Questions tagged [plastics]
The majority of LEGO elements are made out of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
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How can I prevent rubber bands disintegrating?
These two answers partially answer this question., but I think it's worth its own question to find more options in a more comprehensive answer.
Old Lego rubber bands are known to become brittle over ...
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LEGO elements working with capacitive touchscreens?
Ultra Agent sets released in 2015 feature an interesting type of brick, which is called AppBrick (LEGO marketing name) or Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side and Conductive Element on Opposite ...
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what plastic is used in the floatable hull of 60266 Ocean Exploration ship?
I need to know what plastic is used for the hull (dark blue) of the 60266: Ocean Exploration Ship, in order to glue a reinforcement on.
I bought this for my boys (younger than the advertised 7+). It ...
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12V LEGO train tracks splinter
I have an older 12V LEGO train (several actually) but of course the rubber tires wore out long ago.
The trains still run quite well (I even used them as a motor parts in some Technic designs), but the ...
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Lubricating train axles - which oil to use?
I have a lot of old (80s grey era and 90s 9v) trains. Some of the wheels squeak and many have quite a bit of friction. Sometimes this friction causes the locomotive to detach from the rollingstock ...
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Is LEGO element damaged at the molecular level when rubbed with rubbing alcohol?
Today the Goblin King from Lego Hobbit came to me and having covered two black dots on his bunch, I decided to wipe them with alcohol. But due to the unhealthy lead mania, I am paranoid, is the ...
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Are silicone rubber bands safe for LEGO?
I'd like to build some custom sets using rubber bands but I don't have any spare original LEGO rubber bands (and I'd need several anyway). Since I had bad experience with rubber objects touching LEGO ...
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LEGO sticky after painting?
Why are my LEGO still sticky after I paint them? I use primer beforehand but the acrylic paint is still tacky hours after they're painted. Thanks!
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Why do older bricks have greater clutch power?
I have some pre-2000 (rough date to split the collection to old/new) System and Technic sets that are from different sources: some are from my childhood, while others have been acquired in "used&...
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What material are older soft (plant) parts made of?
I've carefully searched through SE and web and haven't found the exact answer.
This 2018 announcement states that new plant parts are made of plant-based polyethylene. It also implies that plant ...
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What material is the LEGO laptop made of?
What material is the LEGO laptop piece made of? It does not feel like their normal rubber and it certainty doesn't feel like ABS.
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What Lego part(s) would hurt the most to step on?
We've all heard (and probably experienced) the long-running joke that stepping on a Lego is the absolute worst.
People have determined this is due to the bricks' high compressive strength, small size,...
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Why do LEGO parts break?
I disassembled the Airplane set 7893 with normal pressure on the bricks and it happened that some parts broke like dry brittle leaves, see picture. The storage conditions have been in the open and ...
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Why are these hinged plates slightly different colors?
Something I've noticed is that certain pieces appear to be slightly different colors for other pieces of the same color. In particular, hinged red pieces seem to be the most noticeably different, ...
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Why do LEGO bricks yellow at different rates?
So, here is my LEGO Space Shuttle. Originally built in 1991, never disassembled (unlike the rest of my sets), so all parts are original and all were exposed to the same amount of sunlight.
However,...
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Do clear transparent pieces suffer from a yellow tinge over time?
Any idea if clear 1×1 round plates suffer from color differences? I recently got a bag of them and they appear to have a yellow tinge.
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I am looking for robot constructor general plastic parts [closed]
I do not know how call it, but I mean something like these pics:
Can I find something like this plastic parts in general or I must design them in solidworks and ordering for mold production by myself?...
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Why are these bricks slightly shorter than normal?
I have two red 1×6 bricks that are slightly shorter than normal and also a bit deformed. For comparison, I here show them together with regular 1×6 bricks (the regular brick is the top one of each ...
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What is the difference between the plastic used in mainstream minifigs and the plastic used to make the popular collectable series of minifigs?
What is the difference (if there even is a difference) between the plastic used in mainstream minifigs and the plastic used in the popular collectable minifig series?
