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Found 52 results

  1. 2ndgen

    Back to school.

    Finally got this book, figured it was about time and worth the investment after struggling with a few, (alot), of unfinished projects. It just showed up today, and if anyone else knows of helpful books please let me know. I'm back to sponge mode.....
  2. Here is a project that I have been maturing for 4 years and which finally takes shape from this year, inspired by a french comic strip from Arthur De Pins.. Throughout this topic, you can follow the progress of the project and the WIP. This first post will bring together only the completed games and winks to the universe. For those who do not know Zombillenium, visit Dupuis, the editor of Arthur de Pins (link in french): https://www.dupuis.com/seriebd/zombillenium/3204 Park map: 1. Gretchen and his Mini Cooper S : 2. Carousel with skulls : Great inspiration from those found in the comic strip park, but which I found a bit repetitive, especially this one. 3. "At work !" : Zombillenium - "At work !" by Stephle59, sur Flickr 4. "Cheeeeers..." Zombillenium - "Cheeers... Creepy family photo !" by Stephle59, sur Flickr The family photo, with from left to right: - Sirius Jefferson the skeleton - Aton Noudjemet the mummy - A demon worker like Aurelien Zahner - Francis Von Bloodt the vampire and director of the park - Blaise Canilhac the werewolf and director of human resources - Gretchen Webb the witch 5. Candy shop : Zombillénium - Main Street, Candy shop by Stephle59, sur Flickr To be continued...
  3. jelletv

    Duolingo MOC

    Hello LEGO fans i have designed a new LEGO MOC project based on Duolingo.Let me know in the comments what you like about the project:) If you like the idea you can support it our share it with your friends:)https://ideas.lego.com/projects/09079325-b32c-4d58-b71b-a9693313f59d/statistics#content_nav_tabs WHAT IS DUOLINGO Duolingo is a free language app, where you can learn to read, write and understand different languages yourself. Duolingo is one of the best language apps in the world. You can learn more than 70 different languages including French, English, Spanish, Hindi, and many more. Duolingo the owl is your digital friend who will learn new languages with you The project includes Duolingo the mascot itself and some accessories for Duolingo. An open folded book Pile of books Smartphone Travel case Treasure chest with Gems/Lingots More than 20 kinds of flags Treasury You can open the lid of the treasure chest. In the treasure chest you can find 3 Gems and 3 Lingots. In the Duolingo app you can earn Gems/Lingots by, for example, achieving one of your daily goals. Gems are the virtual currency for all iOS and Android mobile users. Web users will see Lingots, also a virtual currency. With Gems/Lingots you can buy things in the app store like. With (Double or Nothing) you can double your wagered five Gems/Lingots if you make at least 1 lesson every day for 7 days in a row. With (Sequence Freeze) you can freeze a day if, for example, you don't have time to make a lesson. Functions of Duolingo Duolingo has wings that you can individually move up and down with your hands. It is also possible to switch Duolingo's legs with a pair of legs so that he can sit. On the back of Duolingo there are a number of studs that you can attach something to. Book In the unfolded book, you can find two flags. Under each of the two flags you can read a sentence (Hello my name is…) translated into the language indicated by the flag. You can replace the flags and the accompanying text to whatever kind of language you want.
  4. Based on "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. Enter the brick-built world of Narnia! If you like it, please support this project at Lego Ideas: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/399b51bb-e7d2-41c4-a8ef-ef0ccfea64f1 WATCH THE MOVIE: More pictures on my flickr Let the imagination (and Aslan) win!
  5. Capt. Redblade

    I Wrote a Book!

