Recommended Free Tools
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree scan · exact hardware match
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
Free scan · Windows 10 & 11
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Free scan · under a minute
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
You can build an articulated wooden LEGO-style minifigure at Simon Begg’s 1:6.25 scale, large enough for its hand to hold a standard LEGO minifigure. The build combines turned parts, bandsawn profiles and dowel joints; the leg mechanism is the precision-critical stage that determines whether the finished figure actually moves.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What this project makes
Simon Begg’s Make: project describes a custom wooden figure that reproduces the movements, clips and operations of a standard LEGO minifigure at 1:6.25 scale. The body is 50 mm thick, a dimension Begg selected to suit his available timber. At this scale, the hand also happens to hold a real LEGO minifigure.
Make: lists the project as taking “>16 Hours,” with “Moderate” difficulty and a publisher estimate of “$30–$40.” Those are the project page’s estimates, not guaranteed time or cost. This is a scratch-built woodworking project, not the smaller official LEGO Wooden Minifigure product.
#1 Best Overall
Design details to preserve
Measure an actual minifigure before cutting templates. Begg found that small proportion changes, especially in the face, made the result look wrong. The following details are easy to lose when scaling up:
- The legs taper outward.
- The feet are as wide as the bottom of the body, while the tops of the legs sit a few millimeters underneath it.
- The leg mechanism is set back rather than flush with the front or rear surfaces.
- Each arm has a flat spot.
- The legs include a cutout that houses the middle disk.
Materials and sizes
Begg used contrasting woods and veneer. Substitute stock can work, but density matters at dowel joints: he recommends softer timber for joints that must be tight without binding, and a yellow timber for the head when available.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
| Part | Material in the Make: build | Starting size or finished dimension |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Huon pine | Turned to 60 mm diameter × 70 mm tall |
| Body | Australian red cedar | 100 × 80 × 50 mm blank |
| Arms | Australian red cedar | Turned to 32 mm diameter × 75 mm long |
| Legs | American walnut | 90 × 45 × 45 mm blanks |
| Leg plate | American walnut | 95 × 48 × 13 mm |
| Face | Walnut veneer scraps | Cut to fit the head |
| Joints | Dowels, glue and epoxy where specified | 30 mm connection system, with a 29 mm reduced head-dowel tip |
Use glue appropriate to the joint and allow each bond to cure fully before drilling or loading it. Begg used PVA for the veneer and epoxy for the leg-mechanism dowels.
Rank #2
Tools and preparation
The documented build uses a wood lathe, bandsaw, linisher or belt sander, palm sander, drill press, Forstner bits and a utility knife. Individual operations also call for calipers, a skew or gouge, plug cutter, thin blade, hole saw, 10 mm drill bit and chisel.
- Prepare accurate templates for the body and legs; mirrored parts are much easier to keep consistent from a template than by eye.
- Mark centerlines and grain direction on every blank before drilling.
- Wear eye and hearing protection, keep hands clear of rotating cutters, and support small pieces securely at the drill press and bandsaw.
- Test every dowel and moving joint on scrap or an offcut from the same timber before committing to the finished part.
Build the minifigure
1. Turn the head
Mount the Huon pine blank on the lathe. Use calipers and a parting tool to establish the 60 mm diameter and 70 mm height, then form the outer radius with a skew or gouge. Drill a 30 mm hole in the underside for the body connection. Keep the hole square to the head so the face will sit level when the figure is assembled.
2. Apply the face
For the eyes, Begg punched walnut veneer with a plug cutter. He cut the mouth by hand with a utility knife, sanded the veneer edges and glued the pieces with PVA. Clear tape can hold each piece in its measured position while the glue sets. Lay out the face from a full-size drawing or a measured reference rather than judging the spacing after the glue is applied.
Rank #3
- Included - City Ice Cream Vendor Figure in Blue Ice Cream Suit with Ice Cream Cone and Silver Spoon.
- Authentic LEGO Parts - Very Cute Limited Edition Figure From LEGO CITY Theme. (Now Retired)
- Small Parts - Figure Measures 1.7 Inches tall. - Not Suitable for Kids under 5 years of Age.
- Loose - Comes in Loose Pieces ready to build. No retail Packaging
- Authentic LEGO Parts
3. Shape the body and head post
Bandsaw the body from the 100 × 80 × 50 mm blank and sand the profile. Position the arm holes centrally across the width and close to the top. Drill two 30 mm holes in the underside for the legs.
Make the top post from a 30 mm dowel. Drill a 30 mm receiving hole in the body, then reduce the upper end of the post to 29 mm so the head slips on instead of locking. Check the shoulder and head alignment before final glue-up.
