Fresh Ideas - Micro Edition!
Posted by rock99rock,
After countless hours of skimming the Ideas website, a theme has emerged over the past couple of months and it is MICRO. Can you play with them, or are they only good for a shelf? The entire Architecture series from LEGO are essentially MICRO builds, so why not see what other iterations the Ideas designers can come up with? Over 15 micro projects have been submitted over the past couple of months, and we will spotlight a few of these today along with some other non-micro submissions.
Micro Scale Amusement Park
Can you hear the calliope and smell the popcorn? What of the children screaming happily as their parent's wallets get thinner? That's right, it’s amusement park time. Durazno has put together an amusement park of the miniature variety, and today we will take a closer look at it.
A brief overview of the park and I can see a good scaling across the available rides. Being a classic ferris wheel, merry-go-round/turning carousel, boat/water ride, and a spinning ride dubbed the “Vortex of Terror”. Sounds like I will be losing my lunch on that one! It's no worry though, they can take care of me over at the first aid station near the entrance. The layout is good and the park feels very colorful with the fence layout and the tiled entrance leading to the games shops.
There is A LOT going on in such a small space here. Most of the rides move freely and the builder used many unique techniques to accomplish the amusement park in this scale. Check the video for a breakdown of some of those techniques and throw that team some support if you like the build.
NASA Space Launch System and Mobile Launcher
I know, I know… “But the Saturn V was just approved!!” ..and I can appreciate the reaction. I tried to talk myself out of this one but I just could not resist because it fit today's theme so well. It was submitted on April 19 by a NASA engineer going by nijoma81 who has posted 19 updates so far. Why have I chosen to highlight this iteration over the many other micro SLS submissions? Let's take a look!
Let me start by saying I find nothing wrong with renders. Most of the projects I feature are renders because either the LEGO pieces do not exist in the correct color, or the submitter just does not have the expendable income for all the pieces required to make their masterpiece. That said, this is not a render. It's a rather simple build too, in terms of build quality and presentation. With exception to a few of the main rocket stages, a majority of these pieces have at one time or another been available in the Pick-A-Brick wall of your local LEGO store. That fact alone is what drew me to this build… that any child or Joe off the street can grab a bucket of parts and reach for the sky.
Granted, its not as “MICRO” as some other iterations I have seen on Ideas… But in terms of NASA scales all the MICRO builds are relative. The builder is committed to improving the build as seen in the updates section. Throw him some support should you see fit!
Heavy Micro Trains
Did you hear that? Of course you didn’t. You would need to have ears the size of a hobbits in order to hear the CHOO CHOO these trains belt out as they pass by. This is not your typical Ideas train build by Stephanix, so stick with me for a minute.
Now I am not too familiar with micro train builds so it is possible that the way the track was built existed before this build, so please feel free to fill us in in the comments if you are in the know. I have seen other iterations that have 2 studs in between the rails but this only has 1-1.5 studs. That said, what a great display! The Stud Not On Top (SNOT) method of building the rails is a sight to behold. It lends itself well to the layout and the scenery. Unfortunately this method does not lend itself well to a curved track… the LEGO parts just do not exist to make that a possibility at this time. That should not make too big a difference, it’s not like you can slap an engine on this thing to make it travel round and round. This is a display piece, and a beautiful one at that. The submitter took a previous project, the “Torpedo Wagon” and scaled it MICRO style in wonderful fashion along with a few other normally large-scale train transport cars.
Can it turn? No. Can it get from point A to point B? Yes. There are many possibilities with these tracks, and Stephanix has highlighted a few iterations that are fun to think about and gaze upon.
Lazareth LM 847
What… What the heck is that? That was the first thought that went through my head as I was scrolling through the nearly infinite death valley of Ideas projects. This caught my eye. Submitter Vincentg007 took a concept motorcycle and brought it to life in LEGO form. Check it out!
As far as I can tell, this bike is real. The LEGO version is inspired by the motorcycle created by designer Ludovic Lazareth in France. It has a 4.7-liter V8 nestled in between two front and two rear wheels independently suspended. Vincentg007 as taken those specs and created the Technic equivalent in superb detail. There's a working V8 engine connected to the two independent rear wheels, front and rear 2-wheel tilting suspension, and a steering system consisting of 21 gear wheels. He calls it a “Beautiful Beast” and I can do nothing but agree with him. The black intake manifold is one of my favorite details, and the amount of Technic engineering it took to make all the features work is astounding.
Technic does not have a strong showing in Ideas, and this was a welcome sight to see. It’s hard to fathom that it only took him 3 months to complete this model. I applaud his ingenuity and vision with this LEGO build.
Apollo Lunar Rover
It’s no secret that I am a sucker for anything Space/NASA/ESA/etc. related. So unsurprisingly, here is the Apollo Lunar Rover by submitter eheinzer, just in time to accompany the Saturn V rocket that was LEGO Ideas approved most recently.