    Yep. I recently put the finishing touches on my first novel, and now I'm biting the bullet and publishing it. Only took five years. Abby Normal is an urban fantasy/horror story about Abby Henderson, a woman being hunted by a demonic doomsday cult, and the Deacon, the demonic cult leader who believes Abby can kick-start his apocalyptic plans for him. Along the way there's also some wizards, faeries, alternate dimensions, demonic possessions, and a heapin' helpin' of Anglo-Saxon paganism! Oh, it's also available for pre-order on Amazon right now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084X6ZWRR OFFICIAL BLURB: Abby Henderson has lived her whole life under a dark cloud. When she was born, a demon called the Deacon claimed her family as his property. When she turned 13, she was traumatized by an ominous psychic vision. When she turned 14, her dad had a psychotic breakdown and tried to kill her.She’s just turned 25, and now people are dying all around her.This is all according to the Deacon’s plan. He believes that Abby is the key to a ritual that will unleash an ancient evil on the world, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that ritual succeeds.Now, Abby is in the fight of her life against an enemy that defies all reason. Together with her pious girlfriend, her magic-slinging ex-teacher, and a hotheaded Amazon with a machete, Abby will have to use every trick in the book to outlast the Deacon. Because if she can’t, her next birthday is going to be Hell.
  6. Hello, This is my most recent moc, it is the red boxcar from The Boxcar Children series of children's books. I designed this moc using studio 2.0 and I am waiting on several Bricklink orders to build it in real life. This MOC has 1170 pieces, and all the parts with the exception of Benny’s pink cup are currently available parts and colors. The boxcar contains elements of both Canadian and American boxcar design and is not based on any particular model. The biggest influence in my design process was creating a way for the doors to slide open and closed, while keeping snot walls. This MOC is based on the original book in the series; the highlight is the dark red boxcar on an abandoned railway track. The boxcar is 24 studs by 6 studs, and is compatible with other LEGO trains. The doors of the boxcar are functional and slide open and closed. Just like in the book, the children access the boxcar via the stump of an old tree. In addition to the boxcar is the stone fire pit built by the children to cook their food in the pots and pans they found. Also included in this proposed set is the waterfall that the children use as a refrigerator to store their milk, and the swimming hole they created in the stream. The Boxcar Children is based on one of the bestselling children's book series of all time. The Boxcar Children tells the story of four orphaned children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, who mysteriously appear in a small town on a warm summer night. No one knows who these young wanderers are or where they have come from. The children make a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar they discover in the woods. 2024 will be the 100th anniversary of the release of the original book in the series. Written by the Gertrude Chandler Warner, the series includes nearly 160 titles, with more being released every year. In the subsequent books, the children encounter many adventures and mysteries in their neighborhood or at the locations they visit with their grandfather. A touching tale of family togetherness targeted to kid’s age’s four to twelve. The books explore themes of personal integrity, problem-solving, generosity and kindness. The National Education Association listed the original book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". In 2012 the original novel was ranked among the all-time "Top 100 Chapter Books", by the School Library Journal. At age fourteen, Henry is the oldest in the Alden family. He likes to figure out how things work, which makes him good at repairing and building stuff. While he’ll never brag, he’s a great runner, too! It’s not always easy being the oldest and having so much responsibility, but there’s nothing that Henry can’t handle. Jessie is twelve. She can always be counted on to take charge in a situation. She’s good at being organized, she makes lists in her notebook and always keeps track of facts when there’s a mystery to be solved. When her younger siblings need help, Jessie’s there. She loves planning adventures and taking care of Watch. Everyone knows ten-year-old Violet is creative, she loves to draw, take photos, and play the violin. She’s a little on the shy side, but because she’s quiet, she’s a careful observer. With her artist’s eye, Violet picks up on important details that her brothers and sister sometimes overlook. Can you guess her favorite color? Benny’s only six, but just because he’s the youngest Alden, it doesn’t mean he can’t help solve mysteries. He’s always curious and full of questions. In fact, one of his favorite questions is “When’s lunch?” because he’s usually hungry! Benny loves playing with Watch and visiting new places. Watch is the family dog, a friendly wire-haired fox terrier. Back when the children lived in an old boxcar in the woods, they found him as a stray. Since then, he has been loyal to the Alden's, especially Jessie, who once removed a thorn from his paw. Watch also has a special bond with Benny, who gives him treats. I believe the Boxcar Children will become a very successful set if it is selected in LEGO Ideas. The set has 3 target audiences, children who are reading the books, teachers who use the books as part of the curriculum, and AFOL train enthusiast who want a boxcar set to add to their train collections. If you would like to join the Boxcar Children on a LEGO adventure, please vote for this project and share it with your friends and family. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/aa4cfa30-e9a2-418d-a1a0-79638e50a54f https://ideas.lego.com/projects/aa4cfa30-e9a2-418d-a1a0-79638e50a54f If you would like Lego to produce a Boxcar Children set, please support this project on Lego Ideas, by signing in and supporting. Lego accepts project Ideas and any that get 10,000 supporters can become real sets available in stores. *Edit, I will post pictures of the built with real bricks moc when my Bricklink orders arrive.
  7. I am pleased to present my new project. The set includes two bookends and books. They are decorated with two figures reading in a flowery setting. With these bookends you can decorate your bookcase or other shelves. I've featured this project on Lego ideas and I hope you'll like it, share it and vote for it, thanks a lot :) https://ideas.lego.com/projects/2fcfd16d-9750-4c73-a8c1-088ec6fdd738
  8. Bought the Lego Train Projects book lately and startet to build the EMD FL9 locomotive. Made some pictures from the current status. Missing some minor detail pieces. I also made some changes to the front to some smother look. Sadly the roof can't easily be removed so I need to made some further changes and the whole build is not suited for a PU motor. Overall I like the color scheme of the locomotive .
  9. Kleinschluck

    Sticker Album

    Hi there, Together with some creative people from all over the world we started a little sticker album project a while ago. Yesterday the 2nd version was released with 100 stickers of different scenes of the Haldor Comic Book series and customized characters in total. Would be highly intested to receive your thoughts / opinions about it. For the details you may want to check: Sammelalbum 100 (internationale Ausgabe) - Kleinschluck Tunichpferd (jimdofree.com) (www.kleinschluck.jimdo.com) or on instagram: kleinschluck Many thanks in advance an kind regards, Kleinschluck
  10. A collaboration project with the original concept designer Brick-o-Tronic, my "Time Travel Ep.1 Portable Play Set" (instructions downloadable for free) is fully compatible and part of his modular Mobile City line. You can find more cool MC sets over @ rebrickable.com => Mobile City. Hope you like it. Play features: Step by step storage: Yes, it's Back to the Future and yes, it's Micro Machines - but this time in Lego... nearly endless possibilities ;)
  11. Hi,As the author of the recently published "U2-CB Ultimate UCS Collector's Book" (u2-cb.com/en/), I would like to know if anyone has had a chance to read it and have their thoughts.Regards,Rafa
  12. Do you love LEGO? If not then why are you here?!? Do you love science? If the answer is yes then read on. In 2018 I published the book Particle Physics Brick by Brick which used basic bricks to explain complex science. I have loved delivering workshops throughout the UK using LEGO to bring my former field of research, particle physics, to life. I just wanted to share the book with you in case it is something you might be interested in. I have also recently started making explainer videos using the ideas in the book which I am regularly posting to YouTube. If your interest crossover both the worlds of LEGO and Physics I'd love to know what you think of the videos. If you are teacher or student I have made some educational resources to accompany the book as well - all information can be found at bit.ly/LEGOPhysics
  13. Louis of Nutwood

