RhothgarTheRobot Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Thanks for the add. I've been going through a few old toys of mine and came across my Horikawa Sparking Robot. Unusually, I no longer have the box for it and it was a toy I played with a lot. I actually say a lot but in actual fact it was probably very little in real terms. Most I didn't play with and are still pristine in their original boxes. This is the one with the four yellow gears with red plastic arms and legs and black feet. It is very hard to wind up. I notice that there are two screws but have refrained from taking it apart until I was accepted onto the forum because I have a knack of going at things impatiently like a "bull at a gate". So I am hoping to get a prompt answer to my question as I am itching to play with it once more. Ahhhh! (Or should that be Arggghh!) Middle aged nostalgia! I don't they would have been lubricated originally. Question is is there a way to strip it without destroying it. I am handy but wondered if there were any pitfalls. I would hate to destroy its remaining function. So... can it improved? Thanks in anticipation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Gil Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Welcome RhothgarTheRobot! I know that there are others on here who know more than me about the Horikawa's, but perhaps they are all on holiday :) It's that time of year I did have one similar that I sold a year or two back. It's the robot in the pic. I recall that it was a little harder to wind than some of the tine robots... and, it seemed to have a shorter spring - not as much to wind up. maybe that's par for the course? When the week rolls around, I'm sure that you'll get some more knowledgeable folks chiming in. Until then, cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhothgarTheRobot Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks for the welcome, Gil No problem. I am sure they are pretty simple inside but it's always best to learn from someone else's mistakes!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Gil Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Bump for Rhothgar - any advice for his robot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick_B Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Hi Rhothgar, I have similar Horikawa as the one Gil pictured. winding was stiff and he didnt want to unwind. Just stood there mocking me. If you haven't tried it, I'd shoot a little WD40 into the space next to the key, and a little up his legs to get some lubricant on the spring and gears. I've done this to mine and a few other wind ups with good results. You do have to put up with some puddles of WD40 for awhile. Others here may have countermand this recommendation, but I've had no adverse reactions yet. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 I remember when we moved into our current house 15 years ago, had a wooden garage door. To stop squeaks I figured spray all the moving parts with WD-40, in this case not so smart. One day as I opened the door and drove the car in, all the nuts and bolts holding the door together started raining down upon me, I got out and ran out of the garage as the banging went on. Loosened all the bolts, never did that again. Good thing it was an old car. I forgot, one use for it is to loosen rusty bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robothut Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Got a hard to wind robot, get a bigger key ! but realy the only time I recall a hard to wind toy was when the spring was not unwinding all the way, so basicly it is wound up. And a careful lube job does normally fix things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Robot Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Welcome Rhothgar! I imagine by now you've already plunged in, but to answer one of your questions, this is one of the few toy robots that's easy to access (one of the great perks of some plastic robots!). Just lay him on his stomach, undo the two screws, and carefully lift the back off. The ears and arms may fall out, but they'll slide right back in. I hope you've been careful and patient...the reason I was so cavalier about disassembling mine was its condition, which includes a broken mainspring from a previous owners excess of enthusiasm. cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 I had a couple of plastic 'bots apart last night during test runs, some of them are easy while others tend to 'blow apart' when you remove the screws and you seemingly need 3 hands to get it back together again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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