WaysofSorting

I don't see how turning a tractor pink isn't a great move. I male and am still into it. And it's only "barbified" if it doesn't perform as a tractor. Otherwise it's still a tractor, just pink. Or Azure with pink highlights - I'm yet to see it. Either way- I think it's a good move. Too many blue and red tractors in the world already. Wha? Wait a second...I see what they did there... Anyway - there goes thirty bucks as I buy three lemonade stands, just for the cookies. The helmets and scooters are a fine bonus, but who am I kidding. I love the 1x1 round tile in all its printed variations.

I'm liking this very much - Great build on the front - the skis don't look sturdy, but I'm guessing they are more so than I think. I think my favorite piece, though, is the steering wheel on the walkie talkie. I'm like, "why don't all my dudes have those?" Could be so many things! I agree with fr33manator - Ice planet could use some of these.

Wow - great idea and a whole new sub-market just opened up for bricks customizers. I wonder if you could print with something else - actual paint thinned a bit, for example, saturated into a thin sponge/cloth or some such. Not much paint, but enough for a few applications of the colors. Having the ability to make one stamp cut into four would simplify multi color printing, as you could identify the color layers and have them all come on the same "master stamp" that then you cut off. Not just talking CMYK, but that's where my thoughts were first. I thnk your "stencil with black highlights" is a good idea and direction to go in with the limitations of the tech. I'd love to see more of these kinds of experiments. Awesome registration/printing set-up - thanks for sharing and keeping this idea an open-community kind of thing - good luck!

I'd like to see "The Thing" in a big-brick form like the Hulk. I'm also ready for a blitz of X-Men figures...though, maybe market research tells them that the demographic for Xmen is gone, stuck in the 90s and early Aughts and it'll never come. I'm stoked about the "Guardians of the Galaxy." If only because my fabuland raccoon are lonely and I think some interesting sets with cross genre appeal could come out of there. Not sure that I care so much about Capn America or Ant Man, but that sounds like the extent of 2014 Marvel. For 2014 DC, I haven't heard much. Has Wonderwoman been confirmed? If indeed a Justice League Movie is in the works for 2015, I think they'll probably have a very controlled rollout of DC hero sets to avoid "Buyer Fatigue" before the film...so maybe nothing good for 2014 for DC. I say that, yet all the cool previews have been of Flash and Batgirl. So who knows.

Really great and inspirational - I'm enjoying my first "grown up bike" in years, trying to find out how fast I can commute to work. Or even better, FROM work home. With the post work traffic crunch, I am usually home before my compatriots are even pulling out of the commuter lot...so I'm a real advocate for that. Anyway - I digress - great build. Lots of details in a compact space. I like the tool space under the stairs and how the bike stores seems a part of the active community and park outside...though no bikes in the park! Such is life - many lookers and no buyers. I enjoy all the "not bikes" they are selling - those little scooters look promising. And, for whatever reason, the sandwich board. I wish my local bike shop had a sign like that out front, with a big LEGO helmet for a logo. Thanks for sharing and great job. A not-so-shabby selection of spare parts, by the way, to make such a great building.

Great job - this is an awesome theme. I think I like the #2 set the best - Airfield Assault - if only because it gives us a glimpse of the way the Soldiers live and I guess, by extension, the rest of the "Warlike Nation." I would love to see a "SteamPort" city or something...the hostile, militant territory for Auriga to dare pass through. Who knows, maybe some fans out there relate with the Soldiers more than the pirates...Where does spark come from? Maybe some floating ships harvest it? This would be a good "soldier" faction thing to see - wherever they get Spark when they aren't gunning for the Auriga. Anyhow, great build and design for a whole product line. I would totally buy these -

