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lostcarpark

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Everything posted by lostcarpark

  1. lostcarpark
    I built an AT-AT! Plus Size AT-AT by James Shields, on Flickr I had it at a small event in Ireland, and some stormtroopers stopped by: Stormtrooper: "I used to ride around in one of those. They were great. Then the rebels figured out they could pull them down with a tow cable around the legs. I got out of that gig pretty fast." Thanks to Raskolnikov for sharing the design, and to Legolijntje for the instructions. James
  2. lostcarpark
    Thanks TWP, It would be wonderful to some day have the whole snowscape built out of bricks, but one has to be realistic. My immediate plan is to cover build the trench all the way across the front of the base. After that, I plan to build little islands of snowy landscape so it's not quite so bare. My aim is to have one or two new things every time I display it to keep it interesting. James
  3. lostcarpark
    Last weekend while displaying at a local event, I decided to have a go at building the next section of the rebel trench on site. I found building at the show a positive experience as people were interested in what I was doing. I got quite a few questions about how I know where to put bricks, and a few were genuinely surprised I was building without instructions. Here's the nearly completed section of trench. Echo Base trench Unger construction by James Shields, on Flickr A DF.9 turret I built before the show: The new trench in front of the shield generator: I realise now that putting a turret in front of the shield generator is a mistake. For one thing, it highlights the scale differences (in reality the shield generator should be very much bigger), and secondly, it blocks the clean shot of the four discs of the generator, as seen when the AT-AT is targeting it. I will move it before the next display. James
  4. lostcarpark
    At a recent local show, I displayed my Battle of Hoth diorama. I had about 5 imperial speeder bikes on the display that came from various sets over the years. Most of them are based on a big trike piece, and all of them lack detail. I've realised that these didn't really benefit the display, and I want something a bit better for the next time. I think one or two really well designed ones will look a lot better than a squadron of mediocre ones. I present the 74-Z speeder bike: 74-Z speeder bike by James Shields, on Flickr Although it wasn't seen in the Empire Strikes Back, there are several semi-canon sources that suggest they were used on Hoth. It's built for detail rather than robustness, and some of the connections are a little sensitive! James
  5. lostcarpark
    I've been working on an addition to my Battle of Hoth diorama - part of the rebel trenches. This is the first of several trench modules that will eventually span the front of the base. Echo Base Rebel Trench by James Shields, on Flickr The trench features the DF.9 Turret I built a while back: I still have some details to add, but I like how it's looking so far. As well as the Rebel trench, I've been working on the shield generator. It's only half finished, and the two rings I have built are only fully covered on one side, but I'm pretty happy how they've worked out. I've a whole lot of Bricklinking to do to complete them. Shield Generator by James Shields, on Flickr As there's an empty space for the third ring, one of our local group members suggested adding flame pieces, as it it's in mid explosion. I'm quite pleased with the end result, though I'm really looking forward to getting the whole generator finished. I'd love to hear any comments and suggestions on it. I'll be displaying at a show in Ireland next weekend, so I'll take pictures of the whole diorama. James
  6. lostcarpark
    I disagree. Remember we are not LEGO's primary market. For children, a battle pack is a nice "non-birthday" present, or an affordable set to save up for. If it was only minifigs, it would really go against the spirit of LEGO, in my opinion. A small model ensures the sets have a building element and keeps it a true LEGO set. I think the fact that it's a small model and not a great display model is one factor that may encourage children to be creative and try to make something out of the pieces (there's a certain reluctance for some of the more expensive models). For AFOLs, keeping an interesting mix of parts should be the priority. If we're planning a MOC using minifigs from a battlepack, we're likely to want a whole stack of them, so providing useful parts really helps us out. If we don't have use for the parts, they should be easy to sell on Bricklink. I'd love to see parts that are overpriced on Bricklink because they've only been in expensive sets targeted for inclusion in battlepacks. But, of course, all this should be a lower priority than making the battlepack a fun set for the primary audience, children. James
  7. lostcarpark
    There were actually some minifig packs in the early years of Star Wars, with 3 figures in each and display stands: However Hasbro were quick to call foul as they have the exclusive licence for "action figures", and LEGO's licence is for "construction toys". As long as Hasbro have their licence (and really, the only way to get it off them would be a takeover), I don't think that's going to change. The battlepacks were LEGO's way around that, as they provide a reasonably cheap route to minifigs but have a minimal building component. I don't really care much about the models in them, but if they contain a useful selection of parts, it can really add to the set value. James
