Baseplate query

[Geofftswin]

Hi there,

 

I have a 4 year old who is slightly Lego obsessed.  We have several 32*32 baseplates that have come from retail stores, which causes some frustration as they are thinner than the other plates we have.

I see on the pab pages that there are some plates (for instance 4219692/3811) that are slightly more expensive than those I can get in Smyths - does anyone know if these are thicker?

Many thanks 

[Toastie]

  On 1/28/2024 at 7:19 PM, Geofftswin said:

We have several 32*32 baseplates that have come from retail stores, which causes some frustration as they are thinner than the other plates we have

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Hmm. What are the "other plates" you have? Are these the small ones, as 2x4, 4x8 (etc.) plates?

Baseplates, from LEGO or other brands, are per design thinner than plates. To this date, that is.

Best,
Thorsten 

 

[Geofftswin]

Hi, all plates are Lego and the others are smaller sizes such as 6×8 or 16×16.

[Toastie]

  On 1/28/2024 at 9:21 PM, Geofftswin said:

all plates are Lego and the others are smaller sizes such as 6×8 or 16×16.

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And so it is, as TLG has decided to do, long ago: Baseplates are thinner than plates. And yes, it is frustrating.

Best,
Thorsten 

[JesseNight]

They're called "base" plates for a reason... and I'm guessing that's exactly why they're thin and cannot be attached on top of something else.
You could always "design" your own base plates from regular plates. Even TLG did this with the modern Eldorado Fortress (10320) remake.

[Toastie]

  On 1/28/2024 at 10:38 PM, JesseNight said:

base plates from regular plates. Even TLG did this with the modern Eldorado Fortress (10320) remake

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Hmm, but in this case the Eldorado approach is not resembling a "baseplate" anymore, is it? 

Well, I guess this is i) a how to mold a plate high "baseplate" so it does not warp, and way more importantly, ii) a how to make it as cheap, as a baseplate manufacturing currently is question. ii) is simply not possible, but how much to charge then? When the current price tag is around $8 upwards?   

With decades passing by, molding plate high ABS baseplates (PHBP's) has become (profitable wise) possible, and some are working on it. When TLG and others can manufacture a 16x16 plate, they can make 32x32 plates as well, the blueprint (structure) is the 16x16 plate.

Let's see, who makes the "breakthrough" first. I believe it will be somewhere in the tomorrow land. And let's see, what they will charge.

Best,
Thorsten

[JesseNight]

If you don't mind me asking... Why does thickness matter, when it's being used as a base?

[TeriXeri]

  On 1/28/2024 at 11:49 PM, JesseNight said:

If you don't mind me asking... Why does thickness matter, when it's being used as a base?

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If you use just baseplates as a base, just fine, but when you want to connect them to the many sidebuilds, or road plates, or City/Friends or whatever building built on 1-2 thick plates these days, they cannot be connected properly.

But this always has been an incompatibility issue, it's just that pretty much everything except a few sets a year are built on regular 1-2 thick plates now.

 

Edited January 29, 2024 by TeriXeri

[JesseNight]

That makes sense. Always annoying when a standard changes and the old and new don't work together... Can't the newer builds still be placed on a thin plate for connectivity then? Because regular thick plates can be placed on top of others, unlike these classic baseplates.

[MAB]

  On 1/28/2024 at 11:41 PM, Toastie said:

Let's see, who makes the "breakthrough" first. I believe it will be somewhere in the tomorrow land. And let's see, what they will charge.

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A downside of a 32x32 (regular) plate is not so much when used as a baseplate but if it is used with bricks attached underneath such as an upper floor. I imagine such large plates would sag considerably if there are no supports except at the edges if there is a significant mass of bricks on top. 

[Peppermint_M]

Are these the ones?

These might work out better for you. They are showing as plate thickness and not baseplate thin.

[Toastie]

  On 1/29/2024 at 11:51 AM, Peppermint_M said:

Are these the ones?

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These are (thin) baseplate, right? I recently purchased a package which looks quite similar at "Kaufland" here in Germany, 6 for €7,99 (2x blue, 2x dark grey, 1x green, 1x white). The material is ABS (injection molded), as you can tell from the (barely visible) several injection points. Clutch power is higher on these than that on TLGs polystyrene (high impact type) plates, which suites me very much, but maybe not children of younger age.

Oh yes, nice, the second link is actually pointing to plate high 32x32 plates!

Best,
Thorsten 

[Peppermint_M]

I picked some similar "thin" ones up from another shop, unfortunately they were no longer in stock. Needed to check, as I don't go to Smyth's toys often enough to know the stock. 

I think if the kiddo needs a thicker plate, those eBay ones are perfect. 

  On 1/29/2024 at 12:23 PM, Toastie said:

Oh yes, nice, the second link is actually pointing to plate high 32x32 plates

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That's why we run unfettered by branding 

[TeriXeri]

  On 1/29/2024 at 2:09 AM, JesseNight said:

That makes sense. Always annoying when a standard changes and the old and new don't work together... Can't the newer builds still be placed on a thin plate for connectivity then? Because regular thick plates can be placed on top of others, unlike these classic baseplates.

