The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide (Now in Color!), 2nd Edition

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide (Now in Color!), 2nd Edition

by Allan Bedford
Released October 2012
Publisher(s): No Starch Press
ISBN: 9781593274412

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Book description

What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why isn't it a good idea to stack bricks in columns to make a wall? How do you build a LEGO mosaic or build at different scales? You'll find the answers to these and other questions in The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide. Now in full color, this brand-new edition of a well-loved favorite will show you how to:

  • Construct models that won't fall apart
  • Choose the right pieces and substitute when needed
  • Build to micro, jumbo, and miniland scale
  • Make playable board games out of LEGO pieces
  • Create photo mosaics and curved sculptures
  • Build a miniature space shuttle, a minifig-sized train station, and more
Of course, the real fun of LEGO building lies in creating your own models—from choosing the subject to clicking that final brick into place. Learn how in The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide. Includes the Brickopedia, a visual dictionary of nearly 300 of the most commonly used LEGO elements!

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Table of contents

  1. Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide, 2nd Edition
  2. WHAT THE LEGO® COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT THE UNOFFICIAL LEGO® BUILDER’S GUIDE
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
  6. 1. The LEGO System: Endless Possibilities
    1. A Brick Vocabulary
      1. Sizing Up the Elements
      2. The Stud
      3. The Tube
      4. The Brick
        1. Using Various Brick Sizes
      5. The Plate
        1. Using Various Plate Sizes
      6. The Slope
      7. Specialized Elements
      8. Arch Pieces
      9. Tiles and Panels
      10. Cylinders and Cones
      11. Cylinder Plates
      12. Baseplates
      13. Decorative Elements
    2. Precision, Geometry, and Color
      1. Why Precision Manufacturing Matters
      2. Fun with LEGO Geometry
      3. The Colors
      4. For the Color Challenged
    3. Review: The LEGO System
  7. 2. Back to Basics: Tips and Techniques
    1. Decisions, Decisions: The Best Ways to Connect Bricks
      1. Stacking
      2. Overlapping
      3. Staggering
    2. Building Walls
      1. Connecting Walls
      2. Straight Bricks Can Make Round Walls
    3. Bracing: Unseen but Not Forgotten
      1. Bracing = Beams + Columns
      2. Beams
        1. How Not to Build a Beam
        2. The Right Way to Build a Beam
      3. Columns
        1. The Simple Post
        2. The Compound Post
        3. The Chimney Pattern
        4. The Keyhole Pattern
        5. The Hybrid Column
    4. How to Separate Pieces
    5. Review: Basic Building Principles
      1. 1. Build big but think small.
      2. 2. Pick the right bond pattern.
  8. 3. Minifig Scale: Oh, What a Wonderful Minifig World It Is!
    1. Scale: It’s All Relative
    2. Creating a Minifig-Scale Building
      1. Building Two Versions of the Train Station
      2. Bill of Materials: The Parts You’ll Need to Make This Model
      3. Step by Step: Train Station Construction Details
        1. Step 1
        2. Step 2
        3. Step 3
        4. Step 4
        5. Step 5
        6. Step 6
        7. Step 7
        8. Step 8
        9. Step 9
        10. Step 10
        11. Step 11
      4. Submodel: The Train Station Roof
        1. Step 1
        2. Step 2
        3. Step 3
        4. Step 4
        5. Step 5
        6. Step 6
    3. Substitution: When Other Parts Will Do
      1. Substitute Walls
      2. Substitute Arches
      3. Substitute Windows
      4. Substitute Roofs
    4. Review: Building Techniques and Alternatives
  9. 4. Miniland Scale: The Whole World in Miniature
    1. Miniland Scale: Bigger but Still Small
    2. Creating a Basic Miniland Figure
      1. The Best Bits: Useful Pieces for Miniland Figures
      2. A Basic Miniland Figure
    3. Creating Characters with Personality
      1. Heads and Hats
      2. Shirts and Skirts
      3. Lots of Legs
      4. Arms and Accessories
