Display Stands for Microscale Creations

[Legostein]

Hello everybody!

It's my pleasure to share some of my thoughts for dispaly stands for microscale creations with you. As most of them the display stand types presented below are used for the 200+ micro and mini models of my collection, several examples are included. Now let's start.

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You have a centered stud hole, or bottom tube on the underside:

There are two possibilities, for models which need a high stand (left side) or low standard stand (right side).

Parts needed (high stand): 4x4 dish, 1x8 bar/laser cannon, pulley wheel

Example 1

Example 2

Parts needed (low stand): 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

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You lack a centered stud hole or bottom tube but have two stud holes next to each other (e.g. two 1x1 plates):

Parts needed: 65° 2x2x2 slope

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

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You have a centered inverted stud on the underside:

There are again two possibilities, one for high stands, and one for low stands.

Parts needed (high stand): 4x4 dish, 1x8 bar/laser cannon

Examples: None yet. Has mostly been replaced by the low stand.

Parts needed: (low stand): 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, Clikits ring

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

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You lack a centered inverted stud, but have two inverted studs next to each other:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, Clikits ring, 1x1 round brick, 1x2 jumper plate

Examples: None yet (model still unpublished)

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You lack a centered inverted stud, but have an inverted 2x2 plate or larger on the underside:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, Clikits ring, 1x2 round brick

Example 1

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You lack a centered inverted stud, but have an inverted 2x4 (or larger) TECHNIC® plate on the underside:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, 1x1 cone

Example 1

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You have neither studs nor stud holes on the underside, but inverted tiles insetad:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, 1x2 or 2x2 tile

Example 1

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You have a boat stud on the underside:

Two possibilities occur again, the high stand or low stand. Both use the fact that the bottom tube of the 3x3 dish does not end together with the rest of the dish, but is one plate height shorter, where the boat stud fits in perfectly.

Parts needed (high stand): 4x4 dish1x8 bar/laser cannon, 3x3 dish

Example 1

Parts needed (low stand): 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, Clikits ring, 3x3 dish

Example 1

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You only have a hole/gap with the width of a standard bar on your model:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x4 antenna

Example 1

Example 2

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You only have vertical studs or stud holes accessable on your model:

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x8 bar/laser cannon

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

Example 5

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Special stands: The display stand is part of the model!

Example 1: Fire beam and display stand in one.

Parts needed: 1x1 round brick

Example 2: The glowing in the ring is attached on the display stand, not on the actual model.

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x8 bar/laser cannon

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Higher structure: Displaying display stands

This is an easy assembly which allows you to present several models at once.

Parts needed: X-Pod barrel

Example 1

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With that I am done for now. I hope you will find these helpful and continue the joy of microscale.

All the best,

yours Christopher.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Legostein

[prateek]

Finally an in depth look at stands! Thanks Chris

[ILikePi]

I always love reading your detailed posts! This one is very informative, thanks for sharing

Have a great Pi Day!

[Shadows]

Wow! When you made the original post for this and I requested a separate topic, I just figured you'd copy and paste it over, I never expected that you would take the time to expand it into an even better guide.

This has now been added to the Tutorial Index where it belongs.

Thanks!

[RileyC]

Wow I didnt know there could be so many! Its great to see the examples to actually seen how they are used too.

Really great thread LegoStein!

[LandofLego]

A great reason i joined this forum,

Thanks for the indepth guide on basis

[unclemart]

Awesome guide, thanks! And huge thanks for all your other great SW creations too of course, it's been a pleasure, and very instructive, to build and study them - and highly interesting to try to figure out what bricks were used for some of the stud reversal techniques … had I found this guide earlier on, it would have saved me a lot of time and effort trying to understand what the pulleys and the clikit rings were (but I did get much needed help on bricklink). ;-)

However there's one of your stands that still has me stumped, and it's the one you used for your Cloud City model as seen in sw.deckdesigns.de/minis/cloud-city/cloud-city.htm

There is a darker streak in the center of the stand in the photos, suggesting you may possibly have something (bar-sized) inserted inside the round bricks, but even if that's the case … how does that in turn attach to the technic ball joint?

Since there's no part list for the models online I can't be entirely sure, but It looks like you've used the standard technic ball joint at the bottom of the model, but just in case I also got a technic ball joint with a through axle hole to check it out. But the one with the through hole doesn't have enough space to fit a bar from above (according to the instructions) and then one from below as well. You could in theory use a longer bar that just passes through the technic ball joint with a through axle hole and then enters the top of the stand. But judging by the photos that's a regular technic ball joint, as the one with the through axle hole has a flat bottom.

So, did you drill a hole in the bottom of the regular technic ball joint, to allow a bar to be inserted from below as well?

While it is possible to balance the model on the stand, even slight vibrations tend to make it fall over. So unless you just left it that unstable, or unless you drilled an extra hole in the ball joint, I'm guessing you've simply glued the stand to the ball joint.

Please enlighten me/us! ;-)

Thanks!

m.

[unclemart]

You have a centered inverted stud on the underside:

There are again two possibilities, one for high stands, and one for low stands.

