The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide

330 Pages·2005·12.59 MB·English

by  Allan Bedford

SPAM_02.book Page ii Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:33 PM
LBG_02.book Page i Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE UNOFFICIAL LEGO
BUILDER’S GUIDE
“Brilliant! Bedford guides you step-by-step through the wonderful, limitless
LEGO system using his uniquely engaging writing style and passion for the brick.
A must-read for every LEGO builder.”
–TIM COURTNEY, LDRAW.ORG, CO-AUTHOR OF VIRTUAL LEGO
“The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide is an excellent resource for both the
beginner and the expert LEGO builder. For the beginner, it’s a great intro-
duction to the hobby and reference to many of the building tricks that the
advanced builders use. For the expert, it’s a great reference for methods and
approaches to building in new themes and scales. I recommend it highly for
anyone who is interested in LEGO building.”
–JOE MENO, EDITOR IN CHIEF, BRICKJOURNAL
“This is the book I wished I had as a kid and as an adult returning to the hobby.
It’s a great resource, and is going to have a cherished place on my work table for
the foreseeable future.”
–JACOB H. MCKEE, LEGO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER FOR NORTH AMERICA,
AUTHOR OF GETTING STARTED WITH LEGO TRAINS
“The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide should be considered the benchmark on all
aspects of the LEGO building hobby. A ‘must-have’ for those who are just
starting to experiment with LEGO and experts looking for areas to expand.”
–KIETH JOHNSON, AEROSPACE ENGINEER, UNITED SPACE ALLIANCE
“The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide will make for a great beginning for any future
architects or LEGO hobbyists. The detailed model instructions not only show
how to build the example models, they also inspire you to go further and build
anything you can think of, the only limit being your imagination.”
–GARY ISTOK, LEGO BUILDER, COLLECTOR, AND HISTORIAN
“The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide is a great tool for both young and old. It
explains in clear and concise language the things you will need to know to get
started and develop your skills as a LEGO builder. From the different types of
building techniques and styles, to a comprehensive guide of important parts, this is
a great springboard to unleashing the inner Master Model Builder that is in us all!”
–BILL VOLLBRECHT, FORMER MASTER MODEL BUILDER FOR LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA
AND OWNER OF WWW.BRICKCREATIONS.COM
LBG_02.book Page ii Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
How many things are waiting to be created?
LBG_02.book Page iii Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
THE UNOFFICIAL
LEGO BUILDER’S
®
GUIDE
by Allan Bedford
San Francisco
LBG_02.book Page iv Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
THE UNOFFICIAL LEGO® BUILDER’S GUIDE. Copyright © 2005 by Allan Bedford.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
Printed on recycled paper in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 – 07 06 05 04
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and
company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark
symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the
benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
Publisher: William Pollock
Production Manager: Susan Berge
Cover and Interior Design: Octopod Studios
Developmental Editors: William Pollock, Peter Spear
Copyeditor: Rebecca C. Rider
Compositor: Riley Hoffman
Proofreader: Stephanie Provines
For information on book distributors or translations, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
555 De Haro Street, Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107
phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; [email protected]; http://www.nostarch.com
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been
taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any
person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the
information contained in it.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bedford, Allan.
The unofficial LEGO builder's guide / Allan Bedford.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-59327-054-2
1. LEGO toys. I. Title.
TS2301.T7B44 2005
688.7'25--dc22
2005013747
LBG_02.book Page v Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
To my wife Kathie and our little family.
For believing that I could do this.
LBG_02.book Page vi Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM
Creativity is just having enough dots to connect.
—Steve Jobs
LBG_02TOC_brief.fm Page vii Tuesday, July 26, 2005 1:00 PM
B R I E F C O N T E N T S
Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................xv
Introduction.................................................................................................................xvii
Chapter 1: The LEGO System: Endless Possibilities..............................................................1
Chapter 2: Back to Basics: Tips and Techniques................................................................19
Chapter 3: Minifig Scale: Oh, What a Wonderful Minifig World It Is!.................................37
Chapter 4: Miniland Scale: The Whole World in Miniature................................................63
Chapter 5: Jumbo Elements: Building Bigger Bricks...........................................................81
Chapter 6: Microscale Building: More Than Meets the Eye.................................................99
Chapter 7: Sculptures: The Shape of Things to Build........................................................115
Chapter 8: Mosaics: Patterns and Pictures in Bricks.........................................................133
Chapter 9: Technic: Not as Technical as It May Seem.....................................................153
Chapter 10: Putting It All Together: Where Ideas Meet Bricks...........................................173
Chapter 11: Beyond Just Bricks: Other Things to Do Besides Building................................195
Chapter 12: Sorting, Storage, and Sitting Down to Build Something..................................209
Chapter 13: Making and Using Tools for LEGO Projects..................................................227
Appendix A: Brickopedia.............................................................................................239
Appendix B: Design Grids: Building Better by Planning Ahead.........................................299
Index.........................................................................................................................311
LBG_02.book Page viii Monday, July 25, 2005 5:35 PM