| How to Make a LEGO Castle Posted: 08 Sep 2020 05:00 PM PDT There are a ton of LEGO castle-building sets, but you don't have to have a set of specific instructions to make your own castle. With a solid foundation, the right building technique, and a good design idea, you can easily build one. [Edit]Building Walls, Gates, and Towers - Choose a flat base plate to form the base of the wall. LEGO base plates are the flat pieces often used as flooring in a model. Use a flat base plate to give your first layer of bricks a surface to attach to so they're sturdy.[1]
- You can choose multiple flat base plates to build your foundation or use a large single one.
- Choose a brown base plate to mimic dirt or a green one to look like grass.
- Place rectangular bricks on the base plates to start your wall. Form the first layer of your castle wall by attaching rectangular LEGO bricks to your base plates. Place them end to end so they're touching and form a single layer.[2]
- If you want to give your castle a classic look, use gray bricks.
- Try to use bricks of the same size so your wall looks more uniform.
- Use an interlocking technique to stack additional bricks. An interlocking technique means you take 2 bricks touching end to end, and lay 1 brick across them to keep them connected. As you continue stacking your bricks and building your wall, use an interlocking technique to make your wall sturdier.[3]
- An interlocking design is a classic brick wall technique, so using it for your castle will make it look more like a real wall.
- Leave larger gaps at the bottom of the wall to create gates. As you're stacking your bricks and building your castle wall, choose where you want to place a gate. Leave a larger gap between 2 sides of your wall to leave a gate opening. If you have a LEGO gate piece or drawbridge, add it to the opening and build around it.[4]
- If you're making a larger castle, you can make multiple gate openings.
- The gate opening can be any size you like, but a proper castle must have a gate!
- Stagger the bricks to create openings for windows. If you want to add some windows to your castle walls, leave an extra space between 2 bricks so there's a small opening. Then, continue stacking your castle in an interlocking fashion.[5]
- You can adjust the size of your windows by leaving a smaller or a larger gap between bricks.
- If you have square bricks, you can stagger them to create a series of small windows.
- Add towers above the gates by stacking corner bricks. If you want to add some towers on top of your gates, use 3-studded corner bricks to add a textured design effect. Stack them on top of your gate and place rectangular bricks across them to create a roof.[6]
- You can also add smaller bricks on top to give the tower a spire, or a point.
- Space out square pieces on top for a classic castle design. Once you've finished building a section of your castle wall, add some square pieces on top to give it that classic medieval design effect. Space out the square bricks evenly so it looks consistent.[7]
- Create corner turrets by stacking bricks in a square design. A turret is a tower that's usually placed at the corners of a castle. Stack rectangular bricks in a square pattern to build turrets and then place them at the corners of your walls.[8]
- Make the turrets taller than your walls.
- If you're making multiple turrets, build them the same size and height so your castle looks even.
- Create bridges with base plates between towers or walls. Use brown base plates so the bridges look wooden. Attach them to the tops of walls or towers to connect 2 of them together and form a bridge that your LEGO people can cross.[9]
- You could also use gray base plates to look like stone bridges.
- Add thin rectangular bricks to the sides of the bridges to make railings.
[Edit]Choosing Castle Designs - Look for instructions on the LEGO website if you want a specific design. If you want to build a specific castle design, you can use the official instructions as a guide. Search on the LEGO website or in a search engine for the castle design you're looking for and print out or read the directions on your screen.[10]
- To visit the LEGO website, go to: https://www.lego.com/.
- You may need to find or buy specialized pieces in order to build some of the designs.
- Use the Kingdom's Modular Castle Creator for a variety of designs. You can use LEGO castle "modules" which are sets that can be configured in multiple ways to give you a lot of different design options. The set includes instructions and all of the pieces you'll need to build interchangeable modules, which you can use to create castle designs of your own.[11]
- You can purchase the Kingdom's Modular Castle Creator online.
- Most of the designs in the modular require specialized pieces that are included in the set.
- Find specialty castle sets if you want to build a specific design. LEGO makes sets that include instructions and all of the pieces that you'll need to build a specific castle, such as Cinderella's castle or Queen Elsa's castle from Frozen. Search online for specific castle designs offered by LEGO and choose the one you want to build.[12]
- Check out the LEGO website for different castle sets you can build.
