PlaymoFriends
General => Brainstorming For Playmobil => Topic started by: Little Jo on February 12, 2006, 10:21:25
-
I have had enough of always walking to the workshop fetching a screwdriver just when I wanted to insert or change the batteries into the battery compartement of a blinking lights enabled vehicle (or the flootlight). So I got the idea to extend my always handy Playmobil tool set by another one: a screedriver. I took the standard yellow tool (which is used for assembling the System-X building connectors) and removed the blade. This can be done quite easily with a pair of pliers and slightly turning movements, because the blade is only be stucked into the plastic handle. The new blade is simply made by a suitable screwdriver bit (Pozidrive/PZ 1); I grinded the hexagon end until it was round and it had the same diameter than the handle opening fitting tight into it; for this I used a grinding machine. The final step was to shorten the bit that way, that the narrower end of the blade just ends at the handle opening.
(Only shortcoming is, that using the standard yellow handle there is not distinction by color at a glance; another colored handle would be more suitable here ... so I plan to try to bleach it with some hydrogen peroxide.)
[This article (http://www.jr-x.de/playmobil/customizing/screwdriver.html) is also available at my homepage.]
-
BTW, I never understand, why Playmobil designed the battery compartements in that user unfriendly way (needing a screwdriver for battery swap or insertion) ... maybe there are some security considerations regarding kids safety ...
-
What a clever idea! :D
I'm always misplacing screwdrivers, especially the small one I use for pushing legs off klickies. :-[ I like the handy way you have joined your Playmo tools together with a chain. :yup:
Very inventive, Jochen. 8-)
-
That's a very clever idea, Jochen.
As regards bleacing the handle, there's always the chance that this might affect the strength of the plastic, so maybe just a splash of paint or a tag on the handle is the answer.
I think you're right about security, kids and batteries, knowing the desire of youngsters to taste anything they pick up! :omg:
-
Hello Jochen :)
This is excellent, thank you for sharing it with us !! I am certainly going to have to have a go at making one of these.
Kindest Regards Tim :)9
-
I have a lot of those Yellow Playmo keys around I might have a go at that myself and then of course put them all in a chain. 8-)
-
Great idea, Jochen ...
Thanks for sharing it with all of us here at PlaymoFriends!
I'm now trying to think about what other tools I can stick into those yellow handles ... ;)
All the best,
Richard
-
I think alot of people are going to have that tool, and put the three tools on a key chain
Thanks for sharing such a brilliant idea
m
-
As regards bleacing the handle, there's always the chance that this might affect the strength of the plastic, so maybe just a splash of paint or a tag on the handle is the answer.
Yes, sure this might be true. I also thought about painting it, but I assume that the paint will not stay on the tool by frequent usage, so I got the idea to re-color it more in a different way.
-
My suggestion would be to color it with a permanent ink felt pen. :)
-
ANOTHER fantastic idea - I am sure we all have about 2 or 3 (dozen) extra yellow handled tools lying about. :) I will certainly be copying you! Thanks for the inspiration.
-
Update
I solved the color issue (cf. above): in set 3959 there has been a blue key which also can be used for this customization (also cf. the full discription in my homepage (http://www.jr-x.de/playmobil/customizing/screwdriver.html)).
... and I had the luck actually to find one at the PlaymoConvention trading sales :D
-
Never seen a blue one before!
It looks really neat combined with the other ones. :yup:
Thanks for the update, Jochen. :)
-
Clever ;D
-
Very cool! Any idea which set the blue key comes in? I have never seen one.
-
According to PlaymoDB the blue tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-20-0990) was part of 3959 (http://www.collectobil.com/catalogue/items/3959.htm) (which by the way is also the origin of a very famous female ;D). And that's not enough: there also exists a green tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-20-0980) within the same set (but which can be found in several other sets too, according to PlaymoDB).
-
... 3959 (which by the way is also the origin of a very famous female ;D).
Mis Cis, isn't it? :yup:
And that's not enough: there also exists a green tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-20-0980) within the same set.
Any plans to use that for making another custom tool for your set? :)
-
Interestingly, the blue tool is called a dismantling tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-20-0990), the green is called an installing tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-20-0980), and the yellow is just a System X tool (http://www.playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-66-7350). 8}
And looking closely at the images, they look like the handles are different, and the yellow tool may be a combination of the blue and green tools...
-
Mis Cis, isn't it? :yup:
Right :yup:
Any plans to use that for making another custom tool for your set? :)
No, not so far. Currently there is no need for another tool ;D And I only have the green tool once, which is needed to make the bike workshop complete.
And looking closely at the images, they look like the handles are different, and the yellow tool may be a combination of the blue and green tools...
Yes, you're right, the yellow one is a multi-tool combination of the other both. Probably a cost reduction measure of Playmobil (or just a convenience issue, not wanting to change the tool that frequently when dealing with System-X stuff).