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Most annoying Piece

Lego34sLego34s Member Posts: 36
in Collecting
Has anyone got any nominations for either most annoying piece or most frustrating building technique?

For me I have one of each in the last 3 months after more than 35 years building.

I first encountered the Single Bush 2M Ø4,9 (brickset parts description) in 42039-1: 24 Hours Race Car
Could I get them to connect...... not on the first 9 attempts no......

and on 75105-1: Millennium Falcon I could not get the two cockpit pieces to attach the Round Plate Ø32X6,4 Falcon Dec for ages.
I was convinced either I had the wrong piece, a piece missing or warped pieces.

Anyone else been there ?

It turns a pleasing build into an annoying evening................


Comments

  • monstblitzmonstblitz Member Posts: 653
    Kids and I are building City Square and I'm not a big fan of the tire stands in auto showroom.  They don't fit on the studs securely and the tires are not snug.  Just a recent example, not necessarily a great one. 
  • devilheaddevilhead Member Posts: 286
    Whichever piece I cannot find or get to connect properly at a given time.
    SumoLegoRsa33kiki180703
  • mathewmathew Member Posts: 2,099
    There are a few.  Primarily any piece that is prone to cracking.  White 1x1, slopes, bows you name it.  If it's a white piece made of that cheap-ass soft ABS of recent years it's going to be prone to cracks.  Besides that huge problem, I also dislike the slope pieces used for minifig gowns or robes.  You know the ones that have zero clutch power and come apart faster than Darth Maul being sliced in two by Obi-Wan.
    BrickmanRsa33The_Mad_VulcanRainstorm26prevereDedgeckokiki180703
  • legomattlegomatt Member Posts: 2,548

    For me it has to be any duplicated 1x1 pieces (especially where a 1x2 would suffice with no appreciable aesthetic difference) that are placed together yet meant to line up to form a straight wall, or column, or whatever. Aaagh, all for the bloody piece count! Give me a 1x2 instead. Biggest culprit is usually a row of cheese wedges.

    Lining up headlight bricks falls under this category slightly, their freedom to spin a teensy tiny fraction off line even when up against other bricks. I don't seem to recall the issue as much with sets from the 1980's, but modern sets just seem to have that bit more freedom to swivel.

    Oh, and flat 1x1's sometimes seem to refuse to sit square - like there's an almost imperceptible 'lip' on their edges, pushing against the edges of the brick beneath so they won't line up perfectly. Nudge to left... ugh, too far. Nudge to right... Ugh too far... small nudge left... ugh didn't move. Gentle nudge... overdone it... !

    :oP
    catwranglerRsa33The_Mad_VulcandougtslegomentalMattsWhatkiki180703Ronyar
  • BumblepantsBumblepants Member Posts: 7,729
    The giant vehicle bases found in current jrs sets are annoying. Someone gifted one to my kids awhile back and the axles attached to the base (yes it is actually three parts that cannot come apart) were somewhat loose and caused the tires to grind against the wheel wells. Got a replacement from customer service but it wasn't any better. So I just got rid of the part completely as I would rather my kids have the fun and skill of building their cars from the ground up anyway.
    catwranglermadforLEGOThe_Mad_VulcanAdeelZubairkiki180703
  • Lego34sLego34s Member Posts: 36
    See its all coming back now..... 1x1's of pretty much any design, even bricks that have to be tweaked to get lined up....... and the piece count..... Just building a Ninjago set with about 20 purple 1x2's one is three next to each other..... wheres the 2x3..... I know they make one its in another Ninjago set.....ah yes piece count. Nice to know its not just me..........
    catwranglerlegomentalkiki180703
  • Lego34sLego34s Member Posts: 36
    And although its not a part as such...... Collectable Minifig cloth/ material.... Skirts etc with 3-4 contact points to attach to the legs..... you need 3-4 hands........
    RoskoboyBrickmankiki180703Oldfan
  • BACbrixBACbrix Member Posts: 655
    1x1 smooth tile pieces. You place them down somewhere where there is no edge... they never come up again. 
  • catwranglercatwrangler Member Posts: 1,895
    And the worst thing about that is that the element separator won't save you... because it's a tile. There's nothing to click onto. :( 

