The Cradle of Skunkadelia
The sun sets on the old Ready Room Gallery, and a new dawn greets the brand new Cradle of Skunkadelia – a welding bench worthy of Hephaestus.
Category: Other Creations
I weld other things besides Astrobots. I used to make Rayguns as well as Rocketships. I still make trophies and mascots for the Independent Film Festival of Boston. I’ve made myself a canopy bed, spiky mirror frames, archways, and many things that support the making and displaying of my Astrobots. While I mostly only weld robot shaped objects now, it’s nice to have documentation of older work, as well as personal work.
Constructing a John-Henry Class Rocketship: Stage Five
This is the fifth chapter in the odyssey of constructing the SRS Imagination, a John-Henry class rocketship. Learn about the electronics – the lights, the switches, the power and the ability to control everything from a smartphone.
Constructing a John-Henry Class Rocketship: Stage Four
I’ve been spending the last few months working on a 60-inch model of a Rocketship named the SRS Imagination, although the project was actually started years ago. This chapter covers the construction of the control panel, the battery harness, the Explorer’s home and the plaque, and also contains an ode to iron metal shavings.
Constructing a John-Henry Class Rocketship: Stage Two
I began building this massive rocketship model in 2015. Five years later it’s time to start finishing what I started: drilling more holes, adding hand-modified hinges, and most notably building a complex and detailed command module starting with a vintage coffee can.
A Quarter Century Customizing an Electric Guitar
How many artists does it take to mod a Fender Squire Guitar? And how long?
How to take care of a poseable Astrobot
Proteus-Class Astrobots have articulated poseable joints – I made an instructional video for those who are curious about taking care of the moving parts.
DIY Combat Boot Roller Skates – Ready for Scuffing!
Making your own roller skates isn’t very hard, especially when you have an old pair that doesn’t suit.
Making a Tool to Make Art
They say when you are a hammer, all the world is a nail: when you’re a welder, everything metal is a potential work-in-progress. However studio time is all too short and full of all manners of tempting distractions, so I try to stay focused on what I love to do – making the friendly robots.
Skunk’s Solo Musical Album: Nemobird – Wormhole Life Support
Wormhole Life Support – a musical project for fun and free distribution.
The Birth of Elysa
A short story about the construction of Elysa, an adorable Ion Class Asrtobot.
The Robot Book: a Never-Ending Work-in-Progress
I’ve been working on a book for a few months now: a catalog of each and every robot I’ve ever built, from Astrobot #1, Ziggy, to the latest. As I approach the 300 mark, it’s become increasingly challenging to keep up with the documenting and publishing the most current work, let alone digging into the past. It[…]
Constructing a John-Henry Class Rocketship: Stage One
For years off and on I had been asking weld shops for retired tanks, but without much luck; so when Derek from the Artisan’s Asylum donated four spent SCUBA tanks I was ready to build something I’ve been looking forward to for years: A Paul Bunyan Class Rocketship.
Constructing the Arch Entrance to the Gallery
Living in New England means adapting your schedule to the weather. We’ve had a couple of back-to-back heavy-duty snow storms, and as a result my TIG welding class was postponed.
Fun with Colors
Working in raw steel is pretty monochromatic. I love going big with color whenever I get the chance.
SCUL Calendars: Time capsules of a Bicycle Chopper Gang
I’ve been designing and producing SCUL calendars annually since 1998, the first of which was inspired from a calendar I saw when I worked as a finisher at Merlin Metalworks in Cambridge, MA.
Ode to the Titan-Class Astrobot: Discontinued Line. Part one of three: MOBOT
The story of MOBOT begins as a seed planted by a Gary Larsen cartoon: can you guess which one?
Trophies for the Independent Film Festival Boston
For several years I have had the honor of making the trophies for the winners of the Independent Film Festival. While I doubt anyone is shooting with film cameras anymore, I find that style of movie camera so iconic that I went with it anyway.
