How to Build a LEGO Axolotl and Separate Plates
Safely separate tightly bonded LEGO plates using a brick separator and build a posable pink axolotl featuring external gills and a tail.
This guide shows how to build a lego axolotl and separate plates in 15-20 minutes. Start with separate stuck base plates; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ LEGO brick separator tool
- ✓ Flat building surface or sorting tray
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Pink LEGO plates and curved slopes
- ✓ Translucent pink modified plates
- ✓ Magenta or dark pink branch/stem elements (gills)
- ✓ Black round tiles or 1x1 studs for eyes
- ✓ Small ball-joint or hinge elements
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never use teeth or metal kitchen knives to pry stuck LEGO plates apart.
- • Keep small 1x1 elements away from small children and pets to prevent choking hazards.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Separate Stuck Base Plates
Attach the wedge end of the LEGO brick separator under the seam between two stuck plates. Press downward on the handle to use leverage and pop the top plate loose. If two smooth plates are flush, attach another brick on top first to provide leverage.
- • Plates are fully separated into individual pieces on the tray.
- • No bite marks, gouges, or bent plastic edges visible on the pieces.
- • Prying with fingernails or twisting plates sideways, which stresses the plastic clutch.
Construct the Core Torso
Assemble a 2x4 pink brick foundation and add hinge connection bricks facing outward at the front and rear. Lock the layers together with overlapping pink plates to ensure the torso doesn't split under joint movement.
- • A compact rectangular pink core with visible connection points on front, back, and sides.
- • Stacking seams directly on top of each other without staggering plates.
Build and Attach the Head and Eyes
Build a wide head section using pink slopes and plates with studs on the side. Place two black 1x1 round tiles on the front edges for eyes, leaving the sides open for gill attachments. Snap the completed head onto the torso hinge.
- • A rounded head unit with two evenly spaced black eyes facing forward.
- • Head firmly locked to the front torso joint.
- • Positioning the eyes too close to the center, creating an unnatural look.
Assemble the External Gills
Take three magenta stem or horn pieces per side and attach them to small clips or modified plates on the head sides. Angle the top gills upward, middle gills outward, and lower gills slightly downward to form the fan pattern.
- • Three distinct gill frills fanning out symmetrically on both left and right sides of the head.
- • Arranging all three gills in a single flat vertical line.
Construct the Tail and Limbs
Build four stubby legs using 1x2 curved pink slopes attached under the corners of the torso. Assemble a tapered, vertically oriented tail using curved slope bricks and attach it to the rear torso hinge.
- • Four level feet supporting the body flat on the table.
- • A centered, articulated tail tapering smoothly behind the body.
- • Placing legs at uneven heights, causing the axolotl to wobble on flat surfaces.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Master Builder Alec — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No LEGO brick separator tool? A stiff plastic guitar pick or an extra standard 2x4 LEGO brick
- No Magenta stem elements for gills? Pink 1x1 tooth/claw pieces or small 1x2 red plates