In my last entry I mentioned how I needed to build up the body without making it over complicated. Hinges, base plates, train tracks and all. I found that keeping the body hollow would be the best solution. If I concentrated on getting the outer shape right, then I shouldn't need to worry about the direction the bricks would have to go inside. This would also resolve the issue of depleting stocks of LEGO. Two pieces of track were the solution.
The tracks are slightly curved which adds a good shape to the bird. At the end of each piece are four studs, two on either side. This meant that I could build each wing separately and attach it to the main body with hinges.
This seagull was practically life size. I really did not expect it to be that big, but I was pleased that it had worked out that way. The next, and final step to the project would be the legs.
A seagull's leg are long skinny things. I needed to build an effective pair which would be strong enough to support what I had created. Although the body was hollow, the head and breast was solid. The tail countered the weight, but a few tests showed me that the front was too heavy. I lost count of the number of times I had to rebuild the beak.
I tried a few types of legs. Two solid towers of yellow bricks, which looked ridiculous. Pirate rigging (if you ever had Captain Redbeard's ship, you know what I'm talking about...) would look good, and be a nod the nautical nature of the bird. Unfortunately there was no way I could make it strong enough to hold this LEGO beast. In the end I found four black supports, possibly from the space train track, and stood the bird on them. While they were just a means to support the bird, they did the trick and looked subtle enough to stay. This left me the option to build a skinny pair of legs out of the smallest yellow pieces I could find - Minifigure heads. And two yellow goblets for the knee joints. Brilliant.
And there you have it. A lifetime goal completed and it really wasn't as difficult as I thought. With a couple of hours over a few days, some imagination and a lot of optimism it can be done. I hope it will inspire others to give it a go. Which is why I have launched the LEGO building competition in the shop. I challenge everyone to build something seaside related entirely out of LEGO throughout April 2011. Anyone from age 5 can get involved and there will be prizes up for grabs.
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