Space Explorer Yonezawa - The last repair of 2017 - Happy New Year!

[Martian Gil]

Happy New Year!

This week, I got two old classics - the Blue Rosko and a fellow in need of some work.

 

He was well loved (or hated?) In his day... either way, he needs some tender loving repair.

 

I was able to get him apart with tabs intact.   

Now, to see if I can fix his broken spring...     ???

 

  

[Roboto]

And so it begins!

[Racerxc70]

Use Rustmort, it will stop that rust and make him live longer.

[David Kirk]

Is that a Winky? I wonder if you could get a spring from a reproduction, though that would be a bit of a shame in itself. I wonder if you should electrify it instead?

 

[Ultrarobotman]

I really hope you can get this guy restored, MG. I tried repairing just one wind-up a ways back and gave up. Way too frustrating for me, I'd rather work on battery-ops.

[ROBODUDE]

What kind of robot is that Kirk?  The legs themselves look pretty blemish free---GOOD LUCK !!!

[Martian Gil]

 

[Martian Gil]

My last fixer upper of the year - David pretty much had it right, cousin of the Winky - but I seem to be on a bit of an astronaut kick lately.

 

This guys internals were pretty rough.   

His noggin had taken a blow at some time - it left him with a bit of a dent.   

Whether the blow had hit him from the top, or if he'd been dropped, the force had carried through and bent his leg straps a bit & broke of the little mechanism that operates his chest lever.

 

If I were to speculate, I'd say that the spring broke after he got dinged up - due to everything being jammed up inside.

 

He's rough - his guts were pretty rusted.    I gave him a pretty thorough cleaning without using any serious rust treatments.

 

I was able to fix his spring without taking the entire motor / gearing housing apart.   

This was the 3rd or 4th broken spring that I've been able to repair.      The bottom of the gear housing has a little machined slot in it that the spring locks into.  

I used a dremel to cut that slot a bit longer, then I pulled the spring through it and locked it up with a small pair of vice-grips.   

I then heated and quenched the spring a few times and made a funny little twist that did the trick...

 

I fashioned a little fix for the oxygen meter - his inner corrosion had affected the meter a bit, so it no longer has the full range of motion - but it works better today than it has in quite awhile.   :)

I'll post up a few more pics of this repair before getting wild and crazy ringing in 2018!

 

Cheers all!

 

[Racerxc70]

Very cool!

[Martian Gil]

Thanks Racer!  

 

The last pic shows the odd little twist that locked the spring back.

All of my previous spring repairs involved a break near the gear - where I had to re-bend the spring in the gear / wind up. 

This was a bit odd, but a perfect little fix for this charismatic old fellow.

 

 

[Martian Gil]

 

Here is a little clip of the meter lever that that I rigged a fix for.

 

I never fail to be amazed by these amazing old toys!

 

Happy 2018!

[Maloo]

A Hi-5 for a great repair from brother firebot.

A happy 2018 to all the dromers.

[Martian Gil]

Right back atcha Maloo!   2018 must be getting old for you already :)

 

I'm glad you posted a shot of my favorite firebot!   Timely too - I'm looking for info about the finishes...

Yours looks more silver than mine, and this fellow seems to have a crackled finish.    

I'm guessing that mine is the hammer toned finish?   

 

Does anyone know if the hammer tone was an intentional coating - or if it crackled later in life and these finishes were really accidental defects?

[ROBODUDE]

Congratulations on another awesome repair Kirk!!  Happy New Year !!!!

[Ultrarobotman]

Very cool. Congrats!