Wall 6 x 8 w/ Door

---Today's Lego---

Name: Wall 6 x 8 w/ Door

Size: 8 wide, 6 high, 3 thick

Color(s): black, brown

This piece came from a samurai theme Lego released back in 1998 or so. I bought a couple of the sets from a garage sale several years ago. This piece is interesting because it looks like a regular wall, but it actually hides a secret door:

That's right, the brown section revolves. A platform on either side has just enough space to hide a minifigure, waiting to jump out and attack:

Hmm.. he doesn't look very threatening, does he? Maybe I should've used a skeleton instead. :)

Wall 3 x 3 corner

---Today's Piece---

Name: Wall 3 x 3 corner

Size: 3 wide x 3 deep 3 x 7 tall

Color(s): White, yellow

Another wall piece from one of the best Lego sets I have, the Eldorado Fortress. This is a good piece to use in buildings, although it only works well in corners because of its shape. If you put two of them togther, you have a nice little space:

Just the right size to fit a Lego minifigure, as you can see. In the Eldorado Fortress, two pieces were used like this to make a sort of throne for the fortress commander.

 

Here's an outside view of the two pieces. Notice the brick patterns on the yellow piece. That white piece is really dirty; maybe I should wash it sometime.

Wall 7 x 6 Log

---Today's Lego---

Name: Wall 7 x 6 Log

Size: 7 high x 6 wide

Color(s): Brown

This piece was introduced with Lego's Wild West theme back in 1996 or so. Several years ago, I managed to get around $90 of Lego Wild West sets at a garage sale for only - get this - $5! As a result, I have several of these pieces which I use in some of my models. Log cabins, for example, or other wooden buildings.

 

Here's another picture, just of the inside. Looking at this picture, I realize how dusty that piece is.

Wall 7 x 5

---Today's Brick---

Name: Wall 7 x 5

Size: 5 wide, 7 tall, 1 thick

Color: White w/ Red Brick pattern

This piece was used in the very first large Lego set I ever got, the Eldorado Fortress. It was Christmas day, and I was so excited to get it, I couldn't put it together. So, my mom ended up putting it together for me. I think that was the first and last Lego set she built. As time went by, I accumulated different colored wall pieces:

The black and gray pieces came from a castle set, although I couldn't tel you which one.

Here's a picture of the inside. Notice the little row of studs sticking out at the top. This mad it possible to add roofing to the piece, and still have the roof be flush with the top.

Unknown Bionicle Piece Redux

---Today's Brick---

Name: Unknown

Size: 7 1/2 long x 5 wide x 4 tall

Color(s): Transparent white, trans. blue

Yep, the last piece from the Bionicle theme, at least for now. Today's piece is another one from the Bohrok sets. This piece served as the head covering/exoskeleton for a Bohrok set. The above picture is a head-on view. this piece was also designed to flip upwards when the Bohrok model was hit in a specific "weak point," thus disabling it.

A view of the underside. That blue part sticking out has connector holes for attaching the piece to the rest of the model.

Bionicle Something.

---Today's Brick---

Name: Unknown

Size:7 1/2 long x 2 wide x 4 tall

Color(s): Blue

Another speciality piece from the Bionicle theme. This piece made up the body of a Bionicle "villian" called the Bohrok. There were 6 Bohrok, and they acted to stop the heros. The heros subsequently reached a new level of power and destroyed them, etc. You know the story; it's the same old cliched one you've read a thousand times.

Bionicle Chestpiece

---Today's Brick---

Name: Bionicle Chestpiece

Size: 7 tall x 7 wide(at widest point) x 2 thick at thickest point

Color(s): Variable

Another specialty piece, this time from the Bionicle theme again. This piece made up most of the body of a Bionicle character, although I forget which one.

Another view of the piece. This particular piece was difficult to photograph for some reason.

An inside view, showing the connector holes that are used to attach other pieces to this one.

R2-D2's Head

---Today's Brick---

Name: Unknown

Size: Each is 7 tall x 6 wide x 6 deep

Color(s) blue, gray, red

Ok, now these are specialty pieces if there ever were ones. These two pieces came in a 1999 Lego set called the Droid Developer's Kit, and were used for the main model of the set, which was R2-D2 from Star Wars.

