricks but maybe not enough for a moc. 3) Ive never built a moc before, I have never built one so I'm not experienced at all but I would like to make some clone base mocs if anyone can give me any ideas. 4) I don't have the space for holding all those pieces people like legospencer and solid brix studios have. 5) I cannot get mass lego because I live in India and I don't have much money so I cannot build big mocs. 6) Because I live in India I might just leave the moc lying around and I won't be able to take it to lego conventions. Overall I would love to build mocs but I don't know if I can get the resources for them/ Thanks! -dj Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MAB Posted January 20, 2015 Why not use Lego Digitial Designer then? MOC virtually instead of using bricks. For me, it is a second class choice (I much prefer using real bricks) but if the choice is not there at all but the urge to MOC is, then LDD is a good idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peppermint_M Posted January 20, 2015 It depends what you want to get out of a MOC really. I build because it helps me relax, I find it fun to create things from my LEGO and MOCing is my hobby. I do not get a chance to display often but I do post my MOC photos online, so there is some sharing aspect to it. If you are unsure of what you need to build a MOC, then as suggested: Use LDD (assuming you have computer access) you can build as big or small as you like and draft a MOC that you may want to build for real so you can get the exact parts you need. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djlamrsw Posted January 20, 2015 I have ldd but do you guys know any tips and tricks? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AFOLguy1970 Posted January 20, 2015 LDD is a highly useful tool. Be aware that it will not indicate how well a model will hold together. As for gathering your bricks, be sure to check out Bricklink. Often the prices are lower than Lego Pick a Brick, and it shows you which shops have the parts you are looking for. You can create a wanted list to keep track of what you need and where you can buy them. Do you presently have any pieces? If so, you can perhaps use some to test certain aspects of your designs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SweetiePie88 Posted January 20, 2015 Have you tried checking bricklink for parts for mocs? If you do a little research, you could probably do a couple big orders and be set on parts as long as you reuse them in mocs. Don't forgot the brick seperators. If you get at least one old style along with new school, then you will be able to get tricky plates apart. Spend a little time crunching numbers and comparing sellers and you can get far. When you buy parts, go for parts that you can use over and over again like 1x2 bricks, flush mounted side stud bricks, studs, etc. People have even used the new brick seperators as parts in a model! As far as the size of a moc goes, think smaller with lots of small parts for detailing instead of going massive. Just b/c other people make big things means you have to. While I do have a mid-sized collection, I don't go big since I don't have much display space. As far as lack of storage, there's a ton of options. One of the best for lack of space are ziptoc bags inside of totes. However you might want to also look into a couple small sets of pull out style drawers to put on a desk or table. Table top storage is valuable since you could use it to sort out mini figure parts, store favorite parts, keep random parts, small instructions, or any number of other things. I have a small 5 or 6 drawer unit so that's become a mini figure station and I have another set of drawers that I can pull out to use for something And try checking for clearances where you live and england when you visit. Somethings there are really good clearances to be found and those sets could be really great part packs sources. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MAB Posted January 20, 2015 Concerning te storage problem - another option is to get into microscale builds. Get a collection of about 400 smaller parts, and you can still have fun. I have a small box that I take on the road with me. Ideal if you are staying a hotel or similar and want some building fun while away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted January 20, 2015 I think the best option here is to just move where LEGO is more plentiful. That solves one problem Before I really came out of my dark ages, I fiddled with LDD for a few months, but haven't touched it since. Real bricks are preferable to me, but also I quit having enough access to a computer outside of my work computer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ficbot Posted January 20, 2015 I build my own things because I can't afford to buy a new set every day. I just wing it and improv as I go with whatever pieces I have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nerdsforprez Posted January 20, 2015 The questions you pose really are personal ones that only you can answer. Is MOCing worth it? We all have limitations placed on us regarding access to building materials... either monetary limitations, product availability, etc... but because MOCing is so much fun we make things work. If MOCing really is that fun for you, then you will find ways around the limitations. LDD, building with limited parts, etc. are all solutions to your concerns. Perhaps not perfect solutions, but then again, such solutions to life's problems rarely are. Don't build for social reasons. In other words, if you build for attention, to find