#370 Human Catcher

My much delayed robot is finally done. Well, it was done two weeks ago but I had to travel for work and didn't get pictures taken.

Here is the human catching robot, steely eyes gazing for rogue meat bags.


Ready to sweep up vermin with its net.

Stainless steel sheet, computer parts, strip steel, a little net from an old fondue set, wood dowel, plastic covers for light boxes and weird light adapters for eyes. I learned that I will not try making a robot using my sheet stainless again unless it is strictly welding, I broke 6 or 7 drill bits trying to make holes in this, even my high end bits had trouble. Finally used a nail to punch a hole then widen with the bit.

3/4 of a robot done....

I am so letting the team down lately. Being a new (again) homeowner has really sucked up the free time for robot building. I have a robot about 3/4 of the way done, just no legs/wheels/locomotion for it yet. I have found that drilling through sheet stainless steel is a major PITA, even with a high end bit.

Since the weather here has been very mild for summer (not one 90 degree day yet) I have been outside a lot repairing landscape that has been neglected for a long time, moving rocks around and generally exhausting myself after a few hours. I need to put my sketch books back in my bag so I can doodle a little during down time at work.

Also, I 'won' back my robot quilt square (#263) that is now part of a 4 square collage of skulls (one from Snow Globe a Day and one from Sun a Day). The proceeds went to support Becky's Fund - a national domestic violence awareness charity. It was also displayed in Richmond at Gallery 5 as part of Noah Scalin's Skull Appreciation exhibit. It now resides in a hallway in our house with other fabric art and pictures.

Ok, back to work and hopefully back to robots soon!

#369 Index Card Robot

Another telcon, another robot made from items on hand. Index cards, staples, tape and marker.

#368 Eclipse Robot

Kept myself busy during a teleconference. Eclipse gum 4 pack holder, cut and taped into a robot.

#367 Luddite BalsaBot

I've had a bag of balsa wood for probably 10 years, found it after moving and used some x-acto knives to cut it up some. I want to try some carving/Dremel work but this stuff is too fragile.

#366 Acrylic Robot

Playing with some acrylic paints, the background was much bluer than I expected but I went with it and blended lighter blue. This is on a 6"x8" canvas board, I am going to try on a small canvas (1.5"x2"ish) next.

Collating Ideas

So it has been weird not making a robot each day, I've felt like I am forgetting to do something. I had a busy weekend though so it was nice to not have to figure out scheduling robot time in there.

I do have this weekend free so I have a few ideas for something I will try. I will of course post whatever I come up with.

IOU #2 #348 Skeleton Bot

Ok for reals, this is the last robot! In recognition of it being Skull Appreciation Day I needed my IOU robot to be skull related. So here is a skeleton robot.
Sorry I miscounted, I suppose I could blame Florida for the miscount :D And I am now really done with 365. Thanks to all again!

Wooden hanging skeleton cut out. paint and computer parts.

IOU #1 - #149 The Dunce

"I will not blame my Pentium" for the mathematical errors.


Doodle in inkscape/GIMP.

IOU - Two Robots!

Holy crow! I always knew I wasn't a mathamagician, seems #149 and #348 don't exist! Or disappeared in a worm hole!

I was pretty sure this would happen, I'd miss a number (thanks to relying on form history in my web browser). So I will make two more 'make up' bots the next two days.

So instead of an adult beverage I will be putting on a pointy hat and sitting in a corner.

#365 Another SkullBot to bookend things

So here I am at the end of a year of making robots. I can't believe my year is done now! Granted, I missed a couple days of making a robot but made up for it by making multiple robots in a day to try and stay true to the 365. And I did do a couple 'guest posts' but overall it has been a neat experience, my creativity is way higher than it ever has been and best of all I am not sick of robots. In fact I will be continuing the robot a day site here but I'll be on a less strict schedule than before. This give me time to try out a few robot ideas that will take a bit more patience than I can allow for a daily project.
Most robots done here were thought up shortly before creation and many I only had an hour or less to come up with and work with something (the bummer of working for a living). I highly encourage everyone to do a 365 project, even if you don't do something every day, it still is a good way to get your creativity going.

Many thanks to my dedicated commenters, Mr. Noah Scalin for the original project and inspiration (pick up his 365 creative journal and fire up your creativity), Dudecraft.com for regular inspiration as well, The Daily Robot for awesome inspiration and some great art that now is in my houe, Robot a day for more robot ideas and inspiration, all you other 365ers who have commented and inspired me, anyone else I forgot and most importantly my dear wife Paloma for her support and understanding of my crazy whims and this project!

