I literally just cried my eyes out watching this. Ive always held this random memory from 1987 where I was standing in my kitchen playing with my armatron and my mom handing me a twinkie that I grabbed with the pincers. She died when I was 15 in 1995 so those types of memories are really special to me. Thanks for this video.
I guess plastic injection molding costs less than multiple motors? That's the only reason I see for using a mechanical interface, especially with that many degrees of freedom
The second incarnation of the Armatron dispensed with the planetary gears and actually did use discrete motors for each joint. But the engineering that went into the planetary gear arrangement in the first generation was quite awe inspiring when I cracked open one of them back in the mid-80's as a teenager.
I have this arm still! I've had it since I was a kid and it was ALWAYS my favourite! I pulled it apart one time when I was younger and got blown away by the number of gears
This RUclips channel is he best. It’s like “what’s inside,” but without hitting everything with an axe. So you get to see the inside of thing without the things being completely demolished. SO YOU ACTUALLY GET TO SEE WHATS INSIDE.
I bought one of these when I was 16. Now I'm 50 and still have it with me. It has the same issue with small gears. It's a pitty. Thanks for bring me back to my child moments.
Yeah I thought that too Trent but then I realized maybe what he did was hit the snapshot button on the camcorder at each step, so that after the video was done he would have a convenient set of pictures at each step, which is easier than replaying the video and pausing each time.
This thing must have been a hot seller for a decade or more. Because I received one as a Christmas gift in '94 or '95, sometime around there. I always wished it had more power. Thank you, uncle Frank, for all of the great gifts. You're the best.
Just used this video to help me open and repair my own Armatron that I've owned for decades. After opening, I got it to power on and run (and I don't have a large solder glob on either battery connector.) However, a pinion gear is broke in the base (not lost. It was there, split in half), and I lost "elbow bend" control. Guess it's time to hit eBay for a non-working one for parts! I know it's a year after you made this video, but thanks. It really helped me out.
During the Vietnam War my great grandfather took apart a window air conditioner and sent it over to my great uncle in a few packages with extremely detailed instructions on how he took it apart. The instructions were so good that my uncle was able to put it back together and have it work, subsequently my uncle's living quarters became a favorite spot to be for most of the soldiers.
Whoever thought on that mechanism should get a medal! Not only the joystick control part, but how the motion is coupled right through the arm. Incredible, if a bit overcomplicated.
"ROB, I am disappointed in you! You're useless! You are grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded for 8728281866788643311578009876421145678865678900875322468908632123567900 years! Go to your room right now!"
I always wanted one of these when I was a kid. Loved these. My mom would go to Radio Shack, for whatever reason, & I was the happiest kid in the world when I got to go. I got to play with all the cool stuff that was there! Radio Shack around Christmas time was like being in a wonderland!! Great memories.
+John Hartman I don't really remember. I haven't watched either of them in 10 years. I only liked the second one for the name and for being shot in Toronto.
Jayrfinite I'm a 900 year old timelord from the constalation of Kasterborous. I stole a little blue box and ran away from my home planet saving worlds as I go :)
Absolutely one of the greatest toys EVER! My uncle found one of these and I absolutely LOVED playing with it. I always wondered how it worked and why it had a constant wirring sound when turned on. Come to think of it... he likely still has it somewhere in the house. I still remember in elementary school one rainy day finding one of these in it's box tucked away in the back of the games cabinet. Knowing what it was I excitedly grabbed it and unpacked it and set it up. All my friends for awhile had no idea what I was doing but it soon became a hit and we'd hold contests to see who could move the puzzles around quickest and all!
I had one of these in 1985!.. they were about $50, which was a hell of a lot of cash back then. my Grandmother bought it for my 5th birthday. it was my favorite toy for 5 years or more. I had forgotten about it until now. im going to buy another one, thanks to your video. thanks for helping me remember my childhood.
I love your videos. Hell I'm a millennial who hasn't used the kinda stuff you handle ever yet I understand everything you say. The presentation is top notch and your voice is really friendly. Good job!
I seem to recall at least partially disassembling my Armatron, but I don't think I went so far as to render it nonfunctional. Then again, I managed to dis- and re-assemble the head of my AT-AT, and it seemed to work, though something about it sounded different afterward.
DataCab1e The 8-Bit Guy I'm half certain it was one of those four little main control gears that I ended up losing too, except mine controlled the elbow. Crazy that this one still had the cosmetic hoses.
WOW Flashback - Sweet Radio Shack Robot Arm ! I won a robotics competition in school using that little thing, amazing engineering went into the 'toy' but certainly full of great ideas and design concepts that can be scaled up for a much, much larger arm !
Wow! I was just thinking about this thing today. This was my favorite toy as a child and I gave it to a friend for his birthday, I've regretted it ever since.
I have one Armatron until today, and working perfectly. I I was a careful (and boring) child with my toys, and the Armatron is in my parents' house even with the whole box still! It's very cool to see him having an attention here, to this day I consider it a great match!
Oh this takes me back! Had one just like it...probably in 1984! And eventually took it apart to see how it worked. Man, this brings back memories. Thanks for posting!
