There's a very good chance that you've heard of the 9th and last of our 10K Club members for the First 2016 LEGO Review. His name is Jason Allemann, but you may know him even better by his online handle JKBrickworks or by the fact that he's the amazing fan designer behind the LEGO 21305 Maze. Jason is a seasoned LEGO builder who often enjoys integrating dynamic elements into his projects such as he has done in this functioning Particle Accelerator.
Help us congratulate Jason on once again becoming a part of the LEGO Ideas 10K Club!
About Yourself
- Where are you from?
Canada.
- How old are you?
43.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I work as a software developer.
- What hobbies do you have?
My other big hobby is rock climbing.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
I was really into playing with LEGO bricks as a child. As an adult, I really started back into it around 1999, when The LEGO Group released the Star Wars and Mindstorms sets.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
Medieval Market Village. So many great details in that set.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
The 2x4 brick. It's the foundation of everything.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Not really any one in particular. I'm inspired by the entire LEGO community. There are so many people building so many great things.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Not really any one in particular. My Flickr feed is where I see what most people are building.
About Your Project
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
This really started out as a joke. Kristal (my partner) and I were discussing completely unrealistic models we could pretend to build as part of a humorous LEGO video. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized I could actually build a 'working' scale model of a particle accelerator.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The acceleration system was the most challenging. When a LEGO Technic gear train is sped up so fast there is a lot of vibration in the system, so it was important that the housing be well built. Getting the spacing between the accelerator wheels just right was also critical.
Also, the first version of the ring I made was originally very short, so the balls would occasionally fly out of the ring. I made some improvements later to increase the height of the ring walls.
^ Get a closer look at the mechanics behind Jason's Particle Accelerator
- How long did it take to complete the model?
It came together pretty quickly. I probably had it mostly complete in a few weeks.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes?
It felt pretty awesome. I think it took somewhere between a year and a year and half.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
Maybe 1,000.
About LEGO Ideas
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas project (besides your own of course)?
I don't really have one. There are quite a few awesome projects on Ideas, but I couldn't pick a favourite.
- You have other projects on LEGO Ideas, what is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
Who didn't want to become a LEGO designer when they were a little kid? LEGO Ideas gives people hope that it could still happen, even if they've moved on to other things in their life.
My biggest advice would be to spread the word as best you can. The more people that see your project, the more likely it will reach 10,000 supporters. I think it's also worth spending some time to really polish the project. Write a good description, build a model with real bricks if possible, take good photos, make a video if it's appropriate. Make it easy for people to fall in love with your project
By
hasanjensen