ArrowHead

 

Introducing… ArrowHead, the fastest craft I’ve ever built. 

The design was mainly based on a search-and-rescue theory. Simply put, this plane speeds in, drops the loading bay and zooms off with its target. Its speed comes from not needing to generate lift using wings, the entire plane is suspended with a charm instead. 

Engines at the back of the plane provide thrust. 

The entire thing is relatively heavily armored, with plates and armor that cover the whole passenger section : a success in terms of technical building. The entire plane still looks sleek albeit the passenger section because of the curved plates laid in. 

A view of the passenger section. The knob to turn the cargo loading bay down is visible from here. The entire floor section drops down to accommodate passengers easily. This way, the craft can snatch up targets quickly. 

The cargo bay is lowered with a simple winch mechanism which is normally kept in place by a lock. It can be removed easily. 

The interior is spacious enough to store 2 LEGO minifigures without excessive headgear. Slight walls on the bottom can be lowered to form a ramp. 

The panels on the side can be hinged slightly for changes. 

And lastly, a quick video of the mechanism. 

Thank you for reading my blog . 

 

Flood Rescue Vehicle

When I received news about the recent floods in Malaysia, I decided that there was only one thing to do: build a Flood Rescue Vehicle. 

The design itself was quite simple. There were stories about boats not being able to cross into shallow waters; trucks and cars were similarly swamped by floodwaters. There was only one vehicle that could cross both; the Salamander. 

A Salamander is actually an amphibious vehicle with tracks mounted on a boat body. Here, I used wheels for speed (also didn't have enough tracks) and size. 

There are two sections; the search and rescue section; and the flood victim section. Read on to find out more!

Gadgets on the front section are listed as follows:

Front: 

1. The white cone is a distance microphone to detect small noises and calls for help; can save those who are too tired to scream. 

2. Two banks of sensors are located on each side to detect debris and other things. 

Middle:

1. A big speaker (grey) to give warnings, messages, and assurances. 

Back:

1. A revolving tower with two kinds of lights to find and rescue flood victims in the dark. 

The back section, otherwise known as the flood victim section, consists of:

Rightmost:

1. The elevator system (more explanations following)

Middle:

1. An electric fire to prevent chills or hypothermia. 

2. Benches for flood victims to sit (maximum capacity 4) 

Leftmost:

Top: Bottles of freshwater, sealed and airtight to prevent any kind of contamination

Middle: Storage for valuable items, or currently a medical kit

Bottom: Food is in the circular boxes, whereas the square box holds thermal blankets if the fire heat is not enough. 

The vehicle body is hinged to get around corners.  

There are stories of people stuck on the second floor/roof having to jump down into the boat, possibly destabilizing it. Furthermore, old or weak people cannot make this journey and are forced to stay behind. My design includes an elevator function to solve this problem. 

A video showing the elevator in motion. A relatively simple design featuring a rubber-band pulley with a guide rail to ensure maximum stability solves any climbing problems. 

Engines on the side of the boat; they combine jets with propellers for maximum propulsion/horsepower.

Multiple sensors on the bottom of the Salamander, they provide data on ground instability, incoming debris, waves, and other important things. 

I hope this design is able to save many people who are in danger out there. 

Thank you for reading my blog. 

 

Hexabyte

For some while, I have been quite obsessed with spinning tops. My old models were symmetrical tops that spun well but had problems spinning for long. Surprisingly, the best design was the most unbalanced design. Introducing… Hexabyte! 

The initial design came from my father but I improved and changed it slightly. My additions included slopes to make it more aerodynamic, stabilizer fins to push the top against the ground, and a huge amount of weight concentrated on one side of the top. 

The weight was surprisingly distributed in such a way that it looked like a face! 

The theory of its uncommonly long spin was the weight. It wasn’t balanced. The idea was that the imbalance would cause it to swing from side to side, but with a rough surface, it would be able to stay longer than other tops. 

The result was a top that “scratched and scrabbled” against the rough surface, and the imbalance kept it spinning for a total of 30 seconds!

A video of its performance. Surprisingly I could only get 21 seconds max, previously the record was 25. 

Thank you for reading my blog. 

The Phoenix

Today, the building challenge was to build an animal. I was rather conflicted by this topic and toyed with several ideas for a while. But after looking at the accessories box and having assessed the huge amount of golden blades that I possessed, I decided to build a phoenix. 

The original idea was to arrange the golden blades in such a way that they looked like wings. A phoenix was decided on because it was the only bird that had wings that could be golden. After some tinkering around, the design emerged. 

