Legos, anyone?

[obakesan]

;) Aston Martin DB5 just arrived today, managed to get in on the VIP "License to Build" card, grab my VIP keychain and got a Bananaman Juicebox minifigure too ;) not to mention Voltron on order early access for VIPs too.

[Tking22]

16 minutes ago, obakesan said:

Aston Martin DB5 just arrived today, managed to get in on the VIP "License to Build" card, grab my VIP keychain and got a Bananaman Juicebox minifigure too not to mention Voltron on order early access for VIPs too.

Lego didn't include my license in my initial order, I got an email this morning apologizing and letting me know they shipped it out separately :(. Oh well. Voltron is on the way too! So excited for that.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm a VIP member, but I exhausted my account balance earlier this month to get the UCS Falcon, as well as buying a few more sets online, plus one or two on clearance sales. So, for now, I just need to chill on the spending and wait until 1 Aug to get my Voltron and perhaps DB5. Who am I kidding, there's no maybe about it.

[obakesan]

On 7/23/2018 at 9:05 PM, Tking22 said:

Lego didn't include my license in my initial order, I got an email this morning apologizing and letting me know they shipped it out separately :(. Oh well. Voltron is on the way too! So excited for that.

That's a bummer, but good you will still get it in the end. Just got notice Voltron has shipped

[Tking22]

16 minutes ago, obakesan said:

That's a bummer, but good you will still get it in the end. Just got notice Voltron has shipped

Same on Voltron! I'm very excited! I didn't want to pay out the ass for one day shipping like I did the DB5, so I just chose the free option, I will get mine in Friday in time for the weekend. Funny enough, Lego's email even included a little bit about Q accidentally slacking on a few packages, and that mine wasn't ready in time for my mission :).

[technoblue]

I'm still waiting for my Voltron shipping notice.

No rush, though. My copy of the DB5 arrived yesterday and I have plenty of other Lego models to catch up on once I finish that one. 

Happy to say that @len_d69 is starting to post some mods for the red lion already over on TFW. I like how the changes improve the shape of the lion's head and make the eyes look more organic too (if such a thing can be said about Lego). Here's the link in case you missed it:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/lego-voltron-mods-red-lion.1156916/

[M'Kyuun]

Appreciate that link. I hope he doesn't just stop at the head; I'd love to see him put some articulation back into these things. I may give it a shot myself.

I hope LEGO makes the Netflix version, perhaps at a slightly scaled down size, with better articulation in both individual Lions, and in combined mode.

[Tking22]

The Bond Aston Martin build was fun, I'm probably going to need that VW Bug and Van, plus maybe the Mini Cooper now. Voltron arrived! A day late, but I'll take it. Looks like a fun build, and I didn't pay attention but 2,321 pieces will keep me busy for a while.

 

[Metal_Massacre_79]

Received my Voltron two days ago. Three lions built, my son is building the last two. This thing is friggin' huge!

[M'Kyuun]

Voltron mod by Chubbybots: 

Definitely a challenging set to mod for better articulation. He managed it, but at the cost of some stability. As a mech builder myself, I can certainly sympathize. He did a good job with what LEGO provides. I still think this set was a prime opportunity for LEGO to trot out some beefier, more versatile joints for larger mecha. Aw well, I continue to hope.

[obakesan]

On 7/28/2018 at 9:36 PM, Tking22 said:

The Bond Aston Martin build was fun, I'm probably going to need that VW Bug and Van, plus maybe the Mini Cooper now. Voltron arrived! A day late, but I'll take it. Looks like a fun build, and I didn't pay attention but 2,321 pieces will keep me busy for a while.

 

 

nice one, got mine the other day too, plus added the Tron set  I've got the VW bug, it's a pretty cool set, solid.

[M'Kyuun]

I can't wait to get Voltron- hopefully soon. I have the VW, and yeah, great set with a lot of neat techniques used to achieve the rounded look of different areas. The only flaw I saw was that the spare has to be wedged in a bit under the bonnet for it to close properly. I don't know if that was to keep it from moving around, or if there just wasn't room for it to just plop in and still maintain structural integrity, but it is what it is. 'Tis but a small trifle on an otherwise great set. If you like that, I'd also suggest the Mini Cooper.

The Tron set, while a little better in its finished form (the submission didn't have rolling wheels and was basically a static display, not to mention only came with one bike), I still felt underwhelmed by it. The designer did a nice job giving it rolling wheels, but comparisons with the source still show the inaccuracies, especially the hollow wheels and the large teardrop shape of the front end. But I'm glad it got made, nonetheless, as I've always thought Tron would look cool in LEGO form, and it does. They did a great job on the minifigs.

[seti88]

 

[Dobber]

That is AMAZING! I always find it so incredible what some people can do with LEGO. The engineering to make these custom sets is astounding.

Chris

[M'Kyuun]

That's quite a set of projects: any of the three ships is impressive on any number of levels by itself, but the fleet gives pause to really consider the amount of engineering, detail work, time, and brick that's involved. That's a hefty financial investment, as well. I hope he comes to BrickCon in October; even if he only brings the two smaller ships, it'd still be an impressive display.

A friend of mine is working on a custom ship that'll likely be around four feet in length when completed. I've been helping him with some of the structural issues, as it's more in my wheelhouse than his. However, I'm hoping he'll get it completed enough to display in October. He may have to omit the interior to do so, although an interior is planned. This will be his first LEGO convention, so it'll be a cool model for a first time showing.

 

[M'Kyuun]

Recently finished some planned improvements to my Classic Space Konig Monster. I thought it'd be neat to take a group shot with my other Konig toys. Hope you like.

[M'Kyuun]

 

I'm a big fan of Chubbybots' mech builds, and his take on Gypsy Avenger is pretty sweet.

He submitted it to LEGO Ideas. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/e6fe97d6-43dc-48bc-a444-c7653c4b9148

Edited August 27, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[sh9000]

 

[M'Kyuun]

Even as a long time LEGO fan (I'm seven years older than the minifig, which just celebrated its 40th birthday), I'm astonished by that life scale Bugatti. Just building a static model is impressive, more so in Technic, but to make it a functional driving car using only LEGO elements to do it is a monumental engineering accomplishment. I do have to wonder, though, if it's not at least supported by a steel spaceframe, like many other large LEGO models. The tires and rims were supplied by Bugatti, I believe. The powertrain is what I'm really curious about- I hope they show pics, as that has to be an extraordinarily complex system of electric motors and gears to afford the functionality on display and maintain integrity. It's a seemingly impossible challenge achieved brilliantly.

[technoblue]

@M'Kyuun

This techcrunch article goes into more detail about how it all comes together. 

https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/30/lego-built-a-life-size-drivable-bugatti-from-over-a-million-technic-pieces/

[sh9000]

It is amazing.  Here’s a how it was made video as well.

 

[Tking22]

I feel a pinch dirty, but I just ordered the Lepin UCS Millenium Falcon. I ordered the slightly cheaper option that doesn't come with the replicated official box that says Star Plan on it instead, I'll just be getting in a cardboard box that weighs 15lbs. and is filled with Lepin pieces in numbered bags. That said, apparently sorting through everything is a pain, especially attempting to sort bags 6 and 9, I guess they aren't underlined in any way so they're easy to mix up.

[wm cheng]

17 minutes ago, Tking22 said:

I feel a pinch dirty, but I just ordered the Lepin UCS Millenium Falcon. I ordered the slightly cheaper option that doesn't come with the replicated official box that says Star Plan on it instead, I'll just be getting in a cardboard box that weighs 15lbs. and is filled with Lepin pieces in numbered bags. That said, apparently sorting through everything is a pain, especially attempting to sort bags 6 and 9, I guess they aren't underlined in any way so they're easy to mix up.

Don't worry about it, you'll love it.  I did it without numbered bags at all, they just had them in different bags mostly according to the pieces not to the steps.  Its part of the fun of lego.

[big F]

12 hours ago, Tking22 said:

I feel a pinch dirty, but I just ordered the Lepin UCS Millenium Falcon. I ordered the slightly cheaper option that doesn't come with the replicated official box that says Star Plan on it instead, I'll just be getting in a cardboard box that weighs 15lbs. and is filled with Lepin pieces in numbered bags. That said, apparently sorting through everything is a pain, especially attempting to sort bags 6 and 9, I guess they aren't underlined in any way so they're easy to mix up.

Don’t feel bad. At the price difference on AliExpress I am very tempted to buy it and some others

[Dobber]

I’ve been building my LEGO Voltron and the Red Lion is missing a part for one of the legs.   instead there is some random piece in there. Is Legi good about replacing missing parts?

Chris

[M'Kyuun]

3 hours ago, Dobber said:

I’ve been building my LEGO Voltron and the Red Lion is missing a part for one of the legs.   instead there is some random piece in there. Is Legi good about replacing missing parts?

Chris

Yes, they have excellent customer service. I've had missing or damaged parts in sets before, and they've replaced them no questions asked.  Go to www.LEGO.com , scroll to the bottom of the page, and in the lower left corner under Customer Service, select Replacement Parts. Be prepared with the missing part's part number, which can be found in the parts list in the instruction manuals. Once submitted, it'll take 1-2 weeks for it to show up. Prob less than two weeks since you're on the east coast.

Anyway, sorry to hear you're missing a part. There's nothing so frustrating, esp when building a set with a lot of cool factor or anticipation behind it. I just got my copy a couple weeks ago, and it's a really fun build, and a beautiful display piece.  I'm still bummed that it's articulation is so limited, but was pleasantly surprised to see a lineup in the instructions of concept models, and every one of them attempted leg articulation, often at the cost of the overall aesthetics. In the end, they favored a more screen accurate look at the expense of articulation. I understand the tradeoff, but for an articulated mecha fan like me, it's bittersweet.

Anyway, contact LEGO, get your part(s), and finish building your Voltron!

 

Edit: Almost forgot, LEGO has the Overwatch license, and the first wave of sets have been revealed: https://www.thebrickfan.com/

I've never played the game, but as a space and mecha fan, I'm liking a lot of what this line is offering thus far. Some interesting and long-wished-for new parts showing up in some of these sets as well.  I still wish LEGO would produce their own space themes, but since Star Wars and now  Overwatch have spacy stuff, it evermore seems a forgone conclusion. Still a little hope on the horizon with the second LEGO Movie, which looks to be quite spacy.

Edited October 23, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[David Hingtgen]

LEGO has the best customer service, period.  Email or call, you'll definitely get your missing piece.  I've seen them airmail a single 5-cent part from Denmark, to make things right.  

[danth]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Some interesting and long-wished-for new parts showing up in some of these sets as well. 

Which are those? I'm excited about the transparent light green windscreens on the pink mech. Although regular old dark transparent green would be more useful to me.

[Scyla]

6 hours ago, Dobber said:

I’ve been building my LEGO Voltron and the Red Lion is missing a part for one of the legs.   instead there is some random piece in there. Is Legi good about replacing missing parts?

Chris

If you live close to a physical LEGO Store and it is a common part (in a common color) you are missing you might be lucky and get it straight from the store. 

I had this once where I just walked into the Store and they had exactly the piece I had lost. If the store is not really close it is probably better to go through the replacement service. 

[Mazinger]

21 hours ago, Tking22 said:

I feel a pinch dirty, but I just ordered the Lepin UCS Millenium Falcon. I ordered the slightly cheaper option that doesn't come with the replicated official box that says Star Plan on it instead, I'll just be getting in a cardboard box that weighs 15lbs. and is filled with Lepin pieces in numbered bags. That said, apparently sorting through everything is a pain, especially attempting to sort bags 6 and 9, I guess they aren't underlined in any way so they're easy to mix up.

I'll say this about the KO blocks coming out of China, the block clones tend to be better than the cloning of other more interesting parts such as technic elements or bionicle pieces. I bought a few sets to try them out and it seems as if they are being made from molds taken from molds, meaning the clutch and fit isn't as good.  The quality of plastic used is also very different, and with mobile/connecting pieces, that makes an impact because almost immediately, as they begin to strain and show stress marks.  I've had a couple of the bionicle parts snap on me due to this.  So if you are going to be moving a certain part a lot and think it might get stressed, try replacing it with real LEGO specially in the case where that part might be hard to get to once the final build is done.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Mazinger

[M'Kyuun]

4 hours ago, danth said:

Which are those? I'm excited about the transparent light green windscreens on the pink mech. Although regular old dark transparent green would be more useful to me.

Check out the white angled slopes on the Gibraltar starting with the printed ones just aft of the canopy- new and much desired for achieving a consistent slope along an angle.  The curved windshields in trans green are nice, too. The base gun parts are new as well.

Edited October 23, 2018 by M'Kyuun

[sh9000]

 

[M'Kyuun]

Impressive display. I remember back when LEGO released the UCS Lambda Shuttle there being mentioned that the designers borrowed ideas (for both sail and wing rotating mechanism) from an AFOL, which was an interesting admission at the time. Nice to finally see the guy.  Despite my huge anticipation for a UCS Shuttle, when it finally came out, there were too many things about it that bugged me, and I didn't get it. What I wanted (still want) is this, or as close a facsimile as possible. He got the gear, the smooth simultaneous wing rotation, and the nice curved front of the shuttle's cockpit, none of which the official model achieved. I'd be down for a new UCS Shuttle with Power Functions and improved shaping, much like they did for the new Falcon. The palette has grown by leaps and bounds since the last UCS Shuttle set, so it'd make the designers' jobs that much easier realizing all those complex shapes, not to mention internal gearing. And while they're at it, it's high time for a UCS AT-AT.

[Convectuoso]

Impressive. Most impressive

[Chronocidal]

Would absolutely love a new UCS shuttle.  I'm not sure if I want one any bigger than the current one, but when I went to tweak the design in LDD for a new cockpit section, I did discover that a few features become a lot easier to fit properly if the whole ship grows a bit.  Specifically, you can resize the side intake scoops from a 3-stud diameter to 4, and replace those fugly solid tubes with a stacked pair of the same white canopy pieces they used for the engine bank on the original, and get a nice hollow half-round shape.

I'd be interested to see how the nose was constructed in that vid though, that cockpit is not an easy shape to reproduce.  I used a bunch of angled panels mounted on hinge plates for my revision, but that one looks like it's using curved bricks to smooth over the entire assembly.