Here are the two pieces joined together to make R2-D2's head.

Bionicle Disk Arm

---Today's Brick---

Name: Bionicle Disk Arm

Size: 9 long x 6 wide x 1 1/2 thick

Color(s): Gray

While this arm wasn't introduced with the Throwbot sets, it is still compatible with Throwbot disks, as you can see:

This arm actually came a few years after the Throwbots, as part of Lego's Bionicle theme.

Finally, a hello to my sister, who is turning 24 years old today. :)

Throwbot/Slizer Disk

---Today's Brick---

Name: Throwbot/Slizer disk

Size: 5 diameter, 1 thick

Color(s): Several

Back in the late 1990's, Lego introduced a theme called Throwbots in the US, and Slizer in Europe. This theme focused on the adventures of various disk-slinging robots. Each robot had different colored disks that they flung, using a special type of arm.

Although six sets were introduced originally, there ended up being around a dozen Throwbot/Slizer sets when the theme was discontinued around 2000/2001.

Tomorrow, I'll look at one of the arms you can shoot these disks with.

Door w/ 4 Windows

---Today's Brick---
Name: Door w/ 4 Windows
Size: 4 wide x 5 high x 1 deep
Color(s) several
This type door has been a part of my brick inventory for a long as I can remember. I originally got a yellow one with my very first Lego set, when was seven years old. I still have it around here somewhere, too.

A view from the inside. This type of door, along with most Lego doors, only opens outward. There are a couple types of door, with different mounts, that can open inwards, outwards, or both. Maybe I'll post one of those in the future.

Technic Spring Launcher

---Today's Brick---
Name: Technic Blunt Shooter
Size: 6 long x 2 wide x 4 high

Continuing from yesterday's BOTD, today I have the launcher used with those pieces. Load one into the launcher, and it looks like so:
The launchers are loaded and ready to fire. Push the black axle sticking out of the top of the launcher, and it will fire the dard - or blunt - about 4 feet, which isn't a bad distance. I built a robot equipped with these once. The robot would wait until someone walked too close, and then fire the darts. They dont' hit with enough force to do damage, but they are still startling. Fun fun.

Technic Launcher Ammo

---Today's Brick---
Name: Unknown
Size: 9 long, 3 diameter head
Color(s): Head black, body varies
This is an odd little piece. I used six of these as feet for a multi-legged robot I built once. Their primary purpose is ammunition for a little spring-loaded launcher that Lego originally made for the Cyber Slam/Competition series of sets. They spend most of their time sitting in a drawer, as I can't find that many uses for them. If you have any ideas, leave a comment.

Fiber Optic Brick

---Today's Brick---
Name: Technic Fiber-Optic Brick
Size: 4 wide, 2 deep, 2 2/3 high
Color(s): gray

This piece can be used to add a little bit of decoration to your models. It doesn't look like much - just an odd brick with 8 little holes and a larger one in the center.

This is a rear view, where we see that only the large hole goes all the way through the piece. Now, if we hook up a Lego battery box to this piece, look what happens:
It glows! That's right, this piece has a light inside it. And if we add a couple more pieces - a motor, an axle through the center hole, and several clear plastic fibers, look at what we get:


A nice decorative light effect. This brick has been used in several Lego system and Technic sets. I got one of my fiber optic bricks from the Interstellar Starfighter, and another from the Fiber Optic Multi Set. I don't use them much anymore, but they're still good pieces.

Sorry about the wait

Sorry for not doing a new brick for so long. :( I've had finals week going on, so I was busy. Then I had other stuff to do - you know, real life. But, I should be able to get back to making BOTDs this week, if I'm lucky. :)

Large Windscreen

---Today's Brick---
Name: Large Windscreen
Size: 8 wide x 5 deep x 3 high
Color(s): transparent white, trans. blue

I got this piece from a set of Lego's Model Team theme, which isn't around much anymore. It makes a good multi-purpose windshield for cars, boats, planes, and so on.
Here' s an inside view, showing a bit of the depth. This piece also comes in transparent blue, but I didn't dig mine out to take a picture of. Call me lazy. :P

8 x 6 Roof

---Today's Brick---
Name: Slope brick 8 x 6
Size: 8 wide, 6 deep, 1/3 to 1 high
Color(s): several
Yep, just your basic slope brick piece. Good for making roofs with. Also good for vehicle ramps, especially is you use several of them.

