AC Pin: Still Blooming

Everyone knows that in store visits, the first place I usually head towards is the Pick And Build wall. It’s always fascinating to find unusual pieces in quantity that wouldn’t break the bank like when ordered online. That’s why, like any blue-blooded AFOL, I’ll take advantage of the supply to get these pieces which can be used for future builds. Every now and then I’ll use the PAB piece in experimental builds to see how it can be utilized. The piece (Round 1 x 2 with Open Studs) in dark tan was the latest find and it didn’t take me long to build several MOCs that showcased its versatility. From my experience as I build more with the same piece, new ideas come to fruition. In this case, while building the flower, it made me realize that in the shaping of the petals, the same technique can be used for another MOC. One of the toughest shapes to build with the bricks is a dome, and the usual outcome for it looks like typical rough brick work. The new piece made me realize that I can do better shaping with the dome. So to put the theory to work, I made a prototype dome using bricks at my disposal, which were in different colors. The color scheme is not important at this point, as what matters most is the viability of the design. The tricky part was connecting the rounded plates to the bricks that are at a different orientation. Fortunately I got the small brackets to do the main connection, utilizing additional tiles and plates to adjust the level of attachment. Eight sections similar to the petals connected them together with a modified plate (2 x 2 with Bar Frame Octagonal, Reinforced, Completely Round Studs). Then it was just a matter of making adjustments to the sections as they were assembled together to complete

A closer look at the flower.

Building Designing a Dome

Article and Photography by AC Pin

From many parts comes a flower (below center).

Article and Photography by James Zhan

People

James Zhan’s Flower Gallery

James Zhan was in our last issue as a mecha builder, but he builds more than robots. Another specialty he has is building flowers. Here’s a gallery of his flowers, along with James’ commentary.

Orchid

James’ comments: The elegant orchid has always been a model that I wanted to build. This version was completed in 2018 and ended up being displayed in the LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery.

Wedding Bouquet

James’ comments: A friend requested a special build for his wedding proposal. I used some basic parts to create this bouquet, and it ended up helping his friend’s proposal.

Tomorrow Will be Fine

James’ comments: A beautiful flower was completed at the beginning of 2021 using the Shoulder Shell W.3.20 Connector. This was designed in the style of Japanese flora design (ikebana) and with the hope that we will all be better in the new year.

People

Birgitte Jonsgard: From Chapels to Flowers!

Article by Joe Meno Photography by Birgitte Jonsgard

Birgitte’s Borgund stave church model. Birgitte Jonsgard, a high school biology teacher, has a LEGO story like so many other builders. In childhood, she loved building her own things. For her, LEGO has always been about building your own things. She remembers very few sets from her childhood, as she would rapidly ‘set free’ the bricks from their sets and be used over and over for her creations.

She left the bricks behind when she became a teenager.

However, in 2011, she came across some photos of

MOCs online. These were models of well-known buildings in Oslo built by members of the Norwegian LUG Brikkelauget. She had no idea LEGO was used by adults in such advanced ways, and for her it was a revelation: “Liking LEGO and making models—this is the perfect hobby!” Her building interests include all kinds of things, but she keeps returning to architecture in different scales.