Issue 27 Winter

Transcription

1 Issue 27 Winter The The Newsletter of The Brickish Association

2 The Brickish Association The Brickish Association is a UK-based community of Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) President Chairman Vice-Chair Treasurer Secretary Editor Martin Long Ed Diment Julie Greig Michael LeCount Lucy Boughton Robert Clarkson LEGO is a trademark of The LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse The Brickish Association or this publication. Please send submissions for inclusion in the next edition of The Brick Issue or general enquiries about this newsletter to the editor newsletter@brickish.org Contributors Robert Clarkson Peter Corish Adrian Crowshaw Steven Tasker Editor s Letter Welcome the to 27th edition of The Brick Issue. The good news of Ed recovering from his debilitating illness (and having survived eating hospital food ) is countered by the sad news that he intends to step down as Chairman (at our next AGM). A brilliant builder, Ed is also a respected member of the LEGO community both within and outside of the Brickish Association (BA). I personally thank him for his endeavours with the BA and wish him continued health and success. In this issue, Adrian Crowshaw describes building his Blackpool Tram. Being from t north-west I have seen this tram for real many times and this reinforces my admiration of how well designed and constructed this model is. Steven Tasker presents an article with a different take on building with LEGO. I know modifying LEGO elements is considered a heinous crime by some, but Steven presents a novel as well as educational explanation as to why he proposes this approach. Lastly, Peter Corish presents us with a humorous comic strip from Golowood. How apt, considering how easy it is to say something blissfully unaware that it can have another, totally unintentional meaning. Robert Clarkson newsletter@brickish.org The Association Matters Hello all, Chairman s Report For this edition of the Brick Issue my Chairman s report will be fairly brief. As most of you are aware, in August I was knocked out for a while after having my appendix rupture and having to have an operation to sort out the mess. I can highly recommend against this, it s not pleasant. Catching up on lost work has put me out of the loop more than I would like, but hopefully I can turn that around and address some of the issues I was hoping to after the last issue. Early October saw another spectacularly successful LEGO exhibition at STEAM, with a return to record numbers of visitors, so well done Martin Long, all other members who helped out and to those who exhibited. I d also like to take this opportunity to thank James Camplin for stepping in and doing a sterling job in organising this years Christmas Party. I am sure it will be a great success, as every year. This autumn sees the launch of the 2013 LUGBulk order, following on from its success of the last few years. Iain Adams has graciously agreed to continue to organise this, which I am sure he will do with his usual efficiency. For those new to the process, LUGBulk is a means by which club members buy parts in bulk from the LEGO community support team. There are some limitations but it is a good way to stock up on LEGO elements. In previous years the call for members wishing to stand for posts on the BA committee has usually occurred early in the new year. We have traditionally only had one or two candidates stand for any post, but have had excellent candidates in my view. With the intention of trying to maximise the potential for good candidates for next year I would like to take this opportunity to inform the membership that I will be stepping down as Chairman and not standing for re-election in The change in my work circumstances over the past year has made it utterly impossible for me to have any time to achieve any of the things I set out to do and laid out in my candidacy. I can only apologise for not having been able to achieve more for the Association. I recommend that members consider if they would like to stand and take the necessary time over the next four months to think about what they can offer the Association and whether they d like to stand. It only remains for me to thank the membership for their continued support and to say enjoy the rest of this issue of the BI. Ed Diment, chairman@brickish.org Page 2

3 Modifying LEGO - for the Egyptians by Steven Tasker My foray into the world of LEGO began some six years ago (2006) when I decided to try and solve the mystery of the pyramids, i.e. the construction technique and the problem of, just how did they raise the stones? My research leads me to believe the Egyptians left clues within their art and writings, within a short space of time I came up with a working hypothesis. To the untrained eye, Egyptian art looks conceptual, without perspective, lacking depth. Understanding Egyptian art is the key to the mystery; without going into great detail I will try to briefly explain. The ancient Egyptians used a method of depiction using cannon of proportions set within a grid. A traditional Egyptian image shows the head and lower body viewed from the side, with the eye and upper body viewed from the front. The guidelines are used to bring uniformity to scale. Their drawings are stylized images which represent the eternal spirit of the character that they depict. Other objects outside this grid could be portrayed whereby the front view, side, plan and top view could be seen in the same picture plane, called aspective this would be similar to a modern schematic. fig 1 fig 2 I set out prove my hypothesis with working models using the technique of (E A) experimental archaeology. EA is a way a theory can put to the test in a practical way. I set about reinterpreting Egyptian aspective and stylized images into a modern perspective viewpoint. My first model was a vertical windlass, I interpreted this from an ancient Egyptian symbol called a Djed [fig 1]; its meaning is said to represent strength, stability and balance. The windlass rotated by way of three roped spools, these spools were integral to the top of the machine [fig 2]. Two ropes were for power and one for the rewind process. A further rope was wrapped around the base of the machine, thus when the power ropes were pulled, the load moved up a slope. So, the concept seemed to work, but what now? What does one do with a theory? With only a formal education, my theory seemed far from the halls of academia. I was sure that if I could produce a small model with sufficient detail my theory would generate interest within the academic community. fig 3 My early models were made from wood [fig 3], standard 2 x 1 cut into blocks and ramp shapes to form a pyramid. After several weeks of work I had a substantial model of a ramp system, which I thought the Egyptians may have used. The model gave me the confidence to approach the Egyptology community and explain my findings and in February of 2008 I was invited to talk at the Current Research in Egyptology Conference at Manchester University. My talk was well received and I was further invited to give talks to Egyptology Societies in and around the UK. The one drawback to these talks was the model itself, it was cumbersome and heavy to transport; moreover it did not include the vertical windlass, essential for a clear explanation. The ancient Egyptians used stone blocks precisely cut to a tolerance that we would find difficult, even with today s modern machines. So LEGO seemed the ideal medium to construct a working model. However, there was a drawback to this, LEGO do not make the construction element I needed to create a smooth ramp, so I set about redesigning a LEGO element [fig 4]. Fig 4 Page 3