    I think I'm most annoyed by "bricks that should actually be another brick", as in @legomatt's example with the use of two 1x1s where a 1x2 would look better and be structurally stronger. I'm always bemused by that sort of thing, especially in toys that you assume kids are going to play with and which could do with being as strong as possible...
    BACbrixkiki180703
  • glosminifigfanglosminifigfan Member Posts: 97
    catwrangler said:
    And the worst thing about that is that the element separator won't save you... because it's a tile. There's nothing to click onto. :( 
    You can use the 'handle' end of the modern element separator to lever a tile off another element.
    AllBrickVorpalRyukiki180703Oldfan
  • catwranglercatwrangler Member Posts: 1,895
    Oh, thank god! I should be getting one of those soon if my Palace Cinema plan comes to fruition...
  • AllBrickAllBrick Member Posts: 1,497
    ^^ Yup, chews up the end of the tool though. THE most annoying piece for me could be anything, when its imbedded in my foot. That and trying to separate plates, and when minifig hands and arms that don't work the same way after swapping.
    Rsa33
  • madforLEGOmadforLEGO Member Posts: 10,836
    Bumblepants said:
    The giant vehicle bases found in current jrs sets are annoying. Someone gifted one to my kids awhile back and the axles attached to the base (yes it is actually three parts that cannot come apart) were somewhat loose and caused the tires to grind against the wheel wells. Got a replacement from customer service but it wasn't any better. So I just got rid of the part completely as I would rather my kids have the fun and skill of building their cars from the ground up anyway.
    Yeah, junior-ization at its 'finest': Large one piece chassis with axles built in... ugh, will LEGO ever learn?
  • DadsAFOLDadsAFOL Member Posts: 617
    madforLEGO said:
    Yeah, junior-ization at its 'finest': Large one piece chassis with axles built in... ugh, will LEGO ever learn?
    You're complaining about junior-ization in a Juniors set? :)
    SprinkleOtterkiki180703RonyarLostInTranslation
  • madforLEGOmadforLEGO Member Posts: 10,836
    edited March 2016
    DadsAFOL said:
    madforLEGO said:
    Yeah, junior-ization at its 'finest': Large one piece chassis with axles built in... ugh, will LEGO ever learn?
    You're complaining about junior-ization in a Juniors set? :)
    Yes, yes I am. :) Last I checked, this thread about the most annoying pieces, right?
    Well my opinion is that it is the most annoying piece, regardless of what set or line it is part of.
    catwranglerThe_Mad_Vulcankiki180703
  • SprinkleOtterSprinkleOtter Member Posts: 2,779
    edited March 2016
    madforLEGO said:
    Bumblepants said:
    The giant vehicle bases found in current jrs sets are annoying. Someone gifted one to my kids awhile back and the axles attached to the base (yes it is actually three parts that cannot come apart) were somewhat loose and caused the tires to grind against the wheel wells. Got a replacement from customer service but it wasn't any better. So I just got rid of the part completely as I would rather my kids have the fun and skill of building their cars from the ground up anyway.
    Yeah, junior-ization at its 'finest': Large one piece chassis with axles built in... ugh, will LEGO ever learn?
    ^ I actually consider the ones from the early 2000s to be better.
  • Lego34sLego34s Member Posts: 36
    Amazing how even more stuff comes to mind..... the brick separator, i cant say ive ever used it and do they need to give you one in every bigish set. I appreciate someone must be buying their first set at some point but I have about 100 of them. Maybe they should do a trade in system at Lego shops...... every 25 you get a polybag.... recycle and all that.
    oldtodd33catwranglerLegoPegasister2015kiki180703
  • LusiferSamLusiferSam Member Posts: 574
    glosminifigfan said:
    You can use the 'handle' end of the modern element separator to lever a tile off another element.
    The minifigure's crow bar tool can be used the same way.

