Random part of the day: Grid Plate 8X8

@jkb said:
"The coolest part to make floors in a space setting. Looks awesome when lighting comes from below!"

Speaking of which, this would look excellent as a second-level floor in a laser tag arena!

For all those industrial decorations.

Anyone compare with 4151? Is there any difference?

Was this the part that they had problems producing, and had to replace with a regular 8×8 plate in the first Jabba's Sail Barge? I remember getting a sheet of paper saying something like that—but it may have been in regular tan, not dark.

@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"I have a few of these. It goes without saying but they're very useful in Star Wars and Jurassic Park MOCs."

But they are not very useful for making waffles.

This part is apparently used a lot in the Harry Potter sets as a floor. Which makes no sense. Seeing it used for a castle is just grating.

@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"Apparently the part featured in this RPotD is actually a redesign introduced this year. The original version was https://brickset.com/parts/design-4151 , which appeared in 175 sets from the 1990s to now."

Well, not quite either. You see that hole in the middle 2x2 section? It wasn't there in the original version.

The new version with the hole has apparently only appeared in minidoll sets so far, but there's no reason to assume minifigs won't eventually get in on it too. The Indiana Jones theme for instance might be a good place to seek the holey grill.

@Chopstix89 said:
"I am Floored by all the grid and grate responses. Lattice come up with something more original. We can Mesh our ideas together and Grille eachother until we come up with some new ones?"

I’m open to this idea.

@Freddy_Hodson said:
"Was this the part that they had problems producing, and had to replace with a regular 8×8 plate in the first Jabba's Sail Barge? I remember getting a sheet of paper saying something like that—but it may have been in regular tan, not dark."

The older version of this part https://brickset.com/parts/design-4151 in regular tan, yeah. I was going to say, that's always the thing I think of whenever I see this piece: Jabba's barge 6210 was meant to have three of them as the floor of the upper deck, and they can even be seen in the main image: but at least some versions of the set (not sure about all: Bricklink lists them as alternate inventories which implies at least some must have had the intended part before it was changed), like you say, had regular plates instead.

I never knew why they had to be replaced though, I assumed it was because the grate parts didn't attach as securely or something but that was really just a guess on my part.

@ThatBionicleGuy:
Okay, that’s the first version, which I’m pretty sure I have built and displayed somewhere in my condo, so I’ll have to check which version my plates are when I get home. As for why, I would imagine there were issues with finding places to attach minifigs. I can’t think of a single reason why they’d need to add the hole that wouldn’t invalidate the choice to sub in solid 8x8 plates that also have no hole in the center.

Oddly though, the original version of this originated in the Jewelry-type Scala line from 1980, where it was used as a mirror's backside. The original one though a big hole in it, where the center studs are.

Almost tne years later, the center studs were added and this part became introduced in themes like Pirates and Space. Oddly enough, this remained the only option for a 8x8 plate before 2003!

Around 2005/2006 the next version was introduced, that featured the (small) center hole. There probably was some issue though in supply, as some versions of the 2006 Jabba's Sail Barge came with regular 8x8 plates instead of the grille ones.

@Atuin I learned something new today. I looked it up, and you're right. Bricklink designates it as part 4151c.
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4151c&idColor=1

That set seems to be a trove of odd parts. The 2x2 plates with cutout in particular are surreal to discover. Those are also exclusive to the set.

As for the hole in the middle, the first uses of the hole I could find are set 7900 Heavy Loader (the turntable above the fifth wheel) and set 7783 The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion (turntable).
I actually always thought it was for that set, as using it for a giant turntable looks like the clearest reason for me to add the hole (and create a whole new mould for it). Technically the Heavy Loader was earlier in the year, however.

Arguably set 6210 Jabba's Sail Barge too. But I'm not sure being able to anchor the technic masts by lowering them was a feature, considering the abovementioned changes to 8x8 plates. I'd reckon having no stopper to prevent them from sinking inside the barge might have been annoying