- Combine multiple castle sets to form a large castle build. Choose LEGO castle design sets that you like and build them individually to combine them into a large castle. You could also use modules or pieces from the various sets to build a castle of your own design, using elements from each of the sets that you like.[13]
- For instance, you could take modules or pieces from a forest castle design and a medieval outpost design and use different features to make your own unique design.
- Search online for inspiration for your castle design. There are a lot of LEGO builders out there who love to construct super elaborate and detailed LEGO castles. Look up LEGO castles online and search through the designs to find elements that you like and can replicate in your own castle.[14]
[Edit]Adding Details, Decorations, and Scenery - Attach a castle door to the outside of the wall. Use a specialized rectangular brick that has studs on the side to allow other lego pieces to be attached to them and add it to your wall design. Take a LEGO castle door piece and stick it onto the studs to add a castle door to the exterior of your wall.[15]
- LEGO castle doors are specialized pieces that may only come in specific building kits.
- The castle door can't be opened like a gate, but it's a great decoration for your castle walls!
- Clip balcony modules onto walls or towers. Modules are specialized pieces that form a specific design. Choose a balcony module and attach it to a tower or wall to add balconies to your castle.[16]
- Balcony modules require specialized pieces and may need to be purchased separately
- Place LEGO animals and people around the castle. Add some pigs, chickens, soldiers, farmers, and other figures into your castle to bring it to life. Place the soldiers along the walls and the animals around the area to create a realistic scene.[17]
- Use your imagination! For instance, maybe there's a mighty dragon landing on the castle walls or a LEGO person chasing after a chicken inside of the castle.
- Use flat blue base plates to make a moat around the castle. A moat is a ditch filled with water surrounding a castle to help defend against attackers. Take some blue flat base plates and place them on the exterior of your castle, next to the walls. Stack them end to end around your castle to form a flowing moat.[18]
- Lay a brown base plate over the water in front of your castle gates to create a wooden drawbridge.
- Add some plants and trees around the castle. Attach bushes around the outside of your castle walls to add some greenery. Place trees around the inside and outside of your castle to make it look more realistic and lively.[19]
- Put some LEGO flags up around the walls and towers. If you have some LEGO banners, stick them directly onto studs on the top of your castle walls. If you have flags and flag poles, attach the flag poles to studs and connect the flags to them to make it look like they're blowing in the wind.[20]
- Spend some time sorting out your pieces before you start building so it's easier to find what you need.
- It's your castle design, so have fun with it!
[Edit]References |
| How to Read Scientific Articles Quickly Posted: 08 Sep 2020 09:00 AM PDT Scientific articles, densely packed with jargon, can be daunting — especially when you have to read several at a clip. While it's usually worth taking your time to read the article thoroughly, in some circumstances you just don't have that kind of time. Fortunately, you don't need to read every word of a scientific article to understand the main points. Focusing on the results, particularly the included tables and charts, enables you to digest the information quickly without having to read through a lot of complex text. [Edit]Understanding Article Structure - Skim the section headings of the article. The section headings of the article tell you how the article is organized so you can figure out how to read it and determine if it suits your purpose. Most scientific articles are organized with the following sections:[1]
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Glance at the tables and charts. Looking at the tables and charts before you read any other part of the article can help you determine if the article will be useful for you. If the article was assigned, the tables and charts will give you a quick understanding of the article before you start reading so what you read will make more sense.[2]
- The title of each table and chart gives you a handy summary of what the study evaluated or tested. You'll likely see similar language in the abstract of the article.
- Read the abstract to get an overview of the article. The abstract gives you a basic overview of the article in 250-500 words, so you should be able to read it relatively quickly. As you read the abstract, think back to your reason for reading the article. If it's clear from the abstract that the article doesn't support your reason for reading it, you're done. There's no need to read any further if the article won't help you.[3]
- For example, if you're looking for sources for a research paper, you'll know after reading the abstract if the article is related to your paper or would be potentially helpful for your thesis.
- If you know you'll have to read the whole article regardless (such as if you're reading it to fulfill a course assignment), the abstract still gives you a brief overview of the whole article that you can use as a sort of map to guide your reading.