    [MOC] Self Portrait

    ORAKNUNKARO, I pronounced for the third time in a sequence, and with a whisper, a cold wind swept across the room. The dim light of a candle danced and weakened, but survived to expose the blank pages of my unwritten book. From the stillness of the fabric, a red drop tainted the empty surface from within. A spot became a puddle that turned into a lagoon of crimson velvet. I glanced into the forming mirror, and from the other side, a lean figure stared back at me with empty eyes and a raw smile. It didn’t say anything, but of course, it didn’t have to. For those probing eyes that read my thoughts were none other than my own. __________ This is an entry for Week II of the Style it Up Contest by InnovaLug. The proposition was to build something 100% symmetrical. I took this as another opportunity to build outside of my usual castle-medieval theme again. Also, make sure to check my other entries for this contest: Week I: Stag in the Shadows Week III: Self distancing countermeasures Week IV: Yet to come Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.
  14. Flameo my fellow Avatar fans, I’m a huge fan of ATLA and I need your help. Recently I have submitted a project on LEGO IDEAS, it's the Spirit Oasis from Avatar: The Last Airbender. As you might know LEGO IDEAS is a website which allows users to submit ideas for Lego products to be turned into potential sets. So If my project reaches 10.000 supporters it may become an official LEGO Product. Many Avatar Fans including me would love to purchase another LEGO ATLA Set since the original sets from 2006 are not available anymore. Check out my project: The Spirit Oasis Project on LEGO IDEAS All you need to do is press the support button and create a free LEGO Account if necessary. Thanks a lot, Every supporter counts!
  15. Alessandro