From him The 8-Bit Guy 3 years ago actually no. This gear is far too small. Consumer-based 3D printers like the one I have cannot produce parts this small with those tiny teeth. A commercial 3D printer that is laser-based could probably do it.
For something that size (less than 10mm thick, potentially) you could also - laser cut one, using a photo of the existing one as a template - use a blob of shapelock/instamorph or even just a chunk of LDPE chopping board, cut to shape with the Dremel - squish an existing gear into a piece of clay and cast a new gear out of solder or two part epoxy
Yeah, but since he bought a second unit he now has a wealth of spare parts that are fully to spec from the manufacturer, always useful for oldtech. But yeah, I do like the idea of a near future where we can go to Kinkos or the library and use a 3D printer for spare parts for resto projects like this.
I've tried working on older Radio Shack gear in the past. I hope he heats the gear a bit before extracting it from the donor. Their gears crack if you look at them funny. I have a feeling you're right about public 3D printers not being far off.
I don't know how I missed this episode. This was one of the COOLEST toys I had as a kid. You got me overflowing with nostalgia here. Watching you dismantle it, I'm astounded to realize I never took mine apart; I took almost everything else apart back then. Y'know...I'm thinking I really should add you to my list of Patreon pledges...
I wanted one of these so bad as a kid, I was about 8 when it came out, I ended up with 2 Robotix building sets, I think my parents made a good choice I could do way more with the robotix,.....still everytime I see one of these I want one again, also the radio shack 6 wheel truck that would drive its self by entering a program LOL!
That's so much unnecessary effort and technology wasted. Just buy a smoothon kit from amazon and cast it in resin. No measuring, or additional tools needed.
Oh the flashbacks of this wonderful creation! I remember it like it was the best thing I saved up my chore money to buy it and was not disappointed! Unfortunately, I was the kind of kid that was curious and dismantled mine and never could reassemble it. Thanks for the jaunt back to my own childhood!
Being born in '71, I was more than familiar with the Armatron. This was one of my all-time favorite toys when I was a kid. I went through more batteries in this device than any other I can remember... except for perhaps the Game Gear, and maybe my Merlin.
I know right.. Well his channel is really great. Even on his patreon but this shit is not okey.. same thing with the video he did some years ago about why the Macintosh failed..
When i went to DeVry in the 80's for my final project I built a Vic20 controlled Armatron, I had to replace the single motor with six twelve volt motors (one for each of the six joints) I had to built bearing blocks from wood and used driveshafts to drive the individual functions. I then used a 4 bit to 16 bit decoder to run twelve transistors to operate the motors in each direction, Since there is no feedback sensors all command were simply timed by programming commands in Basic, I still have it kicking around somewhere BTW it was the coolest project that year at my school p
I would love to see a follow up to this to know if you got the gear from the donor version... I remember these... I was very much into computers growing up and use to love flipping through the old radio shack catalogs.. I have had a Vic 20, C64, Amiga 500, Tandy RS something or other, Old 486 pc's etc... Your vids bring me back to my geek youth... Very entertaining
I've still got my Armatron, along with my Milton Bradley Big Track! I think later on in the eighties Radio Shack (or Tandy here in the U.K.) made another version of the Armatron that was on a wheeled chassis base as the controls for it were on a separate control box connected via length of ribbon cable as I can recall so I'd imagine that model would be much more complex internally with possibly some sort of logic circuitry operating solenoid to replicate the mechanical joysticks, or possibly each joint having its own drive motor? My father modified mine though by installing a DC coaxial power jack into the base so I could power it off a mains adapter instead of batteries, though I don't recall having to strip the arm's shoulder down to separate the arm from the base, but there may have been a design revision somewhere along its production run. Either way Tandy's made some amazing toys for the child geek of the family like me..... including those 160 in One electronics bread board kits with the spring connectors. Happy days indeed, thanks 8 bit guy for the memories :)
For future reference, if you have surface rust like you did on those joysticks, you can use an SOS pad. Not steel wool, but SOS pad. It has so much soap on it if you get it a little wet the soap keeps you from scratching the metal up, but it works really good on pulling the surface rust off.
Surprising that after all these years they have not solved the "leaking battery" issue (at least in AA, AAA, C and D types). For you electro-geniuses out there, how come I can have an unused battery in a drawer for ten years and no leak at all, but leave it in a toy for 6 months and you're screwed?
Alkaline batteries can leak when they're dead. An batteries will gradually self-discharge over time. Now consider the above statements. An unused battery by definition will take the longest amount of time until it self-discharges until it's dead and then start leaking. Whereas a battery in some device is going to be at a lower charge level (after all, you've used it for some amount of time) and will take less time until it self-discharges until it's dead.
Brand name battery companies offer to reimburse you if their batteries leak, and damage an item, but some of my stuff I have isn’t easily replaced. Anything that I know is going to be stored for a long period of time gets the batteries pulled out of it.
@Jake Sangria It is possible to make batteries that don't leak, though. I've had the same battery in my laptop for at least 7 years and it hasn't leaked. It probably doesn't actually hold a charge anymore, but it has not leaked. I think the AA, AAA, C and D batteries are just made for a target cost (super cheap) and so they cannot contain the internal chemicals for too long.
