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...

These days, nearly every LEGO set includes at least one highly specialized element—the kind of part you’d look at and wonder, “How on earth am I supposed to use that in something else?” Today, we're diving into a collection of builds that give new life to aircraft and watercraft elements. Some interesting elemnts, eh? Buckle up and get ready for launch because it’s time for some high-flying, sea-sailing NPU! (NPU stands for Nice Part Sage, btw.) Whatever Floats Your Boat From ferryboats to blimps to catamarans, nearly every LEGO theme has taken to the skies or the seas. One of the earliest floaty entries was 311-1 Ferry, released in 1973. It is so simple and delightfully retro, but look at that hull! Just a year later, LEGO debuted its first airplane with a specialized engine piece: 657-1 Executive Jet. (Though I would love to see those printed window plates again!) Fast...

LEGO has announced the winners of the LEGO Ideas Second 2024 Review Stage and there are two winners. These projects include Floating Sea Otter by HisBrickMaterials and Snoopy – Campfire by bossofdos64. This also means that LEGO will get the Peanuts license which can possibly open up more opportunities in the future. There are also a couple of projects that have made it into the new Parking Lot feature. These include Tintin – Space Rocket by tkel86 and Downton Abbey: Highclere Castle by BRO3. The two projects need more time to for the Review Board to make a final decision. The post LEGO Ideas Second 2024 Review Stage Winners Announced appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

LEGO has announced the winners of the LEGO Ideas Second 2024 Review Stage and there are two winners. These projects include Floating Sea Otter by HisBrickMaterials and Snoopy – Campfire by bossofdos64. This also means that LEGO will get the Peanuts license which can possibly open up more opportunities in the future. There are also a couple of projects that have made it into the new Parking Lot feature. These include Tintin – Space Rocket by tkel86 and Downton Abbey: Highclere Castle by BRO3. The two projects need more time to for the Review Board to make a final decision. The post LEGO Ideas Second 2024 Review Stage Winners Announced appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

LEGO has announced that the LEGO Ideas Second 2024 Review is now complete and they will be announcing the winner(s) tomorrow. There are 35 projects that are in the running to become an official LEGO Ideas set in the near future. All of them are worthy to be a set but there are some standouts that I think could win but this depends on whether LEGO sees it the same way according to their criteria. • Claw Machine• Wallace & Gromit – A Grand Day Out• Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus Multi Player• Impression Sunrise – Monet• The Loneliness of the Voyager – NASA’s Voyager Mission• Humpback Whale Breach• Tintin – Space Rocket• The Iron Giant in the Forest• Tetris Solid• Working Image Projector “Magic Lantern”• Popcorn Machine• Arsenal F.C. – The Invincibles• Sony Walkman• Hydroelectric Power Plant• Floating Sea Otter• Avatar: The Last Airbender!• Blacksmith – Wild West• Bluey!!• New Holland...

Amazon has recently discounted the LEGO Harry Potter Talking Sorting Hat (76429) to its lowest price at 20% off. The set is now listed for $79.99 which saves you $20 on it. The Sorting Hat features a recreation of the hat from the Harry Potter movies and it includes a sound brick that has 31 randomized sounds. It’s not really a play set but more of a display model that has a some conversation starters. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Harry Potter Talking Sorting Hat (76429) Deal – March 2025 appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran