Billund Airport 4000016 bad quality bricks

[BrickOn]

I am currently in Billund airport and with time to kill I bought and built the Billund airport set.

On the face of it the set looks really nice, comes in a cool box and is a very neat looking set.

But after building it (which was fun) there are some quality issues with all the darker grey/silvery bricks used for the roof, three types, 1x1 cheese pieces, 1x4 curved pieces and 2x2 curved pieces. All the pieces have dark lines and marbling(?) which appears to stem from the injection into the mould or something. It's a shame because it spoils the appearance of the model as these pieces are all on the top.

I will add some photos when I am back at home (but currently Flickr is concerned I am in a new location and not myself and I cannot convince it to let me sign in)

Has anyone else had these issues with the set? Should I contact Lego about the quality?

[Blondie-Wan]

From what you describe, what I see in photos of other copies of the set online, and what I see in other "silvery-gray" parts of that sort (Aanchir can identify the proper color, if he finds his way into the thread; perhaps we can message him), it seems to me to be an intrinsic, expected thing with that particular color, with no way to avoid it other than molding bricks in a different color entirely, and not something most would consider a true flaw. But if you think it is one, you can always try TLG's customer service - I'd recommend doing that first before posting here, actually. I'm not sure that it's actually a true quality issue, though, for that particular color. But again, Aanchir can surely provide better guidance than I. I'll go ahead and message him...

[BrickOn]

Fair enough, if it's something all bricks have (I don't think I have had this colour before). I do think it spoils the cleanness of the design but I guess that's just a taste issue.

It was still fun to build the airport sitting inside the airport so I wouldn't want my money back or anything like that!

[rodiziorobs]

I believe it's called metallic silver, and yes all the sloped/curved I have seen are plagued with that issue.

At least it seems like they all have the defect uniformly.

[Blondie-Wan]

Hey, how many copies of this set are still there?

[BrickOn]

There was a massive display of them in the airport, at least 100 there or so, so if you are going any time soon I am sure there will some left.

You can see the issue in this photo

Roof issues, on Flickr

But actually I think it was more noticeable as a pile of bricks, maybe its not as bad in the finished model

Billund Airport in Billund Airport, on Flickr

I had another Bloody Mary and some wine on the plane and I really started to love the set, it fits nicely on a tray table and the little planes are very swooshable

swooooooosh, on Flickr

It would be really cool if Lego made another mini airport model with a tiny runway and planes, hours of inflight fun!

[zux]

Looks to be Flat Silver [bL] color. And it is common to see injection point for parts in this color.

[Aanchir]

The official ID of the color is 315 Silver Metallic. BrickLink calls it Flat Silver, though this name is also used for some older silver parts from before this particular color was introduced.

Silver Metallic is what Bricklink calls a "pearl" color. Unlike 309 Metalized Silver (Chrome Silver on BrickLink) or 298 Cool Silver Drum Lacquered (Metallic Silver on BrickLink), "pearl" colors are not treated with any kind of coating on their surface. Instead, a reflective additive is molded into the plastic itself along with the usual colored dye.

A side-effect of this is that parts like this can have a "marbled" effect, especially near the injection point. This is fairly normal for parts in this color. You see this a lot on metallic-colored Bionicle masks. So rest assured, the bricks in your set are "normal" and not defective.

[Sven F]

When I got out of the dark I was overwhelmed by all the new colors in LEGO bricks, but this effect in pearl gold and silver left a very bad impression on me. I got used to it in the meantime, but I still think they shouldn't produce those colors until they can do them right. I understand your disappointment.

[Lego Dino 500]

I can confirm it's common, it's in all metallic silver parts. Plates, tiles, curved slopes, bionicle pieces, it's just how the pigment spreads in the ABS.

[dr_spock]

You can try Customer Service. You may end up receiving new bricks with the same marbled effect.

[BrickOn]

Nah, I didn't know it was the same on all the bricks, there would be no point in getting more with the same effect. Now I know all the bricks are the same and not just my ones I can cope with it :-) (Sometimes I just get paranoid that I get the duff things and everybody else had good bricks).

[xboxtravis7992]

swooooooosh, on Flickr

That open cockpit door is freaking out my inner American airline safety concerns... I know its a plane in Denmark, but still! Lock the door please! ;)

Anyway back to the Lego, looks like a fun mini set. I wish they sold real Lego models in other airports...

Edited October 27, 2015 by xboxtravis7992

[anothergol]

Do kids really like those supposedly metallic colors? I hate them. Chromed pieces were nice - I suppose the problem is that they weren't durable. But no way the new metallic colors could pass for metal, I'd rather call them ice cream silver.

One exception is pearl dark grey, *for small parts* where there is no stripey effect to be seen. It's then a nice uniform color in-between black & DBG, IMHO.

A side-effect of this is that parts like this can have a "marbled" effect, especially near the injection point. This is fairly normal for parts in this color. You see this a lot on metallic-colored Bionicle masks. So rest assured, the bricks in your set are "normal" and not defective.

do you mean that the marble effect is not done on purpose?

[dr_spock]

That open cockpit door is freaking out my inner American airline safety concerns... I know its a plane in Denmark, but still! Lock the door please! ;)

Anyway back to the Lego, looks like a fun mini set. I wish they sold real Lego models in other airports...

A long time ago in America, kids could visit the cockpit and the airline pilots give you a metal wing pin with the airline's name or the stewardess give you little model of the plane you're flying on. They were fun to collect. Locking doors could have its disadvantages like that German pilot suicide into the side of a mountain.

I think it would be fun if airlines give out LEGO models to kids.

[zux]

Do kids really like those supposedly metallic colors? I hate them. Chromed pieces were nice - I suppose the problem is that they weren't durable. But no way the new metallic colors could pass for metal, I'd rather call them ice cream silver.

Ice cream silver Nice alternative name for Flat Silver [bL]. Yes, this color is not perfect, but it has an advantage of not losing a color when parts being used hard, like chromed pieces you mentioned. There is another cool metallic color - Metallic Silver [bL], which is much better in appearance than Flat Silver, but has some properties of chromed pieces... So you have to choice, sometimes, if you need coolness or durability.