The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide
Price: $16.47

For several years I've thought about building a scale replica of Houston Field House in LEGO building blocks. I've often read that building a scale model using LEGOs is difficult, but I think I've found a very useful book that would help me along the way. The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide by Allan Bedford covers topics like:

• Best practices for connecting bricks so your large models are as sturdy as possible,
• Tricks for calculating and using scale,
• Examples of how to build to the scale of the LEGO people (also known as "minifigs")
• Tips for sorting and storing LEGO pieces

This book includes a "brickopedia", a visual guide to about 300 of the most useful elements of the LEGO system. According to the book:

The Brickopedia (Appendix A) is a graphical reference tool that presents the most common and most reusable elements from available LEGO pieces. Although it does not contain an entry for every single piece ever produced, it does thoroughly examine the LEGO bricks, plates, slopes, and other elements that best define the highly flexible nature of this building system. I have categorized the Brickopedia using some traditional techniques but also using some newly defined criteria and classifications. I set this up intending that you use it as a stand-alone tool; therefore, it does not require a computer or Internet access to be useful.

I don't know if I'll ever build a replica of the rink I played hockey in during college, but if I do, I know which book I need to get started.

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