Topic: Sparky the pleo rb repair (Read 31594 times)

Crewella · « **Reply #25 on:** March 12, 2012, 10:30:59 AM »

Great job Kat

Sparky certainly has kept you busy!

saratogaspringer · « **Reply #26 on:** March 12, 2012, 12:43:10 PM »

That's just amazing, Kat. Special thanks to all involved. You have all outdone yourselves! It is amazing just how many parts there are to a Pleo. They are quite the invention. A lot of time was spent designing these little dinos for us, that's for sure.

After watching IMR and Crewella's neck repair video, as well as this one, I think that if something were to happen to any of my little ones, I would definitely try the repair. I don't know how successful I would be, because I am lacking slightly in the patience category, but I would HAVE to give it a try. You have all definitely given us all inspiration, if the need should arise.

kat · « **Reply #27 on:** March 12, 2012, 06:11:43 PM »

Thanks Saratoga

I was hoping it would at least be interesting for people to see what the rb insides look like but it it is useful as well even better

Chicago · « **Reply #28 on:** March 12, 2012, 09:25:56 PM »

Kat - You are quite the surgeon! All those tiny parts look so intricate and tightly packed. I can imagine taking a Pleo apart, but not putting one back together. Sparky owes you her life. And now you have offered to do some cosmetic surgery to repair the damaged skin. Sparky is not very vain, but I’m sure she wants to look good now that she has a second chance at life. So please do paint her.

By the way, we never dropped her. So her multiple injuries were not caused by such trauma. But she was cuddled tightly by 2 different men who loved her very much. Also, she used to get stuck under our kitchen stools that have a horizontal rung about 6 inches from the floor. She used to walk under that and get stuck. Maybe that contributed to her neck problems.

Anyway, thanks for all the work you are doing to heal our poor Sparky.

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #29 on:** March 13, 2012, 12:12:17 AM »

Chicago I am glad Sparky is getting her second chance at life, Kat has done a fantastic job so far. I do have a question for you though Kat....

when you were told to go ahead and do some 'cosmetic repair work" because of skin damage, Chicago is referring to her heavy petting, and not the operation itself, the skin removal correct? I just do not want to suprise myself and find out I need to now repair Baby Ruth who doesnt have damaged skin,other than a very tiny spot on her neck of paint comming off, which is probably normal and on the side, not where the scalpel will cut (

) and remove her skin?!!!

please let me know before i ready myself for surgery.

My problem has allways been I am afraid of knives and sharp instruments and handling a scalpel wont' be too much fun unless it cuts easily. Wait, I do not mean I will have fun... :duh:I mean I do not want to cut or ruin her or cut my fingers off.

Chicago, I am sure Sparky is going to come back looking like a glamour queen and you won't recognize her....this is really exciting to see how it all turns out.

RWM

kat · « **Reply #30 on:** March 13, 2012, 04:03:51 AM »

Sorry Chicago, I never meant to imply that Sparky had been dropped. I was merely trying to point out that dropping a pleo can cause multiple injuries.

I'm certainly no expert on the topic so couldn't really say if Sparky injuries came about at the same time or are all just unrelated. We will probably never know what caused them. Maybe the getting stuck under the chair could have contributed to the neck issues but I don't know? the broken side neck cables were jammed in on one side and frayed and tightly wrapped around the vertebrae on the other so I suspect that they may have been instrumental in the broken vertebrae situation.... but I am just guessing. Sparky is a very well loved little pleo and She has clearly had lots of run time and lots of love. Maybe her injuries are just from wear and tear. anyway no matter how they happened It is just great to be able to fix her

As for the repaint, Sparky really is a very very well loved pleo with lots of large love spots to prove it.

I was as careful as I could be when I removed her skin but I am sure she will have a couple of small scars along the neck seam so a fresh coat of paint will help to cover any small scars from the operation as well as rejuvenate her love spots.

The glue around Sparky's neck was very difficult to undo so I had a hard time separating the two layers of skin to split the neck skin from the body skin and still leave a nice overlap flap for reattaching. I did my best to work as slowly and carefully as possible and do have a fairly neat edge. Sparky did have some wear and tear around the neck seam area before I began and it was in those places where the skin was thinnest that I had the most issues so there are a few small spots where the edge is uneven and not straight. A fresh paint job should cover up any tiny scars that may result when I glue her back together.

