ED-209

Thanks guys! I've replaced the control panel area with a pair of handle bars. Here's the final version: And if anyone's interested in building their own, here are the parts needed. With the exception of the handlebars and the 1x2 plate with clip (in the bottom left corner), all the parts are from the original set. That's an interesting observation, because I think that in the back of my mind I was channelling the flying police cycle from the old Spider-Man 2099 comics:

What a wonderful little set this would be! I love the inclusion of bellows and a barrel for quenching the metal.

Haha! I love the riotous, over-the-top swashbuckling antics! The building is great, and the windows (as everyone has already mentioned) are particularly gorgeous. Very well done indeed!

Remember that cool car chase scene in Captain America: Winter Soldier? The one where Nick Fury is driving a Chevy Tahoe? I loved that scene, and wish we saw more of Fury's spy-mobile! So it's only natural that I went and made my own! Here you can see the lights used in unmarked law-enforcement vehicles (as well as a vent for the car's surprisingly robust air conditioning system): Now I may have seen too many old Bond films, but to me it wouldn't be a spy car without a few extra gadgets! So here are some missiles concealed behind the grille, just perfect for a little defensive driving: Sadly in the movie the car gets thoroughly trashed before Fury can activate the car's flight mode, but that doesn't stop me from building it into my model! And of course, more missiles launched from the roof! Wooo!! I tried to get a minigun mounted in the centre console (like in the film), but couldn't make it work without losing the passenger seat. So I went with a little more artistic licence and mounted a flip-out minigun on each side: Danger stripes, because that's a dangerous area to be hanging around. And government vehicles certainly aren't exempt from Health & Safety regulations! With everything deployed, I feel the car has a bit of a "heavily armed helicopter gunship" vibe going on. I had an absolute blast making this model, any feedback is most welcome!

Just out of curiosity, what kind of prices do you consider reasonable? And are you considering UV-cured digital printing as well as pad printing? The reason I ask is that I'm considering buying a digital printer myself I'd be interested in any opinions on pricing.

I bought the "Carnage’s SHIELD Sky Attack" set mainly for the minifigs, but felt the vehicle was a bit too large. It seems about the size of a normal City helicopter, when I felt it should be something lighter and more manoeuvrable. I really liked the fans on the side, so thought I'd reconfigure the vehicle as a hovercycle. Here's the end result: And a clearer shot without the pilot: I built it without adding any additional parts, but I'm thinking I'll replace the control panel with handlebars and give the pilot a full helmet. As always any thoughts or feedback is most welcome!

Y'know, I'd not even realised that until you mentioned it - and you're right it certainly looks like the F-35. Now I'm surprised the set doesn't cost a lot more! It certainly looks like a nice build, have you tried replacing the rear wheels with smaller ones? The same wheel that's used in the nose might make the rear landing gear more discrete when collapsed? I've seen the same idea is used in the 76042 SHIELD Helicarrier for the microfigues' computer screen, and the little striped road barrier things. Probably other sets as well? As far I can tell it's only considered a "legal" technique with the newer thinner clips, presumably there's a bit more flex on the newer one: rather than the older style:

It sounds like an interesting project. Depending on whether you mean actual minifigs, or just creatures that are compatible in size with minifigs might change things. You can make entire figures out of various little clip and bar pieces. The pros will be that you can get a lot of detail and very extensive customisation with totally purist parts, AND keep the figure fairly compact and poseable. The cons are that they're very fiddly and very fragile. Really more suited for display rather than play. Do a Google image search for "Lego hard suit" and "Lego mini mech". You'll see what I'm talking about. Another idea would be to look at the new ball and socket joints that come with Mixels or the Chima Legend Beasts. Very useful parts indeed, and will make a much more robust figure than the "hard suit" aproach. The downside here is that the parts only come in limited colours at the moment, and you probably won't be able to make the figure as small (but depending on how big/small you're aiming for, that may not be an issue). Good luck with it!

Oh sorry, I misunderstood! Have you tried Thorin's hair with Gandalf's beard? No problem! Also if you're not against using aftermarket parts, Brickforge make a nice "Dwarf beard" and "Sage beard".

Well I'm glad to have played a part in bringing you back into the fold!

Woah, they're really cool!

Cool, thanks! Do you have any pics you could share? I'll see what I can come up with!

Ooh, thanks!!

Do you have a link to the three holed cloaks you're talking about? I haven't got any of the new softer capes - are they no good? I wanted the fur to be wider across the shoulder area, so I wouldn't have been able to cut an existing cape down. But yes, you could certainly do it for different designs.

Sure can! The noseguard touches the beard piece, and while the Viking helmet is notoriously loose fitting, I don't think it makes it any looser. Not sure how you feel about the visible gap around the sides though. I also tried the classic Norman helmet with aventail. It sits looser than normal, but is still serviceable. But be aware, the beard does not fit with the Thorin Oakenshield hair!

Thank you for the kind words everyone! And Mutant Orc, of course I'd encourage you to make your own. In fact I was most surprised by just how easy it is to do! I'd recommend leaving one edge of the fabric glue free to make it easier to hang up. Just a 1cm strip along the edge should do it. When I picked out the fabric I also found a piece made with different coloured threads, which creates a bit more texture than one flat colour. This I just turned into a standard shaped cape, but the colours make look a little more rustic perhaps? Either way, I felt its owner would be a bit poorer, so the rest of his clothes are duller colours to suggest a lack of brighter, more expensive dyes.

