Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

This LEGO Campbell’s Soup Can Opens to Reveal Andy Warhol’s Entire Factory Studio

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In 1962, Andy Warhol turned a humble soup can into an art world phenomenon. Now, a LEGO Ideas submission is turning that same can into something equally revolutionary: a buildable gateway to understanding the artist himself. This isn’t just about stacking bricks into a cylindrical shape, though the technical achievement of creating such smooth curves at 24 studs diameter deserves recognition. This project represents months of research into Warhol’s working methods, his relationship with popular culture, and the visual language of The Factory that became synonymous with 1960s avant-garde creativity.

Open the can and the transformation is immediate. The metallic interior contrasts sharply with the familiar red and white exterior, creating an Alice-in-Wonderland moment where everyday packaging becomes an art studio. Printed artworks cover the walls and floor, reflecting Warhol’s habit of painting directly on the ground surrounded by his creations. The Andy Warhol minifigure with signature silver wig presides over a space filled with props from his actual studio: the disco ball, the motorcycle, the couch where celebrities and artists mingled. It’s both a display piece for design enthusiasts and an educational tool that makes pop art accessible, proving LEGO sets can be as culturally significant as they are fun to build.

Designer: HonorableImmenseWorriz

The build sits at 1,117 pieces and stretches to 32.6 centimeters tall, which sounds manageable until you realize the entire cylinder uses curved slope elements to achieve those smooth walls. Most builders avoid large-scale curves because getting a 24-stud diameter to look this polished requires serious geometric planning. The three-section hinge system adds another challenge since you need structural integrity while maintaining mechanical function. What separates this from typical pop culture tributes is the commitment to printed elements over stickers, with Campbell’s branding, artwork tiles, and even the gold medal seal all printed directly onto bricks. The Marilyn Monroe quad portrait, Flowers series, purple Cow prints, they’re all there on the metallic silver walls that reference The Factory’s legendary aluminum foil aesthetic.

HonorableImmenseWorriz , the builder, positions it as “a LEGO set for the kitchen,” which completes the conceptual loop Warhol started by elevating everyday consumer goods to fine art status. You build this, place it near your actual soup cans, and your kitchen becomes gallery space. The 32 stickers showing different Campbell’s soup flavors let you customize and swap variations, mirroring Warhol’s seriality philosophy from his original 1962 series that featured 32 different canvases. The father-son collaboration behind it shows in the prop selection too, each item chosen for historical accuracy rather than visual filler. That red couch, the orange motorcycle, the camera on tripod, they’re narrative anchors to The Factory’s actual chaos, not random accessories.

The project’s currently a fan submission on the LEGO Ideas website – an online forum where enthusiasts share their own creations and vote for favorites. MOCs (My Own Creations) that hit the 10,000 vote mark then get sent to LEGO’s team for approval before being turned into a retail box set that anyone can buy. If you fancy yourself a LEGO ode to Warhol (and Campbell), head down to the LEGO Ideas forum and cast your vote for this build! It’s free!

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This $28 Power Bank Accidentally Recreated the iPhone 3G Design

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Cuktech just dropped their 10 Air magnetic power bank in China, and honestly, the most interesting thing about it has nothing to do with the specs. Sure, it’s got a 10,000mAh battery with 55W wired fast charging and 15W wireless, and yeah, the CNY 199 price tag (roughly $28) is aggressively reasonable. But look at the damn thing. That silver body with the black magnetic strip running across the bottom? Slap this on the back of your iPhone and you’ve accidentally recreated the iPhone 3G’s iconic two-tone design.

I can’t tell if this is deliberate nostalgia bait or a happy accident, but either way, it’s working. The iPhone 3G had that silver aluminum back with the black plastic bottom for the antennas, and this power bank’s layout mirrors it almost perfectly. It’s like wearing your phone’s ancestral portrait as a backpack. The magnetic strip sits right where that glossy black section used to be, and suddenly your sleek 2025 smartphone is cosplaying as a 2008 legend.

