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Questions tagged [piece-information]

For questions asking for information about a known LEGO element/brick. Please include the [part-identification] tag (or another appropriate tag) for questions about unknown elements.

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89 votes
7 answers
243k views

What are the dimensions of a LEGO brick?

What are the real world dimensions of bricks? (starting with 1x1 brick) Plates? Studs? Does LEGO think of this in metric or imperial units or something else?
Erik Olson's user avatar
  • 4,231
47 votes
2 answers
38k views

How do I identify a LEGO part?

Over the vast years of collecting bricks of various sizes and sets, I find that during my free builds I run low on a specific type of brick. How can I go about identifying what the brick is named and ...
Marco Ceppi's user avatar
41 votes
5 answers
29k views

What is the largest single LEGO piece?

What is the largest single LEGO piece ever produced? This does not include LEGO affiliates like Duplo. Clarifications It must be a purchasable block. By largest, I mean largest by Volume/Weight of ...
fredley's user avatar
  • 3,204
38 votes
16 answers
13k views

What LEGO pieces have "real-world" functionality?

I have noticed that there are a few LEGO pieces that also function in the "real-world." For example, the 10830c01 Magnifying Glass can actually magnify. Another example is the 70001pb01 Compass, ...
Magnus's user avatar
  • 1,443
36 votes
2 answers
10k views

What is an Erling brick?

I have seen people refer to the "Erling brick" or "headlight brick" on LEGO forums. What kind of brick are they talking about?
user avatar
35 votes
3 answers
11k views

What is inside the "weight element" brick?

I own a few bricks that contain a weight inside of them. 52g according to Lego. What exactly is inside of these bricks that makes them heavy?
Pubby's user avatar
  • 5,206
34 votes
6 answers
13k views

Why does LEGO now use studless technic designs?

It seems to me that sometime between 1998 and 2006 (between the Mindstorms RCX and NXT), LEGO switched from using studded technic bricks (like this:) to studdless beams (like this): In my experience,...
Clinton Blackmore's user avatar
33 votes
7 answers
8k views

Why did Technic bricks have holes in the studs?

Lego Technic (/ Expert Builder) bricks have always had a very different design than the normal Lego brick, with peg holes lining the sides serving fairly obvious purposes, but they also have had (as ...
user avatar
33 votes
1 answer
41k views

What different types of LEGO train tracks exist?

I would like to purchase some used LEGO train tracks off of ebay. I am not, however, very familiar with the different choices of track systems are out there that I might come across. So I would like ...
Jessica Brown's user avatar
32 votes
9 answers
8k views

What is the smallest LEGO component?

When I purchase bulk LEGO bricks, one of the first things I do is to tip the whole lot into a mesh bag and give them a good soak in the bath (of course, I remove all the electrical bits etc. first). ...
Kramii's user avatar
  • 9,081
30 votes
1 answer
6k views

How does the LEGO Super Mario figure know which power up is attached?

The LEGO Super Mario theme includes an intelligent brick that interacts with various other elements present in the sets: There are several Power-up sets available that provide Mario with additional ...
jncraton's user avatar
  • 38.8k
30 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why are LEGO slope bricks textured?

Why is the slope part of bricks textured instead of the usual flat & glossy edge? Are there any non-textured forms of these bricks?
Pubby's user avatar
  • 5,206
30 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why aren't LEGO bricks cubic?

The height of the 1x1x1 LEGO brick is 6/5 times its width. Is there any particular reason for these proportions? And especially why not making a cubic brick (it would have made SNOT building easier)?
Joel Cohen's user avatar
27 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why do some sets contain parts of an unrelated colour that are hidden on the final model?

With recent and current sets, I noticed that some contain parts of a totally different colour than the rest of the set. An example is 8200-1: Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen, which contains a blue ...
SQB's user avatar
  • 1,156
25 votes
1 answer
4k views

Is it possible to build a working 100% LEGO glider with the Technic Catamaran sails?

In the past I've tried to make working LEGO gliders but since all the LEGO sails were either too small or the wrong shape the only thing that ever kinda worked was using paper over Technic beams (in ...
Alexander O'Mara's user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
2k views

What are the practical bounds of a minifigure?

I want to make some minifigure-scale vehicles and devices, but I am wondering what the smallest possible minifigure enclosure might be. I know minifigures are not perfectly square. Their arms and ...
RedRiderX's user avatar
  • 1,399
23 votes
18 answers
11k views

What pieces are prone to breaking?

