Subject:
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Re: Ageing Lego Bricks
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 16 Mar 2001 19:00:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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1190 times
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Guido, I should have asked the question "are there gaps (spaces) between the
bricks when you build with them. Are they twisted slightly (warped) when you look
at one of the longer edges of a 2x4 brick?" If not then you do have only ABS, and
some of the older LEGO might have reacted slightly to heat (kept in a hot/cold
attic over many years).
Gary Istok
Guido Heunen wrote:
> Gary,
>
> I don't think that is the problem, because I started to play with LEGO in 1976
> and I was living in Holland. So I am pretty sure that all my bricks are ABS. I
> suspect that even keeping ABS at room temperature the bricks change slightly
> over the years. I have know idea if LEGO did long term heating tests on ABS
> bricks.
>
> I don't know if it is really wise to bleach your white LEGO's, as being a
> chemist, I happen to know that polymers can react with chlorine. I am not
> sure whether this is the case for ABS.
>
> Guido
>
> > In lugnet.general, Gary Istok writes:
> > Hi Guido,
> >
> > The problem with 99.9% of all old bricks not fitting together well anymore is • due
> > to one simple answer. And that has absolutely nothing to do with storage or • heat
> > (unless you're talking about a fire or oven temperature). It is because the • are
> > made of Cellulose Acetate. That material was in use from 1955-63 in Europe, • and
> > from 1961 (the first North American LEGO) thru 1968. Cellulose Acetate can • most
> > easily be spotted in red and yellow bricks. The red bricks are somewhat • lighter
> > and more orange in color, the yellow bricks have a lighter more "lemon yellow"
> > color than later bricks. Blue CA looks slightly different than blue ABS, but • white
> > and black bricks are very difficult to tell appart (CA vs. ABS). And in gray, • no
> > CA bricks were ever produced (they came out later), only some CA plates.
> >
> > ABS plastic started being produced in 1963, but for some reason, the Samsonite
> > folks (maker of Lego in USA/Canada at the time) must have had a warehouse full • of
> > Cellulose Acetate, because there was still a lot of CA Lego in sets as late as • the
> > late 60's. There are a lot of cases where Samsonite mixed bricks (usually red • or
> > yellow CA, and blue or white ABS). As to the yellowing of bricks, white • obviously
> > has the most yellowing, but blue and gray bricks also exhibit a lot of • yellowing.
> > But most of the yellowing occurs with ABS bricks, not the earlier CA ones.
> >
> > Hope that helps explain it.
> > Gary Istok
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Ageing Lego Bricks
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| Gary, I don't think that is the problem, because I started to play with LEGO in 1976 and I was living in Holland. So I am pretty sure that all my bricks are ABS. I suspect that even keeping ABS at room temperature the bricks change slightly over the (...) (24 years ago, 16-Mar-01, to lugnet.general)
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