@Jake Sangria Of course, but in certain circumstances it would be nice to be able to rely on that. For example, an emergency flashlight sitting in a kitchen drawer for a year. I feel this is an issue that has a solution but it's not worth the effort for the manufacturers.
Awesome! Reminds me of my childhood. Had one of these, along with Robbie Jr. Back then I was convinced that by now, robotic arms would be everywhere (especially in the kitchen, to clean the dirty dishes! lol)
This was SUCH an amazing toy back in the day, and I think if I found one again, I'd love to use it all over again just like back then. It does so many things when it all works the way it should. I truly hope you complete this restoration! :)
@@neuronoc.7343 Not in the video he doesn't address it. Or could you link the video and timecode where he mentions 3d printing? Unless you meant he "addresses it" by saying he's purchasing a second unit at around 8:30. Technically that addresses the problem, but doesn't address this method of repair.
You should be able to reprint one of those using a 3D printer that can print using nylon and probably 100% fill for strength - just need someone who is good at sketchup to make you a plan.
I thought the 3d printer way too for those gears. I wouldn't use nylon plastic because those gears probably aren't nylon just cheap plastic. I would also try a 3d scanner app to see if that would do the job for getting the measurements. It would be nice if someone made the .stl files for all the gears then i would get one of those arms.
nylon filament is only slightly more expensive than pla or abs but the real catch it is a very difficult to handle, secondly FDM usually cant print part that small. 3d scanner isn't ideal for functional part that requires dimensional accuracy, especially for part that small, at least not any affordable 3d scanning solution.
While parts for the Armatron are, of course, no longer being produced, small nylon gears in a wide variety of sizes, pitch, and tooth count are. It should be possible to find something similar enough that would work.
Had one of these as a kid also!!! When I saw this video I couldn't believe it...i never saw anyone else with one growing up...super cool and makes me want one again... cool video thanks man
I had one as a kid in the 80's, sold it to a guy who worked at college and invited me to join, after a few months at the college I then got put on a work experience with an IT company who took me on full time and I've been in IT ever since and about 10 years ago I saw one on Ebay and bought it. So I now how an item that effectively started off my career. Mine is still working
I had one of those! The motor burned out on mine, and 8-year-old me managed to replace it with an off-the-shelf motor from Radio Shack. I think I had to do that a second time as well (I played with this a LOT.) I remember even as a small kid being pretty impressed with the complexity and cleverness of the geartrain.
I understand why your mistaken, but that is actually an original apple 2, in fact now that I look closely it might actually just be some fire behind a layer of glass.
Actually.. That's a Core-Duo Mac Mini. But that's just the one I use in my studio room for copying files from the camera, recording audio, and a few simple things. My main computer is in the other room and it's a 2010 Core-2-Duo Mac Mini.
I'm really happy that you did this video because now, I can consider to unassemble mine to service it without the risk of jamming it all at the very beginning…
Could you get the schematic for the missing gear? This would offer a 3D printing solution. There may be stores you could send the schematics to if you don't have a 3D printer. However, this solution would only be necessary if you can't scavenge the right part when it comes.
Use one of the existing gears and take measurements. They do look like they all have the same gear pitch and tooth count. Heck, even an impression mold would come to the same end result.
He has a 3D printer himself, but the printed gear would be so tiny that the moment it was put on the shaft, it would break Source: A comment in the comment section
On the off chance that you see this comment, the next time your remove rust from metal surfaces (like the joysticks themselves) you can totally just wipe aluminum foil along the surface with water or soapy water as a lubricant. It does an amazing job, did my whole motorcycle that way, now rust free :)
One main reason is that you do not want to breath potassium carbonate or get it in your eyes. A mild acid is way better way of removing it and the brush is used to finish off the process with extremely small amount of potassium carbonate remaining it should prove not to be a problem. Still want to use gloves or wash your hands afterwards. BTW, if the batteries are still in a unit that just started the corrosion process you have to be mindful that potassium hydroxide is present and it will irritate your skin in a big way. After it reacts with air it forms potassium carbonate and is a bit more stable and a little less irritating.
I had attempted and failed horribly to fix a grinding gear in my Armatron that i've had as long as can remember. -- Everything went SPROOInnnggg!!! and pieces everywhere. i would have let it sit until i had a camera to do a proper tear down / restoration like this. Awesome one to restore- ups!!!
Yeah that sounds easy..better just to buy another if you can get one and have it for parts, at least more economically feasible. #d printing is really cool, but the parts come out not exactly as you want them. Now a nice CNC mini mill would make short work of that little gear and it would be perfect.
Thanks, just picked up an Armatron at a local thrift for $4! :) In the end it just needed the contacts cleaning and bending out to get it working, but your video really helped my confidence in the disassembly. The gripper movements are a bit jerky so I'll probably have to do a full strip and clean. The broken/missing gear on yours is identical to the other 3 nearby BTW.
It makes perfect sense if you understand that the word "solder" comes from the Latin root "solidare", meaning "to make solid". The "L" is supposed to be pronounced.
Pronunciation changes over time. The "k" used to be pronounced in "knight" during middle English. That doesn't make the modern pronunciation of that word wrong.
