Construction Site

As I acquire more and more Lego's, I try to find purposes for them.  Over the last few years, I've been getting more construction-related sets, so why not create a Construction Site to house them all?

The foreman's trailer for overseeing construction

I needed a building to house the foreman's office, the construction plans, and other things used to supervise the building process.  I'm not familiar with this industry, so I'm sure there is more I need inside, but it's there and it takes up space, which is really all I needed here.

A construction worker discussing saws with the foreman.

Outside the office, I put a couple of portable bathrooms, in case anyone working on site runs into digestive issues.  These also aren't all that fancy.  I focused more on making it look good on the outside than in.  But who needs a fancy toilet anyways?

A couple of portable restrooms in case anyone needs to..., well, you know...

I have plenty of vehicles to help with construction.  What are they building?  I don't know yet.  I haven't gotten that far yet.  When I'm ready, I've got a crane, a couple of cherry picker, a couple of earth movers, a cement truck, a jackhammer.  Plenty of tools to help break up and move dirt, lift items into the air, and get people up to perform bonding operating (hammering, welding, etc.).

All the vehicles on site at the Construction Site

I've got a number of leftover pieces from some construction-related Lego sets that I need to find a use for.  I haven't been able to invent a new vehicle to add into the mix, but then again, I don't know what I'll need or want.  Without a building for everyone here to start working on, how would anyone know what you'd need to construct it?

Extra pieces to make stuff to help with the construction efforts

I've got a basic idea for a building framework for these workers to put together.  I need to get a baseplate and some bricks together to get it started so I have something to show for it.  Maybe during the time between Christmas and New Year's, when I have the week off of work, I can start something.  We'll see...

Sets used:  3179, 6514, 10657, 30151, 30229, 30312, 60072, 60073, 71008

Lego Haul - 10/3/16

I used some more of my PayPal money I got from mailing a guitar for my friends to buy a few more Lego pieces from April's Paradise of Bricks.

Bricks I got from April's Paradise

Quick tip if you decide to sell you bricks individually on BrickLink: Start your store name with the letter A.  Or better yet, a number, even if your name is Zack.  Searches for bricks will list the stores in alphabetical order, and if someone has to scroll through the list of stores to find yours, they probably won't buy from you.

Of course, this would be easier if they had more effective search filters, like by country or by new or used.  But I'm getting off topic here.  Back to the Lego bricks themselves...

Here's what I got and how I'll use them:

• 3 Dark Blue Grey 4x8 plates - These will help me complete the floors in my Watch Tower.
• 2 Black window 1x4x3 - I put these windows on the top floor of the barracks, where the marines chill out and rest when they are not on duty.  The windows allowed me complete the building, which is nice.
• 2 Blue panel 1x2x2 - I was able to finish off one of the two port-a-potties at the Construction Site.  I just need two more to complete the other one, and this building will also be complete.
• 1 White Panel 2x2x1 Corner - I just needed one more to complete the fried chicken display portion in the grocery store's meat department.  Jay only had the one, but April had my back.
• 1 Blue round 1x1 brick - OK, this is not for any of my buildings in my Lego city.  The Gamer Kid in the Midway Arcade Level Pack came with a red round 1x1 brick.  He drinks Coke.  I drink Pepsi, which is a far superior cola.  I swapped out the pieces, so now he's more like me.
• 1 Dark Gray 6x8 plate - I was going to use this in my Watch Tower as well, but like a doof, I missed the part where it didn't say "dark BLUE gray".  Whoops.  I'm sure I can find a use for this piece somewhere.

 I still have about $15 in my PayPal account to use for brick purchases on BrickLink.  I'm also sitting on $10 in Lego store credit, and I'm thinking about using that before I go to BrickLink again.  Once I get pieces from Lego, I'll go back to BrickLink for those harder to find pieces.

Lego Haul - 6/18/15

Well, Lego made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  So I took it.  I didn't want them to break my thumbs.

