Robomeows!

Debora and her husband printed some robot cats I found online. They are perfect for Bert’s place. Links to the artists are: Kit-E on top shelf, Robotic Cat on lower shelf left, and Mechanimals-Cat on lower shelf right.

The cabinet kit is from Art of Mini, purchased at the Bishop Show last month.

I made a few changes but built it mostly to spec.

Categories: Bert's Depot, Droids and Robots
May 26, 2023 | 2 comments

Bert – Robox coming to life

Even though you’ve likely seen Bert (my transformed Robox) in scenes here and there, I’ve not documented the process after dying the plastic. He’s also not been “finished” until this weekend when I was able to complete the final paint washes and add some other detailing. Here’s where we started: a Robox Canvas White action figure by 1000toys that I named Bert. :D

After dying the plastic, he ended up grey-purple, grey-brown and dark grey. Overall, the results were a great middle color for me to work on from there. In an unexpected but promising turn, the joints turned darker than the body and that would save me time trying to detail those. I ended up permanently gluing the chest plate in place on the torso since it would no longer stay in place. Bert will never revert to his folded up self, but I wouldn’t want to risk damaging the paint in the end anyway.

Next up, I used Privateer Press Formula P3 paint in Pig Iron, Thamar Black and Quick Silver, as well as their Armor Wash. From my research, this brand of paint was recommended by artists who repaint action figures. It’s not as durable as a spray paint, but there’s no way I would have been able to spray paint Bert effectively given that he was a fully assembled figure. There were places to separate the parts, but there were also rivets permanently keeping some areas together.

I started with the feet and worked my way up. The only place I used black was for the tread on the bottom of the feet. The rest is all Pig Iron except for the bars in the main body which are Quick Silver. I then used the Armor Wash over the top of the Pig Iron to give him a more aged appearance. It also settles into and emphasizes any detail lines.

The metallic sheen of the Pig Iron is really nice, and the Armor Wash just darkens it a bit without removing the metallic sheen. Here you can see the difference from the plain dyed plastic to the aged metal.

Bert’s head had a moving back, which was a nice feature, but paint would never have survived the movement. I ended up permanently gluing that portion of the figure.

The “eyes” for the Robox were separate parts, which made them easier to customize. Well, I think one was an eye and the other a mouth, but I just refer to them as eyes and figure the speakers for talking are built in. :D I painted the outer rims black, leaving them on the sprue until I was ready to glue them in place.

I had leftover parts from the RX-7 build, so I used some clear lamp covers to serve as lenses. I colored the backs and fronts with Sharpie markers to get saturated but transparent red and blue.

I painted the inner portion of the base with white to help sell the idea of there being light behind the colored lenses.

I think they suit him well. (Just as an aside, the head has the Armor Wash but the arms and torso do not in this picture.)

After getting the rest of Bert finished with the Armor Wash, it was time to address the joints. The dying process impacted the functionality slightly in that the ball joints ended up very tight (I suspect the heat impacted the two types of plastic differently). The rod connections ended up a little loose. So, enter Miraclekoo Silicone Pouring Oil and super glue gel.

The head was the only ball joint that was loose. Not wanting to overdo the correction, I added some mini hold wax to the joint. It allows for more stable positioning of the head and can be replaced as needed without permanently altering the joint.

For the loose rod connections at the wrists and lower legs, I added a thin layer of super glue gel to the rod. You have to let this dry completely before testing the fit so you don’t super glue the part in place. Once dry, I sanded the excess until the joints moved smoothly. Now the lower legs now stay in place better.

For the tight connections at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and inner thigh (these move the knees), I used a small amount of the silicone oil. I chose silicone oil so that it wouldn’t degrade the plastic over time. Still, I will be mindful of having Bert come in contact with any fabric furnishings going forward.

The joints aren’t as loose as they were before dying the plastic, but they are better and I no longer feel like they will break if I twist too hard.

Bert’s already dashing, but let’s add some edge. Tattoos! :D The Robox did come with decals.

I also have a bunch of leftover decals from my years of building model cars. I opted for one Pennzoil decal since Bert is a fan.

Only a few spoke to me, so I will keep an eye out for anything interesting in the future. The open spaces are minimal, but there is room for a few more. Here you see the one on the shoulder and the side of the head.

I used one of the Robox decals on the forearm, a number 8 on the chest and the Pennzoil on the bicep.

Gus thinks Bert is good at head pats. :D

Added a bit of humor in Bert’s decal placement.

