Any artsy/d.i.y types here..?


Garrett

Garrett

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Would appreciate some feedback on a little project I'm contemplating..

Acquired a ton of various sized/colored basic Lego bricks recently  & just as I was about to commit a past it's best coffee table to the local tip.. thought hey, could I possibly cover the table in the bricks (probably just the top & paint the rest) could this potentially work, would I need any special glue/equipment, would it need to be protected?.. what do you guys think, cool idea? & is it achievable for a d.i.y halfwit such as myself?
 
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I don't quite understand what you're imagining with this lego table.  Which way round would the bricks be?  Would they all be laid out side by side with the nobbles uppermost - in which case it would only be good as a base for more lego really, or would they be all stuck together and expressing a design.  Not sure what you'd have to do at the edges without having some specialist bricks though.
 
Levi said:
Would they all be laid out side by side with the nobbles uppermost - in which case it would only be good as a base for more lego really
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That's what I had in mind.. any particular reason why you think it would only be useful as a base for more Lego?

I quite like the idea of the raised surface & the table wouldn't be playing host to anything delicate or unsteady.
 
Hmm, I'm trying to remember now what I didn't like about the surface.  Certainly it's not pleasant underfoot, but then I don't suppose you'll be walking on your coffee table, nor resting your elbows on it assuming it's normal coffee table height.

Main thing is it always seems to get gummed up with whatever gooey substances you have about the place.  It's then almost impossible to clean and collects fluff like you wouldn't imagine.

Also, I recall it being a pretty low friction surface, so if you try to eat your differ off it your plate will be sliding all over the place.

If you want that look I'd suggest laying a sheet of perspex on the top, and sealing the edge with something.  Although unless it's a tiny table, that much perspex can be quite pricey from memory.
 
how does this lego table fit in with the rest of the furnitures? It very jarring to see this at anywhere other than a play room for little infants.
 
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Lego bricks would be perfect for putting together a 8 bit graphics game scene (mario?) on the top of the coffee table.  Then put a glass top on it.  An idea any way.
 
vcoleiro said:
Lego bricks would be perfect for putting together a 8 bit graphics game scene (mario?) on the top of the coffee table.  Then put a glass top on it.  An idea any way.
Click to expand...
That sounds so cool, Maybe OP can scale up a bit of pixel art of mario and put bricks together accordingly.

He need also to buy some mario themed mugs and mats. Maybe even bake some mashroom shaped cakes. (if cake is not the euphemism for sex in mario's world)
 
I like the idea of this, I would say those table base plates are good too as you can easily glue those down to the table.

Also a good idea to have a glass/plastic sheet on top too, although will lose the texture of the upward facing LEGO bobbles, it would feel smoother/nicer and also act as protection from losing bricks [people picking bricks off] ... and would make wipe cleaning a lot easier.

I wouldn't fancy cleaning it otherwise if you spill a glass of orange juice over it or something worse.

The laying of blocks to create an image is also a very nice idea, I'd imagine it would look really nice when complete. You might need to consider what type of image though carefully first eh, considering which colour blocks you have available to you
 
vcoleiro said:
Lego bricks would be perfect for putting together a 8 bit graphics game scene (mario?) on the top of the coffee table.  Then put a glass top on it.  An idea any way.
Click to expand...
That's a great little idea.. not sure I have the D.I.Y chops to pull it off, but I'm very interested
 
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You can 'glue' Lego together using the right materials. Look it up online.. but you can use acetone or other (nasty) chemicals.. brush it onto the bricks, hold them together for a moment, and they chemically bind. Its like applying a very fast instant melt, and when the bricks are held together, they .. bond/join. Very strong - nolonger able to pull them apart.

This can be used to convert a model into permanence; but for you, you'd be aligning them side-by-side with the knobs up, so it'd be hard to align them without getting all out of .. shift over the space of a table. It'd work though :)

Way cheaper I bet to get the plates; Lego is expensive stuff (high quality resin plus high quality manufacture?), but those plates aren't too bad. But if you already have a pile of bricks to burn, you could do it.

A Lego table is awesome; I've often wanted one for the kids to play with, and can lay a piece of glass on top for adults; ie: put a high ridge around the outside, and talk to a glass guy to get a custom made piece orf bullet proof glass (strong!), and then when you have a party or whatever bring the glass in; when kids come over, pop it out. Piece of cake :)

jeff
 
What I'd do would be assemble the bricks in the design you want, then make a temporary raised border around the sides (wood, with liner on inside) and pour a layer of clear epoxy on top of the bricks just high enough to almost cover the bumps (so you keep the 'feel' but lose the dirt magnet). That'll keep it all together when it's fully cured. Best done in a place where nothing can drop into the drying resin.
 
My own personal experience with clear epoxies is that they yellow pretty quickly. Though to be fair I'm talking about clear epoxy glue, not epoxy for covering stuff.


I quite like the idea of Jeff's transforming lego table. If you melt all the blocks together like he suggests, there should be less issue of spilt liquids getting through if something does get spilled while the top is off.
 
Garrett said:
vcoleiro said:
Lego bricks would be perfect for putting together a 8 bit graphics game scene (mario?) on the top of the coffee table.  Then put a glass top on it.  An idea any way.
Click to expand...
That's a great little idea.. not sure I have the D.I.Y chops to pull it off, but I'm very interested
Click to expand...
Here's your plan for Mario, simple to copy this...

http://www.instructables.com/id/8-bit-style-LEGO-Mario/

Here's some other characters you should be able to copy easy enough from the images, Bubble Bobble, Link, Toad, Pacman ghosts

http://brickplayer.com/blog/category/projects/mosaics/

You got me temped now to go buy a couple thousand of the single-piece bits and do a 8-bit styled piece myself

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121119284679
 
You could interleave each row of 'pixels' with a line of single-width black bricks to simulate raster lines - maybe even put a matching template behind it with a backlight...

Levi said:
My own personal experience with clear epoxies is that they yellow pretty quickly. Though to be fair I'm talking about clear epoxy glue, not epoxy for covering stuff.
Click to expand...
The proper stuff won't yellow, but you do have to be pretty well geared up to get it right, there's no chance of a do-over!
 
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