Space Whale Repair

[dratomic]

I was poking through a thrift shop in CT yesterday when lo and behold, I stumbled on a Space Whale for $190! It looked like it was in excellent condition, though it was missing it's key. No problem, I thought -- I'll find some junker of a toy with a hinged "attached" key and just replace it.

When I got home and tested the whale with a regular old key, I discovered that the winding mechanism wouldn't "hold" when wound up. I opened up the toy and checked its guts... Apparently, the axel that the key turns is slipping in the gear... that is, turning the key does not turn the main gear. So all it's doing is coiling the spring, which then releases instantly.

All the gears look like they're in decent condition, so I'm pretty sure that tightening this part will do the trick.

However, I'm not to sure about opening up the gear box. It seems to be tabbed pretty tightly. Also, there are parts running through the box, holding it together, that don't look so easy to remove.

So my questions:

• Does anyone have experience fixing the Space Whale gear box, and if so, do you have any advice (or, would you be willing to initiate repairs -- for a fee, of course)?

• Alternately, does anyone have an extra Space Whale gear box that they'd be willing to sell? (Or, I suppose, a junker space whale... since that's more likely, I guess)?

Thanks!

[Robotnut]

Brian, that sounds like some high class Thrift Store.

The ones I frequent sell items for $5 or less. As for

the windup mechanism, look for gears that have

"popped" out of the frame. I've repaired several

Yoshiya windups, not the Whale though, and I usually

find a gear that has had a pin that has popped out

of the frame. The other problem I have found, is the

ratchets on the main spring gear are not engaging.

As long as nothing is broken, it should be an easy

fix. One way to determine if the mechanism has a

lot of wear is see how much of the flint is left. I

rarely see a stripped gear, but if there is, it will

be a more conplicated repair. Here's a tip I've

used in the past. If it is not an easy fix, take the

mechanism to a "real" clock repair shop. I've had

expensive windups repaired for $20 - $30 and

reassembled the toy myself... :)

[dratomic]

I don't think I was very clear, Darryl... (Okay, I know I wasn't...).

The problem is that the axel is slipping inside the gear. So the gear's teeth all lock up, but the main gear isn't turning at all. The axel is the actual bar that the key connects to. So it's square, which leads me to believe the hole it goes through is square, too. But I can't open up the gear box to see what's really going on...

[Robotnut]

That almost sounds like a ratchet problem...

The square shaft that the key attaches to, goes through

the spring and is attached to the ratchet. The mainspring

and ratchet presses up againsts the main drive gear. If

the ratchet is turning with the key shaft, you likely only

need the ratchet ends to be adjusted. However, If the

collar that the square shaft goes through it stripped or

split, you may need professional help... B)

After rereading...

"So all it's doing is coiling the spring, which then releases instantly."

It sounds like the collar is OK and the ratchet is not engaging. The

ratchet is pressed up against the main drive gear. It "clicks" when

you wind the spring and then grabs the main drive gear when you

release the key.

P.S. I took a lot of clocks appart when I was a kid

[dratomic]

Hm... I suspect I need professional help.

Ah well. Still, for $190, I couldn't pass it up. As they say, "It displays well." ;)

[robothut]

Thet rachet is slipping! you might be able to look and see if the ratchet fingers are bent or broken off. Another wind up toy with a main spring set up of the same size could be used to repair the toy.

[dratomic]

Cool... I'm having trouble opening up the gearbox, unfortunately. The tabs aren't too tough, but there are pieces (like the on/off handle and some other bits) that run through the box and don't really bend/come out too easilly. But if I can get it open, I'll measure the gear and see if I can find a replacement. Thanks for the help.

[steve]

Dratomic says "Hm... I suspect I need professional help."

I also need professional help - unfortunately not the same kind that you do!!! :rolleyes:

[David Kirk]

I didn't check, but I wonder if the Schylling space dog uses similar parts. I believe all of those space animals were released at the same time, and likely have similar mechanisms. If that turns out to be the case, I believe I have spare space dog guts.

[dratomic]

David, if you could post a pic, I'll be able to tell you whether they're the same. Or the same enough... And if you don't have spares, I still appreciate your mentioning this -- I can buy a repro schylling dog easy enough at Toy Tokyo. Or I can look for a junker original, so the replacement part remains vintage (for whatever that matters...)

(Then I guess it's just a matter of performing the kind of perverse, Frankensteinian medical procedure on the Whale and the Dog that makes members of PETA shudder... hm... this is all sort of twisted...)

[David Kirk]

I'll check tonight. I'm hoping I can see down into the whale, or maybe you could post a picture of the gear case and what you need, since you've already opened him up? I know I have lots of dead Schylling dogs already, if it's anything like a match.

[dratomic]

Thanks David. I'll post a picture by tomorrow and we'll see if the repro parts'll work.

[honestjoe]

Hi ...sorry to hear of your problem...if i understand correctly..i had a wind up engine robot (horikawa)..When the mechanism was wound it instantly unwound ...on closer inspection i found as you say the gear/key axle which is a softer metal than the gears had rounded (in the square center)...i got over this by moving the gear along the shaft a few mill...in a nutshell i solved this problem without repro parts...good luck with the project..hj.

[David Kirk]

Well, so far, it's not looking good Dr. The mechanism in the dog is overall about a half inch taller than the whale, and the gears are not configured in a way that you could merely chop off a bit. As far as I can see, nothing fits quite the same way, including the tabs and the switch. Now, I can't really tell you if the ratchet business might still work if you ripped one apart for a replacement, but I'm willing to mail one down to you so you can give it a shot. I bought a heap of these years ago for experiments, and I'm afraid I probably have more dogs than I have years left to fool with them. Man, in fact, I was just looking at this whale swimming next to me here, thinking I'd had it nearly forty years, until I realized it's going to be fifty years next spring. God I'm old!

[Phil R]

Dr A I know almost squat about repairs. I almost forget to reconnect the inside rod to the mouth to open

my whale when I put it back together. Perhaps these photos will be a help. ;)