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LEGO Death Star . 5000+ piece custom Death Star - NOT exactly minifig scale (a minifig scale Death Star would be approximately 75 feet high lol), but is built to fit minifigs. 6 Levels, composed of 6 individual stacking modules. Measures approx. 22" tall. .
This is definitely my crowning achievement in LEGO building. The project started out as a small 8-inch high Death Star that was made up of 5 small stacking sections. A fun little exercise really. But over time I constantly expanded it, tore it down and rebuilt it, added levels and details, until it is now the 22" tall behemoth you see here.
Die-hard LEGO fans will notice the large amount of non-LEGO pieces present in the model. I make no apologies for this - fact is that the easiest and cheapest way to find the thousands of battleship-gray pieces required for this was to use Mega Bloks USS Kittyhawk aircraft carriers. There are 3 used in this model, along with 2 Mega Bloks Battleships. Many of the details are built with LEGO, so it is a hybrid model making the most of both families of pieces.
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UPDATED MARCH 2011 !!
I wanted a new large LEGO project to work on, and decided it was time for yet another rebuild of the Death Star. So it was completely torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. This time I did not include the outer shell, which is what had kind of set me apart from most other models, but I really wanted more play area and the outer walls were getting in the way. With all the pieces I had to work with by not doing the outer shell, I was able to make the core structure much stronger and larger. So the model grew in size and now has much more space for rooms and hangar bays, etc.
I had a lot of fun incorporating the details I had used before, and also took some ideas from LEGO's own Death Star. Funny thing - the official LEGO Death Star did not exist when I did the previous Mark V version, which had many things that showed up in LEGO's offering when it came out about 6 months later... Sometimes I think they saw my model here and took some cues, lol :) Anyhow, I turned around and rebuilt mine like theirs (no outer shell), only bigger and with more going on inside.
Here are pics of the latest version, I am still adding details as I go but this is pretty much final (used up all pieces from previous MARK V version, as well as additional LEGO and Mega Bloks elements I had lying around):
(More text below images)
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DEATH STAR MARK VI (SPRING 2011)
FRONT:
BACK:
ALL MODULES AND SHIPS SEPARATED:
LEVEL 1 (Trash compactor - note plunger on side to move wall):
LEVEL 2 (Detention block, cargo bay with manual lift, armory):
LEVEL 3a (Main hangar bays, platform):
LEVEL 3b (Secondary hangar, tractor beam control, platform)):
LEVEL 4 (Gun turret control, Emperor's throne room, control room, superlaser):
LEVEL 5/6 (Main elevator control, gun turret, shuttle landing platform, meeting room):
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PREVIOUS VERSION (MARK V)
Here are pics from what it was before I tore it down to build the above recently. After these images, you can see a history of the model further below on the page.
EXTERIOR VIEWS:
SUPER-LASER AND ROOFTOP CONTROL ROOM:
ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HINGED OPEN:
INTERIOR, LEFT SIDE:
INTERIOR, RIGHT SIDE:
RIGHT SIDE, TOP LEVELS (SMALL HANGAR BAY; TRACTOR BEAM):
RIGHT SIDE, MIDDLE LEVEL (LARGE HANGAR BAY; REMOVABLE CONTROL ROOM):
RIGHT SIDE, BOTTOM LEVELS (DETENTION BLOCK; REMOVABLE TRASH COMPACTOR):
LEFT SIDE, TOP LEVELS (ELEVATOR, SMALL HANGAR BAY WITH ROTATING GUNNER):
LEFT SIDE, MIDDLE LEVEL (MORE ROOMS; LUKE AND LEIA SWING ACROSS THE CHASM):
LEFT SIDE, LOWER LEVELS (EMPEROR'S THRONE ROOM; REACTOR ROOM):
MINI MILLENIUM FALCON AND TIE FIGHTERS:
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ARCHIVAL PHOTOS SHOWING THE EVOLUTION OF THIS MODEL OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS:
MARK I - 2005
- First prototype, 5 stacking levels
MARK II - 2006
- Remodeled with hinges, elevator, hangar doors
- Lowest level did not hinge and served as a base/stand
MARK III - 2007
- Enlarged and rounded, bigger hangar bays, more details
- Base/stand expanded with escape ship and hatch
MARK IV - 2007/2008
- Large middle level added with huge hangar bay and various rooms
- These shots show all the modules unstacked, and then all separated individually
MARK V - 2008
- Model had gotten too big and awkward to be balanced on base
- Base/stand dismantled, lowest levels strengthened to compensate
- Super-laser rebuilt, trash compactor and control room now removable
- Many details and decals added
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