Small builds & unusual parts uses

VorpalRyu

Occasionally when playing around with ideas for part of a MOC, or while sorting parts, I've come across ideas, usually involving just a few pieces that are simple, but small scale build in their own right, or a potential solution for build problems I had been trying (unsuccessfully) to solve previously. I figured it might be useful for all of us on the forum to have a thread to document these ideas so that others can benefit from our discoveries. My first contribution is a very small, two piece build that could be used as a tank for a micro scale builds:

CCC

Roller skates in a line make a reasonable microscale train. You can add 1x1 plates for coloured carriages.

Baby_Yoda

Yeah, they're used in a few official sets. 1x1 plates w/ clips can form a decent pair of limbs, horns, even a wacky beak.

mafon

My favs are moai:

560Heliport

These are all amazing! What a beautiful use for stud-shooters!

benbacardi

One ingenious part use I can't find a picture of any more was using the triggers from the stud shooters as microscale gravestones...

Speedman29

benbacardi said:

One ingenious part use I can't find a picture of any more was using the triggers from the stud shooters as microscale gravestones...

Flickr link

shikadi

Speedman29 said:

benbacardi said:

One ingenious part use I can't find a picture of any more was using the triggers from the stud shooters as microscale gravestones...

Flickr link

Laptops as roofs and skate as a car... this one is full of NPU

Baby_Yoda

I really like the way many larger pieces are sunk into the ground so that only the necessary portion protrudes. If you're making a microscale scene with lots of tiny, independent details I think SNOT bases work very well. One other thing to consider is that when you're building super-tiny models, exposed studs can be a pain, but you can use them to your advantage and create extra details with their presence such as the roller skate cars above.

mafon

Pretty smart use of vial.

Brainslugged

I couldn't find anywhere especially suitable to post this comment so I'm going to stick it here. Apologies if there's another, better thread for it.

Anyway... I'd been dying to see a review of the Trafalgar Square Architecture set to see how the steps were made. I saw someone suggest that maybe they were opaque window panels stacked on top of each other. This seemed unlikely as there wouldn't be a good way to lock them in place. But a few days ago I noticed the overhead shot of the set, which shows that the steps must be made from 1x4 panel pieces that are stacked against each other on their sides. Absolute genius! 



And from the top:

andhe

@Brainslugged do you have a link or part number for the part you mean? I still can't get my head around it!

Brainslugged

@andhe  - This piece on its side. #30413.

dmcc0

Very clever, but surprised it's considered a legal connection as only the top one will be attached to anything.

VorpalRyu

I have a copy of one of docs on legal/illegal build techniques & I didn't see anything in there about parts not connected to the main build being an illegal technique. This isn't the first build to do it, #41629, the Boba Fett Brickheadz figure also had parts not connected to the main build.

CCC

I imagine it helps that this is not a play set. If something is not well connected and falls off in trial play, it will fail. Whereas something that sits on a shelf can get away with different standards.

DeMontes

As soon as I read the topic, Grantmasters 'Critters' came to mind:

DeMontes

If you are a fan of small builds with NPU then definitely check out Michael Jasper's Flickr - he is a genius. 

Fascinating! ... but illogical.

dmcc0

VorpalRyu said:

I have a copy of one of docs on legal/illegal build techniques & I didn't see anything in there about parts not connected to the main build being an illegal technique. This isn't the first build to do it, #41629, the Boba Fett Brickheadz figure also had parts not connected to the main build.

I suppose to be an illegal connection they would have to actually be connected.  

TheOriginalSimonB

^ indeed.  Legality is mostly about stress on elements, so with no connection there can be no stress.

Bobflip

It looks like the panels should all stay put pretty well, as each one will be held in place by the one above it, and the top one is connected the usual stud way.

VorpalRyu

TheOriginalSimonB said:

^ indeed.  Legality is mostly about stress on elements, so with no connection there can be no stress.

While usually true, there is still a possibility of brick stress if you're placing parts in a void, stress could occur if the actual space does not match the design specifications of the parts. Placing elements loose in a brick made void is a pretty unique situation, apart from this new set, the only one I know of is the Boba Brickheadz fig, so 99.99999999% of the time, your statement is absolutely correct. :)

Koolbrix2018

I really like following The Brothers Brick as they constantly post different models and builds filled with NPU and cool techniques. There is also a great, talented MOCer on Flickr called Simon NH - I really love some of his builds, and uses of parts.

Koolbrix2018

@DeMontes:
Yes, Michael Jasper's builds are great! I love how he uses such a variety of different facial expressions for his minifigs. 

DeMontes

Koolbrix2018 said:

I really like following The Brothers Brick as they constantly post different models and builds filled with NPU and cool techniques. There is also a great, talented MOCer on Flickr called Simon NH - I really love some of his builds, and uses of parts.

Simon NH took part in our last parts fest on New Elementary and he will be taking part in the upcoming one...

I agree, he is a great builder. His Flickr here for those who are interested: Simon NH

pxchris

I didn't recognize the name right off, but I absolutely love his tiger build! I remember being floored when I first saw that.

Bobflip

Had a look at the manual and made a quick tablescrap replica of the stairs in the Trafalgar Square set. It's a little rattly, but still a pretty cool technique! The tan piece underneath the stairs is a 1 x 2 jumper plate and the dark orange one is a 1 x 2 tile.

