Right, so reviving the thread...
In 2020 I happened to order a Chinese micro-block set from AliExpress and it came just as the ban on Chinese goods in India was laid and shipping from AE was stopped. I actually received it during the first wave of COVID IIRC and quarantined the package indefinitely, LoL! The package came by standard India Post shipping and no Customs Duty was charged for it.
Post that period I got busy with shifting base in 2021 and first half of 2022 and never really got around building this micro-block set, until a few days ago. I had kept the set safely in my stash, well packed because even losing 1 pack of blocks would make the entire set useless. That would be a shame.
Jumping to NOW: With all the festival holidays and a break from traveling and waiting at layovers in international airports I thought it would be a good time to put my head together to building this set. I already knew that this would be a big build and also the sheer number of micro-blocks in the build was very overwhelming at first! But I knew I would be spreading the build over a few days with absolutely no rush and thus gathered my wits together and began blocking with a purpose...
Here are the photos of the build:
Total Number of Blocks = 1,860 (Yes, that's One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Blocks)!!
Micro-Blocks meaning the single blocks are smaller when compared to a standard single block of LEGO.
The bowls I stole temporarily from the crockery cupboard!
^^ Blocks Close-up shots!
^^ And the build starts... laying the foundation right was crucial. The manual that comes with this build set is only half decent and nothing detailed and well explained like the manuals that come with LEGO sets. A little dampening but can be worked with.
^^ Iceberg building with transparent white single and dual blocks.
^^ Slowly taking shape!
^^ Patience was key! Block by Block. Layer by Layer.
^^ Iceberg fully built!
^^ All 4 Smokestacks fully built. This was arguably the hardest part of the build for me. The manual was sketchy on showing how to lay the blocks in each layer of smokestack and following the images lead me nowhere. That's where Youtube came in very handy! There is a full build video of this on YT and I followed it for this Smokestack part only. Before resorting to the video however I made countless mistakes in laying the blocks and each time detaching the blocks was a big pain. Had to use a small hammer and screwdriver to separate the micro-blocks from each other by creating a wedge between them. Never had to do this for any LEGO set till date! Thankfully, got it all done in the end which is what counts.
^^ All Smokestacks in place! While attaching them to the body of the vessel I actually ended up breaking one smokestack (ouch!) and had to re-build that one from scratch again before fixing it in it's slot for good.
And now for the final build photos, all set and completed here is the...
The RMS TITANIC (1,860 Blocks):
^^ Size comparison with a Standard Hot Wheels 1:64 scale model.
So, it's done! Completed. After keeping the blocks in a well packed box for 2 years I finally ended up building it! Feel like unlocking the hardest Achievement in a Video Game, LoL! The build took me a few days for sure and there were times where the micro-blocks weren't easy to set in or remove (my trusty small hammer and screwdriver helped a lot in the latter case!) but it didn't frustrate me to the point of rage quitting. I had set my mind to it and took it piece by piece, page by page of the manual. The Smokestacks for me was the part that made me hit my head against the wall but once I had the pattern mastered it fell into place, albeit with difficulty. Yes, the micro-blocks did give me some sore fingers and working with LEGO blocks is infinitely smoother but this set was really worth it in the end. Really does look convincingly good.
Best reaction I got was from my Mom when I showed her the fully built set... she said " My God you had the patience to build something with 1800 blocks but you say you don't have the patience to get married and live happily ever after"!!
Hope you enjoyed the photos folks and keep block-ing! Cheers!!