What to do with a BIG RED Baseplate?

[WesternOutlaw]

Over the past several weeks, I've been checking out the sales on LSAH and I keep seeing this BIG RED Baseplate. Yes, it is a baseplate for the DUPLO theme, but I cant help to wonder, could it have any practical application in the Town/City theme?

So as an interesting and creative Town Topic, I ask you, what could you do with a Big Red Baseplate in your town?

[Rick]

You should probably start by stacking it with Duplo bricks, because regular Lego bricks won't fit on solid Duplo studs that are on Duplo baseplates. The tubes of regular bricks fit on hollow Duplo studs (of regular Duplo bricks) though.

[Zorbas]

Hmmm...

The first thing that comes into my mind is a circus MOC. Adding some tiles of different colours in order to create a pattern (star, lines, lettering etc) could work too.

If the red baseplate was of a lighter shade, a great use would have been a number of open basketball courts.

The last suggestion? A hardware warehouse where the forklift operator does some serious damage handling the buckets containing red paint.

[Natman8000]

Well, there are some towns out there with jumbo volcano. Maybe a volcano is a good addition to a once dull town.

[Big Cam]

I think you two ignored Rick's comment.

If he's right that stinks. If he's wrong, ahve it be a sinkhole and have Lava come out.

[Zorbas]

I think you two ignored Rick's comment.

I took for granted that we are talking about a SYSTEM baseplate. I was probably wrong there.

Well, if we are talking about a DUPLO one, cut it into tiny pieces, put the pieces into the Farm silo, build a factory bulding and VOILA!-our town has a LEGO factory specialized in red LEGO pieces.

[wooootles]

I would cover it up, completely.

I have no use for a red plate sticking out of a town setting, much less a red duplo plate sticking out.

I would first surround it with 16x16 and 32x16 baseplates. Then, cover the entire red plate with dark/light grey 2xX bricks, in a way that would also connect the red plate to the other LEGO plates. Then, build a skyscraper from it. Or at least, a very significant building, probably a centerpiece for downtown settings.

[ACCURATEin]

You could make a Red Sea.

[sebby]

Well you could always use it as a Frisbee, or a small plate to put snacks on when building Lego.

Or on a hot day you could always use it as a fan to cool your self down with.

[Naylus]

I thought of a Museum. To build one with colomns, expositions and different stuff, that You can usually see in an Art Gallery. Yeah, in Duplo, but still why not?

As for Lego... Well, here You'll have to use Duplo bricks, then Lego ones. I believe using standart Lego plates would be much more convenient.

Edited January 29, 2010 by Naylus

[The Cobra]

What about a clay tennis court? (maybe it would need two baseplates).

[dr_spock]

A base for making a mini-fig sacrifice altar or temple.

Or put a modular building on it and cover the exposed bits with tiles.

[Darth Legolas]

Carpeted Floor/Blood Bath.

[BlueBard]

Mc Donald's or any kind of fast food restaurant probably

[WesternOutlaw]

Wow! Some really creative ideas. I'm impressed.

In looking at this baseplate, I actually thought it was like that of LEGO System. Are the holes larger on these DUPLO plates. They look the same, but perhaps it's the image?

[Siegfried]

Duplo plates are a pain. I bought two green ones on special, and they are really hard to use. The last time I managed was when I made this...

That was on two big green plates. In short, I think they are great for building big... and that's it. The plates don't have the usual holes that duplo bricks have, thus a layer of duplo is needed. (I've actually got more duplo now so I'll probably be giving it another go soon.) I'm not convinced any "saving" is worth the extra bother.

But to answer your question, I'd use the red ones for a planet. In a town.... a quarry?

[metalgearsolid]

For a duplo plate... I can only think of an alien landscape, although not being able to moc rocks or plants would suck.

If it's a system plate though, I may create a jogging track by using green plates in the middle for a field, or a tennis court (clay court?) for my lego-lings to do some sports. Red plate.... may work for flooring of a department store? If I intend to show studs and not tile I guess. Well, given there isn't any red system plate on sale this is mere fantasizing of course.

[Piranha]

Interesting topic

GREEN is for Grass

BLUE is for Water

RED is for......

Well I would use a red SYSTEM baseplate for flooring of some type, clay dessert, a red tide in the water

Oh and other planets, Mars Mission Dioramas and such

Edited January 31, 2010 by Macoco

[Hobbes]

Farm

[Siegfried]

Farm

Nice collection. So who plays with it more?

[WesternOutlaw]

Farm

Cute - but I've really got my eyes on the train - interesting layout.

On a side note, I like your flooring.

Siegfried: thanks for answering my question. That's an interesting layout as well, esp. w/ the little Fabuland additions. I like that bridge.

[brickme]

Giant mutant aliens attack the town resulting in bloody victims with guts spilled everywhere. Bon apetite.

[Oky]

Hm, that's a tough question. Since you have to cover it with a layer of Duplo bricks and at least one layer of normal bricks in order to be able to use it for System, it doesn't really matter what the color of the baseplate is, does it? Well, if you do want to make a red MOC with it, you could use it for some kind of large, raised building with red walls, such as a museum, town hall, mansion, or train station. Then you can add some street plates in front of it and build stairs that lead up to the entrance. Other than that, the use of such a baseplate is very limited in the Town theme. I can see lots of uses for it in other themes, though. From Mars scenes for Space to lava beds in Power Miners, anything could be possible.

[Raven Brickroft]

An indoor track or a tennis court.

[Rick]

Hm, that's a tough question. Since you have to cover it with a layer of Duplo bricks and at least one layer of normal bricks in order to be able to use it for System, it doesn't really matter what the color of the baseplate is, does it?

My point exactly. Unless of course you cover it with some transparent Duplo bricks or just leave an area exposed, like a large lava pit.