    Lego books

    Hi all, I'm pretty new to the hobby and am thinking to start with the modulars therefore I thought "The LEGO Neighborhood Book: Build Your Own Town!" can be a good choice. "The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide 2nd Edition" seems interesting as well. Are they good books? Do you have any suggestion? Thanks in advance
  16. Mrs. Molly Jackson is the head of the town bookclub. She loves reading and is desperate to remain young and hip. But as she gets up there in age, she realizes she gets closer and closer to living in a rest home with the old and grouchy Mrs. Barbara Melvin the Granny who runs the dreaded Knitting Club. Gross! Normally, she wouldn't mind, but Molly has caught wind that some of her bookclub members (and their significant others and kids) might be joining the Knitting Club and are aiming to destroy the bookclub from the inside out! Come play and help Molly root out the scum, or be a scum and make sure knitting becomes the favorite past time of the town! 1) Have you ever played Mafia before, and what's your experience? If not, have you read some of the games we've had on here? 2) Can you commit to the game timewise? 3) What do you prefer to read? The game is designed for 10-12 people. After that, we'll have a reserve list. For your convenience, the rules (modified and stolen from Kintobor, who in turn stole from def) have been attached below, so everyone knows what they're getting into. The Rules 1. Each player will be given a character to play, who will be aligned with either the Book Club (Town) or the Knitting Club (Scum). To win the game, the Town must kill off all the Scum, while the Scum needs to outnumber the Town. Third-party (neutral) characters have their own win conditions as outlined in their roles. 2. Each day you will be able to vote to lynch a player. Voting is mandatory. Voting should be done in the following format; Vote: Character (Player). Similarly, unvoting is to be done in the format; Unvote: Character (Player). No other format will be accepted. A majority vote is required to lynch a player. Failure to vote will incur a 2-vote penalty the following game day. 3. A game day will last a maximum of 72 hours. You may not vote in the first 24 hours. The day will end when a majority vote has been reached after 72 hours. After the day has been concluded, a night stage will commence, which will last 48 hours. Night actions must be sent to the host in the first 20 hours of the night stage. 3.5. Players may not target the same player two nights in a row, and may not target themselves. 4. The alignment of lynched players, as well as those that died during the "Off-hour"/night, will be revealed at the beginning of the next "Hour"/day. 5. You may not quote or pretend to quote anything sent to or from you in PM with the game host, or in PM with any other players. This includes all the details of your character and role, as well as any night action results. Role claims and reporting of night action results are acceptable, but in your own words only. Do not attempt to use the structure of your role PM to your advantage. 6. Do not play the game outside the thread. Similarly, do not post out of character inside the thread. Game tactics and roles may only be discussed in the game thread or via PM with other players. Private discussion is done at your own risk and should be treated as part of the game. 7. If you are dead, you may not post in thread or discuss the game with any of the players. Any information you had becomes void, and may not be passed on. 8. You may not edit your posts. 9. You must post in every day thread. 10. If you encounter a problem or have a question, please contact the host via PM. 11. Violation of any of the above rules will result in a 5 vote penalty for the first offence, and death on your second offence. 12. There are no hints or clues in the day/night images.
  17. Peter Blackert has released his follow-up book to How to Build Brick Cars. Now it is time to reach for the sky! Title: How to Build Brick Airplanes Subtitle: Detailed LEGO Designs for Jets, Bombers and Warbirds Author: Peter Blackert Year: 2018 Publisher: Quatro Publishing Group USA Inc. ISBN: 978-0-7603-6164-1 Content: 192 full color pages. Price: Around $17, depending on region. I have had the pleasure to get a sneak peek into the instructions in the book and have built a small selection of the models to see what it was all about. Update on February 24, 2019 - Video Review Part 1 and 2 are now available In this review I will give you an overview of the content of the book and dive into the builds of a handful of models from it. Content After a brief introduction and a guide of how to use the instructions in the book, there are three sections of building instructions: "Miniplanes", "Intermediate" and "Advanced". There are 7 miniplanes, plus the one from the free teaser instructions for the mini Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird which I presented here. In the intermediate section there are 5 airplanes, plus separate instructions for three of the engines. In the advanced section you will find instructions for the very, very big models of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and P-38 Lightning. Instructions for the engines of the P-38 are presented separately and the full model uses more than 2000 parts! Instructions The building instructions, and especially the part layouts, have undegone some transformations since the previous book; Parts lists are now shown in white in an appendix: Parts and color are written in tables in another appendix. In the previous book the part were shown in full color right before instructions of the individual model. I personally prefer the old way because I'm lazy and don't want to match color codes to parts, but I can see the advantage of saving some space and have more clear part images (white with contrasting black outlines are extremely clear in print compared to, say, brown parts). The instructions are fairly easy to follow. They are extremely compact with many "do this for both right and left hand side" and other shortcuts to save page space. There were a couple of times where I had to rebuild a small section due to mistakes, and a 1x2 plate shown upside down can be taken for a 1x2 jumper plate, but otherwise it went smoothly. Miniplanes: Fokker DR. 1 All models in the book are prefaced with an introduction that includes the history and other trivia. This first model you might know as "The Red Baron". A German triplane from The Great War flown by Baron von Richthofen. The instructions are simple, taking up only a single page. I believe the model itself uses