Minifig Customization 101, Issue 7

Minifig Customization 101: Custom Accessory Creation Through LEGO Element Modification
(Part 1)

Article and Photography by Jared K. Burks and Emily J. Brownlow

Having learned to create a custom figure and to photograph them (see BrickJournal Issue #5 and #6 respectively), it is time to learn how to accessorize that figure.  There are many different types of minifig accessories so this will be a multi-issue article; the first in the installment will be on custom accessory creation through LEGO element modification.  For this article I have wrangled up some assistance, Emily Brownlow (Jager Enterprises ), who is an excellent helmet creator and caster. 

I know many think it is sacrilegious to cut LEGO elements. But LEGO can’t make everything for us; it would just be too expensive.  However, LEGO has given us a great foundation of parts and they tell us to use our imaginations, so let’s do just that.  I just ask that you not limit your imagination, get out that x-acto knife and pull out some LEGO elements; it really is ok to cut them!

In this lesson we will be handling hobby knifes, hobby saws, and razor blades; all of which are sharp.  If you are a younger reader please seek the assistance of a parent or other adult when handling these items.  If you are an older reader please use care and caution; your fingers are not replaceable.  Kevlar gloves are available to protect your fingers, I recommend these to all.  They can be found in most woodworking/carving stores or online from hobby sites.  I also recommend a non-slip cutting mat as well .  The best lesson I have learned is to use sandpaper when possible as many items can be created by sanding, more on this in a moment.

Proper Cutting Technique

1.    Always adequately light your work area.
2.    Never cut towards your fingers, always cut away to avoid blade slips (where the blade slips and can accidentally cut you).
3.    Avoid holding parts in your hand while cutting.  If you must hand hold a part to cut it, always wear a Kevlar glove. 
4.    If the part is thicker than 1/8 of an inch (minifig handle thickness) use a hobby saw or Dremel Rotary Tool.  These are much safer for cutting through thicker materials.
5.    Use a hobby cutting mat and a desk or table. Never cut parts in your lap or on odd or uneven surfaces.
6.    Only use sharp tools. Dull tools can hang and cause slips and accidents more frequently than sharp tools.

Figure 1 - Tools of the Trade:  razorblades, hobby knives, hobby saws, sandpaper, cutting mats, Brasso, superglue, ruler, and protective equipment.   

The lessons in this article are going to be photographic step–by-step examples.  Instead of trying to dictate how each item should be cut and/or sanded, the location of modifications will be noted and the manner of removing the excess material will be left up to you and your skill level.  There are always multiple ways of altering parts.  Honestly, most any accessory can be created using LEGO elements as a base, the only limitation is your imagination.  Tips and pointers will be given through the instructional photos.

This lesson will begin with the creation of some basic minifig scale hand weapons.  While LEGO makes a few for us to use, variety - as we all know - is the spice of life.  So we will begin with axes to equip our peasants.  This is a simple and straight forward lesson, merely make a cut and you have a new item.  Quick, easy, and simple, yet effective, so let’s get cutting. 

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Figure 2 – Axes:  1. This example displays a quick and simple way to alter an existing LEGO halberd into a hand axe to give your peasants a fighting chance.  Two simple cuts and you have a new weapon.  2. Just to show you that there are always multiple ways to make the same or similar items, check out this hand axe, which mixes a brown bar with a modified axe-head.  Two-Tonic Knight is the resident blacksmith of modified LEGO weapons for Classic-Castle.

Now that you have the basics of cutting down, let’s take it a step further and add some glue to the mix by making a few custom swords. After all, our knights need new weapons to attack those well-armed peasants.  These are merely a few examples, get creative and you can make almost any type of sword.  In this first set of examples all you need to do is cut and glue, so work on straight and accurate cuts, as in the axe examples.  If you do so there is nothing to clean up and your new accessory is ready for action.

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Figure 3 – Swords:  1. This example displays a quick and simple way to alter an existing LEGO sword to give your knights a slightly different weapon by merely flipping the guard.  This is a basic first item to make.  Cut off the guard and invert, reattaching with superglue.  2. Want to get a bit more complex and make a Bronze Age short sword? Follow the steps in image 2. Merely cut the tip of the sword and remove the guard.  You have a Spartan figure almost ready now.  3. Are you more of a Star Wars fan and tired of the single style of sabre hilts? Well now you can make your own.  This is a bit more advanced so practice your cutting; everything needs to be straight and flush.  Inspiration for this item was drawn from Deathstickman’s work.

