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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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15th May 2020, 2:04 pm | #1 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Belper Derbyshire
Posts: 1,936
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Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Good afternoon,
Not a big repair though I bought some old Technic Lego control centre bits recently. The Lego extension cable can connect a 9V DC motor or a light to the Technic control centre. The connectors consist of the standard Lego 2X2 Lego brick with an electrical contact on the side of each stud and the female version underneath. This was manufactured in the mid to late 90's and the insulation has perished and had gone brittle and come off in chunks. This rendered the cable useless as it had crumbled away inside the connectors and no amount of bodging with insulation tape would have fixed it even temporarily. The thing was almost permanently short circuit. I decided that I had to have a go at fixing it even if I destroyed it in the process. I managed to get the bottom off of the connector with a fine jewellers screwdriver. The original assembly method was that the wire was placed in position and a punch would force the wire into an insulation displacement arrangement and then the bottom would be pressed into position clamping the cable into a tight S formation as it left the connector as a strain relief. I managed to find some old twin bell wire which had approximately the same dimensions at the old cable. The old IDC method of clamping the conductors would not have worked reliably as they were crooked and not really designed to be used again. I soldered the bell wire onto them and they held well. With a pair of pliers I was able to form the tight S in the cable for the strain relief and used a vice to press the base back on. I then did the same for the opposite end. This was a complete success and the extension cable now works as it did originally. I am happy that I have managed to repair something that was never designed to be dismantled and repaired. The total cost of repair is probably about 6p!! and took about 45 minutes. Christopher Capener
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Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television |
15th May 2020, 3:10 pm | #2 |
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Always been a Lego fan, good job there. Our robotics people have a great big box of Technics Lego for desktop "research". The Lego lighting up brick started me in electrics/electronics when I was about 6, or was that 4.
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16th May 2020, 1:29 am | #3 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,554
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Quote:
They used to run on three C cells but mine is fine all be it a bit under run on an broken e-cig top. |
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16th May 2020, 7:29 am | #4 |
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Mine was a 2x4 one with a festoon bulb and all clear case.
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17th May 2020, 2:06 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,554
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
I don't remember any others in the old set we had. There originally used to be two 2X2 bricks but now only the one remains now.
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17th May 2020, 2:45 am | #6 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 1,479
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Oh that's way too modern. A proper lighting up brick like what we used to have (actually still have somewhere...) looks like this
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Those who lack imagination cannot imagine what is lacking... |
17th May 2020, 2:54 am | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,554
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
That looks like the bulb can be replaced.
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17th May 2020, 3:40 am | #8 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 1,479
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Yes, it can.
Things were better in those days! Steve.
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Those who lack imagination cannot imagine what is lacking... |
17th May 2020, 11:42 am | #9 |
Octode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Belper Derbyshire
Posts: 1,936
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
I have always had a soft spot for Technic Lego and still play with it today. Last year I built the all terrain crane which had over 4000 parts!. I have used it to make such things as a test stand for a pendulum clock I was restoring. I do like the way that it has been designed and manufactured so that there is a near infinite number of things that you can make with it. I am just about to attempt to repair a 2X4 pneumatic distribution block with sticking non return valves.
Christopher Capener
__________________
Interests in the collection and restoration of Tefifon players and 405 line television |
17th May 2020, 1:39 pm | #10 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK.
Posts: 1,465
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
In the entrance atrium to the CN Tower in Toronto, there used to be a Lego model of the Tower; I don't know if it's still there. A curious thing about it was a missing brick at a place just outside the reach of a normal person. How had this been removed without some kind of access and how come it could be removed without destroying the model?
Sorry, this is probably OT. Colin. |
17th May 2020, 2:59 pm | #11 |
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Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable
Missing brick for lightness I suppose.
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