  8. lostcarpark
    I agree the builds in the battle pack are a mixed bag. I was quite impressed by the Death Star gun in the Death Star Gunner/Imperial Guard pack, not just for the model, but it was also a nice parts pack. The turret in the First Order pack may be a bit of a crappy build, but it does contain some quite nice parts, particularly the 2x2x3 corner slopes. I don't mind a rubbish model if it's a good parts pack. James
  9. lostcarpark
    Inspired design. Very clever use of the curved cockpit in white. I would love to see it built. Unfortunately the cockpit piece is pretty hard to come by in white (there are only a few for sale on Bricklink), so it would be a challenge. James
  10. lostcarpark
    I can understand the sentiment, but I think the models being released today are (mostly) a huge improvement over the ones they were releasing in the early days, and in terms of the part count, offer pretty good value compared to the early LEGO SW sets, particularly when you look at what they'd cost today with inflation. However, most of us can't stretch the budget to buy all the sets we'd like, and this can be very frustrating. I think LEGO have done a great job with the microfighters, for around $10/€10 each they pack a surprising amount of detail into a very small model while making it a fun and easy build. However, they also provide many of the essential minifigs and useful parts if you want to have a go at a slightly larger scale model of the ship. There have been some really nice MOCs of "midifighters". James
  11. lostcarpark
    I'm loving everything you've built here, and will definitely be borrowing some ideas for my own rebel base. I'm also working on a shield generator, though I've decided to take a slightly different approach. Looking forward to seeing it all develop. James
  12. lostcarpark
    Okay, I see how the barrel works. Very clever use of the tank track pieces, but I don't think that will work for me, as I need the tower to taper inwards. Here's a picture of the inside of mine. The bar holder clip pieces give a very solid connection, and it feels quite solid. The flat sides of the bar holders suggest they are designed to fit in the underside of a plate or tile, though I doubt we'd see the technique used in a set. DF.9 Turret Interior by James Shields, on Flickr James
  13. lostcarpark
    I haven't seen how the barrel in that set is constructed, but, curiously, my girlfriend is building that set at the moment, so I'll definitely check it out. However, looking at the pictures online, the barrel doesn't appear to taper, which is an important feature of the turret, so the technique may not work for me. I've been looking for a way to taper the turret tower, and this is the first that I can say I'm really happy with. James
  14. lostcarpark
    I've never been satisfied by the turrets in any of the Hoth sets (and there must be half a dozen versions of it by now). They all have the problem of a straight cylinder, when in the movie the turret clearly tapers. I've made a number attempts at building one. Now I think I've finally cracked it. DF.9 Turret by James Shields, on Flickr DF.9 Turret Front by James Shields, on Flickr DF.9 Turret Overhead by James Shields, on Flickr James
  15. lostcarpark
    You could probably find a brick printer who could make a decent replica of the radar dish, either by printing directly on the dish, or by printing stickers. Or if you were brave, you could modernise and design your own rectangular dish for the Ep7 version. James
  16. lostcarpark
    I'd chance my arm and call LEGO customer service and say you accidentally ordered the wrong part, and see if they'll do you a favour. James
  17. lostcarpark
    You could swap the light grey levers into the light bluish grey lever bases to make the substitution less obvious. Are you thinking of lighting it? James
  18. lostcarpark
    Thanks for the reply. I would certainly like to add some other lights, but I haven't figured out how yet. The light set I'm using has lights spaced about 10cm apart, which works well for the engine, but doesn't facilitate lights in other areas very easily. I'm considering extending the wires to some of the lights to allow it, or using another light set. It would be nice to have some lights in other areas like the cockpit too. James
  19. lostcarpark
    I've lit up the engine of my UCS Millennium Falcon: It's done using a cheap €2 set of 20 LEDs from a Euro store. I had to replace the 2x3 grey plates the trans-blue tile attach to with transparent parts (and as 2x3 clear plates cost a fortune, I built them out of 1x1s and 1x2s). After that, there was a bit of work to remove some parts that blocked the lights, and some internal parts to hold the wires in place. The battery box sits neatly under the top gun emplacement, where it's easily accessible to turn on/off or change batteries. For a fairly easy mod, I think the really adds something to the Falcon. James
  20. lostcarpark
    Looking amazing! I love you comment about building a cloud city landing pad. I would live to build one, but to would have to be one hell of a structure to support the UCS Falcon. James
  21. lostcarpark
    This looks fantastic. I'm really looking forward to seeing it develop. No chance of giving it knee joints? James
  22. lostcarpark
    Supported. James
  23. lostcarpark
    Amazing work. I love the way it's integrated into the landscape. Well done!
  24. lostcarpark
    Very nice build. Great use of wedge plates. James
  25. lostcarpark
    Amazing! Did you consider giving him a silver leg, as in the movie? James
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