#3: Parts Inventory

 

Sorting & Storage
To prevent bricks from scattering, I use shallow white trays to store unsorted leftover bricks, keeping my workspace tidy.

Digital Design vs. Existing Brick Inventory
I previously tried designing on a computer and purchasing required bricks, but the process was tedious and often led to missing pieces. This time, I started building directly from my existing inventory, checking and supplementing materials beforehand to ensure smooth progress.

Brick Inventory Overview
I've been accumulating my brick collection since 2012, mainly from:

• Small LEGO sets
• Second-hand bricks from "Golden Brick" at Taipei Main Station
• BrickLink, Ruten, and Shopee individual purchases

I prefer brown, tan, gray, blue, and transparent yellow bricks, with a large stock of sloped bricks for architectural builds.

Sorting & Brick Counting
Good sorting is crucial for MOC building. Since I hadn't reorganized my collection after moving, inventorying bricks took a long time. I reclassified my bricks and bought a seven-tier storage cabinet for small packaged pieces.

Building Process

• Framework & Base:

  • Initially estimated 3x 48x48 baseplates
  • Added 2x 32x72 baseplates for the platform
  • Final base expanded to 50x50

• Detailed Construction & Part Requirements:

  • Baseplate: Needed ~4,000 pieces of 2x2 tiles (budget constraints led to reductions)
  • Platform & Porch: Doubled the number of bar elements
  • Windows & Exterior Walls: 100+ windows needed; rare 3x3 pieces were replaced with 2x2s
  • Roof:
    • First floor: Required additional sloped bricks
    • Second floor: Needed 600 pieces of 1x2 tiles or 2,000 pieces of 1x1 slopes
    • Internal structure required Technic pieces and arch supports
  • Decorations: Accessories like rickshaws, mailboxes, and utility poles; minifigures needed straw hats and square hats

Brick Buying Strategy

• After initial inventory, most materials were sufficient
• Added a steam train, requiring extra train wheels
• Roof decorations lacked gray bricks, leading to multiple purchases
• Due to pandemic restrictions, I abandoned overseas orders from BrickLink

Conclusion
This competition proved that the "start building first, then buy missing bricks" strategy works. With limited competition time, bricks won’t wait for you—so just start building!

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See Final Work in Display: The Timber Terminal – Changhua’s Golden Age Station

01 Recreating - 02 Coloring  - 03 Parts Inventory  - 04 Karahafu Roof  - 05 Colombage Skill  - 06 Main Roof  - 07 Steam train  - 08 Vintage Bus  - 09 Tree and Shelter  - 10 Final