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Subject: 
Re: I feel Blue
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.technic
Date: 
Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:51:21 GMT
Viewed: 
22013 times
  
In lugnet.technic, Stump Dunn wrote:

  
In 2004, odd length axles were to be soley produced in grey. This was tolerable. Either grey was neutral or there were plenty of black ones available on bricklink. In late 2005, red 2L axles began to be included in technic sets so not to be mistaken for friction pins. This was tolerable. Mainly because of the abundance in black. In 2002 it began and in 2005, friction axle pins were to be soley produced in blue. This i could not accept as to me blue was not a neutral colour.

Actually grey odd length axles started in 2003. Yes, having all those 2L structural pieces (pins, friction pins, axle pins w/ and w/o friction, 2L axles) in different colours will relieve kids’ frustration of picking the wrong parts because they are highly contrasting among each other.

  
I thought i would perfom a study which would ultimately decide my acceptance of Blue Axle Pins. I have built a number of tow trucks, set 8435 in common colours, similar to the various colour build of the 854 go-kart by David Koudys. However the purpose of my build is not for tribute. The purpose is to identify if blue axle pins detract from a creations visual appeal. I have built the set in Yellow, Red and Black.

Building them for tribute is also cool. :) I built a studless 8459/39 for tribute too.

   It is of my opinion that friction axle pins detract from the over all asthetics of a creation unless it’s blue. I also believe that the part could have quite simply been produced in another neutral colour such as dark stone.

This brings me back to my original question, Why do these parts have to be one colour ? Answer for this include: production costs ease of part identification

I think you answered your own question. The Technic line is designed for children ages 8-11 onwards. Don’t expect them to be able to “feel” the parts in order to tell them apart. As I said above, they need the contrasting colours to do so. So we now have:
  • Red 2L axle (since 2005)
  • black friction pins, long and short
  • tan axle pins (2003)
  • blue friction axle pins (2003)
  • grey smooth pins, long and short (since the beginning?)
  • black even-length axles
  • grey odd-length axles (2003)
  • Dark gray 3/4 pins (1996)
Seems logical to me, and it doesn’t ruin the look too much. Then again maybe I don’t have that much of a sense of beauty. :)

   my next question is why do they have to be colours that don’t coordinate with each other ? It is understood that technic creations do not need to be as astheticly pleasing as a model team creation (Fairings and flexible hoses leave a lot to the imagination) but i feel everything i build now has to be blue.

Don’t sweat it. There’re always half pins plus regular plates, and fairings to cover them up.

   but i would like a responce from technic builders who have an opinion about standard part-colour combinations.


There are two oddities I have noticed. Granted those are Technic-grade Racers display models rated ages 10+. By the time Nitro Menace came out, Lego is already using red 2L axle. But strangely all 2L axles in Menace is black, when the six 2L axles for the huge spoiler should have been red for best appearance. All other axles used to build the spoilers, however, are indeed in red. The 1:10 Enzo, OTOH, has two black 7L axles that form the front windshield.

That means Lego do produce these parts in other colours if the overall aesthetics call for it (specifically if, and for cost reasons, only if, their set designers order it). Remember the white axles in

    8480 Space Shuttle / "FOS Light" Space Shuttle
1366 elements, 0 figures, US$158, 1996
LEGO > TECHNIC > Tech Build / Advanced
, the red axles in

    8448 Super Street Sensation / Super Car Mk II
1408 elements, 0 figures, US$130, 1999
LEGO > TECHNIC > Tech Build / Advanced
, and all those colourful gears in those Slizer/Roborider sets?

   Are you happy with Blue, Tan and Red ?

I am cool.

   Also, which is you favourite colour 8435 ?

I want to see if I can find enough grey pieces to mod 8435 into a Mercedes G-class. they look so similar.

Keith



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: I feel Blue
 
(...) Thanks Keith, but if you look deeper you will find all sorts of these type of oddities in all age brackets, price brackets, sub themes and years of production. (URL) green axles (URL) white 3L axles with studs (URL) red 3&4L axles (URL) this (...) (18 years ago, 20-Jul-06, to lugnet.technic, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  I feel Blue
 
I have been objective to the standard part colour combinations from TLG for a few years now. This post is not a bashing of new greys or browns. Axles have always been black, so to friction pins. Many parts have always been produced in few colours. (...) (18 years ago, 19-Jul-06, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.color, lugnet.parts, FTX) !! 

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