Materials:

  1. 1" wide 1/8th" thick Aluminum strip. $4.00 local hardware store. 
  2. 1/4 thick aluminum rod $2-4.00
  3. 4- 1" 6/32 stainless steel bolts and nuts  $2.00
  4.  J.B. Weld $3.00
  5. Alumiprep 33
  6.  Q-Tips
  7.  Clay

   Tools:                            

  1. Dremel
  2. Sandpaper
  3. Hacksaw

    Process:        

  1. Use a hacksaw and cut two 3.75" pieces off your Aluminum Strip. 
  2. Sand and round edges of these rectangular plates. (I clamp both set together so the round ends match on each set)
  3. Cut the heads off the bolts.
  4. Bend the Aluminum Rod the match the template then cut to length on both ends
  5. Bend the strips to match your torso curve. You can also place the sand paper face up on the torso and sand the underside of the plates for a tighter fit.
  6. Use JB like glue to fit aluminum rods and screws together. No clamping needed, I used clay to prop the pieces into place and some q-tips to clean off the excess before it sets. (Another tip put some clay on the threads that you don't want glued but are near the contact area. This will keep the JB from getting in and hardening, later you can wipe out the clay for some clean threads.
  7. Let dry over night.
  8. Sand away excess JB Weld, then prime and paint.

     

J.B. Weld didn't hold the item all that well ** I dropped my hooks and all the pieces flew off.**

I've been told I made a mistake..."If you sand the aluminium,..then apply Alumiprep 33 before glueing,..making sure your parts are mixed equally,...it will NEVER EVER EVER come free :)"

Strangely, Torso hooks with hidden mounts are the norm for most builders but to be accurate clearly  6 screws held the hooks in place on the robot and were visible in the first season.

 

I made some improvements today. I drilled holes in the plate and then inserted a cast pewter bend. After I get some Alumiprep 33 I'll try it again. I'll probably fasten this to the torso with 6 screws.

 

 

 

Tim did this in steel leaving his bend rods still long so that he could thread them afterward and use these for mounting

.

Measurements for torsohook on a lost in space robot

Hook in profile above. 

8/30/2004 My newest models below.

 

   

The plates are aluminum. The bends are pewter.

The bends are attached by drilling  holes through the plate then inserting the rod ends and melting the ends with a Butane micro-torch...I dremeled the bumps off. Feels secure now. 

8/30/2004 An entire day was spent making the above...I liked them a lot but I'm changing the rod to 5/16th.

9/1/2004

 

 

Perfect! (At least to me.) The center of the screw mount holes are a mouse whiskers width longer than 3/16th from the sides and 1/4th inch from the ends.)

I think 6-32 screws are best...the 8-32 head is just a sliver too wide.

I improved the bend mounting by counter sinking the hole on both sides for a tighter fit on the top and securing the bend on the bottom.

 

9/7/2004 Primed both sets today..

  

Special thanks to Tim Keavin. Who provided me his own templates.

 

   

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