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#76108 - Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown is a great introduction to the Modular Building Series.
henrysunset posted a topic in General LEGO Discussion
I had the opportunity to review this set for Brick Architect website. I've focused on the question around whether this set is a good stepping stone for builders wanting to try the Creator Expert Modular Building Series—This is an excerpt of a longer review. Initial Impressions At first glance, this set’s high level of architectural detailing looks like it belongs in the Modular Buildings series. At 99.99$ for 1004 pieces, it is a good deal smaller and less expensive than the modular buildings. Building the model The construction process uses 8 numbered bags, so you will only have a few parts on the table at any given time. This felt like too many bags given the modest size of the model, but I suspect this was intentional to keep each bag to around 20 minutes of construction time, and to reduce frustration searching for the part you need. For younger builders, it might make sense to only assemble one bag each day. Architectural Detailing Of the two buildings, the Sanctum side of the model is the strongest by far. The three stories reflect three different styles of architectural detailing. The bottom floor has a rusticated stone façade and sloping concrete base suggesting a strong foundation. The second story has a nice contrast between the stone columns and orange stucco. the top floor has a Second Empire style roof, with rectangular windows on either side of an oversized oculus-style window. While the large round window is creative license on behalf of Marvel, the use of three distinct styles representing the bottom floor, middle floors, and very top floor is quite common in urban residential architecture in Europe and North America. Highly decorated urban residences drew inspiration from rural palaces, at the same period in history when affluent people chose to move to the cities. Modular Building Lite? If you review the current selection of LEGO sets, there is a huge gap between the relatively simple buildings featured in the “Creator” series (typically around 30$, aimed at ages 8-12), and the massive sets in the “Creator Expert” series (well over 100$ and targeting ages 16+). The basic “Creator” sets feature relatively little architectural detailing, whereas the Creator Expert sets are extremely intricately detailed. There aren’t a lot of sets in the middle, introducing more advanced building techniques at a reasonable price point, until this set. To be fair, there are a lot of awesome sets aimed at this transitional skill level and age group within the Star Wars and Super Heroes series, but they are usually ships or large playsets instead of buildings. For this reason, I think it is fair to consider this set unique in offering an architecturally focused minifigure scale model which sits somewhere between the simplicity of the “creator” series and the complexity of the “creator expert” products. To set realistic expectations, this model has a more compressed scale than those in the Modular Building series: with a base of just 16×16 studs and very small rooms and short ceilings on each floor. That said, there are numerous examples online where people have modified the official set to fit in their Modular city — it doesn’t look like major changes are required to make it look good. Conclusions: While it doesn’t quite meet the level of architectural detailing found in the Creator Expert modular building series, #76108 Sanctum Sanctorum Showdown is a fantastic introduction to the style. It comes Highly Recommended due to thoughtful architectural detailing, great minifigs, and a fair price. For the full-length review and lots of photos, visit: http://brickarchitect.com/2018/review-76108-sanctum-sanctorum-showdown/ What do you think? I'd love to hear what sets you recommend to new AFOLS or younger builders who want to work up to the Creator expert Modular Building series? -
I made Instructions for my MOC: 10211 Grand Emporium Alternative buildwith the theme of "Wedding Hall"You can make this Alternative build only using parts of 10211 lego set, without any extra bricks.Model design, Instructions by Inyong Lee Store pages: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lego-10211-alternative-build-instructions/132595113153?hash=item1edf48dcc1:g:Vs4AAOSwdMBa3hef https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-14248/InyongBricks/10211-alternative-build/