    Back on topic, a click hinge canopy that wouldn't correctly.  My 8037 Anakin Y-Wing has canopy that won't close right because of the click hinges.  Personally I'm not a fan of the click hinge.  It's a one trick pony that gets used in inappropriate ways.
    catwranglerOldfan
  • chrisalddinchrisalddin Member Posts: 3,041
    i had a hell of a lot of trouble with connecting the garage to the house in set #71006.
    every dam time i tryed to link them it would push out the wall on the house or the wall on the Garage, Or both at the same time.
    in the end, i dont quite know how i got it to link up, but i know this,
    Next time i building that model. i am building them already Connected, 
  • SirBrickalotOfLegoSirBrickalotOfLego Member Posts: 629
    chrisalddin said:
    i had a hell of a lot of trouble with connecting the garage to the house in set #71006.
    every dam time i tryed to link them it would push out the wall on the house or the wall on the Garage, Or both at the same time.
    in the end, i dont quite know how i got it to link up, but i know this,
    Next time i building that model. i am building them already Connected, 
    Yeah mine was exactly the same! In the end I just rebuilt the garage with the base attached to the house.
  • chrisalddinchrisalddin Member Posts: 3,041
    SirBrickalotOfLego said:
    chrisalddin said:
    i had a hell of a lot of trouble with connecting the garage to the house in set #71006.
    every dam time i tryed to link them it would push out the wall on the house or the wall on the Garage, Or both at the same time.
    in the end, i dont quite know how i got it to link up, but i know this,
    Next time i building that model. i am building them already Connected, 
    Yeah mine was exactly the same! In the end I just rebuilt the garage with the base attached to the house.
    good to know it not just my copy of the model that dose that.
  • Sven_FSven_F Member Posts: 17
    No such thing as an annoying piece,  if i don't like it,  i don't use it.  One particular color comes to mind though and it's tinted windscreens.  I have to change out all the trans black,  green,  blue or whatever ghastly disco plexy atrocity is usually on cars and buildings with trans clear.  I have a bag full of these windows in my box of shame,  never to be used unless i ever sell the set. 
    flordDedgeckokiki180703
  • s1yfas1yfa Member Posts: 3
    Agreed with the single bush 2m part. For some reason a standard black pin is easy to fit into a beam, but take half of it away and stick what is effectively a 1 hole beam on top, it becomes the hardest thing in the world to fit! Not sure if the plastic is slightly different for these parts compared to pins, but they are a pain. That said, incredibly useful part, the 42048 Race Kart is testament to their usefulness.
  • MaffyDMaffyD Member Posts: 3,577
    Any piece I can't pick up off the table/floor. Any tiny piece. Any piece with poor clutch. Any piece which is a beggar to put in, and easily falls out unless perfectly placed (UCS Tumbler had a few of those). Any rounded piece which needed a sticker.
  • madforLEGOmadforLEGO Member Posts: 10,836
    Sven_F said:
    No such thing as an annoying piece,  if i don't like it,  i don't use it.  One particular color comes to mind though and it's tinted windscreens.  I have to change out all the trans black,  green,  blue or whatever ghastly disco plexy atrocity is usually on cars and buildings with trans clear.  I have a bag full of these windows in my box of shame,  never to be used unless i ever sell the set. 
    Yeah I have a box like that as well. Though I do try to use what appear to be worthless parts (to me anyway)as something else. For example, like the insectoid legs as part of a lamp/lighting fixture for a light pole or on the side of a building, maybe to hold up an awning or something.
    chrisalddincatwranglerOldfankbenjeskiki180703
  • msandersmsanders Member Posts: 1,017
    I find getting the round 1 x 1 flat plate piece really difficult to get into the middle of the 2 x 2 round plates (or other pieces).They dont attach to a stud but attach between the studs. My fat fingers get in the way when im trying to push the piece on. The 1 x 1 round plate needs to be exactly straight to fit in the gap! 
  • TigerMothTigerMoth Member Posts: 2,343
    msanders said:
    I find getting the round 1 x 1 flat plate piece really difficult to get into the middle of the 2 x 2 round plates (or other pieces).They dont attach to a stud but attach between the studs. My fat fingers get in the way when im trying to push the piece on. The 1 x 1 round plate needs to be exactly straight to fit in the gap! 
    Stick it on the end of something else and use that to position it.
  • mustang69mustang69 Member Posts: 544
    Not so much a piece but a connection rather, when connecting a 1x1 round stud to the bottom of a 1x1 brick. It is almost impossible to get apart if needed.
    glosminifigfancatwrangler
  • JudgeChuckJudgeChuck Member Posts: 1,591
    mustang69 said:
    Not so much a piece but a connection rather, when connecting a 1x1 round stud to the bottom of a 1x1 brick. It is almost impossible to get apart if needed.
    A brick separater helps with that. It is a pain in the proverbial though...
    Oldfankiki180703
  • DawnDawn Member Posts: 237
    The most annoying pieces for me can be any shape or color.. it is the ones missing from a brand new set I just bought...
  • xwingpilotxwingpilot Member Posts: 799
    Lego34s said:
    Has anyone got any nominations for either most annoying piece or most frustrating building technique?
    One word: Stickers...
    rdflegoWerewolf_pookiki180703LusiferSamDon
  • Werewolf_pooWerewolf_poo Member Posts: 71
    xwingpilot said:
    Lego34s said:
    Has anyone got any nominations for either most annoying piece or most frustrating building technique?
    One word: Stickers...

    We have a winner! **close thread**
    Daraghkiki180703
  • MattsWhatMattsWhat Member Posts: 1,643
    ^nah, some stickers are alright.  I'll raise your stickers with #10240 canopy stickers!
  • Werewolf_pooWerewolf_poo Member Posts: 71
    MattsWhat said:
    ^nah, some stickers are alright.  I'll raise your stickers with #10240 canopy stickers!
    Yeah I'll give you that one. My canopy looks like it was dragged round the garden by my dog then applied..........by my dog 
    Daraghkiki180703
  • catwranglercatwrangler Member Posts: 1,895
    I've got one that I absolutely loathe. When I was a kid, I made frequent use of the 1x4 antenna with rounded top. It was useful because it had an anti-stud at one end and you could clip things to it or slip parts with an open anti-stud onto it with a reasonable expectation of one day removing them. Apparently they're still being made, but these days I more often encounter this monstrosity.

