Leewan

The debate is interesting. Ultimately one's opinion of the set seems to depend on which aspect of a model one deems to be the most important. On which aspect would you make compromises ? Stability ? Accuracy ? Functions ? It's Lego, you can't have it all, the medium has its limits. Even if it's not the most accurate, I'll gladly buy the set, because from what I could read from the reviews it will provide a good builiding experience, which is something I care a lot about. Lego is a construction toy, so I don't think the way a model is built should be neglected. If I wanted perfect accuracy I'd buy a scale model. You could say it's not all about the destination, it's also about the journey. I have built Firas' MOC, and while the model looks great (especially for an alternate model), the build was very frustrating and I almost gave up at times. Plus the doors and hood cover didn't stay open due to a lack of friction. In that aspect the set is better. I prefer a model that's well-made over a model that simply looks good.

Two years ago, I've built a small medieval horse stable inspired by the Medieval Blacksmith 21325 (you can read all about it on its dedicated topic) : Shortly after that (I think it was in August 2021), I began working on a second model, I wanted to do something original, so I thought I'd do a joiner's workshop. Again, the inspiration comes from the Medieval Blacksmith, because I wanted my models to go together with the set, so that the village would look like a real village and not a collection of random medieval Lego creations. So I looked at the set, and noticed that there was a beautiful bed, with fine details. Surely it was made by a talented craftsman. So I decided to build his house and his workshop. Again, I used Mecabricks to design my model. It went through several iterations, over the course of about a year : The stairs moved a lot in the early stages. That's because I tried to think of the model as a real building, and for example I didn't like the idea of having the stairs inside the building because it meant the joiner and his wife would have to go though the workshop to go to their house that's above, I thought it would be better to have a clear separation between the working area and the living area, so I needed two doors and the stairs outside. But then it didn't make sense to have the stairs on the opposite side of the workshop door, so I'd have to move them to the "front" of the building, or at least the main facade. I wanted to make sure every side of the model was interesting to look at, so there's the "front" (which would actually be the back), with the workshop and house doors, the stairs, and the logs, a more relaxing / garden side with the pergola and the vines on the wall, the customer's entry with the balcony, the chimney and the sign, and a big door on the fourth side, with an oriel window above. But at one point I got stuck because I needed parts that aren't in Mecabrick's library for the roof. I tried to do something innovative with the horse stable by using the quite recent 2x4 oval tiles, and this time I wanted to use the small Technic panels 71682 and 89679. I ended up rebuilding the model with stud.io (I would have had to do it anyways to create the building instructions) and I gave it a try : Sadly it didn't quite work, I think this technique would be easier to use on a simpler model, with a square or rectangular footprint, so I'll save it for later. So I decided to reuse the technique from the stable instead, and here's the finished model : The interior is fully furnished : There's the workshop and a "showroom" on the ground floor, and a kitchen and a bedroom (with a small desk) on the first floor. I like when Lego models allow storytelling, so I thought it would be fun if the joiner made toys from his wood leftovers, and that his toys were so popular that even the prince and princess would come to buy them. It's also a nod to Ole Kirk Christiansen, who was a carpenter before he created Lego. The toys include knight figures, a watermill (which may or may not hint at my next model in the series ?), a carriage, a house, and of course a huge castle, made of interlocking wooden blocks. I haven't built this model physically yet, but I have submitted it to the BrickLink Designer Program, so maybe I'll build it when it becomes a set. You can vote for it here : https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-2/776/Medieval-Joiner's-Workshop, and see more pictures in the Flickr album. While I was stuck on the roof of the joiner's workshop, I've built a bridge. Again, my inspiration came from the video game Skyrim : I've spent a long time wondering how I could build the curve of the road. It's the Ninjago set 71767 that gave me the solution : using rollercoaster rails. That technique allowed me to do a simple and modular build, so there's basically each end, a middle section, the rails, the road modules and the sides. I've displayed it with my horse stable and the blacksmith at an exhibition back in september : Instructions for the bridge are available on Rebrickable : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-133219/Leewan/medieval-stone-bridge/ I was a bit tough to break up the model in clean modules that would allow an easy build and customization, but I think I succeeded. It's possible to build the bridge as is, or to adapt it, to make it longer, narrower, the goal here was less to provide precise instructions to reproduce a specific model than guidelines to inspire people to build their own bridge. Here's a render of my two buildings with the bridge, or in other words the current state of my village (minus the blacksmith) : I'm thinking of doing a watermill next, but I'd like to do a monastic brewery as well. I'll have to do some research to make sure my model is believable, and see if I could make good monks minifigs. But maybe I could do something simpler, like a small watchtower. I'm not sure yet, and as you can see I can work on several models at the same time. Also, I'm already working on a condensed version of the joiner's workshop for the BDP series 3 if the current model isn't selected, but it could also very well become something else ! Anyways, I hope you like what you saw and that the bit about the design process of the models wasn't too boring, for those who read it all.