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Here is my first lego ideas project, i have created a new band of fruits characters. Hope you like it ! you can see the project here : https://ideas.lego.com/projects/2f2e4b8d-cb4d-41b3-afc7-d24b5e48c039 friendly & fruity :D
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My version of the famous bug, Wip, as never satisfied, so keep on updating This is based on my real build beetle moc, all comments welcome, old rear end. rally version (i believe this is Gulf oil racing colours) classic version
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This is my project of K.I.T.T.: 250 pieces, 2 minifigures can sit inside, De Lorean (CUUSO/Ideas) scale. Now I must place the orders of pieces to build it :) UPDATE: This is the real MOC :) Full album: https://flic.kr/s/aHskTyAXHH
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Discover a place where music is on the menu! Drop in at the LEGO® Creator Expert 10260 Downtown Diner, where you’ll discover a healthy portion of fun and surprises. This impressive model features removable building sections for easy access to the detailed interior, which comprises a ground-level 1950s-style diner with a large curved front window, red bar stools, jukebox, counter and an open-plan kitchen. The mid level has a gym with boxing ring, punching bag and weight training room, while on the upper-level you’ll find a recording studio, complete with vocal booth, mixing desk and a refreshments cabinet. The facade of the building features pink-and-teal Streamline Moderne styling with a large ‘DINER’ sign. Other external features include arched windows, balconies and a staircase, plus a pink convertible car and a detailed sidewalk, complete with mailbox, parking meter, flowerpots and a streetlamp. This incredible collectible toy has been designed to provide a challenging and rewarding building experience with a touch of nostalgia and charm. Includes 6 minifigures. • Includes 6 minifigures: a chef, waitress, boxer, rock star, manager and a bodybuilder. • The 3-level Downtown Diner comes with an array of brick-built details, including a detailed facade with pink-and-teal Streamline Moderne styling and a large ‘DINER’ sign, external staircase, arched windows, drainpipe, balconies, decorative roofline, opening skylight and a rooftop terrace, plus a detailed sidewalk with a mailbox, parking meter, flowerpots and an ornate streetlamp. This set also includes a pink 1950s-style convertible. • Ground level features 1950s downtown American diner styling with a large curved front window, red barstools, benches, jukebox, candy machine, counter, 2 soda dispensers, and a kitchen with a coffee machine, stove and a cooker hood. • Mid-level features a gym with a boxing ring, punching bag, weight training room, water dispenser and a wall clock. • Upper level features a recording studio complete with vocal booth, soundproofed walls, mixing desk and a refreshments cabinet. • Take a ride in the stylish convertible and head for a diner where fast food and music are on the menu. • Help the chef prepare the fastest food in town while the roller-skating waitress lines up the orders. • Drop in at the gym for a couple of rounds in the boxing ring or a good workout on the punching bag. • Open the skylight and eavesdrop on the making of a hit album. • Accessory elements include roller skates, guitar, golden record award and a buildable barbell. • Remove the building sections to access the detailed interior. • New decorated elements include a decorated door, album cover, lots of teal-colored and pink-colored elements, and a dual-face minifigure with singing and smiling expressions. • Special elements include new flower stalks and flower heads, plus 1x3 ‘jumper’ plates, 2x2 plate with 2 studs and a minifigure torso with boxing gloves. • Collect and build an entire town with the LEGO® Creator Expert Modular Building series 10243 Parisian Restaurant, 10246 Detective’s Office, 10251 Brick Bank and 10255 Assembly Square. • Measures over 13” (34cm) high, 9” (25cm) wide and 9” (25cm) deep. 10260 Downtown Diner Ages 16+. 2,480 pieces. US $169.99 - CA $219.99 - DE 149.99€ - UK £129.99 - DK 1399.00 DKK *Euro pricing varies by country. Please visit shop.LEGO.com for regional pricing. Available for sale directly through LEGO® beginning January 1, 2018 via shop.LEGO.com, LEGO® Stores or via phone: US Contact Center: 1-800-453-4652 CA (English) Contact Center 1-800-453-4652 CA (French) Contact Center: 1-877-518-5346 European Contact Center: 00-800-5346-1111 LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2018 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.