4 The new element seemed to work quite well and I decided to register my design with the design and patents office. This was a simple process and they do have a help-line to guide you through the forms. I thought LEGO might be interested in the design but sadly, they rejected it (design registration may be of interest to your readers, an article on just how to register maybe of some use in the future). The prototype elements were made from car body filler, the type with added glass fibbers for extra strength. fig 6 fig 5 The entire model took about a month to complete [figs 5 & 6], modifications are still on going, and I would like to incorporate an electric motor, to give movement to the winch. An explanation of my hypothesis and the working Lego model, can be found on you tube: e=youtu.be An Age-Old Cure for Old-Aged LEGO It is unfortunate that LEGO elements can become discoloured over time. For example white elements become yellowed. This is related to the flame retardants that contain bromine, added for safety reasons. In reacting to ultraviolet light (natural or artificial) the bromine molecules initiate a chemical reaction in the plastic causing the discolouration. The more exposure to sunlight, the greater the discolouration. Recently, Darren Rhoden undertook some research on the Internet about the best way to restore yellowed bricks back to their original colour. The information he found said this can be done with hydrogen peroxide and 'Oxy action'. He enquired on the forum if anyone had attempted this or found an alternative solution? Tim Goddard provided a link to one of his flickr pages: ( 4823/). Some result of his attempts are shown. After Before Tim considered that the product really brightens up old white and light grey and brings blue colour back. Although he warned it may remove the bromine from the b LEGO which is present to prevent them from becoming brittle! So he was unsure as to how this might affect the long term life of the element after this treatment. Tim adds that after a few ventures his top three tips are: [1] It is only really worth treating smaller elements as larger pieces can end up with different degrees of brightening at different points on one brick. [2] The amount of effort it takes means you are better off buying new elements. [3] It seems only works well with the critical ingredient; sunlight. It needs about 15 minutes but you need to rotate bricks every few minutes. Simon Denscombe added that it doesn't actually remove the bromine, it just tries to reverse the reaction which made it go yellow in the first place and it only influences the surface of the plastic not internally. He suggests the following method; take bricks add one scoop of oxy-type stain remover and enough 30% hydrogen peroxide (Pharmacists sell it) to cover and leave in the sun for 2 hours. Finally a safety warning, Many of these products (hydrogen peroxide in particular) can be very nasty and can cause severe chemical burns to skin and can also cause blindness if splashed into the eyes. Please carefully read any instructions provided and handle with great care - for you, not just for your LEGO! Page 4

5 A Coronation in a Jubilee Year: Building a LEGO Tram by Adrian Croshaw Comparison of the LEGO model and the real thing The LEGO train articles in Brick Issue no. 22 inspired me to write an article based on my first attempt at building a tram from LEGO. I ve had an interest in real trains from a very early age and then became interested in trams from visits to Blackpool where they still run vintage trams along the sea front. I ve also spent a lot of time with other family members helping out at the National Tramway Museum near Matlock in Derbyshire ( Every year, they hold a models weekend with displays of model trams, trains, road vehicles and more, including a display of Meccano models. This gave me the idea to build some large scale trams from LEGO, but the idea never really went anywhere and got forgotten about. A few years later and I m flicking through random pictures of LEGO models online. A few of the models inspire me to start thinking about making a few smaller scale LEGO trams that will fit onto the LEGO trains track. My interest in the real thing leads me to look through some books on trams to see if I can find any with scale drawings of a suitable looking vehicle to begin with. I decide on the Blackpool Coronation Car which was a single deck design built in 1952 and lasting until 1976 except for two which are both preserved and still running today. The first thing I did was print a copy of the scale drawing that I had found so that it was approximately O gauge (7mm = 1ft), which made my LEGO version 7 studs wide and about 43 studs long. This being my first attempt at building anything along the lines of a LEGO train, and also my first 7 wide vehicle, it was a real learning curve. Again, the LEGO train articles in Brick Issue no. 22 inspire me to write about my experience with it. I had an idea for the basic shape of the particular tram in question, so working on top of the scale drawing, I was able to recreate the shape of the front fairly well. I did encounter some difficulty with the front windows, so I decided to come back to that later. Not having any of the parts in the correct colour didn t help much either, so there was a lot of referring to the catalogue entries on Bricklink to check if the parts I was using existed in the correct colours. Page 5 Drawings and Test build I moved on to the sides and was doing fairly well until I realised I hadn t thought about the wheels.