Yep ! I think I'll create a dedicated topic to present the model in detail in the next few days.

Oh thank you, but I'm gonna have to disagree about the once-over, I wouldn't change one single bit on this model.

I had the chance to follow the development of this MOC, and I've built it yesterday, as well as an Iron Patriot variant of War Machine's Mech Armor :

4. kritch Lots of nice entries, good luck to everyone !

Hello ! I'm here to share my latest medieval MOC, the Alchemist's Stilt House : The roof can be removed to access the interior : Additional pictures can be seen in the Flickr album, and if you want to seen even more angles of the model, or see how certain things are built, you can see the 3D model on Mecabricks : https://www.mecabricks.com/en/models/1k2qyEWX2E0 The story of this MOC began about two years ago, when I began working on a "little" diorama inspired by Skyrim (yeah, when it comes to medieval creations this seems to be my main inspiration, but I love this game so much ). I love the idea of houses built over a body of water, like Lake-Town, in The Hobbit, so I decided to build a scene based on the city of Morthal, and more particularly the Thaumaturgist's Hut : I got pretty far, and even ordered some parts to build the model physically, but at one point I got stuck, I couldn't find a good idea to build the roof, and I ended up giving up on the model. Here's the latest update, from between mid and late 2020 : Near the end of 2021, I remembered this MOC, and thought it would be a shame to let it gather dust, even if it's digital. I really liked the idea of the stilt house, so I decided to make some small changes to the model and submit it as a Product Idea. After all, medieval models tend to do well, and I felt this was different and original enough to make an interesting set. So I reduced the footprint of the model, changed the colours to something more lively, added some plants and animals, and more importantly, I found a good idea for the roof ! I think I got really lucky with it, because I found a rather sturdy and reliable technique that leaves almost no gaps : I don't know if it's been done before, but I don't recall having seen something like that in the past. Here's a view of the model before and after its overhaul : And, last but not least, here is the link of the model's page on Ideas, if you'd like to support it so it could become an official Lego set : https://ideas.lego.com/s/p:972005357c6b40dc8c58dca72a5cf5b5 Thank you !

Ah, I was wondering if we'd see a new bike this year. This one sounds really promising !

Thank you everyone, and thanks for the frontpage. That's a bit of a late addition, I thought the model lacked life and this was an easy way to fix it. I'm all for realism, so thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a try. Yeah, I understand. But I don't think it would be justified here. The Blacksmith has the anvil, the apple tree and the well that require an irregular baseplate. The stable has a rectangular footprint, so I think a simpler baseplate is enough. However the next build will have an irregular baseplate, with flowers, plants etc.

