Why I Do This

 

 At Brick Palooza this display was next to me.  Here are some more pictures, I did not have time to do this justice.

This was done by a Dad and his  7-8 year son.  They  told me they only started on it in July of 2024 and the idea and most of the work was done by his son.  The Dad said his main contribution was the underlying structure and some of the cliff work in the very back of the display.  His son was the creative drive behind it as well as building all of the detail that is in it.

So why is this important to me?  They attended Brick Palooza 2023 and unknown to me his son was so impressed with what I had built, he had to try and build something like it.  So they took over 50 pictures of the my MOC to use as inspiration for his design.  He has an Ice Planet with a mine, control rooms, bunk rooms, a small railroad for moving ore and the list goes on.  They searched for a lot Ice Planet Minifigs, plus some Star Wars Minifigs.  

We talked on and off during the show.  His son wanted to know what he can do to add to it.  As my son tells me always, in the real world, what would be there.  So he will look at adding more recreation and dining facilities as well as improving the operational aspects of the display.  They did not get a good look at the back side of mine last year since it was not accessible to the public. So again they took a lot of pictures of the back side as inspiration. 

If I can inspire one person a year to build MOCs from their imagination, then all that I do is well worth my time and effort.

Brick Palooza Recap

 This was a very interesting show.  A one day show on a Saturday in Santa Rosa, CA.  Because of the tear down timing of only 2 hours.  We decided to remove two hangers or two complete slices, which saved six boxes.  This also meant less work on setup and trying to keep things from prying apart at the table seam.

But first you have to get there.

And while it was not that bad coming across the Sierra Nevada, it did slow things down.

By the time we got to Santa Rosa things were getting deep.

The small creek behind the hotel.  While it never got any higher than this, it made transport challenging.  Out of the three roads in to the hotel, two were flooded and closed.  And the road in front of the hotel was reduced to one lane.

Such is life in Northern California during the rainy season.

Typical setup.  The drape covered tables are where the MOCs will be.  The other area on either side is for vendors.

Here is the final setup.  You will notice that it is one slice shorter on each side.  For one day shows, this will probably be the standard going forward.

We did not have time to really go around and look.  Most people setup in the morning since their displays were small.  Here are some of the more interesting ones.

I really like how this dish antenna was done.

More about this one in the next post.

I have a lot of pictures stored up for posts I want to do in the next few weeks.  We will see if life will accommodate me. 

Wiring Review

 

I have discussed wring in several blog posts, here, here, here, here, here and here, among many others.

But what I intend for this post is compilation of the bricks that are used and how basic LED wiring can use these bricks.

First the bricks.

 

 

These are the basic Bricks that I use.  The wiring shown in the very first picture is 30 gauge wire, either twisted by hand or purchased in the black two conductor ribbon cable.  There is smaller wire (higher gauge number) available.  However better tools are needed to use these smaller wires as I explained on my website.  Just scroll down to wire sources.

These two pictures show how the 1 x 2 Brick with channel can be used.  By placing 1 x n Bricks on either side it will provide some support.  This method only allows for half of the channel to be exposed, but that is sufficient for the 30 gauge wire used.

This shows the wire running through the channel.  Another 1 x 2 Brick with channel is added to help secure the one underneath.

This is the same idea, but using the 2 x 2 Brick with channels.  With this brick you can run up to 4 wires up a column if needed.  The axle hole in the middle can also be used.

Here I use to 1 x 1 round bricks to create a channel.  You can also use 1 x 1 round plates to create the same channel.

These two pictures show how to run wire between two 1 x 1 round plates.  The easiest way is what is shown.  Place two round plates, then the wire followed by two more round plates.  You can do it with just one layer of round plates, wire placement is just more tedious.  

This shows a 2 x 6 plate covering the wire in order to hide it.  

Finally this is a way to hide a wire run using 2 x 2 curved slope.  Obviously  a 1 x 2 curved slope will also work.  I have used this technique to hide long wire runs.  This implementation uses a 1 x 4 plate topped with a 1 x 4 tile.  That stack could have been another 2 x 2 curved slope also.

These are just some of the possible ways to run wire inside a MOC.  I am sure there are other bricks that can be used also.

Brick Palooza

 We will be attending Brick Palooza again this year. The event will be in Santa Rosa CA on Saturday, November 23 from 10Am to 5PM.  Here is the information.

Northern California's all LEGO® festival, exhibition, and celebration for children and adult LEGO® fans of all ages!

Exhibits, vendors, demos, activities, art, food, and fun for the whole family!

The 8th Brick Palooza will be taking place on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 from 10:00AM - 5:00PM (PST) for General Admission and from 9:00AM - 5:00PM (PST) for Early Birds and VIPs. Brick Palooza 2024 will be taking place at 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building).

Meet the master builders & artists behind amazing LEGO® creations.

Vendors will be selling all kinds of LEGO® related products. From new and used sets, to vintage and classic. Bulk LEGO® by the pound, individual minifigures, jewelry, t-shirts, and so much more!

You can buy tickets at EventBrite or click here.

Cliff Module Build Part 3

 This video is Part 3 of a Lego Cliff Module Build for the Space Outpost SL ONE.  This video will show how the rock face is constructed.  I also talk about how the wiring is hidden behind the rock face.

Cliff Module Build Part 2

This video is Part 2 of a Lego Cliff Module Build for the Space Outpost SL ONE.  This video will show how the the wall structures and floor/ceiling structures are assembled.  Since a portion of the floor/ceiling is cantilevered, there needs to be some thought in this assembly.

Cliff Module Build Part 1

 

This is Part 1 of the video series for building a Cliff Module. This video is Part 1 of a Lego Cliff Module Build for the Space Outpost SL ONE.  This video will show how the base is built, then modified to run wiring and finally the first floor wall structure.. This video will show how the base is built, then modified to run wiring and finally the first floor wall structure.

 

 

 

 

Loose Ends #6

First I am adding a set of videos of how this was built.  In general it shows the base, the infrastructure and then the cliff build.  This was the second build of this module, where I added the first horizontal sediment layer.  This was all dark tan.  The video will show the third build, which is dark tan and medium nougat as shown in these two below.

In the picture directly above, there are two things to point out.  One is the use of filler brick, different colored 2 x bricks.  I have been picking these up along the way.  As long as guarantee they will not be exposed, they are great and inexpensive solution.  Second is the wiring.  The wiring enters/exits the first floor area near the ceiling through a 1 x 2 technic brick.  Then enters near the ceiling of the second floor through the same technic brick.

This is an expanded view of the wiring and the technic bricks.

This shows the method for containing the wire.  First is a 1 x 2  brick with channel, part number 4216.  Then is use 1 x 1 round bricks.  As I have shown many times, there is a gap formed by two round bricks, that is sufficiently large for the wire.

This picture highlights that I am alternating the round bricks and the 1 x 2 brick.  This is strictly for stability.  Unfortunate you cannot use any other type of brick or the channel that is created will be blocked.  It would be nice to tie this column into the rest of the build, but given the parts available, this is not an option

Some different views of the rock formation build.

And what it looks like finished.

One thing I added was this electrical conduit and panel control center.  There is still more work to do here.