nicoga3000

Well, the Tower Bridge is an amazing model and worth owning on it's own. That being said, of all the tan bricks, I can assure you that most are NOT wedges or double talls. I don't know where you got that info from, but you would be sorely mistaken! There are a LOT of tan bricks and a lot of variety within them. The price per piece of the Tower Bridge is also one of the best. If you're looking at doing MOCs, the modular buildings are the obvious place to start. They include all the pieces you'll need to start creating MOCs of your own. Pair that with a few Bricklink orders of flat plates and you'll be building and tiling in no time!

The Tower Bridge is my favorite set to date. I missed out on Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, etc...And I swore to NOT miss out on the Tower Bridge. :) Incredible set. If you're a Star Wars fan, the Imperial Shuttle and Death Star are apparently great models (but I have heard SSD > Death Star from a few friends who have both). Diagon Alley is great simply because of how intricate the buildings are - a lot of amazing MOC pieces there! Tough decision though...Your funds will be the master control here, haha.

You are correct. My experience has been that if I have 100 points, I can use them to get $5 off for the current purchase. If not, and say the purchase is for $100, my NEXT purchase gives me the option to use 200 points worth of credit. So you could buy all but one modular and use the points accumulated to purchase the last (and still get some points for the next purchase).

Mini Modulars are a great set. Town Hall just came out, so it'll be around for a while. BUT! With Double VIP Points going on, that's a nice $20 off right there (on your next purchase). It's a tough decision - if you're looking for a nice display set, the minis are great for now. If you're going to grab it eventually, Town Hall for the 400 points and the Minis later at a nice $20+ discount may be smart. I found someone local selling 6211 Imperial Star Destroyer with no minifigs and lacking book 2 of the instructions (no box) for $75. I'm not a Star Wars fan, but it seems like a somewhat decent price. I don't know though, because I seldom buy second-hand. Any thoughts on if this is a fair price, or should I try and talk the seller down?

For whatever reason, I picture a video of someone doing this and laughing FAR too hard. A+

Very very carefully, haha. It actually wasn't terribly hard. If I could explain it in words, I would (because I remember exactly how I did it!). The hardest part was manipulating the bag AFTER the pieces were out. You wouldn't believe how frustrating it was having it in there and taking up space/getting between things. Having the brick separator in there was also a poor decision on my part. I want to open it to use it, but I guess I'll just stick to my two green ones I bought ages ago.

@brickie That's...Wow! That's pretty much exactly the route I want to take! Are you locked into that size since you used those Star Wars pieces?

I may have misunderstood you, haha. The one on the top is one I designed about two years ago, and it's close to the scale I want to design to.

The western one looks neat, I agree. The problem being, I don't think I could get a good design for the style I want. I mean, I guess I could do the cylindrical portion of the container in a similar fashion, but the conical portion is the real challenge. E: Are you referring to the sphere in when you say too thin for the top? If so, that's actually pretty damned close to scale! I've designed a handful of those, too.

Thanks Tragic Banjo, that's pretty ingenious right there! I initially thought to use angled plates like that, but I couldn't figure out a good way to deal with multiple curves next to one another. The hinge mechanism you did takes care of it with relative ease. I'll play around in LDD to see what my limitations are for that. Thanks!

So I've been trying to come up with a solution for an MOC for a while. I've searched high and low, and haven't found a good answer to my question. First, the image of what I want to base the MOC on: These are the water tanks that I design for a living, so I've grown quite intimate with them, haha. The concrete shaft portion isn't the challenge...That container, though. It's cylindrical AND conical (with, for all intents and purposes, a flat roof). I have no idea on how I can make it work. One thing to mention, I don't necessarily want to do a full sculpture style MOC like: I want it to be smaller so I can bring it into my office and display it next to my other creations I keep here. I found this, too: And I'm not sure if this is closer to the direction I need to take...I was hoping some of you experts could give your thoughts and opinions on this. :) Thanks for the help and considerations!