Designer: Cuktech

Beyond the accidental throwback aesthetic, Cuktech packed in a built-in display that shows actual charging data instead of making you interpret cryptic LED blinks like you’re reading Morse code. The brand claims it can take an iPhone 17 from zero to full about 1.8 times, the Galaxy S25 Ultra gets 1.3 cycles, and the Xiaomi 17 Pro manages 1.1. These numbers track for a 10,000mAh capacity when you account for conversion losses, so at least they’re not inflating claims. Most flagships hit 50 percent in around 30 minutes with this thing, which is solid performance for something this affordable. The 55W wired output does the heavy lifting here since the 15W wireless is more about convenience than speed.

The bundled USB-C cable has a self-storing design, which sounds gimmicky until you’ve untangled your charging cable from your keys for the thousandth time. Cuktech also mentions their “OPC worry-free charging” technology for battery health, though I’m skeptical of proprietary acronyms until I see independent testing. What matters is that the fundamentals are sound: decent capacity, legitimate fast charging, and a price that doesn’t require a mortgage. The fact that it accidentally turns your modern phone into a design artifact from the Steve Jobs era is just a bonus. No word on global availability yet, but Cuktech usually brings their products international eventually, and this one deserves the trip.

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DIY Spotify-to-Cassette Player Adds Analog Warmth to Digital Streaming Audio

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Most audio enthusiasts fall into one of two camps: the ones chasing perfect fidelity with lossless files and the ones who swear their vinyl sounds warmer. Julius decided to build a bridge between these worlds, and it looks like something Q would hand to James Bond if the mission involved a particularly groovy villain.

His cassette streaming device takes Bluetooth audio and runs it through an actual tape loop before playback, physically imprinting that analog character onto digital streams. The engineering journey was brutal. Turns out cassette decks from decades past have some deeply weird ideas about electrical grounding, and getting modern Bluetooth hardware to play nice with positive-rail-referenced vintage electronics required DC isolating voltage regulators and more than a few creative workarounds. The payoff is a device that looks incredible and introduces real tape saturation without any digital fakery.

Designer: Julius Makes

The concept is straightforward. Bluetooth audio arrives digitally, converts to analog, mixes from stereo to mono, records onto cassette tape, travels around the loop, hits a playback head, then reaches the speaker. That physical trip through magnetic tape creates the warmth people obsess over. The compression happens because ferric oxide particles on polyester film genuinely can’t capture digital audio’s full range. These are real physical limitations making the sound different, and somehow our ears prefer it that way. Julius made the tape loop visible on purpose, sitting outside the cassette with orange guide brackets so you watch it move while listening.

Getting everything to work required solving problems that shouldn’t exist anymore. Cassette decks connect their chassis to the positive power rail instead of ground. Julius only learned this after bolting his grounded metal case directly to the deck with screws, nearly shorting everything. The audio input shielding also runs to positive, which makes zero sense if you’re used to modern electronics. His Bluetooth module expected normal ground references, creating a fundamental incompatibility. An isolation transformer from AliExpress failed completely. He tried powering the Bluetooth at 12.5 volts while referencing it to 7.5 volts, but that rail wouldn’t sink current. Three months of debugging until DC isolating voltage regulators finally solved it.

The VU meter uses a fluorescent tube that works backward from what you’d expect. Silence keeps it fully lit, loud beats make it dim. Julius inverts the signal on purpose so the tube glows when the device sits idle, which looks better and extends the tube’s life. The circuit gains the audio signal 500 times, clips it hard to isolate peaks, then runs through a diode detector with a capacitor for smoothing. The power amp inverts everything again and boosts another five times to drive the tube. The lag you see in the meter’s response comes from that smoothing capacitor, which is a feature since nobody wants a seizure-inducing flicker.

He built five separate circuit modules. One auto-starts the Bluetooth by faking a long button press with an RC pulse generator. Another converts stereo to mono for the recorder. The playback preamp amplifies the tape signal and applies EQ compensation, splitting output between the speaker and the meter circuits. Everything lives on custom PCBs he designed in KiCad after a month of learning the software. The stainless steel case handles shielding and heat dissipation from the power amp. A laser-cut acrylic panel makes the front transparent. The big orange knob pushes record volume into distortion territory. The small knob controls speaker output. Input and output jacks mean you can use this as a tape delay or saturation processor for other gear, which honestly might be more useful than Bluetooth streaming through cassette tape. But useful was never really the point.

