Repro Parts Library: Robothingybank

[Brian..]

I've been thinking for some time about making a library of some of the more common robot and space toy components so that members can print (or have printed) their own. We all have incomplete toys sitting in corners and the cost of replacements is high. At the moment the parts won't be perfect but as technology improves, the parts can be reprinted to a much higher standard. 

 

The obvious candidates are the antennas that are missing from many toys. Other easy projects would be the various plastic hands and battery door cases that we all need.  If any of you have CAD skills you might like to join in. You  don't need to be a printer - the files can easily be adjusted. 

 

Others could contribute by posting good clear images of components along side a ruler. 

 

The Covid crisis means we've time on our hands, so it might pass the time.  Any thoughts?

 

 

[Brian..]

I'll make a start on some of the pieces that I have in my collection so that I can get a good match, but it's always fun to make something just from pictures. The part comes alive.  Here's an interesting one. Alle's looking for an original, but a copy may fill the gap for a while. Can anyone provide dimensions? Clear pictures with measurements would be ideal. 

 

Busy Cart Robot Cart. (If you're tempted to learn CAD this would be an ideal project. It's a lovely symmetrical/geometrical shape that is perfect for beginners.)

 

 

Or how about this more interesting variation? Some wire bending would be needed to finish this, but not too difficult. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[6Stelab9]

It's an excellent and helpful idea, Brian. Antenna and battery door are the best candidats. I think about many toys that need those parts. I can also provide photos of  some parts (I have Mr monster antenna for example) but is it easy to print dish antennas?

[Brian..]

Yes,  but.....

 

I'm not offering reproduction parts that will pass close inspection. That standard will cost you a lot of money. A Busy Robot cart, for example, would cost around $150 plus postage. I've only seen photos of the finished product so for me it would still be a bit of a gamble to buy one.  I recently bought a reproduction Diamond Planet box from a dealer only to discover that his definition of "professional" was my definition of "shite". 

 

Quite a few dealers are offering excellent FDM copies of parts but they do not bear very close inspection - the lines show as faint ridges.  They are ideal as cheap and cheerful fillers but not as permanent restoration parts. John has already experimented with smoothing printed parts and I think this technique could be used to improve results even more. This is the standard that I think we can easily achieve and your toys will look so much better once they're complete. 

 

Resin printers do a much better job. They produce results that are as smooth as a baby's bum but the parts are brittle. However, I've just bought some new ABS-like resin that has interesting properties. It is not as brittle as regular resin. I've used it for the highly detailed hands on the Mekkano Robot that need to take a bit of punishment. I'll test it on some other parts.  Resin is absolutely ideal for those little accessories like the light on the head of the Rotational Robot. 

 

So in answer, yes you can print dish antennas but the result is variable. One thing is certain: as technology improves the parts will get better. The files we post can be printed and reprinted to take advantage of progress. 

 

[ROBODUDE]

Awesome idea Brian!- As they say-A ridge-y part is better than No part at all !

[Phil R]

It's nice to see that there's an effort being made by individuals' like yourself, Brian, to make replacement accessories and visible parts for robots.  how about the invisible parts that make them work in the first place? It's nice to have a robot sitting on the shelf looking good, but it's been made frustratingly clear to me  on my month long process of cleaning, getting my battery op  collection in running order is not easy.  After years of ownership and inactivity the weakest links of the most robots, that being main drive gears, are in great need. I don't think it would have made any difference if I would have run them or not, these gears are and have deteriorated.  John doesn't seem to think we can print them to withstand the stress.  I'm essentially referencing the main simple drive gears to the spiral gears that drive the rotating robots.  The simple gears are somewhat available if you purchase a batch in which you won't use about 95% of the lot.  Realistically, can they be printed in a quality manner?

[Brian..]

Phil, sadly we can't print small structural gears and such like using PLA. It's just not strong enough. The gears will work for a few weeks but the plastic just isn't tough enough and is guaranteed to fail.  I know some dealers are selling them but I just don't think they are going to be reliable. You don't want to dismantle a robot for a repair that will only last a few cycles. 

 

There are other plastics available but they're a bit of a mystery to me. They have to be printed at higher temperatures. I just don't know if resin would be tough enough. Possibly new formulations would work.

[Brian..]

MR FLASH ANTENNA

 

Here's a ready made part, the antenna for Mr Flash. You just need to download the file (the link underneath the image) and print it with no support. You could add a raft if there are issues. 

 

 

 

Flash.stl

[Phil R]

OK. How about parts people actually need. I've been looking for several parts for quite a while to complete two items. I'm sure there are others who need small printable parts that are not available now.  I need the red back plunger? for the Planet Police gun and the red ears and wrench for the Child Guidance  take apart plastic robot. Could someone provide photos or files for printing.  My gun has the bulb.

 

Just a side note: I would gladly trade my 40 years in graphic litho and box repair for cad files and printing for any parts I need now or later.

[Brian..]

Perhaps a little esoteric, Phil!

 

Let's go for the common ones first - the hands for the Television Robot, Horikawa battery backs etc. I think I have the Yonezawa Talking Robot battery cover somewhere. 

[Golddalek]

Your idea for a Library sounds nice....I'd be willing to draw some obj, stl files.....

I helped out a fellow alphadrome member last year make a replacement part.

 

Haven't heard from some folks for awhile. least they haven't posted....

I consider this a group of friends...I don't have many, so I kind of lean on this board I guess.

 

Hope all is well with every one.

 

[Brian..]

Thanks, Golddalek. 

 

Here's a dish antenna that I just knocked up. It took 20 minutes, so it's not demanding. I'll give it a test print. I believe it's from an Alps Missile Robot, but may fit other robots. File coming soon 

 

 

 

[Morbius]

Fantastic ideas Brian. 

[robothut]

As for smoothing 3d printed FDM parts. The polysmoth filament is OK, it is flexible once smoothed , if its detailed part you will lose some details depending on how much you smooth the part. But I have also experimented and so have others with taking the 3d printing resin and using it as a top coating over my FDM 3d printed parts then curing it with a UV light. Works great and is fast to cure. I think if a person set up a air brush type system to coat the parts with the liquid resin it might be even better. But as it is still cold here I have not played with the idea more for months now. Maybe in the summer "should that ever happen" I will give it a go again.

[Brian..]

Phil, can you make an educated guess about the dimensions of that back plunger for the Planet Police Jet Gun? It's another easy shape that I can probably make.