I literally just cried my eyes out watching this. Ive always held this random memory from 1987 where I was standing in my kitchen playing with my armatron and my mom handing me a twinkie that I grabbed with the pincers. She died when I was 15 in 1995 so those types of memories are really special to me. Thanks for this video.
I can only imagine how much of effort it was to design such a toy with just one motor inside.
No doubt! And the sticks had 2 speed proportionate control.
You would think that it would have been easier to just design it with one motor at every joint, right?
Gavin Palmer as the best candidate for naive approach - yes.
@@gavinpalmer9174 yes but that would make it more expensive
Mechanical engineers are wonderful creatures
This is some serious engineering: the whole thing is powered by a single motor, yet can do all sorts of moves.
I guess plastic injection molding costs less than multiple motors? That's the only reason I see for using a mechanical interface, especially with that many degrees of freedom
So it can only do one move at a time? Bummer :(
It's possible it could do more than one move by just engaging multiple gears at once. It looks like it should be able to.
The second incarnation of the Armatron dispensed with the planetary gears and actually did use discrete motors for each joint. But the engineering that went into the planetary gear arrangement in the first generation was quite awe inspiring when I cracked open one of them back in the mid-80's as a teenager.
+Ethan Poole hi again!
Whomever engineered this deserved a promotion in that company.
lol, the defunct company?
@@jordanmc9015 At the time it existed, yes.
1:03 look at the bottom right corner on the front of the Armotron and you'll see it was made by Tandy
They got promoted to a company that didn't run itself into the ground ;)
I realize Im quite randomly asking but does anybody know of a good place to watch newly released movies online?
I love old stuff like that with actual gears inside. Only one motor; that is quite a marvel of engineering for $31.95, even in 1984 dollars.
I think this was used in jurassic park. It's job was to rotate the eggs under the IR light.
I have this arm still! I've had it since I was a kid and it was ALWAYS my favourite! I pulled it apart one time when I was younger and got blown away by the number of gears
This RUclips channel is he best. It’s like “what’s inside,” but without hitting everything with an axe. So you get to see the inside of thing without the things being completely demolished. SO YOU ACTUALLY GET TO SEE WHATS INSIDE.
I bought one of these when I was 16. Now I'm 50 and still have it with me.
It has the same issue with small gears. It's a pitty.
Thanks for bring me back to my child moments.
If you had a 3d printer, would you have been able to print a new gear?
i think... but the printer should have also a 3D scanner
Yes he could have re printed parts, he wouldn't need a scanner he could just measure and re make them in something like Sketchup or autocad
Or at least a program with proper measurement scaling and enough precise measuring to reverse engineer another gear.
agreed, should be fixed in like 15 minutes... Dont have to be perfect, just the same number of teeth and roughly the same lenghts..
I'm fairly sure he does have a 3d printer.
I enjoy the passion you have for your hobby. I wanted one of these so bad back in the 80's. Thanks for the great memories.
4:35 I was already thinking: Good thing you recorded your disassembly!
seems like the pictures wouldn't be necessary if he could just play the video in reverse!
Trent Dye LOL! Hey! Aren't you the guy from the "Childish Wonder" channel?
Yeah I thought that too Trent but then I realized maybe what he did was hit the snapshot button on the camcorder at each step, so that after the video was done he would have a convenient set of pictures at each step, which is easier than replaying the video and pausing each time.
+MrGoat I was roaming the comments and we have very similar profile pictures
Caleb Editz The Galaxy belongs to us all :)
OH boy... I LOVED my Armatron!! I'm 37 now and haven't seen one in a very long time, thanks for jogging my memories!!!!
radio shack was so cool back in the day.
+icycirno6 tandy 1000
I loved my school's TRaSh-80s even though I had an Apple 2+. Even though my Apple had color graphics the TRS-80 had twice the memory. A whopping 16K.
If your parents got your xmas presents at radio shack, it was a good Christmas
This thing must have been a hot seller for a decade or more. Because I received one as a Christmas gift in '94 or '95, sometime around there. I always wished it had more power. Thank you, uncle Frank, for all of the great gifts. You're the best.
I got one of these for Christmas one year when I was a kid. I still have it and it still works!
Me too!
Just used this video to help me open and repair my own Armatron that I've owned for decades. After opening, I got it to power on and run (and I don't have a large solder glob on either battery connector.) However, a pinion gear is broke in the base (not lost. It was there, split in half), and I lost "elbow bend" control. Guess it's time to hit eBay for a non-working one for parts!
I know it's a year after you made this video, but thanks. It really helped me out.
Man you brought back some childhood memories. I forgot i had this when i was a kid
During the Vietnam War my great grandfather took apart a window air conditioner and sent it over to my great uncle in a few packages with extremely detailed instructions on how he took it apart. The instructions were so good that my uncle was able to put it back together and have it work, subsequently my uncle's living quarters became a favorite spot to be for most of the soldiers.
“Bought one on eBay for $20 buc...”
*Me: immediately heading to eBay, mid-sentence.*
That's funny JimmyB, I did the same thing. LOL
@@trreb1 same! guarantee we'll never see a $20 Armatron on eBay again, that's for sure.
Whoever thought on that mechanism should get a medal! Not only the joystick control part, but how the motion is coupled right through the arm. Incredible, if a bit overcomplicated.
