Portstewart man with no hands completes 'Titanic' build of famous ship
A Portstewart man who was born with no limbs has just completed an incredibly skillful task – building a 9,000 piece Lego model of the Titanic.
Desmond James Calvert, known as Lego Man, has gained international fame for his ability to construct Lego kits, a task which is even more impressive as he was born without limbs and has dyslexia.
Posting a video of the completed model ship on Friday, September 20, DJ as he is known, said: “I have finally got my Titanic finished and what a build it has been!
"It’s four weeks today since I started it. It has 9,090 pieces. It’s been an epic build, a fantastic build, a lot of fun but I’m glad to get it finished.
"You can see the scale of it, about four and a half feet long and doesn’t it look fantastic!”
To date DJ has completed over 200 Lego models as his love for the hobby spans over four decades.
He continued: ‘‘I was eight when I got my first Lego - I think it was a train set. The year after that I got my first Technik set which was a digger.
‘‘I like the challenge of working with the Lego because, the way I look at it, Lego wasn’t designed for somebody with no hands, so to me that’s the challenge of building it.
‘‘When you get the box and you see all the bags with all the pieces of Lego in it, you think how is that going to turn into what’s shown on the picture.
‘‘People say I have a logical brain, but I have dyslexia. I would get my words mixed up and my numbers mixed up, but when it comes to building Lego I am fine,” he said.
DJ, who has become something of an internet and media sensation, is intent on using his profile as a way to prove that everyone can all overcome life’s obstacles. He frequently visits local schools to demonstrate his Lego-building skills and encourage youngsters to pursue his passion.
‘‘Building Lego is a good way to get kids off their computers and iPads. It gets them to create and use their mind and focus,” he laughed.
‘‘They don’t really bother with the disability, it’s just about building the Lego.
"I think my next project will be something small for a few weeks. I am looking forward to starting the Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon, so that could be a big contender in the near future.
"I would love to put the Titanic model in a display case so I can take it to schools and exhibitions to show others but they’re a lot of money. Maybe a local craftsman or business could help me?
"But for now I’ll just keep it on the kitchen table for the time being – it’ll be a great talking point during dinner. "Although I think I might need to get a bigger house soon – especially now I’ve built the Titanic!”