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Cary Clark wrote:
>
> Yes, this is normal. Sometimes the extra pieces are used for alternative
> models in the instructions or pictured on the box. Sometimes the extra
> pieces are spares for easily broken pieces, such as helmet visors. Sometimes
> the extra pieces are a mystery, like the R2D2 bodies in the Statue of
> Liberty sculpture.
>
> Duplicate sets always have exactly the same extra pieces.
That isn't 100% true. The pieces most often duplicated are the very
small pieces. Usually an extra one of these is included because one of
the quality controls on the sets is the weight of each parts bag. I
assume the smallest pieces are too close to the tolerance of the scales,
so they include an extra. I have had a set or two which was missing one
or two of the extras. I think I have also occaisionally seen differences
in extras packed with US and European sets. If this is the case, it
might be due to the scales at the various plants having different
tolerances.
On the other hand, sometimes you do get duplicates of larger pieces.
There is a small Paradisa boat set which came with an extra pink 1x6
plate (though I didn't look to see if it was used in an alternate
model).
To understand why one would include an extra when verifying content by
weight, one just needs to work through the following:
Assume the accuracy of your scale is +- 2 grams.
Assume the weight of a 1x1 round plate is 2 grams.
Take a bag which is supposed to have 10 1x1 round plates in it.
If when weighed, it weighs 20 grams, the actual weight could be 18 grams
(only 9 plates) or 22 grams (11 plates). Now we want to guarantee that
there are 10 plates, but when our scale measures 20 grams, there might
actually only be 9 plates. So we re-program the packing machine to put
11 plates in. Now the expected weight is 22 grams, and if for some
reason a plate was missing, the bag would actually weigh 20 grams, but
the scale might still report it as 22 grams, which passes, but we're ok,
because it does indeed have the required 10 plates.
Of course the reality is that the scale is probably a little more
accurate than it's spec, and the packing machines are probably extremely
accurate. The result is that almost all the time, you get 11 plates. Of
course the other problem is that often when accuracy is reported, that
is +- one standard deviation, i.e. 70% of the time, the scale reads
within 2 grams of the correct weight. Well, what about the other 30% of
the time? That says that 15% of the time, the scale could still read the
weight of 9 plates as 22 grams, thus passing. So perhaps what they
actually do is have a scale accurate to +- 1 gram, and go for 2 standard
deviations. Thus better than 90% of the time (sorry - don't remember my
statistics quite good enough), the scale will not read the weight of 9
plates as 22 grams (in fact, it would actually have to be a 4 standard
deviation error to read as 22 grams), on the other hand, the scale will
also almost never read the weight of 12 plates as 22 grams, thus it can
very reliably kick out any package which has 12 plates since most of
them will show as 23 grams or heavier. This would then explain why I
can't recall ever getting TWO extra of a small part.
FUT: lugnet.off-topic.geek
--
Frank Filz
-----------------------------
Work: mailto:ffilz@us.ibm.com (business only please)
Home: mailto:ffilz@mindspring.com
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Remaining parts
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| - SNIP - (...) I'm not sure how this would explain kits whose bags are mixed pieces as almost all are. The scale may indicate that a piece is missing but clearly could not indicate which piece. Am I missing something? - Jeff (23 years ago, 12-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
| | | Re: Remaining parts
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| (...) <SNIP> (...) WOW Frank! That was rather.... long winded. What's scarier? I followed most of it, from my University imposed, very brief exposure to statistics. Ewe... I think I actually learned something there! Matt (23 years ago, 12-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Remaining parts
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| Yes, this is normal. Sometimes the extra pieces are used for alternative models in the instructions or pictured on the box. Sometimes the extra pieces are spares for easily broken pieces, such as helmet visors. Sometimes the extra pieces are a (...) (23 years ago, 12-Jan-01, to lugnet.general)
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