I've had a few pieces break over the years, which was a real bummer as I was not expecting them to. What are some commonly used pieces that are prone to breaking? Pieces that should be handled ...
23 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is there a convention for part and/or set numbers?

Is there any rhyme or reason to the way LEGO part are named? Failing that, is there any other sort of taxonomy that we can use to find specific parts? Along the same lines, my impression is that ...
Caleb's user avatar
  • 1,055
21 votes
3 answers
2k views

What causes these 'bite marks' that appear consistently on new bricks?

I purchased a set (second hand) which has the following defects on the 75°-sloped, inverted 2x1x3 blocks: I assumed they were teeth-marks and asked the seller for replacements, and he found and ...
sblair's user avatar
  • 313
20 votes
2 answers
31k views

What are the exact dimensions of a DUPLO brick?

The dimensions of LEGO brick are documented well, but what about DUPLO bricks? If have only found the general statements that DUPLO is twice as large as LEGO but no exact numbers. What about the ...
Jakob's user avatar
  • 1,278
20 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is this part real LEGO or a knockoff?

I bought a LEGO lot off craigslist a few days ago with some sets and some bulk parts. It included some parts that appeared to have been bought in bulk (maybe pick-a-brick?). It also had some random ...
MNAK_'s user avatar
  • 201
20 votes
2 answers
10k views

How to tell the different ages of pieces?

I know that LEGO bricks have changed over the years, with regards to moulding pip locations, element ID numbers printed inside, etc, but I was wondering if anyone knows when these changes happened? ...
user2354's user avatar
  • 201
19 votes
3 answers
5k views

Ø in LEGO part names

Many LEGO part names use a Ø character in the name, for example, Armor For Hand W/Ø 3.2 Shaft (28803) or Beam A 4M Ball/Cup Ø10.2 (90611). Can anyone explain what the Ø means?
Bob's user avatar
  • 191
19 votes
9 answers
10k views

What is the rarest LEGO production element (colour/shape combination)?

What is the rarest LEGO element according to the following criteria: Genuine LEGO elements, not those available through third party vendors or otherwise modified elements. (So nothing from Brickarms....
mcqwerty's user avatar
  • 3,518
19 votes
2 answers
12k views

Is it possible to change the battery in a 54604 light brick?

I got 4 of these in in a bulk lot of Lego, but the lamp is getting quite dim in a couple of them. Is it possible to change the battery in a 54604 light brick? It looks like the brick should open, ...
Kramii's user avatar
  • 9,081
18 votes
9 answers
4k views

Are there any mirrored LEGO bricks?

I recently built LEGO Creator 5770: Lighthouse Island which features a clever trick to build the lighthouse's lantern, using stickers on on a Slope Brick 2x2 and Slope Top 1x2x2/3: Step 54 from ...
user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
7k views

What are the angles used in angle connectors and liftarms?

LEGO makes Technic Angle Connectors, like these: (Here are names and part numbers). They also make angular liftarms, like these: (part 32348). That last part has an angle of 53.5 degrees. What ...
Clinton Blackmore's user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
47k views

How much does a LEGO brick weigh?

I am trying to do a science project and I need the exact weight of one of the LEGO pieces. I am using it as a counter balance on my scale. What is the weight of a 1x4 LEGO brick?
w c's user avatar
  • 171
17 votes
1 answer
8k views

What does imprinted information inside bricks mean?

I just randomly checked the imprinted information inside some of the bricks in my Lego sets and found that it varied. I found several different types of information: Most pieces have Lego copyright ...
Tien Do's user avatar
  • 529
17 votes
1 answer
693 views

What's the exact opacity and translucency of transparent bricks?

As answered in this question, transparent bricks are made of PC (polycarbonate) and as listed in this answer and on Brickipedia there are fourteen transparent colors: 40 Transparent (clear) 41 ...
Jakob's user avatar
  • 1,278
16 votes
1 answer
5k views

How do the various LEGO springs compare?

Recently I received set 42107 Ducati Panigale V4 R. I noticed that this set includes a new spring - part 65151c01 Technic, Shock Absorber 11L with Internal Spring, Dark Bluish Gray Shaft, and Light ...
Phil B.'s user avatar
  • 16.6k
16 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why does the Erling brick have a ridge below its outward facing stud?

Why does the Erling brick (#4070) have a ridge below its outward facing stud? Whereas the more versatile and less common #87087 does not? The #87087 piece also has a better use in SNOT usage, as it ...
Ambo100's user avatar
  • 17.6k
16 votes
3 answers
876 views

How to find out if an element is out of production

Is there a way to know if Lego has officially stopped making a certain Lego element? As an example, from the 580 Lego set, I haven't seen this conveyor belt (along with those wheels and the "Legoland"...
LarsTech's user avatar
  • 1,793
16 votes
1 answer
743 views

Why did LEGO switch the direction of flag elements in 2008?

