Slegengr

Welcome to Eurobricks, Yoshieekid! LEGO building is a great way to spend quality time with your child! Of course, you can still have your own collection that is more advanced than a 4-year-old's level of understanding!

Welcome to Eurobricks, untouchable! Do you build according to instructions or MOC?

Welcome to Eurobricks, Slyders! It is great to hear that LEGO is being used for education! LEGO pieces does make an engaging design medium.

Welcome to Eurobricks, Actor Builder! Everyone is weird, as weird basically means "not the same as me"! Everyone also has skills and talents, you just have to discover what you have a passion about and put it to use. I am looking forward to seeing what you build. Do you have a favorite theme? Do you collect and build according to instructions or do you MOC?

Nice build, Sir Edwyn! I like the stone, walls, and roof! The stairs and cellar door are my favorite little details! The angles used are very realistic. I just wish it had an interior...

That is one nice castle, Wineyard! The style is spot-on similar to the Himeji Castle! I like the stone foundation and the tiered roofs! The windows are also nicely done, as are the wooden guard towers!

I believe I understand your case. It is fair to do as you have for the reasons you stated. The only difference is that your work is a separate category than the MOC that is an artful representation. Functioning MOCs that utilize customization fit a different purpose, and I do think LEGO pieces can still make a reasonable material to use for functionality when other materials are not as easily accessible. I personally have access to shop tools for working wood, metal, clay, and even some plastics. For this reason, LEGO would be the last material I would personally choose for functioning products. LEGO, to me, is a creative art medium. Everyone is free to a different opinion, especially when other materials are much less an option.

I think the reason there is cultural resistance to glue is that it defies a basic premise of LEGO that most MOCers accept: the challenge and excitement of the LEGO pieces as a building medium is due to the restrictions applied by utilizing parts TLG has made. People generally consider MOCs amazing when pieces are utilized in interesting new ways. By using only parts TLG has produced, MOCers are forced to be creative with what is provided. An artist can use LEGO as an art medium by customizing to fit needs, but the most respect for great MOCs will be given to those who do not customize parts (generally speaking) because the builder overcame the restrictions by being creative in parts use. Once glue, cutting, painting, etc. are allowed, anything is possible and MOCs lose some of their charm as the builder did not overcome the restriction of parts in creative parts use. The main point of this is that if the restrictions of parts are removed, LEGO is not the best medium for making items that look realistic. Action figures are far more realistic than LEGO minifigures, for example. Another aspect of LEGO is the ability to recycle parts in another MOC. A glued or otherwise customized part becomes very restricted for re-purposing. I just noticed that Rodiziorobs is stating the same point: if you are using glue, why bother using LEGO? There are better mediums in most applications if the LEGO system of building is not necessary.

Welcome to Eurobricks, Martini26! I hope you and your son enjoy your time here as you learn more about LEGO and building!

Welcome to Eurobricks, Cloveapple! I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of minifigures as well as the MODs/MOCs you build!

I agree. Micro builds work great with detail builds to tell a story as long as they match well enough to keep it believable that the micro-build is the 'same' as the minifigure-scale build.

Wonderful, ME! I like the raised planters and the building, especially the corner posts! The trees are great, as is the sandy terrain. I always like to see builds like this one that demonstrate that GoH builders could fit in any guild!

Amazing builds, Eccs.! I love those doors and that waterfall! The different roof styles and the embellishments on the walls to avoid plain gray walls are very visually appealing. I also like the activity of the minifigures in the build!

Those are great parts for simple ships. They are not scaled properly to a minifigure for a large battleship, but the only option I see for properly scaled warships is to build the hull from bricks, which becomes quite a challenge. These hull pieces work well for a start. The three pieces you are asking about are meant to fit together with as many midsections as you want. Make sure that you are ordering the 'large' variant (the specific ones you reference), as there are also narrower 'small' variants of each one that will not match with the large ones (but are great for smaller ships).

Welcome to Eurobricks, Ken! It sounds like the LEGO bug has indeed bitten you and you have hours of building just waiting for you! Do you only collect sets or do you diverge from the instructions and build your own creations?

Very interesting, Mike S! The story is captivating with an interesting end and the build supports it well! Interesting parts usage for the dragon, especially the tail. The stones and columns give a great cavern feel to the presentation. It is always nice to see great piles of treasure, especially with a dragon guarding!

Nice vignette, LordDan! I like the simple details of this build, like the footprints in the snow leading to the door, the wreath on the door, the door knob and hinges, the SNOT chimney, and the snow piling against the foundation!

Nice series, Rogue Angel! I particularly like the elven ranger, mountain man, Kaliphlin spearman, and the gorilla mariner's lantern!

Nice build, Dubbadgrim! The stonework is nice, especially with the dark red accents around the windows! Nice parts usage for the roof with the upside down loader buckets! The potted plants and bottles certainly aid the apothecary appearance. The landscape looks fitting for Nocturnus, though a little bit plain. I like how the stone path is sunken below the level of the ground!

Great build, Andrew! This is a nice interior, especially the chimney and fireplace and the chairs and tables! The story shots for this build are great!

Very nice build, ME! The tree is certainly ominous! I like the well-rounded look of the trunk and the scraggly branches with their lack of foliage. The small trees around are nice as well.

Nice build and story, Sir Gareth! The curving stonework levels are great! Interesting concept on tunneling under the dwarven tunnel! The fire is nicely done on both the barrels and the support columns!

That is an amazing gift! I want to see the revised addition as you continue to make more amazing builds!

Is there a particular reason you are making the stock out of LEGO pieces? Metal, solid 1-piece plastic (injected or even 3D printed), wood, etc. would make a far more reliable gun stock (as shown with your testing, both the failure of the clutch of LEGO pieces and the failure of the material itself).

Great builds, mccoyed! I like how the builds build off each other and added together. The house looks great! The thatching looks realistic, the woodwork is fitting for a farm house, and the dark red accents it perfectly!