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MagSafe Power Bank with Built-in Ring Light and Kickstand is a Vlogger’s dream-come-true

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You know those ‘Shot On iPhone’ images and videos you see? What they don’t tell you is that they didn’t just use an iPhone to shoot the content, they used an entire ecosystem of rigs, lights, lenses, dongles, microphones, stabilizers, and a bunch of other tech alongside the iPhone. ‘Shot On iPhone’ implies that all someone did was use their phone and nothing else, but the reality is more ‘Shot On iPhone using thousands of dollars worth of other gear’. While most content creators can’t afford that entire setup, one humble power bank hopes to make things easier.

The ‘Creator Beauty’ power bank may sound like a Chinese product name translated rather poorly, but this little device promises to uplift your iPhone’s video and photo capabilities significantly. Most MagSafe power banks snap on and begin charging – this one snaps on and turns your iPhone into a vlogging machine. Aside from giving your iPhone juice while it films, the Creator Beauty power bank packs a swivel-able light-source, and a kickstand that lets you prop your phone either vertically or horizontally, depending on what content you’re creating.

Designer: Max

The entire power bank has a Leica meets retro Polaroid aesthetic. You’ve got a two-tone beige/grey body with a red dot on the corner that you’d think was a Leica logo (but it just has Max written on it, i.e., the designer’s name). Meanwhile, the light itself sits on a swiveling joint, connected by an arm that has Polaroid’s original candy-colored rainbow printed on it. The visual beauty of the light is that, when closed, it sits at the center of the power bank, looking quite literally like a camera. Swivel it out, however, and it becomes an adjustable light source that’s softer-yet-stronger, perfect for filming content without relying on your phone’s flash.

What you see as a fairly novelty-ish light source is, in fact, a true content creator’s dream – because it’s dual-sided. On the outer side, it’s a disc-shaped light, capable of providing a broader wash of light while filming… but look on the other side and you’ve got a ring light, designed to make content creation a breeze without needing to invest in a separate ring light accessory. Buttons on the rim of the light let you toggle between front and rear lights, as well as brightness. The lights draw power from the power bank itself, making the entire arrangement super convenient – and the swiveling design gives you the ability to uniquely position the light source anywhere around the camera to get the right lighting angle or to avoid glare.

The kickstand is icing on the cake. Instead of being one of those flip-out kickstands, this one stays tucked inside the power bank itself, so it isn’t really visible until you need it. Pull it out like you would a drawer in a cabinet and position it at a 90° angle and the kickstand can be used either for docking your phone vertically or horizontally. Together, the three features give the Creator Beauty power bank quite the edge over other power banks. You practically don’t need an extra light or a tripod while recording – just snap the power bank on, swivel the light out, knock out the kickstand, and hit record!

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This transparent Spigen shell turns your Mac mini into a tiny iMac G3 and I kind of love it

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Spigen just launched a plastic shell that turns your Mac mini into a time machine. The Classic C1 wraps Apple’s minimalist aluminum cube in translucent plastic inspired by the iMac G3, complete with Bondi Blue and Tangerine colorways that defined Apple’s most playful era. For $32.99, your desk gets an instant injection of late ’90s nostalgia without sacrificing any of the Mac mini’s modern functionality.

The case feels like Spigen asking “what if Apple never stopped being fun?” The iMac G3 saved the company in 1998 by proving computers could be joyful instead of boring beige boxes. Now that same translucent aesthetic wraps around Apple’s most compact desktop, creating a bridge between two completely different design philosophies. The Mac mini stays minimalist underneath while the C1 shell broadcasts personality loud enough to make your entire workspace smile.

Designer: Spigen

Click Here to Buy Now

You’d almost expect a $45 plastic accessory to feel like a cheap gimmick, but peeling back the layers reveals some genuinely clever engineering. The exploded view shows this is a multi-part assembly, not some flimsy snap-on lid. Its base is a precisely molded cradle with ventilation slots that align perfectly with the Mac mini’s own air intake. The whole thing is built from a sturdy blend of PMMA, acrylic, and PVC that gives it the authentic heft and feel of turn-of-the-millennium hardware. This isn’t just a costume; it’s a well-made suit of armor.

