This is the FAQ for the alt.toys.lego newsgroup. I compiled it from information in postings, email contributions and catalogues. I tried to mention the providers of the information (if anybody wants his name removed, email me). Please feel free to send corrections and contributions. The usual FAQ disclaimers apply. Please include the word LEGO somewhere in the Subject-line of email. Last revision: June 10, 1993 tom@fokus.gmd.de Tom Pfeifer phone (Germany) +49-30-25499-288 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Contents: I. Mail order/catalog info. II. International addresses / phone numbers / clubs III. Books & papers about LEGO IV. Price comparison & profits V. LegoLand theme parks VI. Dacta and Computer connections VII. Plural of LEGO VIII. LEGO advertising IX. How to wash LEGO pieces X. Storing / sorting / using LEGO XI. Taking pieces apart XII. LEGO history / What does LEGO mean XIII. Materials and Technology XIV. Nice quotations XV. FTP XVI. Substitutes / compatibles / clones >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I. Mail order/catalog info. brownd@stolaf.edu (Dave Brown), mclemens@mango.ucs.indiana.edu (Mike Clemens) found: *USA only* LEGO Shop at Home Service Tel.(203) 763-4011 P.O. Box 1310 8:00 - 8:00 EST Enfield, CT 06083 3-5 weeks for delivery Visa and MasterCard accepted (number, expiration, signature) Make checks payable to "LEGO Shop at Home Service (SAHS)" They seem to have the complete line of all sets, including sorted packages with basic items (bricks, plates, roof bricks...) or special pieces (windows, road signs, people ...). Somebody mentioned that they have had a 20% off sale from October-December the previous years, and another one that they don't charge for shipping. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bob Devaney (devaneyb@elmer1.bobst.nyu.edu) found an European LEGO Service catalog of spare parts. Ask your local service department for details (see II. for addresses) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> II. International addresses / phone numbers / clubs DENMARK (first, of course) lhp@daimi.aau.dk (Lasse Hiller|e Petersen) posted: LEGO A/S Phone +45 - 75 35 11 88 (also LegoLand Phone +45 - 75 33 13 33) DK-7190 Billund >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AUSTRALIA LEGO Australia P/L.; P.O. Box 639; Lane Cowe; N.S.W. 2066 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BELGIUM LEGO Consumer Service; c/o LEGO BELGIUM n.v. Leuvenseteenweg 323, 1932 Zaventem >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CANADA jkoch@ee.ryerson.ca (jim koch) provides (Sep. 92): LEGO Canada Inc. Telephone (416) 940-6600 331 Amber Street Toll-Free 1-800-387-4387 Markham, Ontario Fax (416) 940-0745 Canada L3R 3J7 Wolfgang Richter (wolfgang@sfu.ca) reports: LEGO Club (newsletter, catalog information, etc.) P.O. Box 3700 Markham Ontario, L3R 6G9 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FINLAND Oy Suomen LEGO Pb; PL 42; 02701 Kauniainen >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FRANCE LEGO S.A., Service Pie`ces de Rechange B.P. 837, F-28011 CHARTRES Ce'dex. Te'l.: 37 28 53 68 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GERMANY LEGO GmbH; Service: Regina; 2354 Hohenwestedt/Holstein New (1993) LEGO-hotline (030) 19866 (it's the "same number everywhere" style, so it may exists in several German cities, but it's only an advertising tape played :( >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NETHERLANDS, The dik@cwi.nl (dik t. winter) LEGO Nederland B.V.; Afd. Konsumenten Service Postbus 18, 9860 AA Grootegast >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NORWAY A/S LEGO System Norge; Postboks 66; N-1301 Sandvika >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PORTUGAL LEGO, Lda.; Largo Joao Vaz. 9-A/B/C/D; 1700 Lisboa >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SWEDEN Svenska LEGO AB; Fack; S-443 01 Lerum 1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SWITZERLAND LEGO Spielwaren AG / LEGO Jouets SA / LEGO Giacattoli SA Neuhofstrasse 21; CH-6340 Baar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> UNITED KINGDOM and IRELAND justin@muppet.bt.co.uk (Justin Emery), 1993 LEGO U.K. Ltd., (including club) Ruthin Road, Wrexham, Clwyd LL13 7TQ Customer Service - Christine, Barbara or Gaynor on 0978 296 247 LEGO Club - Meryl or Gaynor on 0978 296 290 Service, spare parts - Sian on 0978 296 233 Anything else - LEGO U.K. LTD. on 0978 290 900 The LEGO club costs 3.95 pounds (4.50 pounds for Ireland). They need: name, address, post code, sex, date of birth. Cheques made payable to 'LEGO U.K. Ltd' or credit card. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> UNITED STATES Greg Fazzaro : LEGO Systems, Inc. 555 Taylor Road P.O. Box 1600 Enfield, CT, 06083-1600 baldy@fred.nas.nasa.gov (Robert R. Baldassano): LEGO Builders Club PO Box 5000 Unionville, CT 06087-5000 (one year $7.95, two years $14.00; membership kit and free bonus mini set, birthday mailing, magazine (Brick Kicks), ...) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> III. Books & papers about LEGO The World of LEGO Toys Henry Wiencek Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York Times Mirror Books TS2301.T7W474 1987 688.7'2 86-23200 ISBN 0-8109-1790-4 (hardcover) ISBN 0-8109-2362-9 (paperback) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Israel Shenker: ...? in: Smithsonian magazine; where?, June 1988 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> egurney@vcd.hp.com (Ed J. Gurney), liberte@cs.uiuc.edu (Daniel LaLiberte): papers available via anonymous FTP from 'cherupakha.media.mit.edu', directory "/pub/el-memos": memo13.PS.Z describes 12 autonomous ``creatures'' built with Electronic Bricks (specially-modified LEGO bricks with simple electronic circuits inside) memo8.PS.Z "LEGO/LOGO: LEARNING THROUGH AND ABOUT DESIGN" memo8.hqx by Mitchel Resnick and Stephen Ocko September 1990 memo10.PS.Z "CHILDREN AND ARTIFICIAL LIFE" memo10.hqx by Mitchel Resnick and Fred Martin >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> IV. Price comparison & profits thorinn@diku.dk (Lars Henrik Mathiesen): In April 1993 LEGO published their results for 1992. The mother firm reported a net profit (before Danish taxes, probably) of $100,000,000, while the net sales in the North American market were given as $4,000,000,000. jaha@cs.bu.edu (Todd) calculated the price per piece in the 'old days' as $0.10. Please send your comments. LegoLand, Billund, Denmark is reported to sell at list prices, no factory discounts. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> V. LegoLand theme parks Billund, Denmark, Europe: Tel. +45 - 75 33 13 33 ========================= Billund is in Jylland (Jutland), roughly equidistant (35 km) from Esberg and Vejle, a town of only just over 4500 people. Entrance fees in 1993 are 95 Dk (~ DM 25, ~ US$ 15) for big kids, 75 Dk (~ DM 18, ~US$ 12) for little kids, (hclausen@daimi.aau.dk, (Henning Clausen)) which is much higher then before, but includes now most or all rides and activities (lassehp@imv.aau.dk, Lasse Hiller|e Petersen). about 3 times as it was reported for 1990. Outdoor exhibits are closed off for the winter, open from May 1 until 3rd Sunday in September, 10am - 20 pm (till 21 pm during high season). The indoor exhibits are interesting though, from Easter till 3rd Sunday in December 10 am - 17 pm. Examples of the replications in the park and their piece counts, found by Mike Weldy (bullwnkl@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) in a magazine: Mt. Rushmore (American monument to Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and T. Roosevelt) -- 1.5 million regular bricks and 40K Duplo Billund Airport (complete with airplanes) -- 687,860 bricks the Port of Copenhagen -- 3 million bricks The Statue of Liberty -- 1.4 million bricks Big Chief Sitting Bull -- 1.2 million bricks a buffalo hunt -- 2.5 million fin@unet.umn.edu (Craig A. Finseth) has details how to get there: AIR: From Europe: Fly to Billund. (Yes, there are flights directly to Billund from most major European cities.) The airport is the second busiest (behind Copenhagen) in Denmark. The first model of the air port was made out of LEGO bricks. From the US or anywhere else: Fly to Kobnhavn (Copenhagen), then to Billund. Once in Billund, walk. It's just across the parking lot, about five minutes away. TRAIN: You can't. Billund is about as far as you can get from any railway lines and still be on land in Europe. Since the town was essentially "put on the map" by LEGO Systems and that company didn't really get going until well after World War II, I would guess that they missed out on the railway building era. In any event, you can take a train to Vejen (nice town) and a bus to Billund (about an hour). BUS / AUTO: The bus goes there. A main road goes there. As I recall, the airport and LegoLand parking lots are one and the same. Store: There is a large store and it carries the entire current line. It does _not_ carry old, non-standard, or discontinued kits. All sales are at list price. If you're from the US, the only reason to buy anything is that the current line is somewhat different in Europe than the US, so you might find a new kit (and wince when you have to pay for it). Price is a smaller consideration for other countries. (As