"Fortunately I took detailed pictures..."
Forgets about the video.
For those wondering: ruclips.net/video/BGTr44K4yN8/видео.html
When I was a Radio Shack store manager, I sold those Armatron toys as fast as they came in from the warehouse back in 1983.
It's ROB's father and seem more useful. Aramtron is disappointed in his son.
"ROB, I am disappointed in you! You're useless! You are grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded grounded for 8728281866788643311578009876421145678865678900875322468908632123567900 years! Go to your room right now!"
+paz Don't remind me and give me cancer again. caayloyew
ROB's addiction to giro mite caused many family problems
+raccoon681 like my comment or CAILLOU will ground your Xbox one
jokes on you my xbox one already burned to the ground
I always wanted one of these when I was a kid. Loved these. My mom would go to Radio Shack, for whatever reason, & I was the happiest kid in the world when I got to go. I got to play with all the cool stuff that was there! Radio Shack around Christmas time was like being in a wonderland!! Great memories.
NO DISASSEMBLED NUMBER 5!!!
You mean Johnny 5 (If you watched the second one) and it was Short Circuit. Yeah me too. Surprised he didn't use it
+John Hartman I don't really remember. I haven't watched either of them in 10 years. I only liked the second one for the name and for being shot in Toronto.
YES
The Doctor Who are you?
Jayrfinite I'm a 900 year old timelord from the constalation of Kasterborous. I stole a little blue box and ran away from my home planet saving worlds as I go :)
Absolutely one of the greatest toys EVER!
My uncle found one of these and I absolutely LOVED playing with it. I always wondered how it worked and why it had a constant wirring sound when turned on. Come to think of it... he likely still has it somewhere in the house.
I still remember in elementary school one rainy day finding one of these in it's box tucked away in the back of the games cabinet. Knowing what it was I excitedly grabbed it and unpacked it and set it up. All my friends for awhile had no idea what I was doing but it soon became a hit and we'd hold contests to see who could move the puzzles around quickest and all!
That was one of my favorite toys, too. The noise drove my grandmother crazy
I had one of these in 1985!.. they were about $50, which was a hell of a lot of cash back then. my Grandmother bought it for my 5th birthday. it was my favorite toy for 5 years or more. I had forgotten about it until now. im going to buy another one, thanks to your video. thanks for helping me remember my childhood.
great video! didnt take mine apart back in the day, and the question about the inner workings crossed my mind a few times recently.
I love your videos. Hell I'm a millennial who hasn't used the kinda stuff you handle ever yet I understand everything you say. The presentation is top notch and your voice is really friendly. Good job!
"If I didn't have that I could never put this thing back together again." Wish you could tell that to eight year old me.
me too.. That's what happened to my original Armatron. I took it apart and never could get it back together.
I seem to recall at least partially disassembling my Armatron, but I don't think I went so far as to render it nonfunctional. Then again, I managed to dis- and re-assemble the head of my AT-AT, and it seemed to work, though something about it sounded different afterward.
DataCab1e The 8-Bit Guy I'm half certain it was one of those four little main control gears that I ended up losing too, except mine controlled the elbow. Crazy that this one still had the cosmetic hoses.
I disassembled my iBook G4 back then, without any guides, without taking photos, without sorting screws. Now I want it back, but yeah.
I once disassembled a furby, even that looked less daunting to put back together again.
WOW Flashback - Sweet Radio Shack Robot Arm ! I won a robotics competition in school using that little thing, amazing engineering went into the 'toy' but certainly full of great ideas and design concepts that can be scaled up for a much, much larger arm !
Wow! I was just thinking about this thing today. This was my favorite toy as a child and I gave it to a friend for his birthday, I've regretted it ever since.
Are you Dr Nim, that game from the 60's that is a mechanical computer?
I spent all of the hours playing with one of these at my grandpa's as a kid you're bringing back so many memories.
So is there an update video?
I don’t think there will be a sequel video.
yeah, same question here. ;)
I received this little marvel for Christmas 84 and I still own it on my shelf ! I'd never have expected to see it again elsewhere in 2020 !
I absolutely love your content! Keep up the good work ;)
I have one Armatron until today, and working perfectly. I I was a careful (and boring) child with my toys, and the Armatron is in my parents' house even with the whole box still! It's very cool to see him having an attention here, to this day I consider it a great match!
I had one of these. It started playing with all my other toys. Soon I was out of a job.
Oh this takes me back! Had one just like it...probably in 1984! And eventually took it apart to see how it worked. Man, this brings back memories. Thanks for posting!
Where is the follow-up video?
ruclips.net/video/BGTr44K4yN8/видео.html
I'm so glad I found this 2016 video. Brings back great childhood memories.
Anyone else actually kinda pissed that he didn’t just 3D print a new gear ⚙️
From him
The 8-Bit Guy
3 years ago
actually no. This gear is far too small. Consumer-based 3D printers like the one I have cannot produce parts this small with those tiny teeth. A commercial 3D printer that is laser-based could probably do it.
To small? A standard prusa printer would easily print one of those..
i know right?
Why hasn’t he used the gears he got in future videos.