less than 100 parts, but even with this minimalistic design, Peter has managed to pack some clever details. Details include how a 1x2 plate with clip serves as both the rear wing and rear landing gear, how the stabilisers between the wings are held using dual clips, and how 1x1 plates with pinholes are used for the front landing gear. The models in this section are a joy to build. I can build a complete model during the evening after work and the stand is reusable for all but the big B-2 bomber, which has found its way into this section. And remember you can always try out the teaser build: Intermediate: Mitsubishi A6M Zero When I was asked which model to build, the Zero was on the top of my list. I cannot remember the last time I saw one built in LEGO, so I could only imagine that it is not an easy model to get right. Please note that I failed to get some parts in the right colors. For this model the thin liftarm 5 for the landing gear have to be white, while the windscreen has to be transparent - not transparent black. Given how rare these parts are, (each both a available in two Star Wars sets), I believe the part substitution is forgivable. It took me three evenings to build the model. It is designed in sections and you can remove the wings for storage. The engine has its own section in the book and can be built as a separate display piece. The high level of detail for the engine, however, has a downside. I have not been able to mount it properly onto the body of the plane. It droops a little and comes off easily when the model is upside down. I will have to look further into this. The interior is nicely detailed - the best among the planes I have built. There is both a seat, control stick and instrumentation. The cockpit can be opened, although I am not sure it is intended to (it doesn't open like this on the real planes). A nice detail in the building instructions (carried over from the car book) is that transparent parts are highlighted when building sections, such as the window. The wings have all the moving details of the real thing. The ailerons move: And the elevators: And the rudder: The landing gear folds in and you can turn the 1x2 plates to lock them in place. Other details worth mentioning are how the curved slopes nicely form the curves of the fuselage, how the red pieces are mounted to form the red stripe on the tail, how the 9 sections around the engine connect and give it a very authentic appearance, how the cockpit window slopes a bit upwards like on the real airplane and how a 1x1 tile with pin should be used for the rear wheel. I have used a 1x1 plate instead, since I was unable to locate the correct part in black (transparent and gold seem plentiful). The building instructions show how to build the standard version of the Zero. It is up to you if you want to make the modification for the carrier version with folding wings. I think this is a truly beautiful model. I know Peter disagrees with me on this, but I can't think of a place in this model where he has 'cheapened out'. It is richly detailed, looks nice on display and I would have no problem having it on display at home despite of how it was used by the Japanese Empire during World War II. Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II (Please note that it should not have olive green parts - I have failed to locate my dark gray ones) Now this is a fun model! Compared to the zero, this model is a bit more stable. There are a couple of hinges which can be difficult to work without having to reassemble some pieces, but that is a very small price to pay for having the "STOVL" version of the F-35 on display. The building instructions show how to build 3 version of the F-35. Even though I messed up a bricklink order and received 1x2 plates with handle in gray instead of dark gray (and the big dark gray slope pieces have vanished from my collection), I still think this version works out and the end result is a beauty. Here are a couple of screenshots from the book so you can see all the version - and in the correct colors: Let's start out with all functionality which you might expect from now on: All the wings can turn in fancy ways and the cockpit opens. The landing gear can even retract. Here is some wing action: The party trick of this model is something out of the ordinary. Open the necessary panels and it can turn into 'almost vertical takeoff' mode: The way that the landing gear folds in is also really neat: The keen reader might have spotted that I have used 4x4 dark gray plates with cutouts instead of the 6x6 ones, but I am also willing to bet that most of you have not noticed it before I just mentioned it. The 6x6 plates are rare and if you want them in dark gray, new dark gray, they come at a hefty premium on BrickLink. The 4x4 plates work just as fine in a hurry and I do not even notice them... perhaps because of the big olive green parts. The book mentions a service for getting the stickers for the model. They look nice, but I have not yet fully researched how to get them. Advanced: Allison V-1710 V-12 Engine Now it would have been great to have shown you the humongous 2000+ pieces P-38... but its two engines will have to do for now. The engines are standalone builds, just like the engine of the Zero. Here they are placed next to the Zero so you can get an idea of how big the model is going to be. I have had some trouble getting some of the yellow pieces for the rotors, but they should arrive by the time the model is finished. The engines have Technic V6 engines (V12 engines would be too big and non-technic engines wouldn't have the sweet moving pistons. I will update this thread with pictures once I finish this or other models. Final Thoughts When building cars from the previous book I was impressed with the mechanical solution packed away inside of the models. For the airplanes on this book I am even more impressed with the level of details shown throughout the models - even the small ones! It is simply more fun and rewarding to build these airplanes, than it was the cars. I can't tell you why. Maybe it is because of the modularity of the builds, or maybe it is simply because I'm not used to build airplanes. While Peter claims that old and new gray and dark gray parts can be sued interchangeably, I believe some purists might disagree, and this is where it might become expensive. Please check out the part lists before you start one of the larger projects. Some parts are rare and expensive because they only came in few sets a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I was given early access to the building instructions and have been promised a printed copy.
  18. LegoMathijs