an aside, in the US it's illegal to enforce a list price, in most other countries, it's illegal to sell for other than list price.) Features: Family Hotel LEGOLAND, open all year round, Tel. +45 - 75 33 12 44 Banking: Den Danske Bank has a branch in the Information Office. Handicapped: Walking-impaired and wheelchair users can go all over the park. *** --> I filed the heartwarming descriptions of some visitors. To keep the FAQ in limits, I send them by email if you send a Subject line 'LEGOland Billund request' to tom@fokus.gmd.de >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> International: metzger@convex.com (Robert Metzger) posted: There was an article in the Wall Street Journal ~ 3./4.Feb.93 that said that LegoLand U.K. would be finished in 1996. The main point of the article was that LEGO has reduced the list of potential candidates for their U.S. operation to 1 each site in Maryland and California. edelheit@mitre.org (Jeff Edelheit) remarks: There will be only one US Legoland. The last two competing sites are in Prince William County, Virginia (not Maryland) and in southern California, near San Diego. The Virgina site is about 45 minutes south of Washington, DC. In any case, it will be finished by 1999. Tom Gardner knows: Legoland UK will be on the site of the old Windsor Safari Park in, surprise, Windsor. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Large displays / play rooms: The Seattle Science Museum has (or had 2 years ago, anyway) a large room filled with LEGO to a depth of several inches. leech@cs.unc.edu (Jon Leech) the mall of america, in bloomington, minnesota (USA), has a legoland store near the center of the mall. it has a large area for play, with tables and chairs. the tops of the tables are LEGO, and there are basins set in the center where loose LEGOs are stored. there are also huge models there: some hang from the ceiling by cables, others stand tall on the ground, with moving parts and blinking lights. and best of all: ALL AGES ARE WELCOME. nudnik@camelot.bradley.edu (Steven Parks) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VI. Dacta and Computer connections Fred Martin at MIT provides: LEGO Dacta 555 Taylor Road o P.O. Box 1600 Enfield, CT 06083-1600 USA orders and info: 1-(800)-527-8339 fax: 1-(203)-763-2466 LEGO Dacta is the educational branch of the LEGO company (which has its U.S. headquarters in Enfield, CT). Dacta sells the LEGO Tech nic product line_the geared and motorized version of the LEGO system. Call Dacta and get their "Gear Up for Learning" catalog, which has many LEGO Technic kits. Recommended kits are the 1038 Technic Universal Buggy (a specialized kit for building a small LEGO vehicle with a dual motor drive; about $60), the 1032 Technic II with Motorized Transmission (a small general-purpose kit including one motor and one battery pack; about $76), and the 9605 Technic Resource Set (a large general-purpose kit including two motors and two battery packs; about $200). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> vaughn@pluto.cis.udel.edu (Chris Vaughn) found in the Dacta catalog (and promises to look for more): MS-DOS or Apple II Slot Card Pack - $161.50 includes slot card, cable, LEGO TC logo software and reference guides. (card is for most MS-DOS machines, except IBM PS/2 Models 50 and above or any other microchannel computer) Interface Box and Transformer - $188.00 This box is what you connect all your motors, lights, and sensors to. It has 2 inputs, and 6 outputs (3 if you want to use three motors and have them all be reversible). jkoch@ee.ryerson.ca (jim koch) provides: The price for Apple or IBM starter pack $798.00 (Jan 92). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> vaughn@pluto.cis.udel.edu (Chris Vaughn) writes: The Mini Board is a "miniature microprocessor-based controller board designed for control of small robotic devices". It was designed at the MIT Media Laboratory. This board is perfect for controlling LEGO devices (and in fact looks to be much better than the interface designed by LEGO). All of the information about the Mini Board is available at an FTP site (the address is "cherupakha.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.47)")). This includes diagrams and a parts list. The tech reference is a 47-page Postscript document. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There is a mailing list at listserv@oberon.com. Send the body SUBSCRIBE ROBOT-BOARD to this email address, the body HELP for help. The purpose of this mailing list is to discuss robot controller boards, and robot control in general. In particular, this list will be used to support the Miniboard 2.0 and 6.270 board design by Fred Martin and Randy Sargent of MIT. However, any and all traffic related to robot controllers is welcome. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> slh@toklas.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Stephen L. Hain) contributes: May I suggest adding Paradigm Software's Pearl Controller and Object Logo to this section. The Pearl Controller connects between a Macintosh serial port and a LEGO Robotics controller, and it is daisy chainable. Object Logo has an extension consisting of a set of object-oriented robotics programming features, allowing event-driven robot control. Contact Paradigm at 617 576-7675. (Stephen works for them.) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VII. Plural of LEGO While most people point out that they yust say LEGOs, lunatic@netcom.com (Lunatic Johnathan Bruce E'Sex) digged out: One catalogue, dated 1980, has the following on its back page: "Dear Parents and Children The word LEGO(R) is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys' and not 'LEGOS.' By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you! Susan Williams Consumer Services" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VIII. LEGO advertising LEGO is new toy every day. LEGO c'est un nouveau jouet chaque jour. LEGO es un juguete nuevo cada dia. LEGO ist jeden Tag ein neues Spielzeug. LEGO - eine Sprache der Kinder ( LEGO - a language of the children). LEGO zeigt, was Kinder koennen ( LEGO shows what children can). In the UK the LEGO advertising is reported quite good - they just show an animated film of lots of LEGO being assembled, disassembled, reassembled etc. a few times over in 15 seconds. Some of them are quite impressive. (sorry I lost the poster's name) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> IX. How to wash LEGO pieces from a LEGO catalog... "DUPLO and LEGO SYSTEM toys can be washed by hand, using warm water -- max. 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) -- and a mild liquid dish detergent. Storage temperature max. 104 degrees Fahrenheit = 40 Celsius. Electric parts are not wasahble." Mike Clemens jc@gmd.de (Juergen Christoffel) and gilmer@gandalf.ca (Jack Gilmer) say: Put your LEGOs into a pillow case or a mesh bag (the kind for washing small articles of clothes) and wash in your washing machine at a low temperature. Tested in kindergarten once a year. alekz@library.welch.jhu.edu (Alekz Vermont) says: stick them in the tub w/warm sudsy water and swish about... let soak. swish more. drain tub. spray with shower (to rinse) and let air-dry... >> Do not wash your LEGO people--their faces come off! There's nothing wrong with that. I'd pretend that their faces melted, and became faceless mutant LEGO people. The fun really started when I discovered permanent markers... (mengsoo@bnr.ca (Meng Soo)) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> X. Storing / sorting / using LEGO One of the greatest ideas was: Keep them on a bed sheet: spread the sheet for playing - fold it together to tide up in seconds, and put it in whatever container you like. Most netters strongly object sorting their pieces and enjoy sitting on the floor having their pieces all around them. The variety and size of technic elements may still demand some sorting. Hardware stores sell storage units with 18-60 drawers, intended for sorting nuts and bolts and the like. The transparent plastic drawers (which can include transparent dividers) allow one to see the contents of a drawer without opening it. Price example: about $20 for a unit 14"w * 18"h * 6"d. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XI. Taking pieces apart People use teeth, fingernails, screwdrivers, penknives, ... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jim Burmeister, jimb@csd.harris.com et al: LEGO now sells a small handle-like gizmo called a "brick separator". It works GREAT! It's under $2 and also found in some basic buckets. [part number 821] dholmes@netcom.com (Dennis Holmes) means: What you need is TWO separator tools. Stick one on top and one underneath, with the handles facing the same direction, and then squeeze the handles together. Works like magic! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1x1x1s are easy - twist one of them through 45 degrees, and then prise them apart with fingers. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To separate 2x1 flats crj10@phx.cam.ac.uk (Clive Jones) writes: Let: - ...be the 1-wide cross-section of the 2x1 block, so: - - represents the two blocks stuck together. Now find two 12x2 plates. Apply them like this: ------------ <- wiggle - - ------------ wiggle -> ...and wiggle them backwards and forwards *hard*. Within a second or so, you'll find that all but the most stubborn plates separate, and getting the 2x1s off the 12x2s is then easy. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> malakai@potomac.engin.umich.edu (Jeff Jahr) uses ... the small black mechanics wrench from some of the old space sets. The jaw of wrench is designed so it can grab onto a LEGO bump - absolutely useless for prying - but the other end is flattened like a screwdriver. They seem to be made from a slightly softer plastic than the blocks to avoid scratches. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XII. LEGO history / What does LEGO mean Andreas Henning (d2henan@dtek.chalmers.se) and Timo (tho@tik.vtt.fi) say: The LEGO patent has expired 2-4 years ago. nad@cl.cam.ac.uk Neil Dodgson found: My "The Art of LEGO" book says that the company name, LEGO, came from the Danish "Leg godt", roughly translated as "Play well". The company originally made wooden toys during the depression. They also made yo-yos for a while, during the yo-yo craze. Unfortunately this left them with warehouses full of yo-yos when the craze suddenly stopped; so the boss just cut all the yo-yos in half, and used them as wheels for toy trucks, etc. The same guy invented the LEGO bricks, initially without the tubes inside; the addition of these tubes meant that the blocks held together really well, and sales took off. I think it was in the mid to late '50s that LEGO decided to drop all its other products and just make the bricks (risky...). (Somebody found in a book that LEGO dropped their other product lines when a fire burned down the building housing them. Thus, it was not as risky to sell the bricks exclusively. It would probably have been riskier to re-capitalize the wooden toy line than to drop it.) "The Art of LEGO" says that one reason LEGO survives is that it constantly adapts itself to the modern world; e.g. the original LEGO trains, and now the remodeled one that will run off the mains. Perhaps all these new special blocks are a reflection of a society that wants instant gratification, rather than spending a few hours building a model? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> found by r1b6116@zeus.tamu.edu / Ken Blair Taken without permission from _Brick Kicks_ #1 ("The official magazine of the LEGO builders club") (circa 1987 or 88?) "Bricks & Pieces: The LEGO Story" Did you know that 300 million children have owned LEGO sets since they were first made? And that you are one of the 68 million kids from around the world who like to play with LEGO building bricks today! Here's the story of how we grew... Although the international LEGO Group is now very large, it is still a family-run company that started out quite small. More than 50 years ago, a carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen and his 12-year old son, Godtfred, started making toys in the little town of Billund, Denmark. Plastic had not been invented yet, so they made toy cars, trucks, yo-yos, animals, and other toys out of wood. They decided that a good name for their company would be LEGO, which means "play well" in Danish, and also, they discovered, happens to mean "put together" in Latin! Ole and Godtfred were very proud of their workmanship, and adopted the LEGO motto that "only the best is good enough." When plastic became available after World War II, LEGO began to make both wooden and plastic toys. It was about this time that the idea of plastic LEGO bricks was introduced. Godtfred loved to build with these colorful new pieces, and was continually putting them together and taking them apart to build new designs. In fact, it was Godtfred who perfected the special design that makes every single LEGO brick fit together in any combination, over and over again. The first LEGO building set was made more than 30 years ago- and the bricks from that set can still be used with even the newest LEGO building set of today! LEGO bricks first appeared in the United States in 1961 and quickly became as popular here as in Europe. The international LEGO group is now worldwide, and is run by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Old Kirk Christiansen's grandson. As the company keeps growing, so do the kids of exciting LEGO kits that are now sold in 129 different countries ... from DUPLO preschool to FABULAND, LEGO BASIC, to LEGOLAND, LEGO boats and trains to LEGO TECHNIC SETS. In fact, this year alone, we will make more than six billion bricks and building pieces for all the LEGO lovers 'round the world- like you! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> While LEGO comes from Danish "leg godt", "lego" means 'to assemble" in Latin. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XIII. Material and Technology The LEGO motto: Det beste er ikke for godt. (Only the best is good enough.) from Wiencek's The World of LEGO Toys, paraphrased by saint@cats.ucsc.edu (Dan): LEGO brick are made out of ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), it is heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 C), then injected into a mold which is kept at 85 degrees. The pressure used to mold the bricks varies from 24 to 150 tons. The molds are kept within one degree of the 85 degree specification. ABS absorbs moisture, so the entire molding hall is kept at 50% humidity. The allowable tolerance for a brick is two-hundredths of a millimeter, or about eight ten-thousands of an inch. My xwebster says: ABS: a tough rigid plastic used esp. for automobile parts and building materials. bullwnkl@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bullwinkle J. Moose) found in Israel Shenker's article: The ABS granules is dyed to LEGO's secret specifications in factories in Holland and Germany. Molds for the pieces are made in a factory in Germany and two factories in Switzerland. The margin of error in the molds can only be 5 one-thousands of a millimeter -- less than the thickness of a human hair! For security reasons, LEGO inters worn-out molds in the concrete of its new buildings. There are LEGO factories in Billund(3), Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, and the United States (in Enfield, Connecticut). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Two 2X4 bricks can be joined 24 different ways. Six can be joined 102,981,500 different ways. Geometry, provided by Jef Poskanzer (jef@netcom.com): Thanks to various pointers, especially the MIT course notes, here is the metric version. **All measurements in mm.** side: __ __ __ __ top: +----------------+ +----------------+ | () () () () | | | | | | | | () () () () | +----------------+ +----------------+ spacing of knob centers: 8 diameter of knobs: 5 height of block: 9.6 end: __ __ bottom: +================+ +--------+ # -- -- -- # | | # ( )( )( ) # | | # -- -- -- # +--------+ +================+ height of knobs: 1.7 thickness of block walls: 1.5 outer diameter of cylinders: 6.31 thickness of cylinder walls: .657 (height of block) = (spacing of knob centers) * 6 / 5 (thickness of block walls) = ( (spacing of knob centers) - (diameter of knobs) ) / 2 (height of knobs) = (height of block) / 3 - (thickness of block walls) (outer diameter of cylinders) = sqrt(2) * (spacing of knob centers) - (diameter of knobs) (thickness of cylinder walls) = ( (outer diameter of cylinders) - (diameter of knobs) ) / 2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XIV. Nice quotations I'm surprised that no one has ever mentioned the glorious sound of LEGO. LEGO bricks are about the only present you can tell what is by shaking it. chelius@studsys.mscs.mu.edu (The Shaggy T.A.) I can hear that restful sound of LEGO pieces in my mind even now. It's kind of like the peaceful sound of a waterfall, but more tinkly. kurisuto@chopin.udel.edu (Sean J. Crist) LEGO is not a toy. - It's a way of life. mikes@bioch.ox.ac.uk (Mike Smith) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XV. FTP gyugyi@isl.Stanford.EDU (Paul Gyugyi): A copy of the faq can be found on earthsea.stanford.edu, in the ~ftp/pub/lego directories. There is also a ~ftp/pub/lego/uploads for your contributions and an images directory for guess what. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> XVI. Substitutes / compatibles / clones At the very end of the LEGO faq some information about similar products. No flames please. :) Most people state that the quality is much lower then original LEGO pieces. TYCO are reported to sell compatible basic bricks in 1000-piece buckets for approx. $0.03 per piece. They also made that LEGO-looking telephone. Mega Micro Blocks are found in 1000-piece buckets about $0.02 per piece. There are large quantities of the basic 2x4, 2x2, and 1x2 bricks, more tight but reported to be fully LEGO-compatible. PEDLO is reported to be similar, but not compatible with LEGO. Their plates are only 1/2 height of full bricks, not 1/3 like LEGO. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> elgaard@diku.dk (Niels Elgaard Larsen) says: Some years ago LEGO did have a lot of trouble with a far east company that made LEGO clones called "0937". I wonder if they placed them upside-down in the stores. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> end of alt.toys.lego FAQ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>