Keep those hands clear of Bert’s backside! :D

Categories: Animals and birds, Droids and Robots
June 19, 2022 | 0 comments

Happy Halloween from Bert and Halo

Happy Halloween from the Haunted Heritage! Bert is reading Edgar Allan Poe to Halo and waiting on trick or treaters.

Bert is enjoying a refreshing cocktail.

Halo is waiting for her favorite story…The Raven.

There’s a pumpkin bucket of full size candy bars if anyone comes around for a scare.

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Halo by by Maya Schippl; ceramic pumpkin by Alex Meiklejohn; coffee table centerpiece by MiniFanaticus.

Categories: Animals and birds, Droids and Robots
October 31, 2020 | 0 comments

Quarenteeny Art Show Competition

The Quarenteeny Art Show Competition hosted by tiny art show is on!

Interestingly, art shows look the same in the future, only the patrons have changed.

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Turned wood stand by Bill; bench by minisx2; cat from HBS. I painted the tiny art by taking mini canvases to Paint Nite events.

Categories: Art and paintings, Droids and Robots
April 18, 2020 | 0 comments

Robox – dyeing trials

I bought the white Robox with the intent of altering the color to be more mechanical. The green (military) was darker than I wanted.

Painting is an option, but the figure can’t be taken apart other than removing at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee ball joints. The head and ankles also separate but are smaller joints. The remaining connections have pins. That would make painting difficult and possibly disastrous, so I researched the possibility of using dye. It would still settle into joins, but it might be easier to control than paint.

I had two weapons and the shield to use for testing dye.

I bought a saucepan, tongs and aluminum trays for craft use only. I also had latex gloves and a clock with a second hand for tracking time. (Note: There are a number of product links in this post to the various dyes I tried. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from those links.)

The first attempt was with iDye Poly in silver grey. You are to use the whole packet which dissolves in water, but that is also meant for a large amount of fabric. I didn’t use the intensifier since I was looking for a lighter color change.

I decided to cut the packet open in a sandwich bag to use less. I started with a plastic teaspoon measure of the dye in a half quart of water.

After one minute in the boiling dye water, the color came out a dark violet purple. Not exactly what I was going for. I dumped that water completely and then used half the amount of dye in a half quart of fresh water. As expected, this made the plastic lavender. There was just more red in the mix than I wanted. What I did like was the subtle variation in coverage, which gave the items more depth and character.

I cut the shield into pieces for the remaining trials. Since I had three additional colors, I decided to try all of them to make the final choice. First, one teaspoon of iDye Poly in gunmetal in a half quart of water. This was just another shade of purple.

Second, two teaspoons of RIT Dye More in Frost Grey in a half quart of water, which I did for short duration and longer duration for two good results of grey. Third, one teaspoon of RIT Dye More in Graphite in a half quart of water, which was again purple and dark. I opted for RIT Frost Grey in the medium tone.

I pulled the figure apart at the major ball joints.

I had to do three batches since the water would boil off as I went: arms, legs, then torso/head as one unit. My end result was a 95% success. In an unexpected but promising turn, the joints turned darker and that would save me time trying to detail those. One calf and one forearm turned a slightly different shade of grey with more brown in it; the calf is the most obvious. The functionality was impacted slightly in that the ball joints are very tight now (I suspect the heat impacted the two types of plastic differently), except the head rolls about. :D I added some mini hold wax to the head joint and fixed that issue. I will add some lubricant to the other joints.

I will add further details and aging, but I am pleased with the results so far. I can work on the mismatched coloration, or perhaps he’s had an overhaul or two with not-quite-right replacement parts. :D

Categories: Bert's Depot, Droids and Robots
March 9, 2020 | 0 comments

Robox

While I was researching droid builds for inspiration, I ran across an action figure from 2018 called Robox. This is made by 1000toys and comes in white (pale grey) and black (military). I don’t think they are still manufactured, so I had to scout around until I found one on eBay.

Starts out as a box.

The back shield is removed first.

There are two weapons included but you wouldn’t know they were missing if left off.

It also comes with decals.

The eye pieces were not yet installed in the one I found, which is good since I’d like to do some customizing.

After unfolding, a fine robot appears! Here he is with the 5 3/4″ tall wood model. Robox (yet to be named) is much more flexible than the wood models.

He likes books.

And, now he’s going to help me make a martini! Olives, beware!  :D

I think he’s a keeper. haaaaaaaa

Categories: Bert's Depot, Droids and Robots
February 25, 2020 | 0 comments