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The LEGO MOC Challenge – Part 4

(Written by Chi-bacca)

Welcome to Part 4 of the little series I’m doing where I share an experiment of giving myself a LEGO building challenge. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here: The LEGO MOC Challenge – Part 1, The LEGO MOC Challenge – Part 2 and The LEGO MOC Challenge – Part 3. This time I will share with you some of the LEGO building techniques I used in my most recent LEGO models. Hopefully they will give you ideas for your own LEGO creations! 🙂

First up is a small LEGO temple that I imagined being in the desert – therefore the use of the tan and brown color scheme. The entrance isn’t tall enough for a minifigure to walk through, but this is on purpose; in almost every adventure-film where abandoned temples are included, the characters have to crawl their way in to find the lost treasure, or whatever they are looking for.

LEGO Temple by Chi-bacca

The inside of the temple is only 4 studs wide with a tile floor and an occasional jumper-plate (tiles with only one stud) – these are useful to be able to pose minifigs without breaking up the smoothness of the tile flooring. Hidden deep inside the temple is a map that is attached to a droid-arm and can move to show the map has been taken or may even be part of a trap.

LEGO Temple Details by Chi-bacca

Some other LEGO techniques I used here is the angled front wall that has been achieved using a couple of LEGO Technic pins attached to a modified plate with pin-holes (the red element you see). Another fun trick I used at the front wall, and something new LEGO builders may not know about, is that the 1×1 round plate fits perfectly between 4 LEGO studs. This allows you to angle pieces any way you want, giving you more options that just building in 90 degree angles.

The second LEGO creation I would like to show you is a military snow-base. Again, choosing the right color is important, so here I used white elements to mimic a wall of snow and also create a trench effect. As you can see, I’m using several of the minifigures from the collectible series, and I also used their stands to make a walkway inside the base. Other features include a giant cannon built on a LEGO turntable so it can move any way. There is also a small shelter where explosives are kept. A funny little detail I added is the guy stuck in the snow upside down. Only the legs are used, not a whole body – a technique LEGO designers used in one of the Christmas LEGO sets. 😀

LEGO Snow Base by Chi-bacca

The third LEGO creation I wanted to share is a heavily armored car. This didn’t turn out exactly the way I envisioned it, but that sometimes happens when you work with LEGO; you have one idea in mind and it turns out to become something else. I was aiming for a form of deception with slightly raised tracks and wheels underneath. The wheels and the tracks are connected with LEGO Technic axles so as the wheels move, so are the treads. Not exactly how I wanted it, but I ran out of time and pieces to use.

LEGO Armored Vehicle by Chi-bacca

Since this is a heavily armored military vehicle I also added a large cannon. I used a LEGO engine piece as a target-locator – which is just a reminder that it is a good idea to challenge yourself to think outside the box. You can use LEGO pieces in any way you want, not just what you see in official LEGO sets. Sometimes just by turning a piece in a different angle or upside-down you realize it is perfect for an application you never thought of before. This is an especially useful technique in LEGO micro-building, where a small piece can represent an entire structure – something I hope to cover in a future post.

I hope this little narrative of some of the LEGO creations I have been working on gives you some ideas for your own LEGO models. Do you use interesting techniques when you build with LEGO? Have you discovered some on your own? Do you pay attention to color and functionality in your LEGO creations to make them more realistic? Or do you prefer more fantasy designs? Feel free to share in the comment section below! Also, I’m a TFOL (Teen-Fan-of-LEGO) and this is my sixth article here. You can check out my previous posts below. Thanks for reading! 😉

{ 31 comments… add one }
  • ~EliteBrick~ November 7, 2013, 10:07 AM

    Nice MOCs Chi-Bacca Really like the Tank Car 😉 Only flaw the legs sticking out of the ground are not LEGO brand. 🙁

  • Fikko3107 November 7, 2013, 10:25 AM

    *gasp* Are those legs sticking up from the snow NOT REAL LEGO?!

  • Brannon November 7, 2013, 10:31 AM

    I like the temple and the snowbase, but yeah, too many megabloks, or whatever those bricks are in the tank. please don’t contaminate lego!

