I had just set the doll down on the floor of my studio when my kids walked in to see what I was making. Unfortunately, I was in the process of disemboweling yet another one of their beloved toys. This has happened once before during my Mechamo Crab build so I should have known better than to leave this kind of stuff lying around.
Even though they willingly offered me the old toy for dissection, nothing prepares them for the cruel reality that this once loved doll was…well, just a toy. Underneath the silicone skin is a bunch of plastic, speakers, wires, and motors, all waiting for me to hack apart and use in another project. It’s a Makers gold mine!
My youngest daughter asked, “Why did her face fall off?” I just smiled and said, “Daddy is making something for work.” She accepted my answer and happily ran off. I dodged that bullet! My oldest daughter was obviously fascinated by the inner workings of the doll. YES! She’s hooked…another Maker is born!
Do you have any funny moments when you were building something? Post them in the comments below. Thanks!
8 thoughts on “The hazards of a Dad who’s a Maker”
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I was using some leftover PVC pipe to make a yarn winder. It was a simple thing, but I was notching out the pipe with my dremel. I had just moved into the new house, and didn’t have anything but my dremel, and my pipe unpacked. (No, I can’t explain why I needed a yarn winder right then.)
My friend, who’s also a tinker, came over, and found me on the floor of the kitchen holding pipe still with my feet, while working on it.
He didn’t say a word, but left, and came back with a package of clamps from the hardware store.
@The perpetual convalescent
So did you clamp the pipes to your feet? ;)
I need more friends that go out and buy me tools! Anyone want to get me a laser cutter?
I was taking a tour of the Fischer-Price Brands HQ here in NYC for a toy design class I was taking for school. They deal with all of the licensed toys that Fischer-Price puts out. We were working on a collaborative project with them, so we were surprisingly given free reign throughout the facility. I had stumbled upon a room with a sign on the door reading “the land that time forgot”. I innocently walked right in to find some of the most horrific mutilated toys from my childhood…the worst was by far the faceless Teddy Ruxpin…which disturbs me to this day. I later learned that apparently “the land that time forgot” is the main source for where the engineers can hack old toys for prototypes and ruin my childhood memories.
@franknkeim
I would love to have had access to that room. Sounds like I need that sign for my office!