Tips and Tricks:
Making a Transforming Legobot
 
Many people write me and ask, "How do you make your robots?"  "Do you start with the robot or the vehicle?"  80% of my 'bots I start with a basic robot body.  I decided to sit down with the digital camera and take pics as I made a totally new 'bot.  This is a walkthrough of the entire process.
 
 
1. I usually start
with a basic
torso, providing
holes for the
head, arms,
and legs.
 
2. I reinforce it
with plates to
hold it together.
Now it is a
solid torso.
3. Sometimes
I make legs
2 bricks wide,
but for this
model I'll
make them
3-wide.
It makes for a
solid-looking
robot.
4. Next the arms.
I always make
elbow joints and
in this case, I
also included
a wrist joint.
5. I put the arm
together and
make its
opposite for the
robot's left arm.
With the legs
already in place,
I'm ready to
make the
head.
 
6. Any kind of
head will do.
So far, the 'bot
looks friendly
so I put passive-
looking eyes
on the head.
7. As I add it
to the body, I
decide it
definitely looks
like it will be a
good guy.

The white and
yellow color
scheme just
makes it look
like a
Guardian.
8. Next, I fold
it different
ways to see
what kind of
vehicle it
should be.
In this case,
I turned the
arms and
legs up
against his
chest.
9. Nah.  How
about if I fold
the legs
on his back?
 10. Nah.  Lastly
I decided to
fold up the legs
below his chest.
They fold
almost
completely
into the lower
chest.  I like it!
This will be the
way it
transforms.
 
Now the refinement process starts.
It looks like some kind of hover-craft or jet.
This will be the direction I take in refining it.
 
Continued