Hi. I have no idea, but I'm in exactly the same demographic as you, Gatekeeper. Same age, nearly same location (Maybe - I'll PM you the details) and same goals vs. same problems. I'm a couple hours away from a good, established LUG. I know I should reach out the them first, but...I'd like to keep it local, yeah? There ought to be a guide to this. And there probably is, what with all the "institutional knowledge" of people out there and existing LUGs and whatnot. I feel like I used to read threads like this all the time on LUGnet before it died (Essentially. No offense if you still use it often - I don't.) A quick round up of links: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=81926 - Another 2013 thread. Not that handy. http://www.bricksetf...o-i-start-a-lug - 2011 off brickset. Somewhat useful. Goes into the LUGBulk program - which may or may not exist any longer. (I've heard both, both from apocryphal sources not-necessarily-to-be-trusted) http://www.brothers-...starting-a-lug/ - 2009 off The Brothers Brick - Panel approach - pretty good to see some real opinions on the process. Lots of good resources and tips - great advice on how to keep a meeting going, no matter what. Anyhow - I agree with Dr. Spock - it's just like getting any group together. Pick one to start out: a)A Mission/Goal Vision or B)Some interested people. Then, with what you have on hand, try to find the other. For me, I would pick A - even though a LUG could be "Hey, alls y'all that loves LEGO, meet up!" it is really a better idea to say - "We're a group that does shows." or "We just want to do colaborative builds" or "Brick Wars. Seriously." or "parts drafts" or "No Kids/Kids Always" whatever. That way, you can recruit similar minded folk. But I know some who have just thrown the net wide and taken all comers - both could work, but since you'll be starting it and shouldering the burden for making it work - pick what you want to do, I say. It helps if you can find a regular location and time and be willing to suffer through a few sessions of waiting - rec centers, Libraries, bookstores (if they still exist in your town), toystores or even churches that would give the space. Some LUGS thrive on home meetings, but from other groups I've done - a public space gives an air of legitimacy and safety. Find yourself a spot, throw out a "call for interest" on whatever it is you want to do...and see who bites. If it's not so many, or the differences in interest are large, maybe then open it up to others. The short of it is: go out there and be ready to adapt. I've given a talk the last couple years at a local "con" on brick-based gaming. The first year - Nobody. The second year - everybody wanted to hear about Minecraft when I was all "Mechaton/Mobile Frame Zero!" This year...yeah, Creepers have shown up in my talk..but then it's back to the brick! If I weren't actively trying to move from FL to MN, I'd be working to start a LUG down here now...

Hi Austin - the google doc says I need permission to view it.

I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one who didn't believe the "the hole prevents choking" thing...although, I can totally understand if it was indeed put in place to satisfy a regulation that, itself, didn't make any sense (like the pen-caps - good point! As father of a now-toddler, I'm really happy to see how safe everything is made, even to the point of absurdity) and has now become antiquated. And yes, I think with them having so many competitors, and with the rulings that essentially say they can't protect (with copyright or patent) basic geometry, branding is now more crucial than ever - especially for one of the iconic pieces of their identity, the minifig head. @dvsntt - I don't know - I think the depth of the recess, whether it was a hole or the current "flat" recess, was still limited the same amount in either head. I was playing around with google+ earlier this year and shared this pic about this same conversation - - it may help illustrate. Also, ignore micheal keaton batman and the robotech figure in the background. I don't know what they are doing in the shot.[edit - d'oh - just behind @dr spock] At the time I hadn't seen that the new recessed stud heads had LEGO printed inside the stud, or at least didn't see the sense in it...

OMG. I never say that, because I'm old. But I say that this time because I _am old_ and used to stay up late and watch PBS, tuned-in to see Tom Baker run around in the Tardis chasing cellophane aliens around abandoned space stations. My memories are now all replaced with Lego equivalents (it happens), so this MOC gave me a real sense of deja vu - it does a great job of recreating the show and aesthetic. I don't know - I like the "roundels on studs" as is, if only because it feels innocent and honest like the production values of the old Dr. Who. Then again, maybe it's all nostalgia talking - definitely try it the other way and see which one you like better. I think the scarf decal is a fine detail (the front is great) But why not go all out and have the decal wrap/cover the top of the torso/ neck area, then put the head down on top of it? Eitherway, I like that a decal would extend over the brick like that - Great build!

I agree, this is genius. I've always been turned off by the "spine as foilage." Whenever I see them my mind can't comprehend that it's a vine or leaves, or anything but a weird robotic spine piece. But here, all together, they totally create a new gestalt and sure enough - I look past it and see some very formidable trees! Excellent! Great build and thanks for the instructional pics.

Wow. Totally awesome! I am not sure which part impresses me the most - there's so many to choose. I know, myself, that I'm about 7 years overdue in completing an MTron Moonbase module myself...this inspires me to dig it out and dust it off and get it going again. I really like the stacked tower/hub portion. That alone makes it for me. I also enjoy the base built within the rocks. Great build!

I enjoy the way the back/2nd floor of the museum fits into the base made of the bottom floor and facade. Good creation and placement of stairs. I would have probably over-thought it and tried to make the second floor swing out on the sides. My favorite pic is of the stocking-capped fellow in the hallway. It inspires me to build a museum for all the relics in my collection. Much rather they be on display than buried in a tupperware somewhere. I think this is an excellent museum as is, but I know what would happen if it was in my town. I think of how there would be "new owners" and how they may try to spruce it up. This seems to always happen to museums. Some new director wants an edible garden and coi pond on the roof. Or to put some crazy modern addition on the back. Me, I like it. I would like to see some crooks and how they plan their heist through the corridors. Find a way to nip that threepio head. Thanks for sharing!

Great Vig(big)nette - The display is nicely done and the crewmen have a real underworld feel to them. I'm digging the back wall and the crates as well. I'm totally behind on my piece knowledge and loving the Astromech droid - is it custom? Regardless, the placement of the color blue there helps keep the eye flowing from point to point (the composition would seem empty without him). I myself favor playset builds to displays, but this is something that could change my mind. Thanks for sharing.

