LEGO 10188 (Death Star) Build Progress Thread

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]For our 2nd anniversary, my wife suggested that we once again get ourselves a joint gift (last year, we got a Wii).[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]She said it'd be fun to get the LEGO 10188 Death Star with all of the mini figures and cinema scene/diorama levels.[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]I am starting this thread to document our progress. As of last night, the second level is maybe 1/2 finished (we just finished the doors on the garbage smasher).[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]We're taking turns as we go and making sure we finish each page before stopping work.[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]These first few pictures are of the sorting process. Because of the sheer volume of pieces, we're using plates, bowls, pots, and other kitchen items (like a Rubbermaid cookie container) to keep the pieces semi organized.[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]Opening the boxes and separating the pieces took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours.[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]We believe this project will test our relationship, but I think it will make us stronger.[/FONT]

[FONT=Courier New]Enjoy.[/FONT]

[Ji'dai]

You mean the part bags aren't numbered? I'm getting spoiled with those numbered bags. Makes building so much easier.

Sorting the parts into containers like that is good idea.

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]If the part bags were numbered, then I missed it and I am doing it the hard way. I've been building a LOT of sets since the first of the year and if they number the bags, then that's great, because there is literally no rhyme or reason to what is in each flipping bag.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]They only time I have seen them numbered is when I got the Dropship+AT-OT set and they numbered the stuff for the AT-OT with a "1" and the Dropship with a "2".[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]Pots, pans, and plates are the only way to go if you want to manage a build this size.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]We did a basic sort before we started assembling and I build some of the smaller elements as we go to eliminate the pieces from the unused pile and then resort/separate as we go.[/FONT]

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]More progress...[/FONT]

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]And a little bit more...[/FONT]

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]Last two and this is as far as we got last night.[/FONT]

[LusiferSam]

[FONT=Courier New]If the part bags were numbered, then I missed it and I am doing it the hard way. I've been building a LOT of sets since the first of the year and if they number the bags, then that's great, because there is literally no rhyme or reason to what is in each flipping bag.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]They only time I have seen them numbered is when I got the Dropship+AT-OT set and they numbered the stuff for the AT-OT with a "1" and the Dropship with a "2".[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]Pots, pans, and plates are the only way to go if you want to manage a build this size.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]We did a basic sort before we started assembling and I build some of the smaller elements as we go to eliminate the pieces from the unused pile and then resort/separate as we go.[/FONT]

No you didn't miss anything and you're not doing it the hard way (not really). This set doesn't have any numbered bags. Any set that makes a pile of parts bigger the a certain size I sort. And the Death Star more than meets that criteria. I personally separate out by size and color. I took a couple of photos early on when building, but totally forgot later on (hey, I was building darn it ). I'll post them if I can find them. In the mean time Ando keep up the good work.

[Ando]

No you didn't miss anything and you're not doing it the hard way (not really). This set doesn't have any numbered bags. Any set that makes a pile of parts bigger the a certain size I sort. And the Death Star more than meets that criteria. I personally separate out by size and color. I took a couple of photos early on when building, but totally forgot later on (hey, I was building darn it ). I'll post them if I can find them. In the mean time Ando keep up the good work.

[FONT=Courier New]That's what I figured. And that's how I do all my builds (at least separate by color), and I always segregate gears, shafts, and those specialized pieces that I know I will spend 30 minutes digging for later.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]Thank you for the encouragement, LS. It's definitely a team effort between me and the Mrs. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]We are taking a picture every page or two as long as there is a definite difference in a appearance as I build. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]Because it's larger than any of the Clone Wars vehicles, I am not hunched over the coffee table, scrambling to put it together, so each step is deliberate and double checked.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]Can't wait to get home and see how much progress my wife made after she got home from work (she gets off before I do).[/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New]I'll have more pics on Monday![/FONT]

[Ji'dai]

I don't think I've sorted a set prior to construction since I built the UCS Rebel Blockade Runner (1,748 pieces) in 2001. It was the largest set I'd built at the time.

The biggest set I've ever built is the Green Grocer (2,352 pieces). The great thing was the parts were all in numbered bags 1-4, so I could just open just those bags to build step #1, step #2, and so forth instead of having a 2300-piece pile on the table.

I'm going to build the Medieval Market Village next (1,601 pieces) and the part bags are not numbered unfortunately. On builds like that I just open each bag and try to keep each pile separate from the others.

Thanks for the pics and updates, keep 'em coming!

[LusiferSam]

I don't think I've sorted a set prior to construction since I built the UCS Rebel Blockade Runner (1,748 pieces) in 2001. It was the largest set I'd built at the time.

The biggest set I've ever built is the Green Grocer (2,352 pieces). The great thing was the parts were all in numbered bags 1-4, so I could just open just those bags to build step #1, step #2, and so forth instead of having a 2300-piece pile on the table.

I'm going to build the Medieval Market Village next (1,601 pieces) and the part bags are not numbered unfortunately. On builds like that I just open each bag and try to keep each pile separate from the others.

Thanks for the pics and updates, keep 'em coming!

Oh, man. After a really bad experience building the Barracuda by dumping all the parts into one big pile I started sorting. That was '91 I believe. The Green Grocer I sorted the parts for each level. If the number of parts for each level was smaller I won't have sorted.

I looked and I guess this was only this photo of my Death Star build I took. I had just finished sorting and not started building yet. The parts sitting on the instructions are the mini-figures and accessories. This not the table I normally build on. But being such a large build I needed a bigger than normal space for the set up.