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Hello everyone, a few weeks ago, i bought a random bricks by the pound and i received four of this pieces. maybe some one can tell me, what is the ID of it and from which set it is is it even LEGO???? thanks in advanced greetings Markus
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Hi all. This is my first time posting in the town forum. I just wanted to share a MOC I built for our local Lego show "BrickExpo" in late July 2016, which I only recently had the chance to photograph properly when it was part of a recent LUG collaborative display at the Bricks at Woden School show, and then again when I set it up at home a week or so back. I wanted to build a formal park that was in scale with the Modular buildings, with the aim of having a larger display piece that could be used in the LUG's collaborative layouts. I had already prototyped corner and side modules when LEGO announced the Fun in the Park set, and that set inspired me to proceed with it. So over the course of several months in early 2016 I built all the rest of the park modules. I realised later on in the build that I needed to provide wheelchair access for the new fig, so I turned a side entrance into a ramp and made it the focus of an "opening" scene for the new access ramp. I bought the Fun in the Park set on day one of release and had an entertaining time posing figures (I did use all of them from the set, but one is out of sight on the far side), and thought up a few more minifig scenes as well. The Park also gave me the chance to try some different techniques, especially with the trees, which I made from techniques I saw online and with some variations of my own. Jokingly I refer to it as "UCS Fun in the Park". In the following two overview shots taken at the show, one LUG member built the brick-built roads, and another built the multi-coloured row of town houses in the back. Various members contributed sets etc. Overview 1 Modular City Park Overview 1 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr Overview 2 Modular City Park Overview 2 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr The Opening of the access ramp Modular City Park 3 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr Close up of the Statue end of the Park - a tribute to our founders Modular City Park 4 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr I guess I am a romantic at heart... Modular City Park 5 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr Kids enjoying the park Modular City Park 6 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr Corner Modular City Park 7 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr How the park is constructed Modular City Park 8 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr And because the park itself is modular, it can be used in a smaller configuration if required! Modular City Park 9 by Magma Xenoliths, on Flickr Larger versions of all photos can be found in the flickr album here for the extra keen: https://www.flickr.com/photos/125221542@N03/albums/72157682377221205 Thanks for taking the time to have a look.
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Well, here it is! My first train MOC that I've ever made, the Orient Express! Including a large Pacific class style locomotive similar to the Emerald Night, a tender, and a passenger car, I cobbled this together from several Bricklink orders and the LEGO Constitution Train Chase. ( I was very sad to take it apart, but it was for the greater good!) The passenger coach features opening doors, and I was able to put two lights into the roof, so it can light up at night! Here's the official story on this MOC: -Oh no! There's a Mummy on the Orient Express! Join dashing, adventurous Arthur Rutledge as he travels across Europe with several priceless artifacts to be delivered to the Louvre Museum in Paris. But be careful, his evil nemesis Cad Goldwater is also aboard, and will stop at nothing to acquire the relics. Will Rutledge be successful, or will the Orient Express be stopped by the nefarious plans of Cad? It's up to you! You can also see more photos of this MOC on the Orient Express Thriller page on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150692089@N03/albums/72157676895085431/with/31865151642/ This project is also on LEGO Ideas to support! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/162979 We would really appreciate the support! Thank you. :) A couple extra pictures!
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My story For this modular (creator) building was that the Boat Repair Shop is based for a creation to fit in the Sea front Village. I built this one on Lego Digital Designer (LDD). I really believe that this model could have a lot of genuine interest for fans of my Sea front Village sets. This is the second of a series of modular (creator} buildings that I will be submitting. Summary If you're looking for trusted boat repair in Sea Front Village you've found the right place. With a full team of highly-trained technicians, Our Service Department has become one of the most trusted boat repair shops in Sea Front Village. From plastic boat repair to marine engine repair. our state-of-the-art equipment will get you back on the water as quickly as possible. The following is a list of the boat repair shop items: Minifig: Technicians (Carpenters), Captain, Fishing man. Boat: 2 type models, Tools: Drill, Screwdriver, Saw and more. The building consists of roughly 2460 parts and a boat ramp with a crane, work floor, and storage- attic. I used the colors sand yellow and olive green for the building that gives it a realistic feeling. And Siding technique for the clapboards. The roof just sits on the recess so it’s easy to take of and put on. If you like this design or the idea of the Boat Repair Shop – Modular (Creator) Building http://ideas.lego.com/projects/129623 please support and follow, thanks for reading and Brick On everyone !
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Welcome to Winterfield Academy, the premier arts academy for all of your minifigs! Governed by Headmistress Elba Rieter, this academy specializes in the arts! The first floor includes a grand entrance hall with front desk and a platform for a train station (Behind the school are tracks on which the Orient Express can arrive). The first floor also contains the dining hall, a trophy room, and the grand spiral staircase that ascends three stories. The second story includes a large choir classroom, a picture-lined hallway, a store closet that I'll soon be converting into a lavatory, and Headmistress Rieter's office. And the third floor/roof contains a ballet/dance studio and classroom, as well as a large portion that I haven't decided what to do with yet. But I think it's going to end up being the dormitory. I'm also planning on possibly doing a stop motion video series set around one of my mini figures encountering mystery and murder at the school! So we'll see how that goes. This MOC is also up on LEGO Ideas gathering support! If you wish please go support it! I'm including the link here. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/c3ebdf4f-1c75-435e-b09b-3f23788b535a Any ideas for the third floor, suggestions, comments on this MOC are much appreciated, thank you! :)
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My latest modular is a Surf & Ski Shop with a Travel Agency upstairs. Detail of the shop windows: First floor interior: Travel Agency on the 2nd Floor: (First time making my own decals.) Finally, next to my Kitchen Store for size comparison. Thanks for looking!
