Review: 40646 Daffodils
Posted by Huw,
Since the launch of the hugely successful and superb Botanical Collection 18+ sets during 2020, LEGO has also released a number of smaller flower sets with a lower age rating.
This year's one, 40646 Daffodils, however, is part of the core 'adults welcome' Icons range and is the cheapest set to receive an 18+ marking.
Summary
40646 Daffodils, 216 pieces.
£10.99 / $14.99 / €14.99 | 5.1p/6.9c/6.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Beautiful blooms to brighten up your room
- Realistic looking flower heads
- Intriguing building technique
- Leaves look awkward and are best left off
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The box clearly signposts that it's acceptable for adults to buy this set, and I guess it's good that LEGO is doing so on smaller sets: after all not all aspiring adult builders are made of money!
The set contains four narcissus blooms on stems made from regular green Technic axle connectors.
The flower heads are fabricated using a 2x2 cone, a 3x3 dish, and six oval minifigure shields for petals. From the front it's not obvious how the petals are connected.
All is revealed at the back, where you can see two 1941 HANDLE, NO. 4, originally used as a Ninjago weapon holder, are threaded onto a lightsabre bar at an offset of 60 degrees. Three lightsabre bars are inserted into their holes, onto which the shields are connected.
Each stem has two leaves, which are rather awkwardly connected some distance from them, and have a tendency to rotate around it, because the dark grey 27940 BEAM, 1 MODULE W/ 2 CROSS AXLE, 180 DEG. have a pin hole in the centre rather than an axle hole. A better way of attaching leaves, closer to the stem and in a way that stops them rotating is needed: given the success and number of botanical sets being released maybe we'll see a new element produced to solve the problem one day.
They are a bit of a nuisance and are best 'cut off' before displaying in a vase, as I have done.
This is another excellent addition to the botanical collection that makes a great impulse purchase for yourself, or an excellent gift for a keen gardener, your mum or your granny :)
The 216-piece set is available at LEGO.com, priced at $12.99, £10.99, €12.99.
If anyone cares, the vase was printed on my Christmas present, a Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro 3D printer, using bi-colour silk PLA filament. It took 20 hours!
150 likes
49 comments on this article
It looks like a lovely set, but I'm more curious about the 3D printer! Have you printed anything else with it yet? Vases for the whole wave of flower sets? ;)
Ah yes. Shield partpack!
The vase definitely looks better than the LEGO set.
Simple and very effective... bought 3 sets.
@Huw you didn't really mean the PETALS should be left off did you!! :-)
Maybe for a new Botanical range.... Dead Flowers!
Do you mean leaves rather than petals?
Wow, the vase psyched me out, thinking it was some magical LEGO!
These are like Technic. The further away they are the better they look.
Yes I do mean leaves and not petals, thank you.
And, @Jack_Rizzo, it's been going non-stop since I got it while I learn how to use it :)
If memory serves, the 1941 HANDLE, NO. 4 part is a slightly updated mould from the version that was originally used as a Ninjago weapon holder. This new mould includes a hollow stud to allow a 3.18mm bar to pass through the part and debuted in the Jazz Quartet set.
@Huw said:
"And, @Jack_Rizzo , it's been going non-stop since I got it while I learn how to use it :)"
That's the 1st example of 3d printing I've seen that looks excellent. Most look a bit pants! Time for an affiliate link?
@sjr60 said:
" @Huw said:
"And, @Jack_Rizzo , it's been going non-stop since I got it while I learn how to use it :)"
That's the 1st example of 3d printing I've seen that looks excellent. Most look a bit pants! Time for an affiliate link?
"
Things have moved on a lot recently and they are now capable of great results.
I got it here: https://www.box.co.uk/E3S1P-Creality-Ender-3-S1-Pro-3D-Printer_4109975.html (not an affiliate link)
The vase is from Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:570288
Simple yet effective.
I vase-tly prefer the container to the flowers! Congrats on the xmas gift!
@Huw said:
"Yes I do mean leaves and not petals, thank you.
And, @Jack_Rizzo, it's been going non-stop since I got it while I learn how to use it :)"
Amazing! I look forward to seeing more results :)
This set was a no-brainer present for my wife. I think it will look good in her increasing botanical display.
@Binary_Code said:
"If memory serves, the 1941 HANDLE, NO. 4 part is a slightly updated mould from the version that was originally used as a Ninjago weapon holder. This new mould includes a hollow stud to allow a 3.18mm bar to pass through the part and debuted in the Jazz Quartet set."
Thanks for the info. I don't think I have any of the Ninjago ones. This new one certainly has a new design ID.
@Huw, you should attempt to 3d-print a Lego goat!
Also received a 3D printer right after Christmas and it has been running nonstop for days :-)
Love the vase! And the Lego daffs of course.
These look ok - third best in the “botanical junior collection”. Definitely better than the tulips, but not on the level of the roses of sunflowers.
How to make a Lego review and accidentally spotlighting everything but the Lego -- This vase absolutely steals the show!
When you'll have to review an ugly set please gift us with one of your fabulous 3D creations :)
It's not the case here though: It's a lovely set of a great lovely theme full of new opportunities and a great use of parts and recolors.
But that vase!
Another simple but lovely botanical set. Great review as well!
Oh wow, that's a fantastic way to attach those petals - not what I expected at all!
The petals are the same pieces as used in the old native tribe sets, right?
Element 1941 makes a welcome return, in a very useful colour.
I kind of like these daffodils, and not just as parts-packs. Maybe it's because I'm wildly irresponsible when it comes to plant-life, and I feel that these flowers might actually survive my criminal negligence.
Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again.
@R0Sch said:
"Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again."
Wakey wakey man. The fake plants sets is just a handful of close to 700 different new sets lego produces each year, granted a lot of those are duplo, dots, or 4+ sets, but I'm sure you'll find something for your specific, fake-greenery hating self.
I really want to like these but the cone piece is just too ugly. They should have re-colored the Krydshul & Crown Leaf piece in flame yellow orange or bright yellow.
@Huw, if you need some inspiration what to do with your 3D-printer, this guy does some awesome Lego (Technic) related stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@MattDenton
@thor96 said:
" @R0Sch said:
"Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again."
Wakey wakey man. The fake plants sets is just a handful of close to 700 different new sets lego produces each year, granted a lot of those are duplo, dots, or 4+ sets, but I'm sure you'll find something for your specific, fake-greenery hating self."
Don't you see that the sheer number of 1:1 real life objects made of bricks is increasing every year instead of putting that creativity and production capacity to better use and accept for instance more Ideas submissions, which thousands of people would actually want to buy, but keep getting rejected due to a lack of capacity (designers & production)?
@R0Sch said:
" @thor96 said:
" @R0Sch said:
"Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again."
Wakey wakey man. The fake plants sets is just a handful of close to 700 different new sets lego produces each year, granted a lot of those are duplo, dots, or 4+ sets, but I'm sure you'll find something for your specific, fake-greenery hating self."
Don't you see that the sheer number of 1:1 real life objects made of bricks is increasing every year instead of putting that creativity and production capacity to better use and accept for instance more Ideas submissions, which thousands of people would actually want to buy, but keep getting rejected due to a lack of capacity (designers & production)?"
Yes, i see it. But I think you have a skewed afol perspective. Plenty of people who don't have much to do with Lego on a daily basis are astonished at the fact you can build a real looking typewriter from bricks not to mention realistic looking flowers. To them this is very creative. And the real creativity in lego comes in building your own mocs, not by building from instructions. I really like both and whenever I think that lego sets are lacking creativity I get to build my own stuff and I love it!
@WizardOfOss said:
" @Huw, if you need some inspiration what to do with your 3D-printer, this guy does some awesome Lego (Technic) related stuff: https://www.youtube.com/ @MattDenton"
I don't think my printer is big enough :-)
About the leaves--since on the real plant the leaves are completely independent of the flower stems, I think the fact that the Lego version's leaves spin freely isn't a problem. As long as the vase rises higher than where the leaves join the stem (as I think your lovely vase does) having leaves on one or two of the stems should help fill out the bouquet without looking odd. I'll have to test that out for myself when my own copy of the set arrives!
Also, leaving one or two of the cones off the blooms converts the flowers into quite good versions of small-cup or "pheasant-eye" jonquils, and adds variety to the bouquet!
I want the Vase....oww 3d printed..
They are a bit of a nuisance and are best 'cut off' before displaying in a vase, as I have done.
cut off , you meant removed? or facing downward?
@night13flyer said:
"They are a bit of a nuisance and are best 'cut off' before displaying in a vase, as I have done.
cut off , you meant removed? or facing downward?"
Removed
That vase is ridiculously pretty and I am sad that it cannot be purchased anywhere.
I need that vase.
Perhaps I should go into production :)
Dam those ones hella hard display right... going need shorten stem on some too
also heard if possible put styrofoam bottom vase,, so stems don't move
think need have small opening vase or they move around too much:(
@Huw:
The tri-hilt used here is original to the Ideas Jazz Band, and has never been used in a Ninjago set. That inferior piece has a solid stud on one side and a flat spot on the other, so it wouldn’t even work in this situation. This has hollow stud and anti-stud, so you can stack them and pin them together with a bar or flex-tube. This is exactly what I wished they had done originally when I used four of the Ninjago version to make a pair of 5G towers. I’ve just replaced them yesterday, and the result is much more stable.
@sjr60:
10314
I saw this set while I was out hunting for 501st battle packs. I like this set and its price point, and if it weren't for my limited budget (only had cash for one Tusken brickheadz and one 501st battle pack), I would certainly have picked one up for my girlfriend to save for later as a Valentine's Day present (just with a LEGO fan's spin on it)
@Huw said:
"Perhaps I should go into production :)"
Just out of curiosity, Huw: how much did it cost you in terms of money to make that vase?
@Huw: I think with this review you sold more 3D printers than LEGO Daffodils. ;-)
How about a dedicated review of the printer itself? I bet a lot of us would be very interested. I don't mean a general review of the thing as found on other sites, but your personal take.
@R0Sch said:
"Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again."
So ... bring back Vidyo, right?
@R0Sch said:
" @thor96 said:
" @R0Sch said:
"Good thing I didn't jump on this theme-train too. Wake me up when the ideas for fake plants run out and we can finally move on to original ideas for LEGO sets again."
Wakey wakey man. The fake plants sets is just a handful of close to 700 different new sets lego produces each year, granted a lot of those are duplo, dots, or 4+ sets, but I'm sure you'll find something for your specific, fake-greenery hating self."
Don't you see that the sheer number of 1:1 real life objects made of bricks is increasing every year instead of putting that creativity and production capacity to better use and accept for instance more Ideas submissions, which thousands of people would actually want to buy, but keep getting rejected due to a lack of capacity (designers & production)?"
Really, though? LEGO produced 4 Ideas sets in 2017, 4 sets in 2018, 6 sets in 2019 and 6 Ideas sets in 2020. The Botanical line was introduced in 2021. That year, LEGO produced 8 Ideas sets. There were 9 Ideas sets produced in 2022. So, the advent of these "fake flowers" has actually seen a complementary increase in the numbers of Ideas sets being produced, which completely turns your argument on its head.
Edit: I just noticed that your ire wasn't just directed to the Botanical line, but generally to "1:1 real life objects." But haven't most or nearly all of those sets come out of the Ideas line? Sets such as the Grand Piano, Typewriter, Fender Stratocaster, the Globe and Table Football are all from Ideas.
I don't have any of the botanical sets.
I clicked on this link just because of that lovely vase!
do you think the leaves could have been brick belt
I like the new space theme about the old sets
the vase is beatiful BlackFalconBirdman