From teardown to triumph: Restoring the Radio Shack Armatron toy!

Рет қаралды 3,677

Жыл бұрын

In this video, Randi takes on the challenge of refurbishing a Radio Shack Armatron toy. She completely disassembles the toy and replaces any worn-out gears to ensure that the toy can function like new again.
Throughout the process, Randi shows her expertise in mechanical repair, carefully handling each piece and taking the time to explain the process step-by-step. With a keen eye for detail and a steady hand, she successfully brings the Armatron back to life.
Join Randi on this journey of refurbishing the Radio Shack Armatron and see the joy on her face as she brings a beloved toy back to life.
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Пікірлер: 88

@DanMestayer Жыл бұрын

I wanted one of these. By the time these were being sold in '84, I was already repairing mechanism industrially more complex. Thanks for the inside look Randi. This would have been the toy of my dreams. As a kid in the mid 70's I didn't really play with my toys, I took them apart to figure out how they worked.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

The engineering is just genius.

@bernardstander7642 Жыл бұрын

I have a mint Tomy one in mint working condition. Still play with it, it's an awesome piece of engineering!

@spacefury65 Жыл бұрын

There's a mod for this to use with the old Atari computers.. I never did it, but now I have this and an Atari, so I guess 40 years later is better than never..:)

@stewartsergeant8717 2 ай бұрын

Fantastic video. It will certainly help me with mine if it ever breaks. One tip regarding refitting screws. Turn them the wrong way until you feel them drop into the thread they cut when first installed. This way you're not cutting a new thread in 40 plus year old brittle plastic. I use this method on old Tamiya RC cars I restore.

@stevelucchini87 Ай бұрын

Really like your videos and keep up the good fun! I really enjoy fixing things myself and seeing them work as they should again. Thank you.. Just subscribed.

@RandiRain Ай бұрын

Thank you very much.

@spacefury65 Жыл бұрын

Great video as always... To clean my terminals I use vinegar on qtips.. To repair my gears I use LocTite 454 on a toothpick and a sprinkle of Baking Soda. Would love to see you repair a Nintendo R.O.B. robot... Thanks as always..

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Vinegar has always worked terrible for me. I hate that method. There are so many things that work better. Like CLR. Again, not a fan of the baking soda and CA glue. It has it's uses, but most of the time is sucks.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

In the old Days appliance repair Peiple Used Grease Pencil to mark the Location Front Back End Left Right. Etc As well make drawing

@boyddunson3876 Жыл бұрын

Wow, that one is quiet. Mine sounds like it gonna fly apart but still works well.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

There were audio issues.

@vhm14u2c Жыл бұрын

Wanted one back in the 90s to interface with a PC to try some automation things, I have enough automation with apple HomeKit today ;-)

@generic53 Жыл бұрын

I don't know HOW you keep up with how everything goes back together!😵‍💫

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Take lots of pictures. When you think you've taken enough take more from different angles.

@tarstarkusz Жыл бұрын

I don't know how much you're paying for the CLR, but baking soda and water does a very good job of neutralizing and cleaning battery acid corrosion. I don't think it does much for rust and lime, but I have fixed many, many a battery compartment with it. Vinegar is pretty good too.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I've tried vinegar before and I thought it did a terrible job. Never tried the baking soda, but I keep CLR around for more than just battery terminals. So why not use it?

@studioeffects Жыл бұрын

I've got a broken one, this is a really helpful video.....thanks for making it!!

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Glad it helped

@finbah5706 Жыл бұрын

another great toy repair video. i remember seeing this toy in the box behind the counter and drooling over it at Radio Shack when I was 13. My Grandfather would buy me the cheaper games and electronics, but not the more expensive Armitron or other big dollar toys.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

They weren't cheap.

@stevendunn264 Жыл бұрын

My all time favorite Radio Shack toy.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

It's the best... And it is a TOMY.

@bernardstander7642 Жыл бұрын

I still play with mine! Awesome video Randi.

@gcaprice406 Жыл бұрын

Awesome! My dad bought us one of these as a kid, I remember it very fondly. I’d love to fix up one for my 3 year old, I’ll be referencing your work for sure!

