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I was busy sifting my compost (as you do) to bag up when I found this broken toy chopper. I have absolutely no idea how it got there, it's not something I've bought and I'm the only one who dumps stuff into the compost pile, and then it's only vege scraps or raked up leaves. Perhaps I raked it up from where it had been lost by the children who used to live here before we bought the place. Anyway, it was a bit fucked. One handle bar was broken off, and more seriously, the spokes of the rear wheel were totally broken. It looks like it can be fixed though. https://pic8.co/sh/oZEbGM.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/1XPbEw.jpg

The old axel was tapped out after filing off the riveted over end. This came out reasonably easily. Then I measured up the old hub and the intact plastic rim and tire. A replacement hub was made from some aluminum bar stock I have lying around. The outer dimension was turned down to a light press fit in the rim. A 2mm hole was drilled for a running fit on a nail I had and the hubs turned down to 5.0mm. https://pic8.co/sh/mZswCt.jpg

The hub was pressed into the rim in the bench vise and adjusted to be centered. https://pic8.co/sh/hCFpRN.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/dXDtW7.jpg

The holes for the axel on the frame were 2.5mm, so something was needed to bridge that gap. I couldn't find any solid plastic bar lying around, and eventually settled on two layers of heat shrink to form a bushing that would fit in the rear axel housing and be an interference fit with the axel. These bushings were pushed through, then trimmed flush on the inside. The axel (a nail with the head cut off) was tapped through until the tapered point was fully through. The protruding ends were then trimmed off and filed flush. A dab of super glue on each axel bush should stop them from moving. https://pic8.co/sh/VhrkWJ.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/rWPLkE.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/L36HCM.jpg

The missing handle bar was replaced with a short length of high tensile 2mm wire (it was a touch thick, but it's what I had). This had a heat shrink cover put on it and was super glued into position. https://pic8.co/sh/hJ78gr.jpg

Converted from a worthless busted toy into a very functional and unique toy with not too much effort (all you need is several thousand dollars worth of tools :-)). https://pic8.co/sh/en9eD9.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/yDYRg6.jpg

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I was busy sifting my compost (as you do) to bag up when I found this broken toy chopper. I have absolutely no idea how it got there, it's not something I've bought and I'm the only one who dumps stuff into the compost pile, and then it's only vege scraps or raked up leaves. Perhaps I raked it up from where it had been lost by the children who used to live here before we bought the place. Anyway, it was a bit fucked. One handle bar was broken off, and more seriously, the spokes of the rear wheel were totally broken. It looks like it can be fixed though. https://pic8.co/sh/oZEbGM.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/1XPbEw.jpg The old axel was tapped out after filing off the riveted over end. This came out reasonably easily. Then I measured up the old hub and the intact plastic rim and tire. A replacement hub was made from some aluminum bar stock I have lying around. The outer dimension was turned down to a light press fit in the rim. A 2mm hole was drilled for a running fit on a nail I had and the hubs turned down to 5.0mm. https://pic8.co/sh/mZswCt.jpg The hub was pressed into the rim in the bench vise and adjusted to be centered. https://pic8.co/sh/hCFpRN.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/dXDtW7.jpg The holes for the axel on the frame were 2.5mm, so something was needed to bridge that gap. I couldn't find any solid plastic bar lying around, and eventually settled on two layers of heat shrink to form a bushing that would fit in the rear axel housing and be an interference fit with the axel. These bushings were pushed through, then trimmed flush on the inside. The axel (a nail with the head cut off) was tapped through until the tapered point was fully through. The protruding ends were then trimmed off and filed flush. A dab of super glue on each axel bush should stop them from moving. https://pic8.co/sh/VhrkWJ.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/rWPLkE.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/L36HCM.jpg The missing handle bar was replaced with a short length of high tensile 2mm wire (it was a touch thick, but it's what I had). This had a heat shrink cover put on it and was super glued into position. https://pic8.co/sh/hJ78gr.jpg Converted from a worthless busted toy into a very functional and unique toy with not too much effort (all you need is several thousand dollars worth of tools :-)). https://pic8.co/sh/en9eD9.jpg https://pic8.co/sh/yDYRg6.jpg
[–] 1 pt 2mo

Aren't you going to touch up the paint? Get some model paint and brushes.

[–] 1 pt 2mo

I thought about doing that. But decided to leave it as more of a "rat rod" style, rather than going for an "as new" look.

[–] 1 pt 2mo

Most people wouldn't have bothered to restore an old toy unless it had some significant sentimental value.

[–] 1 pt 2mo

I like to fix things. Then I gave it to my son, so now he has a one of a kind custom chopper toy. Perhaps in time that will have sentimental value to him.