There are two moulds: a column of bubbles and a round-bottomed flask, each of which comes in two different colours.
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With a shape that evokes the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Bibendum the Michelin Man, I have to wonder whether the slightly anthropomorphised shape of the bubbles is intentional and whether this part is destined for some other use in LEGO products.
1x Smoke / Bubbles with Anti-Stud in Trans Purple (6475330 | 5533)
1x Smoke / Bubbles with Anti-Stud in Trans Bright Green (6490873 | 5533)
The official TLG name for the part – Ice Cream, No. 1 – is further indication of its myriad of potential uses.
The bubble effect is just a fraction short of 2⅔ bricks high and it occupies a 2x2 footprint.
Its sole connection is an antistud, but note that the hole in the antistud won’t hold a 3.18mm bar. However, I'm pleased that it will fit inside a cup (68495).
None of the extremities of the bubbles are familiar dimensions, not that I expected them to. To clarify: the 'limbs' don't connect to a bar clip, and the top isn't a ball joint.
Furthermore, the top bubble doesn't connect to another one, and isn't a fit for the ice cream element (6254, 1887) either. However, the anti-stud works as you would expect with the ice cream.
Bottle / Flask (LEGO part 5608)
This new mould is more of a traditional, round-bottomed boiling flask, often called a Florence flask.
The official TLG name for this mould is Mini Bottle, w/ Knob, No. 1.
It is a wonderful companion to the existing Erlenmeyer conical flask (38029, 2608, 33027 & 93549). Given they are different sizes, I expect that the two will exist in parallel, and I hope that both continue to appear in new colours from time to time.
The new bottle / flask is 2⅓ bricks high. As expected, the neck is a 3.18mm bar.
The diameter across the widest part of the bulb is shy of two modules wide.
The top stud is hollow and can accept elements with pins. Surprisingly, the antistud will accept a 3.18mm bar and there is some clutch here. However, the hole is off-centre, so I assume it is an unintentional connection point.
Further examination reveals that the clutch is provided by a greater wall thickness on one side of the cavity. I think it's fairly certain that fitting the bar inside is not a "legal" connection.
Conclusion
Transparent parts are always visually pleasing. The bubble effects are a single mould, but I particularly like two-colour, over-moulded parts like the flasks. As a child I always enjoyed looking at a Galileo thermometer my mum had; the new boiling flask reminds me of that.
I think the boiling flasks are intrinsically quite beautiful. Are they of any particular use beyond minifigure accessories? Other than that sort of set dressing, their use is limited I feel. Although, this is LEGO, and I know that our readership can be tenacious with the ingenuity of their parts usage.
The bubble effect seems more likely to find other uses; certainly as smoke in white or greys... maybe in green for a cactus?
If simpler or the straight-forward intended usages are more your thing, these parts will be perfect for mad professors’ vignettes, apothecary and pharmacy builds, and in depicting all manner of weird science experiments!
Certainly my kids had fun making this short video.
Availability
At time of writing, the only set that the potion bottles and bubble effects are available in is 76431 Hogwarts™ Castle: Potions Class which contains 397 parts for $39.99/ £34.99/ €39.99/ AU$59.99, meaning a price per piece of 8.8 pence. The set weighs 492g, so we are looking at poor value here at 7 pence per gram. If you are just buying this set for these four new parts, each element is going to set you back in excess of £8 each!
My advice is to get them in bulk from LEGO Pick a Brick or BrickLink (like I did for the additional parts in this review). Each of the parts could easily be bought at BrickLink for under £1.
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I'm pleased to learn (via their inclusion on Pick-a-Brick) that these interesting parts aren't IP-locked to the Harry Potter theme—I hope to see them maybe show up in themes like Dreamzzz in the future.
In terms of ideas of how to use them, I could see the bubble effect being cool to use as "exhaust" on some sort of fantasy/sci-fi vehicle, maybe like a bubble trail behind the jets of an underwater vehicle of some sort.
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Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased to learn (via their inclusion on Pick-a-Brick) that these interesting parts aren't IP-locked to the Harry Potter theme—I hope to see them maybe show up in themes like Dreamzzz in the future.
In terms of ideas of how to use them, I could see the bubble effect being cool to use as "exhaust" on some sort of fantasy/sci-fi vehicle, maybe like a bubble trail behind the jets of an underwater vehicle of some sort.
Thanks! Yes, I'm hoping they show up elsewhere! There's definitely potential for innovative uses!
DeleteI think Flo Glo there looks like a mix between Slimer and Barbamama.
DeleteI'm thinking those flasks could make for interesting lamps in a swanky restaurant
ReplyDelete