Sunder_59: Building SpaceSHIPs

Building

The marketing figure that was made for stores.

Minifig Customization 101:

When you start working in any art form, you begin by learning how to think about scale and perspective. This is one of the most challenging bits of working in minifigure customization, because LEGO minifigures are so small and their scale is not a 1:1 with our world. Their heads are too big, their hands are massive, and their torsos and legs are the same length. They are a weird-shaped figure comparatively speaking, and the scale of objects around them is much, much, larger than they would be to you or me. Just look at the LEGO apple and think about how large that would be to us. Perhaps you will recall my conversion of a Clock Superman Figure into Captain America in previous issues. I have wanted large format LEGO minifigures. Clearly, I have longed for big minifigs or Bigfigs/big figures, but these can be hard to build and time consuming.

Scale and Perspective (Part 1)

Article by Jared K. Burks

No, not these figures! No, I do not want that abomination to LEGO—the anthropomorphized figure with so many non-moving parts and crazy steroid induced anatomical features found on no other LEGO figure. I want a true large format LEGO style minifig with its odd scale and weird proportions. Not to completely bash the current Bigfigs—the original rock monster and HP Troll made sense, as did several others—however, in 2012 when LEGO started using it for the Hulk and gave it 6-pack abs, it just did not make sense anymore. Want to see all the official figures in this category? https://youtu.be/ FVa2xQHJ9LU. These post-2012 larger figures just don’t seem to fit the rest of the LEGOverse. As such, I want a true big, giant figure that is merely a scaled version of the figure standing small at 1.5 inches or 4 cm. Not only could we build a better Hulk, we could make a Marvel Giant Man, Galactus, or Sentinel. We could also make our favorite signature figure simply larger.

Well, if you want a larger version, there are a few options. LEGO or a marketing group did produce a 19-inch figure for commercial use that was very common in stores like Toys ‘R’ Us. I haven’t seen a 19-inch figure in a store for some time, outside of eBay for hundreds to thousands of dollars. Also, these were display pieces and not meant to be interacted with or played with—they were to look pretty on the shelf. While they are pretty, they are impractical to give to a kid or take to an event to show off, as they could be easily damaged. There are also the LEGO Clock Figures as well as the more recent LEGO Wooden Figure. Both leave me wanting, for various reasons, which left me to make my own. Where did I begin? Research—lots and lots of research to figure out the details.

While the figure patent is out there and available, it does not completely supply all the figure’s measurements. Also, there are several competing technical drawings that call out different bits of the LEGO figure with slightly different metrics. I am sure many of you can notice when something doesn’t quite look right in the LEGO figure, or when you are looking at a knock-off or another brand version of a minifigure. The arm angle is off, the head curve is wrong, the legs don’t taper correctly. There are a million small issues that if you are used to staring at a LEGO figure, you will notice. Also, if you are looking at a LEGO figure from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, you will know that LEGO has changed some of their own measurements since that original police officer figure, especially the fillet of the head. There are some details that LEGO even wants to forget, like the first minifigure focused feature film wasn’t The LEGO Movie; it was Clutch Powers, but I digress. Notice the Bigfigs don’t fit into the LEGO history of the minifigures below because LEGO doesn’t consider them minifigures. LEGO considers Bigfigs as creatures, which is why I suppose there are inconsistent changes in their dimensions and scale, which does not muddy the minifigure trademark.

The wooden minifigure.

Drawings showing minifigure measurements.

BrickNerd was a LEGO fan website that was started by Tommy Williamson. Relaunched in 2021 by Dave Schefcik and some of the best LEGO builders in the world, the site continues the mission begun by Tommy: to show the best of the LEGO fan community online with builds, interviews and articles. BrickJournal is proud to continue its partnership with BrickNerd.

Parts List (Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)

Qty Part Color Description

1 25126p01.dat White Minifig Baby Body with Yellow Hands Pattern 1 3069b.dat Trans Yellow Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 1 30602.dat Trans Yellow Slope Brick Curved Top 2 x 2 x 1 1 24581p01.dat Yellow Minifig Baby Head with Eyes and Smile Pattern 1 2436a.dat Lt Bluish GreyBracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 4 with Square Corners 1 2654a.dat Lt Bluish GreyDish 2 x 2 with Rim 1 2817.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 2 with Holes 1 3839b.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 with Handles Type 2 3 4274.dat Lt Bluish Grey Technic Pin 1/2 1 4592.dat Lt Bluish Grey Hinge Control Stick Base 3 6141.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 1 Round 1 14181.dat Lt Bluish Grey Wing 4 x 9 with Stud Notches 2 15535.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 2 x 2 Round with Hole 4 15712.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip) 2 25269.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 Corner Round 1 32059.dat Lt Bluish GreyPlate 4 x 6 without Corners 2 59900.dat Lt Bluish GreyCone 1 x 1 with Stop 2 61184.dat Lt Bluish GreyTechnic Pin 1/2 with Bar 2L 2 98100.dat Lt Bluish GreyCone 2 x 2 Truncated 2 98138.dat Lt Bluish GreyTile 1 x 1 Round with Groove 2 99781.dat Lt Bluish GreyBracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Down 1 2432.dat Blue Tile 1 x 2 with Handle 4 3023.dat Blue Plate 1 x 2 2 3068b.dat Blue Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 4 3069b.dat Blue Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 1 15573.dat Blue Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud 1 16599.dat Blue Minifig Helmet Classic with Cracked Thin Chin Guard 2 30414.dat Blue Brick 1 x 4 with Studs on Side 1 54383.dat Blue Wing 3 x 6 Right 1 54384.dat Blue Wing 3 x 6 Left 2 61409.dat Metallic Silver Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 0.667 Grille

Baby Spaceship

Design and Instructions by Geneva Durand from BrickNerd

Blue, light grey, and transparent yellow are a trio of colors that have stood the test of time. No three colors scream spaceship—spaceship!—SPACESHIP! more loudly to a LEGO fan.

My philosophy is that anything that’s cool in minifigure scale must be even better in baby scale! Baby scale is a halfmicro, half-chibi scale I’ve come up with to build things like castles, boats, and airplanes for LEGO babies to ride. This “Baby Build” version of the classic LEGO spaceship is one of mini-models included in my LEGO Ideas project, which you can find by searching Baby Builds on LEGO Ideas.

One kind of old-fashioned piece that I tried to use in an unusual way was the blue tile 1x2 modified with bar handle on the back of the spaceship. This is a piece with some interesting geometry, and it fits well sideways over two studs.

In the front of the spaceship there is a plate 1x2 modified with bar handles—an old part that really helps evoke classic space vibes. This was a fun little build to create, and I hope you have as much fun building it. And yes, it is swooshable!

You can go to the BrickNerd website by typing: https://bricknerd.com/ on your browser or by scanning this QR code!

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