      5. On the Run: Making Miniland Figures Come to Life
    4. Miniland Buildings
      1. Building Facades
      2. Street Life: A Simple Downtown Scene in Miniland Scale
        1. The People in Your Neighborhood
        2. Building the Buildings
      3. Behind the Scenes
      4. Propping Up the Facade
    5. Review: Miniland Scale, Big Possibilities
  10. 5. Jumbo Elements: Building Bigger Bricks
    1. How to Scale Up
      1. Building the Walls of the Jumbo Brick
      2. Other Parts, Same Technique: More Ways to Make Jumbo Bricks
        1. 1×2 Plate: Building Instructions for the Jumbo Version
        2. 2×2 45-Degree Slope: Building Instructions for the Jumbo Version
    2. Building with Jumbo Bricks
      1. The Best Solutions from the Simplest Plans
    3. Other Scales: Which Ones Work and Why
      1. Approximation
    4. Review: Jumbo Bricks Are Just the Beginning
  11. 6. Microscale Building: More Than Meets the Eye
    1. Getting Started: Ignore the Details
    2. Translating Ideas into Bricks
      1. Reviewing the Technique
    3. Replacing Full-Size Parts with Microscale Stand-Ins
      1. Microscale Wheels
      2. Microscale Windows
    4. Instructions for Building a Microscale House
    5. Review: Things to Build in Microscale
  12. 7. Sculptures: The Shape of Things to Build
    1. Spheres: Round and Round They Go
    2. Dividing the Building Process in Two
    3. Sculpting Other Subjects: The Sphinx
      1. Choosing an Identifying Characteristic
      2. Building the Head
      3. Techniques for Building Special Features
        1. The Nose
        2. The Ears
        3. The Paws
        4. The Headdress
      4. Building the Foundation Last
    4. Review: Sculptures Are in the Eye of the Builder
  13. 8. Mosaics: Patterns and Pictures in Bricks
    1. What You Need to Make a Studs-Out Mosaic
      1. Geometric Patterns
      2. Creating Photo Mosaics
        1. Print and Trace
        2. Pixelating an Image Using a Computer
    2. Designing a Studs-Up Mosaic
      1. Design Grids for Studs-Up Mosaics
      2. Mosaics on Edge
    3. Review: Mosaics of All Sizes and Shapes
  14. 9. Putting It All Together: Where Ideas Meet Bricks
    1. How to Think Like a Model Designer
      1. Limit Your Scope
      2. Pick Your Subject
      3. Work from the Bottom Up
      4. Let Reality Guide Your Design Decisions
        1. Structural Decisions: Let the Real Thing Tell You How to Build
      5. Look at Your Model from the Side
      6. Pick a Scale
      7. Color Concerns
    2. Elements of Design
      1. Shape
      2. Color
      3. Proportion
      4. Repetition
    3. Building the Triton Step by Step
        1. Step 1
        2. Step 2
        3. Step 3
        4. Step 4
        5. Step 5
        6. Step 6
        7. Step 7
        8. Step 8
        9. Step 9
    4. Something Wrong? Redesigning Doesn’t Mean You’ve Failed
    5. You’re Done. What Now?
    6. Review: You’re the Model Designer
  15. 10. Beyond Just Bricks: Other Ways to Enjoy the LEGO Hobby
    1. Creating Your Own Building Instructions
      1. Step-by-Step Pictures
      2. Computer-Generated Instructions
    2. Fun LEGO Games
      1. LEGO Checkers or Chess
      2. Connect-Across
        1. Setting Up to Play Connect-Across
        2. The Basic Rules
        3. Playing the Game
        4. Winning the Game
    3. Review: Enjoying Every Aspect of LEGO
  16. A. Brickopedia
    1. How the Brickopedia Works
  17. B. Design Grids: Building Better by Planning Ahead
    1. Downloading the Grids
    2. About the Grids
      1. Design Grid #1
      2. Design Grid #2
      3. Design Grid #3
      4. Design Grid #4
    3. Using the Grids Effectively
      1. Colorize Your Ideas
      2. Description and Date for Future Reference
      3. Drawing on Design Grid #1
      4. Drawing on Design Grid #2
      5. Drawing on Design Grid #3
      6. Drawing on Design Grid #4
    4. Review: From Grids to Bricks
  18. Index
  19. About the Author
  20. Colophon
  21. C. A Note from the Illustrator
  22. D. Updates
  23. Copyright

Product information

  • Title: The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide (Now in Color!), 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Allan Bedford
  • Release date: October 2012
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781593274412