Tuesday, May 27, 2008

5 things I've learned about building with LEGO

Everyone is going to make mistakes while building, in fact, that's half the fun of constructing something with LEGO bricks. When you reach a point where you have to turn back or find a new solution, that's often when you discover that you're more creative than you ever imagined. That said, there are several things I have learned through trial and error that I would have been fine if someone had told me beforehand. Here they are, in no particular order....

1. Always have two of the parts you need when building something with a left and right side.

2. Leave your nails a little on the longer side, you're going to need them to pry apart bricks and plates; but not so long that you're headed for the Guinness Book of World Records.

3. Build what you're fascinated by in real life- you're more likely to pay attention to details and have a better eye for spacing.

4. It is always okay to begin building without an idea of what you're looking to build.

5. You can never have enough LEGO bricks. You'll always need more. This must be how vampires feel, if they had a thirst for plastic bricks and didn't eat people.

What other building tips do you wish someone had told you?

Photo credit: dunechaser

2 comments:

Brian Jay Jones said...

The little 1x1 colored "light" pieces break easily.

You can use a 2x8 flat piece as a crow bar to pry small flat pieces off of larger flat pieces.

Despite what your mom or dentists may tell you, your teeth remain the best tool for pulling pieces apart.

Jonathan Bender said...

Ah, but old pieces taste dusty. I am excited for the prybar technique, I've officially progressed to the level of a monkey.