Springs: Wound Up Too Tight Ouch!

[ratchet]

Playing with Mego Man I wound a little too much and heard a snap. :( The key when winding no longer catches any suggestions.

[Brian..]

Welcome, Ratchet. I regret that a snapped spring requires a replacement. It sounds like a difficult job and in the early days I used to dismantle the entire wind up mechanism to replace the spring. Cogs flew everywhere and getting the spring back in place was like squeezing a cat in a shoe box.

Then I realised that you don't need to dismantle the motor - you thread the spring in from outside, winding it on to the spindle, then letting the notched end catch in the slot in the engine case. It's easier than it sounds, though you do have to open the toy to access the doings. Replacement springs are relatively easy to find from similar donor toys. Occasionally there's a quick and dirty fix: if the spring has broken in a convenient place it can be reused with the loss of only an inch or two of its length. Naughty but effective.

[ratchet]

Brain thanks for the welcome. I had just recieved Mego Man yesterday in the mail. When I opened the box both the kids and I wanted to see him in action. I moved the switch in back no action so I wound one notch and snap. I don't think I trust myself opening tabs. He will have to just look pretty sitting in the cabinet for now.

[ratchet]

Brian or brain which ever you prefer.

[Morbius]

Welcome, Ratchet! You know you're in the right place when the 'brains' of the website gives you all the correct answers himself!

As far as Alphadrome goes, 2 Brains are better than 1! :blink: B)