My first instructable is a request from my 8 years son. He is a fan of the Nintendo 3DS game Chibi Robo and asked to build together a statue of this funny robot. We choose to make it in standing position with articulated arms from scrap material.

Step 1: Collect the Parts and Tools

The aim was to use plastic parts and wood scrap, some parts were 3D printed, but can be found/made easily.

We have first searched a flower pot for the head. The one found in our garden was 130mm diameter, this size determined the scale (total height is 30cm). In fact the real one is only four-inch-tall.

Then we printed at the right scale the picture of Chibi Robo (PDF file attached), this helps to select the parts and to cut them to the right size.

Materials:

Head : Plastic flower pot, diameter 130mm
Body : Aluminium can, the thin one, diameter 50mm
Bottom : Kinder egg box, big one
Head closure : 2 plastic covers, diameter 130mm
Body(internal) : wood scrap, diameter 50, rectangle 50x25mm, base plate 150x150mm
Hands : 2 plastic spoons
Arms & legs : Steel tube (diameter 10mm) from a baby gate, total length 60cm
Joint : 2 Hinges, 15mm wide
Tail : Electric plug + Bottle cap
3D printed parts : eyes, knees and shoes

Tools:

Metal saw
Utility knife
Cutting pliers
Sandpaper
Drill cutter: diameter 3/6/10,5mm
File
Wood rasp
Screw driver
Hot glue gun
Wood saw
Jigsaw
Drill

Other:

Glue
Silver spray paint

Chibi Robo scale.pdf
Download

Step 2: Cutting and Drilling

First, be careful for cutting operation, especially for soft material, make sure the part is hold as much as you can during cutting.

Use a metal saw to cut the plant pot, the kinder egg, the steel rod and the hinges. The hinges are cut lengthwise. Reassemble them with original axis or M3 bolt & glue.

Use a utility knife to cut the can, then protect the cut area with tape to avoid injury.

Cut the plastic spoons with cutting pliers & utility knife.

A piece of 20mm plywood is used inside the can to hold the arms. Cut it to the right size with wood saw, round the upper corner to allow the part to go on top of the can. Drill 3 small holes :

2 for for hinges tightening at the bottom
1 for head tightening at the top

Then drill the corresponding holes in the hinges for shoulders.

A round piece of wood holds the legs and the bottom. Use a jigsaw to cut a the right diameter. Drill 2 holes for legs(10.5mm).

Position the bottom(Kinder) on the wood part then drill it with 10,5mm cutter through the wood part.

Position the bottom on the wood part then drill it through the existing holes(10.5mm).

Drill the bottle cap (6mm).

Cut one plastic cover with scissor to close the bottom of the head.

All the parts have to be deburred and slightly sanded to improve paint adherence.

Step 3: Assembly

Arms:

Cut 2 pieces of cork, I used them to thicken the hands
Use hot glue to assemble hands/forearm/hinge for elbow/upper arm, the steel tube can be filled with hot glue before put the hinge inside

Head:

Glue the cut plastic cover and the eyes on the flower pot

Body:

Drill a small hole on top of the can. Cut the two sides of the can to allow the shoulder hinge to go across the can
Screw the head on the body
Screw the shoulder hinge to the plywood part inside the body
Glue the arms to the shoulders

Legs