Now - Robot #365 - I wanted to bookend things with another SkullBot. Initially this was going to be a Skullicopter - a fusion of the skull to my mini-helicopter but I couldn't get it to fly right so here is what I came up with. Plastic skull, board from a dead PC speaker, hand cut aluminum sheet metal, plastic wire loom, IKEA creepy hand drawer pulls and some computer parts (and a googly eye for good measure!). Had to use a crapton of hot glue to hold this guy in place (the poor person's epoxy :D )


Thank you again all for following and commenting. Another robot will be here, but maybe after I take a week off! Now if you excuse me it is Adult Beverage Time!

#364 Graduation!

Since I am about to 'graduate' from my year of robots, my wife is about to graduate from her grad school program and my nephew graduates high school I figure a robot graduating is a good theme for the next to last robot (in my year, not ever).

Framed #362

I decided I really liked yesterday's scratch board robot and had a frame with no glass, so I sprayed it down with a fixative giving it a glossy protective coating then pointed it in (thanks to the point gun we got at a craft store closing sale). As soon as I have hanging hardware again it will go up in my work area. As I unpack from our move I look forward to rotating the robots that I kept in and out of display and framing up some others.

#363 Do Not Disturb

Robots need their quite recharge time too.

Try number two with this, wooden door tag. I painted it in tempra but that did not agree with the wood so I cleaned it off and sprayed it with Krylon. Not quite how I wanted it to look but thus is the nature of a 'Do it the same day' project. 2 more to go - I can't believe that!

And yes, I will continue making robots,it will give me a chance to do some more time intensive ones that may span several days rather than creating one each day.

#362 Scratchboard Confidence

This guy is just beaming self confidence.

Scratchboard robot, I've had the board a while but have been too chicken to mess with it until this point. I was going to make a template to follow but just decided I'd freehand.

#361 Robot Garage

The robots are heading down to the garage, or as they call it 'Our clubhouse'. Just going to spend their free time tuning up and bolting modifications on themselves.

Robot stickers given to me by my mother in-law.

#360 Dinner is served!

As the project has gone on the accumulation of robots has continued. I haven't kept all the robots I have made but there are some I want to display but just am not sure how (other than rotating them in and out of a shelf). Found some shadow box frames at IKEA for cheap so here is #37 Robot Butler busy at a party. A dog party. But work is work nowadays.
Dinner is served, WOOF!

#359 Java Bot!

Rev up with a chocolate coated espresson bean robot!

#358 Panda Head Bot?

More cybernetic pandas?

Didn't realize this assemblage looked like a panda head until I uploaded it. Made from parts in my garage and an old Intel processor. Sorry for the day late, was exhausted after cleaning my garage all evening.

#357 Embossed Pie Pan Bot

After seeing this post on Dudecraft I had the idea to try out my hand at embossing using cheap aluminum pans. Found some cheapie pie pans at the grocery and gave it a shot. Glad I had 3 as the first two became 'prototypes'.



Thanks to Dudecraft and to Idan Friedman for the inspiration.

#356 Summer Whiteboard

While nowhere near summer in the Pacific Northwest the grass is growing like there is no tomorrow and mowing twice a week is in effect. Time to update the whiteboard with a new doodle!

#355 1950's SkyNet

In the atomic age your automatons will work for you! They will know how to help you all on their own using the new patented SkyNet! Satisfaction guaranteed! Scientists agree that this breakthrough is foolproof and your automaton will be 100% obedient to you!

I dig 1950s and early 1960s graphics styles, I can envision things in my head but rarely get them out how I like. This is pretty dang close. I did a sketch of the robot, used GIMP to paint it, added some color blocks and then Inkscape to do the text.

Click on the image for a larger view.

#354 Button Bot

I <3 Robots!

Clearance scratch board DIY button kit.

#353 Meshbot

Made from wire mesh, I was using this stuff to fix the vents around the crawl space on my house.

#352 Goose Eggs

Here is yesterdays robot, forgot to post it last night.

Wooden goose egg, wooden wheels, various hardware. Wooden pieces spray painted.

#351 Doodles

Sheet of doodles done today trying to think up some robot ideas.

#350 CUIDADO!

In any language robots can be dangerous.



I was thinking about some of the horrific yet funny welding safety posters I've seen that were en Español that had a serious injury yet was cartoony and humorous at the same time.

#349 Workout Robot

This robot will work you out and pump you up. But it won't have an illegitimate child that it doesn't tell you about for a decade...



Arranged dumbbells

#347 Pyrography Robot

Guess who got a pyrography iron (wood burning iron)? Guess who did a quick robot to commemorate it?

#346 Ma and Pa Bot

Pa and Ma Robot pose for portrait paintings.

