Combining two identical sets to construct a bigger one?

Vortex

Greetings my Brick mates .
This answer from you just may be ... " thats nonsense" but i have been wondering if its possible Combining two identical sets to construct a bigger one? ` For example , can we combine 2 UCS Super star destroyers to make a monster SSD ? could we perhaps do that with The UCS Imperial Shuttle ? Can it be done ? If so has any one tried and been sucessfull ... results ? Are there exceptions or certain kind of sets that can't be mega sized ? One problem i would see is ceratin parts that are not "lego" not fitting on the bigger model .. example the cock pits which are usually plastic/glass etc .... any thoughts ?

Thanks guys !

mr_benn

The problem is that even if you were fortunate to have all the bricks you needed from 2 sets, you couldn't actually make one that was all that much bigger. As you're building in 3D with Lego, you need 8x the original number of bricks to double the length/width/height of your creation, even if you had all the bricks you wanted!

andyscouse

This tends to work better with buildings ... doesn't mean all the 2nd lot of bricks are used, but it does get you a reasonable upgrade ... and 3 or more would allow impressive upgrades!

I have seen GEs expanded using up to 4 sets, and it makes a difference. I;'m going to put 2 THs together to make it wider and deeper.

Of course, one can also add 'extra' bricks to a model too.

I'm not into SW or spacheships, so I wouldn't comment on the viability of putting 2 of those together.

CCC

^ and ^^ I agree. Buildings are particularly good for this, since you can extended them in one direction (either up or sideways) and still look OK. You could of course extended them backwards, but that doesn't give extra facade, and so less impression of extended size.

It can work for some spaceships. If you buy two and sell off the minifigs (esp SW sets) then often you get the parts for next to nothing anyway.

brickmatic

I really want to put together two Grand Emporium sets. It really bothers me they only have one set of escalators. Also, I think it will look and feel better as a larger building.

Part of the reason building are probably better than spaceships for this type of upgrade is that it's much simpler to join two walls together to make a wider wall than it is to recreate intricate shapes and slopes with more parts. You might need different parts if the size your ship is made bigger.

Vortex

Yes , i can understand what you guys are saying and i feared just that . Also makes sense that the modular structures will have a better chance with this approach in which case how the London Bridge model would fare with a double up treatment... as for the star wars .. i suppose il flush that idea off . It would be great to hear or see photos of structures that you guys attempt doing this to ... for example @brickmatic's and @andyscouse's Grand Emporiums .

Poochy

Here's an example of a GE expansion: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=70240

I've seen another one on Eurobricks with >8 GEs as well (but I cannot find that now).

andyscouse

One other thing to consider is what is the ultimate goal of combining two or more sets ... is it:

a) To make a building in the same style, only larger in one or more dimensions (and thereby keep the same "look")

or

b) To make a building with the combined sets of bricks, but not adhere to the original style or "look".

Being Lego -- either of these is correct!

andyscouse

Or, of course, there's :

c) Keep the same kind of look but also add more (outside the combined sets) bricks!

NeilCrosby

I've not done it with a big set, but I did do it with Lex's Power Armour, because it annoyed me that he didn't have knees or elbows.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thevoicewithin/7190118370/in/photostream

Jenni

This thread ended up discussing how to enlarge the Maersk ship, it might be helpful for you -

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/comment/56467#Comment_56467

I think I'm going to have enough trouble combining two GEs, I can't imagine doing it with a vehicle unless it was something like the Maersk where you're mainly expanding in one direction.

Pitfall69

If you didn't know, Lego pictured 2 Cafe Corners and 3 Cafe Corners joined together to make one massive Cafe Corner. If only I took their advice...sigh.

llanowarsoldier

Buying 2 of the new hospital set when it comes out will be beneficial also. Since the building is sort of lack luster as is, making it bigger will add more appeal and you can add more inside. I have no plan to buy 2 though as I have enough pieces on my own to make it bigger. I am sure we will see that set with a lot of mod's.

Si_UKNZ

Essentially the answer to this question is that if you want to change the scale, it's generally pretty hard, but if you don't change the scale it's normally dead easy, if - and it's a big if - the design allows it. A repeating design works best.

The double Maersk ship mentioned above is an exception to this - it was quite easy to change the scale, since you're moving UP to minifig scale, and the scale of the original is a bit all over the place anyway (e.g. the windows are way too big).

Changing the scale of tower bridge, or the DS or something would be a nightmare as every detail would be the wrong scale, especially all the intricate bits of tower bridge. I'd love to see it done though, as I have a couple fo tower bridges, and it'd be more useful in a more minifig-friendly scale.

Here's my 2x GE, with virtually no extra parts added ;

Brickarmor

^Gimme. Gimme now... :)

Matthew

This isn't mine (unfortunately) but it's a fairly good example of a double building, even if it isn't exactly a double of 4842. http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/246014

brickmatic

@Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK Do you have more pics? Different angles? Interiors? Perhaps on Flickr or something like that? I'd love to see more!

andyscouse

@Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK Now that is a nice rendering of multiple GEs! I particularly like the glass awning over the new middle set of doors!