It seems to me that the ...
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Are LEGO tires natural or synthetic rubber? [duplicate]
LEGO is the No.1 tire maker in the world by number of unit. It produce the same number of tires in a year as both Michelin & Bridgestone together, the 2 biggest tire manufacturers.
A "real" ...
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What are LEGO rubber bands made of?
I have noticed that LEGO rubber bands (along with just about everything else LEGO) are fantastically durable. They last ages without getting crusty and dying like most commonly available rubber bands....
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BPA in older LEGO
I have some older DUPLO sets. I am concerned about the BPA that might be in them. Do any current sets of DUPLO or LEGO contain BPA? Did they in earlier sets?
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What will LEGO do when all the crude oil on earth is used?
When crude is no longer available (which is in 53.3 years) what will LEGO do, since oil is needed in order to make plastic? Is there a plastic alternative, or another type of material that is strong ...
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Would LEGO use recycled plastic? [closed]
I have been studying the application of new recycling technologies because I am concerned with plastic pollution. I have thought of a way to apply new technology differently but the missing piece of ...
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Strongest LEGO structure - (2) Floor
What is the strongest LEGO box structure?
I am going to build a LEGO computer case. Different from Mike Schropp and greenyouse, I am planing to build an upright case.
(This is a general "strongest ...
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Strongest LEGO structuce - (1) Pillars
What is the strongest LEGO structure?
I am going to build a LEGO computer case. Different from Mike Schropp and greenyouse, I am planing to build an upright case.
(This is a general "strongest LEGO ...
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Is it safe to remove PC (polycarbonate) arms from minfigures?
I would like to replace the clear PC arms on the Chima ice figures with opaque ABS. Would I still be able to use the clear PC arms with other figures after I have removed them?
I know that removing ...
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What plastic do Quatro blocks use?
I recently picked up a heap of Quatro blocks, and noticed that the plastic seems to be much softer than the normal ABS-based Lego and Duplo blocks. Does anyone know what kind of plastic was used in ...
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How to differentiate Cellulose acetate vs ABS LEGO bricks?
If one had a large tub of old LEGO brick, with some pieces going back to the 1950s, but all mixed together, are there any distinguishing features or appearance to the 1950s cellulose acetate bricks ...
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What are LEGO baseplates made from?
I want to lasercut a green LEGO baseplate for a project, but cannot cut a plastic with the laser if it contains PVC or Vinyl.
Does anyone know if the green baseplates are free from these materials.
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Factories that could make off-patent bricks?
I'm quite interested in finding a factory that can produce a small-ish run of high-quality plastic bricks that I can use in my classes and possible to re-sell as stand-alone kits. I only need a few ...
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How much usage can a LEGO piece take before it loses its 'clutch power'?
In this article it's mentioned that one very important feature of the LEGO bricks are their 'clutch power' which is "the ability of its bricks to snap together tightly while also being easy to ...
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What color has been produced in the highest volume?
What color makes up the highest percentage of LEGO elements produced since ABS plastic was introduced in 1963?
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Are LEGO elements safe to use in an aquarium with fish?
Are LEGO elements safe to use in an aquarium with fish? I've never seen LEGO elements in a working fishtank.
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How much heat can LEGO bricks withstand?
I was thinking on making a decorative LEGO candle holder. It would be made out of regular ABS LEGO bricks, but also transparent ones. Because there will be an open flame involved, I want to make sure ...
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What kind of plastic are LEGO bricks made of?
It’s rather obvious that Lego bricks are made from plastic, but there are many kinds of plastic.
Is the recipe for LEGO bricks plastic secret?
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Are transparent neon Lego bricks made from a different plastic than usual?
There are several colors of transparent, fluorescent Lego bricks. In particular, "trans neon yellow" and "trans neon orange", introduced in the early 1990s, exist in a variety of specialized shapes ...
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Why are old LEGO bricks more brittle than new ones?
My vintage LEGO sets (circa 1980) are difficult to unbuild. Some pieces are prone to break. Did the plastic recipe change with time or are the bricks simply degrading?
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