Having just gotten back into LEGO this year, I noticed that the flags in my new sets are mirrored from all the flags I used to have. On the left is a green flag from 4162 FreeStyle Multibox from 1995, ...
LegoSonicBoy's user avatar
  • 2,968
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

How much tension can I expect to get out of a LEGO chains before it starts to give away?

Assuming I am using the Technic Chain Links to make a chain, how much force can I expect to be able to get out of the chain before it breaks? Suppose I am using a 16-tooth gear to directly drive a 24-...
user2813274's user avatar
  • 1,146
15 votes
5 answers
4k views

Are companies producing custom molded LEGO pieces legally entitled to do so?

We have seen (or I have seen, given I am a member of a few popular BIONICLE fan sites) an uproar from custom molding companies -- that is, companies that create their own LEGO pieces. My question is ...
Purag's user avatar
  • 251
15 votes
3 answers
9k views

How accurate is the ultrasound sensor when moving?

Can I use an ultrasound sensor while the Robot is moving, or will it give bad data?
user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
6k views

Is there difference between different colors of LEGO axles?

There are a few different colors of LEGO Technic axles, but not enough to really use for artistic variation - black, grey, some beige, and recently I have started seeing blue. The particular color ...
user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
4k views

How does LEGO handle the breakage of Hero Factory sockets?

My son has a slowly growing collection of Hero Factory figures, and they have accumulated a consistent problem: socket connector cracking. The tips of the angular part of the limb which connects to a ...
JoshDM's user avatar
  • 779
14 votes
1 answer
3k views

Will Duplo trains fit onto a regular 6 stud LEGO track?

There's a thread here establishing that regular LEGO trains arguably fit onto Duplo track, but have trouble with underbelly clearance. What about the opposite? Will a Duplo train fit onto six-stud ...
Robert Columbia's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the Travis Brick?

This question uses the term "Travis Brick", but I've never heard it before. What is it, and where does the term come from?
Kramii's user avatar
  • 9,081
14 votes
2 answers
3k views

What are all the different ways that LEGO pieces join together?

Has anyone made a list of all of the different types of connections between LEGO bricks? Obviously there's the stud connection - but there's also the ball and socket joint, the more recent click-...
14 votes
1 answer
634 views

Why do the tubes in the Seattle Space Needle Architecture set need to be cut?

I just received the Seattle Space Needle from the Architecture series. There are tubes that the builder is required to cut to a certain length for the model. This is the first time I've encountered ...
Lynnea Taylor's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

In what set is this brick used?

In which set is this LEGO brick used? There is no number in it and it's original LEGO. The only number on it is "A 1".
Henry's user avatar
  • 131
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

What LEGO brick is available in the most colors?

I've read that the most commonly produced LEGO brick is the 1x2 gray plate. I am at the stage in Lego collecting that I'd like to make a Color Chart. This is easier said than done. My question is ...
sampoerna quatrain's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
887 views

Does the basic 2 x 4 brick have a common nickname?

Some bricks, such as the Erling brick, seem to have common nicknames in the LEGO building community. As the basic 2 x 4 brick appears to be the foundation of the system, it is reasonable to suppose ...
Kramii's user avatar
  • 9,081
13 votes
1 answer
2k views

Quick way to inventory parts

I have a rather large collection of LEGO elements that are not sorted in any way, and I'd like to keep track of them. There are a few other posts about ways to keep track of elements, and I've looked ...
rivermont - Will B.'s user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

What's inside the SPIKE Essential small angular motor?

I'm curious about this motor (68488): This motor looks very small. What is inside this motor? How does it compare to the other Powered Up motors?
jncraton's user avatar
  • 38.8k
12 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why doesn’t part 30099 fit into the System?

Part 30099 - Brick Arch 1x5x4 Inverted doesn’t seem to fit into the LEGO system. I cannot find a part that fits on the bottom stud and provides continuity to the concave slope of the arch. A tile is ...
Phil B.'s user avatar
  • 16.6k
12 votes
3 answers
903 views

Any reasons for the introduction of the new-style raised arch?

The new-style raised arch (to the left, 92950) got introduced in 2009, and has been gradually replacing the old-style arch (to the right, 3455) across the board. However, after four years, not only ...
RegDwight's user avatar
  • 1,152

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