It’s the smaller, nerdier details that really sell the execution. The vertical grilles on the sides are a direct homage to the Power Mac G4 Cube, yet they also provide functional ventilation for a machine that can get surprisingly warm. That clear base also elevates the entire unit just enough to improve airflow from below, and the inclusion of a simple dust filter is a practical touch most companies would skip. This is what separates a thoughtful tribute from a lazy cash-grab, proving someone at Spigen actually did their homework on Apple’s golden age.

Let’s face it, the Mac mini is an incredibly boring-looking box. It’s a marvel of miniaturization, sure, but it has all the personality of a corporate paperweight. The C1 completely upends that sterile aesthetic, swapping the cold, professional feel of aluminum for the warm, inviting glow of colored plastic. It reminds you that technology can be approachable and even a little bit weird. It turns an appliance back into a companion, something with a presence that does more than just sit there and compute.

Ultimately, this little plastic shell is a rebellion against the sea of monotonous silver and gray (we even wrote about an iMac G3-inspired Apple Watch just yesterday!) Given CES is in another week or so, we’re prepared for an onslaught of sleek silver or black boxes that do a lot without having much character. But for thirty-three bucks, you get to reclaim a bit of that lost optimism as an existing (or prospective) Apple Mac mini owner. It’s a small, delightful declaration that our desktops don’t have to be so damn serious (aka boring) all the time.

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The iMac G3-Inspired Apple Watch We Never Knew We Desperately Needed

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The iMac G3 was discontinued in 2003, around the same time Apple began pivoting to its clean, color-free aesthetic. Cut to a few years later and Apple transitioned entirely to aluminum for its devices, ushering in an era of sleek, and a few more years later, Apple built a computer small enough for your wrist. That means there was a little over a decade between Apple’s era of color, and the Apple Watch. Sadly, the two didn’t coexist in the same timeline, but that doesn’t mean a guy can’t imagine, right?

Saffy Creatives’ Apple Watch G3 concept brings the two together in what I can only describe as sheer nostalgic dream-come-true. The two design worlds collide perfectly – the body of a Watch with the soul of Apple’s G3 devices (tbh even the MacBook was absolute eye-candy). The results don’t just look fantastic, they honestly look wearable – like I would absolutely like to be caught with this piece of hand-candy across my wrist, even if its vibrant colors feel less serious than the cool metallic finish of your standard Watch.

Designer: Saffy Creatives

It’s worth noting that this isn’t just an existing watch with a plastic body. There are a few changes to the design itself to make it stand true to its inspiration. For starters, the watch has a chonky bezel, quite like the G3 iMac did. The bezel separates itself from the body by being made of an entirely separate plastic component. This is further reinforced by the watch’s two-tone colorway. The bezel adopts a clear white plastic design, while the body itself goes for the transparent tinted plastic that G3 fans know too well. The watch ditches all perceivable metal components, barring probably the crown, which looks like metal anodized to match the body’s color. The power button on the side is clear plastic, as are the lugs, and even the strap!

The G3 trend even carries to the Apple’s colored logo, which features on the bezel of the watch. It’s rare for the watch to have a logo on the front, but then again, it’s entirely inconceivable for Apple to make a plastic watch. But, like I said, a guy can dream! The colorful logo sits on the front, right above the standard touchscreen display with its curved glass almost perfectly mirroring the iMac G3’s CRT display.

The watch comes in a variety of colors, all celebrating that short but iconic era. You’ve got the truly legendary Bondi Blue, along with the Strawberry, Lime, Tangerine, and Grape variants. Like I said, this is, for most parts, an entire redesign of the watch itself. It isn’t really possible to make a watch case that captures the retro beauty of this watch – unless you expand the design outwards to give the watch a true bezel, or cut into the watch’s screen to keep the exact proportions as shown here. That being said, I’d like to see Spigen or any other company try giving the Apple Watch a retro flavor. That being said, this iMac G3-inspired Watch Charger from Spigen is perhaps the closest we’ll ever come to seeing anything!