6 After scrabbling about for the smaller of the red wheels from the Toy Story train (set 7597), I managed to make up a test bogie of the right dimensions. I considered that, as I don t have any LEGO trains apart from the Toy Story train, a static model would do for my first tram. Now I had to rebuild the lower sections of it all so that the wheels would fit. Having successfully done that using 1x2 2x2 brackets and tiles which allowed space for the 6 wide bogie, another problem presented itself. Although the bogie fitted, it wouldn t rotate much within the side panels. It ll be a static model on the first try, so that doesn t matter too much, I thought and moved on to the roof. I was struggling on building the doors in the centre and deciding again, to go back to them later! Although problematic in itself, I feel I managed to keep the roof profile close to the real thing fairly well using a half plate height method. I discovered this online whilst trying to find different SNOT techniques to use on the doors in the centre. A few more days work of tweaking parts and I came up with a solution for the doors. This still left the driver s windows and the tower on top which the trolley arm is mounted on. Having looked online at as many LEGO tram models I could find, no one seems to have made any of a single deck tram that has a tower for the trolley arm or pantograph to sit on so that it can reach the overhead wire. All the models I could find were of designs that didn t need a tower. So far my model was full of placeholder parts of the wrong dimensions and colours and only consisted of one end and just over half of one side. So that was left for later and I plumped for translating my physical build into a digital model. I used MLCAD so that I could generate a parts list for what I had designed so far. I could also start gathering the actual bricks in the correct colours. together, just leaving the parts I d decided to leave until later. I also realised I hadn t ordered any of the parts needed for the bogies, having not designed them on the digital model! A few evenings work playing with different pieces in different configurations finally gave me a solution for the driver s windows. This allowed them to be angled slightly like the real thing, and an idea formed on how I could build the trolley tower. More parts that I did not have in my collection were required, so it was back to Bricklink... Completed MLCAD model My idea for the trolley tower required the use of some flex tube, which I have discovered is pretty rare in white. I couldn t think of any other method that would work and still look neat, so I decided to hunt for a non LEGO product that was effectively the same as the flex tube. On a trip to a Maplin Electronics store, I discovered some cable described as Single-Core Lapped Screen Cable in white which has a 3.1mm diameter. This cable is much more flexible than the LEGO tubing which seems to be a benefit, but you can see an obvious colour difference between the white bricks and the cable. Despite it not being canon, I think it worked well as an alternative. Virtual build on MLCAD A year later, July 2012 sees the final construction begin. Gathering the majority of the parts required based on the MLCAD parts list went really slowly. After a couple of Bricklink orders arrived, the main body of the tram was completed, requiring a only few adjustments to hold it all Page 6 The final model Finally, within a single evening, I quickly built a small piece of road to display the finished tram on, which included a plaque to attach a description to. There are a few things I would try to do differently on my next attempt such as making parts of the structure stronger. Also, although I included a few smaller details, other details such as headlights should be included. Overall though, for a first attempt in copying a real thing to scale, first rail mounted vehicle and first 7 wide vehicle, I feel it was a good job well done.

7 10th Great Western LEGO Show The Great Western LEGO Show, habitually known as 'STEAM is the UK's longest running and often considered the best LEGO fan event. It has been held at the same museum in Swindon since 2003 and was, at first, a modest display. It has now expanded into a grand exhibition of LEGO models of a high standard and diversity. Detailed solo builds, constructed over a few years, stand alongside elaborate collaborative builds; modest yet iconic pieces next to astoundingly huge models; the serious and solemn next to abstract and surreal, next to jocular and light hearted. This year s event utilised a wide variety of media with which to inform, educate and entertain the public (and fellow AFOLs). These included static displays, instructive demonstrations, interactive activities, diverse presentations, video montages and plenty of LEGO to buy from the many traders. The social side for those contributing to this event fills any gaps one may have over weekend. There is plenty of opportunity to have fun and chat with fellow AFOLs about all things LEGO (and make bids in the auction). The fact that over over the weekend 8,000 people walked through the museums doors further confirms the popularity of this annual event. I enclose a number of pictures from the event with apologies for those excluded. There are just too many models on display to be able to represent them all. To get some idea of what it was like I recommend the following videos on You Tube: Thanks to Martin Long and his team for organising this brilliant event and to all those AFOLs who contributed. Now to start on my model for next year... Page 7

8 :e The Back Page Answer to Brick-oku in BI 26 Forthcoming Events 1 Dec 2012: Christmas Party at LEGOLAND Windsor January 2013: London Model Engineering Exhibition at Alexandra Palace Feb 2013: LEGO Show at Avon Gorge Hotel 1-3 March 2013: Northern Model Engineering Exhibition at the Trafford Centre in Manchester March 2013: Memorabilia, NEC Birmingham April 2013: London Transport Museum for more details on these and other events being planned go to: Answer to Cube puzzle in BI 26 is C Can you spot the eight differences in the two pictures below? Page 12