40501: The Wooden Duck
- Designer
- Jme Wheeler
- Launch/exit
- 1 Jun 2020 - {t.b.a}
- Value new
- ~$113.51
- Value used
- ~$85.54
- Bricklist notes
- This is the first set I had the opportunity to develop. As a LEGO House exclusive, the sketch was handled by the very talented Stuart Harris. It was quite an honor to work on a set that so directly celebrates the history of the LEGO Group.
When a model goes from a sketch to a finished product, sometimes it may change to a point where it is nearly unrecognizable. This was not one of those cases. At first glance, the differences between the finished model and the sketch are difficult to spot. Stuart did such a great job with the sculpting, there wasn't a lot that needed to change. The changes I made in the development process were changes to the way things connect, making sure the model would be stable as possible.
There were a few important structural and ease of build problems present in the sketch model that I needed to address. The build of the entire head needed to be changed, and the connection of the head to the rest of the body in particular had to be highly modified to make it stable enough to be played with.
A lot of people will also be surprised to learn that the spacing of the wheels presented a considerable challenge. In order to ensure a secure connection of the wheel to the axle, a very specific build up was necessary. That particular issue actually ended up being solved by fellow designer Aske Garling, for which I'm very grateful. It is an example of the many times designers help each other solve problems with their projects. Having fresh eyes on a particular issue can be invaluable during the creative process.
The attachment of the wings was another area that needed to be made simpler. Making them buildable as separate entities, and able to be attached after having built the main body, removed a lot of potentially complicated building.
Building instructions were done by Pia Kjeldsen Madsen.