Storing parts "in click"

[Andy D]

In my efforts to "Get organized and build more" I am considering how to store bricks.

I just received a medium to large BL order (about 600 bricks, maybe not a large order) that I bought for a future project.

After verifying the contents I need to store the bricks (1x1, 1x2, 1x4),

Will the bricks degrade faster over time if stored "in-click" in stacks?

Thanks,

Andy D

Edited March 28, 2013 by Andy D

[davee123]

Technically, yes. In practice, it's hard to say for sure.

You probably won't notice if you store them that way for (say) 5 years. Probably not even 10 years. Beyond that, it gets fuzzy. Some people have kept them locked together for 15 years or more and never had a problem. Others have had slight issues. I personally noticed it with some bricks that I purchased that had been left assembled as a set for roughly 10-15 years. And I should note that although the bricks DID lose SOME clutch power (enough to be noticeable), the clutch was only lost with bricks in that particular configuration. So if you rotated the bricks by 180 degrees, they clutched fine, with no loss.

Another instance I had was over a much shorter time, but was difficult to detect:

I built an AT-AT back in late 2000/early 2001. The neck used a studs-forward design, and when I built it, it held up just fine. However, over the next 3 years, the neck became increasingly susceptible to falling apart. (For reference's sake, I rarely stored the AT-AT "standing", and usually had the neck detached.) Finally, around mid-2003, the studs lost enough clutch to hold the head up, and it simply seemed impossible to re-attach the neck and have it hold the head. The bricks still had clutch power, mind you-- and I couldn't tell the difference with my hands. But the weight of the AT-AT's head was SO close to the tipping point of the clutch power of the studs, that I think the lost clutch was enough to tip the scales.

One point I'll make is that the other conditions of storage will probably affect the clutch as well, like humidity, temperature, and possibly UV exposure. I've been told that ABS absorbs humidity to a certain degree, so it's likely that if you store the bricks assembled in a humid environment (especially in a humid environment where there's a lot of temperature fluctuation), you're likely to see clutch loss more quickly.

With that said, it's difficult to say how long it'll take before you notice clutch loss, and how severe it will be. Could be 10 years, could be 50 years, could be 100 years. And the plastic might start to degrade (IE, even if not-assembled) before you'd notice a difference from constant minor stress.

DaveE

[Andy D]

Dave E, Thnks for the reply. I guess I'm pretty safe on the storage, I hope I get to the project this year.

For temperture and humidity, I live in So. Cal. Not much humiity, and we keep the temp in the house between 65-78 degrees Farenheight, so safe there, I store my lego in a dark place (like wine and mushrooms) and my Studio has UV protective film on the window, (as does the entire house), so without planning for it, my house is pretty "LEGO friendly".

As for the "in click" storage, I guess it is not a problem. My LEGO is safe! Whew!

Thanks,

Andy D

Edited March 28, 2013 by Andy D

[Daniel-Technic]

I've been given a set 396 thatcher Perkins train that has been in loft since 1978 still built and hasn't lost their clutch power, still feel the same as today sets. Very dusty and took me a while to take apart, wash, dry and rebuilt it.

Dan.

[Mr Bill]

Some of my older parts that have been together for a lloooonnngg time seem to have increased their clutch power. While recently reworking my build-zone I ran into a stack of blue 2x4 bricks thet seemed to have bonded permanently together. In fact, two of the bricks broke while I was separating them.

--Mr Bill

[Grimmbeard]

Some of my older parts that have been together for a lloooonnngg time seem to have increased their clutch power. While recently reworking my build-zone I ran into a stack of blue 2x4 bricks thet seemed to have bonded permanently together. In fact, two of the bricks broke while I was separating them.

I've noticed this with some old LEGO I've bought on ebay with bricks attached together. I guess it really does depend on a lot of things.

[asksol]

I googled this quite recently and I read somewhere that the bricks clutch together stronger when left on display for a long time, and the problem first starts when you take it apart. It was anecdotal (someone who worked at Lego said...), but I'm too scared now to store my bricks in stacks :)

[Hrw-Amen]

I've had some white bricks (That I am currently reusing.) stored in stacked format for about twenty five years. They were stacked in stacks of ten, mostly the bricks were 4X2, 3X2, 4X1, 2X1, just normal white bricks. When i came to use them I had initially hells own job getting them apart. The brick seperator just blunted and on most I had to slide a stanley knife blade between them before I could get enough to push the brick seperator in and twist it.

Note that once they were seperate I was able to reuse them just fine, it was simply that they were stuck in that configuration. They have not lost any clutch power, if anything they have gained it.

[Lyichir]

Unrelated to the loss of clutch power, but I learned that if you want to have less trouble getting parts unstacked, offsetting larger plates by one stud is a useful method. Not as space-efficient, but typically worth it!

[TheLegoDr]

This is interesting. To save space, I've actually been storing my plates off-set by one actually, just so I know they are all together instead of trying to search for random 1x4 plates, etc. I guess if they gain or lose clutch, then I will find out in the years to come. As far as bricks go, I haven't stored too many stacked together, other than the random pieces I was too lazy to separate. I just feel it is easier to find every piece I need in that size when they are all together like that.

And most of the sets I want to keep together, it wouldn't bother me if they gained clutch power over time. That just means they will stay together easier.