This June, Lego was giving anyone who bought more than $75 worth of merchandise a free exclusive Winter Soldier minifigure.  Not only that, but there were double VIP points on Jurassic World sets.  I pulled the trigger and got three sets: 10694 Lego Creative Supplement Bright, 60073 Service Truck, and 75917 Raptor Rampage.  Oh, and I got a free ticket to Legoland.  I think it's a kids' ticket.  If you want it, lemme know.

When I placed my order, the Raptor Rampage was out of stock, so I received everything in two shipments.  The first one came on the 18th and contained the Lego Creative Supplement Bright and the Service Truck.

The first shipment of my Lego haul arrived on 6/18/15

I've got most of the Avengers, but few villians.  I think Loki is the only one so far.  So I HAD to have the Winter Soldier, James Buchanan Barnes.

The Winter Soldier polybag and assembled contents

Captain America is my favorite Avenger, so I had to have his best friend turned enemy turned whatever Bucky will be in Civil War.  I wish there's be more focus on the main secondary characters in future sets.  Jane Foster, Col. Rhodes, Peggy Carter, and of course, Phil, son of Coul.  I want the whole extended Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D./Avengers crew.

Best friends since they were kids, Bucky and Steve battle it out.

The Service Truck will go to the Construction Site.  I got an extra foreman, which will go into the City Services office overseeing city operations.  This will give me a sufficient number of tools for those working on the new building in town.

60073 Service Truck contents (left) and assembled product (right)

The Lego Creative Supplement Bright box has several colors of Lego bricks that I just don't have and aren't available in any other set.  I opened the instructions and built one thing, then another, then...  Pretty much everything in the manual.  Cake, a butterfly, a guitar, a rabbit, a birdhouse, and a flower.  I've got them all sitting on the shelf for now.  I don't think they'll stay assembled, as I have plans for the bricks (mainly the Princess Play Castle I'll be building later this summer).

10694 Lego Creative Supplement Bright contents (left) and assembled product (right)

Part two tomorrow...

Lego Haul - 5/3/15

For the first time in a month, if you can actually believe it, I went to the Lego Store at the MOA to buy some more sets.  If you're expecting Star Wars Lego's, since today is May the Fourth, you're going to be disappointed.  I didn't buy any.  I got something else.  Simpsons Series 2 minifigures and a set for my Construction Site.

The Lego haul from Sunday, May 3rd, 2015.

First, The Simpsons...  I have a full set of the first series, #71005.  The new series came out on Friday, so my wife and I went to pick up 16 minifigures and collect the new ones.  We did pretty good, getting 14 of 16 minifigures.  We're missing Dr. Julius Hibbert and Patty Bouvier (I grabbed duplicates of Homer on Date Night and Comic Book Guy).

14 of 16 of The Simpsons Series 2 minifigures

Simpsons minifigures pose a unique problem to my city.  I could put them all at the costume party at the Grandstand, but none of them have a normal Lego head.  They could all be wearing full-on masks, like some of the other attendees.  I could build a separate Springdfield, U.S.A., but I don't want to spend $400 on the Simpsons' House and Kwik-E-Mart when I already have all the minifigures.  I dunno yet, but I'll figure it out.

As for the Construction Site, I grabbed 60072 Demolition Starter Set.  I've now got a foreman to supervisor the whole project, a toilet for the Plumber's Shop, another small bucket loader, and three additional employees.

60072 Demolition Starter Set contents and assembled product

I plan to grab some more sets for the Construction Site.  I think I got a full set of minifigures, so next up are some baseplates and a design for a half-finished building.  Next purchase will be in June, so stay tuned kids.

Lego Haul - 3/10/15

This past weekend, I went on BrickLink, a great site for the secondary market of Lego bricks and sets.  I could write a whole post on why it's so awesome (and I will).  It has a much bigger selection of pieces than Lego's Pick-A-Brick wall for lower prices (if you don't mind used bricks).

I'm at a point where I'm going to make better progress on my buildings going to resellers than I will buying directly from Lego.  I bought from two vendors, Brick Art and 1 2 Many Bricks.  Between the two, I spent $27 on nearly $35 worth of pieces, some of which I can't get from Lego at this time.

