Robby the Robot

[Sonorandog]

This is a completely new endeavor for me. I have never built any sort of figure before. I also decided to try using the PE set to add detail, another first.  So I thought I would do a wip with the hopes I could pick up some helpful advice along the way. 

[Big_John]

I've been a Robby the Robot fan since the first time I saw Forbidden Planet.  

Anne Francis looked pretty good too!

 

 

[Street Rod]

This looks like a fun project!

[TNT]

5 hours ago, Big_John said:

I've been a Robby the Robot fan since the first time I saw Forbidden Planet.  

Anne Francis looked pretty good too!

 

 

Yes in deed.

[TNT]

6 hours ago, Sonorandog said:

This is a completely new endeavor for me. I have never built any sort of figure before. I also decided to try using the PE set to add detail, another first.  So I thought I would do a wip with the hopes I could pick up some helpful advice along the way. 

Cool kit. I have the lost in space robot, unbuilt. Might have to find this kit.

[Bugatti Fan]

I can remember watching Forbidden Planet at the cinema when I was knee high to a grasshopper. They were giving out cardboard promo models of the space craft to cut out and make.

Robbie the Robot made quite an impression as did the special effects for that time way back in the fifties. I wonder if any of those card model cut out sheets have  survived? Would be quite collectable now or great to reproduce as a nostalgia piece.

Edited June 11, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[Sonorandog]

Great to see that Robby is a favorite for a lot of people.  I recently watched Forbidden Planet again and decided about 5 minutes after Robby showed up that he had to be my next project.

[Sonorandog]

Have not done a lot.  Painted the base, glued and sanded seams for the hands and feet.  Glued the legs together today, big seams to deal with.  I am also debating adding lights so I played with that also.  Made a circuit and figured out how run fiber optics.  Still have not made up my mind if I will do it or not.

Edited June 12, 2024 by Sonorandog

[Leo64]

Nice start to the project so far.  I don't know if you knew that Jimmy Flintstone offers a resin figure of the female on the box art, and an update pair of legs to match also.

https://jimmyflintstonestudios.com/DRF69--Altara_p_690.html

https://jimmyflintstonestudios.com/-DRF70--Polarlights-Robby-the-Robot-Legs_p_691.html

Steve A.

[Sonorandog]

I did not know those aftermarket parts existed.  Thanks.

I have been sanding, a lot.  Still not done.  The leg seams are taking a lot of work.

[Sonorandog]

Struggling with PE.  This is my first attempt with PE and the results are mixed.  Getting the little discs on the rod is taking a lot of effort and I have not figured out a good way to get them to stay straight while glueing.  The PE kit came with a jig to hold them in place but it is not as fool proof as I hoped.  Or I am more of a fool than they proofed the jig for.

[mustang1989]

This is a pretty neat build Steve. Lots of good prep work going on with this. 

[Sonorandog]

Thanks.  I think I have learned the limit of my skills or dexterity. I am suffering horribly with the little discs on the rod.  Over an hours worth of work and I have two done and neither one looks as good as it should.  Unfortunately I have two more to do.  These are proving to just be painful to do.  Hope I can move past this step soon so I can start to enjoy this build again.

[TonyK]

Those seams and photo etch pieces make me cringe. You're a champ for sticking with this. I wish you luck and look forward to the finished model.

[mustang1989]

Been there and done that MANY times with difficult stages of a build Steve. Looks like you're moving along in good fashion.

[Sonorandog]

Thanks for the encouragement, sincerely I needed it.  Hopefully this long weekend I can work up the courage to do some more.

[peteski]

I'm enjoying this thread.  As for those brass rings, they seem too loose on the plastic rod. If they weren't so floppy on the rod, they would stay in place for you to glue them.

I was thinking of maybe wrapping the rod with some typing paper, but that would probably make it too thick. How about "painting" some CA over the rod and letting it harden. That would increase the diameter slightly, hopefully enough to steady those rings. Depending on the CA's viscosity, you might have to apply more than 1 layer.

I'm also assuming that you are gluing one ring at a time, not trying to glue them all at once.  That way each ring can be aligned separately.

You should also be able to reuse the rings from failed attempts.  Acetone dissolves CA glue (and also styrene), but you can likely find replacement styrene rod.

Edited July 3, 2024 by peteski

[Ace-Garageguy]

Cool model, good progress on dealing with what looks like pretty poor fit overall.

I'm sure it's on the web somewhere, but I'm going to be lazy and ask what approximate scale is this thing? Just an overall height measurement is all I need, really.

[Sonorandog]

13 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Cool model, good progress on dealing with what looks like pretty poor fit overall.

I'm sure it's on the web somewhere, but I'm going to be lazy and ask what approximate scale is this thing? Just an overall height measurement is all I need, really.

Thanks. It is about 7 inches tall. 

[Sonorandog]

20 hours ago, peteski said:

I'm enjoying this thread.  As for those brass rings, they seem too loose on the plastic rod. If they weren't so floppy on the rod, they would stay in place for you to glue them.

I was thinking of maybe wrapping the rod with some typing paper, but that would probably make it too thick. How about "painting" some CA over the rod and letting it harden. That would increase the diameter slightly, hopefully enough to steady those rings. Depending on the CA's viscosity, you might have to apply more than 1 layer.

I'm also assuming that you are gluing one ring at a time, not trying to glue them all at once.  That way each ring can be aligned separately.

You should also be able to reuse the rings from failed attempts.  Acetone dissolves CA glue (and also styrene), but you can likely find replacement styrene rod.

You are correct the hole in the disk is just a little bit too big for the rod. But not so big that you have room to do much about it. I am assembling them one at a time. I think the intention was to do them all at once the included jigs let you put them all in place and then insert the rod. That sounds easier than it is, but I have done that. But the problem then is if you try to glue them all at once, you would also be gluing the jig to the assembly so that won’t work. 
I have disassembled one of them to try again. I took a piece of brass rod and I’m trying a slightly different approach. However, in disassembling the one I lost two of the disc. I guess I can always put this one on the backside. The brass rod seems to fit slightly better just enough that if I put them on one at a time with thick superglue after it has completely dried file away some of the dried glue leave just enough behind as a spacer for the next rod. I’m having success with this approach so I’ll have to disassemble them all and start over, although this time I will try not to lose anymore 

[Sonorandog]

A comparison of what I have done and the original. 

[peteski]

Nice! Looks like that method will work quite well.

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 7/4/2024 at 1:51 PM, Sonorandog said:

 It is about 7 inches tall. 

Thank you, sir.  

[Sonorandog]

Super exciting turn of events for me.  I dropped something on the floor and while searching I found the missing discs!  Isn’t it always funny that you can look forever with no luck and then suddenly days later there it is right in the open.

Having found my missing parts I disassembled the completed Weapons Immobilizer and built a new one.  All four are done!  They are not perfect but so much better.  I can live with these.  I have now moved on to the valves and am determining which to make open and closed.

 

[Sonorandog]

Got some more PE work done and am able to move back to plastic.  Woohoo, sanding and puttying!

Also included a comparison between the kit and PE part.