Brian.. Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Here's my latest little fellow, the Iron Fireman. I've always wanted one of those cast metal figures, now I have two. I'm still working on the Russian Robot; this is a diversion while I wait for motors. With John turning out mechanical wonders I hesitate to show my primitive effort. The light grey is not quite finished and shows the red gel on the coals. I bought a dental vacuum former to get the mould right and with a little black paint the effect is reasonable. I'll need the vac machine for domes on later projects. The graphite version is complete. I had some paint left over from the Mechanical Man and I like the industrial look that it gives. It has a flickering light effect in the shovelful of coal. I learned the hard way that you need to make these guys easy to repair, so this one has a removable body and head. The leg structure just drops out of the body with a little pressure, and the head unit is a push fit as well. The motor and battery can be lifted out as a single unit in seconds. A trapdoor gives access to the two AAA batteries. The legs are also largely unglued and can be dismantled for easy access. The only fixed and awkward bit is the arm structure. The arms have to be glued in location to get something close to that distinctive shovelling pose. The legs are also slightly bent at the knee to give a more realistic look. Straight legs are easier but they give a rigid Gort appearance that is just wrong for this guy. This has been a relatively easy and entertaining build: none of the headaches of the Russian Robot. It's not intended to be an exact copy because I wanted it to walk. I had to compromise but the spirit is still there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Gil Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Dynamite! Great job Brian, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Ha! Fantastic!! One of my all time favorite robots! I gotta have one! I'm going to need a separate bank account for these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roboz Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Beautful Job Brian ! & great choice for a robot : ) I hope you're gearing up to make a few !! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kirk Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 That's a great addition to your historic line! My mom brought me home one of their ashtrays from an antique sale in Columbus in the late sixties. I've got a life-size one of standing up in my hallway that must've been a costume for a parade. It's wonderfully made from sheet metal - the whole thing, arms, legs, torso, head. The steel feet are jointed onto the legs. The knees and elbows are jointed too. It must've been horrid to wear. I'm too claustrophobic to have ever tried it on. The seller had found it tossed out on the street in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Put me down for one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkrobot Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Brian unless you want to keep your creations to yourself you shouldn't post them here. Looks like another big production run. BTW any video of him walking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyman Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Nice take on the Iron Fireman, Brian. The light up coals are just brilliant! (See what i did there?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Not the best video, but here he is in action. Here's the original. The company ceased trading in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Gil Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Nice! I love the ratchety wheels - or whatever is clicking. Kudos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Yes, Martian, the Hayes Patent Ratchety feet with 6 tyres. In future I'll try John's ratchets on front and back wheels to improve grip and increase the ratchet racket. Actually there are two separate ratchets and pawls (the bit that stops the ratchet going backward) on each foot, but they're on the front wheels. I spend most of my time fiddling with the walking mechanisms. I think I finally understand how the balance can be fine tuned without having to print ten different bloody legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROBODUDE Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Now that is a cool robot !!! Congratulations Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Great work brian!! 👍🤖 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roboz Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Nice job on the coals Brian ! Love the smoldering embers & the walking looks & sounds great !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Brian, I'm curious as to why you chose to shift the right arm out so far? If you had left it alongside the robot, as in the original design, swept back, and shifted the shovel to face forward, it would have been a more stable pose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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