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How To's & Tips
We can list items with instructions that we have put in the newsletter and those that we have done at the workshop meetings.
Here's one:
NEW PLUMBING for YOUR OUTHOUSE
As a Snow Village collector I get tired of trying to work around the big battery boxes that D56 likes to use on all their low-voltage items. I do not know of any collector that uses batteries. We all now need to cut big holes or pile things in front of all the boxes so we can use the red or green power supplies. When the S V Outhouse came out I thought D56 was down sizing the box but no such luck. Instead they just made it for batteries only. Having had enough, I decided to fix one. Not only will this fix allow you to use the red
(Brite-Lite) power supply, but it also eliminates the "BOX".
Here's how: Go to Radio Shack and get a package (contains two) 1/8" Mono In-Line Phone Jack part # 274-333A for $1.99. Remove the small screw from the battery box and pry open at the clips on ether side of the box. note that one wire is connected to the switch and the other wire is connected to the + battery plate. Mark the wire connected to the + battery plate then cut the wires. Unscrew the black jack cover and feed the wires through the cover. Solder the wire you marked (from the + battery plate) to the center terminal of the jack. Solder the other wire to the other (outside) terminal. Screw the black cover back on and you now can plug the Brite-Lite power supply in and you have new plumbing.
Styrofoam cutter for less than $5.00!!!
A "cheap" 35 watt soldering iron would do the trick. By pulling the tip out to 2", the amount of the tip in the heating element of the iron was reduced, thus the temperature of the tip was lowered to the point that it cut and formed the
styro-foam like the $200 cutter.
Depending on the iron you may need to move the tip in or out a little to get the right temperature for cutting. Once you start cutting
styro-foam, if you need to move the tip, you will need to do it with the iron hot since the foam glues the tip in the iron when it cools.
I found a 35 watt iron at one of the "Big Lots" in Ft. Lauderdale for less than $5 and it is the kind you should be able to find for that price at the Swap Shops or local Flea Markets.
How to fix the Sledding Hill and the Ski Slope.
Over time the Village Animated Sledding Hill (52645) and the Ski Slope (52733) both can stop running from the same problem. The symptoms are, on the
Sledding Hill a sledder stops at the top just as he is going to start down the hill and on the Ski Slope the skiers stop. The problem is probably the
drive belt.
Both of these accessories have a black belt that looks like a rubber band that goes from the motor to the gears that drive the magnetic belt. Over time
and through wear the black belt losses its elasticity and begins slipping at the motor. Replacing this belt should fix the problem.
The black belt is not available from D56 but we found that Discount Auto has an o Ring that will do the job. It is made by O-TITE part #64031 1/16 width,
1-3/4 I.D., and 1-7/8 O.D. They come 4 in a package for $1.49 so you should be set for life.
Installation on the Ski Slope is simple since the belt is in the open and can easily be replaced from the bottom of the Ski Slope.
On the Sledding Hill the belt is inside a plastic case. The case is screwed to the hill and caution must be used to unscrew the case from the hill so you
do not strip the small screws. When you have gotten the case out remove the screws and open the case. The belt is going from the small pulley on the
motor to a large pulley. You will need to remove the bracket holding the large pulley in order to replace the belt. Install the new belt and
reassemble.
We have given this fix to D56.
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