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Yeah the only reason LEGO still uses baseplates in sets, seems to be compatibilty with Modular compatible sets, with a few exceptions (like motorized lighthouse)

76417: Gringotts Wizarding Bank - Collectors' Edition is shown on a raised platform, but it's not connected, but rather just sitting on it, but the baseplate is because the other large 75978: Diagon Alley set can connect to it if you don't display gringotts basement/cave.

 

 

Also the "Ninjago City" series started on baseplates and still is.

 

And some other sets like Daily Bugle, Avenger Tower, and Chinese New Year Spring Lantern Festival, compaitible with Modulars.

 

And there's the example of the Dark Blue baseplate made for the Motorized Lighthouse.

Edited January 29, 2024 by TeriXeri

[neithan]

https://openbricksource.com/collections/baseplates

 

 

When the Youtube Reviews are correct, these stackable baseplates have good quality and might be a good investion for some MOCers.

[Lion King]

Last year, i went through my old lego sets from early 22000s and I was very surprised to see baseplaes in DIFFERENT sizes, not just 32x32 one.  So many diffferent basplates come with thier own sizes. 

I like classic baseplates more for Modular Buldign Collection. However, we now have new road plates from City theme, it won’t go well with Modular Buidling sets. Road plates look little too higher than standard baseplate. I love classic road baseplates. 

TeriXeri is right, baseplates have been used for other purpose otuside of Modular Building Collection -  not just 32x32 but 32x16 too.

[TeriXeri]

  On 1/29/2024 at 7:14 PM, Lion King said:

TeriXeri is right, baseplates have been used for other purpose otuside of Modular Building Collection -  not just 32x32 but 32x16 too.

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Yeah but the only current available set I could find that's not part of a series or modular connective, is the motorized lighthouse, the rest are part of the 2 Diagon Alley sets, Modular buildings, or Ninjago City series.

I have gotten a 32x32 baseplate via a boardgame (LUDO) a few years back, and there also was a Minifigure Frame GWP but with that set the baseplate is glued on a shiny thick paper type of frame.

The only 16x32 I got is from the Chinese New Year festival, but yes some are part of modular buildings, like the wide builds like Assembly Square / History Museum, or a Modular that can seperate in 2 buildings like the Bookshop.

Diagon Alley 2020 also is built on multiple 16x32.

Edited January 29, 2024 by TeriXeri

[Geofftswin]

Thanks guys - those ones on ebay look like they might be the solution just as long as they are fully compatible!

We could potentially go down the multiple 16×16 plates, but my worry then is we'd end up with a ridiculously long narrow build on the floor that would be impossible to move (we aren't really allowed to put any creations away unless he breaks it)

[dr_spock]

You could also try to glue shims under your baseplates so that they matches up to the height of the regular plates. 

 

[JesseNight]

  On 1/29/2024 at 7:14 PM, Lion King said:

Last year, i went through my old lego sets from early 22000s and I was very surprised to see baseplaes in DIFFERENT sizes, not just 32x32 one.  So many diffferent basplates come with thier own sizes.

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I already remember at least 4 sizes of thin baseplates pre 1990.
Aside from the 32x32 (and its different variants), we had the "half plates" of 16x32 that were often used for small Classic Town houses and the front of large castles, and we also had the 16x16 on the back of the 6085 Black Monarch's Castle that would hinge open, and 16x22 on the back of the 6080 King's Castle from 1984.
These were all thin baseplates but TLG wasn't consistent at that time either, with most of the smaller castles (6073, 6074) and modular builds using regular plates.

Edited January 30, 2024 by JesseNight

[Lion King]

  On 1/30/2024 at 8:36 PM, JesseNight said:

I already remember at least 4 sizes of thin baseplates pre 1990.
Aside from the 32x32 (and its different variants), we had the "half plates" of 16x32 that were often used for small Classic Town houses and the front of large castles, and we also had the 16x16 on the back of the 6085 Black Monarch's Castle that would hinge open, and 16x22 on the back of the 6080 King's Castle from 1984.
These were all thin baseplates but TLG wasn't consistent at that time either, with most of the smaller castles (6073, 6074) and modular builds using regular plates.

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Yup, it was amazing to see how many baseplate coming in differnet sizes those old days! I knew I had some Town, Adventurers, Mars Mission, Rock Raider, some Castle sets. My old sets got messier over time so I could not remember which those baseplates belonged to, tho. 

[MAB]

  On 1/30/2024 at 8:36 PM, JesseNight said:

I already remember at least 4 sizes of thin baseplates pre 1990.
 

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I remember 10x20 baseplates, that were 1 brick high.

[JesseNight]

Aren't those really old, and hollow from below? I recall seeing something like that once, I wasn't even sure if that was actual Lego at the time.

[Edit]
Found them, and yeah pretty sure I've seen a 700eX or 700eD at that person, who was a late 60s kid. I had no clue those plates (first model 700e) started as early as 1954!

Edited January 31, 2024 by JesseNight

[MAB]

Yep, they were the original baseplates. We frequently used them both as bases and flat roofs.