MOC Hogwarts Castle - Version 4....

monkey_roo

so here I am again, having yet another crack at a system scale Hogwarts. I think my very first post back in 2011 was sowing my first attempt and seven years later I am still trying to get it right.

the photos of all previous efforts are up here somewhere, but it is fair to say, while with fun (my first attempt was just a square castle blending together lots of official sets) very large but inaccurate (my second attempt wound up being 24 square foot and while a great looking castle was not Howarts). Attempt three nailed the scale but again missed the accuracy... And this we reach attempt four, the first I think to get the scale right and being to resemble the actual castle. There are issues with this, more locations within the castle would be nice, the angles are not quite right, but overall it is a decent representation, I think.

as I have improved as a builder I have begun placing constraints on my creation to help keep them focuses, in this case the price count had to be under 5000, there had to be plenty of play features, but also work as a display set, so having fully constructed building was important.

anyway, enough typing and time for a few very badly taken photos.

monkey_roo

HenkdeVries

Wow, pretty darn impressive!

Paperballpark

I can see a minifig-scale castle being about 24ft long, but I have no idea how on earth you'll keep it under 50,000 pieces, let alone 5,000!

Good start though!

PJ76uk

Paperballpark said:

I can see a minifig-scale castle being about 24ft long, but I have no idea how on earth you'll keep it under 50,000 pieces, let alone 5,000!

Good start though!

I assumed he meant 5,000 as in £5k for all the pieces!

Brainslugged

I was thinking £5k as well. So seeing the build, as impressive as it is, was a bit of an anticlimax.

milamber

Got to be 5000 pieces. No way that would cost £5000. It's basically the same scale as #75954 so 5000 pieces would be about right for the lot.

monkey_roo

No, I certainly mean 5000 pieces (although have typed price, which was a typo).... if i spent 5k on a MOC i would be living in it by the end of the week having been kick out of my actual house :)

My intention was simply to build a set that was representative of Hogwarts at a practical scale, one that could fit within Lego's own rules for sets of this scale.

milamber

monkey_roo said:

No, I certainly mean 5000 pieces (although have typed price, which was a typo).... if i spent 5k on a MOC i would be living in it by the end of the week having been kick out of my actual house :)

My intention was simply to build a set that was representative of Hogwarts at a practical scale, one that could fit within Lego's own rules for sets of this scale.

It looks really good. I'm planning on attempting something similar over the winter. I'd be well pleased if it turned out as good as yours.

monkey_roo

Well... predictably I couldn’t leave it alone and now the builders have moved back into Hogwarts with a view to adding a new entrance, creating space for quidditch pitch and hagrids hut and trying to get a representation of the room of requirements somewhere.  Ohh and a greenhouse....

LuLego

Sounds like expensive renovations!

monkey_roo

Not too bad price wise. I have so many bits left over only really need to get the special bits. Towers and a second quidditch set. Bit to do yet, but not too much...

monkey_roo

Solved my table issue, but safe to say I won’t be allowed to keep it :)
Last few Brickowl orders are in and hopefully getting very close now.
might do a bit more around the forest, but still trying to keep it in check :)

LuLego

Amazing job! Love it.

wardm

Looks very nice! I’d put some green baseplates beneath the quidditch pitch though! (Or are you planning on using baseplates beneath the whole thing?) 

monkey_roo

Yes, plan is to mount the quiditch bits on top of 9 16x16 green plates, all of which will be raised slightly like a mound (maybe 2 bricks high). Was thinking of using a mixture of flat and clasp tiles on the top to secure the quiditch structures and give the playing field a bit of texture. Just time, money and effort slowing me down there.

as for Hagrids hut, that set is showing its age, so I am really hoping for an updated version next year so I migh focus on another slightly raised base but give some space to the garden and so forth - not sure yet.

milamber

monkey_roo said:

Yes, plan is to mount the quiditch bits on top of 9 16x16 green plates, all of which will be raised slightly like a mound (maybe 2 bricks high). Was thinking of using a mixture of flat and clasp tiles on the top to secure the quiditch structures and give the playing field a bit of texture. Just time, money and effort slowing me down there.

as for Hagrids hut, that set is showing its age, so I am really hoping for an updated version next year so I migh focus on another slightly raised base but give some space to the garden and so forth - not sure yet.

Yes I was looking to Bricklink a close version of Hagrid's hut, but expecting one out this year as well, fingers crossed.

monkey_roo

Raised quidditch pitch under way. Going to need a fair few more parts to finish it though.

Astrobricks

^ Every time I see one of those mangled euro-boxes I cringe.

monkey_roo

Pitch is mostly done.
two main elements left to go. Something needs doing around hagrids but, but also I want to build a section of viaduct to put the Hogwarts express on.and run that as a background section behind the hut, maybe grow the forest out of the bottom of it or something...

Astrobricks

^ What’s wrong with Hagrid’s but(t)? ;-)

monkey_roo

The hut itself - nothing, but it needs placing on some scenery as a minimum and the extra trees I built feel a bit tacked on. As said rearlier I am hoping for an upgraded hut next year as that old one is a bit... old so could use the update. Really though it is the only element now not on a base of some sort, so just looks odd.

monkey_roo

Ha - just seen the typo :)

monkey_roo

Working on the train and viaduct element... little bit more to do. But really meant as a background piece and somewhere to get the train in.

monkey_roo

Very hard to photograph this well now it is so big. But latest updates... now with added train.

Astrobricks

^ Holy shamoly! (as the metal detector guy on Oak Island says). Maybe you need a drone to fully capture it :)

PJ76uk

Astrobricks said:

^ Holy shamoly! (as the metal detector guy on Oak Island says). Maybe you need a drone to fully capture it :)

*cough* #31071 *cough*

Astrobricks

PJ76uk said:

Astrobricks said:

^ Holy shamoly! (as the metal detector guy on Oak Island says). Maybe you need a drone to fully capture it :)

*cough* #31071 *cough*

One that actually flies and has a video camera :)

monkey_roo

Added a first pass at a bridge and stones at the back and an extra bit of depth in the connecting section from the library to the back tower. Nothing major but little changes.