Snipes my first ever printer (which is now dead and replaced) was cheap Chinese crap and could easily print one .
This was one of my first toys as a kid. Super cool to see you put this one back in action!
this must be the nerd in me, but $32 bucks for this amazing toy is a hell of a lot better than the toys kids have these days.. da fuq is a hatchimal??
It was worth back then a little over $76 in today's money.
@@Cubester64 Still worth it :-)
frick*
My older brother had one!! I remember playing with it and being surprised at how easy and intuitive it felt to control.
3D print one gear, is that simple.
For something that size (less than 10mm thick, potentially) you could also
- laser cut one, using a photo of the existing one as a template
- use a blob of shapelock/instamorph or even just a chunk of LDPE chopping board, cut to shape with the Dremel
- squish an existing gear into a piece of clay and cast a new gear out of solder or two part epoxy
Agreed. There's no way in hell that would work with PLA filament. Even ABS might be too stiff. Nylon would work.
Yeah, but since he bought a second unit he now has a wealth of spare parts that are fully to spec from the manufacturer, always useful for oldtech.
But yeah, I do like the idea of a near future where we can go to Kinkos or the library and use a 3D printer for spare parts for resto projects like this.
I've tried working on older Radio Shack gear in the past. I hope he heats the gear a bit before extracting it from the donor. Their gears crack if you look at them funny. I have a feeling you're right about public 3D printers not being far off.
having a 3D printer myself, I agree with you.. hence the reason I didn't try to print one.
I don't know how I missed this episode. This was one of the COOLEST toys I had as a kid. You got me overflowing with nostalgia here. Watching you dismantle it, I'm astounded to realize I never took mine apart; I took almost everything else apart back then.
Y'know...I'm thinking I really should add you to my list of Patreon pledges...
I remember lusting after one of these in a Radio Shack catalog when I was a kid.
I had one, it broke gears really easily.
One of my most prized possessions of the 80's!!!
I wanted one of these so bad as a kid, I was about 8 when it came out, I ended up with 2 Robotix building sets, I think my parents made a good choice I could do way more with the robotix,.....still everytime I see one of these I want one again, also the radio shack 6 wheel truck that would drive its self by entering a program LOL!
2023 on a quiet Saturday. Coffee and a mix of nostalgia, geekiness, and knowledge. Good stuff.
The gear looks like a "quick" 3D printing job.
that would probably take about 15-20 minutes.
No kidding, that thing was pretty tiny. Maybe 30-45 minutes with a lot of infill.
I could design it for you if you provide me with some good pictures with a good ruler.
First thing I said after opening the video, after seeing one dismantled before, was "I hope he has a 3D printer"
That's so much unnecessary effort and technology wasted. Just buy a smoothon kit from amazon and cast it in resin. No measuring, or additional tools needed.
I crossed the two hoses over the elbow joint "so people would think it will move the wrong way, and get confused when it doesn't".
Oh the flashbacks of this wonderful creation! I remember it like it was the best thing
I saved up my chore money to buy it and was not disappointed!
Unfortunately, I was the kind of kid that was curious and dismantled mine and never could reassemble it.
Thanks for the jaunt back to my own childhood!
You can’t imagine how much anxiety you gave me when you started taking every little gear and lever out of that thing...
Oh man I remember I had one of these in the late 90s that I got from a friend's older brother. You're digging up some seriously obscure memories here!
No way I had one of those in England "Tandy" sold them, many hours of fun wow blast from the past!
Being born in '71, I was more than familiar with the Armatron. This was one of my all-time favorite toys when I was a kid. I went through more batteries in this device than any other I can remember... except for perhaps the Game Gear, and maybe my Merlin.
Talks about having a history of not following through on videos
proceeds to completely abandon this project as well.
I know right.. Well his channel is really great. Even on his patreon but this shit is not okey.. same thing with the video he did some years ago about why the Macintosh failed..
well, uh...
ruclips.net/video/BGTr44K4yN8/видео.html
When i went to DeVry in the 80's for my final project I built a Vic20 controlled Armatron, I had to replace the single motor with six twelve volt motors (one for each of the six joints) I had to built bearing blocks from wood and used driveshafts to drive the individual functions. I then used a 4 bit to 16 bit decoder to run twelve transistors to operate the motors in each direction, Since there is no feedback sensors all command were simply timed by programming commands in Basic, I still have it kicking around somewhere BTW it was the coolest project that year at my school p
I would love to see a follow up to this to know if you got the gear from the donor version... I remember these... I was very much into computers growing up and use to love flipping through the old radio shack catalogs.. I have had a Vic 20, C64, Amiga 500, Tandy RS something or other, Old 486 pc's etc... Your vids bring me back to my geek youth... Very entertaining
Oh man, that's a blast from the past. I had one of those as a kid and loved it. Played with it until the gears wore out and it no longer worked.
"... aaand occasionally some alcohol." I hear ya brother! ;-p
I've still got my Armatron, along with my Milton Bradley Big Track!
I think later on in the eighties Radio Shack (or Tandy here in the U.K.) made another version of the Armatron that was on a wheeled chassis base as the controls for it were on a separate control box connected via length of ribbon cable as I can recall so I'd imagine that model would be much more complex internally with possibly some sort of logic circuitry operating solenoid to replicate the mechanical joysticks, or possibly each joint having its own drive motor?