How many escaltors are inside?

lilmonster777

Here's my helms deep w.i.p.,everything is two sets high,way more realistic in my mind.

LegoFanTexas

That is much nicer than what Lego released, but I also get why that isn't a commercial product, it is too big for the average fan.

Thanks for sharing...

effalcon

damn... that helms deep is great.

Vortex

I agree , real nice ( helms deep ) way nicer and respectful than the pret range .If one has to pay homage to Lotr and the majority of buyers of this theme intend to do just that ,expect more jaw dropping sets . Hopefully they will come out with Minas Tirith ... perhaps an exclusive with a 5 digit number in all its grand-ness .

But on the topic ... really there are some very interesting examples above ...the Grand emporium is lovely .... i have given up on the Star wars double -ups for now .. and am taking your'e advice and focussing on modulars ....The one i have in mind is the Tower Bridge ...i would love to hear your thoughts theories and advice on that .

Thanks

Jasen

When I saw this thread the first thing I thought of was @Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK and his 2xGE which I saw a photo of sometime at the begining of this year.
I didn't own any Modulars then and was very jealous. earlier this year I bought the GE (time lapsed on You Tube as most will know) and in the last few weeks I've been Bricklinking a second building purely to add to my streetscape so I actually have build a hollow shell.

Now I'm not so jealous haha. I'm now considering raising the original building by one floor to really give it some love :D

I also used some of the extra bricks to make a MOC (between the Town Hall and Pet Shop) The bottom floor uses the bank from one of the recent Super Heroes sets :D

GIR3691

I bought two Republic Frigates back when they were on sale with the intention of building a hammerhead cruiser from Knights of the Old Republic.
http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/2/2d/Endarconcept.jpg

Built one and need to take pictures for a review, so no progress on that little project.

monkeyhanger

It's incomplete due to lack of a few parts, but here is my Jabba's palace, made from 2 sets that individually feel less than palatial. I haven't devoted much thought to veering off from the main design - there are improvements to be made. The light bluish grey surround to the roof grille will be in the dark sandy colour when I get hold of some, the gaps on the main dome will be filled by some wedges in the same colour and the 2 x 1 bit of the top of the back wall needs filling too. Might make one half of the tower a cell at the base (for Chewie).

Si_UKNZ

@Jasen - nice .. like the extra long window, nice touch .. that looks like one 'Posh' shop :) Is youre seperable i.e. on 2 seperated baseplates, or is it all one big lump?

Some people asked for more pics but its packed away in a box at the moment .. I do have one more angle but it's not very exciting. And yes, I know that one of the grills is missing from the canopy, I just noticed :) .. You can also see that after 8 years, 4juniors policeman finally met a woman who doesn't make him feel _completely_ like a giant.

Jasen

@Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK Yeah it's on two 32x32's so I can put the extension on either side of the corner :)
And you noticed the "POSH" haha :)

Si_UKNZ

yeah good idea, that, one of the advantages of you symmetrical extension.

andyscouse

@Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK Is your expansion in 2 parts (so you can rearrange), or is it one solid building (presumably with the 'original' external walls removed)?

Vortex

@andyscouse,@si_dorking_Surrey_UK ... Looking it this GE again... brilliant all over again . Really feels like this is what should be truly stamped complete . It is a mall ..it just ought to be grander like what we have here .

CupIsHalfEmpty

Here's a link to an ebay listing with pictures of a 4x tower bridge. Not mine, and the price is outrageous, but the pictures are interesting.

Extended tower bridge

Si_UKNZ

thx vortex

andy yes it is in 2 parts and can go the other way around although the interior is one large room and the interior doesnt really work if u reverse it. did experiment with the internal wall but wasted lots of bricks and didnt look right anyway

Vortex

@cuplshalfempty That is a very interesting tower bridge . Though i think he went a bit over the top where its lost the authenticity with the actual land mark . Although if you look at it with the single tower formation , basically 2 sets combined . At some point i would like to get another TB to do just that . Hopefully before it gets EOL'd : )

dougts

here's a picture of a roughly 4x Tower Bridge that one of the Portlug member constructed. I actually think it's a much better large-version rendition than the one in the ebay listing:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5472150133/in/[email protected]/

caperberry

For a bit of fun I combined 3 Alien Motherships a while back, but used a lot of additional pieces too.







And yes - the ring still spun!

CCC

The TB is the ebay listing looks crap. It is nothing like the actual one. Why take a set that looks like something, and multiply it saying it is the real thing for the Queen's jubilee?

The second one looks better, although those sharks need to go! As does the train. That's like us sticking a train on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Bosstone100

@caperberry - I'm a big Alien Conquest fan and I have to say that you really did a great job. Wish I had that kind of creativity.

ringleheim

I have TB and think it's a fantastic set. It has two serious flaws however: there is not enough distance between the two towers; it is obviously out of proportion, and it complete lacks the two short "end towers" or arches at each extreme end of the bridge which kind of anchor the suspension cables.

Adding those to my TB is on the to-do list.

