When the official LEGO Typewriter was released in 2021, it was one of the coolest sets around. The brick typewriter had a major kink, though: it could not type any genuine text. Koenkun Bricks was bugged by this shortcoming and wanted to build a working model that could type in character fits for the LEGO world.
This incredibly detailed LEGO Typewriter is a result of that ambition, as the typewriter sticks LEGO character tiles onto the LEGO brick, making the LEGO typewriter set complete in its own right. The detailed DIY is achieved with LEGO parts, a rubber band, and, of course, the maker’s intuitive engineering brain.
Designer: Koenkun Bricks
Rather than trying to replicate the full complexity of a real typewriter’s mechanics, which would require dozens of articulated typebars and space far beyond a reasonable LEGO build, the creator reinvented the typing process to fit within standard LEGO constraints. Koenkun Bricks’ solution foregoes ink and paper entirely, instead using LEGO letter tiles as the “characters” that are pushed onto a reusable base plate that stands in for the page. This clever redesign allows the model to remain roughly the size of a classic typewriter while still delivering a tactile, playful typing experience.
Each key on this functional LEGO typewriter serves two purposes. When pressed, a corresponding hopper opens to release a specific letter tile by gravity. On release, stored tension in rubber bands powers a pusher that drives the tile through a ramp and around a guiding arch before it contacts the white LEGO base plate, ensuring the tile lands facing correctly. This sequence cleverly simulates letter placement without needing complex print mechanics and shows a deep understanding of LEGO’s modular systems.
The arrangement of keys posed its own challenge. With 26 letters to accommodate, space was at a premium. Early versions attempted to eject characters forward like classic typebars, but this caused interference between adjacent mechanisms. The final design staggers the key rows slightly, allowing each to operate independently while maintaining the familiar typewriter silhouette. Rubber bands are central to the build, functioning as springs and return mechanisms throughout the machine and making iterative design adjustments more straightforward.
The movement of the plate that receives the tiles also mimics traditional typing action. After each key press, the board advances sideways automatically through a ratcheting mechanism actuated by the key itself. When a line is complete, vertical advancement is done manually with a small reel, echoing the feel of rolling the paper on an old trusty typewriter. This mix of automatic and manual motion adds to the sense of interaction and gives users a satisfying control loop as they “type.”
While Koenkun’s LEGO typewriter might not deliver ink on paper, it embodies the spirit of mechanical ingenuity and playful engineering that draws many to LEGO building in the first place. The reusable white plate means typed messages can be erased and retyped, inviting experimentation and wordplay.
