Subject:
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Re: an old strange plate 8x4
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 1 Jun 2000 20:26:15 GMT
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Viewed:
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774 times
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Domenico Franco wrote:
> I discovered in my LEGO collection a very strange plate: a plate withuot
> tubes!!
>
> I know the first LEGO plate was made in 1962 when the stud-and-tube system
> was already used, so the question is: why is this plate wihout tubes?
>
> view plate pics at:
> http://www.geocities.com/domenico_f/lego/plateup.jpg
> http://www.geocities.com/domenico_f/lego/platedown.jpg
> http://www.geocities.com/domenico_f/lego/logo.jpg
>
> Thanks
>
> Domenico
Well I read everybody's reply to this thread over the past few days, but I had
PC problems (Windows N/T install), and and couldn't send reply's for a few
days.
Here's the story:
These plates have been around at least since 1956. I have a 1956 Danish parts
pack (#1227) with 2 right curve (4x8), 2 left curve (4x8) and 1 2x8 plate(s).
The earliest of these plates from circa 1956-57 had no "LEGO" on the studs.
They had
it underneath however. And the bottom of these plates had what I call the
"waffle" grid.
These plates were only produced in Cellulose Acetate in the following sizes:
2x8, 4x8, 4x8 right curve, 4x8 left curve, and 6x8. And they were only
produced in WHITE! These waffle bottom plates were produced from circa 1956
until about 1965.
The first of the tube bottom plates (only in 5 small sizes) came out in 1963.
These were sizes 1x1, 1x2, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4. The very first of these plates came
out in Cellulose Acetate, but within a year, they started production in ABS
plastic.
The continental European (1963-65) Architectural series of sets (750, 751, 752
as well as their corresponding clear plastic box parts packs 518, 519, 520,
521) were all made of Cellulose Acetate. These 518, 519, 520, 521 small
plastic Architectural
plates parts packs all had an 8x11 plate in gray as the bottom of the box.
This gray
CA plate was a first in many areas. It was the very first occurance of a
large plate in a color besides white, and it was the only occurrance of a
large plate made of CA, in a color other than white, that had tubes
underneath. All later plates with tubes were ABS (except the early LEGO train
ties that are mentioned below).
Interestingly enough, while the small plates with tubes were starting to be
made of ABS late in 1963 or in 1964, the large white plates of ABS with the
waffle bottom were still being made for use in the European plate parts packs
(#227,#228, #229), the European Esso Service (#310) and the Town Plan
(#810/#725) on both sides of the Atlantic.
Recently, it has come to my attention that Samsonite LEGO made an Airplane
set in circa 1965-67 that had gray wing shaped plates for the airplane wings.
These (according to Bill Katz, who seems to have dropped out of sight lately)
had the waffle bottoms. I don't remember the set #, but if this is the case,
then this is the only (known) occurrance of the waffle bottom in a color other
than white. I am curious to know if they are ABS or Cellulose Acetate.
Also, I think that many of the earliest (mid-1960's) train sets that had blue
(non-electric) track, had 2x8 white plates (with tube bottoms) as the train
ties, that were made of Cellulose Acetate. I'm not 100% sure that they are CA
or not, but they sure have that dull white finish that is common to all of the
waffle bottom white CA plates. Here are the parts packs to the trains that I
am talking about (from Horst Lehner's 1967 catalog):
http://horst-lehner.mausnet.de/lego/katalog/gk67b/GK67B-10.JPG
If these are truly CA, then I find it very interesting that CA was still in
production as
late as 1967 or 1968.
And here is one final question, that I have no answer for. How is it that
with ABS bricks and plates, they have the same look and finish. But with
Cellulose Acetate, the bricks have an extremely shiny mirror like finish,
while the white CA plates are all very very dull with a matte finish. Why is
that?
Gary Istok
P.S. As is always the case with LEGO, there may be some occurrances of LEGO
parts that were not CA, but ABS. It appears that ABS was phased into
production starting in 1963, and continuing on for a few years, perhaps until
the CA parts/plastic supply was exhausted. So there are more than likely some
pieces that are not what one would expect.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: an old strange plate 8x4
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| (...) I have a grey waffle-bottomed plate (URL) know what year/set. It came in a big box of old stuff. It looks warped like CA. Couldn't find a mention of it in this thread. Thanks, Clark (24 years ago, 6-Sep-00, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | an old strange plate 8x4
|
| I discovered in my LEGO collection a very strange plate: a plate withuot tubes!! I know the first LEGO plate was made in 1962 when the stud-and-tube system was already used, so the question is: why is this plate wihout tubes? view plate pics at: (...) (24 years ago, 28-May-00, to lugnet.general)
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