friends, internet exposure etc. then you are building for the wrong reasons. Such things come because you are having fun, not the other way around (i.e. social attention first then the fun). If social interaction is what you are craving, then there are a million other things that you can do to obtain that. Don't let the fact that you cannot take your builds to conventions etc. be a deterrent to your hobby. I have been an adult builder for years.... never once have I taken a build to some form of convention. Again, such opportunities are nice, but certainly don't even consider it a reason why you should or should not build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrickBuilder7622 Posted January 20, 2015 Well, I find that the real joy of building a MOC is the pleasure of just sitting down and building. That being said, it will be a tad bit difficult to build a MOC, considering one has a limited supply of bricks. When you have a limited amount of parts (and even when you have a surplus amount of parts), you'll find that you begin to see LEGO pieces differently. That is, you begin to realize for example that that 2x4 brick is just what you need for that MOC you're working on. What I am saying is, as long as you have bricks, MOCing comes naturally. So by all means, if you have money set aside for bricks, then buy as much as you need / want. The first few creations are difficult (but loads of fun). After that, MOCing becomes a hobby that you just can't stop planning for / thinking about. It's a lot of fun. Hope this helps you. :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djlamrsw Posted January 21, 2015 I would love to get something from bricklink but as I said I live in India and its expensive to ship it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_spock Posted January 21, 2015 If getting more bricks is an issue, why not design and build your MOCs around what bricks you have? I think it could be more challenging and satisfying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alanyuppie Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) The assumption that MOCing as being viable only with adequate /required bricks is very wrong. LEGO parts are so flexible you just can make do with whatever you bought ... half the fun is solving the building challenge , not hoping for a particular part in a particular color to be readily available. Edited January 21, 2015 by alanyuppie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caperberry Posted January 21, 2015 Is singing worth it if you don't have the greatest voice in the world? Is birdwatching worth it if you don't know the names of all the species? Is falling in love worth it if you feel like a bit of a mess inside? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy D Posted January 21, 2015 Is singing worth it if you don't have the greatest voice in the world? Is birdwatching worth it if you don't know the names of all the species? Is falling in love worth it if you feel like a bit of a mess inside? +1 For the best answer to the original question. Words to live by! Andy D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GregoryBrick Posted January 21, 2015 The assumption that MOCing as being viable only with adequate /required bricks is very wrong. LEGO parts are so flexible you just can make do with whatever you bought ... half the fun is solving the building challenge , not hoping for a particular part in a particular color to be readily available. Absolutely. If you have the attitude to work with what you have, you'll always find a way to build something fun. If you have the attitude that you need parts from somewhere else to make things work, you'll never have the right parts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
notaromantic Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Yes, to me, MOC'ing is worth it. You - will have to find out for yourself. Its called a "leap of faith" - you either live with the risk of failure, or with the regret of never trying at all. Get your feet wet, and then decide. And then get your feet wet again, and then reconsider... And, it does seem that there are places to procure Lego in India. There a few internet articles regarding the Yellow Giraffe toy store chain, as well as some others who were importing more and more Lego. And, from the sounds of your post, if you get to England every now and then, your access to Lego is exponentially better than someone who never chances to leave India at all. And, really, the cost of shipping isn't what you might expect: Many sellers ship international for as much or less than you might pay to ship only regional. Get on Bricklink and began comparison shopping - Who has what, from where, and what will it cost to get it to me? If you must, purchase by the set, considering what will provide you the most of the type of building materials you'd prefer, or buy in bulk from an auction site. If you are not experienced at all - become experienced. There is no other way around it. Not many people "have the space" either, and many, many more certainly do not have the Lego "studios" that others have - Lego finds it way into closets, beneath beds, in unused shower stalls, in things stacked here and there and everywhere they probably shouldn't be, and I'll bet some of us never even clean our kitchen tables off in order to properly eat, because they are littered with "this or that project". Ideas are abound in the world all around you and within you. And, you certainly don't need to "build big MOC's" in order to validate your endeavor. Building is a skill that must be nurtured, like logic or