New part: 'balloon bottom'
Posted by Huw,
One of the best things about new sets is discovering new parts in them, particularly when they are generic system parts rather than specialised pieces.
There's one such part in the Angry Birds sets: a new inverted dome. One has to ask though, is it really needed?
I believe it's called a 'Sphere 2x2x1 1/3 inverted', design number 24947. It has 4 studs on top, as you would expect, and one anti-stud at the bottom, which has a hole in it.
Part numbers are 6151968 (red) and 6143596 (white). It's also available in yellow and a shade of purple in several Angry Birds sets that I don't have yet, although CapnRex101 does and will be publishing some more reviews in the coming days.
As its name suggests it is 1 brick and 1 plate high.
I find it slightly strange that it follows so soon after the other inverted dome, introduced just 2 years ago (design 15395, 'Dome 2x2 inverted w. one stud'). The old one, seen left below, doesn't have studs on top, so makes a good flower pot or, inverted, a lampshade, as we have seen in modular buildings. However it's still possible to add another 2x2 round (or any other piece for that matter) to the top: there's not much friction but it does hold.
Clearly that's a problem this new part resolves and perhaps why it's been made, for when the other one is not suitable. Because it's a plate higher, the new one has a different, shallower, curve, as you will see better in the last picture.
The balloon on the left shows how the new part is used in the Angry Birds sets, in conjunction with a standard 2x2 dome (design30367 'Final Brick 2x2').
The one in the middle utilises a design 30151 'Glass Case' on top, while the one on the end uses the old inverted dome at the bottom. They are all an improvement on the old method of using two domes held back-to-back with a Technic axle, as seen in 40108 Balloon Cart, that's for sure.
A fourth variation, using the old inverted dome with the Glass Case doesn't work because they don't have studs and anti-studs on their top and bottom respectively so won't stay together.
So, what's it good for, other than balloon bottoms? I couldn't immediately think of any practical use for the new part, but maybe you can?
Assuming it was produced specially for Angry Birds balloons, are the resultant balloons so much better than what was possible before to justify its design and production?
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33 comments on this article
Wow, that's a cool piece. Wish it were a bowl like the other one, could make for some really cool lamps or vases or something.
I only plan on getting one or two AB sets, I'm lovin these new pieces!
Thanks for these new piece articles, Huw, really likin' them. I liked the New Elementary too, what happened to that guy?
I figured it could be for some kind of chair, maybe a clown's nose, the tip of a rocket ship, or perhaps even one of those candy/drink storage containers at gas stations with a glass lid!
Plus I don't see why having new pieces hurts anything. I think that it's great as long as it can be easily compatible with existing parts, which this piece does.
I like seeing this kind of article. Brickset has really diversified its type of articles in recent months, and I for one love the new articles we're getting.
Hi Huw, I just wanted to say that I love the direction this site takes by varying the sorts of articles we see...
As for the use of this brick...This would make a perfect piece for an iron builder challenge.
Hmm, the variation could prove useful, particularly where higher clutch power is required. However, I would much rather have more circular parts with a diameter of 1.5 studs, the same as minifig heads.
Thank you everyone, we are enjoying diversifying and thanks to your feedback we'll continue to do so.
I'm sure this could be used a lot of cool things in conjunction with the round jumper plate. Doesn't make much difference to me for the balloons, though.
Seems weirdly redundant, but can't wait to see the uses in future MOCs.
Also, agree on the new diversify- it's great to see all the varied articles each day.
i think that part is really cool. what angry birds sets does it come in?
The reality is that it hard to think of any parts that are really "needed." I've long felt that one reason Lego releases new parts every year is simply to help drive sales, not necessarily only to fill some functional or aesthetic gap.
This is a fantastic piece - I can now 'plant' flowers in it! Yes!
One key advantage it has over the inverted dome (and possibly why a new part was deemed necessary) is that because the inverted dome doesn't use actual studs for connecting the parts together, a balloon built with those parts has visible "holes" in it, something this new part avoids. It's possible that that was justification enough when it came to a licensed theme with balloons that were key to the sets' aesthetics.
In any case, I'm sure it'll be plenty useful. Even without being hollow it could make for an interesting pot for a potted plant, or ornamental chair, or light fixture. Flip it upside-down and it could make for a sleeker cone than either the 2x2x2 cone or the 2x2x1 dome, which could be useful for, say, the nosecone of a rocket. Heck, even if it only continued to be used in sets for balloons, I think balloons are a common enough item that Lego will be able to make use of the mold for many years.
Streetlamps, baloons, etc.......
It wouldn't rank high on my "parts I'd love to see made" list, but I'm sure MOC makers (and LEGO themselves) will think of many ways to make it useful. LEGO rarely makes new parts these days without an idea on how they can use it in multiple ways, so I'm sure we'll see them use this in a non-balloon way soon enough.
@ CM4Sci: That guy is Tim Johnson, who is now the editor of Bricks Culture - which is why he has much less time to update the blog... the magazine is brilliant though! But I might be biased.
I don't think it's needed but as long as the old piece is still used I don't mind bit is more balloon sloped.
In a transparent color, two of this part could be great for an oversized hourglass, or one could make a good streetlamp. It could also be great as a vase/urn or a stage of a slightly cartoony missile. Like Lyi suggested, it could be great inverted as a rocket nose cone. Or the top of a large bottle. It could also make a fancy stool or table. Or a flower bud. Or part of one of those Jell-O egg molds (https://img1.etsystatic.com/041/0/9307878/il_570xN.601670113_k020.jpg). Or the ends of a sausage! I know how much this site loves sausages.
With printing, it and a dome piece could make a good head for Strong Bad (http://www.hrwiki.org/w/images/thumb/d/d5/currentbad.png/180px-currentbad.png). Overall, I can imagine all kinds of possibilities for this piece! I certainly don't understand the quizzical tone of this article, as if it's a part that somehow doesn't work for anything besides a balloon.
Poor timing: the recent Friends Party sets (41110-41114) would have been the more appropriate time to launch such a piece.
Two words: Laser Cannons. Or large guns in general.
Undoubtedly the studs will be more usefull when you want to place something in/on it. With the 'flower pot' part, everything just sits in there with no clutch connection. That might be a huge advantage.
Otherwise it would need a 2x2 round plate all the time.
Oh, I almost forgot! These things would make for great drums/bongoes.
^ Oooh, good idea! Future Minifigures fig?
flower pots, rocket thrusters, part of a fancy support column.
@Aanchir
You stole my sausage idea...
It is more of a Forum thing though.
You've collectively come up with some great ideas and suggestions for this part, as I suspected you would :-)
Makes for a better looking bomb ala Little Boy and Fat Man
May get some AB sets for parts...
It would probably look great as the bottom half of a jar, especially if it were to ever come in dark tan.
Looks more like a balloon. The older 'methods' always looked like balls on sticks to me
All the Party Sets from Friends could be improved with this balloon bottom
Nice piece. I can see a few uses for it. For a start, it definitely makes a balloon look more like a balloon, and less like a lollipop!
On anther note, I agree with several of the other posters' comments - I'm loving the new variety of content we've been seeing over the last couple of months. Keep up the good work!
Lamps. It could be used as the bottom of a lamp or something.
Quite intresting...