nanoblock Tools

Review of nanoblock LED Plates NB-011 & NB-026

shygal

Number: NB-11 & NB-026

Number of Pieces: 1

Over the past few years, I have picked up a couple kits that depend on this display plate to create effects on the build. An example is the Kaminarimon gate build. The Kaminarimon Gate build is made so that the lantern in the middle lights up.

There are also builds where you can add a plate to create a lighting effect. An example is the Tokyo Tower Deluxe build, so you can light the building at the base of the tower. (I haven’t done this, which is why there are no pictures.)

There are 2 different baseplates; they have item numbers NB-011 and NB-026. Both light the plate and rotate between 3 colors; red, blue, and green. In both cases, there is a power switch on the side to turn the light on and off.

NB-011

Based on the fact that NB-11 has the lower number, it is the original base plate. It comes with the Tokyo Disney castle builds.

NB-11 can only run on 3 AAA batteries. If you let it sit for too long with the batteries inside, it may leak acid.

NB-026

NB-26 is an updated version of the LED plate. It can run on either AAA batteries or on a micro USB. I have only used the USB.

I generally don’t use the lighting platforms for builds that do not include clear bricks. This is because you can’t really see where the light is shining through. I do think that the effect of the lighting does add a lot to builds that are primarily clear bricks or have a gap that the light can come through.

Things I liked:

  • It creates new lighting angles for buildings

Things I didn’t like:

  • I wish there was a white light setting

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Pad (NB-020) and nanoblock Pad Mini (NB-053)

shygal
NB-020 and NB-053 both nanoblock pads with packaging

The nanoblock Pad is by far my favorite and most used accessory. This is because I find it so useful to create my builds. When I refer to my nanoblock pad or pad, I am generally talking about NB-020 or the larger pad because it is the one I’ve had longer.

What is the nanoblock Pad?

The nanoblock pad is a silicon pad that is used for the creation of nanoblock builds. There are 2 different models. The only real difference is the size of the actual pad.

NB-020
nanoblock pad with box

The NB-020 pad has 2 sections that can fold up to protect the studs. 1 section is a pad that has studs. This is the side where you can create nanoblock builds. The other section is a flat section of silicon that is nice for laying out small bricks.

NB-053
nanoblock pad mini with package

Recently a smaller version of the nanoblock pad was released. It is much smaller than the original pad. I don’t use this pad very often because the larger pad has more flexibility about where exactly it goes.

How do you use the pad?

Close up of studs on nanoblock pad

When I start a build, I always try to lay the base layer of bricks on the pad on the side with studs. Normally this works, but sometimes it doesn’t work, and you need to build off the pad.

After laying out the base layer, I add the second layer of bricks as the top layer. Because of how nanoblock designs the builds, the first and second layers are fully connected.

Normally after I build the 2 layers, I build as much as possible on the pad but sometimes, after a few layers, it makes more sense to build while holding the model in my hands.