- If there are any words in the abstract that you don't know, go ahead and look them up. If they appear in the abstract, you can be certain they'll appear frequently in the article. Knowing what they mean will help you read more quickly.[4]
[Edit]Identifying the Main Points - Read the last paragraph or two of the "Background" section. The "Background" section thoroughly discusses the state of research and development on the topic prior to the study that gave rise to this particular article. If you're trying to read the article quickly, focus on the last paragraph, which summarizes the entire section and tells you the authors' purpose and objectives.[5]
- Look for a phrase at the beginning of a paragraph similar to "in this paper, we will." This is a trigger phrase that the authors are summarizing the background and explaining the objective of their research.
- Answer "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how." If you can answer these 5 questions, then you have a solid basic understanding of the article. Typically, you'll find the answers in the abstract or in the last paragraph of the "Background" section.[6]
- For example, suppose the article states: "In this paper, we will show the effect on 14- to 16-year-old Brazilian boys of eating 2 apples before playing soccer in the afternoon." From this one sentence, you know the "who" (14- to 16-year-old boys), the "what" (eating 2 apples), the "when" (before playing soccer in the afternoon), and the "where" (Brazil).
- Highlight or underline key points of the article. Rather than reading word for word, use your understanding of the study (gleaned from the abstract or from other research) to hone in on buzzwords that indicate a particular statement is important.[7]
- For example, words such as "found," "determined," or "concluded" typically signal the results of the study or the conclusions the authors of the article reached.
- In the methods section, highlight the word that describes the method used. It's usually a verb, such as "surveyed" or "tested." You might also see a similar phrase, such as "conducted a survey."
- Skim for words such as "surprising" or "unexpected." If the authors uncovered something that went against their hypothesis or didn't follow the conventional wisdom of the field, you can expect to see words like these. Anything described this way is an important part of the article and something you should understand.[8]
- If you have a digital copy of the article, do a simple word search for these words and their synonyms. Read a sentence or two after any word that pops up and make a note of it.
- Take notes as you read. Taking notes ensures that you're reading actively and will help you remember the important points later. If you're reading a scientific article quickly, you're likely not reading the whole thing, which makes your notes even more important if you need to refer back to the article later.[9]
- If you know you're going to be reading multiple articles, create a single-page form with sections for the title, keywords, hypothesis, methodology, and results. You can use this form to jot down information about the article as you read.
[Edit]Using Tables and Figures - Review the tables and charts in the "Results" section of the article. The tables and charts in a scientific article summarize all of the information that's provided in the "Discussion" section, enabling you to review information at a glance rather than reading through several dense pages of information. In most articles, you'll be able to understand not only the outcome of the study but also the methods the authors used to acquire the information.[10]
- Look closely at the labels and units on the axes of charts and graphs, as well as the range of values used.
- The legend and footnotes help you better understand the information presented in the article's figures. Usually, they'll help you make sense of a figure that might not be clear at first glance.
- Use the beginning of the "Discussion" section to explain the tables. If the tables don't make sense to you based on what you know about the article so far, the first 2 or 3 paragraphs of the "Discussion" section will help you. Here, the authors typically summarize their results and tell you how their research will potentially affect their field.[11]
- You might also read the last paragraph of the "Discussion" section, particularly if it isn't obvious to you how the research discussed potentially impacts the field or populations other than the one studied. But be careful — sometimes scientists, eager for their research to seem important, make bold, exaggerated claims that aren't likely to come to fruition any time soon.
- Move to the "Methods" section if there's anything you don't understand. If you're still not clear on how the research was conducted or have questions about how the data was gathered, you might find the "Methods" section helpful. The first paragraph typically provides a big-picture of the methodology used, while the following paragraphs get into more specific detail.[12]
- This section can get very technical. Unless you have some reason to know the specifics for how the particular study was conducted, there's likely no reason for you to read it in depth.
