Frequently Asked Questions:

Below is a list of the most common questions people ask me. Please read these before you ask me something – the answer may be already there, and it will save your time – not to mention mine.

Where do you buy all these things, and how do I get them?

I don’t buy these things, I create them myself. These are not official LEGO sets, just custom designs not available for sale.

Can I buy any of these from you?

Not really. There are basically two reasons for this: firstly, I only build every construction once and then take it apart, without creating any form of instruction. Hence, if I were to re-build a specific construction for you, I would have to rely mainly on my memory. Secondly, and more importantly, all my constructions are very ‘technic’ in nature – they contain a number of moving parts and mechanism that may get damaged and malfunction. If you want to buy them, you probably want to put their functions into some use, and it means I can’t guarantee they will work properly in every condition, not to mention the problems with shipping. They can’t be glued solid or reinforced – it’s just the way the bricks work; they can be put together, but they can be put apart as well. And I have no time for some emergency service or handling dissatisfied customers, sorry.

If the above does not discourage you, there is obviously always a space for negotiations. Be aware, however, that the specialized parts I’m often using and plenty of labour needed must reflect on the final price.

Do you make instructions?

Usually I don’t, and there is a number of reasons for it. Creating instructions takes usually much more time than the actual building did, and hence it would reduce the number of my constructions at least by half. I tend to use plenty of specialized parts that are rare and expensive – so even with the instruction in hand, you would most likely have to do a lot of shopping, and then perhaps feel unhappy about the way you spent your money. Finally, I deeply believe that creativity is what LEGO is about. So I’m taking many photos and I’m explaining how the mechanisms are built and on what principles they work. This plus your creativity should be enough. If you want complete, step-by-step instructions – go buy some LEGO sets.

What software are you using to create 3D drawings and schemes?

I’m using MLCad for modelling and LDraw for rendering.

Can you send me more photos of something?

No.  The construction you’re interested in is most probably already taken apart, and I really don’t keep any photos hidden from you. I only keep the photos I have published. If they’re not enough – sorry, there really is no more.

Does “Future Projects” page list all your future projects?

No. I have a number of secret projects, which are highly experimental and hence more likely to fail. I don’t list them there to avoid being hard-pressed, as they are more unusual and more difficult to complete than the regular ones. But if such a project enters a stage at which it’s very likely to be completed, it will be listed in the “Currently building” section under a code name.

Can I use any of your ideas?

Of course, that’s why I publish them. I believe that the ideas should be exchanged in the Lego builders community freely.

Do I have to credit you when I use some of your ideas?

Not necessarily. It will be nice if you do, but that’s not really the point, and I don’t require it. I’d rather see my ideas developed further and put into a good use, than look around for credits.

Are you keeping all your constructions?

I’m keeping none. I take them all apart in order to build something next, to re-use the parts. I have no regrets about it – anything I build can be recreated, and even if I kept it intact, I would feel compelled to improve something in it sooner or later. My need for building is simply stronger than my need for looking at my creations.

How many parts do you have?

Probably less than you think. I’m not a collector, I only buy necessary parts, and I’m re-using the ones I already have. Moreover, I want to hold all my parts within my workbench, and that implies certain limits. There are approximately 20000 parts in my current posession; for comparison, a large Lego Technic set can easily exceed 1500 parts count.

What does your workbench looks like?

Messy is the word, I guess. As you can see below, there’s one large pile of loose bricks plus some drawers, cases and containers with selected parts. It may look like some cataclysm has taken place here, but I’m actually quite comfortable with this setup.

Where do you get all your parts?

There are many sources available, starting with the LEGO Shop itself, including eBay and probably the most specialized: Bricklink.com. I’m shopping almost exclusively online, because the prices are more affordable that in local shops available to me.

Can you sell me some parts?

As mentioned above, there are numerous sources of LEGO parts available. Most of them are faster and cheaper than I could be.

Do you have some special technical education?

Not a bit, I’m a linguist by education and a webdesigner by profession. I simply have a strong interest in mechanics, and a plenty of experience with LEGO bricks. All I need to build is some mathematics, geometry and access to the Wikipedia.