3" x 3" canvas, spray painted then felt tip pens to fill in.

#345 Crabbot

Scuttling around it's Crabbot!



Straws, spade connectors, plumbing piece and googly eyes.

#344 Atari 2600 Robot

Hopefully Blogger doesn't eat this one.

I loved my Atari (actually a 'Sears Telegames') and had it up until last year when I shipped it to my brother. Plus Colecovision. Man we'd waste hours upon hours on glorious blocky video game action. So primitive now but games of today weren't even a dream then.
Activison style game box done from scratch.

#343 No Trespassing!

Some like to live life on the edge. If you are one of those types and see this sign you might want to reconsider trespassing on that particular property.


Another sign all GIMP'd up for use (thanks to an outline of a Terminator for the 'robot')

#342 LITTLE MISS ROBOT

Since I did MR. ROBOT some asked where LITTLE MISS ROBOT was. So here is LITTLE MISS ROBOT.

The 'LITTLE MISS' lineup was near the end of my elementary school years so I didn't really remember them so much as the MR. MEN series.

#341 Beatnik Robot Head

Hey daddy-o can you dig the groove?

Found what reminded me of a beatnik inside a DSL filter that I was taking apart to see what was in it. Apparently beatnik robot heads are what is in DSL filters then.

Daddy-o.

#340 MR. ROBOT

In honor of what would be Roger Hargreaves' 76th birthday and the 40th anniversary year of MR. MEN books I present MR. ROBOT!

I remember these books from 1975 when I was in kindergarten, we had activity sheets to color in the various MR. MEN, LITTLE MISS didn't come along until a bit later.

#339 Pegboard Compatible Bot

This robot is compatible with pegboard.

Pegboard accessories. Once again a home improvement day but at least I am out in the garage now trying to clean up my 'shop' area.

#338 Screwing Around

Another weekend, another bunch of home projects. Some leftover screws, scrap wood and some clips accented by pencil outline.

#337 Automaton Repair Tag

When your workplace automaton needs repair you should be sure to use the proper forms and tags to report the issue to maintenance control.

(Guess who has a lot of military and government time and has filled out way too many pointless forms and tags?)

#336 Gabacho Robot

It's Cinco De Mayo! Gaudy serape? Check! Oversize novelty sombrero? Check!
Today's robot is showing how to spot the gabacho on vacation in Mexico!

Neutron Robot Man sporting some shopped accessories.

#335 Weedy Robot

Oh no! The weeds have formed of a robot and taken the garden tools and are out for revenge!

One of the "joys" of homeownership. Weeding. Just did one tiny section of yard and netted a huge pile of weeds. Just glad I can recycle them with yard debris.

#334 Lego Bot #2

Some of the residents of Legoland turn out to watch the latest robot rocket by from the factory.



Broke out the Lego again and made a little robot.

#333 Rocket Skates!

Let's compare notes. I have a robot on rocket skates. You?



Doodle on a purloined hotel stationary.

#332 Pressure

The further along in this project I go the more I am amazed and appreciative of what Noah Scalin (The Skullmaster at Skull A Day) did to come up with quality posts and skulls day after day. It is a lot of pressure to knock something out each day especially when the sun is going down and you've been busy with other things. Here is a pressure cooker made in to a robot head, feeling the pressure as I near the T Minus 30 day mark.

#331 Sock Robot

Getting to some closet organization, so here are some of my workout socks as a robot.

#330 Chalk Bot

It was another "grab something out of the boxes in the future craft room" kinda robot day. Tried my hand at pastel chalks, turned out better than I thought, helped to blend it with my fingers. Next time I use them I'll use the light colors first and then blend in some darker colors.

#329 Failish Pastel Bot

Ok, I'm ready to concede that 15-20 year old oil pastels may need to go. They shouldn't go bad but I think they're too dried out to blend with anymore. So I may get some new ones to try one more time, meanwhile here is a robot on a 6"x8" canvas board.

#328 Twist Tie Bot

Quick robot made of twist ties.

#327 Birthday Wishes Bot

I doodled this on our whiteboard this morning before leaving to wish my wife a happy birthday.

#326 Sacrifice to the Makers Wife!

As a tribute to the Makers Wife's annual trip around the sun the robots offer up heads in sacrifice containing offerings and treasured wonders in hopes of appeasing the Maker and Makers Wife.

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday, so I made three presents into robot heads using foil as wrap, googly eyes, pipe stems and mini-bows.

#325 Old hardware bot

Some random parts found and left over from work this weekend.

#324 Frost Bot

Another busy weekend settling in to the new casa, here is a robot drawn in frost on the windshield. Yes, late April and still getting frosty windows in the morning.