The LEPIN "LEGO" for non sensitive types
Discussion
Stig said:
As it happens - I have a spare as I ended ordering two from different suppliers as I had given up chasing the original Alixpress supplier, who them delivered within days of the other turning up!
Was going to keep the pair, but would consider an offer. Ping me a PM.
Emailed an offer , was it received OK? Was going to keep the pair, but would consider an offer. Ping me a PM.
Hi, found this fabulous thread while googling about Lepin. Similar to most here, I am disgusted by the price of Lego these days so have been thinking about Lepin (mainly for display UCS pieces).
There are a few concerns though which I cannot find answers for but maybe some of you good folk can give me answers. Basically I am worried about Lepin et al's safety. I have heard there is sometimes a foul stench from the pieces/bags. Are there chemicals involved which are harmful? Would it help to wash the pieces in warm soapy water first? Are the sets safe for children? As I said, these will be for display but if the plastic is exactly the same as lego then maybe I would buy the odd bigger set for my son.
Hopefully someone can shed light on this.
There are a few concerns though which I cannot find answers for but maybe some of you good folk can give me answers. Basically I am worried about Lepin et al's safety. I have heard there is sometimes a foul stench from the pieces/bags. Are there chemicals involved which are harmful? Would it help to wash the pieces in warm soapy water first? Are the sets safe for children? As I said, these will be for display but if the plastic is exactly the same as lego then maybe I would buy the odd bigger set for my son.
Hopefully someone can shed light on this.
Stig said:
Hi Joe - yes, sorry. Just deliberating - will get back to you soonest (once I work out what it cost me to get it here 
)
Good stuff! )I already have one, this is for a good friend of mine who was reluctant at first to taint his lego collection with a lepin but can't resist after seeing mine
.They seem to have went up a bit in price since I purchased, let me know how you feel once you've deliberated a while.
TooOld said:
Hi, found this fabulous thread while googling about Lepin. Similar to most here, I am disgusted by the price of Lego these days so have been thinking about Lepin (mainly for display UCS pieces).
There are a few concerns though which I cannot find answers for but maybe some of you good folk can give me answers. Basically I am worried about Lepin et al's safety. I have heard there is sometimes a foul stench from the pieces/bags. Are there chemicals involved which are harmful? Would it help to wash the pieces in warm soapy water first? Are the sets safe for children? As I said, these will be for display but if the plastic is exactly the same as lego then maybe I would buy the odd bigger set for my son.
Hopefully someone can shed light on this.
Mine all seemed fine, can't say I noticed a stench at all.There are a few concerns though which I cannot find answers for but maybe some of you good folk can give me answers. Basically I am worried about Lepin et al's safety. I have heard there is sometimes a foul stench from the pieces/bags. Are there chemicals involved which are harmful? Would it help to wash the pieces in warm soapy water first? Are the sets safe for children? As I said, these will be for display but if the plastic is exactly the same as lego then maybe I would buy the odd bigger set for my son.
Hopefully someone can shed light on this.
Quality wise it is really good, not lego quality but not far from it- only issues I found were with the largest of pieces which required a small amount of encouragement / squeezing to perfect the fit.
CoolHands said:
I don't think making it is that complicated it's just ABS plastic - so no lead paint scenarios to worry about.
It's the lube used for the moulds I was worried about. Yes, the plastic is fine but I have read elsewhere the odour could be due to the release agent. That is the thing which concernse me. Also read somewhere that someone's child developed a rash and itching to the hands after using Lepin. Don't mind washing every piece in warm soapy water first but would that get rid of the release agent?TooOld said:
It's the lube used for the moulds I was worried about. Yes, the plastic is fine but I have read elsewhere the odour could be due to the release agent. That is the thing which concernse me. Also read somewhere that someone's child developed a rash and itching to the hands after using Lepin. Don't mind washing every piece in warm soapy water first but would that get rid of the release agent?
Hi,The mould release agent would be no different than that used for any plastic model kit on the market.
I have never had any odours or anything like that with any of the sets and makers I have gotten. (I think rumours of this nature may be perpetuated by Lego themselves or fanboys of Lego Inc.!)
If you notice any type of an oily film on the pieces I would suggest just putting them into a laundry bag and putting them into the sink or bucket of water with some dish detergent in and slosh it around a tiny bit and then just rinse with clean water. It will not take much to wash them (no need to put them in the dishwasher or anything) - just like any model kit you need to wash after buying (so the glue and paint will stick better).