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

It's one of the more trickier ones, just take lots of pictures from every angle, and when you think you have enough, take more.

@gcaprice406 Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain thanks for the memories, will do!!!

@ScottDuensing Жыл бұрын

Like Verbot, I always wanted to know how this worked. Also like Verbot, I'm really glad I never took mine apart!

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

TOMY uses it a lot. The Verbot is a tad different. It spins with a ratchet system, and then reverses the direction when it gets to the gear it needs. I just got a Japanese blue version that I will be refurbing soon. It has the extra 9 volt battery port on the robot, unlike the later ones where they ditched that.

@BRING_GUNS Жыл бұрын

I had one of these as a kid and absolutely loved it. I seem to recall the claw breaking eventually after lots of use.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

There isn't any limit switches on the claw, or anything. So yeah, a kid playing with it not knowing they need stop when it's closed or open, that could surely wear it down.

@TheRealColBosch Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain That explains why mine broke, all those many moons ago.

@hydrolisk1792 Жыл бұрын

Very similar to a tomy design. Very simple electronics and very complex machinery. Bravo on the repairs!! Always a good day when you upload a video :)

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

That's because it is TOMY.

@hydrolisk1792 Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain LOL, you even have a hashtag of it :P

@stevedoe5790 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this - it gave me the courage to go in and replace some cracked gears in my own Armatron. On mine, the claw comes apart if you remove the small set screw at that grey (planetary?) gear at the base of the claw - once removed, it can be twisted and then pulls out, freeing the rest of the claw housing… but as you said, there’s not much in there other than two spring loaded gears used by the claw.

@generic53 Жыл бұрын

Right at the end there I thought you had really ducked up!

@imbadwrench Жыл бұрын

I have 2 of these... plus one newer model with wheels on it.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

The Mobile Armatron? That's next week.

@imbadwrench Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain awesome. my parents bought me the original for christmas when it came out. i can almost use it blindfolded.

@andy-in-indy Жыл бұрын

I bought one of those when I was in High School with them intent to convert it to computer control from my Commodore 64. I took it apart and looked at the gears and put it back together. Radio Electronics did an article later about converting the arm to computer control but the method was too costly for my budget. Today, I would use some solenoids to replace the control sticks in stopping the green drum.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Or servos, but tiny solenoids hooked straight to the spinning drums would work real good.

@boysopas5951 Жыл бұрын

This year. Was able to get one . Not working. So hopefully this video might help. Its kinda complex. But hav hope rhat it gonna work

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Cool Mayne you cam it yo help repair Robots Can hold your Sodierimg Iron for you

@VRplay86 Жыл бұрын

Wow 😳 I remember that when I was a kid, I wanted one of those but it was too expensive so My mom said No.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Same here..

@VRplay86 Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain that's awesome that you can work on them and now you have a working one. You did a great job 👍

@wimwiddershins Жыл бұрын

I still have some parts from one of these in my junk bin. It's impressive how much function they got out of a single motor. It makes me wonder, all that gubbins must've been cheaper to build than adding another motor or two?

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I'm sure it was cheaper to some extent, but TOMY did that kind of engineering in their sleep, It was nothing to them.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Looks like a Prop

@Lion_McLionhead Жыл бұрын

Who knew a radio shack toy had no electronicals.

@xandermijares342 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this! I picked up the super variant and getting it to function again. But like most similar robots, there were so many split gears.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

It's a beast for sure.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

It like a,Automatic Transmission

@khaosnitro Жыл бұрын

i remember that toy🙂

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

The best Radio Shack toy for sure.

@yohanfuretro-love.8306 Жыл бұрын

I want one,looks cool.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

You can find these affordable, but they all need work.

@davidebaldo3765 Жыл бұрын

Mamma mia come fai a non confonderti con tutti questi ingranaggi e pezzi? sei bravissima a riassemblare tutto e a farlo funzionare io ho il mio Armatron che ha egli ingranaggi rotti ma non so come ripararlo e dove trovare i ricambi

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Lots and lots of photos.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Did you film this Early in the Morgning.

