In my earlier articles, I have covered some basic and advanced methods for building with a LEGO technique called Studs Not On Top (SNOT), otherwise known as sideways building. This time, I’m going to talk about a more personal and subtle aspect of SNOT: how to avoid grooves and gaps. And (perhaps a little bit ironic) I will also talk about LEGO Braille Bricks and how they can be used to achieve smooth SNOT surfaces—despite being purposely designed to be able to be recognized by touch. Groovy Elements Many LEGO elements have small grooves as a design feature to make them easier to remove from other elements. You are most likely to have seen these on tiles and other elements where it would be hard to separate the pieces. Grooves are a more modern LEGO invention to help fingernails and separators remove them. Though jumpers and grilles began without grooves, they...

LEGO conventions often offer play-based fun for younger attendees. From Duplo pits to mosaic walls, from free play to building challenges, there’s lots to do for kids. But at a recent visit to Bricks Cascade, the clear winner in our family was the Brick Derby. What’s A Brick Derby? Glad you asked! Similar to a Pinewood Derby, a Brick Derby is a chance for kids to build cars from their own imagination using a standard chassis. They’re then raced down a slope powered entirely by gravity. Beyond having a blast racing, and trying to come in first, it was a great opportunity to teach them about concepts like aerodynamics, drag, and weight.  a happy and engaged three year old Participants were greeted by a huge table of pieces with a decent variety of shapes and colors. Then, they were given an 8x16 plate and two LEGO-compatible metal axles. You could only...

“They’ve heard rumours of strange folk from the east and the west, new words and new gods and bright steel. They hope to be left in peace in their cold northern home but the watchfires have already been lit on the hills.” So begins builder Eero Okkonen‘s description of this amazing LEGO diorama, and those words are already way cooler than anything I managed to write about it. And speaking of cool, the build looks downright freezing. Good thing our lone warrior is properly dressed for the ordeal, with heavy mittens, a fur hat, and a thick beard made out of plant stalks. The star of the show, however, might be all that drifting snow, including probably the best use of a windscreen outside of a cockpit I’ve ever seen. Brrr! The post Stalking in a winter wonderland appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Ryan Kunz

What’s better than seeing your star sign in LEGO? How about all twelve zodiac signs stunningly assembled by some of the brightest stars in the building community? Two years ago, builder Woomy World created a zodiac-themed “Libra Dragon” for the BioCup competition. Fellow builder Ezreel was inspired and pitched a collaboration for all 12 Zodiac signs to the community. Those invited to participate could claim their own star sign or swap if they had a strong idea, and soon the list was full. But with so many builds to coordinate and busy lives and creative blocks complicating things, some folk dropped out, others came on board, and time was ticking by. Finally, a deadline was set, and the final lineup of builders set to work on their chosen sign. To maintain thematic cohesion, the group agreed that every Zodiac sign would be depicted as a creature, which for some signs meant...

Being a Jedi seems swell and all, but all we ever see them do is fight, train, or fly around causing havoc. We never see them doing anything mundane, like the housework or taking the younglings to school. Josh (Sergeant Chipmunk)’s LEGO Jedi is partaking in that favourite pastime of the space-wizard: meditating. But instead of pondering the state of the cosmic Force, he should ponder the state of that floor! Those houseplants have gone completely out of control. You can’t take a step without tripping over one of the roots! Admittedly, the effect is incredibly cool when made out of LEGO bricks. But with this many trip-hazards in the Jedi Temple, OSHA would have a field day. Maybe best we keep the lightsabers hidden on their next visit… The post Who needs garden shears when you have a lightsaber? appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer