`Quincy`s Quest` was a live show, going out on Christmas day 1979 and so all props had to be on set in a working condition - definitely no second chance.
The even larger mouldings for the Lego flooring had proved to be a bit of a challenge to make.
Although Andrew had the facility of the overhead gantry in the workshop, which had previously been used for lifting giant marine diesel engines which were used for generating electricity for the studios, the weight and size of these moulds proved difficult to clamp tight.
The internal pressure generated in the moulds was about 400 tons and so the slightest leak in a seal would result in hot molten plastic ejecting like Vesuvius and thus coating the ceiling of the workshop with a skin of insulation and of course any unfortunate workers in the near vicinity.
A quick change of tactics caused Andrew to abandon the moulding process and quickly make thousands of individual round Lego locking pieces to glue onto wooden boards. They would then have to be painted in yellow & green to match real Lego.
It was the day before Christmas and the deadline was near and so Andrew mustered everyone he could convince to help, even calling on his old friend Trevor Baylis, (clockwork radio inventor) to come out and work a 24 hour shift on Christmas eve.
Andrew`s idea was to paint the giant lego floor with Polyester fibreglass resin. It should cure quickly to a hard resilient surface and could be pigmented to any colour.
On a cold winter’s night, this did not happen - it would not cure and remained a sticky mess even when presented on set.
Complaints from the actors were rife as their shoes parted from their feet, especially noticeable in the dance sequences.
Andrew did not attend the shoot that day and waited for the Christmas holidays for it all to blow over…..or at least let the paint dry, In the hope that the show was a spectacular success and everyone would forget the cock- ups.