love, or strength, over time, and with perseverance, one small step after another. Brick by brick by brick. The majority of builders will tell you that they gleaned the most satisfaction in making a certain connection work, rather than in parading a monstrosity. And, I'll bet if you polled every member here, the ratio of those who've never been to a Lego convention would probably outnumber a great deal the number of those who have.... So in short, LEGO-ing, really, is a process - like exercise, or knowledge, or music, or enlightenment itself. And you'll have to learn to love the process itself, rather then the benefits of the process, to assess whether or not it is worth it to you. However, like the rest of those "processes", once you began to experience a control over it, or at least find a symbiosis with it, it is one of those things that is translatable across life - patience, problem-solving, discipline, etc..., etc... Efficacy. That is the sweeter side of failure. Failure allows you to recoup and to reattempt, yet to do so a little more savvy. And that is an invaluable habit to nurture. And I would argue elsewhere, that perhaps it, procuring efficacy, is our only reason for existing in this realm, but I digress. The world would be a much better place if we'd all find a satisfaction and pride in building on a small scale - before we unleashed our minds and hands and machines out upon its terrain of living places and living people. So... Don't become a frustrated dictator - FIND YOURSELF SOME LEGO. Edited January 21, 2015 by notaromantic Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HawkLord Posted January 21, 2015 Is singing worth it if you don't have the greatest voice in the world? Is birdwatching worth it if you don't know the names of all the species? Is falling in love worth it if you feel like a bit of a mess inside? Agreed, this answer really sums it up! Build what to like with what you have. As long as it's good for you, who cares how large or small or complicated the MOC is? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badbob001 Posted January 22, 2015 It really depends on how you approach the matter. If you are a crazy perfectionist, then you may spend more time designing and ordering parts than actually building. Then when are you ready to build, your creativity is overwhelmed by the great variety of parts you have access to. Alternatively, you can take one set and try to use the limited number of pieces to build as many things as you can. Look at the old 5867 Lego Creator Super Speedster set. The set is already a 3-in-1, but someone published a pair of books on how to use only the parts from that one set to make at least 20 more high quality vehicles! (See Amazing Vehicles and More Amazing Vehicles). I would sometimes dig into my kid's duplo bricks to build something relaxing. The limited variety of pieces means I spend more time building than digging around looking for the 'perfect' part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrJB Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) I think the best option here is to just move where LEGO is more plentiful. That solves one problem LOL ... that was exactly what I was thinking. If your priority in life is Lego Happiness, move to Denmark ;) but careful, most hobbies last about 2 years only, so you'll be moving on a regular basis. Edited January 22, 2015 by DrJB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AmperZand Posted January 22, 2015 One of the problems for the OP of using BrickLink is that the Indian postal service isn't reliable. When I used to send documents from the UK to colleagues in India, I had to use expensive couriers. It was the only way to ensure things arrive. I hate to think what it would cost to send LEGO by courier, assuming you could find BL sellers who would ship by that method. ...but careful, most hobbies last about 2 years only, so you'll be moving on a regular basis. Really? I've been into Dungeons & Dragons for well over 30 years and an AFOL since 1993. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
docmikeb Posted January 24, 2015 The assumption that MOCing as being viable only with adequate /required bricks is very wrong. LEGO parts are so flexible you just can make do with whatever you bought ... That's very true. The Creator sets provide almost endless fun... and the best part is the challenge... to use wisely a limited amount of bricks and to create something original and unique. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jared Posted January 24, 2015 If getting more bricks is an issue, why not design and build your MOCs around what bricks you have? I think it could be more challenging and satisfying. +10000000000 Aside from the rather "long" response, this just about sums it up. Just because you may not be amazing at first, doesn't mean you don't. It's just a hobby, so relax and build away. In terms of tips and tricks, just watch what other people do. Look at other builds, try to deconstruct other people's techniques, and ask them if you can't figure it out. I guarantee 90% of the time the person will be willing to give you their secret. Remember, some people start out amazing, others take a while to bloom. I took 3 years to get to my current mocing abilities, and even then, it's not very good. I've got a looooong way to go! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GI_Jack Posted January 25, 2015 Building MOCs is great. You do not necessarily need many parts to build something to be proud of. There is so much inspiration on forums, youtube... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