Our knights are equipped, now our castle guard needs to be able to fend off the evil black knight.  The classic weapons for this are long two handed style weapons, pole-arms, halberds, pikes, and spears.  So let’s take our new found skills and step them up just a bit with some precision cutting and in the last example, the naginata, some precision gluing. 

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Figure 4 – Two-handed Weapons:  1. In this example two precision cuts alter the LEGO pike into a different type of pike, so now we have a bit of variety (the removed pieces can also be useful so save them).  2. Want to make a fancy spear?  With four precise cuts you have a new spear.  3. Now let’s make a large axe style halberd.  With a few quick cuts you have one, just be careful or you can remove too much.  It is always better to remove too little as additional cuts can be made.  4. You have small cutting down, let’s get a bit complex and mix this together with some glue again and make a naginata.  Just be careful here, I know it looks like the handle of the sword is removed but it is really inside the technic pin.  Also a little paint was used to make the blade stand out more. 

Accessories aren’t limited to weapons.  Want to make a new hat? Grab some sand paper and let’s get to it.  Most of the items presented so far can be made with sand paper.  In the next figure no knives were used; just sand paper, Brasso, and a small hand drill.  The sandpaper is used to remove the top of the pith helmet to make it look much more like a floppy hat.  One of the greatest tricks in parts creation is the use of Brasso.  No one likes those cut marks or rough areas left by sand paper, we all like shiny bricks.  Well, Brasso can do just that, restore shine to the surface of a piece.  After you have cut and/or sanded a LEGO element, take a rag with Brasso on it and rub the cut area until the “evidence” of the cut or sanding is removed, then wash the element.  Now you have a new accessory that shows no signs of having ever been modified.  After you have the hat shining, use the drill to make two small indentations in the sides of the hat to allow the goggles to attach.  LEGO really helps us out here, there are small lines that run down the side of the hat and they mark the perfect location for our small dimples.  Using this drilling technique you can add goggles or similar items to most any headgear. 

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Figure 5 – Floppy hats:  1. Here we make a floppy hat out of a pith helmet.  Merely sand away the top of the helmet, but be careful not to sand all the way through the helmet so check frequently.  After you have it close to where you want to stop, switch from sanding to Brasso, which will remove the sanding marks and return the modified LEGO element to a shiny state.  Now take your hand drill (2) and make two small indentations on either side of the hat to allow the goggles to attach.  Inspiration for this hat was taken from Dr Venkman of FBTB.  Want to take your work to his level? Heat up the brim of the hat in boiling water and give it a little flop with a pair of tweezers.  2. Hand drill. 
 
In this next example, we show that no parts are wasted when you start cutting.  We demonstrate two different types of hat/hair combos and extreme cold gear.  We will re-use the drill in this step so keep it close by.  Here we will remove the lower portion of helmets to add hair and give the figure the appearance of his hair sticking out of the bottom, after all not all knights and kings are clean cut.

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Figure 6 – Hat Hair:  1. This first example is a two-for-one.  Using the four parts in the top panel we can make two unique hats, one for our friend to protect him from the cold elements and one to give him a bit more room for his hair.  Merely follow the cutting lines to get the parts required.  Make sure you clean them up a little before gluing any items together.  To do this either use a bit of sandpaper or Brasso to remove the rough cut edges.  In these examples I suggest using the razor saw as it will cut through this thicker element in a safer manner.  2. To show hair isn’t just for helmets, but for crowns too, here is another example of what you can do with all this extra hair you have laying around.  Inspiration for the hat/hair combo piece was taken from Legofreak of ClassicCastle and MCN.

Now that we have shown you how to make many new weapons and a couple of new hats, get to work and lets see what you come up with.  Just remember if there isn’t an element made by LEGO that will give you just what you want, any plastic part from any toy, model, or whatever can be used.  If you still can’t find what you need, visit your local hobby shop and pick up some sheet styrene (sheet plastic).  With this you really can create anything; all it takes is some practice.

Next Time - Custom Cloth Accessories

Link:
Minifig Customization Network