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I had to reshoot the opening and closing shots, and overdub throughout all the video, because the audio was all jacked up. The way I sound is do to the fact that I have been seriously ill these last two weeks, and I was faking it. I was really in pain and felt horrible.

@crushedcan5378 Жыл бұрын

that thing looks cool I want to see someone mod two of these onto a onmibot, its a shame they don't make much robotic toys now and when they do it just doesn't have the same aesthetic. So I wanted to ask what are the best and most easy to find molding things?

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I don't really understand the question. "best and most easy to find molding things"?

@crushedcan5378 Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain crap I forgot to double check what I wrote. I mean which of the liquids that you use to create molds and make the new parts (the pink squishy thing and the black liquid) is the most accesible and how expensive is it?

@cruikshank 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for this video. I have a question for Randi or anyone else who knows. I picked up a used Armatron to give to my grandson who’s into mechanical stuff & robots. It works about 90% with the exception of the whole arm raising. It lowers and starts to raise. At about 20 degrees it starts slipping and dropping back. I spent 2 hours disassembling, learning, cleaning, lubing and re-assembly. The action is strong from the motor to the main gears in the base. I took the vertical assembly of gears apart looking for broken gears. I saw none. The gear that controls the elevation is laid out strange. It actually sits across 2 other shafts. This gear also has a spring and a metal backing plus a metal gear that lifts the arm. Anyone have any ideas where else to look? Thanks in advance, Dave

@RandiRain 11 ай бұрын

I've looked at so many of these games it's hard to remember which one is which. I do remember there being a spring to help it hold it up, maybe the spring has long its sprung? It does happen. Maybe a little stretch? Hard to say without looking at it, but that's my best guess.

@cruikshank 11 ай бұрын

@@RandiRain you may be right. There is a spring and it seems to be not very strong. I’ve also thought about adding a counterweight. Thanks for answering so fast.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

To bad you never got a Chance To visit the Factory .we're They assemble Tomy Toys

@JessHull Жыл бұрын

This thing is so "over engineered" (if there is such a thing). I could think of a multitude of ways to make this that would be probably cheaper and less complex to manufacture. But they had to have reasons they went this direction. Maybe small motors were way more expensive to source back then so they went with the one time cost of spending all the time it would take to figure out all the gearing arrangements and all the ratios needed etc, instead of using a motor for each freedom of movement. That way they just have to pay for one motor to do all the various movements. Either way I'm glad they went this crazy route as it makes for a much more interesting "toy".

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I don't think it's over engineered at all. If you can make it with one motor, why add more? They did what they were good at, gears. Now, the Mobile Armatron does use multiple motors, and actually has less functionality. This one blows that one away. You will see next week.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

And this think they assemble this on A Assembling Line and do this in seconds. ALL DAY LONG THE SANE PART. they know how to do it in there sleep . BLIND FOLDED And do it

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Crazy I know... They also designed this thing without a computer.

@gwynethgwenmorgan5937 Жыл бұрын

What an over-engineered toy! Presumably electric motors were expensive back in the 80's, hence the fact that they only used one motor and had gears and clutches to transmit the power to the multiple joints?

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

I know about "over" engineered. This was made by TOMY. That's what they were know for. When you have the ability to make something work with only one motor, you do. There's no reason to add in more when you don't need it. That would be over engineering.

@gwynethgwenmorgan5937 Жыл бұрын

@@RandiRain Yes, sorry, I didn't mean to criticize it, it's an amazing piece of engineering, but I just can't believe the complexity that was involved, beyond most robots of that era. (Although maybe not TOMY ones, going by your other videos). Good on you for getting it working despite multiple split gears to repair or replace.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Use to train children to work in Nuclear Power Plant

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Do you have assortment Of Soribgs??

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Springs

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

How do determine weather to replace or this Melt mend the Gear . This donot have one to swap it out with??

@RandiRain Жыл бұрын

Replace if I can, repair or remake if I can't. I do have assorted springs.

@georgemartinezjr Жыл бұрын

Or you did voice during I n the morning