In a decade of MOCing, I’ve learned many things—new techniques, better ways to use color, and more effective NPU. But if I could go back and tell myself one thing, it’d be this: always remember what you’re building for! Lights, camera… convention? Of course, that advice could be taken in a profound way, diving into goals and ambitions, but just now I mean it in a more practical sense. Every MOC has a history, and a big part of its history will be the place where it shines, whether as part of a well-curated photostream, maybe catching the eye of fan sites or winning community contests—or displayed at a LEGO convention then on a shelf, periodically dusted and eagerly pointed out to interested guests. Where you plan to showcase your MOC will affect how it’s viewed: colors, layout, size, and perspective often show up differently in a photo than in a...

Middle-earth, MIDDLE-EARTH, MIDDLE-EARTH!!! We each have our own obsessions that can cause us to go full “Benny-from-The-LEGO-Movie-mode,” and for me, that obsession is Middle-earth. As such, it’s no surprise that I was ecstatic upon learning about the latest addition to LEGO Lord of the Rings line, 10354 The Shire. As one of the most iconic locations in Middle-earth, and with a stellar cast of minifigures to boot, I had high expectations for the set. For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed. That said, I also couldn’t help but wonder about what could have been. While the set captures the beginning of The Lord of the Rings perfectly, I question if there was potential to explore some other directions. In particular, what if the set had been based on The Hobbit rather than The Lord of the Rings? But before we dive into hypotheticals, let’s take a look at the set that...

Almost a year ago, I shared instructions for building a LEGO shipping container—a simple but versatile design that can slot neatly into your cityscape, industrial layout, or train yard. Clearly, what is missing is a train wagon to carry those containers! I did have a wagon design shown below; however, it was not a design I felt was suitable enough for instructions at the time. Thankfully, I have finally taken the time to revise the design and produce instructions, which is the main topic for this article! This LEGO wagon is loosely based on the British Rail FGA container flat wagon, but it is generic enough to represent any single-deck “con-flat” wagon. The real-world FGA wagons were designed in the 1960s to carry standardized freight containers across the British rail network. My LEGO version borrows the same open-frame structure and container pad layout, but with a build streamlined for both simplicity...

For each issue of BrickJournal Magazine, the BrickNerd team creates instructions for a LEGO mini-model to go with the theme of the cover story. For their recent issue about all things microscale, we created a microscope! Building a Microscope For this microscale model, we aimed to create a microscope that reveals the secrets of the miniature world around us… along with a little BrickNerd humor! With only 58 pieces, this microscope is small but mighty. The core of the microscope uses a sturdy, white double inverted curved slope, more common to plane sets. The teal accents and base mimic the look of a real laboratory microscope with black highlights that make the color pop in comparison. The adjustable focus knobs are made with vehicle wheels. And look out for a secret BrickNerd easter egg on the viewing platform—one of the smallest brick-built Nerdlies to ever exist! So start building your own...

Today, we are going to talk about a theme that didn’t do much for me as a kid—but does appeal to me now (even more when seeing what can be done with it when building MOCs based on it). I’m talking about Rock Raiders. You know, the miners on a remote planet who are looking for crystals that may or may not have been a space theme? They are usually accompanied with vehicles that are easily recognizable from their teal and yellow accents. quadcopter Well, they are recognizable if you know your stuff! LegoMathijs aka Mathijs Bongers is someone who certainly does. He loves the theme and has a wonderful collection of stunning Rock Raider MOCs. He was also so kind to talk a bit about those MOCs with us at BrickNerd! Rocking Out with Rock Raiders Marco: Scrolling through your Flickr account I noticed MOCs based on a vast variety...