I bought the Medieval Blacksmith back in April, and absolutely loved it. I hope Lego will do more sets like it, but I don't think it's wise to expect anything more. So I thought I'd do my own medieval village series. As a little warm-up, I decided to do a stable. This was directly inspired by the set : I thought the horse provided with the Blacksmith might be tired from pulling a cart full of weapons, and that the Black Falcon Lord ordered the villagers to build a stable so his army's horses could eat and rest a bit. It was quite challenging, because it's a rather mundane subject that doesn't necessarily translate into an exciting Lego model. I wanted it to be visually interesting, giving it a distinct style without making it too different from the Blacksmith, and also well made (no illegal techniques, a (relatively) sturdy build). To design my model I took inspiration from the stables in Skyrim, especially those from Whiterun and Riften : The MOC was designed with Mecabricks. I kept several prototypes of the model, that you can see here : The first version had three stalls, but I eventually decided to remove one and add a space to store the hay instead. The final model is quite close to the last prototype, only shorter : The roof can be easily removed, to make it easier to access the stalls : There's more pictures in the Flickr album. You can also see the 3D model on Mecabricks. I've also made instructions for this MOC, that you can find on Rebrickable : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-84485/Leewan/medieval-horse-stable/ Don't be afraid of the price displayed on the Inventory tab : I used several relatively new pieces, that might not yet be widely available on BrickLink. Among them there's the 76 black tiles round 2x4 (66857) used to create the roof tiles. Myself I bought them from Lego Bricks and Pieces, but it's also possible to use them in more common colours such as tan and medium nougat : The beam atop of the roof has a reddish brown "donut tile" (15535) in reddish brown, and those have just been released in a Vidyo set (see, that theme's not that bad ). It's possible to swap them for 2x2 round jumpers (18674), that are much more common. There's also the dark bluish grey ingots, or the hay bales. Also, I didn't include the parts for horses and minifigs in the parts list, so you'll have to make your own if you want to build the model yourself. Anyways, I hope you'll like it. (: Leewan

Hi, I've recently built a telescope : It measures 18 x 29 x 34cm, but the tube can be separated from the tripod and the legs can be folded to store the model more easily : And the best thing about it is that it works ! Well of course it "works" just like the Grand Piano 21323 is a "playable" piano. You can look in the eyepiece and see celestial bodies, but it's not what's actually in the sky. It works thanks to a light brick, that's activated by pressing the lens : Then the light goes through a decorated glass (sets like 75810, 10273 or 70917 have features that work in a similar way), two magnifying glasses, and bounces on a mirror : And here's what you see when you look into the eyepiece : Well at least that's the principle, I will have to finetune it if I want it to work in real life. Right now it's just a digital model, that you can see in 3D on Mecabricks : https://www.mecabricks.com/en/models/oK2w7Rk029k There are also more pictures in my Flickr gallery : https://www.flickr.com/photos/leewanlego/albums/72157718522288468 And, finally, if you like the idea and would like to see it become an official set in the near future, you can support it on LEGO IDEAS : https://ideas.lego.com/projects/2d338638-5679-42b6-b8d7-7c0166bab999

I have built the Cobra a few months ago, and it's an excellent MOC. It's so well designed it feels like it's not even an alternate model, and the instructions are impeccable. The only downside with this creation is that it makes me want to buy a second 10265 so I can have the Mustang and the Cobra built at the same time.

What if this is a flying vehicle ? A plane or a helicopter, with the Osprey rotor blades ?

Yes it is ! Thank you. I like to polish my building instructions, and in this case I decided to give them a square format in case someone (or even just I) would want to print them and put them in the yellow box of recent GWPs like the teal brick, to make as if it were a real set.

Thanks for your effort.

On smaller parts, it takes only a few minutes to completely remove a print, and I guess it shouldn't take much longer here. I've already used this technique myself a few times (on minifig torsos, a Nexo Knights shield, and on a CCBS torso, for example). What's important is to use a good eraser (mine is a Staedtler Mars Plastic) so you won't have to spend hours on it and the result will be cleaner.

Oh thank you so much koalayummies, I really appreciate. I don't mind if you set it to public, just tag me in.

I've built mine on Thursday, and did consider doing the same steering wheel mod as you @Jurss. My concern was that it would leave a big gap below the front of the windshield. Also, don't the bush and liftarms thin 1x2 you've added to the rear (behind the diff) push against the liftarms thin 1x6 when you fold the rear (step 75) ?

