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Old 15th May 2020, 2:04 pm   #1
high_vacuum_house
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Smile 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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Old 15th May 2020, 3:10 pm   #2
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Default 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.
 
Old 16th May 2020, 1:29 am   #3
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
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.
I have still got one of those and the bulb still works too.
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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Old 16th May 2020, 7:29 am   #4
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

Mine was a 2x4 one with a festoon bulb and all clear case.
 
Old 17th May 2020, 2:06 am   #5
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Default 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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Old 17th May 2020, 2:45 am   #6
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

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I have still got one of those and the bulb still works too.
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.
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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Old 17th May 2020, 2:54 am   #7
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

That looks like the bulb can be replaced.
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Old 17th May 2020, 3:40 am   #8
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

Yes, it can.
Things were better in those days!
Steve.
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Old 17th May 2020, 11:42 am   #9
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Default 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
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Old 17th May 2020, 1:39 pm   #10
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Default 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.
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Old 17th May 2020, 2:59 pm   #11
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Default Re: Successeful repair of Lego extension cable

Missing brick for lightness I suppose.
 
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