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: 415.863.9900; fax: 415.863.9950; [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