We have previously written here and here about the magnificent Technic MOCs built by Nico71. We said then, that there will be more to come, and so it happened - today we bring you Nico himself:
Klocki - Bonjour, Nico. Let’s start with a short presentation of yourself - where do you come from, what is your daily occupation, and how did you come across the Lego bricks?
Nico71 - I am 19 and a first year student in mechanical and production engeenering. I am a French AFOL and come from Haute Savoie. My Lego adventure started in 1995 when I got my first Lego box: the Supercar 8880. It was a revelation and during the next 6 years, I bought all the super sets (one set a year). In January 2007, after my Dark Age, I bought the 8436. So, my Lego adventure started again, but this time it is definitely with the studless parts ! 
- How long is it since you started to publish your MOCs at Brickshelf? I think I’ve seen some of them pretty long ago, but it is only recently that I’ve noticed really huge amount of your new MOCs. I must say I admire the way you blend the speed of building with the quality. I am called a fast builder, but I think I could learn from you a lot
- I started to publish my MOCs on Brickshelf in August 2007. As a consequence, 30 or 40 one set MOCs built from 8436 are not in my gallery (and unfortunately, I didn’t take any photo). My BS gallery includes all my work since August 2007. I dont’ think I am a fast builder. Actually, I have the time to build my MOCs. Most of them are built in approximately 10 hours. I usually create one MOC a week.
- Your MOCs are quite complex, very functional and very realistic. Do you have some special knowledge on machines, some kind of engeenering education perhaps?
- Thanks a lot ! 
I haven’t special knowledge on machines but before building a MOC, I try to gather information on the machine (via Liebherr’s website, forums…) I want to reproduce. For instance, it helps me to get the right proportions for my MOC.
- I like the variety of your MOCs - you are excellent at construction machines, such as excavators or loaders, but at the same time you’re just as good with diverse trucks and supercars. Do you have some favourite type of machines to build? Or is there some kind of machines that you’ve never built before and you’re going to build?
- As you noticed, what I prefer are construction machines such as mining or earthmoving equipment. I also love trucks and supercars. But it is very tough to create a supercar, especially the design.
You ask a good question: what am I going to do when I will have reproduced all the existing construction machines ? I think I will create many supercars or special machines. Trial Truck is also something I like. In fact, it is quick to build a Trial Truck in 1:10 scale, just for fun. Besides, I love to create one set MOCs because I know that it can be rebuilt very easily by the other AFOLs. It is very motivating for me to give some inspiration to AFOLs.
- Is there one MOC you are particularly proud of? And what about your future plans, do you have some longer list of MOCs to build? What are you building at the moment?
- I am very proud of my crawler loader using only parts of bulldozer 8275, because many people have rebuilt it and contacted me to send photos. It’s a success for me because I think I have given something very interesting to the community. I am also proud of my wheel loader and my crawler excavator. I think it is the two best MOCs I created. Before, I couldn’t achieve these 2 projects, because I hadn’t enough parts. Today, with my collection I can build everything I want. The list of MOCs I want to build is still very big! It not so difficult to find ideas. But these ideas have to be interesting for me. For example, I don’t plan to build a new crawler excavator because I am satisfied with the one I did. At the moment, I’m building a special machine: a Xerion Cougar for a contest at setechnic.com. My next project is a big Trial Truck 6×6 using the wheels of supercar 8880.
- I admire it when the people publish instructions for their MOCs, it’s a great way of doing something nice to the society. Many of your MOCs have instructions attached, and some even come with LDR files. Do you often design your MOCs using 3D models, or do you just do it for the instructions? Do you get much feedback from people who use these instructions to re-build your creations?
- No! MLCad is very boring, and I only use it to create instructions. But for the small instructions such as my little wheel loader it is not very hard. On the contrary, for a big instruction like my crawler loader it is very hard and boring. It takes 50 hours of work on the software, whereas I “only” need 10 hours to build it with bricks. Therefore, I decided to do instructions with MLCad only for the small MOCs. For the big MOCs, I only take photos. For my crawler loader, I got many feedback from people who rebuilt it, and I am very happy because it is very rewarding for me. I’m very glad when I enrich the community !
- There is a special thing about your MOCs that I especially like, that is a modern building technique. They are built in a very smart way, so that they resemble the way that the official Lego Technic sets are built nowadays, with lots of liftarms used in many ways, with emphasis on nice colors and silhouette, and using only parts that are necessary. I think many of your creations, like this wheel loader or that excavator could easily rival the official sets. This is a rare level of building skill, how did you achieve it, and have you been contacted by the Lego perhaps? I think they would surely notice your skills, as they are very close to those of their designers.
- I don’t really know. When I plan a MOC I have some pictures of the real machine and I try to create the same thing. I pay very much attention to the design, the colors and the homogenity of the design. But I am sure that if I build a MOC with fullstud parts, it will be very ugly because I am not used to build with that kind of parts. I have never been contacted by the Lego Company. If it should happen, I don’t know if I would be willing to work for the firm. Actually, Lego is a passion and not a work for me. And I don’t want you to pay to get my creation ! ^^
- Tell me, how much attention do you pay to other people’s MOCs? Do you browse Brickshelf regularly, do you seek for an inspiration or ideas in the work of other AFOLs, or do you prefer to stay independent? Are there any builders that have influenced the way you build, or shown you some new directions of building?
- I check Brickshelf every day. It is a very big bank of ideas and a great inspiration. The community work is on Brickshelf and that is the reason why I upload my work on it. Many builders influence me: Erik Leppen, Zoli, you (Sariel) and many others. The 8436 and the 8275 also have influence on me. The 8436 because I was building MOCs only with it for 6 months (I learned how to build in studless). And the 8275 because this set changed my vision of the studless design (especially combination of liftarms and tiles). My crawler loader had the same design as the bulldozer 8275. In fact it’s the first MOC I created with the parts of the dozer. So, I think that my inspiration is 50% from to official Lego sets and 50% from the other AFOLs.
- What is your favourite Technic set of all times? Is it the 8275 Bulldozer, praised for its PF elements, or perhaps something different?
- The bulldozer influenced me and I love to create one set MOCs with the bulldozer (my crawler loader or pipelayer). The 8275 offers a lot of possibilities. But it had only treads, so it is not possible to create very different one set MOCs out of 8275. I have a preference for the pneumatic system than the electric system. So I think my favorite Technic set is the wheel loader 8459, this model is beautiful and very functional. But the PF system is a great technological breakthrough.
- Is there some Technic part that does not exist today, but you would particularly like to see it in the upcoming sets? Something that would make building easier for you, or perhaps allow you to create some special kind of MOC?
- Yes, I would like very tall pneumatic cylinders (about 15 slots) ! :). I would like also a compressor box with an axle in enter and a pneumatic end at the issue. It were much more convenient than the system with mini pneumatic cylinder.
- I know that you’re running a blog with your MOCs. What’s the reason behind it, do you find it a comfortable way to present your creations? Can we expect an English version some day, perhaps?
- The blog is very pratical to present my creations, before uplaoding them on Brickshelf. Thanks to the blog I can give a description and a presentation that people can read. I also think that blogs are a good platform to show MOCs. It’s a collection of all my best work. My English is very bad so I don’t think that there will be a English version, sorry!
- Tell us something about the AFOLs society in France. Is it a popular hobby, does it have a long tradition in your country? How well are the French AFOLs organised, and what place in the Internet is the best one to meet them and see their creations?
- I have never met other AFOLs in a AFOL day. But I think that Lego is a popular hobby: when I say that I play with Lego, people smile, and then they understand that we can create many interesting things with Lego bricks. Freelug is the biggest French AFOL association and it organizes several meetings. Internet is a very big place for my hobby because it is a practical way to show MOCs and see others MOCs.
- You have built several Trial Truck, does it mean that there is an active Truck Trial society in France, or do you just build them for yourself? If there are regular TrTr races in Frances, what rules do they have?
- I don’t think that there is an active Truck Trial society in France. For example, I have never built a Trial Truck for the competition. Nevertheless, I’m planning to do it. It’s not a widespread sport in France, but Trial Truck interests many French people. I think that Poles are the masters of the Trial Truck!
- Merci beaucoup pour ton temps, I hope to see many more of your creations soon. Happy building!
I am very pleased to appear on Klocky. Thank you and thanks to the community! Play well!
PS: Thanks to Anio (http://www.setechnic.com/) who help to translate some sentences.
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