Not dead yet.....

Ok, so I haven't made (or at least posted) any new robots since September. This site is not dead yet, I will be making more robots! I have one I need to photograph/post currently. Thanks to work/life needs I haven't been that active in the crafty part of my life, at least not in this form - lots of yard work and home repair though.

So yes, I will be posting robots again sometime soon.

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!

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 - 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!

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.

Wednesday and Thursday bots done

I just need to set up my computer again to post them.

Moving is such fun.

#310 Assorted Ephemera

Here is yesterday's robot made from assorted ephemera. I had every intention of using some items from my workbench that had been in storage for 4+ years or something other than a random assembly but after almost 7 hours of power washing at my new house and a couple more hours of other work and IKEA furniture assembly I remembered about 8:30 last night "Oh crap! Robot!"
I have an idea for today and a piece of what I want to use set aside at the house (didn't bring it back to my apartment) and I don't plan on power washing all day so I hope not to push up on another last minute robot.

Vintage tiny oil can, vintage typewriter ribbon can, staple remover, bottle opener and a ticket puncher/hole punch (from a defunct Spokane bus line).

#309 Boot Up sounds

Felt like firing up Garage Band yet again but only could half-ass this out. Some sort of boot up sounds for maybe an industrial robot? Robots talking to each other? I don't know. I'm going to look for different parts for a robot tomorrow in my stuff I had stored the last 4 years, maybe find something different that inspires me.




Uploaded to my Rusted Skull website

Nerd Merit Badge!

My Nerd Merit Badge from Make Something 365 is here!
I am 278 days in to my project and will be hitting my 365 before I know it, probably will still make the occasional robot after that too but probably not every day. Thanks Noah for the awesome merit badge!

Makesomething365.com video challenge

Noah has put up a challenge at Makesomething365.com for those doing a 365 project to make a video for a chance to get a Make Something 365 nerd merit badge. Since I am an Eagle Scout I guess I still feel the need to go for merit badges.....

#266 Found in a game

Hadn't played 'Azada' in a while then remembered that there is a pretty sweet robot in it:

Lazy today? You bet, we were hyped with a killer snowstorm for two days so my hopes were high I would be able to stay at home all day. Woke to 3 inches on the ground but in Portland proper there was hardly any, so the masses had to work while the kids had today off. /sometimessuckstobeanadultrant

Robot done, posting tomorrow

I have a robot for today but have not scanned it. I will get it posted tomorrow.

Mention from Make Something 365

365: A Daily Creativity Journal is a new book/creativity journal from Noah Scalin, aka the SkullMaster from Skull-A-Day who is the inspiration for my project. Got a nice mention on his 365 site, I highly encourage you to check out his new book - it is on my wish list for Christmas!

I really hate that I broke my streak but as the saying goes - it is what it is, if things mellow a bit here I may pick it back up before Friday and do some catch up.

Bots on hold until 12/17/2010

Due to being at my mom's house and events I have to suspend making a bot until I am back at my regular residence. I feel like I'm failing in my 365 but I know it is what you make it. If the situation changes I will post.

#187 Lil' Miss Cutie Bot

So the hotel I am staying at had one of those toddlers and tiaras pageants going on this weekend. Very high on the creepy factor IMO, I just don't understand tarting up your daughter ala Jon Benet, not to mention that serious gender binary bias.
A quick doodle this morning with a more acceptable tiny tiara contestant, Lil' Miss Cutie Bot, programmed for cuteness and less of a creepiness factor provided you aren't creeped out by little robots. 2"x1" pencil sketch.

#181 Robot Haiku

I have been on the go since 3:30AM and am exhausted, I have considered suspending my project the next few weeks while I am traveling but I want to stay in the spirit of the project and the example the Skullmaster set. So for now I soldier on with a haiku.

Unfeeling eye stares
Wonder what the intent is
Good robot or bad?

Not great but it is my robo-contribution of the day.

Namasté

#111 Robot Mood Chart

So what mood is your robot in today? This handy chart can help you figure that out!

Click it to embiggen!



Maybe not?
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Based on those 'Today I Feel' posters and such, had a magnetic one given to me by my wife from her university's new student week, tried to modify it but just wasn't working out. So went to my stand-by of Neutron Robot Man and GIMP. Special thanks to Paloma (my wife) for 'BINARY', perfect mood for a robot!

Shelf of bots

Had to do some cleaning in my office today and tried to put all my robots on one shelf, at least those that I didn't take apart for parts or weren't temporary. I have a folder with my ones on paper or flat. Unfortunately some already need repairs, the arms fell off my papercraft skull bot so I'll have to glue it down or wire it down.

Updates later, news now

Craft magazine blog recognized Noah Scalin (the Skullmaster from Skull-A-Day) for his papercraft skull that became #75 here and gave a mention to here. So thank you Craft!

I am back from a short vacation, did a robot assemblage yesterday but have not downloaded pictures yet so two robots to come today. Visited my wife's 96 year old grandmother who is still busy quilting and card making, she's an amazing woman who has always been crafty and an inspiration, I hope if I make it to 96 I can still be having as much fun as she is.