After the wings, the head emerged. Inspiration was taken from Aaron Newman and slowly, the rest of the bird emerged in hues of brilliant gold and yellow. I'm generally quite happy with this model because I normally don't have much aptitude for building animals. 

Ironically, the simple design of the rear was the one that took the most time. I was running out of golden blades and couldn't create the signature, voluminous tail of a phoenix. This design was chosen for its simplicity, or maybe just because it used the least amount of golden blades.

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The phoenix can be split into three sections; the head, body, and wings. The three sections are mostly connected by SNOT pieces and other methods. This removability helps me to make minute changes to selective parts of the phoenix without destroying the rest of the bird. 

The head design is something to note. Part of the neck section is actually a NEXO Knights shield that I chose simply because of its color. This shield went on to become the core of the phoenix, anchoring all three sections together. 

The phoenix features 5 points of articulation; as shown above:

Thank you for reading my blog. 

 

Observatory

During an afternoon when I had nothing to do, I decided to build something technical with lots of gears using LEGO. And what could be more technical than a proper observatory that could be angled to look at different constellations? 

One side of the observatory displays the set of gears that I used; it looks simple and satisfying. This section of the observatory is simply used to angle the radio dish up and down and the gears at the side merely serve the purpose of slowing down the motion. 

The observatory's other side is covered by a plate that shields most of the machinery from wind and rain. The plating on the back of the observatory is placed at an entirely different angle; it is achieved by using SNOT bricks that are connected to the white section. 

The plate at the front and the entire back section can be removed for maintenance purposes. The front plate slots into the Technic axle that protrudes out of the front, whereas the backplate clips on a Technic-Lego connector at the back. 

The observatory's interior consists of all the machinery that is required. Here, I'm using a modified differential gearbox with a bevel gear connected to the middle differential gear to add extra motion. This way, I can achieve two different outputs around a central axle. 

A video of the motion.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

 

Crimson Lightning

 During one of my building challenges with my dad, I was tasked to build an emblem. Instead of going with a standard pattern arranged on a plate, I decided to use a different way. Hence, Crimson Lightning was created. 

The entire model is built without studs facing forward, instead, it combines different angles to get the lightning shape correct. I'm quite happy with this because it uses slopes and curved parts to achieve the wraparound grey background for the lightning. 

After removing a key connector, the entire model can be split into three parts. From this partly disassembled image, you can see the studs facing in all directions. 

Back view. I had to use all different kinds of pieces because of space problems. Still, the back looks quite unique and can be used too!

Thank you for reading my blog. 

The SoundMech

My newest creation: The SoundMech! Pretty much the biggest and most advanced mech I've made, this LEGO marvel is packed full of advanced weapons and plenty of building techniques. Read more to find out!

I actually made a mech before in this post: http://www.lokejuin.com/2021/09/mech.html. But I wasn't very happy with the design and thought I could do better. So, I challenged myself to make a full-LEGO mech. To do this, I used some unconventional joints (the arms are actually a smaller mech's plastic fists!) to form this new mech. 

First; the head. (front and back view) I took inspiration from Aaron Newman's post: https://www.aaronbrickdesigner.com/iron-man. This is actually the simplest head I've ever built. Still, I think its' simplicity lends a somewhat ominous look to the mech!

Next; the legs. Note the yellow 1x1 dots arranged in pairs, those are actually missile launchers. On the other side of the missile launchers, there are engines (to help the SoundMech take flight!)

Third; the right hand. I was somewhat daunted by the task of making two hands, so I just turned to this rather blocky gun arm as a solution. The two nozzles (fire and ice) can be flipped too according to the situation (refer to the video below)

Simple, and effective. 

The left arm, with the hand, just had to be created. I gave it my best shot and I'm quite happy with the bend in the middle. Also, note the elbow blade; another nice touch that adds a weapon to the hand (this mech has no hand-held weapon)

Actually, the hand can actually hold a Technic axle (there's a bracket inside), but I couldn't design a proper weapon that wasn't too heavy. 

The special feature that forms the mech's name; the entire chest plate opens up to reveal a huge speaker. Feel free to watch the video above. It's the newest advancement in sound technology and can be used as a weapon (and host big parties)!

Charged and ready for battle!

Thank you for reading my blog. 

Mech

Building a mech has been one of my dreams for a long time. I actually improvised with some KRE-O joints but it would be nice to have more special joints. I modified the Bumblebee set into this model:

OK, so it doesn't look so good. In my personal defense, this was actually my first half-built mech, and I was still learning the tricks of the LEGO trade. The mech in general is actually quite sturdy (tapping into the inflexibility of the KRE-O joints) and can grasp a boomerang in its hand. 

