Out of Production Parts

    In the years since the introduction of their first plastic bricks, Lego has introduced a multitude of new parts to serve a wide ranging variety of purposes. However, since Lego's factories can only produce a limited numbrr of unique molds at one time, many molds have gone out of production. This can be due to the mold being worn out, or there simply was no longer a use for the part. Some common parts also go through some changes due to old molds wearing out, which results in variations with better functionality or strength.

    How does this all relate to Lego Ideas? Well, some building techniques may rely on a part which is no longer in production, and/or for which the mold no longer exists. If a project relies on such a piece, and no substitute can be found, its as good as dead. Why? Because recreating the old mold would cost Lego just as much as a new mold, and Lego Ideas does not do new molds.

Thanks to Rebrickable and Sheo for the comparison images

    Let's start with variations. The Jumper plate, or more officially, the Plate 1X2 W. 1 Knob is an extremely common and useful part. It's gone through 3 different variations since the original version, 3794a was introduced in 1978. The two subsequent variations are known as 3794b and 15573

The original part features nearly identical construction to a standard 1x2 plate, the only difference being the number of studs on top. The first variation, 3794b, introduced the groove along the bottom which allows for easier removal. This feature is shared with the b variations of most tile pieces. The third and newest variation 15573 changed the under side of the part to teeth instead of a post. This allows the piece to attach with an offset to all studs, not just hollow ones.

Another noticeable variation occurs on the Plate with side holder, or Lamp Holder part. The original (4081a has a ring half a plate wide, while the newer and stronger version (4081b has a ring with the thickness of the whole plate. Some specialized SNOT connections can only work with the older version, some examples of which can be found in Peter Reid and Tim Goddard's excellent book Lego Space

    Always keep mold variations in mind when designing a project, and don't rely on an old version of a piece to do something the new version can't. Chances are the old molds have worn out or no longer exist. To check on mold variations, I recommend Rebrickable as their database makes clear distinctions between variants.

    Now let's talk about out of production parts. For example, if you built a mech suit around the body piece from Bionicle's early years, and want to submit it as a Lego Ideas project. The design might be one of the top ten best Mech MOCs ever, but if that piece is so essential to the design that it cannot be replaced, Lego can't make that mech into a set. That piece hasn't been used in over 12 years, and the mold is long gone.

    Sometimes out of production parts can be worked around and replaced like was done with the Exo-Suit. Look at the differences between the two versions, and you'll spot a number of different parts used. This was because, as Lego Ideas said, "Peter's original model - full of illegal and out-of-production goodness." However, these difficulties were worked through, and we were left with a great looking final model!

Parts are a crucial piece (ha-ha) of every Lego model, and understanding more about them can lead to a better Lego Ideas project with a greater chance of success!