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Who else here played the older LEGO games? For example LEGO Island, Racers, Soccer Mania, etc. Well I recently just got Island 2 on the ps1 in the mail and Ive been replaying them and Ive had a blast of nostalgia. I wish LEGO would remake some of these or at least bring back some of the ideas presented in them.
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Built for Sheffield LUG's Classics on the moor event. (note: not put in scale modelling as it's not a scale model of any existing vehicle)
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Vote this bad boy in: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/165581 Please! My fifth attempt on building the best modular building I could. This time, a corner building, with a huge diagonal façade, and two very easily differentiated buildings: one royal blue and aqua with 1x1 tiles sticked on the wall and the other white, royal blue and teal. You can probably see this, but this was done in the purpose of it being hyper-ultra-mega colorful. Crafted with 2994 bricks, and includes 5 minifigures. I'm pretty sure it would stand about 30-32cm tall (12-12'5 inches). Some more images: Close up of white/teal façade. Notice the nice tree, and sculpture design on top of the building. The other façade. Beautiful gradient upwards! My whole collection. Kinda shocking how earthy the ones on the right look, and how happy the ones on the left look! Hope to see you sometime soon on my project's comment section and supporter list!
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31054 Blue Express Train 31055 Red Car 31056 Green Convertable 31057 Helicopter 31058 Mighty Dinosaurs 31059 Road Racing Machine 31060 Air Show Attraction 31062 Exploration Robots 31063 Beachside Vacation 31064 Seaplane Adventures 31065 Park Street Townhouse - 31066 31067 31068 31069 31070
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Hi, you like trains? This is the review for you. Small, cute trains. Enjoy! Overview 31015 Name: Emerald Express Theme: LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Year: 2014 Pieces: 56 pieces Minifigures: 0 Price: £4.99 / $4.99 / 4.99€ / RM19.90 31054 Name: Blue Express Theme: LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Year: 2017 Pieces: 71 pieces Minifigures: 0 Price: £4.99 / $4.99 / 4.99€ / RM24.90 Introduction 31015 and 31054 are both creator three in one trains designed at their smallest boxed sets. I came across these affordable sets and bought three sets each to complete the three designs and connect them together. The Boxes 'One does not simply buy ONLY one creator three in one sets.' The box art with borders are new designs of 2017 sets. Emerald express looked like it was set in arctic background and blue express in some green scenery. At the back of the box you can see all three designs are presented. Both with the head of the train, the carriage and the tail. Here you can compare that the 2014 set has a larger box and wheel compared to the 2017 set. Pieces count increased but the size of the pieces became smaller. Cutting cost? The Build Lets start with the older set. Emerald Express The build was overall easy. Here you can see the head of the train looked like a small cart, with a curve black roof and 2x2 trans clear brick acting as windows. I liked how the dark green rounded bricks matches with the red and trans yellow headlight and the 'chimney' is very nicely placed. The carriage. I see it as the middle part of the train. You can actually buy a lot of sets and make a lot of these carriage to elongate your train. This four wheeled carriage is very nice with curve ends on both sides, and it will be attached via the ball joint at the front and back of the carriage. This is the rear end of the train. The 'chimney' part become the tail of the train with yellow light. There is a compartment for passengers with trans clear 1x2 as window, two large wheels and one small wheel as support. This is a very nice and beautiful train when you connect them together via the ball joints I've mentioned earlier. The windows are very beautiful with those trans clear pieces, and its design of head and rear are very distinct where you can easily differentiate which direction the train is moving. Blue Express The building technique for this new 2017 set is some kind of modular. The parts are connected to each other via a red technic pin. You can actually detach and combine them with compartments from other sets in this series for more creative vehicles, and more fun! This is a classic blue train which reminds me of Thomas the train. How nice if LEGO adds a smiley face at the front of the train! The head of the train was decorated with a rather small 'chimney' and there are three pairs of small wheels. The size of the wheels are uniform towards the end. This is the center part of the train built with second set. The wheels are the same, this time added two red piece at the passenger seat area to add in to some details for this part. It is quite