Thursday, June 26, 2008

Behold the brick separator

Today is a sad day for my dentist and a great day for me- as I can now return to regularly scheduled fingernail hygiene. What you see there is the "LEGO brick separator." A slope with ridges that latches on to a plate or brick in the same fashion as a bottle opener, allowing you to snap up or down and separate stuck together elements.

At Brickworld2008, I lamented to a few adult fans of LEGO that I wished there was a way I could separate pieces that had been stuck together for years without sacrificing my fingers or teeth (and thus avoid sampling the odd tastes that accompany bricks in storage- a process not too dissimilar from tasting Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans- a disproportionate amount taste like ear wax).

That was when the brick separator was introduced to me- a simple idea that I was sure was a practical joke on the new guy. Sure, Jonathan, there's a separator. There's also a magic machine that can build for you... But it wasn't fiction, the separators exist and when I was handed a set of two in the LEGO store, (used together, they form the Jaws of Life), I was ecstatic. Here was a product that the company understood I needed and had actually built. Each one was only $1.69, but like its plastic brethren the "Chip Clip," it has changed my life.

2 comments:

Dr.j said...

Your blog is cool, Jonathan. Thanks for letting me know about it in your email. I'll visit it often to follow your path of discovery.

My cinematographer called today and said the conversions to DVD for preview are going well. I'm looking for a someone to transcribe the data for locating the gems and make editing easier.

I can't wait to see the material on screen. We hope to have something for the public this fall.

And, about the separator, I did not know one existed until Brickworld. My son said, "Oh yeah, Dad, I've got one too." I can't seem to locate it.

Jonathan, have you begun the need to organize your bricks? Is this only an adult concern?

Jonathan Bender said...

I have begun the organization process, it would appear to be as important as building, in terms of time and space management. While it may be an adult construct, I can see how it becomes more critical as your collection of bricks balloons.