Some progress on my fantasy landscape MOC. This diorama is now four baseplates big, and I’m only halfway done on the whole shebang. It’s going a lot faster now, with fewer waits for new pieces as I go, and I gain more confidence while building each landscape feature.
One particular thing I am pleased with is the wagon ruts in the roads.
Really nice, indeed! And the wagon ruts are very cool.
I went to the nearby Lego store yesterday, and wound up buying myself the Disney Pixar Luxo Jr. With only 613 pieces, it’s done already:
It’s super cute, with a couple of fun easter eggs. I’m generally not willing to display Lego at work, but I’m actually thinking about putting this on my desk.
(I’m resurrecting this thread. Note: I’ve removed all of my previous images from the hosting site.)
My job involves supporting the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet, and a month ago I learned that someone on Rebrickable designed this great Lego model of an Ohio-class SSBN! I immediately bought the instructions and started sourcing the 1703 pieces, and finished building it a week ago:
It’s not small: 35" from nose to screw. I managed to get it from home to my office with minimal disassembly/reassembly, where it joins the Luxo Jr set mentioned in my last post plus some Botanicals sets and the Minerals Collection set.
The Rebrickable download included instructions for a Trident missile accessory, but that parts list isn’t as good/straightforward as the list for the boat. I just finished deciphering it and ordering the last of those pieces yesterday (I only had about half of them in my “extras”).
Since my last post I’ve finished 40 builds, including two MOCs: this one, and a rebuild of an official set. Photos of everything I’ve assembled, in chronological order by completion date (including a larger version of the above), can be found here.
Next up is the Ford Model T, which UPS says will be delivered on Wednesday. (Well, it’s next unless I get something else this afternoon: I’m meeting a friend for lunch at a restaurant that’s less than a mile from a Bricks & Minifigs, so of course I’ll be going there afterwards. ) I’ve also preordered Snoopy’s Doghouse, which should arrive on/around June 1.
I’ve similarly been busy. Lots of official sets, and a few MOCs too. I’m currently working on an Indiana Jones scene, and planning out a Labyrinth scene too. I’ll post some pictures later when I get home.
I also visited the local Lego convention in January, a huge space filled with MOCs of spectacular size, complexity, and creativity. Quite inspiring, and I recommend any fan to do the same thing, guaranteed to be a great day out.
BrickFair used to come to a big expo center around here every summer, but at the end of last year the center closed (it’s becoming an Ikea). There’s a new “expo and event” center set to open in the next few months in roughly the same area: I’d been hoping BrickFair might land there, but it seems like their schedule might already be set for the rest of this year and there aren’t any dates nearby. I’ll definitely miss it this summer. Friends of mine exhibit their MOCs at various user cons, and I know they’ll miss having one so close to home!
I recently decided to tackle my first MOC: I’d like to make a Lego version of a building from my college’s campus (I graduated 33 years ago). I have plenty of reference photos, and the building’s style is fairly straightforward. I plan to start designing it this weekend.
Any tips/suggestions for a first-timer? Has anyone used an online tool like BrickLink Studio?
Be mindful of scale. There’s a tendency to go too big, which leaves you with acres of empty space to fill. You can fit a lot of detail in a small area.
Don’t be afraid to break it down over and over to get things looking right. That’s the best part about Lego over other kinds of model making, you don’t risk damage in deconstructing, and it’s time well spent.
There are tons of new piece types and colours available which can be used in creative ways to do almost anything. Watch some videos of other MOC builders for new techniques. Bricklink Studio is good for that too.
I figure I’ll start with the windows, and design around them/build out from there; I feel like they will kind of determine the final size of the model. Does that sound like a realistic approach?