Team Building the Lego Death Star (10188)

hjd

My development team are going to attempt a speed build of Death Star (10188) as part of a charity afternoon. We've found a record online of 2 hours 34 minutes for a six man team, so that is currently our target to beat. Is anyone aware of a faster (recorded) time?

Any suggestions for how to organise the team and the time gratefully accepted. We intend to live stream the event for those who are interested.

Howard

rancorbait

I could build that in 15 minutes with my eyes shut... ;oP

On a more serious note, Will you also be building it with 6 people?

Perhaps an efficient way of building would be to have 1 or 2 people building while the rest find the parts for the builders?

monkeyhanger

Were parts already sorted on the current "record"? If not then you're talking division of labour. Maybe a pair do one level while some other pair find parts and another build not structural items.

SirKevbags

Sounds like great fun but then I do love a bit of charity :-) I may have to steal this idea for an event!

Are the people building used to handling LEGO? From watching friends build who have not picked up a brick in 20 years they are very unfamiliar with elements and it takes them an age to find things.

rancorbait

^ A MOC building charity event would be awesome! :o)

kekeke

Great ideal. It may be difficult to check mistakes tho...

bluemoose

hjd said:

My development team are going to attempt a speed build of Death Star (10188) as part of a charity afternoon. We've found a record online of 2 hours 34 minutes for a six man team, so that is currently our target to beat. Is anyone aware of a faster (recorded) time?

That's considerably faster than when the UK stores (at the time) had an inter-store competitive timed build back in 2008; think the winning time was around 4hrs30mins for a 4 person team.

Timed builds should start with a sealed box. You need to decide if you'll allow the instructions to be torn into sections - I'd suggest not allowing it. Typically you'll want the team to split into builders, sorters, parts pickers and checkers - 6 people all trying to build isn't going to work very well, and the mix between roles will need to change throughout the build if you're going to beat the record. Somebody needs to be in charge and everyone needs to be focused throughout.

hjd

SirKevbags said:

Are the people building used to handling LEGO?

Yup, all are AFOLs. I run the Technology team here and our office is full of Lego. We have an X-Wing, TIE Fighter and Millennium Falcon hung from the ceiling, my Infrastructure guy has the R2-D2 model and our Test Lead has all the Star Wars Microfighters arrayed around her monitors.

bluemoose said:

Timed builds should start with a sealed box. You need to decide if you'll allow the instructions to be torn into sections - I'd suggest not allowing it.

We'll start with the sealed box (bought last week and sitting, temptingly, behind my desk). Where do the "rules" stand on having multiple (PDF) copies of the instructions and building later sections in parallel?

We thought an initial period of sorting where everyone pitches in, then split into three teams of pickers and builders where the pickers try to stay just ahead of what the builder needs. Swapping these roles as people get tired/bored.

bluemoose

hjd said:

Where do the "rules" stand on having multiple (PDF) copies of the instructions and building later sections in parallel?

My "rules" say that would be cheating, but you can make your own rules ;-)

TheLoneTensor

I wonder what Billy Mitchell would say.

MathBuilder

Billy Mitchell, father of the U.S. Air Force?

Or are you talking of someone else?

scrumper

MathBuilder said:

Billy Mitchell, father of the U.S. Air Force?

Or are you talking of someone else?

Billy Mitchell, from Eastenders?

Or are you talking of somebody else?

TheLoneTensor

The video game guy from King of Kong. He was a bit notorious for defining rules that hindered others, then he would break the same rules and it'd be ok. Or so says the movie...

Wallace

Regarding instructions, surely you'd need more than one copy for a 4 / 6 man build team. Also, with the DS a 4 man team should be enough, 1 box per builder.