Posted by
Dan
at
12:45 PM
| Name of Model: A27 - Civil Zeppelin |
| Created by: lbaixinho |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lbaixinho/sets/72157623005683179/ |
Details:
 A small but clever zeppelin. Note the ways that angles are used for turning those "dome" elements into a full-fledged zeppelin. Even the railings are at an angle! While the various studs-not-on-top tricks make the model, the presentation here is great too - note the lines used to hold the model up as if it were actually flying. | | This is Saturday's model of the day |
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Posted by
Lego Model of the Day
at
3:33 PM
| Name of Model: Elvis bust |
| Created by: LEGO master builders |
| Found at: LEGOLAND (specifically the location in Carlsbad, California, USA) |
Details:
 Today (1/8/2010) would have been Elvis' 75th birthday. Of course, we all know that Elvis lives, simply because you can rearrange the letters in "Elvis" to spell "lives". So, we're commemorating his birthday with this model from LEGO's Master Builders that depicts him from the shoulders up. This sculpture is one of several celebrity busts that can be found on the "block of fame" behind the Master Model Builder Shop at LEGOLAND California. Since this photo's not specifically documented below, I'm doing the rest of this post in a round-up format from various clear images of the sculpture found on flickr.
renipappin's photo (used above - a good detail shot)
in buzzbo's photostream
in enigmamouse's photostream
in wheatthines' photostream
| | Apologies for the late post -- we are once again having issues with getting out of sync with Blogger. The issue appears to be on my end, but we're still looking into it. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
2:34 PM
| Name of Model: Life in the desert isnt too harsh when you have a river at hand. |
| Created by: danielz |
| Found at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=415013 |
Details:
 Danielz is quickly becoming one of the most famous Castle builders in the AFOL (Adult Fan Of LEGO) community. He was recently highlighted in BrickJournal magazine for his Castle evolution project (which you may remember our own coverage of). Here he shows once again that he deserves his reputation - this beautifully landscaped scene captures a fairly unique slice of life. Note the clever use of greenery to create less common plants and the unusual ways of building windows. Then there's the water wheel, the sand green pattern around the door, and the wooden structure just outside. |
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Posted by
Lego Model of the Day
at
12:09 AM
| Name of Model: Milouuu, where are youuu? |
| Created by: marcosbessa |
| Found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45092539@N02/sets/72157623013289919/ |
Details:
 In the world of LUG's (LEGO Users Groups - groups of AFOL's, or Adult Fans Of LEGO), there are a variety of competitions. In one such competition, marcosbessa was challenged to build something based on Tintin and Snowy (also known as Tintin et Milou - according to Wikipedia, this series has become popular in Europe and been translated out of the original French). To rise to the challenge, marcosbessa built the dog - but there was one issue. The supply of white bricks was running out (apparently not before the face came out in a spectacularly lifelike manner). The solution? A dark blue box that the dog appears to be jumping out of - the box hides the parts that aren't rendered in detail. With the paws and face coming out that cute (I'd bet no real dog looks quite so friendly), you don't even notice that the rest of the dog is hidden in the box - it's a masterpiece anyway. |
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Posted by
Dan
at
10:42 PM
| Name of Model: Fortress of Solitude |
| Created by: a-tree (Nannan Z) |
| Found at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=382009 |
Details:
 Try not to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of this thing - the use of several raised baseplates together gives this a look of more dimension (and more parts-intensiveness) than it really has. It is still pretty parts-intensive, not to mention mysterious. I'm actually still not entirely sure what's going on here, but the angles here are stunning. The mecha takes on a very lifelike manner, thanks to the flames it is launching and the large trans-blue "beam" attacking it. |
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Posted by
Lego Model of the Day
at
4:00 AM
| Name of Models: LEGO Logic Gates |
| Created by: The Goldfish Online |
| Found at: http://goldfish.ikaruga.co.uk/logic.html |
Details:
 (Pictured left: an AND gate. The rest of this post refers to the full group of gates discussed at the website mentioned above).
I've previously mentioned a machine that uses pneumatic logic gates, but pneumatics aren't the only way to try out the LEGO-based logic gates concept. This mechanical approach may be a bit easier (although the parts are less expensive, this is still likely to strain your parts collection if you try it at home). These logic gates move axles laterally to indicate input and output values. They do a good job of showing the principles of logic gates - but perhaps, as with the pneumatic walkers, there may be a way to use these in clever ways to build other LEGO machines as well. At the very least, if you have enough of these working without much loss between them, you could build a computer... | | Apologies for the delay on this post, which was written in advance...but then the entire post apparently disappeared overnight. We're looking into the issue now, but still don't know why this wasn't up first thing this morning. |
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Posted by
Lego Model of the Day
at
2:19 PM
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Posted by
Dan
at
10:11 PM
2010 is finally here, and that means that the new sets that have been slowly dripping into select stores should now be showing up everywhere. All the new items should now be available from Shop at Home, including one new exclusive (with apologies to my international visitors, all the prices below are in US dollars).