    [MOC] Hogwarts secrets

    Last week, I've made a Harry Potter MOC. This MOC isn't based on a scene of the movies, books or videogames. Harry has discovered a secret room in Hogwarts. He have to turn the statue to find a secret book. Some pictures: 01_Hogwarts_secrets by Mathijs Bongers, on Flickr 02_Hogwarts_secrets by Mathijs Bongers, on Flickr 03_Hogwarts_secrets by Mathijs Bongers, on Flickr This picture shows the playable function in this MOC: 04_Hogwarts_secrets by Mathijs Bongers, on Flickr I hope you like this Harry Potter MOC :) Pictures also on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157674880114927
  19. Hello everybody Does anyone here have the book 'Getting Started with LEGO Trains' by Jacob Mckee from 2003? If so, Would they be able to post a PDF of the instructions and parts list for the reefer boxcar? I've seen pictures of it and would love to build one myself but paying $60 for the book is a no go. Also, if the other instructions were posted this thread could be a good reference for anyone else who would like to build the other models from the book. Thanks in advance
  20. I am happy to announce that the radio play version of The Ideal Order (Second Edition) is now available as a podcast. The radio play was recorded with a group of talented actors here in Christchurch. The play consists of 12 episodes each of approximately 30 minutes. A new episode will be released every week on Friday. The Podcast is available on Apple iTunes, Google Music, Stitcher, TuneIn or directly on the web page. You can listen to the teaser already, the first full episode will be published this Friday. In addition, free eBook versions are available in English and German!
  21. BOOK REVIEW: How to Build Brick Cars by Peter Blackert - Title: "How to Build Brick Cars" / "Detailed LEGO designs for sports cars, race cars, and muscle cars" - Author: Peter Blackert (lego911) - ISBN: ISBN0760352658-1 - Year of publication: 2017 - Publisher: Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quatro Group (QuatroKnows.com) - Number of pages: 192 - Review by: Lasse Deleuran, a computer scientist with experience building scale LEGO models Hot in the press right now is the first book by Peter Blackert, also known as "lego911" in the LEGO fan community. The book titled "How to Build Brick Cars" and subtitled "Detailed LEGO designs for sports cars, race cars, and muscle cars" is being published by Motorbooks and contains 192 color pages with building instructions for 12 LEGO vehicles (15 if you count variants. A variant can be to have a convertible instead of a hard top version of a car). Peter Blackert is an expert in building realistically scaled LEGO cars. In his blog he writes that he started building LEGO cars back in 1981 which is before many of us (including myself) were even born! With this book ýou can recreate some of his models and experience how it is to build in his style. The focus of the models is clearly on aesthetics, but there has also been space for including interior details and functions such as opening doors, hoods, and trunks. For the advanced models there are even mechanical details, such as suspension systems and moving piston engines. I would say that the style is very much similar to the LEGO Model Team line, and with realism as we know it from the very large Creator Expert car sets (10242 Mini, 10252 Beetle, etc.) The book contains an introduction followed by three sections with building instructions grouped by difficulty. Each section contains the building instructions for three to five cars. For this review I have built one car from each of the first two sections and two from the last. The instructions for each model are accompanied with a text providing some background information with history and significance of the car behind the model to be built. This text is accompanied by a placard with information such as country of origin, engine stats, and body type. There is also a bill of material (BOM) and most of the cars have a certain body color where the parts in the BOM are highlighted. A list of colored 1x1 bricks indicates which alternate body colors you can build the model in. Sample page taken from the preview provided by books.google.com It is recommended that the reader starts out with one of the Foundation models and I can fully back up this recommendation: The instructions are very compact with some innovative solutions which I have not seen before. I have made some mistakes getting used to this layout and am glad that most of my errors happened with the relatively simple 2CV rather than some of the advanced models! I have some general tips that might help others read the instructions: - Gather all parts before starting to build. There are some colors, especially when it comes to transparent elements, which are hard to see. This might just be a problem with the PDF-version; I have not seen the printed version yet. With the parts layed out in front of you it will be easier to guess the right colors should you ever be in doubt. - If you find yourself having a hard time getting from one step to the next in a sub-assembly, it might be because a new sub-assembly has started. The book uses only a single level for sub-assemblies, which means that, for example, steps 1 and 2 might be for one sub-assembly while steps 3 and 4 show another: Subsequent sub-assemblies might then combine former sub-assemblies. If a certain step confuses you, then I recommend looking some steps ahead and see where the sub-assembly is to be used. This has helped me every time I have been in this situation. - It can be difficult to see individual parts in when black parts are connected to other black parts. It might again just be a problem in the PDF version. I will know for sure once I get my hands on the printed book. When you are in doubt of which black parts to use, I recommend to simply build with what you prefer as long as you make the sub-assemblies as sturdy as possible. This worked for me, so chances are that it also works for you. Now. Let's take a look at the models. Citroën 2CV Charleston - 232 parts - 54 steps on 3 pages - Building time: 30 minutes - Body color: Dark red - 12 possible color combinations suggested. - Special features: Working front suspension. Opening trunk. Fits 2 minifigs. The Citroën 2CV is from the first category, titled "Foundation". This section contains cars in the small scale of 1:28 and seat minifigs. It turns out that you can fit a minifig into both the front and rear seat! The trunk opens: And my favorite feature: The working front suspension based on torsion bars: I will let the details of how the suspension is constructed be a surprise for the builders. As you can see, even though this model is categorized under "Foundation", it contains 232 parts and several interesting features. While none of the parts are rare, I personally failed to find a non-scratched windscreen in my collection. The instructions, while compact and spanning only 3 pages, were fairly easy to follow. When building you have to remove a couple of 1x1 bricks with one stud on the side in order to attach the headlight bricks for the front grille, but this is hardly a grievance. The model itself is fairly sturdy. The side windows are easy to push in and the 1x1 plates on the front bumper are easy to push out of alignment. Everything else is sturdy and the front suspension works really well. The building experience was also fun and I like the looks of the model. It is small, but instantly recognizable. Datsun 240Z Coupe - 312 parts - 98 steps on 7 pages - Building time: 1 hour 15 minutes - Body color: Orange. - 11 possible color combinations suggested. - Special features: Uneven width. Opening doors, trunk and hood. Interior and engine details. The Datsun 240Z Coupe is in the "Intermediate" category. Models in this category are aimed for 10-12 years old boys and this model is significantly more detailed and larger than the 2CV. Please notice that I have run out of 3x3 plates with cutout in gray, so the front