It wouldn't be a bad idea to do this with all building blocks as any manufacturer that has mould release agents (I don't know if Lego washes their blocks after casting them, anyone?) as any oil acts as a lubricant and would then make the "clutch power" less.
Simply put, these sets are awesome and no worries are needed.
voiceofrevolt said:
Hi,
The mould release agent would be no different than that used for any plastic model kit on the market.
I have never had any odours or anything like that with any of the sets and makers I have gotten. (I think rumours of this nature may be perpetuated by Lego themselves or fanboys of Lego Inc.!)
If you notice any type of an oily film on the pieces I would suggest just putting them into a laundry bag and putting them into the sink or bucket of water with some dish detergent in and slosh it around a tiny bit and then just rinse with clean water. It will not take much to wash them (no need to put them in the dishwasher or anything) - just like any model kit you need to wash after buying (so the glue and paint will stick better).
It wouldn't be a bad idea to do this with all building blocks as any manufacturer that has mould release agents (I don't know if Lego washes their blocks after casting them, anyone?) as any oil acts as a lubricant and would then make the "clutch power" less.
Simply put, these sets are awesome and no worries are needed.
Thanks for that. Also seen on youtube that the figures have no leaded paint (a guy done a test using lead detection). So, that's it, I'm sold. Just need to decide what I want to get first! The mould release agent would be no different than that used for any plastic model kit on the market.
I have never had any odours or anything like that with any of the sets and makers I have gotten. (I think rumours of this nature may be perpetuated by Lego themselves or fanboys of Lego Inc.!)
If you notice any type of an oily film on the pieces I would suggest just putting them into a laundry bag and putting them into the sink or bucket of water with some dish detergent in and slosh it around a tiny bit and then just rinse with clean water. It will not take much to wash them (no need to put them in the dishwasher or anything) - just like any model kit you need to wash after buying (so the glue and paint will stick better).
It wouldn't be a bad idea to do this with all building blocks as any manufacturer that has mould release agents (I don't know if Lego washes their blocks after casting them, anyone?) as any oil acts as a lubricant and would then make the "clutch power" less.
Simply put, these sets are awesome and no worries are needed.
I've had a Wall-E set that came with a bit of a smell. I've read one other report on Reddit of similar issues, but that's it.
That said, I think the Wall-E sets were early Lepin and they weren't always quite so highly regarded. The only other set I've heard to suffer 'early Lepin' syndrome is the Eiffel Tower (but even then; only poor clutch and wonky design) Everything else has had rave reviews (save a few missing pieces here and there)
That said, I think the Wall-E sets were early Lepin and they weren't always quite so highly regarded. The only other set I've heard to suffer 'early Lepin' syndrome is the Eiffel Tower (but even then; only poor clutch and wonky design) Everything else has had rave reviews (save a few missing pieces here and there)
Lots of release agent points towards poorer quality moulds that won't run cleanly without mould release being applied to the tool cavities. Wouldn't surprise me if Lego tools are refined and polished to the point where they don't need to use any lubricant on the moulds to get them to run unattended.
the mould release will be a silicone spray, typical MSDS here:
http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0...
note it says that skin irritation can occur.
the mould release will be a silicone spray, typical MSDS here:
http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0...
note it says that skin irritation can occur.
Edited by lufbramatt on Thursday 3rd August 10:21
I remember reading that a large part of the reason that Lego is so expensive is the higher frequency of their machine maintenance.
Other (cheaper) manufactures use the same materials and techniques, but with with less regular maintenance schedules.
I seem to recall the main takeaway of the article was the sharpening of the moulds? But that could just be my memory compacting the overall message into a memorable amount! Polishing, as you say, makes much more sense. (I've literally no knowledge of plastic brick production - not trying to pretend otherwise!)
Other (cheaper) manufactures use the same materials and techniques, but with with less regular maintenance schedules.
I seem to recall the main takeaway of the article was the sharpening of the moulds? But that could just be my memory compacting the overall message into a memorable amount! Polishing, as you say, makes much more sense. (I've literally no knowledge of plastic brick production - not trying to pretend otherwise!)
Atmospheric said:
I noticed that they have a Ford GT, Aventador and what appears to a koeingsegg now.
They appear to be coming into their own, especially with licensing the MOC plans.
That Ford GT looks nice.They appear to be coming into their own, especially with licensing the MOC plans.
There's a Technics Lambo there, too. http://imgur.com/a/9ZVtH Looks really good!
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