Monday 28 July 2014

nanoblock Build Instructions on Snapguide

I have uploaded the build instructions for many of my nanoblock creations to Snapguide. It has a much nicer user experience for this kinda things, so check it out =)


Thursday 24 July 2014

Different Sizes of Nanoblock Leica

Here is the Leica camera that I created using nanoblock in 3 different sizes. It's an interesting look at how details are captured at different scales. 


Thursday 17 July 2014

nanoblock Ice Cream Sundae Cone

This week, we've had nanoblock donut and black forest cake, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see my next creation is also dessert themed =P ... It's an ice cream sundae cone =)



Wednesday 16 July 2014

nanoblock Black Forest Cake

Looks like it's dessert week at Chris's nanoblock Blog =) ... today, I bring you a nanoblock Black Forest cake =D ... 


Review: nanoGauge Class 923 Doctor Yellow

There are several different train models in the nanoGauge series. In this review, we will be taking a look at the Class 923 Doctor Yellow (nGT_004).



Doctor Yellow is the nickname for the high-speed test trains that are used on the Japanese Shinkansen ("Bullet Train") dedicated express passenger train routes. The trains have special equipment on board to monitor the condition of the track and overhead wire, including special instrumented bogies and observation blisters. The 'Doctor' part of the name is from their test and diagnostic function, and the 'Yellow' part comes from the bright yellow color they are all painted. More info on Wikipedia.

The bricks and instruction sheet in this set
Some of the special bricks in this set

Similar to other trains in the nanoGauge series, the build is quite straight forward, even though it has a difficulty rating of 4. There is nothing particularly tricky. The only part that might be a bit frustrating is the first step. I like all the new types of special bricks included in this set which lets you build a more aerodynamic looking train. As a custom builder, I am excited by all the possibilities these special bricks bring.

Extra bricks included in this set

Below are photos of the completed train. I think it is a really nice looking design. If you have the nanoGauge Basic Full Set, you can attach this train to the motor and boogie units and let it run on the track.







If you want to grab yourself some nanoGauge trains, click here to get them at discount =)

Tuesday 15 July 2014

nanoblock Donut

My nanoblock donut looks so good, even Homer can't resist ... Hahahaa ... This donut is the size of a real donut =)


Thursday 10 July 2014

nanoblock Pad Review

Whenever you start a new nanoblock build, the first step usually requires you to layout a bunch of bricks in a specific way, then in the next step, you have to very carefully place bricks on top of it. Usually, this results in all the bricks you so carefully placed in the first step to move and get jumbled up again. Sounds familiar? 

Well, good news, Kawada has created a new tool to resolve this particular problem and it's called the nanoblock Pad.




On the back of the box above, you can see they printed a comic strip that clearly illustrates the frustration I described earlier. Below are photos of the nanoblock Pad itself.

nanoblock Pad closed
nanoblock Pad opened up

The entire nanoblock Pad is made of soft silicon. When you hold it up with your hands, it feels wobbly. The cover of the nanoblock Pad does not "lock" in any way when you close it, so you can forget about putting some bricks in there to bring it with you to build on the go. Actually, the cover serves no purpose at all. I would have preferred they just make a 40x40 silicon base plate. It would have allowed me to build bigger things and I can layout a few pieces side by side for even larger builds.

Anyway, aside from that issue, it does serve the purpose it was designed to do and works well. When you lay your bricks on the nanoblock Pad, it just rest on it a bit loosely. The studs on the nanoblock Pad does not actually grip the bricks tightly. This is a good thing, because it lets you easily lift up the stuff you built, as you can see in the photos below.



Conclusion

The nanoblock Pad works well for its intended purpose, but if you buy it thinking you can use it like a travel pack to nanoblock on the go, you will be disappointed. Also, I have to say, the nanoblock Pad is a dust magnet and being black in colour just makes it all the more obvious. 

That said, I would still recommend this product because there is no other alternative out there right now. 

You can get the nanoblock Pad on Amazon.

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Cuter nanoblock Rubber Ducky 2.0

nanoChris meets nanoblock Rubber Ducky 2.0 ... I made the body smaller to make him look cuter ^^ ... What do you think? =D




Monday 7 July 2014

Review: nanoGauge Shinkansen Series E6

Today, we take a look at another train from the nanoGauge series, the Shinkansen Series E6 (nGT_003). For those who didn't already know, nanoGauge is a train set series based on nanoblock. 



A bit about this train from Wikipedia:
The E6 series is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on Komachi "mini-shinkansen" services on the Tohoku Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen from Tokyo to Akita since 16 March 2013. A pre-production set was delivered in June 2010 for extensive testing, with 23 full-production sets delivered between November 2012 and spring 2014. Click here to read more.

The bricks and instruction sheet included in this set

The special bricks in this set

This set is rated at a difficulty level of 3, but there is nothing particularly tricky about the build. What I like about the nanoGauge trains are the special bricks Kawada introduced to make the trains look more aerodynamic. If you're a custom builder, these bricks could come in very handy.

The extra bricks included in this set

Below are photos of the completed train. As you can see, it's a nice looking train and the special bricks were put to good use. 






The Shinkansen Series E6 next to the Steam Locomotive.

If you want to grab yourself some nanoGauge trains, click here to get them at discount =)

Friday 4 July 2014

New nanoblock Pokemons Available Now

The new nanoblock Pokemon Gengar, Charizard and Mewtwo is in stock now (about USD12.51 each) and I ship worldwide via Registered Airmail (can be tracked online) for just USD3-4 for the whole set of 3. To order from me and support my work, just click here




Wednesday 2 July 2014

nanoGauge Steam Lomotive Quick Review

nanoGauge is the new series of nanoblock based train sets from Kawada. If you love nanoblock and trains, then you'll love these. 



Today, we take a look at the nanoGauge Steam Locomotive (nGT_006). I got it from here at discount, if you're interested. There are many different train designs available in the nanoGauge series, but this is my personal favourite. 

The bricks and instruction sheet in this set
The special bricks in this set

The interesting thing about nanoGauge trains is that they come with a bunch of new types of bricks that you rarely, if ever, see anywhere else. These special bricks allows you to build things with a smooth top. Below are photos of the completed train.







Extra bricks included in this set

It was quite easy to build, nothing particularly challenging. The end result looks great, as you have seen above. While these nanoGauge trains are designed to be used with the full kit that comes with the motorised units, rails, etc, they can also be built and displayed by itself, like in the photos above. If you like trains, I say go for it! =)