WM-DD33 the most delicate part (play button)

Hi,
I have a small collection of WM-33 walkman, of course all with broken CG, which is no longer a problem thanks to Marian's brilliant repair kit.
According to my experience the the play/stop/ff/rev buttons must be removed in order to replace the CG, .
The play button is very delicate. Unfortunately I already broke off the part (see photo) on two of them.
This makes the whole walkman unusable.
I tried different ways to glue the parts together: Formic acid (recommended for PA), superglue etc. unfortunately without success.
I don't suppose any of you were able to secure a whole box of these buttons when Sony stopped walkman-production

but maybe someone has such a part left or an idea how to fix it or even know a workaround to replace the CG without removing the buttons?
Many thanks,
Konrad

 

When gluing have you tried adding any kind of reinforcement e.g. stiff wire ?
If the part is big enough to do that it will make the joint much stronger.

 

That might be a good idea, thank you.
The dimension of the broken-off part is only approx. 3.5 x 3.5 mm, the thickness is approx. 1 mm.
I will get in touch with a watchmaker.
I wonder if someone tried to fix a "flag" on the metal pin?
I also wonder if nobody else has problems with this part? As far as I know, only the WM-DD33 has such a construction. All other DD models seem to be much less delicate.

 

I didn't realise it was so small although small drill bits e.g 0.5mm are available for model making or PCBs. When someone at work was trying to fix the indicator mechanism on his rare imported car someone suggested drilling through one part into the other then using the drill bit as reinforcement. That was how he fixed it. However , I think that was with a 1mm drill bit in a part about 3mm across so not as intricate as this.

 

At the moment I am trying to pursue two solutions:

1. make a slightly longer metal pin and solder the "flag" to it. I hope that the two pictures show the idea clearly enough.

2. a complete new building with a 3D printer. At the moment this is still at the limit of 3D printers but there are no big forces acting on the play button. And the 3D-technology is constantly developing.
The first important thing is to create a simpler but functionally clean 3D model. Some contours were necessary only for injection moulding and can be left out for 3D printing. I will have to find out which contours were are necessary for the function and which can be left out .

Both solutions are difficult because of the small dimensions of the parts. The second will additionally difficult for me because it is 40 years ago that I worked the last time at the drawing board....
It will certainly take a while before I can report on a result.

 

I read your post with interest - and also this part broken on a dd-33!

I have a 3d printer if you can generate a decent model - it could perhaps be 3d scanned to create the model... we would need a non faulty play button to be scanned. I wonder how much this would cost

 

Thank you for your kind offer.
I'm still at the very beginning to generate a model. Maybe I am wrong but I doubt, that the model can be generated by a 3D scan only. The countours are rather complex.
Because of the many "overhanging" parts it will eventually be necessary to split the button in more than one 3D print and to stick them together.

 

once you dig into these problems, your respect for the sony designers and engineers just multiplies eh

 

yes and no....
Sony engineers did (and do still) a great job. But they probably spent also a lot of brain work to protect their products from imitators.
No problem with that as long as service and support ist secured. This was obvious not the case with cassette walkman

 

I have spare buttons that are not broken please PM when interested

 

Had a similar problem with a WM-D6. The play and record buttons engage a part Sony refer to as the "plate lock". An even smaller piece of plastic broke away from the plate lock and prevent the play button from locking in place. We had some success building up the missing end of the plate lock with commercial grade epoxy resin. This part on a D6 and D6C does have to take a load but it seems to be holding.
Never had any luck finding a replacement plate lock but looks like you may have better luck via @tomtom87 for the DD33.

 

@Analogtape - you should pursue this kind offer from @tomtom87 as my faulty 33 is in pieces, packed away in a box.. Would dig it out if there are > 1 green buttons available!

 

@sickly_b - I sent @tomtom87 a PM a few days ago, but haven't heard back yet. In the meantime the awesome member @renzgi offered to send me the button.

@Mister X - I'm not at all an expert in plastics. It's just my guess that it's PA - mainly because all conventional gluing methods won't work. Including epoxy, which was not stable enough. I will try the method with the metal rod. The extra epoxy-layer will be hard to apply as there is really not much room (s. photos from an unrestored DD33)

 

Question - I have a WM DD33 - when you open cover door, is it meant to be very slightly loose with a little bit of play between the door and the tape head carriage, or are the end of the tape carriage meant to "tuck under" the clear plastic in the door - there appear to be a couple of tabs but not sure.

 

No, that is normal

 

Hi all
Same problem here but with the Stop button that has a small pin which i broke. So i'm stuck, unable to reassemble the unit.
Anybody found a workaround or has a spare stop button which they'd be willing to part with ?
Thank s in advance.

 

You can bond it with Loctite G E L super glue.
You need to wait 12h to cure.
I have one such part that I played with and after gluing you can only break it in another place.

 

Thanky you, will try it with Loctite Gel the next time I repair a DD33 and the part breaks.

 

Like this?
That transparent space at the bottom is super glue.
I cut the spring and used its ends to make a reinforcement.