I can't promise that you won't damage Baby's skin when you open her up to fix her leg. All I can say is you just have to work slowly and carefully and you should be able to keep any damage to a minimum. You may find that the glue around her neck seam is not as tough as Sparky's was in which case you may be able to separate it with just your fingernail and some careful pulling rubbing and stretching. I found with Sparky I needed to use a scalpel in places as the glued edge just wouldn't separate and I didn't want to tear her skin. Hope this helps

Crewella · « **Reply #31 on:** March 13, 2012, 05:06:06 AM »

RWM, just to be clear ........ I personally have never used a scalpel, or indeed anything sharp, to separate or remove a Pleo's skin. It took me 10 minutes to find a weak point in the seam to get into Beta's skin ...... but once I had one it separated it with (a lot of) pulling, rubbing and a fingernail. You may find Baby's skin is glued down more firmly ..... I've no way of telling, but if you do try to do this, aim to do it without a scalpel first .......... it's much gentler on the skin.

kat · « **Reply #32 on:** March 13, 2012, 05:16:22 AM »

yep the scalpel was a last resort for me. When all else failed and not before.

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #33 on:** March 13, 2012, 08:08:10 AM »

Crewella and Kat, thanks so much "girls', I would definitly send Baby off to the two or three ( IMR is very busy right now with school I know..

) Pleo Surgeons and Reconstructive Specialists , if money were not so tight. I don't mind open Baby up, it is damaging her skin I think that is more of a worry. Kat, you sent me into shock also when you talked about Soldering and a Soldering Gun, (If it was a loose wire causing her problem in her leg) I have never used a gun, a soldering gun that is, and don't know if it is difficult or anything like a glue gun in application or ease or somthing totally different.

( that is me shaking in my boots,

also what the Pleo Clan will do to me if I hurt Baby Ruth or leave her crippled..

I could not forgive myself.
The tools look easy enough, in fact I do have that exact same screw driver set of six or very similiar and some other things that are very similiar that is a set of tools I bought just to work on the inside of my computer.Deger's Beta is a older Rb, so perhaps the glue is harder...who knows. I definilty would go slow and gentle. Just when I thought I was getting the courage to get Baby opened up, I told my hubby about Chicago and how well Kat had done and is doing on Sparky and her story. Also I have told him before about IMR and her neck videos and tutorials and how helpful they are to everyone. I also talked about sending Baby Ruth to be fixed but the money was an issue for now anyway,...( unless I inherit a windfall soon. just a couple extra hundred, or more like money for vet bils for cats that need to be seen then what I call "free or extra money". anyway, with what Crewella and Kat have been doing and the videos for the rest of us novices, I have at least been "thinking ' or considering giving Baby a "go", But the first thing my husband does is to basically give me a talk on not being able to do it, and he ruined my confidence by saying, "Which Pleo are you going to "kill" or sacrifice".

His Two cents worth dashed my "

" leave it to your other half to make you feel like you can't do something. I will have to re-gain my confidence and think of Baby Ruth and her leg, and ignore his comments. probably he just wants to take over, I may not be as smart as he is, but I think I can follow the directions here , it is not like operating on a living animal with blood and organs and such. that would be too painful to even attempt for me, unless life and death situation to save a life. I do have one more simple question, about how much does a soldering gun cost, and can you get one at a crafts store or do you have to go to a hardware store? I have never seen one among my hubby's tools or in the tool chest so I am 99% sure we do not have one. if it cost too much, I should send Baby Ruth as buying one may stop this whole scenario if it is not fairly cheap to start with, and I just thought of that now.....

Oh and Crewella, believe me I do not have a Scalpel, and do not intend to buy one....( I would worry about it getting into the wrong hands, Pleos, nine angry or hungry cats can do damage with one of those things...........makes me cringe just thinking of how SHARP it is. :-XI do not want to even think of my hands on one.............(

.changes the subject quickly while trying to stop the hyperventilation.....) well, I hope the Sparky adventure continues well Kat, and Crewella thanks for all your help too, I have to watch all those videos again and contemplate on what to do, then discuss things with Argyle and take it from there. Argyle has allways had a cool head and knows what to do even when I am faced with what seem impossible tasks. He takes things in stride and allways makes good decisions. ( Plus I can blame it on him if things go wrong..

