Morbius Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra0m_rjt-tA&list=UUFT8EOGNpUv6g3HMy9yBrwg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97GM3j9Zb78&list=UUFT8EOGNpUv6g3HMy9yBrwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPOBBCKa9nY&list=UUFT8EOGNpUv6g3HMy9yBrwg&index=48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Ri1IhJRug&list=UUFT8EOGNpUv6g3HMy9yBrwg&index=46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUrXFmjuvdg&list=UUFT8EOGNpUv6g3HMy9yBrwg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Mike, Thanks for posting the videos. I am sure some of our newer members have not seen some of the wacky actions on these robots. It has always amazed me how many actions they were able to achieve in some of these robots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultrarobotman Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Thanks for sharing the cool videos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Thanks to Mark Bergin I was able to (re-) add this little guy to the collection. My original seems to have gone AWOL over the years, I'd gone through the garage, under the stairs and everywhere else possible and no luck. Although he's somewhat a minor toy, there's just something about this one ... including the colours of the plastic I've always liked and the fragile nature of the styrene used, difficult to believe it was 1981 when I'd bought one new in the store. Very pleased to have him home again. I saw Joe K's at the museum last September and I began wondering where he'd gone... I had then described him to Joe and he marched me right over to his display and I knew then what I had to do. Took this guy apart tonight, been looking at him for months now and as I'm handy as a no-handed paper hanger with these things I didn't know if I should. Of course he went into explo mode, don't know how the manufacturers managed without a third hand to wrestle it all together. In the beginning he only made a clicking sound when the remote was pushed. Then a buzz, then he came back to life...sort of. When the plastic motor housing is pressed tightly together it all works fine. Let it go and you can feel things rattling around a bit, I could be wrong but I suspect the casing may have warped slightly and the innards aren't being held together tight enough... I didn't take the casing apart. He did 'talk' for a few moments during his operation. I'd certainly welcome any ideas to get him running but don't mind at all if all he's doing is just sitting on the shelf, I didn't want to mess with him any further as I dread another 'explo' scene. I really like his 1970's cell phone remote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I'd really like to have one of these robots myself, he's definately a cousin of the Robot Butler. Great piece Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Just thought of a question; does the remote control wire cause melt marks to the body of this robot during storage...does that make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 I wouldn't think the wires on this one would be a problem however I suppose they would cause burn to the plastic if they'd been wrapped around the robot for decades and I'd keep them separate. The plastic is beautiful on this one...the silver sticker originally had red details on it but has since faded. My original was bought in the fall of 1981 for around $15. The store was a high-end company Merryland Toys a sort of Canadian version of "FAO SCHWARZ" in the Yorkville district of downtown Toronto and they also had the brown/yellow remote Soma type robot $35 and a few more from that family. I really didn't want a brown robot for $25 so I passed on that one and most of the others, picked up the Mechanic Robot ($35), Nasa Saucer ($30), the sideways walking wind up Message Robot ($15) and one like this, my bill was over $100 for the 4 items (that seemed crazy enough for the time, my parents weren't thrilled when I'd come home with this stuff) so I never thought to pick up more than one of anything on that day but of course now wish I had. I'd never seen this blue one for sale in a store anywhere else. I believe I lost him in a move somewhere along the line as I don't recall giving him up. I'll certainly keep a search out on more of these, my recollection is his name is 'Remote Control Robot' so doesn't help us much. If he had a proper name it would make it much easier to seek out, a real crap shoot on the searches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Robot and Son Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I have one of these, so I put some batteries in to see what would happen. It seems to work like yours does. Motors work but legs only occasionally work depending on what position I hold it. Makes some loud whining noise. Decided to just put it back on the shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 Soooo, I guess that's how these aged through the years pretty consistant then. Thanks ERS for confirming their infermity, feels better as a collector when we discover a common issue to a certain toy. Everything was made so well with this robot too bad the motor housing seems to be the issue. Mine's back on the shelf too doing what he does best, after uttering his last screech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 A great big THANK YOU to Leon (Kilroy) for the beautifully clean minty working example of this 'bot, and Joe K. for getting it out to me... for the great re-addition to the collection. A long lost piece I'm glad to have back on the shelf, working and in the Canadian box. Can't thank you guys enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Nice piece Mike, I like it much better than the chrome versions...chrome doesn't stand the test of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morbius Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 Thanks Tinman, I recall the chromed robots I had in the '70s and 80's were so incredible when new. As you say these same ones tend to darken in general or they fade toward black in many instances usually with blackish spots and ultimate vanishing over time. Could it be possible that the chromed toys survive better in the dark over the decades? There was a Soma Action Robot the one with the rockets on his head on e-bay this past summer still taped shut in the box. Didn't go after it as I wasn't sure how the plastics/chrome/rubber and the box itself would have reacted with each other over 40 or so years. I settled for one a few weeks later that has some toning to the chrome but isn't too bad. It's surprising I've got some smaller chromed guys that have survived OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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