Last year, I promoted another rover , albeit in a much smaller scale. This one is on a whole different level. Both have their advantages. The advantage for this one is size and overall detail. The only immediate glaring issue is the color of the wheel covers. There just aren’t any gold parts out there that would have looked this realistic, so that is to be expected. The dish and the - what I like to call them - lawn chairs, are both very detailed and true to the scale of the project.
I can see setting this up on my lunar base plates from the 80s in a scene of total nostalgia. I keep throwing my credit cards at the screen and nothing is happening? Go click that support button... this one is not an option :)
HONORABLE MENTION: UCS Rey´s Speeder
Well. What can I say? I know LEGO already has the Star Wars Intellectual Property license. I know in the Ideas guidelines that they specifically state “Projects based on current LEGO licenses have an even higher potential for overlap... Please keep in mind that a project based on an existing LEGO license has a smaller chance of passing the LEGO Review than other projects.”
That stipulation is not stopping me this time. They never said it can’t happen! Soap box aside, this project is a thing of beauty. This is right up there with my other favorite Star Wars Ideas project, the Star Wars UCS X34 Landspeeder which should be reaching 10,000 votes within a month. UCS Rey’s Speeder is a build of beauty and if not approved, I sure hope LEGO already has something in the pipeline... and it looks exactly like this one.
Featured Designer - Futurama
This designer has been busy! 21 projects submitted since April, and 18 of them interlock for an amazing MICRO theme park! The attention to detail for each of these 16x16 modular park areas is astounding. They can be mixed and matched based on your favorite rides. Take a look and throw Futurama some support.
I hope you enjoyed the article. I chose to leave out the PROS/CONS as those can be overly subjective. What do you think of MICRO builds? Fun or not your cup of tea? Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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13 comments on this article
Great selection! While I find micro builds fascinating to look at, buying and building them usually seems less appealing, so I have supported few micro projects so far. Notable exception, for reasons of nostalgia: classic space microfighters: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/118501
Nice idea. I really like the look of micro builds, but sadly, they do not appeal to me as a purchase. Ray's speeder is very nice, but I suspect that Lego already have this one somewhere in the pipeline (hoping for a UCS Command Shuttle first :) Overall, a really nice selection - thank you.
Luna Rover: Support! Thanks for showing this great MOC. I'd love to have this as an Ideas Set!
Thanks for this, such a shame that the Star Wars Micro layouts is no longer active ;(
That Micro-scale Amusement Park gave me an idea: Remember the Mini Modulars? Yeah, how about that, but with the fairground sets released in the Creator Expert line?
Ok Rock99Rock, while on LEGO IDEAS did you look for "sweet sets" sets aimed at girls? As you know besides the FRIENDS, ELVES and DISNEY PRINCESSES there are not many sets aimed at for girls. The days of Belville, Scala and Paradisa are gone! Knowing this and using the new LEGO DISNEY MINI FIGURES I created just a set! I did my homework and gathered as many sets using these mini figures as I could find. I went from link to link and developed a set based on the DISNEY Jr. Show: MINNIE'S BOWTIQUE. The set I came up with is about 95% accurate and pays homage to the show! I have Minnie's work room, the cabinet full of bows to sell!, the phone (did mine in yellow and blue rather then have too much red! I included the animals in the Show: Figaro the cat (yes from Pinocchio) and Cuckoo the bird! DAISY DUCK is seen busy shopping for new bows to wear. The window displays bows as does the show's window! There is a revolving rack full of bows just as the rack on the show! Minnie is dressed in her work clothes with an apron (thanks to the ALICE mini figure and arms from another torso!) The store itself was fun to put together, including my favorite part the big bow on top of the store! The only change I made was having flags fly in the air! I am working hard at getting the 10,000 votes. I have 125 SUPPORT VOTES so far, still need 9,875 more or at least 875 more so I can get the 1,000 needed votes to get an extra 180 days to get the 10,000 if you stop by LEGO IDEAS please look for it (It's also on MOCpages) and cast a SUPPORT Vote my way and maybe review it...girls need play sets too! Thanks and God Bless, Nick https://ideas.lego.com/projects/147115
No love for micro-scaled Adriatic Dream?
https://ideas.lego.com/projects/137175
Say, Speshy, I have love for your Adriatic Dream I supported it! Chock full of details for micro scale!
I don't normally care for micro builds but the amusement park is very nice.
Thank you. Nice article . I like summaries from Lego Ideas, because the platform is very crowded. Please go on with it.
I think you missed one very nice idea from littlebricker - the amazing Mini Container Port.
https://ideas.lego.com/projects/126762
It is worth looking. It shows perfectly how much you can express with some little bricks.
Thanks MrMouth and Mechalex!
My current microscale favorite: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/149936 It's not easy to do true micro models with Technic, but this one nails it!
A micro Lego amusement park? I'd by that for a dollar!