Wonderful! It breaks my heart that we never got any official sets from the Thor movies, I'd love to see more from you like this!

In my ideal world, Lego would expand the motif of their castle ranges. I'd love to see a fresh wave each year focusing on a different place and time, with a little historical accuracy to keep the times distinct. Each wave could still have the same sort or price points as the traditional ranges, a large set with a castle (or similar structure), a smaller "bad guy" lair/tower/fort, a carrige/wagon, etc. Your 17th century French style would be perfect, there could be others like Feudal Japan, Ancient Rome (that always seems popular with AFOLs!), Vikings, Ancient Persia (some of those Prince of Persia sets had wonderful buildings!), Aztec pyramids, etc. Sorry, I sort of ran away with myself a little there! But to get back to your question. I'd probably base the sizes and expected prices on the recent Castle ranges. Keep a focus on play and action features, and make sure to include at least a couple of minifigs in conflict, as that instantly creates narrative for kids to use in their play. I'm probably not saying anything you aren't already thinking there! I like all the concepts you've mentioned, I could see wheeled canons and break-away sections of palace walls for a great siege set. Rescuing the Man in the Iron Mask from his cell in a smaller set. A fight at the docks with a chest on a crane to swing into figs, kicking a ladder down from some scaffolding, rolling a couple of barrels down a ramp, that kind of thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks very much guys! I'm very pleased with how the cape turned out, and my son loves playing with the "action feature" of the trap (but credit to TLG there, I didn't design that bit! ) In point of fact they do make something very similar, but as a full-length cloak: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=12857 And it's remarkably easy to make one of these! If you're interested I'd encourage you to try it yourself, I've more photos of the fig and an explanation of how I made the fur here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=109244

Many people have made custom minifig capes before, so this is by no means a new method. But I made a little Viking-themed model and wanted to spruce up the accompanying minifig. (It's basically a modified version of the Ninjago 70752 Jungle Trap set, and can bee seen here if interested: http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=109087 ) I wanted to create the look of a woollen cloak, with a fur draped around the shoulders for extra warmth. Maybe something like a wolf pelt. My tough little Norseman is trekking through some cold, mountainous terrain! I've seen other people use actual fur fabric for this kind of thing, but to me that doesn't seem to be the way TLG would go about it. For instance, they already have a full-length "fur" cape: http://www.bricklink...Pic.asp?P=12857 I'm aiming to produce something in keeping with that style, just shorter and worn over a normal cape. So, I began my quest. I went to the local fabric shop and bought a couple of scraps of cotton from the offcuts bin. It only cost me a few dollars and I've got enough fabric to make dozens of capes! Lucky minifigs are so small! I then ironed the fabric, and cut off a 10cm square and lay it down in a disposable plastic plate. To prevent the fibres of the fabric from fraying I diluted PVA glue with water in a plastic cup, brushed it liberally onto the fabric, then pegged it up with a couple of little bulldog clips to dry. I traced the outline of an official cape onto the fabric, used a hole punch for the neck holes, and just cut out the shape freehand. The end result is a little stiffer than the official capes (and I'm talking about the older style fabric capes here). I used equal parts water and PVA, so I might try a little more water next time to see if it's an improvement. Still, I'm very pleased with how it turned out and will definitely be making some more to keep the rest of my Vikings warm! As always any questions, comments or feedback is most welcom!

Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous!! I love all the little details, but I'd not want to be the one storming a castle like that! One question: what piece did you use for the birds' necks?

Thanks Captain! I felt the leaves in dark green had more of a northern European vibe than just the standard green. I've switched to a light bley slope to match the rest of the runestone, and changed my mind about the minifig. I've switched him to a different fig altogether (the torso is a custom print, and the fur worn over the cloak is my first attempt at making custom fabric pieces!) Any comments or suggestions are most welcome!

I saw the Ninjago 70752 Jungle Trap set, and on a whim remade it into something more Viking-ish. The MOD is functionally identical to the original; a footfall on the top step triggers the trap. I've replaced the orc-swords with axes and the palm fronds with the more traditional foliage piece. The grass is now snow, and the wooden structure has been replaced with a runestone. "A lone Viking searches high in the mountains for the legendary Golden Spear. The sagas say it was once wielded by a great warrior, and lies in wait for one wise enough to retrieve it unscathed."

That was the German tax authority charging on the import? There wasn't the option for him to claim a credit when exporting the printed parts? That is a bit rough! The pic you posted looks great! I'd love to see some more close-ups!

Durable enough for light play and posing/display by an AFOL certainly, but they're not going to withstand anything rough. The white type appears to be more-or-less a treated paper-like surface with a sticky backing, and the clear one is some sort of plastic film. They're both thin enough to curve around a head, and I think the clear type is a tiny bit thinner, but I think they'd still both be thick enough that you'd find hair/helmets would scrape into them to some degree. (The chin area on a motorcycle helmet for instance would cause big problems!) I have no problems using them for torsos and shields though. They're not going to be as good as actual printed parts of course, or even waterslide decals, but they are very easy to use and very cost effective when you fill an entire page up with designs. Oh and bear in mind that the colours printed onto clear stickers will be distorted/tinted by the colour of the plastic underneath. You're best printing dark colours and using light plastic, or switching to the white stickers if the design needs it. Good luck, and if you do wind up trying them or something similar please share your thoughts!