All Lego creations have their limitations and I can understand that. I think the set designer mentioned the unrealistically short distance between the 2 towers. They made it deliberately short to keep the overall size of the set within reason. It's pretty long as is!

That Ebay "double bridge" is horrible.

I would think 2 TB sets would allow you to build a really convincing MOC with proper space between the towers and you'd have enough parts (probably) to make the mini "end towers" as well.

Speaking of TB, I would love to know what Lego has in mind for the next set in this theme, to go along with Taj Mahal, TB, and Eiffel Tower.

ringleheim

monkeyhanger said:

It's incomplete due to lack of a few parts, but here is my Jabba's palace, made from 2 sets that individually feel less than palatial. I haven't devoted much thought to veering off from the main design - there are improvements to be made. The light bluish grey surround to the roof grille will be in the dark sandy colour when I get hold of some, the gaps on the main dome will be filled by some wedges in the same colour and the 2 x 1 bit of the top of the back wall needs filling too. Might make one half of the tower a cell at the base (for Chewie).

You're off to a heck of a good start there Monkeyhanger! Post a pic when you get the missing pieces!

ringleheim

Si_Dorking_Surrey_UK said:

Essentially the answer to this question is that if you want to change the scale, it's generally pretty hard, but if you don't change the scale it's normally dead easy, if - and it's a big if - the design allows it. A repeating design works best.

The double Maersk ship mentioned above is an exception to this - it was quite easy to change the scale, since you're moving UP to minifig scale, and the scale of the original is a bit all over the place anyway (e.g. the windows are way too big).

Changing the scale of tower bridge, or the DS or something would be a nightmare as every detail would be the wrong scale, especially all the intricate bits of tower bridge. I'd love to see it done though, as I have a couple fo tower bridges, and it'd be more useful in a more minifig-friendly scale.

Here's my 2x GE, with virtually no extra parts added ;

This is a really nice piece of Lego design! It shows exactly what is possible by using multiples of the same set, with a few extra pieces thrown in here and there and some good imagination. You didn't just stick two GEs together. You modified the converged sets into something that is more than the sum of the parts.

There is no way Lego is going to release a "super modular" with over 5,000 pieces and a price of $300. So in that sense, you accomplished the impossible with this creation! You put the "grand" back into "Grand Emporium."

Well done!

BOBJACK_JACKBOB

@monkeyhanger

Do you have any more pictures of your double Jabba's palace?

I'm going to be doing the same thing next week and would appreciate some pics to use as inspiration/pointers.

Cheers,

Bob

jasor

@monkeyhanger I've bought 2 Rancor pits, and used the parts to make a Rancor stall that clicks in with the gate, and modified the rest of the whole bits so all the play functions work...and the tower is represented. I've mentioned it elsewhere. Really need to take pics of it.

BOBJACK_JACKBOB

@jasor

I also have the rancor pit (only 1). I want to expand the palace above but keep the pit relatively as is, below.

Do you have a palace on top of yours?

Would be very interested in pics.

Cheers

Bob

monkeyhanger

Bobjack/Jasor:

I still haven't got my missing parts yet (I was waylaid with my UCS MF bricklink project, but I will post some more palace pics with top on and off so you can get an idea of what I did structurally.

I would like to go bigger but would be needing a whole new building technique for a larger roof dome - perhaps something like the super-laser dish build on the DS, but on a bigger scale?

jasor

@BOBJACK_JACKBOB I bought one more Rancor Pit off BL. With it and a few little odds/ends I had, I was able to Extend the fireplace out of Jabbas Palace, create a connecting Rancor stall, and expand the entry tower for the Palace to sit on top of the stall. I shifted the gate so it works with thePalace on top as well. There are some great general structure parts in the Rancor Pit, and of course, the color pallette is great for the theme. I'll post pics hopefull later on :D

jasor

@monkeykeeper -- That would be awesome to see! I need to figure out the roof part of my expanded palace, as well. It looks good from profile though....ha ha. I was really surprised that second Rancor pit went so far. I had a few PAB plates and such, but it was 90% set oriented. If you figure out that roof scenario, please share!

BOBJACK_JACKBOB

Here's some pictures of my double Jabba's palace - 2 x palace, 1 x rancor pit & some spare bits & pieces.

princedraven

^ Nice, looks like you have a few 'special guests' in there too, can't recall Captain Jack or Wall-E in RoTJ

Si_UKNZ

Now THATs what Jabba Palace should look like, very nicely done indeed.
You might have just inspired me to build my first ever star wars set.

I was going to suggest you get some of these for the roof slope, but they dont exist in dark tan :(

Si_UKNZ

^^ It's part of the forthcoming final trilogy, Disney have decided to 'do a Marvel' and mix and match their characters across films.

Han Solo will be replaced by Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Bell will be Darth Vader's love interest, and R2D2 will turn bad and team up with Wall-E to take over the galaxy.

Short_Round

^^^^Nice. I'm going to show my ignorance of the theme, but who/what is that grey character, bottom right hand corner in fourth pic with a crest and four eyes? I recognise it, but can't place it.