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Remember the Saleen S7? This 1,200‑Piece LEGO Build Brings Back America’s Wildest Supercar

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LEGO’s Speed Champions line has given us countless Ferraris, Porsches, and McLarens. Meanwhile, one of America’s most ambitious supercar projects sits conspicuously absent from the brick-built garage. The Saleen S7 deserves better than obscurity, and builder Nytedance has created a 1,200-piece proposal that makes the case beautifully. This isn’t a quick parts-bin creation but a thoughtfully detailed tribute to a car that once proved American manufacturers could play in the supercar sandbox.

The build captures everything that made the S7 special: those dramatic scissor doors, the trio of diagonal side vents that channeled air to the mid-mounted engine, and the low-slung stance that telegraphed serious performance intentions. Nytedance included opening hood and engine bay access alongside a detailed interior, giving the model the same display-worthy presence the real S7 commanded on showroom floors. At a time when automotive design often feels derivative, this MOC celebrates a machine that carved its own identity through pure American audacity and engineering ambition.

Designer: Nytedance

Here’s the thing about the S7 that most people forget: it was legitimately fast. Like, 2000-era supercar fast when that still meant something. The naturally aspirated version put out 550 horsepower from a 7.0-liter V8, which sounds almost quaint now until you remember the whole car weighed 2,865 pounds. Then in 2005 they strapped turbos to it because why not. Steve Saleen had spent years building hot rod Mustangs, so when he decided to build a proper supercar, he didn’t half-ass it. Carbon fiber monocoque, mid-engine layout, the whole European playbook executed by a company in Irvine, California. And somehow this car gets forgotten while we endlessly rehash which Ferrari from that era was best.

Those proportions are tricky because the car sits so low and wide, but the MOC nails that aggressive wedge shape without looking like a doorstop. The side intakes are the hero detail here, three diagonal slashes that became the car’s signature move. They’re rendered in white against black internals, creating the contrast you need for them to read properly at this scale. The scissor doors actually function, which feels mandatory given that half the reason anyone remembers the S7 involves those doors opening at car shows. Look at the rear haunches and how they flare out over the wheels. That’s not easy to pull off with LEGO’s predominantly rectangular vocabulary, but it works. The builder used curved slopes intelligently instead of trying to force angles that would look chunky.

The white color is clean enough to let you study the form without distraction, plus it matches one of the more common S7 liveries. Those red taillights pop against the white body, four circles arranged in a quad pattern that anyone who spent time with Need for Speed games will recognize instantly. The wheels use those multi-spoke pieces that suggest performance without going full boy racer. At 1,200 pieces, this sits in an interesting spot between impulse purchase and serious investment. You’re committed enough to display it properly but you’re not dropping Technic Bugatti money.

LEGO Ideas is basically democracy for brick nerds. You submit a design, people vote, and if you hit 10,000 supporters, LEGO actually reviews it for potential production. Get approved and your MOC becomes a real set with your name on the box and royalties in your pocket. Nytedance’s Saleen S7 is live on the platform now, so if you think American supercar history deserves shelf space next to all those Prancing Horse sets, go vote for it. The S7 spent too long in obscurity already.

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This Yacht is actually powered by a Detachable Jet-ski

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Jet skis rip through water with ridiculous speed and agility. They’re also terrible at everything else. Try bringing friends along for the ride, or packing anything beyond a phone in a waterproof case. Yachts fix the space issue completely, but they cost a small fortune and require actual skills to operate. Spanish designer Amor Jimenez Chito created the One 16 to split the difference: it’s a six-meter boat powered by a jet ski that detaches when you want to go full throttle solo. The design won the Golden A’ Design Award for 2025, which apparently goes to projects that solve problems nobody else bothered to address.

The engineering is surprisingly straightforward. Your jet ski slots into the hull and becomes the propulsion system for the entire boat. The plug-and-play setup works with major jet ski brands, so you can use whatever you already own or prefer. Six people fit comfortably on deck, where a convertible bow switches between table mode and sunbathing platform depending on the vibe. The hull keeps weight distributed properly so the whole thing stays stable instead of feeling like you strapped a picnic table to a rocket. You get two vehicles in one without paying marina fees for two vehicles. That’s the entire pitch, and it actually makes sense.

