Dancebot

Started:November 4th,2008
Finished:November,2008
Materials:metal loudspeaker basket(from a 1960's Czechoslovakian TV/Stereo combi),aluminium lampshade,aluminium
housings(from a vintage radio),reelmotor from a VCR,aluminium part from a radio,
typewriter parts(the arms),aluminium sample sheet.
Building notes:
Tuesday November 4th:
I had this greenish coloured metal loudspeaker basket laying around for awhile.The idea was to make it spin and incorporate 
it into one of my Tinguely inspired builds.
So I started tinkering with it:screwed a piece of aluminium on it,a little bit off center,then attached it onto a motor.
Then my eye fell on an yellow aluminium lampshade I had.Just to see how it looked I put it on the loudspeaker basket and
the idea for dancebot was born.
Wednesday November 5th:
Not much progress today.Basically I looked on the internet for ideas how the the dancebot should look.I wanted it
to be in the style of the 1950's and 1960's robots.
Thursday November 6th:
I've been rummaging through my boxes of junk to find useful parts.For the arms I'm going to use two pieces from an old 
typewriter which will be riveted onto the lampshade.
The head will be made out of aluminium housings which can be found in vintage radio's.
Friday November 7th:
Well,I had to redo the arms.Originally I bended the ends so that they would be flush against the body.But the metal
seems to be some kind of cast iron which broke easily when I bended them.
Luckily I throw hardly anything away which looks even remotely useful for future projects.So I had two
brackets which proved very useful.I riveted those on the body,then riveted the arms on the brackets.
I've made the head out of two aluminium housings (those from vintage radio's),cut into shape then riveted together.
The eyes are two LEDS which will light up,eyesockets are the metal insets out of audio equipment(where you plug
in the components cables).
The neck is also an aluminium housing from an old radio.It is screwed onto the head then attached to the body
with a metal rod.
Saterday November 8th:
A bit of a frustrating day because of the motor.I was using a capstan motor from a video recorder but with all the weight 
on top it,it didn't wanted to spin freely anymore.
So I selected another video recorder motor,this time a reel motor.But when glueing on a bushing with
superglue,the glue was being a bit too super.Or in other words:
the glue set too quickly and the bushing was firmly attached on the top of
the motor shaft...
Anyway,when I picked the dancebot up from the floor where it somehow landed(ahum),I noticed 
the following things:
-the neck which was supposed to be moveable,but wasn't,now is.
-the head now has a rounded edge on one side.
-the facial expression which was a bit sad,now is even more so.
Later in that day I fixed the motor,epoxed the body back on the skirt and mounted the dancebot on yet another aluminium part
from a radio,then on a aluminium sheet.
I also rewired the eyes,because they got tangled when the robot was spinning.
The original idea was to share the powersource with the motor.
I'll have to attach a buttoncell holder to the back of the head and get the LEDS light up that way.
 
Sunday November 9th:
Almost finished!All I need to do is figure out the powersource.Batteries was my first plan but although the motor
spun with only 2,4 V that was without load.
With all the weight it has to work harder.I tried it with a multi voltage adapter and the robot was spinning with
only 1,5 V........I don't know what that's all about.
Monday November 10th
Still almost finished...figured out a satisfactory spinning rate,it only took a 43 Ohm resistor with 3,7 V adapter.But the dancebot needs a 
slight push to get it going.
Tuesday November 11th
I've added a kind of aluminium belt(from a rubber disc that sits on record players),which neatly hides the gap
between the body and the "skirt".
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