SNOT Week continues, even better and booger than ever, as we explore using hinges in sideways LEGO building. We’re SNOT even kidding, these techniques are a LEGO superpower! Have you ever wondered why most of the hinges in LEGO elements aren’t vertically centered? Have you ever considered using hinges when SNOTting? If not, then this is the article for you! Let me take you down a road of element design and geometry that will hopefully gain you some SNOT insights you never knew you wished for. Starting Off Unhinged Hinges and clips might not be the first thing you think about when you think about SNOT, but they can be very helpful especially if you have some room to work with. I think the most useful technique is stud reversal. I often use this technique for arches when I want to build holes or openings: I admit I have just recently...

SNOT Week continues, even better and booger than ever, as we explore the advanced techniques of sideways building. We’re SNOT even kidding, these techniques are a LEGO superpower! SNOT Recap In the LEGO world, SNOT stands for “Studs Not On Top” and it is a technique for building sideways. In my first article, we explored the origins of LEGO SNOT. My second article analyzed the geometry of SNOT construction and some basic building techniques. In this third article, we will cover some more advanced techniques and implementations of SNOT—with one in particular that really takes advantage of LEGO brick tolerances. SNOT for Stability When the white part is attached, it locks the red parts between the grey ones. LEGO designers make use of many new SNOT parts to give us more beautiful sets, but there is one more aspect of SNOT I haven’t talked about yet in my previous articles: stability....

SNOT Week continues, even better and booger than ever, as we explore the depths of sideways building. It’s time to start building some SNOT-acular creations! A SNOT Recap When AFOLs speak of SNOT, we usually don’t mean the sticky green stuff dripping from kids’ noses into the play brick at a public exhibition. We are mostly referencing how to build LEGO sideways, with SNOT standing for “Studs Not On Top.” In my last article, A Short History of SNOT, we explored the origins of LEGO SNOT. Today, we will take a nerdy deep dive to analyze the geometry of SNOT construction, some basic building techniques and some of the hidden pitfalls you may not be aware of. SNOT Basics So how does SNOT work then? The best way to explain is with a visual guide. But first, we need to make sure we speak the same language. The following elements and...

BrickNerd is going all in on LEGO SNOT! Get ready to sniff out all the sideways building techniques from beginning to advanced and beyond. This week we are going better and booger than ever, so hold on to your hankies as we explore the intricacies of LEGO SNOT. It is going to be SNOT-acular! Prepare to be blown away! Eww, SNOT! SNOT, maybe you’ve heard of it? And no, I don’t mean the slick green stuff that kids leave on their LEGO bricks. If you hang around a group of AFOLs you will hear it used frequently: "I really like how you SNOTted that cliffside!" or "I’m thinking about building the ground with SNOT instead" are phrases you might hear. You might be grossed out at first, but then someone helpful will try to explain what SNOT entails. My name is Oscar Cederwall (sometimes I go by the name o0ger) and...

Castle… If you’re like me, your first thought upon hearing that word is a giant gray structure with maybe the occasional bit of green for terrain. Castle and gray have become synonymous terms, which is a shame as the castle genre really has so much more to offer. Now, I’m not saying that giant gray castles are bad — far from it. However, it is nice to get some variety and see some more unique and vibrant colors incorporated. Last year, I modified set 10316 Rivendell in the style of LEGO Elves (which you can read here). I barely changed anything besides the colors, and yet the difference between the original set and my modified version is drastic. It really got me thinking about just how big of a difference color can make and the tone it sets. I thought it would be worth diving deeper into the use of color...