  • Chi-bacca November 7, 2013, 10:41 AM

    Yes, some pieces are not LEGO brand…
    As I said in the post I had used most of my pieces already and had completely ran out of grey bricks, hence my very old Mega Bloks bricks In there. As for the legs I’m not sure, I just grabbed a pair not really thinking, sorry for that. I think they might have been from an unknown. brand my grandparents gave me couple of years back that all I remember gave me some realistic guns and some crappy figures.

    • ~EliteBrick~ November 7, 2013, 10:55 AM

      I’m just Chi-Bacca. I have nuthin against MegaBloks. I just prefer LEGO

      • Chi-bacca November 7, 2013, 11:30 AM

        Yeah but the halo stuff is pretty awesome 😉
        This conversation is the perfect time to announce one of my posts that i sent to admin a couple of days ago. The age old battle of LEGO vs Mega Bloks in one post which will have a page filled with comments I bet 😀 look out for it soon

        • ninja of stealth November 7, 2013, 12:14 PM

          i know why its megablock! because there was a megablock running around and the LEGO minifigs got annoyed so they stuck him in the snow! 🙄 Also Chi-bacca, your MOCs are awesome!

          • admin November 7, 2013, 12:53 PM

            Good way to look at it! :mrgreen:

          • Chi-bacca November 7, 2013, 1:27 PM

            Yes! That’s definitely the reason 😀

  • benny November 7, 2013, 11:03 AM

    sorry I haven’t been around but I have been busy with school as I now have more homework and it takes longer, its hard to fit everything in. also I will still be doing posts just I haven’t had time but I will soon, but right now I have to wait for my broken arm to heal.

    anyways nice post chi-bacca

    • Chi-bacca November 7, 2013, 11:27 AM

      No worries, I know what you mean 😀
      I haven’t been around as much as I used to as recently I’ve had a lot of family stuff going on as well as homework and school but there will always be time for LEGO 🙂

      • ~EliteBrick~ November 7, 2013, 11:56 AM

        Ditto, Benny I understand. [Randomly thinks of the no worries song and starts singing] LOL

    • admin November 7, 2013, 12:52 PM

      I was just wondering yesterday when you gonna be back! So sorry to hear about your broken arm! 😕

    • ninja of stealth November 8, 2013, 12:16 PM

      you broke your arm… that sucks dude… 😯

  • LK2 November 7, 2013, 1:54 PM

    Really like the temple! Awesome! 😀

  • ~Brick November 7, 2013, 4:45 PM

    I’ve already voiced my opinion about this little “MOC Challenge.”
    Please understand that I don’t want to be hostile…but please STOP!
    It’s bad enough he’s posting the creations here…but Clone Bricks? I come here for LEGO, not Clones? I don’t mean to be mean, but it’s just wrong!

    The first episodes of the “MOC Challenge” were bearable because I thought it some one time thing…but it’s now becoming a constant! I understand that he wants to share techniques and what not, but seriously, MOCPages?
    Google it, share your creations there! I truly feel that this is not the place for such things.

    Excuse my bluntness, but before he even starts posting things…he should practice more. I love it when people build LEGO, but why must it be shared on a blog for “NEWS” or at least, I believe this is for news.
    I’m not lashing out at his creativity, but this is plain and simple not the place.

    I would discourage any further posts for the “MOC Challenge” as I would guess I’m not the only one who shares this opinion.
    Also…here’s a link to MOCpages:http://mocpages.com

    Disclaimer:
    Please understand these are my opinions and possibly no one else’s.
    I mean to personal offense in writing this, and I encourage exploration when building. But the material presented (In my opinion) Is not yet on the level to be blogged.

    • admin November 7, 2013, 9:02 PM

      Your honesty is appreciated and your opinion valued. Chi actually re-wrote this post after your last feedback, taking some of your points into consideration and hoping that you will like this one better. 😉

      TBB’s focus is to assists and inspire LEGO fans. LEGO news, reviews, building tips, LEGO sales, etc., all fit into a blog format. In addition, I also like to give an opportunity to those who would like to write about the LEGO hobby. Especially first timers and young writers. It is an opportunity for them to hone their skills, gain some confidence and also get valuable feedback from a large community of fellow LEGO fans.

