was asked to do a robot cake. i know i could take the easy way out and do a square or round cake w/ a fbct or choc transfer, but thought it would be cool to do a standing 3d robot instead.
help me brainstorm structural aspects of this...i am thinking dowels screwed to a board covered in rice krispie treats and fondant for the legs,, 3 stacked squares or rectangles for the body, a smaller square for the head, buttons etc...but the real mystery is the arms....styrofoam? how to connect them...?
this may help.
base of robot -- 1/2 or 3/4 in plywood.
base of body and head -- masonite or thin (1/4 in) plywood
legs -- thick dowels
torso -- thinner dowels
dowels screwed to boards (predrill so don't split dowel)
arm -- duff's other favorite building material -- copper tubing! bend to shape...and screw to top support board.
HTH
I think Rice Krispy arms may be the way to go. I have had trouble supporting arms on 3D cakes. Here is a picture of my cake -- not very good but it may be a starting point for you.
The request was from one of my favorite 5 YO for a GREEN robot cake.
(oops. can't figure out how to show a picture. I posted it in my photos).
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=LGL&cat=0&pos=0
doug, doug, doug....i was hoping you'd show up with your sketch pad!!! thank you! i hadnt even thought of copper piping...can i really just bend it with my hands?
lgl, that robot is great...again, i hadnt even thought of sitting it down. i could do it like that and instead of adding cut pieces for the arms, to make it stonger, maybe stack my three rectangles, then carve the arm shape but keep it attached so it wont be tempted to fall away.
hey doug, feel like sketching her robot (except with a square head and with the arms and legs to have the ridges look-like the tubing that goes out of a dryer) out on your structural set up...while youre at it (ha ha) if you feel like spending all that time...maybe an upright sketch and a sitting sketch? buttons on the chest...no popcorn bowl...square head, silver with red/green/blue buttons....
boy-i am barking up a tall order arent I? i do recall in another thread that you said you had a boring life and good software though...LOL
so if it isnt too much of a job i would love to see what you can come up (and i promise to offer you written credit when i post the picture LOL) - if you dont have time though, i can give the excuse that i.... "was only kidding".....
doug, doug, doug....i was hoping you'd show up with your sketch pad!!! thank you! i hadnt even thought of copper piping...can i really just bend it with my hands?
lgl, that robot is great...again, i hadnt even thought of sitting it down. i could do it like that and instead of adding cut pieces for the arms, to make it stonger, maybe stack my three rectangles, then carve the arm shape but keep it attached so it wont be tempted to fall away.
hey doug, feel like sketching her robot (except with a square head and with the arms and legs to have the ridges look-like the tubing that goes out of a dryer) out on your structural set up...while youre at it (ha ha) if you feel like spending all that time...maybe an upright sketch and a sitting sketch? buttons on the chest...no popcorn bowl...square head, silver with red/green/blue buttons....
boy-i am barking up a tall order arent I? i do recall in another thread that you said you had a boring life and good software though...LOL
so if it isnt too much of a job i would love to see what you can come up (and i promise to offer you written credit when i post the picture LOL) - if you dont have time though, i can give the excuse that i.... "was only kidding".....
"not tonight dear, I have a headache!"
(well actually got home from choir practice way too late to take on that! -- so maybe Tuesday night!)
--------
yes, copper tubing very easy to bend w/ bare hands -- just be gentle -- it has a tendency to "kink"
"not tonight dear, I have a headache!"
(well actually got home from choir practice way too late to take on that! -- so maybe Tuesday night!)
you ARE a hoot! really, i wanted to laugh out loud but my husband is right here, and he would have wanted to know what i was laughing at, and then well i would have had to let him read this, and it could have looked a little weird...
thats alright, i can get out my pencils and notebook and draw up a sketch, i was just playin' lazy because sometimes its cool to see someone else's interpretation of your thoughts. the ideas always come out different and its nice to have "a fresh set of eyes" on an idea. it can be very inspiring.
a little sketch...my software wasn't up to color tonight.
this one doesn't need an armature...it would just go together like stacked tiers. just put a cakeboard under the head and dowel
for ridges on legs and arms: bake in tube (like a soup can). then make long think rolls of fondant. wrap around the cake to make the ridges. then cover over with top coat off fondant. the rolls will show as ridges.
HTH
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=463743
here it is. the kid went bazirk, he LOVED it ! thanks for everyone's help 
thank you! i tried to upload the pic so many times before it finally succeeded that i got tired of writing a description over and over so when i didnt put any info and now it wont let me update it. HOWEVER, once i'm able, i will post credit to those of you who helped with the wonderful ideas. thanks again!!
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