When I first put pictures of my old robot on the Internet the response I received from people all over the country was phenomenal. I started my first robot back in 1993 before there were any good resources available. Through some very knowledgeable fans out there on the Internet, I found out what I needed to do in order to end up with a robot that is as accurate to the original as possible. The problem that I encountered was that my old robot was so inaccurate that any updated part I made would not fit or look right on the old guy. So being the perfectionist that I am, I decided to go for it and build a new robot from scratch, not knowing where I would get the energy or the money for such an enormous project.

In December of 1996 things started to fall in place, so construction began with the pedestals based on the dimensions taken from the studio blueprints. Some parts I made using different procedures than I did with the first robot. The brain section is made totally out of sheet metal instead of styrene plastic, as was the first one. Although it took making three of them before I was satisfied, the metal proved to be much easier to work with than plastic.

I then found out as much as I could about rubber production and decided to have aluminum molds made for the treads which I would cast myself with polyurethane rubber. I also used the same rubber material to coat the legs, knees, and the bubble lifter.

No Krylon Paint on this robot. Most of the paint used was custom mixed automotive paint that was pumped into spray cans. It was quite expensive, but the results were superior to off the shelf brands.

Some parts were almost impossible to obtain, such as the two large chest lights. Other parts were made from very simple household items. Can you find which part was made from a Rubbermaid product? Or other parts made from women's tampon applicators? And yes, I had to buy them myself! The device that makes the large chest light flash alternately is the same device used to make police headlights flash. The kitchen faucet makes a great programming microphone.

Using your imagination is the key to finding the available products that will fit your needs in attempting a project like this. Figure out what will come closest to the part you are trying to make. Home improvement stores are good place to let your imagination go wild.

If anyone has any questions about building their own robot or if you would like to contact me, please feel free to email me at dfhoward@ix.netcom.com.