You thought we’d forgotten about this feature. And you’d be right. But fear not! The collective TLCB conscious has been jogged, and like a bear groggily awaking from hibernation, the Master MOCers Series has stumbled back into the world, ready to raid your bins and eat your picnic.
So without further ado, it’s time for Chapter 2. Settle down and listen, as the amazing Dennis Glaasker – aka BricksonWheels – recounts his Lego Journey…
When did you first get into Lego, and what was your first set?
We’re talking a while back here. I can’t exactly recall my first set, but the first I truly remember was the 853 Technic car chassis I got as a gift when I was 12 years or so, early 80’s. That set was kind of a milestone those days, and my parents really emptied their pockets to get me one. I remember I was massively impressed by the functionality at that time, and believe it or not, those four 24×43 wheels from that actual set still live on in my collection and can be seen on one of my 1:13 scaled Scania models. That is 30 years of active duty ;-). The funny thing is that after only a short period of time, I started to use the 853 set and others that followed to make my own models. Those were trucks already, and quite fast I lost interest in the sets as such and only made my own work.
How did you get started in the AFOL Community?
That must have been in the mid 90’s. After a period of less interest in model building, and more interest in metal music and girls, I picked up model building again. But still being a truckfreak I worked mostly with plastic model kits from manufacturers like Revell and Italeri. For the fun of it I bought the Black Cat Model Team truck, but this was not as convincing to me as the other stuff I built back then in terms of realism. Then came the internet and I found other model builders, were some used Lego. A big eye opener was my buddy and fellow Dutchman Dennis Bosman who was already building massive Lego trucks back then, and had started with his own website (TLCB Note; That’s Mr. Bosman’s trailer attached to BricksonWheels’ Scania truck in the picture above). I got inspired and decided to work more with Lego as well, and aim for much more realism compared to what I had build before with bricks. Soon after I build up my collection of bricks and started working on new models, and enjoyed it so much I quit building plastic kits. About 8 years ago I published my first work as well, and met more Afols on the net. Nowadays I know many in person, and make sure you can always come by for a chat on one of the events during the year that I attend.
Whats your favorite Lego set or theme?
Coming from the first question that has the be the 853.
Who is your favorite MOCer?
I have a couple of good friends in the community, that I also know in person. Dennis Bosman (Legotrucks) is a good buddy of mine, we meet so now and then and take or work on location for some nice pictures. Others I see on a regular base and have some truly awesome MOCs are: Ingmar Spijkhoven (2LegoOrNottoLego), Barry Bosman (Barman), Arjan Oude Kotte (Konarja) and Ralph Savelsberg (Mad Physicist). All of them live in The Netherlands and are part of the Lowlug community. There are more, so nobody should feel offended not being mentioned 🙂 , but I can’t make the list too long. Internationally I would like to mention Lino Martins, Mike Doyle, Lichtblau, and Orion Pax. These are just a few names of guys that I am in good contact with and are very creative in my opinion and build awesome things.
What is your favorite MOC?
The one coming up soon, and the Red Baron Harley Davidson.
What’s your favorite Brick?
A chromed one. I heard about these a few years back, and they were spot on for building custom trucks and bikes. I love chromed lego. A truly chromed brick (plating on plastics technology) however is expensive, and I established my own contacts to have this done in volume industrially. I work together with Bricks4all (www.bricks4all.nl) on this. I only use the truly metal plated parts in my work, as they have a real chrome layer, compared to the many painted alternatives found for sale.
How do you start a build?
A project always starts with extensive research on dimensions and detail. I have a nice archive of chassis drawings with dimensions etc. I also look on the web for inspiration on colour and design. In the forthcoming Hispabrick Magazine (nr. 17) of this summer you can find an extensive article on this theme, where two of my builds builds are highlighted through the whole building process.
What makes your designs unique to you?
I think I was one of the first dedicated to building vehicles as less with visible studs as possible. I just like the smooth realistic look of that. Nowadays the level of detail, including the custom chrome and stickers make it quite unique.
Who do you think will be a talent for the future?
I could not tell you a name directly, but I hope there are many, as creative people are nice to be with.
What’s next?
I am working on a big tri-axle rotator wrecker in 1:13 scale. Its massive and I love it, but it takes a lot of work. It is probably the most intense project I did so far. I hope it can be seen on your blog in a few weeks.