I think the focus of your story is present and accessible - the characters and their interactions - and if you keep doing these you'll get better the more you do. I like that the bunker is very playable and features cutaway to get your hands (and camera) in there. When I was in Afghanistan our Camo net was the best thing ever. It didn't hide us at all, but it definitely gave us shade. I enjoy it and the interior details, especially the ladder. One could argue about scale of the bunker build, but Lego is abstract, and I think the set is spot-on for abstracting the situation the right amount - I can picture hundreds of Stormtroopers scaling a 40 foot cliff in an immense battle, with a few rebels escaping - barely - with their lives. Keep it coming -

Right now I am building and working with Lego like a refugee. I haven't had dedicated lego space for almost 7 years (Thanks Army!) but am now settling down in a more permanent state. My partner doesn't like the clutter of having lego all spread out over the place, but my favorite environment to build in is a sprawling pile of non-sorted elements. I like to wallow in the bricks like a pig, building intuitively, letting what's in-hand decide what elements to look for next. Also, not having my pieces sorted forces me to use what I can find nearby, not look for super-specific pieces that may or may not exist in my collection (or in the part of my collection I have access to). Right now I keep all my bricks in large plastic bins. They are transparent, but it doesn't matter because inside each bin is a sheet. I get fitted queen size sheets (the ones with the elastic along the edges) at the thrift store. Whenever I want to build I pick a bin, drop the sheet out onto the floor, and then when the session is done, I snap it up and back in the bin it goes. I feel like the illegal street vendors selling knock-off purses sometimes - when the law comes in, I snap up the sheet and slide the bin back under the cabinet and no one would ever know I was there...

Yes, here's a link to a great write-up about the feud (from a really good blog about new lego parts) http://www.newelementary.com/2013/09/bricks-inc.html I've always liked Bricklink for searching parts as much as purchasing them. But they shouldn't be the standard. That should come from the lego group. And whatever the naming standard is should be free to view and use. I really don't like the slant the new Bricklink is taking on this issue and won't be using them in the near future until this unfolds. I only make intermittent second-market purchases, so it doesn't really affect my habits - I'm sure there are some for whom this may be a much harder decision to make. Up until this litigation, I hadn't even heard of Brick Owl - but I will definitely take a look now!

My collection is totally haphazard. You would probably hate it. I have a master collection, broken up into bins with no organization whatsoever. Each Bin is a sub collection with different figures, bricks, sets, etc. There's lots of cross pollination, and pieces and figures move back and forth as I build, put the bins away, etc. I like to think of them as the floating kingdoms like in the old Flash Gordon Series (where there's a tree kingdom and ice kingdom and they all just are floating out there in space). Part of that is I'm less concerned with keeping any integrity of sets and more with building stories and relationships between the collections themselves. So yeah - everybody gets mixed up. Sometimes I don't even put the figures together... I never even know what the fig is supposed to look like in the first build. They are just dumped in or mashed up with the existing pieces immediately. Like I said - anyone with OCD would hate it.

I like this - I wonder how tall you could go before the whole thing fell over. I really like the stacking-modular idea. I've tried it (in less ambitious ways, for certain) but never thought of adding the extra beams underneath (for support and to keep each floor from just sliding off from the one it's sitting on). Just thinking about climbing all those stairs makes my legs tired - I would need to build myself a Cafe floor. Maybe two. Great job - It would be neat to see several of these modular towers built up and on display. I noticed the holes on each side - do you already have walls or other structures ready to plug in there?

I have had a few theories about this, all based on nothing but my own observations - so...probably all false. But here you go, everything based on the idea that changes to the head have been made to accommodate changes in the printing process. Solid Stud. Worked great for printing the old classic smiley face. No problems. One color, one printing pass. Pirates. The pirates' fault: Pirates are introduced and are the first faces with multiple colors and registration (Beards and such) - The first pirates have Solid Stud heads. Later, they make the switch to the hole in top...but not just an empty hole. It's one with three triangular divisions. My theory is it was done for "registration" on the prints. Some sort of mechanism that "locked" the head in place during each pass of the printing. Myth tells us the hole was for child safety and to allow "breathing" but I think that's bunk: 1 - if a kid chokes on it that tiny set of three holes is not keeping the airway patent. Plus, how often will it "fall" right into place during a choking episode? 2 - why would they switch back now? Switching back to the solid, albeit recessed-in-the-center stud, allows the branding (Lego Logo back printed on the stud) to return. Also...does it seem they've switched to some thermal-magic-decal mode of printing the heads now? Or is it still pad printing? If the printing method has changed, it could verify my theory above. (Note some of the CMF series figs still have the "hole" head, right?) Anyway - not to divert the thread, but also in regards to printing - what's the "black/silver/whatever" color on the front of the minifig-torso "neck?" I always assumed the same thing - that it let some machine see where the front of the torso was. Or maybe it added just that right bit of "clutch?" Thanks for humoring my theories. First post on this site!