Parts needed (high stand): 4x4 dish, 1x8 bar/laser cannon

Examples: None yet. Has mostly been replaced by the low stand.

Parts needed: (low stand): 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, Clikits ring

There's another possibility that may work better at times.

Parts needed: 4x4 dish, 1x1 round brick, Antenna 1 x 4, where you insert the antenna into the round bricks upside down.

Can't be used for too short stands due to the length of the antenna, but with a 3x3 (or 2x2) dish the antenna can extend into the dish itself making the stand slightly shorter.

It's an option to using Clikits rings, and clear transparent antennas may be easier to find than Clikits.

It also has another two added benefits: The inserted antenna stabilizes the round bricks making the stand a bit sturdier, and unlike the tall stand the upside down antenna can both fit on a single stud as well as in the space between four studs (though using the Clikits the short stand can of course also be reversed [with the pillar section turned upside down] to serve that last purpose, as demonstrated by Legostein in another example in his post).

[unclemart]

For very small models with studs on the bottom you can easily make a tiny stand by simply inserting an Antenna 1 x 4 upside down in a Dish 3 x 3 Inverted (Radar) or a Dish 2 x 2 Inverted (Radar).

And for very small models with holes on the bottom, where you'd ideally like a tiny antenna stand, you can just attach the antenna the regular way on top of any dish, and then add a Technic, Pin 1/2 on top of the antenna (with the stud part facing up, and a little bit of force, the pin fits fits nicely on top of the antenna). Unfortunately the technic pin is not available in trans-clear though. But a white one looks clean, or if it attaches to grey bricks on the model just match the type of grey on the pin to the model. For an alternative solution with all trans-clear bricks and any dish, and a Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud on top of the dish and insert the antenna upside down in the the round brick.

And for slightly bigger models, like the Chris Deck Nebulon-B, I find that the Dish 4 x 4 Inverted (Radar) with Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud stands often aren't quite stable and sturdy enough, and instead opt for Brick, Round 2 x 2 stands with Dish 10 x 10 Inverted (Radar) bases. I would love to be able to use 6x6 or 8x8 dishes for the base, but they're not available in trans-clear unfortunately, and trans-clear is my preference.

With a model likte the Chris Deck Nebulon-B, with just a single row of holes to fit on top of the four studs of the Brick, Round 2 x 2, you then need to add two Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with 1 Stud (Jumper) on top in order to center the stand under the model. And just add a third jumper on top of those two for models with a single hole on the bottom (or simply exchange those three jumpers with a single Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Groove and 1 Stud in Center (Jumper) if you're not building with trans-clear).

And for models with studs on the bottom in need of the sturdier stands you again just use the Antenna 1 x 4 inserted upside down into the axle holes in the Brick, Round 2 x 2 stands, to achieve a sturdy stand that can be attached to a single stud, or inbetween four studs, on the bottom of the model. And using one or three jumpers you can of course center the upside down antenna underneath the model if you need to (in the same way as decribed above, but with the jumpers upside down).

Edited October 1, 2012 by unclemart

[unclemart]

I've yet to come across a really good solution for a small stand for the Lego Mini TIE Bomber as this one has neither studs, nor holes, or even flat tiles or boat studs underneath.

The best solution I can come up with is exchanging the Technic Bush in the middle of the model with a Technic, Axle Connector with Axle Hole so I can get an axle hole pointing down as well, and then I can just insert an Antenna 1 x 4 in that axle hole. But firstly, I think that ideally the stand should be modified to fit the model, and not the other way around. And secondly, I think the Antenna isn't long enough for the model, so I would have to extend it with regular 1 x 1 round bricks under the antenna, and it's just not the greatest solution all in all - with modifying the model, and a somewhat awkward looking stand.

If anyone has a good idea for a stand for the TIE Bomber please let me know. ;-)

Cheers!

m.

[AndyC]

If anyone has a good idea for a stand for the TIE Bomber please let me know. ;-)

I wonder if it would rest on one of these? From which you could easily build a stand down.

[unclemart]

I wonder if it would rest on one of these? From which you could easily build a stand down.

Well, only one way to find out for sure I suppose. I added the piece to my bricklink wanted list, as I don't own one, and it'll be interesting to get to know the piece.

Thanks for the tip!

[unclemart]

When using the Technic, Axle Connector with Axle Hole I was thinking I might use an axle to connect it to something with an axle hole, but I just realized that it's also possible to just insert that piece directly inbetween the four studs of a 2 x 2 round brick. And I'm thinking that might look slightly less awkward than using an antenna and 1 x 1 round bricks beneath (as the pillar in the stand would at least be made from one type of pieces). The TIE Bomber (and most of what I own) is packed away in storage during a renovation at home, so I won't be able to try the solutions in real life myself for another few weeks at least (though I have some Lego where I'm staying now too, but most of it is packed away) … but in my head the 2 x 2 round bricks are a bit overkill for such a small model. But in good time, I'll try all the solutions to see which looks most elegant and least intrusive.