Toys

Radio Shack fire chief’s helmet: a passive aggressive gift

by Dave Farquhar
February 7, 2022February 7, 2022

One of my friends asked me about a toy space pistol his son found at a comic book shop that originally came from Radio Shack. I told him what I was able to figure out, and he said it made a pretty annoying noise. And that reminded me of my favorite toy when I was five. It was a Radio Shack fire chief’s helmet with a real working light and real annoying siren.

The Radio Shack electronic fire chief’s helmet boasted of a real rotating light and loud siren. Unfortunately, they forgot to recommend playing with it outside rather than indoors, which is probably why so many of them fell victim to sabotage and are scarce in working condition today.

How to make Hot Wheels go faster

by Dave Farquhar
March 11, 2020March 14, 2020

I spent years racing Hot Wheels cars in the basement with my cousin. As kids, we didn’t necessarily know why this was, but some Hot Wheels cars were definitely faster than others, even if you compared two examples of the same car. But once you understand why, it’s possible to make a car fast. Here’s how to make Hot Wheels go faster.

The keys to speed generally are reducing friction and increasing weight. Some of these modifications are reversible and others aren’t, but they provide a number of options for increasing the speed of a Hot Wheels car.

How big is 1:43 scale?

by Dave Farquhar
February 28, 2020March 2, 2020

1:43 scale is a popular size for diecast vehicles. It matches the size of O scale trains in the UK. It doesn’t match the size of US O scale trains. But how big is 1:43 scale? And should you care about the difference?

A 1:43 vehicle is about 4.5 inches long, which is about 10% oversize compared to 1:48. You’ll notice the difference if the two are side by side, but there are ways to compensate for the difference too.

What does diecast mean?

by Dave Farquhar
January 17, 2020January 11, 2020

What does diecast mean? Does diecast mean metal? Diecasting is a manufacturing process involving a metal alloy and a two-part mold, called, predictably, a die. It was originally invented in 1838 for creating moveable type for printing presses. But in the 20th century it became popular for making other goods, especially toys.

Diecast, in the modern meaning of the word, refers to materials made specifically of zinc alloy and cast in a mold. It’s an inexpensive process that yields very good detail and strength.

Zinc pest: What it is and what to do about it

by Dave Farquhar
January 10, 2020March 28, 2022

In metallurgy, zinc pest is a problem that occurs when impurities are introduced in the process of diecasting. The problem causes the metal to crack and disintegrate, in extreme cases crumbling to dust. It mostly affects products made in the 1920s-1950s.

Zinc pest or zinc rot was discovered in 1923 and well understood by the 1930s. It is relatively uncommon today, but can still occur due to sloppy manufacturing processes.

What is pot metal?

by Dave Farquhar
December 30, 2019March 24, 2023

What is pot metal? It’s a catch-all phrase that covers casting parts out of nonferrous metals. Usually when the phrase is used, it refers to pieces of unknown or possibly questionable manufacture. But there are sophisticated processes, such as diecasting, that fall into the category of pot metal.

Pot metal originated from the practice of gathering all available nonferrous metals and melting them into a pot for casting. Any process that involves casting nonferrous metals is technically pot metal, though the phrase usually refers to a more haphazard composition. Outside of prototyping, it is still used for making toys, trinkets, and cheap jewelry.