Well, this is the model that the big mech was based on. Can see the similarities? Unfortunately, the amount of complexity needed for a bigger mech didn't cope well with this simple design, so I altered the features a bit. Colour was naturally a problem, but I think it still looks nice enough!

This is the back of the mech. Pretty simple in my opinion, but it has a slot there where the small mech can clip into. Great for climatic appearances, don't you think? Also, you can see that many of the parts are still from the KRE-O set from the back. Rule of my creations: never look behind!

This is a view of both mechs together. The similarities can be seen, but the green markings are missing and the legs aren't blocky enough. Maybe an improvement for next time? Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading my blog. 

Plight of the Mad Scientist

This is one of my favorite creations. I call it "Plight of the Mad Scientist". Because of how this model was built, the post will be told in "story form", with notes about the building process along the way. Enjoy!

The Mad Scientist has achieved what everybody thought was not possible; he built a teleportation machine! It consists of a portal frame with a generator. The other side opens up to the wide sea (it's the mad scientist's idea) and there's a rock with some greenery on the other side. (just to create a seamless transition from land to sea; didn't work out too well)

Note:

This is the generator. It took quite a long time to make and I'm really happy with it. The grey side (on the right of the picture) uses a technique called greebling. That's using lots and lots of random pieces of the same color on one surface to add detail to it. 

The other side: Mainly red-hot grilles to give an engine effect, but there's an on button partially hidden by the angle. Now, back to the story...

Unfortunately, the government has heard of the Mad Scientist's invention (how? I have no idea-) and wants to seize it for safekeeping. 

So, the government has sent one of their best officers (uh oh, he looks angry) in his high-tech sub to secure the portal that the Mad Scientist has created. He has pulled out his radio and is either reporting his status or calling for backup; we'll never know!

Note: The submarine turned out pretty nice (it was modified from one of my earlier scrapped builds, a mini battleship) and I've used curved and sloped pieces to give it a techy look. The green windscreen looks amazing too. (note that one missile is missing!)

But the Mad Scientist isn't going to let that happen and he's sent his faithful robots to deal with the government official. They wield unlikely weapons such as drills, dynamite, and even a fire extinguisher!

Who will win the battle and take control of (or keep) the Mad Scientist's amazing invention? It's up to you to find out!

 

Hidden World

There are often hidden worlds in places you would never think of.

As an example, who would have thought that a hidden dimension lies almost within their reach? Well, almost nobody! But a team of scientists have set themselves on the path of finding out. 

This was the old location of Project Hidden World. Unfortunately, the efforts of the team proved fruitless and they were forced to end the search. But did they ever think that a different hidden world (but not lacking in complexity and beauty) lay beneath their feet?

In simpler terms, the very thing you're looking for is often right beneath you. Just as a curious boy found out when he looked around for traces of his old childhood toys, the bridge actually nestled an interesting and awe-inspiring secret.

But, in a more lego tone, the bridge. This was the first time that I actually endeavoured to use Brick Bending to make a build. Brick Bending is simply using LEGO bricks in such ways that they have not been intended. 

For example, this bridge. It utilises one of the most simple way of Brick Bending: not completely connecting bricks, instead allowing them to rest at an angle; this is what gives the bridge its smooth curve. 

The bridge is surrounded by carefully crafted vegetation; the best greenery I ever made. Well, it only consists of bamboo and a few plants. Note the gradually lightening colours used on the highest bamboo stem. This brown is used to add liveliness, while a tree stump is nestled on the other end for the same purpose. 

Well, this is it! "Hidden World". After removing the bridge, it revealed a stunning landscape consisting of the old childhood toy, animals and twisting vines that the young man only glimpsed with a flashlight. The mushroom at the side is one of my rather peculiar touches, I don't know why I was so obsessed with it!

From another angle:

If you look very closely you can see a spider lying in between of the mushroom and the ship. Also notice the rust and moss on the ship, its subtle angle and depth colouring for the water. There's a rat / mouse too, looking for shelter from the unforgiving, torrential weather. 

The spider's home. Unfortunately, colourful bricks had to be used for the underside because I simply didn't have such a vast LEGO collection to fulfil the black and grey tones used on top. Simple clips are used to anchor the "webs" into place. 

Video of the bridge removal. This is simply a slot-in function; nothing complicated there. 

A front view of the underside. 

Lastly, this model tells us that sometimes, we don't have to look very far to find hidden worlds; there's nothing more beautiful than nature and little touches of humans interposed in it. 

Hope you enjoyed my build and the explanation. 

Thanks for reading my blog! :)