My father modified mine though by installing a DC coaxial power jack into the base so I could power it off a mains adapter instead of batteries, though I don't recall having to strip the arm's shoulder down to separate the arm from the base, but there may have been a design revision somewhere along its production run.
Either way Tandy's made some amazing toys for the child geek of the family like me..... including those 160 in One electronics bread board kits with the spring connectors. Happy days indeed, thanks 8 bit guy for the memories :)
Plot twist: the new unit has the same gear missing
That’s not a plot twist...
For future reference, if you have surface rust like you did on those joysticks, you can use an SOS pad. Not steel wool, but SOS pad. It has so much soap on it if you get it a little wet the soap keeps you from scratching the metal up, but it works really good on pulling the surface rust off.
Surprising that after all these years they have not solved the "leaking battery" issue (at least in AA, AAA, C and D types).
For you electro-geniuses out there, how come I can have an unused battery in a drawer for ten years and no leak at all, but leave it in a toy for 6 months and you're screwed?
Alkaline batteries can leak when they're dead. An batteries will gradually self-discharge over time.
Now consider the above statements. An unused battery by definition will take the longest amount of time until it self-discharges until it's dead and then start leaking. Whereas a battery in some device is going to be at a lower charge level (after all, you've used it for some amount of time) and will take less time until it self-discharges until it's dead.
Brand name battery companies offer to reimburse you if their batteries leak, and damage an item, but some of my stuff I have isn’t easily replaced.
Anything that I know is going to be stored for a long period of time gets the batteries pulled out of it.
@Jake Sangria It is possible to make batteries that don't leak, though. I've had the same battery in my laptop for at least 7 years and it hasn't leaked. It probably doesn't actually hold a charge anymore, but it has not leaked. I think the AA, AAA, C and D batteries are just made for a target cost (super cheap) and so they cannot contain the internal chemicals for too long.
@Jake Sangria For sure, but durability has its value.
@Jake Sangria Of course, but in certain circumstances it would be nice to be able to rely on that. For example, an emergency flashlight sitting in a kitchen drawer for a year. I feel this is an issue that has a solution but it's not worth the effort for the manufacturers.
Awesome! Reminds me of my childhood. Had one of these, along with Robbie Jr. Back then I was convinced that by now, robotic arms would be everywhere (especially in the kitchen, to clean the dirty dishes! lol)
Last time I was this early, 8-Bit Guy was iBookGuy
This was SUCH an amazing toy back in the day, and I think if I found one again, I'd love to use it all over again just like back then. It does so many things when it all works the way it should. I truly hope you complete this restoration! :)
I remember seeing one of these at the Shack when I was 12. I wanted one soooo bad. I was far too poor for such a toy.
Same. Ha!
When i was a kid my dad used to work at Radio Shack and i got of those for Christmas one year. I loved it and still have it :)
I wish I could subscribe to you twice. Your videos are great and always very informative. Keep up all the great work.
You can by subscribing to his second channel 8 bit keys where he does keyboard repairs and loads of other cool stuff
2:02 that satisfying click of a motor powering up for the first time in a long time
I'm still waiting for that multi update video
I don't east from west in these matters, but how I love this channel.
2020: 3d print the fourth gear
He already addressed that idea.
@@neuronoc.7343 Not in the video he doesn't address it. Or could you link the video and timecode where he mentions 3d printing?
Unless you meant he "addresses it" by saying he's purchasing a second unit at around 8:30. Technically that addresses the problem, but doesn't address this method of repair.
@@ewfuoywoef32pri He addressed it in his update video. I'm pretty sure you could find it, it's a comparatively recent upload.
Wow! I never expected to see one of these ever again. Got one of these for Christmas back in the mid 80s.
You should be able to reprint one of those using a 3D printer that can print using nylon and probably 100% fill for strength - just need someone who is good at sketchup to make you a plan.
I thought the 3d printer way too for those gears. I wouldn't use nylon plastic because those gears probably aren't nylon just cheap plastic. I would also try a 3d scanner app to see if that would do the job for getting the measurements. It would be nice if someone made the .stl files for all the gears then i would get one of those arms.
You could just order new plastic gears, cheaper then 3D printing.
I could do it easily enough with a top down and head on photo with a ruler for scale. You can also find various types of gear models online as well.
nylon filament is only slightly more expensive than pla or abs but the real catch it is a very difficult to handle, secondly FDM usually cant print part that small. 3d scanner isn't ideal for functional part that requires dimensional accuracy, especially for part that small, at least not any affordable 3d scanning solution.
While parts for the Armatron are, of course, no longer being produced, small nylon gears in a wide variety of sizes, pitch, and tooth count are. It should be possible to find something similar enough that would work.
Had one of these as a kid also!!! When I saw this video I couldn't believe it...i never saw anyone else with one growing up...super cool and makes me want one again... cool video thanks man
update?
I had one as a kid in the 80's, sold it to a guy who worked at college and invited me to join, after a few months at the college I then got put on a work experience with an IT company who took me on full time and I've been in IT ever since and about 10 years ago I saw one on Ebay and bought it.
