If you've read my previous post about outdoor Halloween decorations, you know that a robot was one of the possibilities I'd been considering. I may experiment with some other ideas before October, but this one proved to be simpler than I'd supposed--so it has quickly become my front-runner.
Technically, these could cost anywhere between $17 and $28 each to create depending upon optional enhancements and the availability of tools. And I'm also going to be describing how much I paid for different components, but it's possible that you might not be able to secure them as inexpensively.
Pictured at right are the core pieces that I purchased, including:
- An inexpensive trash can with lid ($10)
- Corrugated tubing (about $3 total for two arms--though that was cut down from a larger $6 piece)
- Two dollar-store waste baskets ($2 total)
- A dollar-store bucket with integral handles ($1)
- Cable ties (which I didn't count because I genuinely only used a few cents' worth)
- Two each screws and nuts (A little less than a dollar's worth)
- A dollar-store push light ($1)
- An awl
- A hand saw
- Scissors
My original plan was to do something more elaborate and probably much less practical. If you read my earlier post, you'll recall I'd mentioned using plywood in addition to the elements described here. That's because I'd initially envisioned the robot being taller, with a top made of these plastic components supported by a backbone, pelvis, and legs made of plywood. (Picture something like "Maximilian" from Disney's The Black Hole.)
As I was collecting materials, my wife suggested a short cut--which was to eliminate plywood from the equation entirely and put the robot on some squat little waste basket legs. While I may revisit the original idea sometime, this approach appealed to me for several reasons. Not only did it make assembly a snap--I can put one of these together in less than 30 minutes--but I also liked the idea of a lower-profile stout little 'bot. It had a very different, more whimsical feel to it. And it promised to be more inherently stable, requiring less effort to anchor it.
I describe below my assembly process including some steps where I'd likely deviate in making future robots.
- While the order probably isn't critical, I chose to attach the feet to the trash can first
- I did so by using an awl to punch holes through the center of the waste baskets and then through the bottom of the trash can; I did this with the trash can turned upside down--its bottom having markings that facilitated equal spacing of the legs without measurement
- I twisted a screw through each hole and then threaded a nut on top to ensure they'd remain securely fastened
- I then moved on to the head
- First, I snipped the handles on the plastic bucket; the trash can lid had a raised center and this allowed the bucket to rest on top of it bottom-side up
- With the bucket "head" in place, I estimated where to create one hole on either side of the bucket above where the handles had been snipped
- Directly below that spot on the trash can lid, I marked spots to create two holes each on either side of the head--one about half an inch outside of the bucket and one about half an inch inside of the bucket
- After carefully punching these holes--being mindful that the harder plastic of the bucket could be prone to split--I attached the bucket to the trash can lid with a single cable tie on each side of the head
- The arms were made from a single 10-foot piece of corrugated tubing, so I had to cut into segments that suited my purposes
- I made 4 equal-sized arms by cutting with a small hand saw
- These were then easily lashed to the trash can handles with additional cable ties
- NOTE: In retrospect, I'd probably have notched the tubing after cutting it, as it would/will be easy to make them more flush with the sides of the robot that way
- Last, I affixed the push light to the front of the face as an eye using it's adhesive backing
I also followed up with paint, though I'm not certain if it was worth the effort. I'd hoped a single can of spray paint would suffice--especially since I'd not been certain if I wanted to paint the arms or legs--but one can of light blue paint didn't even give me the coverage I'd wanted for the head and torso. I include an image here, but I'm likely going to either add a second coat of light blue paint... or, I might decide to make this robot look a little more weathered by using some dark orange paint to give the appearance of rust. (Haven't made up my mind.) I'm also considering adding a jaw line--either with a paint marker or by attaching a separate piece of plastic to the bottom of the face.
If I have one overall misgiving about this particular art installation, it's that it doesn't necessarily scream "Halloween." I've considered--if I make multiple copies--posing them in ways that are subtly sinister. (Maybe one is reading a copy of How To Serve Man? Or perhaps holding an oversized map of Earth with a big red "X" on it?) I'll have to think on that some more.If my kids were a bit younger and still actively collecting action figures, I'd be tempted to use these for a diorama--as they have an interesting Max Fleischer vibe to them. But since the original goal here was to create something for outdoor display use, that's going a bit too far "off label" as they say; I'm not confident that all of the pieces I assembled would be suitable for indoor use or in play.
So, what do you think? Is this a solid theme? And what would you include to complement the robots to flesh it out into something immersive? Let me know in the comments section below.
In the meantime, I'll post updates if take this any further or if I experiment with any other themes.
Happy haunting!
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