Gis.to Robot Making

THE MAKING OF GLASSGIS.TO ROBOTS

THE CONCEPT. WE USED KIDS CLAY, PAPER, AND RANDOM BOLTS FROM A PIECE OF FAILED IKEA FURNITURE

SCULPTED A ROBOT USING PRO CLAY THEN BAKED IT IN THE OVEN TO MAKE IT ROCK HARD

IT WAS THEN TIME TO MAKE MOLDS USING OOMOO. A DELIGHTFULLY TOXIC AT-HOME MOLD MIX (THIS TOOK US 3 TRIES TO GET RIGHT)

THE TRICK TO ACTIVATING THE HARDENING IS TO MIX TWO PARTS OF THE OOMOO TOGETHER. THE COLOR ENDED UP BEING “LIGHT GRIMACE”

VOILA. A FLEXIBLE MOLD WAS READY THE NEXT DAY. THE CLAY ROBOT STILL INSIDE.

WE CUT THE MOLD OPEN AND RIPPED OUT THE CLAY ROBOT. HERE’S KATIE CHANNELLING GEORGIA O’KEEFFE

WE USED THIS OLD CROCK-POT TO HEAT UP WAX AND POUR INTO THE MOLD TO CREATE LOTS OF WAX ROBOTS ONE BY ONE. THEN WE MADE CHILI (NOT)

NOW THAT OUR MINI ARMY WAS READY, IT WAS TIME TO GET TO THE HEAVY-DUTY MAKING

WE MIXED ABOUT 50 LBS OF PLASTER AND CREATE 3 SETS OF ROBOT MOLDS THAT WOULD END UP IN THE KILN

THE NEXT MORNING WE HAD THESE CAKE-LOOKING CYNLINDERS WITH THE WAX ROBOTS INSIDE (HEAVY)

THE NEXT DAY WAS SPENT USING AN INDUSTRIAL STEAMER TO MELT THE WAX OUT LEAVING THESE EMPTY ROBOT SPOTS

TIME FOR THE GLASS STUDIO. THE GOOD FOLKS AT CHICAGO HOT GLASS WERE SUPER HELPFUL

WE POURED BLACK GLASS FRIT INTO THE EMPTY MOLDS AND POPPED THEM IN THE GLASS OVEN

72 HOURS AND 155O DEGREES LATER WE HAD SOME SHINY GLASS ROBOTS. WE WERE FEELIN’ HOT HOT HOT

GLASS FORMS IMPERFECTLY SO WE USED THIS DIAMOND WHEEL TO SMOOTH OUT THE EDGES. THIS WAS ODDLY RELAXING

DIRTY…BUT THE ROBOTS WERE READY TO LEAVE THE GLASS STUDIO

KATIE WAS NOT LACKING IN SHOE BOXES, SO WE SNAGGED ONE FOR SAFE TRANSPORTATION

WE PAINTED AND LACQUERED THESE BAD BOYS UP, THEN WATCHED THE BEARS LOSE (AGAIN) WHILE THE ROBOTS DRIED

GLASS GISTO ROBOTS!!!!
THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO DONATED TO OUR KICKSTARTER!

by Len Kendall