SRS Starstriker
The SRS Starsucker is the largest of the Skunkadelic Starships to date. Constructed from a 50’s Kenmore vacuum cleaner graciously donated by greenGoat. Complete with original landing gear. Plasma cut fins made from spent circular saw blades. Height: 36″
Making a Superhero Mask
Making a proper mask is tricky. Here’s how I made mine.
2011 SCUL Calendar Photo Shoot
SCUL puts out a calendar every year. Many of the photos used in the calendar is shot during missions, however it’s helpful to shoot in a more ‘controlled’ environment.
Titanium Travel Chopsticks
A few years back my friend Sideshow helped me make a set of titanium chopsticks that separate like a pool cue. I used to carry them in my boots.
Bulletproof Titanium Flask
A few years ago I was lucky to get my hands on some leftover tubing samples from work. I made myself a bulletproof flask. I’m sure this thing is tough enough to survive being run over by an eighteen wheeler.
Thermal Shirt Mod: Experiments with an Overlock
I’ve been plying around with a serger. I got some XL sized thermals, and tailored them. Inspired by Hapto.
Trophies for BTWC 2010
I love making indestructible trophies, especially for cyclists.
Stardust Class Rocketship: SRS Shooting Star
TIG welded Rocketship from recycled giant steel hole-saw, and bicycle parts. Bullet headlamp nosecone opens to hold action figure adventurers. Height: 25″ Custom-made for Google
Mad Rabbit
This is a new prototype for low power lightening field for a ship. 300 LEDs lasted the entire mission.
Portraits Under the Portal of Skunkatude
It’s not that often the Portal of Skunkatude moves, but when it does it goes to parties and gets it’s picture taken with fabulous people.
The Creation of Adam
Not that long ago, about 3 in the morning, I jumped up from a near sleep with a Eureka moment. About a month earlier Self Destruct, a friend and fellow pilot, suggested I make my robots poseable for stop animation.
Trophies for Independent Film Festival Boston
As promised, here’s a look at the trophies commissioned for IFF Boston.
Early Stages of a Protues Class Astrobot
Somewhere in a dark garage, a metal man is being made.
Career Achievement Award for Kevin Kline
The fine folks of IFF Boston commissioned me to make actor Kevin Kline his career achievement award.
Knightsaber Maintenance
One of the el drivers shorted. Must have been that battle with the sarlac on tatooine.
Cloudbuster Repair
Last season the ole’s Disko-Deth-Stah mast suffered from severe radiation exposure, and froze to one solid hunk of iron. Alphamission is upon us, so it’s scramble time until Sunday!
The Birth of a Missing Link Bicycle Chain Creature
Skunk creates a Missing Link, a fantastic creature made from old bicycle chain.
Redbones Rocketship Install
This morning was the installation of the SRS Redbone, at Redbones. Things went well, thanks to Rob Gregory and the ‘do-it-all-guy’, PJ.
Bicycle Spoke Cake Topper
Available custom made to order. Welded stainless steel bicycle spokes. I made this triptych for a SCUL couple marrying Saturday. I can make yours at this scale and complexity for $60, less if you want something simpler. I have lots of ideas that are more complex.
Iron Cog 2009
The Iron Cog Award is the highest honor you can receive in SCUL. It is typically given to only one pilot once per season. Each Iron Cog trophy is different. I try to make each trophy suit the pilot. Sometimes they spin dangerously, and sometimes they are on fire.
Firefly Chandelier
This is one of those projects that sits for six months before starting, and then it only takes a day to execute. Leaves me wondering why I waited so long.
Runic Journal
This journal has been sporadically kept since 1985. I’ve been using a homegrown brand of runes to code it. There was a book making project at the Holliston High School art class, and we got extra credit if we illustrated it.
Mag-NEAT-O
The Mister Potato-Head of the future! A life-sized robot sculpture with re-arrangeable magnetic facial features.