If you build with LEGO regularly you know how essential a LEGO Brick Separator is. Actually, it is best to keep lots of them around! They save your nails from splitting and your LEGO bricks from bite-marks. You can read more about the original LEGO Brick Separator here: Your Essential Tool; the LEGO Brick Separator
The original LEGO Brick Separator is an awesome little tool, but it can’t do everything. Not a problem though, as LEGO just came out with the Swiss-Army version of the LEGO Brick Separator with some awesome new features! Check this out! 😛
The new LEGO Brick Separator has a LEGO Technic axle-pusher, to remove those stubbornly stuck LEGO axles! No more trying to pry out Technic axles with pliers, screw drivers, or other non-LEGO-compatible tools that could actually damage your LEGO elements!
The new LEGO Brick Separator also has a thinner, pointer tile-remover at the back-end than the old Brick Separator tool. The thinness allows it to slide under stuck tiles, and even separate some stubbornly stuck bricks or plates.
Another nifty feature is the off-set jumper-plate remover at the bottom of the new LEGO Brick Separator. This is something the original Brick Separator could not do, so I’m very happy about this addition!
The new LEGO Brick Separator is not available to the public just yet, although some has been leaking out of LEGO parks and other LEGO facilities here and there. It will be included in the LEGO #10230 Mini Modulars set and hopefully will be available separately as well. I want a bunch of them! 🙂
Awesome! This one looks a lot sleeker, (like you could use it for making models too). That will be nice to have the tile thing at the end, But what I’m most excited about is the jumper plate opener! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to throw the old one when trying to get a jumper plate off. Thank you for letting us know. 🙂
You are welcome, Quad! I also like the new, thinner design. It will be easier to handle in thight places! 🙂
And the jumper-plate remover is directly inspired by the LEGO-gods! With no lips on the edges, jumper-plates have been a nightmare to remove! This little tool should do the trick! 😉
Very nice! Although I like the original brickseparator, this has some awesome features! The axle remover is just great! And I agree with Quad about the jumper plate opener! 😀
Yes, that axle-remover is going to be an often-used tool. Especially by Technic fans! 🙂
i have like 6 plain brick separators, so looks like i’ll have exchanging to do!!
I know what you mean! Although I think I will keep mine. I only have 2 of the original brick-separators anyway. It is useful to have several when friends are over. But, if I would have 6, like you, I may try to trade too! 😉
actually, i will keep one so that, like, in 2030, people will like that i have an old brick separator
LOL! Good idea! You can save it for your grandkids! 😆
For those who cannot find a brick separator in the store — or in their collection — there is alternatives that don’t involve teeth. There are some bricks that can be used in the same manner as the official separators. Here’s a flickr photo showing them: https://www.flickr.com/photos/retracile/5377762249/
Also, some will be happy to know that jumper plates are starting to come out with a groove at the bottom like tiles. ( https://www.bricklink.com/notFound.asp?nf=message&mFolder=c&mSub=d )
There are many who will be very annoyed that they will not present a smooth surface, though.
I did use the dark grey separators as landing gear in one MOC. It only worked so-so as the studs are (purposely) a little loose.
Great info on the brick-separator alternatives! Thanks for sharing that! Yes, I have also heard about the new jumper plates. I guess everything has its plusses and minuses. 😉
I just got an orange one, it was in the new Batcave building set. Not sure if it was intentionally inserted in or an accident (it does look a bit dirty and used), but it’s very awesome and I’m glad I was able to get one.
I have an orange one!
I actually prefer orange over green. It stands out a lot better in a pile of LEGO! 😀
Same here!
Yeah, it works, unless you are building a pumpkin. 😉
I got mine in a bricks and more set
i have at least 20 new brick separators there awesome
I really like these new separators, and LOVE that they are being included in larger sets. I gave one to my son. Hopefully he’ll stop using his teeth!
And I didn’t realize this could be used on jumper plates. Good to know!
As of 2012 – all large sets >~300 pieces come with a brick separator!
Thumbs up to LEGO for doing that! 😀
If they haven’t done so already, I think Lego should probably include a small comic/ manual in the sets where minifigs explain how the brick separator should work. (Like a male and female minifig taking turns to show the different usages or something. It should be visual enough to work counter-culturally.)
Very pedagogical, although it would require some more paper.
My brother just got one in the Ultra Sonic Raider. Then I traided him a lot for it. Yay.
I got one of these in one of the Hobbit sets and had NO idea what it was for. Thank you!!! You’ve saved my teeth 😀
LOL! I’m sure you were puzzled! “Where does this weird thing go?” But yeah, it is a great tool! The more you use it the more you will appreciate it. If you have two, you will be in LEGO heaven! And it saves both your teeth and your LEGO. 😉
Do you know if there is such thing as a head-from helmet- remover or an arm putter inner?
Yeah, I would love something like that too! As far as heads from helmets, I always found the easiest way is to insert it on a torso then wiggle it off. For putting in arms, please note that as far as LEGO is concerned removing and exchanging arms is not a standard way to play with LEGO. It is kind of an underground method LEGO fans use though. 🙄
Yes, I normally do that but some of my older heads don’t have a very good grip. Once I got an old yellow Han Solo head stuck in a brick warriors helmet and my grandfather had to take it out with a fork! Also I didn’t know that about arm removing. I guess thats why in sets the arms and torso come connected
I don’t think it has to do the grip of the older heards. It is more like the moulds have slightly changed over time, and also depends on which fatory they are made at. I have found that in general recent minifig parts are much looser than in the past. This has plusses and minuses. On the plus side this means that changing arms and separating legs from hips is much easier and can be done a bit more often without damaging the the parts. On the negative side, it means that minifig joints get whobbly a lot faster. 😕
In regards to removing stuck heads, if you have a head stuck in a helmet you can also try to immerse it in warm soapy water. It makes the head slide out easier. Kind of like how people use soap to remove a ring when it gets stuck on their finger. 😉
Can you remove two plates stuck together using 2 separators like the old version?
I tried using the method in the older article but there just isn’t enough room between the handles of the 2 separators to do anything 🙁
I managed to separate them just now using the bottom lip of the separator but it didn’t seem as smooth or easy as your old method…
Iain, that is actually something I just realized myself the other day! It seems like you can’t use that method with the new brick-separators. At least not on plates that are only 2 stud wide on the longer side. If they are more than 2 studs, you can just place the second brick-separator one stud over to the left or right and the process will work. I guess everything has its plusses and minuses. That is why I have two of each of the old and the new brick-separators. Different tools for different jobs. 😉
We only have one of the new separators (from the Ultra Sonic Raider – very pleasant surprise)
When I have two or three little plates stuck together, I’ll put them on a 2×4 brick so I have something to hold on to and then I can remove them one at a time.
Kristina, thanks for sharing that. Yeah, that could work as an option. Although I still prefer using 2 of the old birck separators as they work so well. 🙂
Hi guys! I didn’t know all that was possible. Cool!
P.S. You know you have a lot of LEGO when you have more than a score of them. =P
Hi! I just wanted to say I had a brick separator just like this, but it was orange. Does that still count or is it an even newer version?
Sorry that I hadn’t read your email in a long time! 🙂
I meant “article” instead of “email”. Sorry again!
Nice to have you over! 🙂
Most of the new Brick Separators are orange. The green one is actually very rare. 🙂