Vamo blamo

[Deleted]

Feb 1, 2013 19:36:38 GMT vereybowring said:

While it should in theory be fine to use any button the circuitry is using a microswitch which only use mA's of power to complete the circuit. The switch is not taking the full power load like it does with most home built mods.
My thought is the chip might be cutting out as it is detecting a problem with the button as it may have been calibrated for the tolerances of the switch it has onboard.

What you really need is someone who knows the board well enough to check what the chip is doing with an alternative button.

In that scenario is there a better button I can try ?

[robby]

Feb 1, 2013 19:39:21 GMT @ashmal said:

photo coming ... Robby I seriously scratched the top part of mine when I removed it. Not a problem since it was toast anyway but it's not as easy as that YouTube video ...

The way this is, I can only really see it moving with some heat on the outer bit of tube, but it`s too close to the display plastic

[vereybowring]

As I said before buying anything else just try touching bare wires together to see if it fires.
It would at least let you check it out.
Try the bare wires on the button contacts on the board and the other possible positions you've found.

Just to eliminate what may be some of the issues.
Since we don't know how the control chip has been programmed and what it checks for anything to check it's behaviour would be good at this point.

[Deleted]

Need to clean the board ... left some messy blobs as I have experimented. The 3rd black wire on right was an experiment after I tried soldering to the microswitch



Wine time soon ... no soldering tonight !

[mybad]

Feb 1, 2013 19:36:46 GMT robby said:

Feb 1, 2013 19:33:58 GMT mybad said:

Taking mine apart again tomorrow, going to take some close up pics of all the bits,

Robby if your going to take yours to bits, the top can be VERY hard to get off.

Yes, that`s my problem, it`s not budgin

I had a set of wrenches in hand to try get it off without any luck, fortunately I live near work, so I nipped in and put the end of the vamo in the three jaw chuck on the lathe for a firm grip, then used both hand to waggle it off very carefully.

[maccafan]

It's a surface mount switch..It won't poke through on the other side..See piccy below for where the wires from your new switch need to be soldered

[Deleted]

Feb 1, 2013 20:09:39 GMT maccafan said:

It's a surface mount switch..It won't poke through on the other side..See piccy below for where the wires from your new switch need to be soldered

star!

I had tried 2 to 2 ...

[Moon]

Feb 1, 2013 19:43:37 GMT robby said:

Feb 1, 2013 19:39:21 GMT @ashmal said:

photo coming ... Robby I seriously scratched the top part of mine when I removed it. Not a problem since it was toast anyway but it's not as easy as that YouTube video ...

The way this is, I can only really see it moving with some heat on the outer bit of tube, but it`s too close to the display plastic

I got some locking pliers and padded the insides of the jaws with paper towels.

Locked them really tight onto the top.

I then had to hold the Vamo upside down with the handles of the pliers on the ground, and used a hammer to hit downwards on the pliers close to the jaws.

A couple of blows loosened it, and then wiggled it off with the pliers.


No damage done.


Edit:

Still needs a bit of work to finish it but the reason I took it apart was to give it a revamp...

[Deleted]

nice - is that with the chrome stripped from it ?

it needs some random dented copper plates with rivets adding to it to get a real steampunk look

[Moon]

Feb 1, 2013 23:04:32 GMT @ashmal said:

nice - is that with the chrome stripped from it ?

it needs some random dented copper plates with rivets adding to it to get a real steampunk look

Yeah, sanded it down last weekend.

Still a bit scratched in parts but I'll get some discs for the drill to give it a better finish.

Once I've stuck the new buttons (sanded to brass) and screen in from my kindly benefactor ( ) it should look quite nice.

It actually has a dented 18650 extension where I dropped the bloody thing, but another kindly benefactor donated a spare she had.

I'll have enough spares to build a new one soon with all the donations...

[Deleted]

he he ... where do you buy spare vamo buttons from ? Anyone would think some idiot out there had dropped his vamo to death ...

I read somewhere today that soaking chrome in coke overnight removes chrome ... I was considering an experiment on the remains of my vamo in case someone was considering doing this ... you beat me to it

[Moon]

Feb 1, 2013 23:22:27 GMT @ashmal said:

he he ... where do you buy spare vamo buttons from ? Anyone would think some idiot out there had dropped his vamo to death ...

I read somewhere today that soaking chrome in coke overnight removes chrome ... I was considering an experiment on the remains of my vamo in case someone was considering doing this ... you beat me to it

I can't imagine anyone would be so silly as to drop their Vamo that many times.

Can't report on coke, but sandpaper definitely works.

[Deleted]

Feb 1, 2013 20:09:39 GMT maccafan said:

It's a surface mount switch..It won't poke through on the other side..See piccy below for where the wires from your new switch need to be soldered

Macca ... you beauty ... it works!!!

Time to get the epoxy out and tidy my joints up :-)

[robby]

Got the top off mine, patience applied lol

Considerring sand blasting, I have all the gear

[Deleted]

Dremel phase is over ... button fixed .... 510 connector and battery awaiting a dose of glue/epoxy ....



just debating whether solder now or after glue