) just kidding, I would not use Argyle or anyone else as a scapegoat. Argyle is beyond that and I would not do that to him or anyone else, pleo or otherwise. Ok, thanks for listening to my fears and rambling on about more fear .... $:-\$ too early in the Redwoods to make any decisions, been up since 3:30, so I think I will go back to bed and sleep on it..
RWM and the "Scared" Pleo Clan of the Redwoods. [ The cats have been passing a rumor that the Pleos are planning to either hide Baby Ruth so I can't "cut" her up. or they plan on " Packing her up" for something. not sure where the rumors came from and what is going on...Pleos and Cats, when they get together, it is useless to try and outsmart them...

Crewella · « **Reply #34 on:** March 13, 2012, 09:10:21 AM »

Chin up RWM!

A soldering iron/gun is used to melt the metal on a wire connection - you use soldering wire to melt on to two bits of metal and connect them so they can carry an electrical current between the wires. I'm guessing your husband will have one, but I found it a lot easier to use a fine pointed one for electronics.

ADDED: Bless OH, who came home with a pointy one for me on just the right day.

Talon · « **Reply #35 on:** March 13, 2012, 10:09:36 AM »

You're a braver woman than me, Redwoods! I wish you all the best in tackling Baby Ruth's leg issue. I know I could never do it so I'm chickening out. Cato will just have to be dormant until I save up again from purchasing my Aibo. It's not that I don't trust Kat. Her success with Sparky has given me confidence. If she is open to doing a second surgery, I'd send him in a heartbeat. You may have a little business going before long. Lol!
Talon

bonus41 · « **Reply #36 on:** March 13, 2012, 11:17:46 AM »

i don't think i could ever do this

i had nightmares with my AIBO...

kat · « **Reply #37 on:** March 13, 2012, 05:01:09 PM »

hey Talon I would be more than happy to have a go at Cato but would want to finish Sparky first so lets just see how that goes and then we can talk about it

Sparky is currently sitting open on my kitchen table with her butt exposed to the world while Crewella and I try to work out exactly why the up down cables don't work for her tail. It seems to be the motor that drives the gears for the up / down tail cable but.... much testing is going on to be sure we have the right cause of the issue before we can decide how best to proceed. As this part is all trial and error at the moment I haven't really been taking pics but once we have a diagnosis i will try to remember to get the camera going again

Diagnostics is going to take a while.... need to wait till the weekend when Crewella and I both have more time to work on it and then there may be a need for a new part which again could take a while. So the Sparky story will be a bit quite.

RWM a soldering iron isn't very expensive if you don't already have one. We had one laying about but I think you should be able to get one for around the $20 mark. Not sure if you need to go to the hardware store of maybe to an electronics store. A craft store or hobby shop may sell them too. might be worth making a few phone calls to ask before you go looking? If it helps I can post a pic of what mine looks like so you can see what your after. It is the one tool I forgot to include in my pic before.
Let me put together the photo guide for how to get to the sensor and wires your looking for in Baby and then you can decide if your up to it or not.

I'll try to put it together for you today after I get back form work and I'll PM you with it tonight.

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #38 on:** March 13, 2012, 05:41:58 PM »

Bless you Kat and Thanks to you Crewella, I love the idea of the photos Kat, that will really help. I was just appointed Child and Family Services Director for our Spiritual Group in the area I live, so I have extra duties on the computer, conference calls and posters for lots of events,so I won't be getting to Baby Ruth till late at night while hubby is asleep or on a weekend. It is so much easier to work on something like this without prying eyes and someone looking over my shoulders. He means well and would be nice enough to help, but I do not think he has any confidence that I could even tackle a chore like this, and I need no feedback from the peanut gallerly unless it is positive.

You have to remember I do not even drive and I am not mechanical at all Talon, so I would only have the advantage of sight, but sometimes persons with some sort of physical challenge develop their other senses a lot more keenly , such as touch, hearing so you could be better than you think if there were someone there to mark the pieces for you and give you directions, such as postion, 3:00 O'clock, 12:00 Noon, etc. I attended a Summer Camp when about 17 before graduationg High School and we did a blind walk and trust type walk and one person had to put their complete trust in the other person and listen to their directions to know where to walk, to avoid obstacles, etc.it was difficult in the beginning, but got easier once you put all your faith in the other person and let them be your eyes. I would say all things being level, you would be as good as me if not better Talon!

