Assassin bug. Head is on a spring and moves  have a little cleanup to do but I really wanted to post it. 

Das, that is amazing. You have the proportions just right. That looks like a bendix drive from a starter motor for the head, and what an impressive feeder tube/sting. That thing could really give you a hurry-up. I see a tile cutting blade and a blade from a radiator fan (or is it a garden trowel?) in the shield section. Anyway, great choice of components ... I really like that!

Thanks Aus. Yup the head is the drive from a starter motor. Wings are fan blade. The belly portion and sides of the back spine are from a clutch plate with the nasty part removed. And the center spine is the gear from a manual window regulator. 

I'll get more pictures once it's cleaned up. 

Team up with someone in robotics and PLOT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

5 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Team up with someone in robotics and PLOT TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

I have had interest in animatronics. I don't have any interest in taking over the world tho. 

Always seemed like too much work for me; I'd rather someone else had all the problems---heroes always crashing in, death rays going on the fritz ("there was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom") and me just being pensioned off with everything I need to have *fun*---iron, steel, coal, charcoal, equipment, a shop that causes magnetic compasses to deviate in planes flying at 30,000 feet---the usual...

It's just seeing some of those critters I was thinking that if they would move after folk; laxative use might drop precipitously.

Thanks Thomas. Lol The world has enough people trying to take it over. I'm happy with my little tiny piece of dirt that I call home. Hmm. A death ray eh?  

If these could move it would be a bit scary. I'd train them to go after tax collectors first  

Cleaned him up a bit. A couple tweaks. I was worried the antennae were too sharp so I scrolled the ends. Didn't mention before but the head is on a spring and with any movement it bobs for a while. I had wanted to use springs on other pieces to make movement but hadn't. This one was already set up with it and I like the results. 

Also it's 31" long with the antennae and 18" wide  and roughly 12#  

I think I might let this guy rust a bit to add some color then seal it. Ive read that scrapartoz used a saltwater spray to do a controlled rusting, then water spray and once he liked the results used fish oil. While I don't think I'll be using fish oil on stuff anytime soon ( probably boiled linseed oil) I'm curious what anyone else has done for  a controlled rust and sealant. Other then a store bought chemical specifically for it. Would like home brew remedies. 

Or, what do you think as it sits? 

Looks great cleaned up, Das. I use a clear finish for mine if they are indoor pieces, but for outdoor work a coat of Rustmasters works well. You can rust them quickly with peroxide if that's the effect you want. Another scrapologist I know uses a 50/50 mix of marine varnish and Penetrol.

I wondered about that window winder cog on the assassin's back. It didn't look right at first because our bugs don't have that. However, on doing some research I found that you guys have an assassin bug known as a 'wheel bug' and it does have that crest on its back! Nice attention to detail there, Das!!

Thanks for the info Aus. Yup, the ones in my area have the "wheel". That's the one i know of. while googling them i did see many different versions. Some even colorful, but this is the one i'm used to. so what do you think? should i rust it to add color or leave it steel?

Our assassin bugs are orange. You can see 'em coming to get ya!

I like the steel finish, but it's up to you. Is this one a keeper or for sale? If you're like me, I want to keep all of them, as they all have their own character. With an exhibition coming up though, I am obliged to make some for sale.

With your assassin bug I would keep it shiny steel with a clear lacquer and give it an indoor location. If it goes in the garden it will rust anyway with time.

Ours blend in pretty well with their darker grey color. They almost have a touch of brown.

I'm like you in that I want to keep them all too, but I'm willing to let them go to a new home.  Aside from commissions, I'm going to keep at it and maybe try to show at an arts festival in Pittsburgh this summer. 

I think for the time being Ill leave this one raw and keep him indoors until I decide. 

What a wonderfully horrible little nightmare. I can just see them feasting on my cars now. Beautiful.

Thomas, did ya check the illidum q-36 on the death ray? The darn space modulater goes out on the things faster than you can blink. I find it's usually a rabbit in the machinery that's the problem. 

Das you must have slightly warped mind to be able to dream up your creations. Work on it and you can completely warp your mind, I'm speaking from personal experience.

yeah "and burnt the topless towers of illidum"----always causing trouble that wrascally wrabbit! (I tend toward lowenbrau rather than high brow...)

Now has anyone built a mosquito sculpture based on the "drinking birds" model?  I have a pump impeller that I've been saving for use as a worm for a bird sculpture.

Thanks Nobody Special. 

Bud, I haven't even scratched the surface yet  hows the fully warped side? 

Ill try to keep it somewhat balanced. 

Thomas, my mind is already about to explode with ideas that I don't have time or the right junk to make but I'll get some more duct tape to wrap around my head so I can keep filling it.  

I'm sure you can find a smith to help you with the duct tape

29 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

I'm sure you can find a smith to help you with the duct tape

At times some might suggest a straight jacket. 

Naw the long sleeves catch on fire in the forge---hmmm anybody making nomex straight jackets?

Das, you continue to amaze me!   Wonderful!

Thanks Charlotte. 

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

 

Now has anyone built a mosquito sculpture based on the "drinking birds" model?  

Don't know about the 'drinking birds', Thomas, but here's a mosquito. I call him my 'big gun mossie' because his head is a double barrel shot gun.

 

Very neat Aus. Brilliant use of the shotgun part. 

4 hours ago, Daswulf said:

Very neat Aus. Brilliant use of the shotgun part. 

Well the shell chambers were ready made eyes! The work is already done!

But Others or I would never would think of it.