(Side is removed to show the technique - that's not the reason it's rattly :-P )

msanders

Bobflip said:

Had a look at the manual and made a quick tablescrap replica of the stairs in the Trafalgar Square set. It's a little rattly, but still a pretty cool technique! The tan piece underneath the stairs is a 1 x 2 jumper plate and the dark orange one is a 1 x 2 tile.

(Side is removed to show the technique - that's not the reason it's rattly :-P )

At least from my calculations it looks like the actual set has 8 steps but your replica on my has 4. Is this the reason for the rattling? 

Bobflip

Good spot! There's two smaller stair sets on the left and right of the build, and this is duplicated from those, but the technique is pretty similar all the way up. I found the source of the rattling after I posted - it loosens up if you push on the bottom step. You can push the 1x2 brick attached to the top step to tighten it up again.

Baby_Yoda

^ By the looks of things, pressing on the bottom step forces it hard against the tile it rests on and thereby straightens the build. Pressing the 1x2 brick down again forces the third step to angle up slightly and all the other steps follow. I wonder if you could move the SNOT brick just slightly forward with jumper plates or something.

msanders

^^ Ah, yes, I didn`t spot the other staircases. 

Bobflip

Baby_Yoda said:

^ By the looks of things, pressing on the bottom step forces it hard against the tile it rests on and thereby straightens the build. Pressing the 1x2 brick down again forces the third step to angle up slightly and all the other steps follow. I wonder if you could move the SNOT brick just slightly forward with jumper plates or something.

Yeah, that's what's happening. Would take a bit more work and under the hood action to move the SNOT brick by that precise amount, I think it's the second in from the left that would need to be held in place better, but that would need half a plate thickness while being not as wide as a stud... this works great for decorative builds though.
I was impressed by the third panel along from the left being held in place by the stud on the jumper plate, that's a part relationship I didn't know about!

Baby_Yoda

^ I'd be interested to see how Lego pull it off. There's probably something built into the base that allows them just that slight protrusion...

Baby_Yoda

I was wondering whether a bracket and two plates in place of the SNOT brick would make any difference, and it seems to work.
With the SNOT brick:

With the bracket:

They don't rattle at all with the bracket. They do feel a little too rigid, though. I don't know if Lego would release a set that puts that much pressure on the bricks. Then again, this is an Architecture set, and I don't think my parts are going to break any time soon.

Fauch

the geometry looks correct.
4 plates high on a side, 2 plates + 4 half plates on the other = 4 plates.
3 studs is 15 half plates I think. bracket = 1 half plate + brick (6) + 4 panels (8) = 15.

Astrobricks

@Baby_Yoda I like your solution. The steps are more even.

Bobflip

Baby_Yoda said:

I was wondering whether a bracket and two plates in place of the SNOT brick would make any difference, and it seems to work.
With the SNOT brick:

With the bracket:

They don't rattle at all with the bracket. They do feel a little too rigid, though. I don't know if Lego would release a set that puts that much pressure on the bricks. Then again, this is an Architecture set, and I don't think my parts are going to break any time soon.

Your solution looks more stable though perhaps a little pushed! There's one bit that you missed with the SNOT brick solution which helps reduce the rattling, the 2x2 tile you have underneath the yellow brick is meant to be a 1x2 jumper plate and a 1x2 tile - the stud on the jumper plate holds the pink panel in place rather than allow it to move freely between the white and dark green panels.

Baby_Yoda

^ Yes, I realised that later. But trust me, the structure's already rigid enough. There's certainly no chance of rattling...
The inner corner of the wall panel part seems to be slightly larger than a 90-degree angle. This might throw off the 2:5 measurements we're used to.

Istokg

Very impressed with the micro (and micro-micro) builds.  It's amazing at how small of a scale that LEGO can be built with!! :-)

When TLG came out with the final Minifigure scale in 1978... it was great for adding inside building details... but there was a trade-off.  When the 1955-73 Town Plan scale was used for LEGO building, a door was 3 bricks tall.  Switching to the Minifig scale eventually doubled that scale to 6 bricks tall.  Unfortunately doubling the scale caused the volume of buildings to go up by a factor of 8 (2 to the 3rd power... for length x width x height).  This makes building a large Town very space consuming, and especially very expensive.

When I was young, the Town Plan (1:87 HO scale) was perfect for making a larger town, and as for building skyscrapers... and you were less constricted by ceiling heights for skyscrapers...

Oldfan

^No curved bricks (other than basic arches), no SNOT building, no tiles...it's like a whole different building system compared to today.

Oh yes, and Cypress trees...[drool]

Cyberdragon

Oldfan said:

^No curved bricks (other than basic arches), no SNOT building, no tiles...it's like a whole different building system compared to today.

Oh yes, and Cypress trees...[drool]

They had curved bricks since very early on. Just look at the first pic and the 1955 advertising thread. Also, according to the lego history page, tiles were invented in 1965.

Cyberdragon

Also, last year's invention of the inverted tile with hole. http://www.newelementary.com/2018/12/lego-35459-1x3-inverted-tile-hole.html

DeMontes

Another master of small builds with NPU - Markus.

Baby_Yoda

^ The Minecraft Steve head for the lighthouse windows and the stud-shooter trigger for the reindeer head are both brilliant.

Switchfoot55

^^Yeah, those are fantastic models. I love the clam shell for the snowdrifts leading up to the cabin. The upside down cupcake bottoms for the yellow trees are pretty fun too.