Parts in never-released colours

[Banjo]

I've been wondering about something recently: there are obviously many parts made by Lego that have never been manufactured in certain colours... is there any way "around" this if I REALLY wanted one specific part in an unavailable colour?

I know, the answer is almost certainly "no"... just writing this makes me think it's an impossible ask. But I've seen utterly amazing things done by dedicated fans of Lego, from original printed bricks to custom replacement arm poses to wireless LED lighting, making me think that with the right skills, resources and dedication, little is truly "impossible" (just impractical!).

So, if I really REALLY wanted one specific part (for example, the microfig Heroica "horned helmet", only ever released in dark bluish grey) in pearl gold... what would be the way to go about it? Painting an existing part to match (close as possible)? Recasting the part from scratch? 3D scanning/printing?

Like I said, I doubt this is realistically achievable, but I'm curious if anyone has actually done it before, and to what results.

[Wardancer]

I once suffered from this. So I became a customizer.

Painting would be easy. There is also dyeing, which is complicated and only works with some color combinations. 3D Printing has to my Knowledge not yet yielded very good results, also it is expensive. Some parts exist in non official colors as prototypes or misprints, but that is rare.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Wardancer

[1974]

Options :

1 - Wait for the part to be relased in the colour you want. Might never happen though

2 - Get TLG to make the part for you. Yes, that actually is doable, but if you need to ask how much you don't have the funds anyway

3 - 3D = Will look very bad

4 - Custom mould. Doable, but see the last sentence of point 2

5 - Paint it. Easy, cheap and will look pretty good

6 - Accept the limitations of LEGO

Cheers,

Ole

Edited August 20, 2015 by 1974

[MrFishboy11]

I will say I tried dyeing with RIT Dye and a mix of weakened acetone. It sorta work but it sorta didn't. I was trying to do the same you want, a new color for existing bricks. The bricks just darkened in the dye and some distorted. But it was super easy to turn light pink bricks into a coffee brown! I would suggest trying it out and perfecting a technique. Also, I was wondering where you saw custom arm poses for Lego minifigures. Were they custom arm molds? Would love to see!

[Legogal]

@1974 Ole: You make is sound sooooo easy!

It is too bad that there is not a process by which a vote by AFOL's for the ten parts they want in a different color is taken every year, and TLG blesses us with those parts! (I would be quite happy if they would just introduce some more figs with plain yellow legs and a few other hard to afford standard parts and colors, like pink arms and heads, .... But I guess we can always dream!)

[AmperZand]

4 - Custom mould.

Technically, custom moulding might be a violation of TLG's IP. In the UK, for example, design rights subsist in the 3D characteristics of an object. So it's possible that TLG has rights to the shape of a piece and copying it without permission is a transgression.

Edited April 22, 2016 by AmperZand

[pittpenguin123]

Technically, custom moulding might be a violation of TLG's IP. In the UK, for example, design rights subsist in the 3D characteristics of an object. So it's possible that TLG has rights to the shape of a piece and copying it without permission is a transgression.

As long as he dosnt sell it right?

[AmperZand]

As long as he dosnt sell it right?

Even if he doesn't sell it. In practice though, if he were copying a small quantity of a piece he owned and they were for personal use, it might be considered "fair use" (as would, for example, photocopying a few pages from a book you owned so you didn't have to carry the whole tome around). Also, TLG may or may not pursue the case. On the one hand, IP generally needs to be defended to be maintained. On the other, it wouldn't be good PR to drag someone through the courts for making three copies of a part in a colour TLG doesn't make anyway.