The unofficial LEGO builder's guide

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Title:

The unofficial LEGO builder's guide

Author:

Bedford, Allan.

ISBN:

9781593270544

Publication Information:

San Francisco, CA : No Starch Press, c2005.

Physical Description:

xviii, 319 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

General Note:

Includes index.

Contents:

LEGO system: Endless possibilities -- Back to basics: Tips and techniques -- Minifig scale: Oh, what a wonderful minifig world it is! -- Miniland scale: Whole world in miniature -- Jumbo elements: Building bigger bricks -- Microscale building: More than meets the eye -- Sculptures: Shape of things to build -- Mosaics: Patterns and pictures in bricks -- Technic: Not as technical as it may seem -- Putting it all together: Where ideas meet bricks -- Beyond just bricks: Other things to do besides building -- Sorting, storage, and sitting down to build something -- Making and using tools for LEGO projects -- Appendix A: Brickopedia -- Appendix B: Design grids: Building better by planning ahead -- List of key figures -- Index.

Subject Term:

LEGO toys.

Models and modelmaking.

Added Corporate Author:

LEGO koncernen (Denmark)

Summary:

What exactly is a slope? What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why is it bad to simply stack bricks in columns to make a wall? The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide is here to answer your questions. Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide comes with complete instructions to build several cool models but also encourages you to use your imagination to create your own fantastic creations. Inside, you'll learn: The best ways to connect bricks and creative uses for those patterns. Tricks for calculating and using scale. The step-by-step plans to create a train station on the scale of LEGO people (a.k.a. "minifigs"). How to build spheres, jumbo-sized LEGO bricks, micro-scaled models, and a mini space shuttle. Tips for sorting and storing all of your LEGO pieces. LEGO is a brand that is well-known and well-loved by kids and adults around the world, and LEGO modeling is more popular and sophisticated today than ever.

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Oakdale Library	688.725 BED	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	688.725 BED	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	688.725 BED	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Wildwood Library (Mahtomedi)	688.725 BED	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The best ways to connect bricks and creative uses for those patterns Tricks for calculating and using scale (it's not as hard as you think) The step-by-step plans to create a train station on the scale of LEGO people (a.k.a. "minifigs") How to build spheres, jumbo-sized LEGO bricks, micro-scaled models, and a mini space shuttle Tips for sorting and storing all of your LEGO pieces

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide also includes the Brickopedia, a visual guide to nearly 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set.The firm foundation for your LEGO hobby starts here!

Author Notes

Allan Bedford is a lifelong LEGO fan and builder whose most ambitious model is a 5,000-piece replica of Toronto's famed CN Tower. An avid photographer, Bedford spends his time chronicling the streets and people of his adopted hometown, Toronto.

Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. xvii
1 The LEGO System: Endless Possibilities	p. 1
A Brick Vocabulary	p. 2
Sizing Up the Elements	p. 2
The Stud	p. 3
The Tube	p. 4
The Brick	p. 5
The Plate	p. 6
The Slope	p. 7
Specialized Elements	p. 8
Technic	p. 9
Arch Pieces	p. 9
Tiles and Panels	p. 10
Cylinders and Cones	p. 11
Baseplates	p. 12
Decorative Elements	p. 12
Precision, Geometry, and Color	p. 13
Why Precision Manufacturing Matters	p. 13
Fun with LEGO Geometry	p. 13
The Colors	p. 15
Review: The LEGO System	p. 17
2 Back to Basics: Tips and Techniques	p. 19
Decisions, Decisions: The Best Ways to Connect Bricks	p. 20
Stacking	p. 21
Overlapping	p. 22
Staggering	p. 24
Building Walls	p. 25
Connecting Walls	p. 25
Straight Bricks Can Make Round Walls	p. 27
Bracing: Unseen but Not Forgotten	p. 29
Bracing = Beams + Columns	p. 29
Beams	p. 30
Columns	p. 32
Review: Basic Building Principles	p. 35
1 Build big but think small	p. 35
2 Pick the right bonding pattern	p. 35
3 Minifig Scale: Oh, What a Wonderful Minifig World It Is!	p. 37
Scale: It's All Relative	p. 38
Calculating Scale	p. 38
From the Ground Up: Creating a Minifig-Scale Building	p. 40
Building Two Versions of the Train Station	p. 40
Bill of Materials: The Parts You'll Need to Make This Model	p. 41
Step by Step: Train Station Construction Details	p. 41
Submodel: The Train Station Roof	p. 51
Substitution: When Other Parts Will Do	p. 54
Substitute Walls	p. 55
Substitute Arches	p. 55
Substitute Windows	p. 56
Substitute Roofs	p. 57
Review: Building Techniques and Alternatives	p. 61
4 Miniland Scale: The Whole World in Miniature	p. 63
Miniland Scale: Bigger but Still Small	p. 64
Creating a Basic Miniland Figure	p. 65
The Best Bits: Useful Pieces for Miniland People	p. 66
Basic Miniland Figure	p. 68
Mix-and-Match Parts	p. 69
On The Run: Making Miniland Figures Come to Life	p. 73
Miniland Buildings	p. 75
Creating a Scene: Combining Figures and Buildings	p. 75
Street Life: A Simple Downtown Scene in Miniland Scale	p. 76
Behind the Scenes	p. 79
Review: Miniland Scale, Big Possibilities	p. 80
5 Jumbo Elements: Building Bigger Bricks	p. 81
Scaling Up: How It's Done	p. 84
The Walls Are Closing In!	p. 87
Other Parts, Same Technique	p. 89
Building with Jumbo Bricks	p. 92
Other Scales: What Scales Work, and Why	p. 94
Picking the Right Scale	p. 95
Approximation	p. 96
Review: Jumbo Bricks Are Just the Start	p. 98
6 Microscale Building: More Than Meets the Eye	p. 99
Microscale: Small Scale with Big Possibilities	p. 101
Getting Started: Ignore the Details	p. 102
Translating Ideas into Bricks	p. 105
Recap the Technique	p. 107
How Do I Know What Scale I'm Using?	p. 107
Decide on a scale before you begin building	p. 107
Figure out the scale after you're done building	p. 108
Replacing Full-Size Parts with Microscale Stand-Ins	p. 108
Microscale Wheels	p. 109
Microscale Windows	p. 109
Instructions for Microscale House	p. 110
Recap of Replacement Parts	p. 113
Review and Suggested Subject Matter	p. 113
7 Sculptures: The Shape of Things to Build	p. 115
Spheres: Round and Round They Go	p. 116
Divide and Build: Two Sections Means Twice the Fun	p. 118
Beyond Spheres: Sculpting Other Subjects	p. 126
Choosing a Subject	p. 126
Getting Started on the Sphinx	p. 127
Analyzing the Angles: Building the Head	p. 127
Special Features: Special Techniques	p. 128
Building the Foundation Last	p. 131
Review: Sculptures-In the Eye of the Builder	p. 132
8 Mosaics: Patterns and Pictures in Bricks	p. 133
Two Types of Mosaics	p. 133
What Can You Do with Mosaics?	p. 135
How Big Should a Mosaic Be?	p. 135
What You Need to Make a Mosaic	p. 135
Designing a Studs-Out Mosaic	p. 136
Geometric Patterns	p. 136
Copies of Pictures	p. 140
Designing a Studs-Up Mosaic	p. 146
Design Grids for the Studs-Up Technique	p. 147
Mosaics on Edge	p. 148
Review: Mosaics of All Sizes and Shapes	p. 150
9 Technic: Not as Technical as It May Seem	p. 153
Technic: A System Within a System	p. 155
Technic Pieces: An Overview	p. 155
Bricks	p. 156
Studless Beams	p. 157
Gears	p. 158
Pins/Axles	p. 158
Bushings	p. 159
Couplers	p. 159
Getting Started with Technic: Assembly Notes	p. 160
Gear Trains	p. 160
Going Vertical	p. 164
Technic Meets Basic Elements	p. 165
Putting It All Together: Building a Technic Model	p. 168
Review: What Is Technic?	p. 171
10 Putting It All Together: Where Ideas Meet Bricks	p. 173
Thinking Like a Model Designer	p. 173
Limit Your Scope	p. 174
Getting Started: Pick Your Subject	p. 175
Work from the Bottom Up	p. 176
Let Reality Guide Your Design Decisions	p. 179
A Different Perspective	p. 180
Pick a Scale, Any Scale	p. 181
Color Concerns	p. 181
Elements of Design	p. 182
Bringing It All Together: The Final Design	p. 185
Step by Step: Shuttle Construction Details	p. 187
Something's Wrong: Redesigning Doesn't Mean You've Failed	p. 193
After You're Done	p. 193
Review: Taking On the Role of Model Designer	p. 194
11 Beyond Just Bricks: Other Things to do Besides Building	p. 195
"I Give It a Nine Out of Ten": Writing Reviews of LEGO Sets	p. 196
A Simple Review	p. 196
Sharing Your Review	p. 198
How It's Made: Creating Instructions for Your LEGO Models	p. 198
Step-by-Step Pictures	p. 199
Computer-Assisted Instructions	p. 200
Having Fun: Making and Playing Games with LEGO Pieces	p. 201
Games You Already Know	p. 201
Original Games	p. 203
An Example of an Original Game: Connect-Across (Basic Rules)	p. 204
Designing Your Own Game	p. 207
Review: Enjoying Every Aspect of LEGO	p. 207
12 Sorting, Storage, and Sitting Down to Build Something	p. 209
Sorting vs. Storing: What's the Difference?	p. 210
Sorting Bricks: Divide and Conquer	p. 211
Small-Sized Collections	p. 212
Medium-Sized Collections	p. 212
Large-Sized Collections	p. 214
Storing Bricks	p. 216
Start Small, Keep It Simple	p. 217
Containers with Compartments	p. 218
Shoeboxes: Not Just for Shoes Anymore	p. 219
Keeping Track of the Little Pieces: Tackle Boxes to the Rescue	p. 221
Reuse Containers You May Already Have: Tubs and Buckets	p. 221
Deep Storage: Taking Care of Larger Quantities	p. 223
Setting Up a Building Area	p. 223
Review: Unique Solutions for Every Builder	p. 226
13 Making and Using Tools for Lego Projects	p. 227
Presser Tool	p. 229
The Ruler	p. 230
Pin Stand Tool	p. 231
Brick Separator	p. 233
Non-LEGO Tools	p. 236
Other Useful Items	p. 237
Review: The Right Tools for the Job	p. 238
A Brickopedia	p. 239
Brickopedia Breakdown	p. 240
Review: Bricks, Plates, and So Much More	p. 298
B Design Grids: Building Better by Planning Ahead	p. 299
Downloading the Grids	p. 299
About the Grids	p. 300
Design Grid #1	p. 300
Design Grid #2	p. 300
Design Grid #3	p. 301
Design Grid #4	p. 303
Using the Grids Effectively	p. 303
Same Model, Different Views	p. 304
Sketching or Planning	p. 304
Description and Date for Future Reference	p. 304
Drawing on Grid #1	p. 305
Drawing on Grid #2	p. 308
Drawing on Grid #3	p. 308
Drawing on Grid #4	p. 310
Review: From Grids to Bricks	p. 310
List of Key Figures	p. 311
Index	p. 313

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