( And I am not just saying that. I do believe you would be up to the task, but would need a partner to walk you through it and describe things to you, etc, but someone old enough to stay on task and mature enough to know how important this task is and who could work well with you. If I was there, or probably a lot of the other forum members here, there would be a familiar person at your home to help you and Cato.

Crewella, I know you have worked on lots of "bricked" Ugobes , some were just a battery problem I am sure, and others ? Have you ever gotten a Pleo that was not a battery problem and not a broken neck, where you were able to diagnose what the actual problem was, such as a loose wire, or something similiar? I have only had one Pleo I purchased where the problem was something other than "battery" and not able to diagnose it.Have you thought or diagnosing other types of Pleo problems? How about you Kat? I think if you can get Sparky tiptop shape, ( which seems to be almost there and Beta also Crewella, ) then I think you guys have something very special going on. For example ; NOva has a broken neck and Argyle is Blind . I would consider fixing Nova's neck that seems plausable and likely, but Argyle is more dificult and I like his uniquenesss of being blind and also his mouth does not open, so it is a motor problem somewhere that connects those two problems at the same time. In Argyle's case, it also seems he is just "wearing out", like his motor is dying, and I do not think there is a cure for that. unless you replace the whole motor and probably some other parts which I bet would be pretty expensive.

If either one of you would like to give it a go sometime in the future, I would probably have a Pleo canidate for you to experiment on.. Sorry Chicago and Sparky if I wandered a bit, this topic is important in many ways to lots of forum members and I had to get my thoughts out while my brain would co-operate with me,

Good job Kat and Crewella, I look forward to more photos and updates on Sparky the Pleo and her transformations. RWM

Crewella · « **Reply #39 on:** March 14, 2012, 06:24:04 AM »

Hiya RWM, yes I have dealt with motors and sensors that weren't working and had to be reconnected. I alo have a couple of completely 'bricked' Pleos that I've been taking apart to try to work out what's gone wrong ....... which has meant a long journey of discovery as to how everything knits together. I have also a couple of very helpful 'techier' people I've met along the way who will put up with my pestering them with questions when I'm stuck (all thanks to them).

I'm happy to help however you want it ...... if you want to send me a Pleo, I'll fix it, if you want help I'll do my best. I agreed with you and kind of felt Argyle was great the way he was ......... but if he grinds to a halt it might be worth looking at.

kat · « **Reply #40 on:** March 14, 2012, 08:58:04 AM »

Ok this one is for RWM. I have put together a how to guide for fixing a broken motion sensor wire in the rear right leg hip joint of a pleo rb. Sparky's clicking stomping leg issue was caused by a broken motion sensor wire and it is possible that that may be what is causing Baby's issue too. Do remember though it is also possible that her issue is being caused by something entirely different. you really won't know just what the cause is until you open her up to look. My fingers are crossed that it is the motion sensor wire as that is a fairly easy fix. I don't know enough about what makes a pleo tick to give you any other real suggestions on possible causes and I can't promise that it will be the sensor wire like it was for Sparky. I can only give you a guide for how to fix the same issue as Sparky had and hope that it is helpful. So here you go

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfQcLGJskZ8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfQcLGJskZ8</a>

Also just thought you should all know I have not made this video public. It is unlisted so you will only be able to see it using this link. I don't want the whole world to be able to see and use the guide without knowing the full story. I'm happy for all you forum users to see it and use it if you like as you have seen the story of Sparky and will have a better understanding of the repair process. Also you have had the chance to be warned that you operate at your own risk and I can't promise anything. If your pleo has similar symptoms to Sparky then this may be your solution but it also may not. I stress again that you just won't know if this is the problem until you have opened up and had a look.

