Legos, anyone?

[Chronocidal]

Oh man, that is beautiful!  The post fooled me, I thought the thread hadn't gotten updated in a long time.  Can't wait to see a VF-14!

[M'Kyuun]

Thanks, Chronocidal, much appreciated. I know you're quite handy with the brick, so it adds weight, and I'm both humbled and grateful.  To be fair, this is my second VB-6, both in Classic Space colors, so I can understand the confusion. This version is about 2/3 the original's size, as my original design became too heavy for its hip joints to support, and a few other features were left unfinished. I still have it, but now that I've mostly completed its little brother, I'll likely start borrowing parts off the original until there's not much left. Still, I had a LOT of time and money invested in that first version- it's like a child, hard to give up.

As for the VF-14, the only thing that surpasses the coolness of the SR-71 is a Blackbird inspired valk. I hope I can make it work. I've got a Variable Glaug I've been tinkering with for a couple years. I'm waiting for LEGO to release a few parts in certain colors, and hopefully I can get that thing done, too. I find it to be a sweet design.

Thanks again, Chronocidal!

[Chronocidal]

Oh, I wish I had your parts selection, but I know the issue of weight all too well.  I'd still love to go back and finish my 1/18th VF-1S, just because the proportions were so good at that size, but making the legs solid to support the whole thing killed my motivation to finish it, and I wound up doing the same thing, sizing down to 1/32.

[M'Kyuun]

I remember seeing pics of your 1/18 VF-1; gorgeous shaping on the entire forward fuselage. From a thumbnail, or a distant shot, you can't tell it's LEGO. I've never tried shaping with the brick, or with plates, in that manner, but I can see where weight would rapidly increase with that method. You'd need to have steel or high grade aluminum joints forged to bear the full weight of the completed valk. If one had good CAD skills and knew a good machinist, it'd be a mighty impressive model, even if it needed some beefy non-LEGO framing/joints to make it work. Those in the know understand how heavy LEGO is, and even most of the large models at LEGOLAND and other LEGO affiliated stores and such use steel frames within the models, as do, I believe, a number of the Certified LEGO Artists, and even some MOCs. It's not a cheat so much as practicality; LEGO's tough, but it's still just plastic and has its limits as opposed to metals. I'm about at the cusp of what the Exo-Force clickies can handle with my VB-6. I had a discussion with a fellow builder at BrickCon concerning the inadequacies of LEGO's current joint systems, and we both wish they'd make something stronger for larger models. The upcoming Voltron Ideas model gives me hope that new joints will be forthcoming to handle the loads that they'll have to bear (hopefully it won't end up being a giant statue in combined mode).  I digressed  a bit. Alas, you're a damned fine builder and I hope you stick with it, find solutions to the challenges, and continue to wow us.

 

[Chronocidal]

Appreciate the thoughts, and thank you!  I know what you mean about the joint issue.  The VF-1's arms were entirely rigged using worm-gear assemblies throughout to avoid the failings of other joint systems, and they would hold their own weight well enough, but the stress on the axles was very heavy.  The biggest core issue is probably that LEGO needs to start producing metal cross-axles, or needs to introduce a new tier of rotational options that rely on a 2x2 stud axle radius.  I got inspired for the VF-1 by a lot of absolutely gigantic Gundam builds I saw online, which had extensive internal rigging for balance, and joints built from things like crane turntables to better support the massive loads.

Sadly, due to the nature of Ideas project restrictions, I don't think we're going to see any new pieces for the Voltron set.  We really need some better in-line rotation joint options.  The best thing we've got currently are the big round AT-AT leg joints, and they can be stacked in series to give some great strength to larger builds, but they're an odd shape that can get hard to build around, and aren't very useful if you need something like a shoulder, thigh, or bicep rotation.

I admit though, I am a sucker for plate layering methods for subtle shaping, even if they do build up weight and bulk very quickly.  The fancier new curved slope bricks are really handy in a lot of cases, but I think they tend to get overused, or misused in some cases, especially on bigger projects with compound curves.  The pic I posted a while back of the construction of the UCS Slave I is a prime example, where they haphazardly stacked a series of saucer-like plates up and down the hull, when rows of single-wide slopes and curved bricks would have looked a great deal better.  I really do like the smooth look those curved plates give on smaller projects though, and they look great on your VB-6.

Also, not to worry, there's nothing to really digress from here, it's all LEGO in the end.  

Edited October 17, 2017 by Chronocidal

[Scyla]

So I built my first Lego UCS set last weekend. As a preparation for the UCS Millennium Falcon I thought it would be a cool idea to build the Slave 1 since the ship is also roughly Minifig scale and a collection of Lego Star Wars Minifig scale vehicles sound neat to me. 

The build was very fun. I need to check if it is necessary to apply the ArchieNov fix to it so it doesn't make the spreads. I probably won't since the ship takes up so much space when put on the stand. Thats make me wonder what to do with the Millennium Falcon. Maybe build a couch table around it?

That said while assembling the Minifig of BobaFett I noticed that the tampo printing on the helmet doesn't line up correctly leaving a very small but visible seam dead center of the helmet where the black paint is supposed to be.

Is this a common thing on the Boba Minifigs?

[Valkyrie Driver]

I'm thinking of getting a couple more lego sets, and it's been a few years since I built one, any suggestions on where to start. I'm particularly interested in the Star Wars sets, almost exclusively actually.

[len_d69]

Just sharing my VF-1S which is close to 1/100 scale

 

[Silverstreak]

15 hours ago, Scyla said:

So I built my first Lego UCS set last weekend. As a preparation for the UCS Millennium Falcon I thought it would be a cool idea to build the Slave 1 since the ship is also roughly Minifig scale and a collection of Lego Star Wars Minifig scale vehicles sound neat to me. 

The build was very fun. I need to check if it is necessary to apply the ArchieNov fix to it so it doesn't make the spreads. I probably won't since the ship takes up so much space when put on the stand. Thats make me wonder what to do with the Millennium Falcon. Maybe build a couch table around it?

That said while assembling the Minifig of BobaFett I noticed that the tampo printing on the helmet doesn't line up correctly leaving a very small but visible seam dead center of the helmet where the black paint is supposed to be.

Is this a common thing on the Boba Minifigs?

I knew nothing about this mod but noticed on the weekend my Slave 1 drooping. So thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[M'Kyuun]

23 hours ago, Scyla said:

Is this a common thing on the Boba Minifigs?

Not that I'm aware of. I checked my copy, and the printing is perfect. However, I've had offset prints on figs in the past, so it's something that happens occasionally. Still, shame to happen on Boba. LEGO has excellent customer service, so I'd contact them and let them know about the issue; they may send you a new helmet at no cost.

 

18 hours ago, Valkyrie Driver said:

I'm thinking of getting a couple more lego sets, and it's been a few years since I built one, any suggestions on where to start. I'm particularly interested in the Star Wars sets, almost exclusively actually.

Are you looking at System sets, i.e. minifig scale, or something collectible? For collectible, the UCS Snowspeeder, and the Slave I are both great sets. For System,  it becomes more challenging, as folks have different standards to which they hold the sets based on accuracy, colors, functions, and minifigs. The Force Awakens X-Wings are nice sets, and while the shape of the nose relative to the canopy is inaccurate, it's still a nice looking set with working opening wings, which can likely be found on mark-down at Walmart. Of the current spate of Ep 8 sets, I've only bought the First Order Heavy Assault Walker (love me some walkers), and it's a nice set with enough differences to stand apart from previous AT-AT walkers. The Ep 8 set that really has my attention is the Resistance Bomber, which I don't own yet because the price is a bit high for the parts count, and eventually, all or most of these sets get marked down. I digresss, but as a set, and as a parts pack, it looks to be an absolute winner, with some nice play features and an interesting look that hearkens back to the B-Wing. Hope this helps.

8 hours ago, len_d69 said:

Just sharing my VF-1S which is close to 1/100 scale

 

Lovely little VF-1, len_d69. Looking ever forward to your Ideas Voltron. Welcome to the MW forums.

[Scyla]

The misprint on Boba is not that big and hard to spot even on camera. Need to see what the Lego costomer support has to say:

[M'Kyuun]

Other than the seam line running down through the black, it looks like my copy. The black part of the visor is smooth on mine. Not sure if there's a different issue, but it looks fine to me.

[Scyla]

The problem it is really annoying in person. My Boba Fett from the Dessert Skiff Escape has a similar issue but it is not that pronounced.

[M'Kyuun]

It may be a matter of how the helmet's molded rather than a paint issue; I got my copy of the Slave I right when it came out, and I've not bought the new skiff set yet to compare Boba helmets, but it's possible the mold changed in that time.

[Valkyrie Driver]

Well I broke down and got a couple of lego sets. And Here are my results:

 

[M'Kyuun]

I have all three, and like them all, esp the A-Wing from Rebels. The Walker could have been so much better had they used ratcheting joints for the hips so that it can actually walk, but I think they nailed the aesthetic. Too bad it only has one seat; I'd hoped this'd be their first two-seater, as it should be.

Anyway, happy with your new sets? I hope so. If nothing else, they're fun little builds.

I've been slowly catching up on my backlog of sets that I'd set aside while working on my Monster. Sales on sets have been plentiful at Walmart and TRU, so I've added a few new ones to the pile as well. Just built the Jakku Quadjumper, the ship that got blown up in Force Awakens, forcing Rey and Finn to steal a certain 'pile of junk'. Despite it's brief appearance, LEGO made a nice model capable of seating three figs (2 front, 1 in the back) with an 'exploding' feature where the top two engines are ejected off the ship. Fun build that looks good and plays well-what LEGO is all about.

[Valkyrie Driver]

49 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

I have all three, and like them all, esp the A-Wing from Rebels. The Walker could have been so much better had they used ratcheting joints for the hips so that it can actually walk, but I think they nailed the aesthetic. Too bad it only has one seat; I'd hoped this'd be their first two-seater, as it should be.

So here's my take:

The A-Wing is by far my favorite, mostly because it is my favorite Star Wars fighter. I'm a sucker for a tiny speedster, and the A-Wing definitely fits that bill. It was really interesting to build. I especially liked how the missile firing gimmick was implemented. I do wish that the engines had been attached with ratchets because they move around too easily the way it was done.  

Darth Vader's TIE Fighter was a very interesting build, and the way it was put together is intriguing. I've not had a lot of sets that used the technic style blocks and pegs the way these sets have. Again the missile gimmick was creatively implemented with the vertical sliding bars. I really don't have any complaints with this part of the set. 

The AT-ST, where to begin? I loved the way the cabin and waist went together. This was my first experience with using the technic gearbox, and I want to build more sets like that. Now, my biggest complaint with the set, is the total lack of poseability in the legs. I wanted the hips to be ratcheted, as well as the ankles and toes. The Fixed hips have the unfortunate problem of tilting the cabin forward, making the model prone to balance issues. If the legs had been entirely poseable it would have been much more intriguing a build, but I am still satisfied. As for it being a two-seater, I would have liked that more, since it would have been more accurate to the movies. However, being as I grew up on BattleTech, and the MechWarrior Video Games, having two crewmen never made sense to me (especially since my dad was a fighter pilot and he flew single seaters), so this isn't as big a problem for me. 

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

Anyway, happy with your new sets? I hope so. If nothing else, they're fun little builds.

Yes, extremely. Though, I am a bit sad that they're built and done. Now that I built them once, the magic is gone, since I know how they go together and how they work. That means the discovery is made. It just means that I'm going to have to move on to more complicated sets...

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

I've been slowly catching up on my backlog of sets that I'd set aside while working on my Monster. Sales on sets have been plentiful at Walmart and TRU, so I've added a few new ones to the pile as well. Just built the Jakku Quadjumper, the ship that got blown up in Force Awakens, forcing Rey and Finn to steal a certain 'pile of junk'. Despite it's brief appearance, LEGO made a nice model capable of seating three figs (2 front, 1 in the back) with an 'exploding' feature where the top two engines are ejected off the ship. Fun build that looks good and plays well-what LEGO is all about.

I don't have a backlog, unfortunately, I'm on a fixed income. I'm also one of those people that wants to play with a new toy as soon as I have it my hot little hands, so things don't stay untouched for long. 

I would be interested in recommendations on sets to get in the future. I'm especially intrigued by the Slave 1, but I understand that it's huge and I don't have a ton of space to display stuff in my apartment. 

[M'Kyuun]

As I mentioned in a previous post, either the blue and grey, or orange and black Force Awakens X-Wing is a nice set, with a few small differences between the two. I'd go with the orange and black personally, as it has a small cargo container that slots in the back as an additional play feature. Anyway, both of these sets are on Roll-back at Walmart, at least where I live, and IMHO, worth the money. If you'd like to step outside of Star Wars, I'd also suggest the Creator Turbo Track Racer (31070), the main model of which I found to be an excellent build with some nice functionality. As far as the UCS Slave I is concerned, it is a large model ( 17.5" tall x 14.5 " wide on its stand), is pricey, and the front section is a hodgepodge of building techniques and varying parts to try and achieve the rounded look of the actual model. It works for some, but not everyone. I'm ok with it (it's sitting on my desk, along with the lovely UCS Snowspeeder as I type this.) If you're a fan of the Snowspeeder, I'd recommend it over the Slave I- it's exceptionally well done. However, if you're after a smaller Slave I, a few years have elapsed since the last System set, so we're about due for another in the next couple years. Or, you can try to pick up a copy of 8097 from a few years back, which was IMO, the best System set of that ship. If you're curious about the UCS Slave I, or just about any set from the last few years, the LEGO site, at the bottom of their main page under Customer Service, offers instructions in PDF format for a host of different sets, which are worth perusing to get a sense of how the sets go together. I sometimes look at them if I'm on the fence, or just curious about parts used, or techniques. It's free, so why not?

Another really well done set outside of Star Wars is their LEGO Batman Movie Batwing- solid build with some nice functions and great aesthetics. Back to Star Wars, the current System Y-Wing is a really nice set, too- lots of greebling and some nice shaping on the forward fuselage around the cockpit. Krennic's Imperial Shuttle is also a nice larger ship set to consider. Very cool build that looks awesome on the shelf or zooming through the living room. The Jakku Quadjumper is a neat little set that packs a number of features into a small build. I could keep going, but my enthusiasm for LEGO runneth over. Suffice to say, I have a lot of LEGO sets across numerous themes, including the vast majority of Star Wars sets. If there's a particular set that you fancy, besides the UCS Slave I (for which I'd encourage you to check out any number of reviews on YouTube- I'd suggest Jangbricks), let me know. I'll try to give a fair assessment, although be warned, I'm generally biased positively towards most sets. What can I say, I love my hobby.

In the meantime, good luck finding sets. Play Well!

[Chronocidal]

Personally, I've been picking up a lot of the Creator, City, and 3-in-1 sets for a variety of reasons, particularly a few specific pieces, but I've also recently grabbed the UCS Snowspeeder, B-Wing, and Slave I, and I've got the US Capitol architecture set ready to use in rebuilding my UCS Imperial Shuttle.

I might try and track down one of the Shuttle Expedition sets for the parts for the fuel tank, but those things are pricey.  I've currently got all the parts necessary to build that Ideas Shuttle Orbiter (with a few tweaks actually), but the parts to build it fully have never been manufactured in the correct colors.

My current projects are hopping between my VF-19 build, and a new UCS-styled X-Wing design that combines the usual swing-arm angled construction of the official sets for the nose section, but with layered slopes, plates, and tiles up and down the sides to give the fuselage a better shape than any official sets have attempted.

[M'Kyuun]

I had a conversation with a fellow builder at BrickCon where we agreed that LEGO should produce every part in at least red, yellow, blue, light and dark grey, white, and black. It takes the wind out one's sails when a particularly useful part, and likely one you need for a project, only comes in one color like dark pink, that's virtually useless for most builds. Alas, I wish you all the best in gathering parts and finding suitable substitutions for your projects. Too, you can always create a sticker in the right color - it's not as nice as having it molded in color, but sometimes there's no other option. LEGO does it often.

Looking forward to seeing your VF-19 and improved X-Wing. What scale is your 19? I ask because I remember your huge VF-1. 

 

Edited November 7, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[Valkyrie Driver]

I've actually been looking at the TIE Advanced prototype set, as well as the Jakku Quad Jumper and the Scariff Battle set (For some set dressing for the walker). Also I'm really hung up on Star Wars, I've been in love with the sets since they first came out. I'm also a huge Star Wars fanboy, and currently no one is making star wars toys that are as fun as Lego...

[M'Kyuun]

The TIE Advanced proto is a nice set. I have the Scariff Battle, but it's still on my 'to build' pile. It's ok for what it is, but I think it would have been better had they included the Archive tower to complete the scene. It would have added to the price, but also completed the necessary elements to those scenes. A Cargo AT-AT would have been nice, too, but I digress.

I can't argue with LEGO's producing the most fun SW toys- hands down. The beauty of LEGO models over regular models and toys is that modification is much easier accomplished, not to mention creating one's own from scratch. I'm glad they continue to hold the license, even though it pretty much spelled the death knell of LEGO's own Space themes. 

[Chronocidal]

9 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I had a conversation with a fellow builder at BrickCon where we agreed that LEGO should produce every part in at least red, yellow, blue, light and dark grey, white, and black. It takes the wind out one's sails when a particularly useful part, and likely one you need for a project, only comes in one color like dark pink, that's virtually useless for most builds. Alas, I wish you all the best in gathering parts and finding suitable substitutions for your projects. Too, you can always create a sticker in the right color - it's not as nice as having it molded in color, but sometimes there's no other option. LEGO does it often.

Looking forward to seeing your VF-19 and improved X-Wing. What scale is your 19? I ask because I remember your huge VF-1. 

 

So, the parts I'm hunting would be pretty rare to begin with, and not in common colors anyway, since my goal is really to reconstruct the Ideas Shuttle, just in case it gets rejected.  The big pieces I'm missing are basically everything for the tank, and a few elements for the boosters.  Getting one of the older Shuttle sets would be a step in the right direction, but apparently the crow's nest buckets used for the nozzles on the Saturn V have never come in white, which is what the SRBs really need.

The VF-19 is rough 1/32 upscale of the Yamato 1/60 actually, with as many of the original features as I can cram in.  Will probably forego the retractable gear and opening cockpit, but so far I've gotten everything forward of the hip mounts designed and transformable.  The wings are also roughly laid out, and I've got a really good planform match by mounting them at an angle and using all sorts of angled plates.  I expect the trickiest parts to be getting the legs and arms even remotely functional.

The biggest issue I always run into with transforming LEGO is the near complete lack of any sort of sliding mechanisms, on top of the nasty limitations in terms of sturdy joints.

[M'Kyuun]

Well, you can try and track down a copy of 10231 or 10213; there are two copies of 10213 on Bricklink going for $165 and $175 for the two lowest priced used copies, both from US stores. Bit and piecing may cost more than that, as those parts have rarely been in anything else in reddish brown. As for the buckets, although it's not purist, I'd suggest picking up some of the silver ones used on the Saturn 5 and spray painting them the necessary color externally with an acrylic water-based paint. You could wait a lifetime for LEGO to release those in white. Or, wait out the decision to see if the Shuttle Ideas set gets made, although if it passes, it'll be awhile before we see production. My hope is that if it does get made, it'll retail around the typical $99.99 price point.

Your -19 sounds awesome thus far. For slides, I've used clips and bars for smaller mechanisms, and two three stud-length friction pins facing each other with a technic brick traveling over them for larger builds. I use the single side with the flange as my anchor point, and build it into a frame using axles to hold it all together, the axles providing both a structural member and a stabilizing rod over which the slider can travel. With two of those pins facing each other, it provides four détentes for your slider. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Valkyrie Driver]

16 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

The VF-19 is rough 1/32 upscale of the Yamato 1/60 actually, with as many of the original features as I can cram in.  Will probably forego the retractable gear and opening cockpit, but so far I've gotten everything forward of the hip mounts designed and transformable.  The wings are also roughly laid out, and I've got a really good planform match by mounting them at an angle and using all sorts of angled plates.  I expect the trickiest parts to be getting the legs and arms even remotely functional.

Can we get some pictures of progress?

Also, My parents claim to still have my bucket of legos from when I was a kid, If I can get them back, I'll be trying to build some things from scratch.

[Chronocidal]

I think I posted a picture in this thread a ways back, but it's still only a digital model.  I've probably got most of the parts needed to make it, but it would be in colors only slightly less hideous than the 30th anniversary VF-1J scheme.

Yep, back a few pages, and that was even a quote from elsewhere on the forums.

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2012 at 8:10 PM, Chronocidal said:

Those small scale ones are pretty darn awesome actually. It's a great way to get past the issues bigger models have.

I'm currently working on something with the Digital Designer program, but it's got a long way to go.

It's basically a double-scaled version of the Yamato VF-19, right down to the internal mechanisms. No idea if it will ever work in real life though, because the types of hinges I might need might not even exist.

[M'Kyuun]

I remember this- wow, 2012!  Have you done any additional work on it since then?  The palette has had a number of updates since then, so it may help with sculpting; not so much with joints, though, as the only new ones are the small ball and socket joints introduced through Mixels.

Unfortunately, LEGO pulled the plug on LDD, so it's unlikely we'll get any more updates to the parts palette. I'm trying my hand with LDraw, but having no experience with CAD or vector graphics, it's a steep learning curve. LDD's limited, but at least it's user friendly.

[Chronocidal]

I hadn't done much for a long time with that model no, but it's got a bit more than shown there, since the overall proportion layout had the wings and such also built up.

[M'Kyuun]

Good sculpting; for those in the know, it's unmistakably the 19. It'd be nice to see the finished version...no pressure. 

As for my attempt to build a VF-14, it's very slow going.. The attachment of the leg to the body by Kawamori's lineart is basically a scissoring mechanism comprised of the fuselage chine and leading edge of the inner wing. It'd work fine on a lightweight toy or model where die-cast can be utilized for those parts to impart the requisite strength; however, there's nothing like that in LEGO, and I'm having difficulty finding a solution that allows for a thin streamlined mechanism with enough integrity to handle all the loads. I'll figure something out, but it's proving to be quite a challenge, and I hope I can maintain the streamlined look of those areas.

Edited November 9, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[Scyla]

I was at my local Lego store today and asked about the status of the UCS Millennium Falcon. They sad batches of 8 units are trickling in once and a while but they sell out almost instantly. They also don't know when you can walk into the store and buy one without stalking the store every day.

On the positive side the sales guy said that the Falcon will have a full two year product run so I assume I will be able to buy one down the line if this is ture. 

[Chronocidal]

Why do I feel like they're still underestimating the demand terribly?  At the rate they're trickling out, I don't think they're going to actually produce enough, even in two years.

You still can't even order them online either.

Why don't they just open up orders already and just let people take a number?  I'd be more than happy to wait two years if I knew I had one guaranteed.

 

[Scyla]

I agree, the lack of a waiting list doesn’t bode well with me.

[wm cheng]

1 hour ago, Chronocidal said:

Why do I feel like they're still underestimating the demand terribly?  At the rate they're trickling out, I don't think they're going to actually produce enough, even in two years.

You still can't even order them online either.

Why don't they just open up orders already and just let people take a number?  I'd be more than happy to wait two years if I knew I had one guaranteed.

 

YES!!!

[M'Kyuun]

+1 for a waiting list. I'M a LEGO VIP member, so I'm eligible to order one now, but they're sold out. In this case, membership holds no privilege. Kinda wish I hadn't procrastinated, as I have close to $350 in my VIP account, so I would have only had to fork $450 plus tax out of pocket. As it goes, I need to spend about $200 or so of that by the end of December or lose it, as money earned is only good for two years in the VIP program. I wish that limit didn't exist- I could keep building it up. Anyway, it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to buy a different set (probably the LEGO Ninjago City set) to keep from losing money, and just build it up again to defray the cost of the Falcon within the timeframe. I hope they extend that production run by at least another year out, for as you guys pointed out, I think LEGO certainly underestimated the demand for this set.

Edited November 21, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[Valkyrie Driver]

As much as I would love to have the UCS millenium falcon, I can't see myself ever shelling out close to 1k for a toy.