Side view. Note the notch on the left side of the piece. That lets you connect it to plates more easily, making for a smooth roofline.


This piece also comes in a mottled gray pattern, although I don't know if it's still available. I got this one from an older Lego set.

You might recognize that shelter from a previous BOTD. I'm showing it here as an example use of the roof piece.

Another Large Rock.

---Today's Brick--
Name: Unknown
Size: 10 wide x 4 deep x 6 high
Color(s) dark gray

Another large rock piece, useful primarily for landscaping and mountain building. Some day, I want to buy a bunch of these off of eBay and build my own Lego mountain range.
An inside view. This piece might even make a better fireplace than the rock piece I featured yesterday, since it has more room inside. You could build a little grill, for barbecuing delicious plastic food.
What happens when you pair the two rock pieces together; they fit perfectly. This configuration was even used in an official Lego set once, although I forget which one.

A Large Rock.

---Today's Brick---
Name: unknown
Size: 8 wide x 3 deep x 8 high
Color(s): Dark Gray
Yep, this is a rock brick. Useful for doing landscaping, or building small mountains for Lego figures to climb on. Put several of them together, and you have a whole mountain range. I used a bunch of these to build a small mountain with a waterfall cascading down into a small lake.

Here's an inside view. This piece can also be used as a nice fireplace. Stick a couple of Lego flames inside, build a chimney, and there you go.

Round UFO Pieces

---Today's Brick---
Name: unknown
Size: 10 wide x 10 long x 2 1/3 high
Color(s) Gray, transparent green/yellow, gray with design

I don't really know what to call this piece. They were used in a series of Lego sets from 1997, and haven't been seen since. They make nice pieces for building flying saucers, though. Put four of them together, and you have a complete circle.

Here's a view of the underside. There's room to add other pieces, or you can use the round piece to cover up a jagged surface.

The piece also comes in a transparent yellow/green color. This was used as a cockpit window in the set it came from.
Some of the pieces I got with the set have designs printed on them. Beware of the menacing aliens!

Castle Balcony Railing

---Today's Brick---
Name: Castle Balcony Railing
Size: 8 wide x 3 deep x 2 1/3 high
Color(s): Several
This piece is useful for castle building. It also comes in white, gray, and black, but I didn't have a piece of that color handy. It was used in one of my favorite Lego sets of all time, the Eldorado Fortress, a set from when I was young. Here's a picture from the inside:

When you put this piece together with yesterday's BOTD, the result is a perfect fit:
Opens up some interesting new possibilities for castle building, does it not?

Window Blue Wraparound

---Today's Brick---
Name: Window Blue Wraparound
Size: 8 wide, 3 deep, 6 high
Color(s) blue window, yellow trim

I got this window from a Lego Res-Q set I found at a garage sale for a good price. The set has since been added to the "pile," but I'm hoping to find a use for the window. Maybe as a living room window for a new house, or possibly even a modern-day castle.

Here's a view of the window from the perspective of someone on the inside, looking out.

Headlight Brick 1 x 1 x 1

As I mentioned on Saturday, here's the red headlight brick I used.
---Today's Brick---
Name: Headlight Brick 1 x 1 x 1
Size: 1 wide, 1 deep, 1 high
Color(s): Several
This is another useful brick. As its name suggests, you can use it for mounting headlights on cars, as the stud mounted perpendicular to the other stud lets you do. It can slao be used for mounting plates vertically:

Here, a couple plates from yesterday's BOTD have been mounted vertically using four headlight bricks. Notice that the bricks have a stud on one side and a tube on the other; this lets you mount plates studs-out or studs-in, whichever you prefer.
And, the shape of the headlight bricks lets them be built into some interesting configurations. The photo above shows four headlight bricks, mounted at 90-degree angles to each other.