Lego Masters

“The model used nearly 14,000 pieces and was ten feet long. It took me a month and half to build”. This is how TJ Avery describes one of the many Lego models he has built. He is a prominent member in the Texas Lego users group, or “Tex LUG”. TexLug is one of many LUGs that have popped up around the world in the last ten to fifteen years. These adult fans of Lego, or AFOLs, are dedicated masters of their craft and dedicated hobbyists. As with any hobby, there is a small, close-knit community that connects builders from around the world. Thanks to the Internet, these groups can connect with one another, and participate in the global discussion on sites like LUGnet, MOCpages, Brickshelf and more recently, Flickr. The world of Lego is an interesting one, filled with brilliant people connected by their love for the brick.

    You would be amazed to hear what some of these men could make. Tim Rueger, a prominent member of TexLUG Austin talked about a floating arm trebuchet that he built, saying that it was “ not just the standard trebuchet you see in The Lord of the Rings”. He spent weeks engineering it to perfection. Weighing “twenty or so pounds”, test launches got one brick going over thirty feet. As mentioned before, TJ Avery and Kurt Baty built a ten-foot long model of the Penny Packer Bridge. Kurt has also built complete models of all ships in the historic Republic Of Texas Navy. His award-winning model of the Zavala features “working Lego pneumatic side-paddle-wheel, walking-beam steam engines (with adjustable valve gear timing)”. These men have truly mastered the art of the brick.

    It’s no accident that many of these builders are so good. They have been building for years, some for decades. Kurt stated in the early nineties, while Tim And TJ both have been building since they were four or five years old. For them it started as a childhood passion. In the words of TJ Avery, “LEGO is the only toy I’ve ever had that I’ve used nearly continuously throughout my life.” this is true for most builders. Although some of them may have gone through a teenage “dark age” that was dominated by something other than Lego, the brick eventually pulls them back. These years of building have paid off in other ways as well. Tim Rueger is highly organized, and at his last count, he has “around 27,000” bricks.Surprisingly, such a large collection is not uncommon. It doesn’t come cheap either. As Tm says, ‘I’m of the mind that nothing good is ever cheap. Generally, you get what you pay for”. Because many of these builders are engineers or other high paying professionals, they are able to fund an expensive Lego hobby.

    The Lego community is a deeply fascinating one. It is filled with deeply devoted people who share a common love of a simple building block. They have elevated playing with toys to an art form. While their interests may not be as mainstream as others, they truly love doing what they do, and it shows. If there is anything that can be learned from them, it’s that you are never too old to have fun.