Variances in Part Weights

Thor

Since the same LEGO part in different colors can have different weights, I wonder if BO uses the same weight for all colors of the same part, or whether BO uses part weights specific to each color for each part? If BO uses the same weight for all colors of the same part, is it an averaged weight or does BO (like BL) use the highest weight?

In my experience on BL, I have found the weights for the same part in different colors can vary by as much as 22%. For some reason, lighter colored parts are heavier than darker colored parts. Or is it vice versa? I forget at the moment. In any event, even a variance of only a few percentages can make a big difference for bulk orders having a weight near the end of one weight band and start of another.

Thor

walstib

True.

I have a chart I am constantly adding to (LBG 3 long axles this morning) to keep track of this for counting parts with a scale.

Thought of this post and it's relevance, it will effect me if all goes according to plan. I figure most orders large enough for this to make a difference have room to discount to the lower price, but it is something to work out I think.

Adding custom weights in general, and for items or bulk amounts a thought. I could enter the actual weight of 1000 long blue pins under a bulk quantity tier... List a bulk lot of 1000 and enter a custom weight for the lot.

Keeping stats for the average of 100 / 1000 of something in each colour seems like a lot of work. I would love to see it and would share what I have, still....

I am trying to think of how manipulating or adding to the shipping limit system could help with this.

Joe

walstib

Real life example...

100 pcs 43093 tan 21.763g

100 pcs 43093 blue 25.918g

100 pcs 43093 LG 21.920g

Lawrence

We do support different weights for coloured items. I noticed this a few months ago when I got a nice scale and was quite surprised.

DagsBricks

:O That's a 20% increase in blue over tan. I never would have thought that pigment could make a difference.

Brian

Thor

It does. I made this same point years ago when BL was debating whether to include weights in the cart. The "solution" BL came up with was to use the heaviest weight for any given part, regardless of color. Good for sellers; bad for buyers.

In my own personal experience, I have seen weights vary by as much as 22%. But I recall a BL post years ago where someone reported a weight variance of more than 50%. NOT an erroneous weight. The weight was correct for the color. But the same part in a different color weighed 50% more.

Interestingly, transparent parts weigh significantly more than non-transparent parts. For example, I just weighed 2000 1x1 round plates in lime and trans-dark blue. The weight for the lime plates was 210 grams. The weight for the trans-dark blue plates was 240 grams - 30 grams or 14% more.

Thor

Lawrence

I may be remembering wrongly, but are the transparent parts polycarbonate? They have different design ids too usually.

DagsBricks

Correct. Simple science would tell you that PC is denser than ABS then. This would explain though why my BL cart weight is sometimes less than actual weight. And not by 3g either.

Brian

Sir Troys

There are also slight mold variations to take in to account too. I am talking about the kind of variations that DO NOT warrant a separate listing. Such as whether the "pins" on the bottom of bricks and plates are solid or hollow.

These can effect the weight as well, if you have an excess of one version or the other. LEGO uses these interchangeably and it would be a bit much to expect sellers to separate them.

While it would be nice to have an exact weights for every part variation in every color, that may be an unobtainable goal. Is there a difference between OLD red parts where the plastic came pre-colored and the NEW red where the plastic comes clear and is dyed? What about between different batches of dyed parts as we have seen that LEGO does not always seem to have strict control over the amount of dye used?

The line will have to be drawn somewhere for expediency. BL chose to use the highest weight. BO can choose to do the same, to use the average weight, to have specific weights for each color. But BO will have to choose.

Troy

walstib

Real life example...

I messed that up a bit, bad example because it is different parts.... those little friction ridges. They were right beside each other on the list, yah, that's it.

We do support different weights for coloured items. I noticed this a few months ago when I got a nice scale and was quite surprised.

So on the edit screen for each colour of a part, we can enter the "proper" weight, this becomes trump for shipping calculations. Everything is all set up.

Is the assumed weight the value of the parent?

Joe

quigley

There are also slight mold variations to take in to account too. I am talking about the kind of variations that DO NOT warrant a separate listing. Such as whether the "pins" on the bottom of bricks and plates are solid or hollow.

Unfortunately for the few of us that are particular about those "pins", they are found on a lot more parts than basic 1 x X bricks and plates. For example - fences, slopes, tiles, technic bricks, etc. I am forming a small collection from the pieces I filter out of orders.

Instead of running a campaign to get these variants into the catalog, a more practical solution IMO would be a flagging system where sellers could just tick a box for "older variant", whatever that might be for that particular part. Then the comments field could take care of the rest.

Lawrence

Okay, to clarify the situation, every single item in the catalog can have its own weight. That includes decorated items, coloured items etc.

If an item does not have a weight, if it has a parent, the parent weight is used. If it still has no weight, the weight is guessed.