Review: Part 24246 Flat Tile 1x1 1/2 circle
Posted by Huw,
Every year LEGO produces dozens of new parts. Many of them are for specific purposes in new themes or for new minifigs but there are others that can be considered extensions to the core LEGO system. These are generally of more interest to AFOLs, MOCers in particular, because they have the potential to open up new building and design opportunities.
Tim 'Caperberry' Johnson's blog New Elementary is an excellent source of information about such parts but, for good reasons, he doesn't find the time to update it as often as he would no doubt want to at the moment.
I am unlikely to be able to step into Tim's inimitable shoes but nevertheless I'll try and plug a gap in the market by taking a look at one such part that's just been released: 24246, Flat Tile 1x1 1/2 circle, which appears in several of the new Mixels sets.
At the moment the part, design ID 24246, comes in white only (element ID 6131655), which LEGO calls 'FLAT TILE 1x1 ½ CIRCLE'
As its name suggests it's a 1x1 tile with two rounded corners.
It's primary raison d'être would appear to be for teeth and it's particularly suitable for equine species...
...and goofy front teeth.
It's also great for hooves:
Having rounded corners means you can do things with it that aren't possible with 1x1 square tiles, such as mount them diagonally on a 2x2 piece:
As you'd expect it matches the diameter of other 1x1 rounded pieces such as design ID 32124 Technic Rotor, 2 Blades.
...and 1x1 round bricks and plates.
The above assembly makes for a good picnic bench:
They may well prove to be useful for making interesting floor tile designs, perhaps tessellations of something like the arrangement below, once they are available in more colours.
Not sure what use this arrangement will be, but it looks cool...
Mounting them on a 2x2 piece offers the opportunity to create a diagonal cross. Despite several attempts I couldn't get the 1x4 tiles to butt up to them exactly, though.
As it is, it's not a stable construction as each one is held on by just one stud. With a bit of fiddling about you could probably make a fairly convincing St. Andrews Cross or similar flag given that the new piece doesn't need to be at exactly 45 degrees.
However, I suspect its main use, other than that to which it's been put so far, is likely to be for architectural detailing, perhaps for cornices, and I'm sure it won't be long before we see them being used in a modular building.
The part currently comes in three of the Series 7 Mixels: 2 in 41555 Busto, 4 in 41559 Paladum and 4 in 41562 Trumpsy. Each one also contains a spare.
For reasons unknown it's not included in LEGO's customer services inventories for these sets, so you might have trouble obtaining them in bulk at the moment but I'm sure once it does become more widely available it will prove to be a useful piece.
Can you foresee any other interesting uses for this part?
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So, would you like to see more articles about parts and their uses or should I leave it to the experts?
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54 comments on this article
More please! This was really informative and useful. Really like the numerous examples and high quality photography. Great stuff.
I miss Tim's blog not being updated as often, but that's understandable I guess - it's not his job! So yes, if he's not got the time to post about new parts, it'd be nice to read about them here.
Sure would like to read more articles about new pieces with inspiring ideas of using them.
Thanks Huw.
I liked this. I think you should write more brick reviews.
It's not something I've seen done before, other than as a small part of a review of a set that happens to include new bricks.
Nice work! I would definitely like to see more stuff like this. I like that Brickset is being constantly improved not only in the case of the site’s features, but also with the variety and quantity of news and reviews articles (quite noticeably, mainly in the recent period, I think). So big like from me! :-) ...also, your photos are top-notch as always.
Great review. I want some of these now!
Really love this new piece, but never fully thought of its posibilities until seeing this! However, it's unlikely I'll take my Mixels apart just to use them.
Great idea and review, Huw! I'd love to see more of such brick reviews!
Nice review. I'm looking forward to obtaining some of these tiles. Speaking of inventories, when is the 2016 brick inventory due to be updated on brickset?
The last image reminds me of the roof of a classic British train station platform! Good read, I'd be in favour of more part articles.
+1, I Love NewElementary, and am open to others highlighting interesting new parts on their blogs.
Yes please Huw, more of these.
You could use two 1x2 tiles instead of a 1x4 to butt up to these new parts, since they are hollow underneath, or does that break the rules?
I wasn't even aware of this part. Thanks for the article. Your pictures showing different ways it could be used where perfect!
As a bit of a newcomer to this site, and to getting my head around the various uses for different parts, I'd love more part reviews. I'm only now beginning to look at sets from a parts' perspective. Also - just want to say your site is excellent. Really informative and thorough. Keep up the excellent work :)
Thanks for all your encouraging comments!
Mixels pieces are making their way into normal play in new colours. We can only hope this follows suit in different colours. White just isn't enough..!
Ceartialy they are great for a lot of things like showed above, thanks for this article.
Looks like a toilet seat cover, for more accurate bathroom / house detailing.
I love the part and its use on http://brickset.com/sets/41571-1/Tuth
Huw, this is really cool. I like seeing such article...
As an idea, perhaps, you could do a similar post about the Nexo Knight shield?
Great piece, both this article and the brick! Would love to see more stuff like this.