symmetrical if you view from any side of the compartment. This is the rear end of the train. Three pairs of small wheels, a round tile with a stud at the center without the trans clear 1x1 round plate distinguished it with the front. I like the blue dome part making it looks more curvy. The new 1x2 wedge also adds some details at the tail of the train. This is the whole 'Thomas train'! Not bad for a train and the blue and black color match is quite nice. I think LEGO can add a printed number plate at the front of the train to make it much worthy to buy. These are the extra parts from all three sets. Comparison In this picture the length of both train are almost the same. Color wise both are very nicely matched. Design wise I prefer the Emerald Express for a much detailed train compared to a 'symmetrical' looking train. Blue Express vs Emerald Express. Which one will you board? Summary review Playability: 6/10 (No play features for both sets, however kids can move the train with the wheels) Design: 9/10 (The design of the train was very nice and elegant. You can really feel like you are going to show your ticket and get into the train. But I still prefers the Emerald.) Price: 9/10 (What more do you ask for a 56/71 pcs set?) Overall: 8/10 (I think Emerald Express looks more like a real train. Blue Express looks a bit toy-ish. Both are very nice when displayed together, so I would suggest you get all six boxes for a complete train.
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[MOC] Lego Creator Expert 10252 alternate models
Peteris_Sprogis posted a topic in Special LEGO Themes
Hi, All! Here are alternate models I have made using the LEGO Creator 10252 VW Beetle set. No. 1 Buggy No. 2 Pick up Truck Thanks for watching! -
As a camper van, the 31052 Vacation Getaways set is far too big for my taste. But as an exception to the rule (the rule being that alternative 3in1 models are uninspiring and poorly made) the Hillside House style small building looked sort of nice in the pictures, and the sand blue windows and door frame were enticing. So in all the places of the world, I found this set for a good price in Switzerland, which otherwise must be the most expensive country in Europe... €41 for one set. I got one and built the house. It felt even smaller than I had thought, but with another set, it could be expanded... So I bought a second set, but didn't end up expanding the house. Instead, I started playing around with LDD. The result is a 16-wide three-storey modular building based on the idea of using the sand blue windows. The back side is very plain, as are the sides of the building. There is no interior, save for steps that take you from floor to floor, apart from the ground floor, which doesn't have any steps... I'm not too fond of creating interiors for residential buildings, since they are all more or less the same, so this will most likely remain empty. I hope you like it!
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Hello, I've recently got the mini beetle promotional set but when I finished assembling it my children imediately noticed there is no room for a minifig in this car. My son wanted to try to put a minifig in it but it was hopeless (at least for him; he is only 3) then I came around and decided the Mini beetle will have a minifig on board ! And Voila ! here is what I managed to build without alterate too much the original design but with just enough space to fit a minifig sitting inside the car ! More pictures on my Flickr account Any comments or criticisms are welcome. Thanks !
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This model is a modified CREATOR set called Lighthouse Point. (set number 31051) I removed the light-up brick and as such changed the top of the tower, along with tweaking the inside details and adding a custom Lighthouse keeper out of 1990's mini-figure parts. The model has modular parts out the wazoo, with a whopping 10 building sections. (their was one one more module from the set, but I removed it before taking pictures.) The set also comes with a killer whale / orca. You may have also noticed I had a bunch of trans - yellow bricks from a Classic Space build left over. They made a good replacement for the light brick. The inside features a table, lamp, and mounted instrument from the early days of sailing.... though this device measures where you are via the sun, so what is it doing on a stationary lighthouse? (The yellow chairs I added myself, along with the red soda can.) The set contains 10 modules as follows, (in no particular order): Tower top with light, building roof, building proper, small dock, exposed small rock, exposed large rock, tower foundation, two red tower modules, and a white tower module. This cute critter comes with the main model of set 31051. His flippers move, his tail flops around, and his jaw opens to swallow fish.... or unwitting swimming mini-figures! Thier is no LDD file for this build, but it shouldn't be too hard to recreate what I did, right? Comments, Questions, and Complaints welcome!