bumper has been colored dark gray in my model. Orange is not a color I use a lot of, so I did not have the eight 2x2 corner plates needed. I tried instead to use 1x2 and 1x1 plates and luckily it turned out that you can indeed substitude these parts. In this model everything opens! I recommend using 1x2 plates with clip rather than the 1x1 plates with clip for the rear hatch. The 1x1 plates have a tendency to fall off when you open it. The doors can be difficult to close due to the simple hingle mechanism and completely flush body panels. I recommend detaching them rather than forcing them closed when closing the doors. My favorite detail is how the rear is sculpted with the curved bumper and body panels. Peter says that the black stripe on the side is there to allow fancy body colors like orange. If you choose to build the car in a color in which you can get the hinge plate, then you don't have to include the stripe. The interior is detailed and there are even windscreen wipers! I recommend using 2x2 carpet runners (or plates) behind the seats in order to support them and allow them to be adjusted without breaking. The inline 6 cylinder engine is nicely detailed and the hood is front hinged like on the real car. A cool detail is the placement of the side mirrors on the front - a characteristic of Japanese cars of this vintage. This is the only model in this review that does not come with any kind of working suspension. This is quickly forgiven when you see the many details that have been included instead. This is also the only model to be of odd width; The car is 9 studs wide (not counting fender flares) and is quite sturdy when considering the construction techniques that have to be used when making cars of this size. The fragile elements are mostly concerned moving functions (seats, rear hatch, engine cover). While I am in love with the styling, my better half has pointed out that she doesn't like how the front of the car is mostly studless, while the rear end is anything but studless. It shouldn't be hard to cover most of the studs in the rear with orange 1x1 tiles and transparent tiles if that is what you prefer. 2016 Ford GT Le Mans Racer - 587 parts - 111 steps on 8 pages - Building time: 1 hour 30 minutes - Body colors: American! - 1 possible color combination available. - Special features: 4 wheel independent suspension. Moving piston engine powered by the rear wheels. Interior and engine details. Opening doors. As a huge fan of Le Mans, the Ford GT Le Mans Racer was my first choice when selecting models for this review. It belongs to the "Advanced" category and this designation is no joke. The model is packed with details and even has a moving piston "fake" engine as seen in many Technic models. This is only a 2 cylinder engine (the real car has a V6) but it nicely shows how the MR-layout of the race car works. The coloring is taken straight out of Le Mans where Ford reentered in 2016 in order to celebrate its 50 years anniversary... with a win in its class. My favorite detail on the real car is between the main body and the rear wheel covers. Luckily Peter has recreated this detail on the model. You can see how the main body slopes together toward the rear section when seen from the top: The rear wheel wells are connected to the main body through these so-called "flying buttresses" This is a detail so important that even LEGO had to include it in their Speed Champions model Other details include opening doors. The doors on the real car open up instead of sideways. I do not know why Peter chose to hinge them this way on the model and why there are no side mirrors (both the Datsun and Veyron have side mirrors), but my guess would be for sturdiness - the models are supposed to be accessible for kids to play with. Inside there are interior details. This model comes with both a seat for driver and passenger. I believe the real race car only has a single seat and a lot of electronics occupying the other side. Another nifty detail: Deep front air ducts and the engine is also included. I prefer the level of detail paid to the engine in the Datsun, but that engine was also easier to decorate since it did not have any moving parts, and to be fair, the real race car has a very messy engine bay. You can't see the moving pistons from the outside. You have to look underneath for the action With 587 parts this is one of the largest models in this review. The parts are, however, mostly very common I only had issues finding the 2x4 brick with cutout for the right door and the 1x1 flat tile for the "blue oval" on the nose In my version it is a "blue square". Other details include the characteristic oversized rear diffuser and wing. Commentators at Le Mans didn't find these rear diffusers pretty, but I disagree. The rear lights on the real car have hollow centers - a clever aerodynamic detail. Here is an idea for you who like to MOD "official" models: Try to recreate this detail by replacing the rear lights with some that have a hollow center. Trans red 1x1 round bricks would be ideal. They should be turned so the underside faces outwards, but then you would also have to rebuild a significant portion of the rear light assembly. Unfortunately the round 1 x 1 plate with hollow stud doesn't exist in trans dark red yet. Overall I like this model. The building experience is fun with many sub-assemblies each having a part of the flat underside. This results in an assembly that progresses nicely as you slowly expand the base of the car. Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 - 593 parts - 104 steps on 7 pages - Building time: 1 hour 55 minutes - Body color: Red - 12 possible color combinations suggested. - Special features: 4 wheel independent suspension. Moving piston engine. 4WD. Colored interior. Engine details. Opening doors. Movable rear spoiler. This is by far the most challenging build. With 593 parts it is the largest models here, so its designation at the Advanced section is fully deserved There is also a trick to it. In STEP 8 you must flip the assembly from STEP 6 so that the gear is placed on the other side otherwise the car will be unable to drive. I have notified Peter of this, but it was unfortunately too late for the English language printing of the first edition. There are a couple of places where you have to remove parts in order to place sub-assemblies. I supposer this is part of the package when you have 104 building instructions steps compressed into 7 pages. Overall this is a very satisfying building experience: In some steps you have to open the doors in order to place sub-assemblies and in others you get a nice crunchy sound when pushing the sub-assemblies into place. The final model feels very compact and packed with details. The doors open: And the interior is decorated in dark red The suspension works with 4 wheel independent suspension and there is 4 wheel drive like in the real Veyron. The engine is a V4 (a similar W16 with moving pistons would be twice as long and at least twice as tall) The spoiler is even able to be moved into position so it functions as an air brake: Compared to the Ford GT the Veyron is similar, but with the double of everything: - In the Ford you can open the doors - in the Veyron you can also move the rear spoiler. - There is a V4 "fake" engine instead of a V2 (although you can't see the moving pistons on the Veyron either). - 4 wheel drive rather than only rear wheel drive And on top of that you have a prettier interior due to the dark red accent coloring and the possibility of choosing your own body color. In other words. This is a worthy flagship model of the book. Summary and conclusion While I have only built 4 of the 12 (or 15) models of the book, I can already now conclude that it offers a nice variety of builds with not only visually interesting, but also technically impressive LEGO models. I have learned new techniques (such as the drive trains in the advanced models) and I will look forward to give the remaining models a go once I get my hands on the full