The first order was mostly blue 2x6 and 2x8 plates for my Hospital.  The little black clips are for holding tools at the Research Lab, the blue door frames are for the portable toilets at the Construction Site, the stairs and 1x8 Technic brick will be in the Laser Tag Arena, the gray set of bars will complete the jail cell in the Police Station, the brown plates are bases for tiki torches at the Islanders performance area, and the white plate is for a whiteboard (location to be determined).

Bricks ordered from Brick Art

The second order was the better of my two scores, IMO.  I got 16 8x8 dark stone grey plates, which cost $1.10 each from Lego, only ran me 41 cents each used.  Half of them are for my Watch Tower, while the other half are for the Marina Office.  The other dark stone grey plates and the black stairs are also for completing the Watch Tower.  The Blue 2x6 plates are for the Hospital, the black plate is for a television at the bar in the Restaurant, the black fences are for the Laser Tag Arena, and the two white pedestals are for tables on sale at the Hardware Store and Greenhouse.

Bricks ordered from 1 2 Many Bricks

If I had bought these bricks, they would have cost me $28.50 PLUS shipping.  The BrickLink orders were less than $27 for everything, including the shipping.  It's like I got free pieces out of the deal.  The black fences, the stairs, the white pedestals, the blue door frames...  It was all a bonus.

You can wait for things to happen, or you can MAKE them happen.  I could have waited a lifetime to buy these parts from Lego.  I don't have that kind of time.  I need to finish up my Lego city now.

Lego Haul - 1/3/15

The new year brings many great things to us.  One of the greatest things it brings me is new Lego sets.  After Christmas and my birthday, I've got $240 in Lego gift cards burning a hole in my pocket.  My wife and I went to the Mall of America Lego store yesterday, where I was hoping to get all of the new 71008 Series 13 Lego Minifigures, a 70818 Double Decker Couch from the Lego Movie, and a free 40140 Flower Wagon set for spending $75 at the Lego store.

It was slim pickings at the Lego store.  It turns out they were open on New Years Day (I wasn't sure if they would with it being a national holiday, and I had more important things to do that day, as my beloved Golden Gophers had a bowl date with Missouri).  There weren't many Lego Minifigures to choose from, as there were about 40 or so in the small bin.  The store was out of Double Decker Couch sets, if they even had any to begin with.  I didn't see a place on the shelf that marked where they would have been.  Several other sets I would have wanted were also nowhere to be found.  It did not look good for Homestar Runner.

Fortunately, I was able to adapt.  I only grabbed 11 Lego Minifigures, but I got to $75 with a 31035 Beach Hut and a 40120 Valentine's Day Dinner set, which my wife noticed before I had a chance to.

The haul for Saturday, January 3rd, 2015.

I may not have found what I originally wanted, but I was happy with what I got.  I've still got $150 in store credit left, and I'm sure they'll restock the shelves in the coming weeks.  I'm ready to get my ticket punched, after I get through the next several days.

The January 3rd, 2015 haul fully assembled.

What do I plan to do with my new Lego sets?  I'm glad you asked...

• The Beach Hut will be placed out at the Lake Shore.
• The Valentine's Day Dinner may go to the Restaurant, but I haven't decided yet.  It'll just be decoration until I figure it out.
• The Flower Wagon will go in the Plaza area.
• The Alien Trooper, Goblin, Lady Cyclops, Sheriff, and Snake Charmer minifigs will go to the costume party at the Grandstand.
• The Carpenter minifig will work at the Construction Site.
• The Egyptian Warrior minifig will be a Marine.
• The Fencer minifig is to be determined.
• The Galaxy Trooper minifig will work as a referee in the Laser Tag Arena.
• The Paleontologist minifig will go to the Research Lab.

10 of the 16 Series 13 Lego Minifigures

40140 Flower Wagon

40120 Valentine's Day Dinner contents and fully assembled

31035 Beach Hut contents

31035 Beach Hut open/front and closed/side views