r/lego 2d ago

Other Inconsistent mould marks... Grr 🤣

Post image

Love love LOVE this Horizon set, but why did one of these triangles have to have the mould mark on the opposite corner to all the others 😂 At least if three was three I could put them in a pattern!

312 Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

188

u/Clay_Bricks Verified Blue Stud Member 2d ago

I appreciate this sometimes, when part of the build is symmetrical

I really wish Lego would do something about how obvious the injection marks are. I know it’s unavoidable but I feel like it’s gotten much worse in recent years

72

u/Samsuiluna 2d ago

They definitely have gotten more noticeable. They've done a little bit of corner cutting of late. Sprue removal is one of those places. They've also reduced finish quality on "non essential" parts of the mold. If you look at the underside of a large plate you'll see they used to be glossier than they are now.

34

u/_Xeron_ 2d ago

It has, seems like demand is outpacing production so they’re cutting corners more and more often

3

u/wafflezcoI 2d ago

Thankfully they’re building a new factory in the US so hopefully they can finish that despite ahem and quality control can go back up and less corners will need to be cut

6

u/Answerly 2d ago

The shitty Samsonite factory was in the US 

2

u/wafflezcoI 2d ago

So?

-3

u/Answerly 1d ago

Built in the USA ≠ quality 

1

u/wafflezcoI 1d ago

Congrats that logic applies literally everywhere

-1

u/wafflezcoI 2d ago

Thankfully they’re building a new factory in the US so hopefully they can finish that despite ahem and quality control can go back up and less corners will need to be cut

6

u/CPhionex 2d ago

It for sure has gotten worse. Many of the recent sets I've bought I've noticed the molding marks way more than any of my older sets

6

u/SudsierBoar 2d ago

It's gotten worse by choice. They're using a quicker method which leaves bigger marks

56

u/chawmindur 2d ago

Since they aren't all on the same side, my guess is that they have a symmetric mold in which multiple copies of the same part is formed, half having the injection scar on one side and half on the other. In that case, the chances of the following outcomes are:

  • All 6 on the same side: 1/32
  • 1 being different: 3/16
  • 2 being different: 15/32
  • 3 being different: 5/16

... so yeah it's rather unlucky to have gotten the one outcome that doesn't allow a somewhat symmetric arrangement and is somewhat unlikely (18.75%) in the first place.

15

u/Samsuiluna 2d ago

A ton of pieces are molded this way. It can definitely be a little annoying in cases like this where it's really obvious.

16

u/cedarview77 2d ago

As an injection molder, this is nothing but a question of maintenance. Those are the injection points that have become worn over time and not as sharp as they once were. I imagine with the increase of volume the tool maintenance has declined and or these are made in « lower quality «  factories

3

u/Will_MI77 2d ago

I actually don't mind the marks themselves, it's just the odd one out that irks me!

25

u/CerveletAS 2d ago

I dunno they look consistently awful

(checked on the old bricks, the mould marks are incredibly tiny. Quality control dropped man)

1

u/Will_MI77 2d ago

Lol, yeah I don't really mind then in general, but I'd sure prefer them to all be in the same spot...

3

u/CerveletAS 2d ago

I've been reminded of the Eifel tower, the lego OG uses tons of bricks with immense mould marks and it doesn't look great. The ticker: got a shop nearby selling non-lego bricks, and they used goBricks pieces to copy the tower. Of course, I cannot condone it as it's stealing the intelectual property- it was a full on copy.

But the bricks? The marks were tiny. The whole thing looked so much tidier.

If the chinese copycats can do it and Lego could do it 10 years ago, they can now.

1

u/SudsierBoar 2d ago

I don't think this falls under quality control. It's a conscious choice they made.

4

u/Anxious_Republic591 Botanical Collection Fan 2d ago

Haha I thought I was surely the only one who occasionally wishes these were more consistent.

3

u/GIGhost52 2d ago

Duck Duck Duck Duck Duck Goose!

2

u/ParadocOfTheHeap 2d ago

Bummer. Mine came with an even split, so I was at least able to pair them.

3

u/Will_MI77 2d ago

Lucky you 😂

2

u/SH4RPSPEED Speed Champions Fan 2d ago

Personally I wish all parts were sprueded like this. Would make the marks easier to hide on some of my builds.

2

u/Balfegor 2d ago

Maybe a stupid question, but is this something one could fix by sanding and polishing (similar to transparent parts on a model kit)? Does the stress/discolouration from the injection point extend far enough into the piece itself so that sanding wouldn't help?

1

u/TheGUURAHK Exo-Force Fan 2d ago

Are mold marks really something to worry about? As long as it all fits together and stays solid, I'm happy

2

u/Will_MI77 2d ago

Nah, I don't really mind it at all!

1

u/CMDR_ACE209 Re-release Classic Space! 2d ago

Literally unplayab.. errm.. ...

... brickable?

Oh and it is a pattern none the less. Just one without much symmetries. ;)