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[RobT]

Hello

I'm hoping someone can help me.

We have a ugobe pleo which has a broken neck courtesy of my youngest. In trying to repair it i came across this website and forum. I have carefully removed the skin and found that one of the side cables has snapped along with 4 of the vertebrae mostly in 4 pieces. I think i will be able to repair the cable but gluing the vertebrae together around the spine seems very tricky. Is there any way of replacing whole vertebrae, perhaps from a donor pleo? I have seen on the forum that there is a black cap on the spine which others have said they couldn't remove. Is this the case or has someone managed to do so? I am happy to pay for parts or possible repair.

Thanks in hope!

Robert

[pnhicks]

Hi RobT,


Normally I don't jump in right away as there are much more experienced members on the forum, but as they have not responded, I take that as my opportunity to put my two cents in.


As I always state (well usually), I am a great fan of "swapology"; ie find an nonworking  or hard used pleo and use its neck to fix yours. Remove and replace is what we called it in the military (showing my roots).  It is faster if more expensive, but, you could, in the worst of all possible cases, end up with two non functional pleos.


Enough with the philosophical side of things, as you mention as pleos age everything becomes stuck to everything else, due to no small part of the "tinkerings" of prior owners and the over use of super glue in repairs and reskining.


Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of super glue, but not applied by trowel to the insides of a electro mechanical robot.  Besides super glue the actual PVC parts get fused to each other to connecting pieces, ie the Teflon like (dont get me lying) spinal cord to the PVC like vertebrae and the black thingie (that's its real name) that secures the end.


Okay so when they assembled this pleo back in the day, the had to pass the spinal cord through the vertebrae, springs, the neck and body connectors etc and then secure it someway so it didn't just slide out.  I assume (remember the ass u me) that use some sort hot melt or adhesive method to attach the black thingie.


I have successfully removed the black thingie on some occasions using BFM (brute force method) and that has also resulted in me shortening the spinal cord by one cm or so.  I have also found in one occasion that the spinal cord just "fell out" on disassembly of the neck.


What can we draw from this:
1. Could depend on how it was assembled at the factory?
2. Has it been tinkered, moded by another user?
3. Or has natural aging processes caused it to fuse permanently or fall apart?


Not so simple, huh?
You can see some of my other posts where I offer to do repairs for others or send them parts and no one every takes me up on it (he he).


Probably for good reason.


Cheers


Peter
Zaragoza, Spain

[InmemoryofRomeo]

With a broken vertebra, the choices are shorten the neck, or find a replacement part. Someone here had some luck 3D printing one if that’s an option available to you.

[RobT]

Hi Peter

Thx for your reply. I also saw your earlier replies in Feb on the same subject. I think i could repair the neck if i had a donor pleo but, having looked online, there seems none for sale almost anywhere. This probably means i am not looking in the right place! Any suggestions?

No one has tinkered with ours, we bought it new and for some years it was just in its box so it's in really good condition with minimal wear. My younger son became interested earlier this year and it's he who broke the neck by picking it up by the head before anyone else was able to stop him....

I haven't yet tried to remove the black cap, i stopped at that point as i could just be making a bad situation worse.

As you say not so easy. Nonetheless, it's pretty much useless as is so there's not much choice really but to press on!

Chers

Robert

[RobT]

Thx for the suggestion viz a viz 3D printing - i might be able to do something there. As for shortening the neck, i'm not sure that will work has we have three broken vertebra....well busted!

[pnhicks]

Hi Rob,


Ebay in the UK, they come in batches.  Most people think they are still worth list price back in the day (2008-9), and will try to ask that much and get it from, well, those people from whom are easily separated from their money.


There is a guy in Italy who sells (reconditioned??, Russian?? reskinned?? I don't know.) Pleos that look fairly NIB on occasion for 100-150. (with or without battery).  There are friends here selling batteries for 50 (rule of thumb is any resold Pleo will have a dead battery).


Every once in a while, one in relatively (for the age) good shape, pops up for 60-70 pounds and sells fairly quickly.  Once in great while really trash units show up (like staring at the ground and the tail with loops in it, i.e. multiple broken cables , gaping holes in the skin ) and are even sold in pairs starting bid at 1 pound (the bidding is intense and you have to know what you want to pay).


Another option is, as you are in the UK, I could probably send vertebrae by mail (they weigh almost nothing).  If you can tell me which ones are wonky.


Cheers,


Peter

[pnhicks]

Hi Robt,


Maybe it will be easier to show you with some pictures?  This is what I have to offer:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tp61gdb7ofuo8ig/20180419_165325.jpg?dl=0

Cheers!

Peter

[RobT]

Hi Peter

Thanks for the two posts. If you could post a few parts to me that would be great, really would appreciate that. My Pleo is with my father as he has many more fine hand tools than i do. I'l ask him to send me a photo of the damaged vertebrae but from memory, from the head end, the following are damaged:

1, with the two small securing screws is ok.
2, ok.
3-5, all damaged, 1 in 2 halves, the others in quarters.
6, the vertebrae with more depth to the plastic at the outer edge, damaged, i think in 4 pieces.
7-8, ok, spring is fine as well.

Shall i pm you with the photos? I'll have some photos for you this weekend and we can go from there.

Cheers

Rob

[pnhicks]

Hi Rob,


I think the photos would help make sure we are on the same page.  I will include some extra "spinal cord" and the two caps, just in case!


Cheers


Peter

[pnhicks]

Hi RobT,


I understand that you received the parts I sent you and that you are looking for a video on the neck repair.  I believe there are several by IMR (http://bobthepleo.com/forums/index.php?topic=2925.0 ) on the forum (also skin removal and replacement).


Dugi (in the same post) made a slide show:

https://imgur.com/a/CuLQv


If you get stuck you can always post a question on the forum or feel free to PM me!  I do not like the PM program very much ( I would prefer an email).


Let me know how you get on!


Cheers,


Peter

[Comarorobotcollector]

This is why it states the age group and up on the box,over half of the pleos i have received
from family households have gashes and broken necks/tails.They have fragile necks and gears which is why these
are not good around kids in my opinion.

I have a ugobe pleo with a completely broken neck and i had to
permanently fix his neck to be strait using electrical tape.He cannot
move his neck but still works.

I really do hope you find the help you need regardless that's a
bummer.

[RobT]

Hi Peter

Just to say thanks for all your help in sourcing some replacement parts for our damaged pleo and for advice on how to set about repairs. I shall attempt a repair towards the end of the month and let you know how we get on. Good to know there is knowledge and experience out there in fixing these guys, so your help is very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Robert

[pnhicks]

Hi Robt,


Just glad I could be of help!


Remember you still have 8 euros credit remaining (jeje)!


Send some snaps of how you get on with the repairs, we are a curious bunch!


Cheers,


Peter