Mimi
Mimi is a phonograph doll that came with records in multiple languages. She has a variety of international clothing styles to go with her languages. This particular doll came with her French accessories.
This Mimi was acquired through e-Bay. Even though she is in excellent shape, she is unable to speak or sing. Opening the doll, reveals a turntable driven by an o-ring looped to a miniature electric motor drive by a single AA battery. The o-ring was obviously loose and appeared to have lost its elasticity over the years. The o-ring snapped when an attempt was made to remove it.
Adding a fresh AA battery failed to turn over the motor. A pair of jumper wires were connected directly from the battery to the motor in an attempt to determine if the problem was dirty contacts in the electrical circuit or a seized up motor. The motor was seized up and had to be spun by hand to start spinning again under power. A drop of clock oil was added to the shaft to make the motor run more smoothly.
The next step in the repair process will be to size the broken o-ring and replace it with a modern part.
This Mimi was acquired through e-Bay. Even though she is in excellent shape, she is unable to speak or sing. Opening the doll, reveals a turntable driven by an o-ring looped to a miniature electric motor drive by a single AA battery. The o-ring was obviously loose and appeared to have lost its elasticity over the years. The o-ring snapped when an attempt was made to remove it.
Adding a fresh AA battery failed to turn over the motor. A pair of jumper wires were connected directly from the battery to the motor in an attempt to determine if the problem was dirty contacts in the electrical circuit or a seized up motor. The motor was seized up and had to be spun by hand to start spinning again under power. A drop of clock oil was added to the shaft to make the motor run more smoothly.
The next step in the repair process will be to size the broken o-ring and replace it with a modern part.