Tadano Mobile Crane

Way back when I built a lot of Technic. Not really my own MOCs, but I did buy a lot of sets, especially the big ones. So I have a somewhat vague idea what went into the engineering behind this behemoth by builder Engineering with ABS. But I'll emphasize vague, because even the largest LEGO produced set pales in comparison to this mechanical marvel. Just check out the specs in the bottom picture, it's really impressive. Click through for more pics and specs.

Tadano AR-1200M Mobile Crane 03
Tadano AR-1200M Mobile Crane 01
Tadano AR-1200M Mobile Crane 07

Большой Космический Аппарат

I didn't even know I could read Russian.  When I saw this beast of a creation buy Timofey Tkachev, I said, "Dude! That's one huge spaceship!"  Turns out that's what the title means with a little help from Google Translate: Large Spacecraft

It's a fascinating design, with all sorts of complicated angles and components.  If you scroll through the photostream, you'll see some WIP shots that show parts of the internal structure.  I'm not sure if it's inspired by a movie, video game, or just Timofey's keen imagination, but whatever the language: Awesome!

спереди-справа-1

сзади

NERDvember is almost over!

Well folks it's almost over. But the good news is if you still want to build, you still have three days. So what are you waiting for?

I'd like to give a big shout to one last sponsor, BRICKSTUDS and my buddy Brandon Griffith. STUDS is a series of collector cards featuring AFOLs from around the world. I have the distinct honor of having a card of my own in series 1 and I'm very happy that there will be some packs in the prize packages this year.

The clock is ticking, it's a four day weekend (at least here in the US) and you're out of excuses. Break out the bricks and get building!

Sisyphus Kinetic Sculpture

JK Brickworks has come up with a crafty LEGO version of everybody's favorite boulder pusher from Greek mythology.  Doomed to an eternity of rolling that huge rock up a hill, only to watch it tumble back to the bottom, Sisyphus probably shouldn't have tried to outsmart Zeus.  That never ends well.  Check out the video to see the cutaway and all the interesting technic bits inside.  You might just end up watching it over and over and over...

Sisyphus Kinetic Sculpture

Viper: F78 Freya's Mercy

Mark Stafford has come up with a nifty Viper design, just as Nnovvember draws to a close.  What really caught my attention was the cockpit detail shot.  But the beefy guns and saucer wings create some dramatic visual interest as well. 

There's still time, boys and girls, to build your own!  Pascal will be stitching together a poster of all the Vic Vipers, so follow his instructions if you want to be a part of it.  Unless you're still recovering from a Turkey Coma or Black Friday shopping...

005-Pilot

004-Side

Ryuk

I happened into the room while my son was watching Death Note a couple months ago. I was impressed with the art style and concept, and fascinated with this guy, Ryuk. He's almost like Jiminy Cricket's alter ego, getting into your head and wreaking havoc mainly because he was bored. The series is dark, very dark, but strangely beautiful, much like this bust of Ryuk by builder Combee

Disc-overing "Discworld"

Honestly, I've never heard of Discworld, the late Terry Pratchett's imaginary world, set on a platter-shaped land set atop four elephants which, in turn, are riding the back of what must be a massive, massive turtle. (Tortoise?)  Just as much as I know about Star Wars and Star Trek and even Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, it's exactly the opposite for Discworld.

So please don't ask me about the backstory of this group of fellows, termed "The Ones Who Meddle With the Fabric of Reality," by Finnish AFOL Eero Okkonen. There's something magical about this bunch, and not just because they're wizards (I think). 

It takes a particular skill to make MOCs look both stone-faced and alive at the same time, which Eero achieves by simultaneously using the traditional 1x1 headlight bricks for eyes and then other wildly disparate elements, such as Chima wings , to fluff out those lovingly-crafted beards.  The magicians' accoutrements are also perfectly color-coordinated, with their dark red / brown / red fabrics, Friends stars, X-Pod dishes, and, hey, does that gorilla have a banana that incorporates...  bananas? 

Discworld should really be called Discoworld.

BokBokTron Thigh Fighter

You really do not want to mess with the chickens of BokBokTron. While a peaceful exploration corps at heart, when confronted they will not back down, and you just might find yourself at the receiving end of this beast, the Thigh Fighter by builder MacLane. With it's twin missile batteries, redundant cockpit capability and Kinetic Frame Control (KFC) technology, you just might find yourself extra crispy.

BokBokTron Thigh Fighter
BokBokTron Thigh Fighter Cockpit

LEGO Christmas Projects!

It's that time of year again, gang!  Time to dust off the old fruit cake and polish your Christmas balls.  But what do you take to all of those parties or gift exchanges?  Especially if you actually like the people you're going to see?  Well, our pal Chris McVeigh has an answer for that yearly dilemma-- Custom Christmas Ornaments!  From mini arcades to snow flakes, Chris has been creating these DIY projects for several years.   