printed book. It seems like Peter has put a lot of work into each and every model. I am especially impressed with the Datsun; The proportions of every single detail seems to be spot on and it has actually overtaken the Ford GT as my personal favorite. Who would I recommend this book for? Anyone who wants to learn how to build scale models in the scales represented here. You will learn how to make compact drivetrains, compact suspension geometries, brick built windscreens, and try out different building techniques in order to recreate details in bodyworks of vehicles. I understand that there are mixed opinions when it comes to brick built windscreens. Not only are these real parts hogs, but many don't like the looks of them either. This is apparent whenever a MOC with this detail is presented here and in other fan forums. If you don't have enough transparent 1x2 plates or cheese slopes, then consider skipping a windscreen altogether. The models have interiors and A-pillars and will look good even without this detail. Finally I have a tip for before you go out and order parts on Brickowl or Bricklink. Take a look through the instructions and see where the parts are used. Black parts are often used in places where they can't be seen, or where they might as well be gray or dark gray. See if you can spot the places where I have used dark gray parts instead of black in the models here - it will not be easy ;) Thanks to Jim and the EB team for setting this up and allowing me to get early access to the instructions. And thank you Peter Blackert for giving the LEGO fan community this fine book. Disclosure: I was given advance preview of the parts lists and building instructions and have been promised a copy of the printed book.
  22. Hello! I am happy to announce that my first book is now available! It's a LEGO book ... it's a LEGO train book! The book is in German and the title "LEGO Eisenbahn – Konzepte und Techniken für realistische Modelle" means "LEGO® trains – concepts and techniques for realistic models". I've received my first printed copy last week and it seems that the book is in stock at amazon.de and other online shops. The printed version has 294 pages, kindle and ebook versions are also available. Amazon.com also lists the kindle version and the paperback seems to be available from amazon marketplace shops. I've roughly translated the Table of contents, you can find it here: http://www.holgermat...o-eisenbahn.php And I just not did work on the book but also build a couple of trains which are featured in my book. The German Regional-Express was anounce here early this year: http://www.eurobrick...opic=119238&hl= As counterpart for such a modern train a more complex steam engine was needed. I've choosen the BR 10 once again. My first version from the year 2000 was missing moving pistons and rods. This is what my 2016 version of this great German steam engine looks like: Larger image over at flickr: https://www.flickr.c...157668271658135 On nearly 100 pages in the book you'll find various building instructions for various train MOCs. Due to page limitations some instructions could not be included in the book. But I am happy to offer PDF downloads of instructions for my new BR 10 and my little BR 80 on my website. Just check out the train section at: http://www.holgermat...s/en/trains.php 1000grüße HoMa
  23. Thanks to HispaBrick Magazine, I was given the opportunity to review the latest release from the Arvo Brothers: Alien Project. You may know the Arvo Brothers from their gorgeous MOCs, or from their previous book on the Kaneda's Bike from the manga/anime Akira. Obviously, this book is all about their model of the Alien, from the Alien's movies franchise. It is divided in four chapters: Estimations, Construction of the model, Instructions and Gallery. 1. The Book The book itself is a very nice object, with a hard cover and 220 full colors pages with lots of pictures and artwork. I'm sure it can appeal not only to the AFOLs, but also to Alien movies' fans (tested and confirmed). You can view more detailled shots of the book on the Arvo Brothers' Flickr album. 2. Estimations and Construction The first two chapters are my favorites. They show the efforts needed to plan and build such a model... while writing a book about it. From size and scale determination to choices of parts, there is a lot to learn on how a model of this size and quality is designed. There is a nice blueprint of the model that indicate all its sizes. 48cm tall and 20cm width, we can say that it's a relatively big creature, not as much as the real model from the movies, but still I wouldn't like to cross one of these in a dark corridor... Why use these parts and not these ones? All is explained in this quite interesting chapter. Each section of the model is also lengthly commented. It's always nice to read what a designer (or two) think of his own model. This is maybe my favorite page of the book. It's the chronology of the 20 months of the project. 3. Instructions This may be the only reason for people to buy this book: the instructions. Sadly I'm not able to build the stand or the creature, but I can still give my impressiosn on the instructions themselves! And I must say that they are amazing. Throughout the 24 pages for the base and 116 pages for the Alien, the steps are pretty easy to follow, and for the more complex ones, the builder is guided with visual indications like brick outlines, studs connections highlights, guiding dashed lines or combinations of them. There are also alternates builds for hard to find parts. The Alien is composed of 1526 bricks, and the base of 466. By my standards it's not a very high amount of bricks, and since most part aren't rare, it's not an important investment if you want to build the model. The catalogue is maybe the weakest point of the book. Not for its design or content, but because you'll have to manually convert it to something like a Bricklink wanted list. But this is perfectly understandable as you'll have to buy the book if you want to have a look at the part inventory Nevermind, Missing Brick confirmed that the book come with a part list in electonic form that can then be used on Bricklink! 4. Gallery The book ends with some beautiful pictures of the model. If you still weren't amazed by the creature when you reach page 197, I'm sure those shots will convince you! 5. Conclusion This book is a lot more than just instructions for a model. It's a journey from the genesis of a project to its completion, detailling every steps from the drawing board to the photography studio. It shows that what we AFOLs do is not just playing with children plastic toys, it is Art. If you want to learn more about the project, if you want to build this model, if you want to convince a friend or a relative that you're not just playing with toys, I encourage you to get a copy of this book while it's still available! You can grab a copy from the Arvo Brothers website. And don't forget to visit their Flickr or Facebook accounts. I'd like to thanks again HispaBrick Magazine for providing me a copy of the book, and I'd also like to sincerely apologize for all the time it took me to finally post that review.
  24. I was wondering what happened to "The Lego Adventure Book Volume 4", it was suppose to be published in late 2016, but I have never been able to buy it. No-Starch (the publisher) never put it on their website, even though they have volumes 1, 2, and 3 advertised way before publishing. I only found out about it because I was expecting it (I already had the other volumes). Here is one of the few places I could find it: (but not buy it) https://www.bookdepository.com/LEGO-Adventure-Book-4-Megan-H-Rothrock/9781593277635 Here are photos of all the volumes: (so you can see it's different) Vol 1:Vol 2 :Vol 3:Vol 4: I hope this is the right place to post this...
  25. I'm back with a new (digital) MOC, LEGO Mini Modular: Book Museum. Book Museum - Main by Kamal Muftie Yafi, on Flickr More Images and Information in my Blog!