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The new Creator set 31065 just screams "Modularize me!", doesn't it? ;) Nice architectural details, realistic colours, a cool fire escape. It's a little low, but hey, in no city are all buildings of the same height. My initial idea was to buy two and merge them into one modular building, but after I had built the first one according to the instructions – as a starting point for my MOD – I realized that only very little needs to be done to make it a 16-wide modular. Mostly just basic bricks for the back wall. At this stage, I was still thinking of adding another of those bay windows to each floor to add a little to the height, but in the end I actually like it the way it is. So I decided to simply make it narrower by remowing the window on the left side of the door. Since I needed the whole building to be of the same height, I added the window above the door – fits nicely, I think. When I had the first building ready, I simply built a second one next to it. Actually, three in a row might look nice... So this is what it looks like as a 32-wide double. It very much reminds me of the style of housing that the Gallagher family lives in in Chicago's South Side, so I just had to place a homeless drunk on the sidewalk :D I still need four of those dark stone grey shaft with balls to complete the roof. The sides are very plain, and also the fire escape had to be relocated – now it's in the back, which gives the backside a nice detail together with the window, tree and some seating. Usually, when I have the façade finished, and if it's a commercial building, the interior, then I just run out of ideas and inspiration so the backside remains very plain. In this case, however, the set came with enough details to furnish the backyard. The chairs and barbeque are borrowed from 31052 Vacation Getaways, the tree is a combination of two 31065 trees, the birds are 31065 originals. I also added an entrance to the basement. There's a modest interior, as well. This is the top floor with one apartment having a 31065 bed, the other one a 31052 bed. There are no stairs, that would eat up all the room inside. Gotta use that fire escape! The main floors both have identical kitchens. Again, the furniture is a combination of 31065 and 31052 to get some variation. As you can see in this picture, the buildings share a common basement. There's a pillar in the middle to add support for the upper floors. Two similar fireplaces, though. The main floor is so low that the door needs to be placed here, otherwise it doesn't fit. This works out relatively nicely altough the door does come off a little too easily when removing and placing the top floors back. Wouldn't work in a real set. The two floors are separate, though, but the roof is just one common piece. Don't you think the 31065 looks great as a modular? It's a very inexpensive way to build MOD modulars, too. You need one set per one 16-wide modular and then mostly just basic bricks in tan and dark red as well as dark stone grey tiles. That's about it – some plates for the floors/ceilings, too. Thanks for reaging, and as always, grateful for your comments!
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[MOC] Mercedes-Benz Actros MP3 - Mammoet & Nooteboom
JaapTechnic posted a topic in LEGO Technic, Mindstorms, Model Team and Scale Modeling
By reading the title you may thought - Yeah i know this model, you designed it 4 years ago... Yes... but nope. This is an entire new version relying on the same real truck but this time in 2 different colours. The previous version designed in December 2012 used Technic beams and liftarms. Since brick build models can be way more detailled - I chose that technique to build the new model with. Also i discovered the truck could use some more power so there are now 2 PF XL motors in it. There are a lot of improvements on this new 2016 version. All features, included by the fact its SBrick controlled, are listed below: Powerful 8x4 drive train by 2 Power Functions XL motors 2 axle steering by Power Functions servo motor 2 Power Functions front LED lights Sbrick Controlled Openable cabin doors with realistic hinge design Openable storage doors with realistic placed lever behind the seats Tilt able cabin with easy acces to the V8 fake engine Fully adjustable seats and steering column Fifth wheel suited for automatic steered trailers Front and rear tow bars Easy accessible Rechargeable battery box on top of the cooler behind the cabin Improved playability with sturdy overall build quality Off course there is a building instruction available for these new models. Compared to all my other instruction this one goes again one step further in quality. With all stickers implemented in the instruction you can't make a mistake anymore regarding their position. Check out my website for more information about the building instructions: JaapTechnic Website Check out the entire photoshoot on Flickr LEGO - Mercedes-Benz Actros 4165 by Jaap Kroon, on Flickr LEGO - Mercedes-Benz Actros 4160 & 4165 by Jaap Kroon, on Flickr LEGO - Mercedes-Benz Actros 4160 & 4165 by Jaap Kroon, on Flickr LEGO - Mercedes-Benz Actros 4165 by Jaap Kroon, on Flickr -
Stations and depot (inspired by real ones of my city) for my tramway line:
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Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex Year of release: 2017 (according to BrickLink and me, 2016 according to lego.com) Number of bricks: 174 + 8 spares Target age: 7-12 years Price: €17,99 (in Lego online shop; I found a set in Hamburg's Saturn for €12,99) A word in advance: I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this set, but to me it seems the best place since there are dinosaurs here. Soon after I rebooted my Lego hobby, I fell in love with the Red Dragon from the Red Creatures (31032) set. When I saw the Mighty Dinosaurs in the first 2017 catalogue, I knew I had to get my hands on that one too. Not to my disappointment. A somewhat better layout-ed version of this review can be found here on my website. The box Let’s get the box over and done with. The front side of the box (see above) looks neat with a volcano in the background and the remains of a dead dino at the feet of the T-rex. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box front The backside gives no additional surprises. The same models but with a more equal space distribution, so you can have a good look at the other two of this 3in1 box. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box back Then the side, well the only interesting one. More of the same and a 1:1 picture of a 1×2 plate with the white pointy things that do well as teeth but also as fingers on the wings of the flying dinosaur. Is it a Pteranodon? Let’s stick with that. Thirdly, the part is also used as the serrated edges at the head shield of the triceratops. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 box long side One side also advertises Lego Life which turns out to be an app for your tablet but I am going to ignore it here since I bought the box to build Lego not to tap a screen. The contents Then, what’s in the box? Three booklets for the three models and three bags of bricks. One for the biggest parts, one bag for the smallest parts and one for the mid-sized parts. No surprise, no mystery. What is a nice surprise is that this is actually a 4in1 box. The fourth model is a Brontosaurus. You can download the building instructions from www.lego.com. I checked it. It is there. The parts What I like about the Creator theme is that it finds a good middle ground between detailed modelling with large amounts of special bricks on the one hand and the type of building of the pre-1980s. These are sliding scales, of course, but still. The Creator theme gets you decent-looking, highly playable, sturdy and yet very recognizable models. True to this middle ground, this box contains many basic and close-to-basic bricks and some special ones. According to the manual, the box contains 174 bricks divided over 68 different shape/color combinations. This is not counting the eight spare parts (shown below). Overviewing all these, what stands out is the collection of hinges. There are about 45 parts that perform a role in some form of hinge. The picture shows all the varieties used in this set. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 hinge parts Next, here is something familiar to most Lego fans, but since I have just come out of my dark years, these are new to me. So, it is time to pay my homage to Lego’s greatest invention after the studs-on-top: studs-on-the-side. The Mighty Dinosaurs set has three types of them. The 1×1 tan brick has two side studs on adjacent sides, which is new for 2017 according to BrickLink. The 1×1 brick with studs on 4 sides was introduced in 1985, so I wonder, why wait 30 years with the adjacent-sides version? Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 side-studs bricks Also new in this set are some parts that are new because they are available in dark green: a 2×2 brick with ball receptacle (and axle holder), a 4×3 open wedge that forms the eyebrows of the T-rex, and the left and right 2×3 wedge plates. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 new parts Apparently not that new, but a very puzzling part to me when I saw it the first time is this one. Technically speaking it is a pneumatic hose connector with an axle holder attached to it. It makes for an excellent nail holder as I’ll explain below. Hose connector with axle holder Spare parts after building the T-rex. None of the other 3 models use any of these spare parts, so they are really extra. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 spare parts Building instructions The set is part of the Creator theme and advertised for ages 7 to 12, so to me it does not seem a difficult model. It could be different for a 7-year old builder. I am really curious, because compared to the 1970s building instructions, the current ones are a giant leap ahead. However I feel Lego has overshot it’s target here, which is why I wonder what a 7-year old thinks of it. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex instruction page Recently, I rebuilt my Technic fork lift (852). In some places, it needs a bit of three-dimensional insight to figure out which brick goes where. Those days are over, fortunately. But to spend an entire image to show where one single brick goes after an image where three bricks are placed in a row leaving a conspicuously empty spot? I count about 10 such overly clear steps in the 52-step manual, which makes me wonder what the reasoning is behind the design of the building instructions? Design If anything, I find the design elegant, perhaps with the exception of how some of the hinges are used. When it comes to the overall shape: I like it a lot. It really looks like a T-rex and it stands firmly. If I have to point out a flaw, I’ll say that the front paws seem too long. One stud too long to be precise, and their claws are one stud to wide. In defense of the design, the mistake is of course with the T-rex itself. It looks hideous and unreal, even for a dinosaur, with those ridiculously small front paws. Technically speaking, the design is quite similar to that of the dragon from the Red Creatures set, so the basics have been tried and tested. Moreover, there is a cousin T-rex as one of the additional models in the Roaring Power (31024) set. I haven’t built that one, but having checked its building instructions, I think one could make an interesting comparison of the building techniques that are used in these two T-rex models and the Red Dragon. Possible topics could be the use of hinges, the design of the legs and feet and differences in the construction of the heads. I’m not sure whether it is a flaw or a smart solution, but the T-rex’s head is too long and/or heavy for the small ball-hinge that connects it to the neck. On static display, the hinge is strong enough to keep the head steady in any position, but a small movement of the entire model will make the head nod downwards. A green 1×2 plate prevents it from dropping completely and holds it in a natural position. So, the hinge is not strong enough, but there’s a good work-around. T-rex neck and head hinges T-rex with hinge blocks T-rex without neck hinge block Upon further inspection, the hinges between the neck and the body also don’t allow the neck to bend downwards. And at the back-side of the body, the first tail-part also has a block. Here it is a round 2×2 plate so that the tail can still move left and right. The overall result is that the T-rex can hardly bend forward, but it can bend backwards to the extent that it can almost kiss the tip of its tail. T-rex tail hinge with block T-rex fully curled downwards T-rex fully curled backwards To finish the technicalities, there is an interesting technique to put the middle toenail of the hind legs a bit higher than the outer ones. This is where the pneumatic hose connector gets a creative application. The pin of the nail fits in the centre of the axle holder and two clips hold the two sides of the connector. The box’s illustrations nor the building instructions advertise it, but this construction allows the nail to hinge downwards. It could be a nice technique to make retractable cat nails. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex claws with hinging nail Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex claw with hinging nail Below a few pictures of the major building stages of the T-rex. Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex skeleton Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex body Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 T-rex building stage Color scheme The color scheme is well-chosen. The basics of it have also been tried and tested. Just like the Red Dragon, the T-rex has tan at the bottom. This goes all the way from the chin to the neck to the belly to the tail. The top side is green. No-one knows what colors dinosaurs had, I believe, and they may as well have been green-ish. Mixing in some dark-green parts adds a lot, and since it’s a children’s set, the brightest of the two was wisely chosen as the main color. The scheme is broken by some highlights. I’m not sure if the grey color of the hinge parts is good. In favor: it breaks the green. Against: it is not green and makes the model look like robosaurus. The fiery orange eyes beneath the dark green eyebrows give the T-rex its dangerous looks. The big rows of teeth may have something to do with that as well… The Pteranodon, the triceratops and the Brontosaurus Unfortunately, I don’t have time to discuss the other three models. Hopefully the pictures will do. In terms of color scheme they are all the same. In terms of shape, the four are markedly different and do equally well. The T-rex, which has the largest number of parts, probably serves as the selling point of the set. But in the end however, I’m tempted to buy three more sets, so I can display the four at the same time. The Pteranodon Pteranodon body Pteranodon body plus limb parts Pteranodon divided in modules Pteranodon The Triceratops Triceratops’ head halfway Triceratops’ head Triceratops’ body without top shield Triceratops divided in modules Triceratops The Brontosaurus Brontosaurus body halfway Brontosaurus body almost finished Brontosaurus body Brontosaurus divided in modules Brontosaurus (Notice the mistake?) Playability I’m more into building than into playing with the resulting creations, but I am guessing the T-rex and its cousins have a high playability. There is the attraction of the dangerous animals packaged in a bright color scheme that makes them good toys. They are also loaded with different kinds of hinges which makes them ideal study objects for children who are not familiar with the concept. Moreover, the hinges allow for endless variations of positions which must be a lot of fun when playing. The Pteranodon has great wooshability, provided you keep the head straight. Otherwise the head works like rudder and since it is at the front side it makes flying characteristics a bit unstable. Also, the Red Dragon and the Pteranodon make a great flying team. Finally, do note that the models are on minifigure scale, in particular the T-rex. Conclusion Great set! Talking value for money, at €17,99 in the on-line store I find it over-priced by 3 €.
