Josef is the hero of the independent video game "Machinarium" by Amanita Design. Here I recreate him using cheap odds and ends from my local hardware store.

Step 1: You Will Need...

3/4" pvc pipe plug
3/4" pvc pipe cap
1 nylon washer, same diameter as the cap
9 stop nuts
nails
paint
epoxy glue

Step 2: Josef's Head

To begin, let's make his wee head. I used a file and sandpaper to remove the serial numbers from the top of the pvc cap. The job was a little rough, but the good news is Josef isn't the most perfectly put together robot out there so scratches and mistakes just add character. Sit the cap on the washer and use poster putty to position his eyes where you want them, then using a sharpie mark the welding seam that runs around his head at eye level. Mark the other seam that runs over his crown. Using the edge of a half-round file, score these lines into the plastic so they show up when he is painted.

Step 3: Josef's Head, Continued

Use 1/2" brads to make the three rivets that run down his brow. Holding the brads with needle nose pliers, heat the points in a candle flame then push them into the cap where you want them. Make his antenna the same way, using a wire nail to which you have epoxied a stop nut. Then glue his eyes and the washer (which is his lower jaw) in place.

Step 4: Josef's Torso

Josef's torso is the pvc plug. Level off the top of the threads with a file, and epoxy it to the washer. Glue two more stop nuts in place for his shoulders.

Step 5: Arms and Legs

Josef's arms and legs are nails. I used panel nails for his legs because they have a little texture to them, but you can't bend panel nails, so don't use them for his arms. His arms are bent at the ends so they fit in his shoulders. At the end of each nail, glue a stop nut. I used slightly smaller nuts for his hands.

Step 6: Attach the Legs

As you did with the antenna and rivets, heat the ends of the leg-nails and push them into his base to make the legs.

Step 7: Attach the Arms

Epoxy the arms in place. Here he is before painting.

Step 8: The Finished Josef!

I painted him with a layer of chrome and then a thin layer of antique bronze. If you are wondering what he is standing on, it's called a 'malleable washer' and is used in dock construction. It reminded me of the manholes in the game!