The Cooper

Mini Arcade Machines

Updated Guides Available

Another option is a Secret Santa gift exchange.  We've been doing this for a few years in VLUG (Virtual LEGO Users Group) on MocPages.  Larger in scale and more personalized than the ornaments, Secret Santa builds are a great excuse to get away from your usual style or interests.  I never thought I'd build a Filipino Parol out of Explorien pieces, but it seemed like a good idea when I drew Master Shifu's name out of the virtual hat. And I know he didn't see that coming!

It's also an opportunity to poke fun at your friends, like the gift I got from my buddy Hans Dendauw a couple of years ago.  You see, I'm a dentist, and I like to build Battlestar Galactica stuff.  Yeah, that's Hermey.  I laugh every time I look at it.  Thanks, Hans! 

Okay, I know, giving away LEGO is one of those things.  It's difficult.  It took me a while.  But once you do it, and see the reaction that follows, it's a lot of fun.   Plus it means you don't have to go out and fight the crowds shopping!

Imperial Dam

I think when someone says "NPU" it goes beyond just the literal translation of  "nice part use". It's a way of acknowledging another builders ability to see a use or situation for a part that simply had not occurred to you, or most others. Take a look at the waterfall in this brilliant micro castle by Dubbadgrim, that's the ghostly lower half of the ghost figure of series 13 (yes, the back is clear). That's thinking out of the box, and that's NPU.

CCCXIII - Imperial Dam

Buccaneer Brawl

If I got to pick any "job" in history it would definitely be that of a swashbuckler. I mean think about all the cool things pirates get to do - sword fight, ride on ships, drink rum, visit cool places, watch the sunset over the ocean, etc. I mean, yeah, life expectancy wasn't that great and I don't even want to think of all the diseases a pirate had to deal with. But hey why not have a little fun before you leave this earth, am I right? The great scene below by Brother Steven and his brother Mark is exactly what I'd expect the life of a pirate to be.

Buccaneer Brawl

NERDvember update

NERDvember is going strong as we end the third week and I continue to be absolutely floored by the quality of the submissions. Who knew the Star Wars universe would inspire so much creativity. You still have over a week to build so break out those bricks!

I'd like to send a huge shout out to some more sponsors. First there's Cooper Works, makers of fine decals and stickers. They are providing a sticker pack that will be divided between the winners. Next is EclipseGRAFX and customBRICKS, brick printers and customizers extraordinaire. Both are sending assortments of custom printed parts that will blow your mind.

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And lastly is Brick Loot, monthly subscription box for brick lovers. They are providing custom LEGO models including the one designed by yours truly, Nerdasaurus Rex!

Thanks to these and all the sponsors of NERDvember, you all rock! Now if you haven't started building you better get on it, time is running out!

Frankenstein

Hotwheels, Classic monsters, and LEGO, it's a match made in heaven. This latest wheeled offering from Lino M makes my heart go pitter patter. I spent many a happy hour as a child playing with my Hotwheels, and I was a fan of Universal's classic monsters. Combine those with Lino's top-notch building skills, and you have this awesome hot rod MOC.

Hot Wheels Frankenstein Hot Rod

Imperial Pew Pew

One of George Lucas' strokes of genius on the first Star Wars was to use real weapons and blanks as the basis of the blasters. The recoil and power were evident as the actors shot, and with the addition of Ben Burt's sound design and ILM's optical, it was a convincing illusion. The E-11 Stormtrooper Blaster was based on a Sterling sub machine gun, and this version by Nick Brick is the best brick-built version I've ever seen, and the quality we've come to expect from Nick. It even has a foldable stock, which while never used in Star Wars, is still a testament to the accuracy of this build.

Star Wars E-11 Blaster Rifle
Star Wars E-11 Blaster Rifle

Largo's Lair

Oh Largo...You've got a sweet pad in the Bahamas (seen here perfectly recreated by Mark of Falworth), an awesome yacht and a bitchin' hydrofoil. You seem to have it made, why did you have to go stealing nuclear bombs and threatening everybody? You could have spent your remaining years lounging in luxury, now you've got 007 on your trial...good luck with that. 

Largo's Lair.
Largo's Lair. (daytime)

Punk's Not Dead

I'm always had an eclectic taste in music. Listening to my iPod is a case study in abrupt gear changing. You're likely to jump from the theme from Raiders to RUN-DMC to Bass Nectar to Oingo Boingo to Phutureprimitive to Suicidal Tendencies and so on. Speaking of Suicidal Tendencies, the first memory conjured up when I saw this brilliant MOC by black.zack00 was that time me and my high school buddies went to see them live and all got beaten to a pulp in the mosh pit, good times, good times.

Punk Rock