How to take plates apart

[lisqr]

This sounds like a basic question. But it is a big trouble to take small plates apart from a large plate, when it in the middle of the large plate. So what do you do? Do you use the official brick separator? (How useful is it? I'm thinking of getting one.)

Also what do you do with tiles? They are tricky to take off from a base plate, like in all the modular house sets.

While I'm at it. How do you take apart two 1x2 plates? I always have a hard time.

Edited January 6, 2010 by lisqr

[Modulex Guy]

Brick separators are the best, for the plates.

[JCC1004]

[Ricecracker]

This thread should help answer all of your questions.

[Big Cam]

Yes and YES, Nothing beats a brick separator for things like plates on plates.

[AllanSmith]

This sounds like a basic question. But it is a big trouble to take small plates apart from a large plate, when it in the middle of the large plate. So what do you do? Do you use the official brick separator? (How useful is it? I'm thinking of getting one.)

Also what do you do with tiles? They are tricky to take off from a base plate, like in all the modular house sets.

While I'm at it. How do you take apart two 1x2 plates? I always have a hard time.

First of all keep your fingernails long

Large plates have a bit of flex, so a slight bend will allow a fingernail underneath the smaller plate

Tiles have a small lip around them for your fingernail.

Place a 1 x 4 brick on the top of the 1 x 2 plate and another 1 x 4 brick under the other 1 x 2 plate. hold with both hands making sure both thumbnails are on join of plates. Bend in half to break join and each plate should come off attached to each brick.

[Destroydacre]

This sounds like a basic question. But it is a big trouble to take small plates apart from a large plate, when it in the middle of the large plate. So what do you do? Do you use the official brick separator? (How useful is it? I'm thinking of getting one.)

Also what do you do with tiles? They are tricky to take off from a base plate, like in all the modular house sets.

While I'm at it. How do you take apart two 1x2 plates? I always have a hard time.

The brick separator will solve all these problems. Ask anyone who owns one, they work extremely well.

[lisqr]

Thanks a lot. I've been using old credit card instead of my nail. But this looks like a much better option.

[lightningtiger]

I use a sharp pocket knife, of course VERY carefully to both plate(brick) and FINGERS !!!!

So if you do what I do - PLEASE be careful ! :skull:

[Darth_Legois]

I used to use knives untill i noticed it left little marks on everything.

I had to use knives since my brick separator is old and wont clip on to much.

[Tereglith]

If the blade is skinny enough, a blunt-tipped butter knife will do the trick for just about anything without marking the bricks. However, it can be hard to get enough leverage to seperate two identical plates with one, so for that I would use brick seperators or just not do it in the first place.

[dr_spock]

I use my fingernails. When that doesn't work, I use the X-Acto hobby knife to make enough space for fingernail. Warning: You have to be extremely careful when using a knife to separate 1x2 plates.

[ILikePi]

*snipped pic of two brick separators at work*

I only use one brick separator. You just put it on the top plate, hold the bottom plate, and move both hands inward while keeping a grip on the bottom plate. No need for two brick separators!

[Milan]

Place a 1 x 4 brick on the top of the 1 x 2 plate and another 1 x 4 brick under the other 1 x 2 plate. hold with both hands making sure both thumbnails are on join of plates. Bend in half to break join and each plate should come off attached to each brick.

This is very good advice, indeed!

lisqr, since you don't have separator, I recommend this method!

[ziljin]

you can stack plates (but not aligned or they will get stuck) and use it as a grip. I have found it to somewhat work.

[CP5670]

I attach a brick to one of the plates and use it to get a stronger grip. You would be surprised how much easier it is to separate two plates when you attach a brick to one of them. The brick is then easy to remove.

[RileyC]

Place a 1 x 4 brick on the top of the 1 x 2 plate and another 1 x 4 brick under the other 1 x 2 plate. hold with both hands making sure both thumbnails are on join of plates. Bend in half to break join and each plate should come off attached to each brick.

Thats the exact method I use. It works wonders

[blueandwhite]

Personally, the brick separator is a worthwhile investment (you actually are better off with 2). Plates and tiles can easily be separated from each other without doing any serious damage to the bricks. A knife is an okay substitute but you still run the risk of scratching or damaging your bricks. It's also far easier to remove bricks quickly with a brick separator. Try popping off 100 2x2 tiles from a 32x32 baseplate with a knife. Then do it with a brick separator. There is simply no comparison; the separator is light years ahead of any other method out there.

[Rick]

Place a 1 x 4 brick on the top of the 1 x 2 plate and another 1 x 4 brick under the other 1 x 2 plate. hold with both hands making sure both thumbnails are on join of plates. Bend in half to break join and each plate should come off attached to each brick.

I attach a brick to one of the plates and use it to get a stronger grip. You would be surprised how much easier it is to separate two plates when you attach a brick to one of them. The brick is then easy to remove.

Besides brick separators, this is indeed the way to go. Tiles on the middle of a base plate are the real PITA though.

[CP5670]

Personally, the brick separator is a worthwhile investment (you actually are better off with 2). Plates and tiles can easily be separated from each other without doing any serious damage to the bricks. A knife is an okay substitute but you still run the risk of scratching or damaging your bricks. It's also far easier to remove bricks quickly with a brick separator. Try popping off 100 2x2 tiles from a 32x32 baseplate with a knife. Then do it with a brick separator. There is simply no comparison; the separator is light years ahead of any other method out there.

The brick separator's edge does work nicely on tiles, but I don't like using it on bricks or plates for the reasons I explained here and here. The "brick grip" approach is probably a better option in terms of avoiding long term damage to pieces.

[curtisrlee]

Long fingernails and Brick Seperator!

[Omicron]

The old fashioned way. Use my chompers.

-Omi

[David Thomsen]

That's how you use them!!! I always looked at them and thought, 'how the heck is that thing supposed to separate bricks?'

I think I need a couple now that I understand them properly.

[brickzone]

I have a brick separator that I occasionally use, but mostly it is quicker and as efficient to use the method of grabbing a nearby brick and attaching it to the plate to be removed, then simply using "the Lego tilt" (as described in my Lego Monsters 4 instructions) to remove the combined brick+plate. I usually use the same size brick as the plate, e.g. 1x2 brick to remove a 1x2 plate. To remove a jumper plate, I use a headlamp brick on its side (i.e. the rear of the headlamp brick attached to the jumper's stud).

Even 2x2 brick to remove a 2x2 plate works.

I've found brick separators to be the best way to quickly and easily remove tiles. It doesn't seem like they would help, but due to the ledge around the base of tiles, if you position the brick separator atop the tile (ignoring the fact it has no studs to attach) and carefully use the Lego tilt, the back of the brick separator catches that ledge.

[blueandwhite]

The brick separator's edge does work nicely on tiles, but I don't like using it on bricks or plates for the reasons I explained here and here. The "brick grip" approach is probably a better option in terms of avoiding long term damage to pieces.

I definitely see where you're coming from. Personally I find that this isn't a major issue on larger plates, and I don't really have a hard time pulling up conventional bricks. The "brick grip" approach you describe is a pretty decent way to pull up smaller plates though. Then again, I don't build a lot of Technic MOCs, so I can't speak to how important this issue might be for Technic fans.

For me, almost all of my bricks hold together well (well, bricks that are 5+ years old). I find that the newer bricks just don't have the same grip that older ones do. I've got 25 year-old bricks that grip far better than most of the stuff I'm seeing today, and honestly it worries me. I may have to re-evaluate the use of my brick separator on newer bricks after reading your posts.