Designer: Amor Jimenez Chito

This kind of modularity has been tried before, usually with clunky results that looked like a science fair project gone wrong. The reason the One 16 works, at least conceptually, is that it doesn’t try to hide what it is. The jet ski integration is a core feature, not an afterthought. Chito’s background in industrial design engineering clearly shows in the execution, where the docking mechanism appears both robust and user-friendly. Making it compatible with Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki from the get-go is the smartest decision they could have made. It bypasses the proprietary ecosystem trap and opens the concept up to the entire existing PWC market, which is a massive advantage.

Of course, the real test is how it handles chop with a 300-horsepower jet ski bolted into its spine. The weight distribution is supposedly optimized, but there’s a big difference between a CAD rendering and a windy afternoon on the water. Aesthetically, it’s clean and inoffensive, which is probably the right call for a product aiming for broad appeal. It won’t turn heads like a Wally tender, but it’s not supposed to. The One 16 is a clever piece of problem-solving that prioritizes function over form. It’s a utility player, a waterborne multitool for people who want more options without owning an entire fleet.

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This CMF Phone Mini Concept Is The Compact Android Fans Have Been Begging For

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The market for compact smartphones didn’t disappear because people stopped wanting them; manufacturers simply decided the economics didn’t justify the engineering. The iPhone 13 mini was the last great holdout, and its discontinuation left a void that has been filled with nothing but silence. That makes this CMF Phone Mini concept, posted by designer Preet Ajmeri on the Nothing Community forum, feel less like a flight of fancy and more like a genuine market opportunity. It suggests a smarter middle path for small phones, one built around accessibility and modularity rather than specs-sheet maximalism. This isn’t just another shrunken flagship render; it’s a thoughtful take on what a small phone in 2025 ought to be.

What makes Ajmeri’s concept work is its complete lack of flagship pretension. The design has a satisfying, tool-like quality, with an aesthetic that leans closer to a Braun appliance than a miniaturized glass sandwich. The two-tone back panels, secured by exposed screws, are a direct nod to the modularity of the CMF Phone 1 and 2 Pro. That little circular element in the lower corner is a brilliant touch, practically begging for a lanyard or a clever magnetic accessory. The camera housing is integrated into a stepped corner plate, making it feel like a distinct, functional component rather than a generic camera island. It’s an honest object, designed to be held and used without demanding reverence.

Designer: Preet Ajmeri

The colorways Ajmeri mocked up are subtle, and a deviation from the flagship phones’ vibrant color schemes. The sage green has a distinct, almost military-grade feel, while the slate blue is more of a classic tech color. But that brown and cream version is the real standout; it feels like something Braun would have designed in 1975, a perfect piece of retro-futurism. The hard split between the two tones gives it a clear visual hierarchy, and the presumed matte texture looks like it would feel fantastic in the hand. That aside, the modularity is still retained, with the screw-in design, and the knob on the bottom for fixing accessories.

This thing would live or die in the sub-$300 space, and that’s exactly where it belongs. You wouldn’t expect a top-tier Snapdragon processor here; a power-efficient MediaTek Dimensity 7000-series chip would be more than enough to drive a 5.4-inch OLED display without destroying the battery. And battery life would be the biggest engineering challenge, as it always is with small devices. But the appeal isn’t raw performance. The appeal is ergonomics, a one-handed user experience, and a design that has more personality than anything five times its price. CMF has already proven it can deliver a thoughtful software experience on a budget, and that’s all a device like this would need.

So, will Nothing ever actually build it? Almost certainly not, and that’s the real shame. The big players are too risk-averse to cater to a niche they’ve already declared dead. But this concept proves the desire for a well-designed, affordable, and genuinely compact phone is very much alive. It’s a perfect fit for a brand like CMF, which has built its identity on challenging the assumption that budget-friendly has to mean boring. The first company to take a chance on a design with this much character and common sense won’t just sell a phone; they’ll create a cult classic.

