This project was a material exploration, and the material I chose to explore was LEGO bricks, or specifically, the ABS plastic that LEGO bricks are made from.
I did research on LEGO and the plastic itself, and looked for historical, cultural, and contemporary uses.
I came up with some sketches for possible ideas I could create, then used a digital caliper to directly measure the LEGO bricks to get exact measurements.
I experimented initially in a few ways, between sanding the bricks, cutting them up, and torching them with an open flame. These were helpful experiments, but did not produce quite what I was looking for.
I then used a palette knife and heated that with a flame before putting it to the LEGO bricks, and it made a texture I was more inclined towards. I also tried using a heat gun, but it discolored the bricks a good deal.
Acetone is what I tried next, and this completely dissolved the plastic. This was exactly what I was looking for, and was much easier to work with compared to having to heat the bricks up to their melting point.
I pasted a surface sample of the dissolved plastic onto some other LEGO bricks, and it was a great texture! I knew to continue with this method from here.
I modeled and 3D printed a 7.5" x 7.5" x 5" LEGO brick. The dimensions are all accurate ratios to the normal 2 x 2 LEGO brick, but slightly shrunken in to account for the layers of plastic I was going to paste onto it. I spray painted the brick the color of the bricks I was adding.
I bought a large multitude of the same color bricks and filled my container with acetone. The plastic took a long time to dissolve, but I eventually had something that I was able to work with.
I had to either seal it in an air-proof bag or continuously mix the dissolved plastic to keep it from harding. I used a paint-mixer to get it all a smooth consistency and tried to stay away from having clumps.
I finally used a tool to scoop and paste the dissolved plastic onto the 3D printed LEGO brick form I made. It took a few layers but I was eventually able to get the consistency and texture I wanted.
