How does water effect Lego bricks?

[Tracytron]

How does water effect Lego? (And maybe vice versa?) look I'm planing out a Lego custom city layout that I'll set up on some tables like Jangbricks (he's a YouTuber) has and while he just set up a table underneath that table and installed some LED's to make it look like it's underwater I want it to ACTUALLY *BE* underwater and who knows maybe I'll even throw in some of those robofish and robosharks or whatever they're called as like sea monsters or something LOL and have them just terrorise the minifigs whenever I please LOL but idk if the water would damage the Lego (which I bet it will :P) but just how bad will it damage it? I mean I know over time stickers will peal off of course but I could just paint them on with some waterproof paint or just have a load of extra sticker sheets or something and I don't really care about the colour fading just as long as it doesn't fade *too much* but how much would it fade and would it take actual damage like it becoming fragile, losing its clutch power (reference anyone? :P), or actually just completely snapping? Also are there any like chemicals that could help in preventing this? Thanks for the help.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Tracytron

[ctx1769]

Personally I don't like using stickers, in case I use parts in other builds.

[JopieK]

Stickers should not be damaged by water, it is vinyl (at least that is what we use for repro's) and is also used on cars etc. There recently was a German AFOL that made an aquarium tank. Seems to be that algae will be the largest problem. You could add something to the water of course to get rid of the algae but be careful that stuff might damage LEGO and/or stickers of course (like chlorine). And also make sure you don't put metallic parts underwater.

Apart from that, please remove the first part of your post and read the rules about age.

[davee123]

Well, LEGO has occasionally offered snow-globes with LEGO figures inside.  The figures were typical ABS plastic, with printing on them, and all the ones I've seen have been in pretty good condition, even after many years.

I think the big thing is probably exposure to "living stuff".  Snow-globes are kept sealed, with no way in or out-- so you're not likely to get algae or mold, assuming that you start with clean, distilled water.  But if you've got a large container like a fish tank, it's probably got a very big opening where "stuff" can get in, and muck up the water.  It's likely to grow mold, and gradually muck up the water over time (same with living fish, obviously).  If you do that, you're more likely to get a layer of slimy stuff on your LEGO, which might make it look faded or dull.

It may affect the clutch power of the bricks, too, if you ever wanted to reclaim them for future MOCs, although I'm not really sure on whether or not ABS would absorb and retain any water.  It might, but it might not.  Hard to say.

DaveE

[Tracytron]

On 14/10/2016 at 2:12 AM, JopieK said:

Stickers should not be damaged by water, it is vinyl (at least that is what we use for repro's) and is also used on cars etc. There recently was a German AFOL that made an aquarium tank. Seems to be that algae will be the largest problem. You could add something to the water of course to get rid of the algae but be careful that stuff might damage LEGO and/or stickers of course (like chlorine). And also make sure you don't put metallic parts underwater.

Apart from that, please remove the first part of your post and read the rules about age.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Tracytron

[AmperZand]

9 hours ago, davee123 said:

It may affect the clutch power of the bricks, too, if you ever wanted to reclaim them for future MOCs, although I'm not really sure on whether or not ABS would absorb and retain any water.  It might, but it might not.  Hard to say.

I'm not a materials scientist but as far as I know, ABS is not directly affected by water in the sense that there's no chemical (e.g. swelling or softening) or mechanical (e.g. absorbing) effect. You could keep a piece of LEGO in distilled water indefinitely without any damage to the part.

As you point out, there are biological concerns such as algae and mould. I don't know if they can affect ABS. I suspect not. You can probably remove algae from LEGO with a quick application of vinegar followed by a rinse of distilled water. And mould is killed by sunlight - though that might discolour your LEGO.

If LEGO is exposed to hard water, it will eventually become dull and may even show carbonate deposits, i.e. limescale. But the calcium/magnesium carbonate from water is superficial on ABS. Again, vinegar followed by a rinse of distilled water will restore your LEGO.  

As an aside, liquid aspirin (and maybe even aspirin dissolved in water) and liquid paracetamol will cause ABS to swell in theory. In the extremely unlikely event that your LEGO were swollen by either, I reckon the damage would be irreversible.        

Edited October 14, 2016 by AmperZand

[Criosphynx]

I have several old "really floats" ships that were obviously used in water for extended periods. They clean up fine, but the stickers don't seem to survive.

 

You can still collect, ask for lego for xmas and birthdays, that's how I did it initially.

 

Edited October 15, 2016 by Criosphynx

[Tracytron]

On 14/10/2016 at 11:04 PM, AmperZand said:

I'm not a materials scientist but as far as I know, ABS is not directly affected by water in the sense that there's no chemical (e.g. swelling or softening) or mechanical (e.g. absorbing) effect. You could keep a piece of LEGO in distilled water indefinitely without any damage to the part.

As you point out, there are biological concerns such as algae and mould. I don't know if they can affect ABS. I suspect not. You can probably remove algae from LEGO with a quick application of vinegar followed by a rinse of distilled water. And mould is killed by sunlight - though that might discolour your LEGO.

If LEGO is exposed to hard water, it will eventually become dull and may even show carbonate deposits, i.e. limescale. But the calcium/magnesium carbonate from water is superficial on ABS. Again, vinegar followed by a rinse of distilled water will restore your LEGO.  

As an aside, liquid aspirin (and maybe even aspirin dissolved in water) and liquid paracetamol will cause ABS to swell in theory. In the extremely unlikely event that your LEGO were swollen by either, I reckon the damage would be irreversible.        

"If LEGO is exposed to hard water it will eventually become dull and may even show carbonate deposits" so it'll essentially become Han Solo? :P

12 hours ago, Criosphynx said:

I have several old "really floats" ships that were obviously used in water for extended periods. They clean up fine, but the stickers don't seem to survive.

 

You can still collect, ask for lego for xmas and birthdays, that's how I did it initially.

 

I can't remember where I heard this but I heard that quite a few years ago they started using a different material for stickers so they're completely waterproof now I think (key words being "I THINK")

[bonox]

speaking of hard water, the bricks that keep washing ashore from lost/sunken transport containers seem to be in pretty good condition, even after decades in the water. And there-in lies the for the environmentalists....