I actually have a container specifically for printed/stickered pieces. My theory was that if I want a piece with a printed logo on it, I'll dig through the container with them in there to find what fits the mood. Or better yet, I'll find one I like and build around that specific piece. One thing I've learned through this sorting is that sometimes, it's OK to lump certain bricks together. If/when the container gets too full to be functional, I'll break it down into two+ separate containers with said pieces. At first, I thought I'd want a 1x1 plate (smooth) container, but when I realized I didn't have enough to merit one, I opted for a 1x1 and 1x2 plate (smooth) shared container until I build my collection. Also, not sure where you're located, but that shelf was dirt cheap at Walmart ($30-40 maybe?). IKEA also solves all of your storage and decorating needs, hahaha.

Bumping to show my sorting progress! Finally got some pics of my sorting. I need to change the photo setting on my phone so they aren't so huge...

Sorting is actually somewhat therapeutic for me, haha. I turn on Netflix/pop in a DVD, grab a beer, and go.

I think they just became available online, right? Because all this past month, from what I saw, they were available at the B&M stores.

Heya - what part of Indiana are you from?

I ran across him while browsing Brickset one day. There was a list about some of the best sets for value ever released or something, and he was on that list (along with the Darth Maul Bust and the Statue of Liberty). The look of him caught my eye - he's the little version of the big dragon you see in the water at the LEGO Stores/Parks/etc. On top of that, he's all sorts of adorable, haha. One thing led to another and I found myself NEEDING to build him! The instructions are actually available on LEGO's website as well as Peeron. I would obviously suggest the LEGO instructions as they are significantly more clear (and they opened up in iBooks on my iPad!). The nice thing about this sculpture is that all the pieces are readily available, minus the 2x2 green corner brick and the 2x8 green brick. The corners are hard to acquire in bulk but necessary, whereas the 2x8's (while also being hard to acquire) are not needed to do the build and can be supplemented. I was laughing at the picture after I took it - "Revenge of Godzilla's Baby" is the first thing that came to mind.

About two weeks ago, I placed a total of seven Bricklink orders to obtain all the pieces for this model. I had to substitute all the 2x8 green bricks for 2~2x4's due to the availability. I also had to place a fairly large order from an overseas store in Norway for a bulk purchase of 2x2 green corner bricks (wow were these hard to find!). I finally got my last order in today and spent all evening assembling this guy. He is effectively as tall as the Tower Bridge. Really nice sized model. Also, there are no special pieces and he's almost entirely solid (there's a VERY small hallow core about the size of a golf ball in the stomach). I can honestly say that this has been my single favorite model I have ever assembled. Ever. I really appreciate the newer sets and the creativity that they've introduced. I love the new pieces and the way it's opened up the doors to some crazy awesome MOC's. I also love the way TLG has put incorporated some really cool brick designs to make possible details that before were left up to imagination or creative interpretation. But holy hell, this sculpture build was a completely new and exciting experience. It was challenging, exciting (watching every layer come together was awesome), and the finished product is truly something to marvel at. I say this with complete understanding that this was only my first sculpture build - every AFOL should have the experience of building something like this at least once. I built for nearly 6 straight hours after work tonight, completely zoned out! I didn't know where to post something like this, hence why I've started a new topic. But I don't post this as a brag thread (because this isn't really something to brag about per se), but more a way for me to sort of express my "WOW" moment. I can't put a finger on the EXACT reasons why this build was so amazing, but something about it really struck me. Has anyone else built models similar in style to this with similar results, or am I going crazy?

Wow! This is CRAZY awesome!

Yeah, there's a thread in general about bag building, but I opted to show it here as well (since this is where more people will look at the Minis, haha). And that's the concept behind bag building - bag stays closed! And yes, it DID do my head in! I don't think I will ever be trying to do this again!

I posted this in the bag building thread, but I figured it would fit here as well. I don't think I'll be touching the other four in this nature, but for anyone who's up for it, it CAN be done (have a few beers ready and the earmuffs for any little ones nearby).

I think I just beat LEGO. I have no intention of building the other four like this. My brain hurts.

While I'm not an Aussie, and I've never had the pleasure of visiting this building, I agree with everything stated. It's a cool concept, but I feel very strongly that TLG should have chosen a model more suited to this line, particularly at this piece count. Shame really...

My fiance understands it and allows me to enjoy it to the fullest, but she's not into it at all.

Love the look of it - my only complaint (albeit a small one) is how similar it feels to Fire Brigade. I'll be picking up GE sooner than later, and this will definitely be next (before Pet Shop!). Very excited. :) No prospective release date, correct?