CROW
By the Numbers

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#1
Start with an "e" pin
or a flat bottomed Crown pin
Cut as shown
I use a carpeting knife to cut them. These are very sharp
So Be Careful
#2
Be sure to leave about 3/4" uncut at the base of the "jaw"
This will act as a hinge
Next drill a 5/8" hole in the neck of the pin
#3
Take a piece of 1/2" CPVC
4" long and pass it through the hole in the neck and attach a 1/2" cpvc coupling on the bottom
allowing it to extend about 1 1/2" above the top of the pin
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#4
Drill a 5/8" hole in the base of the mask.  Make sure the hole is centered and against the back lip of the mask, there should be about 1/2" of plastic behind the hole
#5
You will need 2 sets of Floraliers
the extra one is for the 2nd tray
If you need a spare tray,
I have vacuform copies as well as originals
Drill a 1" hole in both trays and both vases of the Floralier parts
#6
The 4" cpvc that extends through the pin is where the mask will sit
Hot-glue the mask and the pin to the cpvc once everything is aligned.  The top of the pipe should be even with the bottom edge of the mask opening
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#7
Once everything is straight and glued,
you have Crow's head almost completed, so set it aside
#8
Take a 14" long piece of 3/4" PVC and put a 3/4" coupling on the end of it
You'll have to grind or sand the outside of the coupling a bit so it will fit into the top tray
#9
The 3/4" PVC coupling should fit snugly into the tray, but add a few dabs of hot-glue to it anyway, just to be sure.
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#10
Now slide a piece of 4" diameter drainage hose over the 3/4" pipe and glue it to the top tray.
If you put the other tray and the 2 vases on the pipe, it will hold it in place while the glue dries
#11
Next take a 16" long piece of 1/2" diameter CPVC and attach it to the coupling on the head
#12
Cut a 3" piece of poppet,
slide it on the 1/2" pipe and drop the pipe into the larger 3/4" PVC pipe
If all went well
You should be looking at this
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#13
Drill 2) 1/4" holes through the upper tray, the shoulder units and the lower tray and attach the shoulder units with #6 x 2" screws
#14
Drill a 1/8" hole in the lower 1/2" coupling and through one side of the pipe in the front
This is for the mouth string to pass through
#15
Next Drill 3) 1/8" holes in the lower "jaw" 2 of them should be centered, about 3/4" apart, the third hole should be about 1/2" behind them
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#16
Drill 2) 1/8" holes in the upper "jaw" directly above the 2 in the lower "jaw"
#17
Take 30" of string and thread it through the rear hole in the bottom jaw.
I tie a small nut on the string to keep it from pulling through the hole. The string is then fed through the neck hole & down the pipe.
#18
thread a piece of elastic through the 2 top holes, then through the bottom 2 holes and tie a good knot in the elastic at the bottom.
This will hold the mouth closed & re-close it when it's pulled open with the string
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#19
Now for the eyes...
I use a 3/8" wooden dowel
I drill 2 holes 1/8" diameter in the end of the rod.  One is 1/2" from the top, the other 1" from the top
#20
On the same end that you drilled the holes, You have to saw a slice out of the rod about 1 1/2" long
#21
Cut a piece of styrene 1" long x by 1/2" wide, Drill 4 holes in it 1/4" diameter as shown
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#22
Slide the drilled styrene in to the slot, using the second hole attach  the piece to the dowel  with a 1" x #6 screw
Attach a piece of string to the back hole and a piece of elastic to the the third hole and tie it off in the lower hole
#23
Take 2 ping-pong balls and drill 1/16" holes in each glue a #6 finish nail into one of the holes in the ball, slide the nail through the remaining hole in the styrene and glue the other ping-pong ball on
#24
This is what you should have.
Pulling the string should raise the eyes and releasing the string should bring them back to the down position.
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#25
Crow's arms are made from 3/8" square Plastruct Tubing
The upper arms are  10 1/2"  long, the lower arms are 9 1/2" long.   You can cut the joints from .080 styrene, but I recommend using the pre-made arm units, it's a lot easier and I get to sell them to you.
#26
Another small piece of poppet about 3/4"  goes on over the lower joint, then the arm is attached with a #6 x 3/4" bolt
#27
Crow looks pretty good now
The strings exposed at the bottom should open & close his mouth, raise and lower his eyes and the pipe & dowel should rotate the head and eyes
If everything works and fits well,
Time to take him all apart, sand him, prime him and paint him.

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#28
Paint the eye assembly with Krylon
Day-Glow Yellow
Then add the pupils which are 5/8" squares of black electrical tape
#29
I prime all the parts with Painter's Touch Sandable Primer
I use black as I like the way it looks under the finish coat.
Be sure to sand before each coat of paint
#30
The shoulders stay black as do the insides of the Floraliers, the inside of the pin and the inside of the soapdish
The rest gets  a few coats of Testor's #1642 Lime Gold Metalflake
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#31
Crow's needs a backplate
I cut them from a piece of black .060 styrene, using the soapdish as a template
(cardboard will also work)
#32
Re-install Crows eyes
Then hot-glue the backplate in place.
You can now add the 1/2" foam pipe insulation to the arms
#33
The last thing I put on is the Cooper XL7 hockey mask
I finish it the same as the other parts and attach it with 2 self-tapping screws


Questions?
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