2018 Parts Fest #2: Grantmasters' 1x1 brackets

As well as running workshops at fan events like Skaerbaek or Paredes de Coura, we also like to post a bunch of new LEGO® elements to some of our favourite builders from across the world. We will be publishing the techniques and creations they came up with in the coming weeks, and then show you what builders at the Skaerbaek workshop did with them. First up we have Grantmasters, a talented builder from New Zealand. The first of his two posts takes a look at the 1x1 brackets: Medium Stone Grey [TLG]/Light Bluish Grey [BL] Plate 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Downwards (Element ID 6248078|Design ID 36841) and Dark Stone Grey [TLG]/ Dark Bluish Gray [BL] 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Upwards (6225494|36840).

Initially, I was a bit stumped by the brackets as they aren't really what I would usually consider a "decorative" seed part. Over the years I have regularly wanted one of these brackets for various builds.  I tried to arrange the brackets with different orientations and with other offset types of connections to see where that took me first.

Connection 2 would be useful for builds that required an internal cavity for a wire/LED. I tried to update my ED-209 with connection 3 but it wasn't as clean as my initial combination, so I put that to one side. Connection 4 was probably the most visually interesting and provided a secure attachment.

Interestingly, when I tried to scale this pattern up in a tessellation style arrangement the connection started to bow, indicating the ratios might not be as clean as they appear here.

Probably the best common use for these parts will be in allowing attachment options that are an odd number (3, 5, 7, 9 etc). A few cars I've tried to build in the past have not worked as these brackets weren't available.

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Belville-scale Hoover

I built a Hoover for this Belville figure using a couple of the Dark Stone Grey 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Upwards plus an old minifig utensil, the wrench, which was part of Dark Stone Grey Tool Wheel (Design ID 6246). I had to get a Belville element in here somehow, right?

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The Terror of Tokyo

The Terror of Tokyo is based on Godzilla and its breath attack. I tried to use a couple of the brackets here to show how they line up with the base of the buildings (front left) and this allows them to be angled and still connect to the "ground". The brackets are also useful for thin buildings that require something to be attached to the top.

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Bonsai

Bonsai looks a lot like something from Chris McVeigh. I think he has influenced me again!

The base is fairly self-explanatory, using two Medium Stone Grey Plate 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Downwards attached to a Medium Stone Grey Angular 'Headlight' Brick 1x1 (4211476|4070) to form each outside corner.

The Dark Stone Grey centre of the base is made up of four 1X1, W/ 1.5 Plate 1X1, Upwards attached to a Brick 1X1 W. 4 Knobs (Design ID 4733). This sits securely in the middle sandwiched between Dark Stone Grey Wall 1X3X1 (6149768|23950) which are also attached to the base.

These were the builds that I had made before a second package arrived; part two will contain the other new parts I received.

READ MORE: 70840 Welcome to Apocalypseburg! is the largest and arguably most thrilling set from THE LEGO MOVIE 2: The Second Part

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