A good eraser should easily do the trick. You have to keep in mind that the people at Lego work with constraints whose importance overcomes that of the functions. They have to make sure the model can be built by the target audience (which includes ease of building and safety constraints), they have to make sure the cost of the parts fits within a certain budget (and perhaps including a differential was possible but required to many parts and thus was too expensive), in the case of licensed sets they have to meet certain requirements asked by the IP holder (and I think here if the rear axle and engine are inclined it's because McLaren wanted it, I haven't built the set yet but right now I can't think of a reason why Lego would want to do that)... It's easy to fit an entire drivetrain and realistic suspension system into the compact chassis of the Wrangler when you do it for yourself and you don't have to care about all of that.

I doubt it's going to be a movie car this time - Mike Psiaki said in a recent interview for Brickset that "10262 James Bond Aston Martin DB5 was well-received so there is evident interest in movie vehicles. We do want to maintain focus upon real vehicles as well though, hence leaving a gap between the 2018 model and 10274 ECTO-1." Also, the rumoured price suggests a parts count between 1600 and 1800 pieces, so maybe it's going to be something bigger than the Mustang (possibly a truck ?), or a smaller car but at a bigger scale (like the Ford Model T or Citroën 2CV suggested previously).

Thanks for the review @kbalage. This set seems to be a fun build - at least if you don't apply the stickers. It's a bit of a shame there's no differential, but I guess the Lego designers would have found a way to add one if it were possible to do it without sacrificing the structural integrity and keep the model buildable for 10-year-olds.

Thanks everyone. Oh I'm certainly not the kind of guy who'd think of selling whatever I can. Now I have nothing against people who sell instructions, and I may do it myself for bigger models, but it's something I want to avoid as much as I can. And, speaking of mods, I've done a little one myself : I raised the fender skirts by a half-plate, so they're now aligned with the rest of the bodywork, and the wheels are a bit more visible now. (The "upgraded" version is on the right) Instructions have been updated. Here's the list of parts that were added to the first version of the model, for people who have already built it and wish to do the modification.

July 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 15 mission, which was the first to use a moon rover. While a Space Shuttle is much more likely, especially with that rumoured price, a Lego version of the Lunar Roving Vehicle could still be a possibility. EDIT : It's certainly even less likely than the LRV theory, but it would be awesome if it were a Classic Space hommage set, like maybe a base and a spaceship and a couple small vehicles.

Oh, thank you all for your kind words. Hehe but that would have immediately given away the nature of the next modular. And since the subject was rather broad that allowed for a nice range of entries. And because of that variety I must admit at first I was a bit annoyed and frustrated that my entries lost to a car that was so similar to the car found in DD, but the winner grew on me and now I look forward to get the actual set. Plus I can't say no to a teal car. And, think of it that way : with 40448 and my police car, people will have the opportunity to display a car chase in their Modular Street. Thank you ! It's a bit off topic here but I'm really proud of the spinner and I hope you'll enjoy the build. I have ideas for a second one, but I dont know when I'll build it.

Since the upcoming Modular Police Station won't come with a car, I've decided to build one myself : It's inspired by 40's American Police cars, and I did my best to make it look like the official sets so it won't look out of place in a Modular Street. The doors can open, and the roof and rear windscreen can be easily removed to access the interior, where there's room for two minifigs. Ideally it would be a police officer and the terrible Donut Thief buf of course I don't have them yet, so I used the minifigs from 40409 Hot Rod instead. Speaking of which, here's a comparison shot between the two cars : Instructions for this model can be found on Rebrickable : https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-59900/Leewan/vintage-police-car/ If you want to try different colour schemes, modify the model (to turn it into a civilian version for example), or simply see it under every possible angle, you can check the 3D model on Mecabricks : https://www.mecabricks.com/en/models/Jk2Ex0qPa9A PS : Oh, I almost forgot something, shame on me. I wanted to say a big thank you to @_shaddow_ for his help.