- Read scientific articles often, for your own education or enlightenment. If you read scientific articles regularly, you'll become familiar with the structure and be able to read more quickly.[13]
[Edit]References |
| How to Live on a Budget Posted: 08 Sep 2020 01:00 AM PDT Whether you're barely making ends meet or you're coasting along comfortably, sticking to a budget will help give you more control over your money. That's because you'll have a better idea of what you're spending, so you'll know if there are any areas where you need to cut back. Creating a budget isn't always fun, but financial freedom definitely is, so it's worth the time to take a good look at your spending habits and create a realistic plan for your money! [Edit]Budgeting Help [Edit]Budgeting Your Money - Create a starting budget by subtracting your expenses from your income. To get started making your budget, add up all of the money you get in a month. Then, calculate your average expenses for a month, and anything else you spend money on. Finally, subtract your expenses from your income to see if you're spending more than you make.[1]
- Your income might include any money you earn from a job, contributions from your family or others, and any other payments or financial assistance you receive.
- Your expenses will include bills like your rent or mortgage, car payment, and insurance, as well as things like groceries, clothing, books, and entertainment. Some of these expenses will be the same each month, like your rent, while you'll need to calculate the monthly average of others, like groceries.
- Try this worksheet to help you determine your starting budget: https://www.consumer.gov/content/make-budget-worksheet
- Set spending limits based on your starting budget. Once you see a basic breakdown of where your money is going, evaluate the way you're spending your money. If there are any areas where you're currently overspending, try gradually cutting them back to make a little more room in your budget.[2]
- Try breaking your expenses into categories to see what you're spending. For instance, you might list things like your rent, phone bill, and utility bill in a category titled "Bills." Expenses like groceries and dining out might go into a category titled "Food," and things like clothing and school supplies for your children might go into "Kids."
- Unless you need to drastically cut down on your spending, it's usually best to start by setting small, easily attainable savings goals. For instance, if you spend a lot of money on streaming services, you might start by canceling the one you use the least, rather than eliminating them all right away.
- Track your spending to ensure you stay within your spending limits. It's not enough to set limits for yourself; you also have to monitor what you're actually spending to make sure you don't go over those limits. The exact way you do this will depend on what works best for you—you might find it easier to write down each purchase as you make it, or you might prefer going over your bank and credit card statements at the end of the month to see how you did.[3]
- One benefit of writing down your purchases as you go is that it's easier to remember exactly what you bought. However, some people find this tedious.
- Leave some room in your budget for extras. It's hard to stick to a budget if it makes you feel like you can't enjoy your favorite things in life. If you're able to, try to leave at least a little extra money every month for things you really enjoy, like having a night out with friends or buying new craft supplies.[4]
- Being on a budget can actually help you free up extra money for the things you love, because you'll be less likely to impulsively spend on things you don't really want.
- Remember to be realistic—if you can't figure out how to make room for something in your budget, you might have to let it go.
- Put some money from each paycheck into savings. It can seem hard to save when you're on a budget, but having a little money put aside for emergencies or unforeseen expenses can be a life-saver when you need it. When you're planning out your budget, make it a priority to put even a little money into savings every time you get paid. Even if it doesn't seem like much, it will start to add up quickly![5]
- Start by setting a reasonable goal, like saving $10 or $20 a week for a few months. Once that begins to feel comfortable, challenge yourself to increase the amount, if you're able.
- Eventually, you should try to have about 3-6 months' worth of expenses saved in case you find yourself unable to work.
- Try the envelope method to help organize your cash. If you mostly use cash to pay for things, it can be hard sometimes to keep up with where it goes. One way to help keep your cash spending on track is to divide your money into different envelopes. Label each envelope with what the money's for, and only spend what you have set aside.[6]
- For instance, you might have envelopes labelled "Groceries," "Clothing," "Medical Bills," and "Dining Out." If you know you're going to be meeting friends for lunch, you'd grab the "Dining Out" envelope.
- Don't borrow from other envelopes if you overspend, or else you could run short in another category at the end of the month.
- Write down your bills in a calendar to help pay them on time. Get a calendar, planner, or app that will help you keep track of each bill you owe each month, as well as their due dates. That way, you won't accidentally forget to pay a bill, which can cost you extra money in late fees and other penalties.[7]
- Making late payments can have a sneaky impact on your long-term budget, as well. They can lower your credit score, meaning you'll get higher interest rates on things like a car loan or mortgage—and a higher interest rate means higher monthly payments.