      I try to mix posts evenly so that within a week we cover important LEGO news, talk about some techniques, maybe mention some great LEGO sales, and also give someone an opportunity to submit a guest-post or write an article one in a while. Some of our contributors are very skilled writers, others are just starting out. We can all help them to get better by giving them valuable feedback both on their choice of topic and their writing abilities. 🙂

    • LK2 November 8, 2013, 5:13 AM

      I don’t understand why you are complaining…. These are nice MOCs, yes, they are not the best, but they are good. Why are you complaining?

  • Carbo November 8, 2013, 8:24 AM

    Chi-bacca, please don’t stop doing these challenges! I know I kinda sorta lashed out at you before, and I apologize. I have found a ton of inspiration in your models, and I love to see what other LEGO fans can build.

  • Lars November 8, 2013, 10:53 AM

    Mega-Block!

  • Chi-bacca November 8, 2013, 12:44 PM

    Hey guys,
    I’m gonna ask your opinion here. Should I continue this series? If not why is that and can I change it?
    This will decide wether I keep doing these or not so please tell me!

    • Fikko3107 November 9, 2013, 7:33 AM

      Keep at it. But use a photo box, like in my reviews and MOC pictures. You will be surprised at how much better it looks with it. Also, try to put more effort in making them!

      • ~EliteBrick~ November 9, 2013, 9:09 AM

        Keep doing it!

      • Chi-bacca November 9, 2013, 10:37 AM

        In the recent pictures I’ve taken I used a blank wall and a board but I could perhaps use blank paper
        And about the effort….. I’ve made some really cool ones since when I wrote this and are by far a ton better as some of these are a little lame compared so these will be featured in the next one
        Thanks for the feedback 😀

        • admin November 9, 2013, 12:36 PM

          I actually also recommend that you do start a MOCpages account and post your creations there. Then you can link it from your Contributor Page and discuss them on your page. Occasionally we can feature personal MOCs here (especially if it incorporates unique building techniques and concepts, or they are part of an educational post – like the ones Geneva is doing), but it is true that TBB is not about personal MOCs. So although I’m fine with you continuing the series, know that I can only post them sporadically.

          However having a combination of MOCPages for your MOCs and your Contributor Page and articles here, I think that would be the most ideal combination. In fact I do this myself; using TBB for larger posts that benefit all of our readers, and post my personal creations and discuss those on either my flickr page (which is kind of like MOCpages) or on TBB’s Facebook page. Just something to consider. 😉

          • Chi-bacca November 9, 2013, 3:40 PM

            Okay, if I go by that I will definitely be doing another post as there is a couple of them that include really odd techniques 😀

            • Fikko3107 November 10, 2013, 7:13 AM

              This is productive. In the future, I’ll try to put larger emphasis in the techniques (and rare pieces!) of my Robot MOCs.

  • Chi-bacca November 9, 2013, 10:38 AM

    Okay a good amount like it so far so I’m continuing unless anyone else wants to comment

  • Fingolfin November 10, 2013, 11:48 PM

    I think you should continue the series, if you can make better pictures.
    They aren’t very clear. The MOCs are really nice, though a bit more detailing wouldn’t be bad.

  • The Dark Jedi November 12, 2013, 8:39 PM

    It’s been a while since I’ve been on this blog….It’s nice to get in touch with the community. I’m in my semi-Dark Ages, as I’ve stopped buying sets, but still tinker with my customs I have lying around. Joining the brony fandom (If you don’t know what a brony is google it) sidetracked me from Lego a fair lot….but that being said, I still like going here and looking at MOCs like this. I’d like to do stuff like that, but I wouldn’t dare take apart my sets….Anyways, it’s good to be back, and hopefully I’ll be able to get on here more.

    • admin November 13, 2013, 12:17 PM

      Nice to have you back! It’s normal to loose some interested at times, especially with so many other things competing for our attention. But LEGO remains a great hobby when you just want to unwind and relax. Stop by whenever you feel like. We are here. 😉

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