You should show LEGO what you build, or work for them!

Thank you, actually the company is aware of my work and we do have a certain form of a co-operation. All I can tell is that I’m not a LEGO employee, but the company uses a little bit of my help in its development.

How come your photos look professionally edited?

I work as a webdesigner. Graphic design and post-processing of photos are essential part of my profession.

Are you a professional photographer?

No, I have little idea about professional photography. I’m using a Sony a300K camera, a pair of good lamps, and a big piece of paper as the background. Nothing really tricky.

Are you building with LEGO bricks only?

Yes, as far as it’s possible. That means, I’m using both LEGO and non-LEGO strings, rubber bands and pneumatic hoses, as these originals parts are most difficult (and least rational) to buy. Other than that, it’s all original LEGO bricks down to the last single part. And I don’t modify, cut or glue my bricks.

Do you build with LEGO Mindstorms too?

No, I don’t. I suppose LEGO Mindstorms is a fascinating and absorbing universe, but I am already fascinated and absorbed by purely Technic ideas. If I happen to run out of them, then perhaps one day I will enter the world of Mindstorms.

Can you build something from the Star Wars theme?

I have no interest in Star Wars theme at all, sorry.

What’s the difference between terms “Truck Trial” and “Trial Truck”?

Truck Trial is the name of the competition. Trial Truck is the name of a vehicle built specifically for this competition.

Can you make instructions for some good Trial Truck?

No. It’s simply pointless – Truck Trial is a sport somewhat similar to F1 races, which means that there are no ultimate solutions nor ultimate vehicles. Construction of trucks used in the Truck Trial is continuously evolving, the improving of vehicles never really stops, and new solutions pop up every couple of months only to become outdated sooner or later. There are many different approaches to building, various builders focus on various aspects of their vehicles, and ever most successful trucks are being improved and experimented on. Some vehicles can perform excellent against certain types of obstacles while failing against other. I’m still trying to develop a decent, universal vehicle, but even if I succeed and create instruction, it will soon become worthless. Given the extreme complexity of Truck Trial vehicles and hence long time needed to create such an instruction, it would very likely be outdated by the time it’s finished.

Do you have something to do with the BrickShelf, since you created the statistics module?

No,  I’m just a regular BrickShelf user. The statistics module is an entirely external piece of software.

When building in military theme, do you have some remorses?

Actually, I’m very picky about the military theme. I avoid building vehicles created by some controversial regimes, e.g. North Korean ones. Due to historical reasons, I don’t feel comfortable with German or Russian vehicles neither. I’m aware that e.g. the Tiger tank is very popular among Lego builders, but I just don’t feel like building it. Additionally, please keep in mind that when I build a military model, it is merely to express how fascinating engineering achievement it is, not to promote the purpose of it (which is killing), nor the country that created it. I may be a fan of tracked vehicles, and still not like what some of them are used for.

How come you build so much?

There is a number of experienced builders who work really fast. In my case, I believe imagination is the key: I don’t have to try out every solution that comes to my head, because often I can imagine how it would work without touching a single brick. It’s not difficult, it’s just a matter of experience and knowledge on the LEGO bricks. There is also a matter of planning – when I build something big, I’m trying to plan it in theory as much as possible. I’m checking the exact size of the mechanisms I want to include in it, I’m trying to figure out the best way to put them together. It takes little effort, and it’s really helpful, or even crucial in case of the most complex constructions.

How come you use black so much?

I’m trying not to build only in black, but the thing is – black is affordable. Black parts are very common, hence easily available and inexpensive. Yes, I would love to build tanks in grey, or dark grey, but that would cost me much more, and would take much time & effort to find some rare parts. Building is my passion, but unfortunately I can’t spend all my money on it.

How long does it take to build these things?

That varies a lot, sometimes it’s three days, sometimes it’s three months.

Who is mr. Fluffy?

Mr. Fluffy was a shapely, well-fed hamster (a Campbell’s Russian dwarf hamster to be specific) who simply loved to eat. This made it easy to bribe him into testing some of my constructions. He was nearly 2 years old when he passed away on September 23rd 2009, having starred at 6 of my models.