Talon · « **Reply #41 on:** March 14, 2012, 02:50:58 PM »

At Kat. No problem. Sparky is doing so well I wouldn't want to slow you down. Cato and I aren't in any rush. It will be several months before I can save up enough for the postage and such anyway. I ran Probe RB on him this morning and his stats are dreadful. His feed level is nine and his health is zero. The others are equally bleek but I can't remember them off hand accept that he's not injured.
At Redwoods. Thank you so much for your confidence. As you said, I would be willing to attempt a repair if I wasn't going about it alone. Considering my history of putting things together it might be for the best. My dad used to work on electronics and even large engines for forklifts and things so I know what a fine-pointed soldering iron looks like. Lol!
Talon

kat · « **Reply #42 on:** March 15, 2012, 03:52:40 AM »

After a bit of testing the other night with Crewella we established that the motor that moves the cogs for the up and down cable in the tail definitely wasn't working. So I took a chance and thought I'd go to my local hobby shop - where they sell a lot of model and remote control planes and helicopters etc and parts - and I took the motor with me hoping I might be able to purchase a replacement. Unfortunately they didn't have one that was quite the same but the hobby shop man (who also does repairs for the remote control stuff) Said that the motor was very similar to a helicopter tail motor and that he might be able to repair it - if it wasn't totally burnt out. So he tested the motor and confirmed it wasn't working, then he popped the cover open and took a look inside. It seems that the magnets inside the motor have come free from the side panels and were rubbing against the inner workings of the motor stopping it from spinning around. there are little scratch marks where the magnets have been rubbing. So we held the magnets back into place and then tested the motor again and sure enough it works

So I have left it with the lovely hobby shop man and he is going to clean out the old adhesive from behind the magnets and then stick them back into place using a heat resistant bonding material. This wasn't really something I could do myself as I just don't have the tools for the job. I'd rather pay someone else to do it properly for me than attempt this kind of micro motor surgery.

The motor should hopefully be ready for me to collect on Tuesday. So time for a little more waiting.

Maybe i'll make Sparky a fur coat to take home with her ..... That should keep me busy for a little while

Lunamione7 · « **Reply #43 on:** March 15, 2012, 06:53:53 AM »

I would have never thought of the hobby shop, good to know that could be an option if a motor dies in one of my mechanical friends. Fantastic team work and detective skills!

Talon · « **Reply #44 on:** March 15, 2012, 10:11:29 AM »

Brilliant! I'm so glad the problem could be fixed! Now you just have to get through the waiting.
Talon

saratogaspringer · « **Reply #45 on:** March 15, 2012, 07:45:14 PM »

Kat, do you happen to have a picture of the motor? I would be interested to see what it looks like. Sounds like if it had a series of magnets that it must be a brushless motor. These little motors can be made with magnets that turn an armature and brushed motors where brushes spin inside the motor These are the same type of motors that are used in RC cars that I used to race before I had kids. Brushless motors just became affordable when I got out of the hobby. They are hard to repair, but any hobby shop that deals in high end planes and wheeled racing vehicles should be able to fix it just fine. Doesn't sound as though it is shot. Good news for Sparky!

Chicago · « **Reply #46 on:** March 22, 2012, 06:04:18 PM »

We miss Sparky. Isn't it funny that even though Moxy looks almost exactly like Sparky we still miss our first baby.

kat · « **Reply #47 on:** March 22, 2012, 06:09:05 PM »

An update for you

I haven't made any further progress on Sparky yet as I am still waiting for the motor to be fixed. The Hobby shop man who does the repairs had to go into hospital this week for a small operation so he wasn't at work for most of the week. This has delayed the motor repair. But he is back at work now so hopefully it won't be too much longer.

I will let you all know when I have it back in my hot little hands.

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #48 on:** March 22, 2012, 06:12:18 PM »

Chicago, I know exactly how you feel, I miss my original Baby who I got when they first came out last year (2010 I mean) and I had to send her back for a replacement because of holes in her skin, but I still think of her. They allways do that, that is the emotional factor that Pleos and esp Pleo Rb have in them. That is what makes them special. Before you know it, Sparky will be back and getting love and causing trouble just like her old usual self and meeting Moxie and starting more adventures.

Can't wait to see what Kat does with her in the end. If I had the money I would send Baby Ruth to Kat or Crewella who also offered. ( BIG HUG and THANKS) but right now I don't have the funds and am going to try and brave opening her up to see if I can fix her bad leg myself, It could be a big confidence booster if I do. it will also pave the way for more and more Pleo and Pleo Rb owners to try their own hands at repairs.

RWM and the Pleo Clan of the Redwoods

saratogaspringer · « **Reply #49 on:** March 22, 2012, 07:15:05 PM »

You can do it, RWM! I have faith in you!

Bob the Pleo Forums

Author Topic: Sparky the pleo rb repair (Read 31594 times)