So I now how an item that effectively started off my career.
Mine is still working
Nice. Looking forward to the Mac g5 video. I've got one. Not sure what to do with it.
I'd like one.
I still use mine every day. The little sucker just won't die.
I also have one, the original 2,0 GHz dual-processor, in perfect working order. It's a beauty even today.
I had one of those! The motor burned out on mine, and 8-year-old me managed to replace it with an off-the-shelf motor from Radio Shack. I think I had to do that a second time as well (I played with this a LOT.) I remember even as a small kid being pretty impressed with the complexity and cleverness of the geartrain.
4:35 Is this guy still using a Mac Mini G4 with OS X 10.5? Massive props if he is! I wish I was that patient!
He still uses an iBook Clamshell, as far as I know... :)
+Victor Tran I don't believe he's using the clamshell anymore, i believe he's on G4's, but I could be wrong.
I understand why your mistaken, but that is actually an original apple 2, in fact now that I look closely it might actually just be some fire behind a layer of glass.
Actually.. That's a Core-Duo Mac Mini. But that's just the one I use in my studio room for copying files from the camera, recording audio, and a few simple things. My main computer is in the other room and it's a 2010 Core-2-Duo Mac Mini.
I'm really happy that you did this video because now, I can consider to unassemble mine to service it without the risk of jamming it all at the very beginning…
Could you get the schematic for the missing gear? This would offer a 3D printing solution. There may be stores you could send the schematics to if you don't have a 3D printer. However, this solution would only be necessary if you can't scavenge the right part when it comes.
the 3d printing service would probably be pretty close to $20
+Ethan Chow he could always invest in one for himself
Use one of the existing gears and take measurements. They do look like they all have the same gear pitch and tooth count.
Heck, even an impression mold would come to the same end result.
He has a 3D printer himself, but the printed gear would be so tiny that the moment it was put on the shaft, it would break
Source: A comment in the comment section
On the off chance that you see this comment,
the next time your remove rust from metal surfaces
(like the joysticks themselves) you can totally
just wipe aluminum foil along the surface with
water or soapy water as a lubricant. It does an amazing job,
did my whole motorcycle that way, now rust free :)
Interesting! I'm going to have to try that!
why didnt you just use the wire wheel to begin with?
One main reason is that you do not want to breath potassium carbonate or get it in your eyes. A mild acid is way better way of removing it and the brush is used to finish off the process with extremely small amount of potassium carbonate remaining it should prove not to be a problem. Still want to use gloves or wash your hands afterwards.
BTW, if the batteries are still in a unit that just started the corrosion process you have to be mindful that potassium hydroxide is present and it will irritate your skin in a big way. After it reacts with air it forms potassium carbonate and is a bit more stable and a little less irritating.
***** Forgive me for aggravating you. Was sincerely trying to help.
I figured as much... Just don't ask me what time it is!
You really should do a video about the CD-i, the reason why we have RUclips Poop.
I had attempted and failed horribly to fix a grinding gear in my Armatron that i've had as long as can remember. -- Everything went SPROOInnnggg!!! and pieces everywhere. i would have let it sit until i had a camera to do a proper tear down / restoration like this. Awesome one to restore- ups!!!
a 3d printer would get that claw working again
this was your first video i saw and subscribed instantly, never regretted it watch all your newest videos and trying to catch up on old ones.
try getting a new gear 3d printed. then you can have both units working.
I was thinking the exact same thing!
Me3
As the missing gear is probably identical to the other three he could have tried casting one using the others as templates.
Yeah that sounds easy..better just to buy another if you can get one and have it for parts, at least more economically feasible. #d printing is really cool, but the parts come out not exactly as you want them. Now a nice CNC mini mill would make short work of that little gear and it would be perfect.
+Oldbmwr100rs with the limited amount of tools I've got I'd just get a thick piece of plastic and dremle it to the shape of the gear.
Thanks for this video. I found it randomly and it jarred memories I had of this toy as a child that I had completely blocked out. Super cool.
So when is the update??? Like if you want the update video!!
3 months later. No update.
1 year later no update
James Sayian
ruclips.net/video/BGTr44K4yN8/видео.html
Thanks, just picked up an Armatron at a local thrift for $4! :) In the end it just needed the contacts cleaning and bending out to get it working, but your video really helped my confidence in the disassembly. The gripper movements are a bit jerky so I'll probably have to do a full strip and clean. The broken/missing gear on yours is identical to the other 3 nearby BTW.
Great video, but why do Americans pronounce "solder" (with an "L" in it) as "sodder"? It's one of life's enduring mysteries.
It makes perfect sense if you understand that the word "solder" comes from the Latin root "solidare", meaning "to make solid". The "L" is supposed to be pronounced.
It's just an american thing. Just like people pronounce "rush" differently in the UK and US.
But... we don't! "Rush" is pronounced exactly the same in both UK and US English.
Pronunciation changes over time. The "k" used to be pronounced in "knight" during middle English. That doesn't make the modern pronunciation of that word wrong.
The L is there. It's just very subtle.
My Armatron still perfectly functional. I even took it completely apart as a kid and took the better part of a month to reassemble it. Awesome toy.