23 April 2024

LEGO® part 5404: Grateless Cheese Grater

Posted by Tom Loftus
Some call it cursed, others say it was overdue. Either way, the 2 x 1 x ⅔ 18° Slope (part 5404) is finally here, and we think it looks great! Or should that be grate-less?... 


... Because, of course, we have had the 'cheese grater' (61409) since 2008! So, does that make the new slope a grate-less cheese grater? 

Some elements in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.



While you ponder suitable nicknames, here are the four colours it comes in so far: 



It’s a welcome addition to the 1 module-wide slope club; sadly demoting the beloved cheese grater to mere honorary member.



Let’s not forget its tiny Modulex cousin from the 1960s. Maybe one day we’ll see LEGO System versions of the other two slopes as well.



LEGO mosaic makers might be pleased to know that the lack of grill texture means the sloped surface of the new part (above left) has no subtly raised area, unlike its cheese grater predecessor (above right).  This lower profile may not seem that significant with just a pair of slopes, but…



… as soon as multiples are involved, that tiny difference adds up!



The same goes when things are less than linear. 

The success of a mosaic often hinges upon the smallest of margins, so it’s great to have both options available.


multiple techniques for using the 1x2 lego slope

Of course the slope will be useful for more things than mosaics! Here's a few experiments Tom came up with. 



Got any uses for this part in mind?  Let us know below!

READ MORE: The new slope is just one of many awesome parts in LEGO® Speed Champions 76922 BMW M4 GT3 & BMW M Hybrid V8 Race Cars

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13 comments:

  1. What a lovely photo of the two chefs! I assume the tiny grated parts are Lego as well? Can't seem to recognise them.

    I'm surprised you don't mention another big difference between the new and old part - unlike the old, the new slope has a centre pin on the underside, which means it can't be placed out of system like the old one. I wonder why that decision was taken - just like I wonder why the old doesn't have it, just like the 1x2 tile somehow doesn't!

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    Replies
    1. I imagine the older version doesn't have a center pin since it might be slightly tricky to affix to the upper grill portion. The new version doesn't have that issue, and a center pin was likely chosen for consistency with other slopes like the 1x2 double cheese slope.

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    2. fairly certain the very tiny parts are plastic granules -- the ABS pieces before the melting and moulding process!

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    3. Indeed, they are LEGO ABS pellets :-)

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  2. The new LEGO doorstop!

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    Replies
    1. Agree, doorstop seems like a good descriptive name.

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  3. I don't have any in my possession as of yet, but since the 1x2 Cheese Slope has already been taken, and this new part still has a similar design to that of the Cheese Grater, which was really only called that because it was the same height as the Cheese Slope except longer and had it a grate, I want to keep Cheese in the name, hence...

    Long Cheese [Slope]

    This would then I guess make the current 1x2 Cheese Slope the Wide Cheese Slope. It's not ideal but I feel like the name has to retain the part's Cheese origins in some capacity.

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  4. The grateful piece was grate, but this bodes for grateness!

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  5. I'm going to call it the Cheese Lesser to distinguish it from the Cheese Grater.

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  6. Just waiting for the Slope, Curved 2 x 1 x 2/3 to be cut in 2 (Slope Curved 1 x 1 x 1/2?) so we can maintain the same curve radius instead of having to use cheese pieces.

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  7. "blue cheese" (because of the first colours it was released in)
    "cheese lesser" (because... well, you figure it out)

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  8. This part is clearly a Cheesecake Slope, vs a regular Cheese Slope

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