My Latest Brick Build Has Raised a Couple of Issues!
1. When Is 'Lego' Not Lego?
Do you know what the word 'genericide' means? It's that phenomena where people refer to a whole class of products by a brand name rather than it's actual descriptive title. This happens through a process called genericization, where a specific brand name becomes so successful and dominant that the public uses it as the everyday word for the entire product category, regardless of who actually manufactured it.
Examples are Hoover when we mean vacuum cleaner, or Sellotape when we mean adhesive tape, or Elastoplaste when we mean adhesive bandage, etc...
Factoid: Lego patented its modern studded brick coupling system on January 28, 1958. The core patents in most countries expired around 1978 (or through late-1980s extensions in certain jurisdictions). Once those patents expired, competitor brands (such as Mega Bloks and Cobi) were legally free to produce compatible plastic bricks using the same stud-and-tube mechanism.
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| Above: While we think of LEGO as being the originator of the interlocking brick toy, that is not true |
Honestly, I can see why it happens, sometimes a universally recognised single word is easier and quicker to use than the multiple words that correctly describe the product. And this brings me to a problem I have always had with 'brick models', like my current COBI projects.
I have never liked the phrase 'brick models' as I am never quite sure whether everyone understands what I mean by it. Yes, technically, it's correct - they are models made out of (plastic) bricks - but I've never felt comfortable using this as an title... SO, I'm giving in and from now on just using the genericization of 'Lego'. 😑
No, all my 'brick' projects aren't Lego - in fact I have only made one true Lego product - but whether they are COBI or some random Chinese Lego-knockoff people just instinctively know what I am talking about even if they aren't familiar with the large range of 'brick' products that are out there nowadays!
Anyway, believe it or not that ramble was a mere aside to what I want to talk about!
2. I Don't Have a 'Sorting Hat'!!!
One of the main problems I have come across since I started building Lego is sorting and storage. This has become even more of a vexing issue of late as I am starting to build even larger Lego projects with a lot more component parts...
My go to method for sorting out all the kit parts prior to a build was to put all the parts - categorised by size - into a muti-compartment tray. This was OK for smaller sized projects where I had enough compartments to go around, but in my last project I struggled and some of the compartments were filled to overflowing... So, I have been looking for bigger and bigger trays to suit my needs when a little bulb went on in my tiny brain...
I have loads of different sized plastic bags which I originally bought to store modelling clay in. These were just right for storing Lego parts in and for sorting them into groups of parts to match whatever part of the build instructions I wanted to follow next.
In fact, I realised that instead of sorting out groups of parts step by step as I followed the instruction manual for the build, I could actually sort all the components out in the right order BEFORE I actually start the build!
This has the added advantages of meaning I could do the sorting on a tray in front of the TV - separating the sorting stage from the build stage - and it also mean that it was quicker for my to create a build video as all the parts were pre-sorted ready to put together (no fiddly searching for the right part in an over-full tray)!
3. Missing Part!!!
OK, the last little hiccup in my current build was actually rather inevitable really. I've read a lot of comments on Amazon in the reviews of 'Lego' kits about missing parts. It's not a huge problem, but it does happen from time to time and rare as it may be it is very frustrating for the kit builder.
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| Above: The culprit - one of the additional Cobi 'fin' parts, in all you need four of these to complete the making of the under wing drop tanks. Missing one brought my build to a dead stop. |
Basically, it brings the build to a full stop and you have to contact the kit's manufacturer for a replacement part. While this isn't a biggy if your kit is one made by one of the bigger and more reputable companies - like Lego or Cobi - if you happen to have bought your kit from a site like TEMU and the manufacturer is one of those weird Chinese brands you might be for a very long wait!!!
My missing part was a piece that represented one of the fins of the underwing fuel drop tanks. But, luckily for me, it wasn't a terribly small or complex component and I thought I had a pretty good chance at replicating it in 3D.
As usual, my 3D modelling program of choice was TINKERCAD and it suits this simple geometric shape very well. It didn't take me long at all to build the fin although I was a bit worried about fit.
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| Above: Luckily the missing part was a very simple shape and I was able to replicate it in Tinkercad quite quickly. |
Lego components seem - deceptively - simple though I know from watching history videos about Lego that the secret is in the fine tolerances that enable the parts to snap together securely. It's something that the wannabe fake-Lego manufacturers have trouble with (I'd just been reading a review of a Chinese 'Lego' model where customers complained that the model had a tendency to fall to bits easily).
It did take me two or three goes to get the fit right but in the end I was very pleased with the part I made. Again, though, I was just lucky that it wasn't a very complex design or incredibly small... In that case I would have had to email Cobi for a replacement part.
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| Above: Test fitting my replacement part, I'm quite chuffed with the result. Obviously, now I know it fits I will 3D print a finished version in grey coloured PLA filament to match the rest of the drop tank. |
The good thing about recreating the part myself on my 3D printer is that the component was ready within an hour and I could then crack on with the build. 😊
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And that's that - but this shows a typical set of small issues that I come across when I start a project. There is ALWAYS some small frustration, but usually only mention the really big ones.
Another day in model making land! 😀
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