    Oh, I know: it has many uses, and where would we be without it for lightsabers, etc. etc. But it's an absolute nightmare to separate from other parts. God knows why it's so different from its rounded, anti-studded ancestor; they're both made of ABS... maybe the lack of anti-stud makes it harder to get a grip on it when removing other parts? I'll admit to having fairly weak hands...
  • TigerMothTigerMoth Member Posts: 2,343
    catwrangler said:

    Oh, I know: it has many uses, and where would we be without it for lightsabers, etc. etc. But it's an absolute nightmare to separate from other parts. God knows why it's so different from its rounded, anti-studded ancestor; they're both made of ABS... maybe the lack of anti-stud makes it harder to get a grip on it when removing other parts? I'll admit to having fairly weak hands...
    Light sabres are made of polycarbonate, not ABS, which is therefore why they "cling" like crazy, particularly to anything else made of polycarbonate.

    BrickOwl groups parts in both transparent and solid colours together, and then gives alternate part numbers. It then describes what that "one" part is made from. You can't do that.

    Transparent parts can't be made from ABS. Many parts have two numbers for that reason - one for the solid part and one for the transparent (polycarbonate) one. So a 1 x 1 round brick has a design ID of 3062; a transparent one is 30068. BrickOwl Lumps them all together and says they're ABS. It's obviously wrong because the transparent ones can't be.

    However, parts in solid colours don't have to be ABS; they can also be polycarbonate. The light sabre is one of those. You can tell because parts in both solid colours and transparent ones share the same design ID - transparent light sabres must be polycarbonate, so the solid colours must be too. You have to look parts up here on Brickset, because it (almost always) uses the official numbering which makes the distinction.

    At least, that's how it used to be. The same principles still apply, but life has got a bit more complicated. Many parts now have newer numbers - five digit numbers beginning with 1 or 2. As I say, it doesn't change how it all works, except it means that there are extra numbers to consider.  When trying to work out whether something is ABS or polycarbonate, ignore those newer numbers and see whether parts in both solid and transparent colours share design IDs. It's worth noting that parts can have different IDs for other reasons - typically because of detail design differences - but if they're the same, they're made of the same thing.
    MaffyDkiki180703Brickfan50Sethro3
  • catwranglercatwrangler Member Posts: 1,895
    @TigerMoth Thanks for clarifying all that - it's certainly a minefield!! I only began to run into trouble with the solid colour versions of this part, but that's not to say it's not an issue with the trans ones - I just never normally MOC with them, so it's only ever been a question of getting them in and out of lightsaber handles, which is the one situation where I haven't experienced the too much cling factor...
  • aldreddaldredd Member Posts: 203
    Believe it or not, I'd planned to post this before I'd seen @happyskunky 's post on favourite piece.

    So, what is your least favourite piece? That one where you quietly grumble as you're using it.

    For me, in Technics, it's the Beam 1x2 Thin - as they're just such a PITA to add and remove.



    For regular sets, it's the Mechanical Arm (and similar) - just find they used to build fiddly, fragile 'sections' that never quite look like they're done right!



    catwrangler77ncaachamps
  • CCCCCC Member Posts: 20,556
    edited May 2016
    TigerMoth said:

    Transparent parts can't be made from ABS.
    They can. The last 10 years there has been significant progress into clear ABS, and in the last few years lower melting temperature versions especially for transparent 3D printing uses. For example, INEOS produce various transparent ABS formulations (eg LUSTRAN 266).

    It is not that LEGO cannot make clear parts from ABS, they currently chose not to.

  • TigerMothTigerMoth Member Posts: 2,343
    CCC said:
    TigerMoth said:

    Transparent parts can't be made from ABS.
    They can. The last 10 years there has been significant progress into clear ABS, and in the last few years lower melting temperature versions especially for transparent 3D printing uses. For example, INEOS produce various transparent ABS formulations (eg LUSTRAN 266).

    It is not that LEGO cannot make clear parts from ABS, they currently chose not to.

    "Clear" ABS has low impact resistance; it's usually got a yellow tinge. Unfortunately butadiene (the "B" is "ABS") is responsible for both, and removing the tinge makes it distinctly less kid-proof.

    So yes, you can get clear ABS. However, ABS isn't a single material and TLG use a particular (and proprietary) formulation for its properties. They use polycarbonate for transparent parts because they can't get truly clear ABS with the properties required.
  • rdflegordflego Member Posts: 324

    These need a lip like a tile or a cheese wedge the little *insert expletive*.
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