4. Form the bent arms
Turn each arm as a tapered cylinder with a rounded top. Cut it partway down at 67.5°. Rotate one section 180° and reglue the two pieces; the resulting offset creates the 135° bend. Drill the hand opening and the body-connection hole only after the bend has cured, so the holes follow the final orientation.
5. Make the hands
Turn a wrist dowel with two diameters: one section fits the arm and the other fits the hand. Drill the side of the hand, glue in the wrist dowel and let it dry. Then drill out the hand’s center, cut the two front openings and sand the lower radius. Work gradually; removing too much material makes the clip loose and is difficult to repair invisibly.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 116. Cut and prepare the legs
Use a template to mark identical left and right leg pieces on the 90 × 45 × 45 mm walnut blanks. Bandsaw the outlines and sand them. Start the dowel recess with a hole saw, enlarge it with a 10 mm bit and flatten the remaining recess with a chisel.
Do not finish-sand the outward taper yet. Begg recommends leaving that adjustment until the mechanism is assembled, because the final clearance often requires removing a little more material.
Best Value
- 50 Unique Mini Figures – Get a variety of 50 randomly assorted building block figures, each with different designs, outfits, and accessories for endless creative fun.
- Durable & Safe Materials – Made from high-quality ABS plastic, non-toxic and kid-safe; smooth edges and strong joints ensure long-lasting play.
- Great for DIY Builds – Use these mini people to expand your custom creations, cities, battle scenes, or fantasy worlds.
- Educational & Fun – Encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and imaginative play; a fun way to reduce screen time and increase hands-on activity.
- Awesome Gift Idea – A fantastic gift for birthdays, holidays, party bags, or surprise rewards for kids who love building blocks and minifigures.
7. Build and fit the leg mechanism
Make the center block to the required thickness, then turn two body dowels to the same diameter as the head dowel. Drill their recesses accurately and glue the dowels in place; Begg used epoxy for these joints.
Shape the underside curve and the central disk. Fit the disk’s dowel tenon into a mortise in the block, then assemble the legs around the disk and body dowels. This is the hardest stage in Begg’s account: a small error in hole position, block thickness or disk clearance can restrict the leg swing or leave the figure unstable. Check movement repeatedly before applying finish.
8. Sand, tune and finish
Sand all surfaces and test every moving part through its full range. Leave moving fits slightly loose: Begg notes that lacquer adds thickness and can tighten a joint after finishing. He sprayed lacquer for protection and used beeswax on some joints to help them move. Apply finish only after the figure poses as intended, and mask or protect joint surfaces if your finish builds quickly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where accuracy matters most
- Head-to-body joint: a 30 mm body connection with a 29 mm tip on the post gives a slip fit rather than a press lock.
- Arm bend: the two 67.5° cuts must be oriented correctly to produce the 135° elbow.
- Hand clip: drill the wrist and center openings in sequence so the hand remains strong while the glue cures.
- Leg clearance: the recessed mechanism, middle-disk cutout and tapered legs must clear one another before finishing.
- Finish allowance: preserve a little clearance because lacquer can consume the tolerance you established in bare wood.
How this build compares with other giant LEGO-style figures
| Approach | Scale or stock | Joints and movement | Equipment emphasis | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Begg’s Make: figure | 1:6.25; 50 mm body thickness | Articulated head, arms, hands and legs; clips and leg mechanism reproduce minifigure operations | Lathe, bandsaw, drill press and precision shaping | A posing, mechanically faithful display figure |
| Jackman Works giant wooden LEGO man | Scaled from measured dimensions; built from one 8-foot pine 2×4, with each leg made from four glued pieces | Joint complexity and articulation are not established in the available description | Large glued-up stock and profile cutting | A larger, stock-driven build when a long 2×4 is more available than turning timber |
| Official LEGO Wooden Minifigure 5007523 | Five times standard size; over 7 inches (20 cm) tall | Adjustable plastic hands; commercial finished product | No workshop fabrication required | A ready-made display alternative rather than a custom woodworking project |
LEGO’s US product page showed the Wooden Minifigure 5007523 at $99.99 and sold out when checked. Availability and price can change. It is a distinct product from the larger, articulated scratch build described above.
Quick Recap
Practical decision checklist
- Choose Begg’s design if you have a lathe and want articulated joints that imitate a standard minifigure.
- Choose a stock-built approach if your priority is using readily available long timber and the figure is mainly for display.
- Make full-size templates before buying or cutting wood; the leg mechanism determines several downstream dimensions.
- Dry-fit every joint, including the middle disk, before glue or lacquer.
- Plan for repeated sanding and fitting rather than expecting the first cut to move freely.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
