LEGO Techniques - Tubs and Cups

After our recent discussions on DUPLO, Quatro, and Primo, there is one even larger size of stud to consider.  Did you realize that The LEGO Company has made and continues to make pieces with a stud diameter of approximately 48mm or 10 times larger than a standard LEGO System stud.  "Where can I get these pieces!?" you may ask.  Unfortunately you can't buy these pieces by themselves.  You generally have to buy a bunch of other pieces to get them.  These pieces are the older studded tubs that LEGO sets used to come in (I make this assumption as I haven't seen any on store shelves in a while) or the Pick-a-Brick cups.

Wha?

LEGO in their inherent genius has made even these large elements stackable.  The studs on top have a slightly more pronounced graduation to them which is why I said approximately 48mm.  The bottom of the stud is 50mm wide and the top (just before the bevel) is 48mm.  The very top not including the bevel is about 44mm.  The bottom of the PaB cups are also indented (much like a wine bottle) to allow other cups to stack on top.  This gigantic anti-stud is of course also graduated.  These conical contours are based on the necessity for compact stacking of the cups next to your local PaB wall.

So what can you do with these studs?  The first answer is obvious.  You could get a bunch of 2x3 tubs and stack them to make a life-size fort.  Use the PaB cups to top off your ramparts.  Of course the clutch power is worse than a MEGA-blok so the only defense you have is to push it over on your attacker once he's at your wall.  Game over.

The second answer would involve finding some sort of piece that could step these fatties down to System size.  Being 48mm wide, the studs are the same size as a 6x6 round plate or dish.  Given the looser tolerance of the cups, the only place a 6x6 round will fit snug is to the inside of the lid stud.

 For once though I am flabbergasted on a missed opportunity.  As noted in my previous post on PaB cups and holiday boxes, the small cups are precisely half the VOLUME of the big cups.  However the small cups are slightly LESS than half the height of a large cup.  Were the large cup to be a touch girthier than the problem would be solved.  As it is, the small cups are 78mm tall and the tall cups are about 170mm tall.  This is just shy of 8-1/3 studs and 18 studs high respectively.

 

Could you build with them?  Well, sure.  But you're limited to 2x2 and 2x3 bricks and 1x1 round bricks that aren't quite the same height.  Adding another lid or two on top may get you there but at that point, why bother.  Just go get some Soft Bricks.  84 elements for $500?  I'll take a 6-pack, please...