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Old 10th Nov 2022, 6:43 pm   #1
duncanlowe
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Default 1950s 'cute poodle'

A childhood toy, that was about to be thrown away, it was brought for me to look at.

Battery holder had clearly had a leak, and the switch seemed stuck.

Closer examination and dissasembly of the switch, showed the plastic part had actually melted. So I powered it up from my bench PSU.

I bet the thing ate batteries, seems to draw at least 1A at 3v. The mechanicals are not 100% as I can hear gears jumping at some points. But thought you might like to see it anyway. Unfortunatley I can't show the videoas I took.
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Old 10th Nov 2022, 7:51 pm   #2
Dave Moll
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

Quote:
Originally Posted by duncanlowe View Post
Unfortunatley I can't show the videoas I took.
Unless you can embed your video in a ZIP file of an acceptable size.
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Old 10th Nov 2022, 8:07 pm   #3
duncanlowe
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

I'll give it a try:
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 9:41 am   #4
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

That gave a whole new meaning to taking the dog out for a walk! Maybe removing one eye would save the battery.
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 12:56 pm   #5
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

I am pretty sure that those toys were on sale much later than the 1950s.
If yours is anything like the ones that were on sale in flea markets in the 1980s the gearing was noisy from new.
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 2:23 pm   #6
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

It may be cute but is it as cute as my childhood clockwork dog shown below? You wind it up and it walks along yapping!
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 2:26 pm   #7
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

A clockwork one is more likely to be 1950s to 1960s.
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 2:37 pm   #8
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

It's certainly 50s and has been around as long as I can remember. I've got no memory of who would have originally bought it for me and there's no one left around to ask. It could have even been passed down from an older cousin. The only battery operated toys that I can think of that I had and have amazingly survived is a train set and a boat, the batteries of which are of a type now long obsolete.

Another clockwork toy that survives from my childhood is a clockwork writhing snake, depicting killing and eating a mouse alive - just imagine being able to buy something like that for a small child these days!
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 8:03 pm   #9
duncanlowe
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

Regarding the date. I got 1950s from others of the same model on the internet. I can't see it being that much later given the age of the 'children' who own it and are very much not children, but pensioners.
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Old 15th Nov 2022, 10:16 pm   #10
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

You don't say what the construction material is or even what battery type would have been used, so not a lot to go on regarding dating.

My dog is made of typical 50s tin plate with a covering of fur. The battery powered boat I mentioned that used now obsolete batteries would have used a couple of 3 volt number 8 types.
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Old 16th Nov 2022, 10:06 am   #11
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

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You don't say what the construction material is or even what battery type would have been used, so not a lot to go on regarding dating.

My dog is made of typical 50s tin plate with a covering of fur. The battery powered boat I mentioned that used now obsolete batteries would have used a couple of 3 volt number 8 types.
This one feels like tinplate covered in fabric fur. The battery box is tin, painted blue. It appears to take two D cells, but the label isn't there. Online I found a photo of the paper label and it says VM=1
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Old 16th Nov 2022, 10:52 am   #12
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

That might be UM1 which I seem to recall was a far-eastern name of the D cell
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Old 18th Nov 2022, 1:29 am   #13
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

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Originally Posted by duncanlowe View Post
This one feels like tinplate covered in fabric fur. The battery box is tin, painted blue.
It certainly sounds like it could be 50s, particularly by what you say regarding its owners. I think it's just due to its colour and condition that make it look possibly newer. I don't think we can argue regarding its 'cuteness'!
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Old 18th Nov 2022, 9:34 pm   #14
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

Update, on the date. I've been discussing it more with one of the owners, the middle of the three sisters who was born in 1955. It was actually given to the three sisters, the youngest of whom is only 62, so it seems actually early 1960s rather than 50s.

Now a question. The switch is a VERY crude rocker switch. Basically depending on the polarity fed to the dog itself, depends on which function it does. But the plastic part has melted, presumably from having both switches pressed and the batteries being shorted out. Do I try to fashion a replacement from a piece of plastic, or just find a couple of standard switches to adapt into it? Or something else?
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Old 18th Nov 2022, 9:58 pm   #15
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

If you do end up adapting the switches, might it be advisable to modify the switching so that it can't short out the batteries?
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Old 20th Nov 2022, 12:03 am   #16
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Default Re: 1950s 'cute poodle'

You might be able to source a DPDT centre off 3-position rocker switch which should do it!
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