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This LEGO Bobber Uses Ballpoint Pen Springs for Suspension and It Actually Fits Perfectly

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Ballpoint pen springs probably weren’t on your list of unofficial-yet-essential LEGO Technic parts, but this bobber MOC (My Own Creation) makes a compelling case for raiding your desk drawer. The twin coiled springs flanking the front forks and tucked behind the rear wheel handle suspension duties with surprising visual authenticity. They compress and extend just like real motorcycle shocks, adding functional movement to a build that already nails the stripped-down bobber aesthetic.

Bobbers emerged from post-war American garages when riders started cutting away everything unnecessary from their motorcycles. The philosophy was simple: lose the extra weight, keep what makes it run. This LEGO version channels that same spirit with its exposed twin-cylinder engine, bare-bones frame, and that yellow racing tank sporting a bold number 8. The builder modified LEGO Technic set 42036 into something far leaner and more specialized, swapping the original suspension components for those ingenious pen springs and repositioning elements to achieve proper bobber proportions.

Designer: MadamMelodicRaisin104

The pen spring hack solves a real problem in LEGO motorcycle builds. Technic sets come with their own suspension systems, sure, but they’re often bulky or visually clunky at this scale. Real bobber shocks are these long, exposed coil-over units that sit right out in the open, part of the bike’s visual language. Standard LEGO shock absorbers don’t quite capture that look. They function fine mechanically but lack the visual density and tight coil pattern you see on actual motorcycles. Pen springs nail the aesthetics, which works perfectly for this MOC because visuals are everything. The Bobber isn’t entirely functional, but the suspension (even if static) looks the part.

Set 42036, the donor bike here, originally builds into either a chopper or a street bike configuration. Both versions skew whimsical, which works for LEGO’s typical audience but doesn’t scratch the itch if you’re after something with genuine mechanical credibility. The builder kept the core engine assembly and frame geometry but ditched the fanciful proportions. Bobbers sit low, with the seat almost directly over the rear axle and minimal distance between components. This build compresses everything into that tight package, pulling the handlebars back into a more neutral position and mounting the foot pegs mid-frame rather than forward where cruisers typically place them. Mid-controls make sense for bobbers because the whole point was maneuverability and quick handling, not long highway cruises with your feet stretched out front.

The kickstand correction might seem minor but it speaks to the builder’s attention to detail. The original Technic chopper configuration puts the stand on the right side, which is wrong for actual motorcycles. Real bikes park on the left because that’s where the shifter lives and you need clear access when you’re mounting from the curb side. Swapping it over takes maybe five minutes but it shows someone who actually rides or at least understands how these machines work in the real world. Same logic applies to adding the foot pegs, which the kit omits entirely. You can’t have a rideable motorcycle without somewhere to put your feet, even in miniature form.

The yellow racing livery with that big number 8 pulls the aesthetic away from typical black-on-black bobber builds and into flat track racing territory. Flat trackers are bobbers’ dirt-slinging cousins, stripped down for speed on oval dirt tracks. The color choice keeps the build from looking too generic while the racing plate gives it a story beyond “stripped motorcycle.” The tail section stays minimal, just a small seat cowl and rear fender. Nothing to disturb the clean line running from tank to tail. The fat rear tire balances against that narrow front wheel, classic bobber proportions that suggest power and grip where it matters most. Those pen springs keep catching your eye though, because they’re so perfectly scaled and so absurdly obvious that you wonder why more builders haven’t figured it out.

The catch, however, is that this Bobber only exists in the metaverse… or rather LEGO’s own virtual verse, called the LEGO Ideas forum. Designed as an online platform for LEGO enthusiasts to share their own creations and vote for their favorites. MOCs that cross the 10,000 vote threshold get sent to LEGO’s internal team for review, and if successful, get turned into a box set that all of us can buy! I don’t see LEGO launching kits that require dismembering ballpoint pens for their springs (because that’s technically an ‘illegal’ form of building a brickset), but I’m sure there’s a pneumatic Technic part somewhere in LEGO’s arsenal that will work. If you want to see that happen, however, step 1 is to cast your vote for this gorgeous build on the LEGO Ideas website.

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