[Edit]Staying Disciplined - Learn to say no and avoid temptations. These days, there are endless opportunities to spend money. If you want to successfully stick to a budget, it will take self-discipline and willpower. It won't always be easy, but try to keep your goals in mind when you're tempted to buy something you don't really need. Also, get in the habit of occasionally turning down invitations from friends, especially if you tend to spend a lot of money while you're out.[8]
- It might be necessary to avoid places where you're often tempted to spend more than your budget, especially at first. If you tend to shop online, try unsubscribing from promotional emails so you won't feel like you're missing out.
- When you do go out, bring cash, and only what you can afford to spend.
- Try repeating a mantra when you're tempted to spend. For instance, if you're saving for a trip, your mantra might be, "Beach vacation!"
- Transfer money to your savings automatically. Each week, have a certain amount transferred from your paycheck directly into a separate savings account. It's a lot easier to save money if you don't actually see it first.[9]
- This goes for things like retirement contributions and a healthcare savings account (HSA) if you have them, as well.
- If you get paid in cash, get in the habit of taking out your savings as soon as you get paid—preferably before you spend anything else.
- Set financial challenges for yourself. If you want to manage your money a little better, try creating a personal challenge, like bringing your lunch to work for 30 days or not buying any new clothes for 3 months. Sometimes you just need an extra push to change your habits.[10]
- Try telling a friend about your challenge to help hold yourself accountable!
- Avoid using credit cards unless you can pay them off. When you buy something on a credit card, you generally aren't charged interest if you pay off the whole balance each month. However, if you only pay the minimum amount due, you'll continue being charged interest every month until the balance is gone.[11]
- Credit cards make it easy to overspend, since they seem like free money. If you have trouble controlling your spending, it's probably best to avoid them altogether.
- Keep trying, even if you mess up. While it's important to be financially responsible, it's also important not to beat yourself up if you spend a little too much money here and there. Even if you've made big money mistakes in the past, try to keep your attention focused on the future, and keep putting one foot in front of the other until you hit your goals.[12]
- Remember, it takes time to learn new habits, so don't get too discouraged if you have trouble hitting your budgeting goals. Sometimes, this can even be a sign that you need to change your budget, rather than your spending, so keep evaluating and adjusting your finances every month.
[Edit]Finding Ways to Save - Comparison shop before you make a purchase. The internet makes it incredibly easy to see prices for the same item across different stores, so you can always get the best deal. You can comparison shop for everything from groceries and school supplies to your cell phone plan or car loan, so take advantage of the resources you have available to ensure you don't overspend.[13]
- Try searching for items in sites like Google Shopping, Shopzilla, and Bizrate to compare prices from different retailers.
- Cook at home for most of your meals. Even if you don't think you eat out very often, you may be spending a lot more money than you realize on things like fast food and snacks from the convenience store. To help avoid that, plan out your meals ahead of time, and pick up groceries about once a week with everything you'll need for each meal.[14]
- Make your grocery shopping more efficient by couponing and planning to use the same ingredients in multiple meals.
- If you find a good deal on meat or produce, buy extra and freeze some to use later.
- Dress up cheap ingredients to make them more exciting! For instance, you can make a tasty meal out of ramen noodles by adding a fried egg and thinly-sliced green onions.
- Shop secondhand and clearance sales whenever possible. You can often save a lot of money if you're willing to buy something secondhand rather than new. Try checking thrift stores and consignment shops in your area to see if they have anything that you've been meaning to buy. You can also find good deals by shopping for off-season clothes in the clearance section at your favorite store.[15]
- Look for "free shipping with no minimum" deals when you're shopping online, or use membership perks that come with free shipping.
- Remember to check resale and auction sites online! However, use caution before you meet anyone in person to buy something from them—it's best to bring someone along with you, and leave if you get a bad feeling.
- Cancel your cable if you use a lot of streaming sites. If you spend most of your time watching shows on Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu, you may find that you'd be perfectly fine without your cable provider. This is called "cutting the cord," and it's an increasingly popular way to save a little extra money on your monthly budget.[16]
- On the other hand, you might find that it's more cost-effective to bundle services like your internet, cable, and cell phone. In that case, you might cancel any streaming services you don't use often.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
No comments:
Post a Comment