"For reasons unknown it's not included in LEGO's customer services inventories for these sets[...]"
TLG has a tendency to leave out brand new pieces from parts lists. The newish 1x2x2 brick with 4 SNOT studs that came in medium stone grey in the latest modular building is also missing from the inventory for that set.
I'm assuming it's to encourage people to buy the new sets, and not abuse Bricks & Pieces as a way to get these great new parts without having to purchase a full set.
Personally, when I saw this piece, my hope was that it would be released in transparent colors for use as car headlights and such.
Just a suggestion perhaps you might have others submit suggestions on uses of pieces as well as there are many creative types here on the forum. Then include them in your articles as well. Not sure if that is doable just my two cents as they say. Cool idea to review pieces though. Keep them coming.
Footsteps leading away from a crime scene.
^^ absolutely, and hopefully others will contribute future articles.
Highlighting new parts was one of the things I asked for in the review/survey thing you did a while back, so I'm very happy to see this, and I hope you'll continue doing it, especially with such detailed creative examples of how they could be used.
I miss when New Elementary was updated frequently. Nowadays there just a sporadic set review, which I'm not nearly as interested in.
This is a great article, on par with some of the new part examinations from The New Elementary. I'd love to see more articles like this in the future!
Yes, excellent review. Thanks.
Very good review, Huw. New Elementary hasn't been updated in a month and a half.
I can't wait to use this with rotor blades...
Thanks for the great brick review! Reviews like this would be really welcome here.
Huh, I stumbled across New Elementary just the other day from a completely different direction and found it pretty interesting.
So yes, definitely interested in seeing more reviews like this. It can be difficult enough to stay up-to-date on new sets, let alone cool new parts.
Excellent review showing lots of neat applications of this part. I particularly enjoyed you showing how it could be used with the Technic Rotor element. The picnic bench was also great.
These would be pretty good complemented by some red ones, used with angle brackets to make the valance of a Butcher's Shop awning.
I used some of the extra's to make a Major Nixel MOC. Used it for his little badge, lol. Anyhow, great review! I'm contemplating getting extra Trumpsy's and Paladum's just for the parts. XD
Thanks Huw. There are some great new pieces this year.
Great article! I would love to see more - perhaps even looking at not quite so new elements but taking a look at conventional and not-so-conventional uses.
I really love this too. I don't have the time or money to purchase a ton of new sets...When I do pick one up, I'm often surprised by new pieces and how great they would be for MoCing.
I agree with the notion that we should see these articles more often!.
In sand red, in tiered rows, these would make great roof tiles.
Good for you to try to fill the gap that The New Elementary cannot do at the moment. It's an important part (heh) of Lego reading for me, even though I don't get too much into MOCing.
I'm waiting with baited breath for an article on all the new 45-degree angled pieces that are coming out in the Nexo Knights range. The possibilities there are fascinating.
Cheers!
Yes, please continue with the part reviews! I love learning about new elements and what they can be used for. Many of the sets I buy are just for the parts. I also miss the reviews from New Elementary.
This review was really great. Your reviews are inspiring me to rite my own reviews; your photography is really nice and it's clearly one of the things that makes your articles so enjoyable.
Thanks and keep it up.
I can't wait to see how Lego incorporates these into the next Modular Building!
More like this please! I love seeing creative ways people use new pieces that I'd initially considered pointless.
Please just hire Tim to be a writer/contributor or buy his blog and add it to the Brickset offerings!
Sadly updates on New Elementary are rare now. So I would be more happy to see posts like this rather set reviews.
Don't forget to use [TLG]/[BL] colour names ;)
Awesome piece and thank you for the review and bringing it to our attention, I definitely agree these types of reviews would be very welcome!
^^ :-) In this case there was no ambiguity :-)
Should it be produced in trans-clear or trans-colours is could be a welcome new form for head and tail lights on vehicles, in trans-blue could make a great heads up display like the 1x1 piece in the creator F-35. Even in this colour could make an interesting backpack for snow troopers.
Yes, please more of this! This kind of stuff is exactly what I missed in the Brickset reviews, other reviewers on Eurobricks did - having a look at new parts.
New parts are rare now, but likely not rare in the future. LEGO typically does not make a part for production now without using it in a lot of different sets for its run (though some colors may be harder to find than others)
What I see though is another part that will crack all the time (like the cheese slopes and other '1x1' pieces lately). If this is the case LEGO will need to make a ton of them just to be able to replace all of the ones that will be reported as 'cracked' via their CS.
Thanks for this offbeat but very interesting post! I'm sorry to hear New Elementary isn't being updated regularly and until that blog resumes regular service it seems quite in order for Brickset to take up the slack, other things being equal of course.
Do 1x1 square or fully round tiles crack often? I would think these would be no more likely to crack than those are. Cheese slopes (which do crack) seem to behave more like 1x1 bricks than like simple flat tiles to me.
Has anyone had problems with these cracking? In recent years, and the last set I bought, small tiles and cheese slopes are have all cracked.