First, the LEGO direct exclusive (available from S@H and LEGO brand retail stores) - the beautiful upgrade for the Imperial Guards' Imperial Flagship:
(#10210, $179.99, 1664 pieces, 9 minifigs)
When the original Imperial Flagship kit came out in 1992, it was a nice kit but it was hardly the size you'd expect a true Flagship (in naval terms, not LEGO ones) to be. This kit might still look a bit small for ship aficionados, but the upgrade in size is worthwhile, the looks are great, the parts are excellent (and exclusive in some cases), and the price is pretty decent as Pirate sets go - 1664 pieces for $180.
Other highlights of this wave of new 2010 kits include:
Space Police Raid VPR:
(#5981, $9.99, 69 pieces, 2 minifigs)
An interesting development in the Space Police plotline, and the first clear connection between the original 1989 line and the current series. The alien's torso has both a double-printed Blacktron torso and Blacktron 2 logo. The officer in the set finally has a fully closed helmet, and even has a trans-red visor (which they haven't made SINCE the 1989 line). This set's a tad expensive, but the incredible new minifigs justify it (and make me wonder if we'll see more of a storyline develop - when did the Blacktron begin fraternizing with alieans?)
Woody's Roundup:
(#7594, $49.99, 502 pieces, 3 minifigs (4 if you count the new Toy Story horse))
The Toy Story line LEGO is releasing (thanks to their new licensing deal with Disney and Pixar) is off to an interesting start. Some of the sets are a bit expensive, but this one's right at the mark and includes quite a few rare pieces. The new character minifigs are very unique - we have hats permanently attached to heads, a new longer leg length, and even a new longer arm length. It seems like the best way to get LEGO to make a new part is to get a large licensing company to insist LEGO start making it - the Star Wars line had previously brought us new parts and colors, and the Toy Story line is already proving itself similarly fruitful. Additionally, this is the first new "Wild West" style kit we have seen since the late 1990's Wild West playtheme.
Tractor with Log Loader:
(#8049, $59.99, 525 pieces)
When the linear actuator component was unveiled a few years back, many of us Technic fans feared that this meant the end of the pneumatic system. As it was, we hadn't seen a new pneumatic kit in years and some parts (such as the air tank) were becoming quite hard to find (and expensive online). Last year saw their return to the Educational line, but this kit is the first to be available to the general market. As an added bonus, we finally get a new tractor design (last year's tractor kit was based on an older design, but in a new color), and (according to TechnicBricks' review) there's even parts and instructions included for building a motorized compressor.
Gateway of the Squid:
(#8061, $39.99, 354 pieces, 3 minifigs)
The Atlantis line is the big new playtheme this time out. It's a bit more exotic (and generally expensive) than the Power Miners series last year (which, by the way, is still around and will have additional new releases later this year) but it's turning out to be surprisingly interesting. New molded minifig parts abound, as do various earth-toned bricks and new elements. It's nice to see a new underwater line - they've tried several over the years - and the weirdness of some new elements and the mysterious new discs (which can open a gate in this set) are very appealing.
Finally, I wanted to spotlight one of the new Creator sets. The Creator sets continue to be the best values for the money, giving you plenty of special pieces and common bricks alike at a price lower than 10 cents per element. This one is just my personal favorite (I guess at some level these all are - you should really browse the full selection of sets yourself) - once again the Creator line features nothing but winning sets.
Apple Tree House:
(#5891, $44.99, 539 pieces)
A charming house with dark blue roof bricks and tan window frames. Sure, there are other nice features, but with those parts and that price-per-part ratio, aren't you already interested in one of these? The house may be a bit small but it's another winner.
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Posted by
Dan
at
9:26 PM
Peeron.com has updated their LEGO set instructions database to make all sets from 2006 available. The delay in making the instructions available has been a courtesy to the LEGO company - the guideline established over a decade ago is to not make instructions viewable online until 3 years after a set had been released.
Although Peeron is the most important online repository of LEGO set instructions, they're not the only website that offers this service. LEGO started offering instructions in PDF format on their customer service website some years back, including nearly the entire line from 2003 onwards. Searching these instructions has never been particularly easy, but one Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) decided to create a cross-reference a few years ago to make it easier. That resource was taken offline a few months ago due to the server load, but Brickset decided to take up the cause and has unveiled their new feature for it today. They've posted their details on their own New Years' post.
Speaking of which, our new year's post - a recap of new 2010 sets appearing at LEGO Shop at Home - will be up shortly.
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) is likely to always require the use of custom stickers (I'm a bit too purist to use the sort of stickers necessary myself), it's becoming increasingly common to see the Enterprise rendered in LEGO form with an appropriate amount of detail. This one stands out by managing to be the smallest recognizable Enterprise I have seen yet (
