Introduction: Creepy Mechanical Baby (made From Broken Toys)

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About: I'm Mario Caicedo Langer (M.C. for short), a Colombian STEAM educator living in Azerbaijan, BSc in Naval Sciences, Master in Toy Design, and former Navy officer. I am a CAD and 3D Printing enthusiast and an ar…

This project is very easy! You only need a baby head (from a doll, of course), broken toys and basic tools (well, I consider my Dremel rotary tool as a basic tool. Basically, you need to drill a few holes and cut some plastic pieces). The result? A creepy toy you can use as a prank or just for fun (and here, Hollywood movies are not super popular, so nobody said "it looks like that spider toy from Toy Story!"... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Step 1: Materials:

  • Head from a baby doll.
  • Gearbox with a 3V motor, from any electrical toy (or a servo, if you want to spend more money. Seriously?)
  • 2 gears from a dismantled printer.
  • 2 AA batteries.
  • Battery holder from a toy (I had one from a failed project, and it was great because it has two semicircles in each side, looking like some kind of "cradle").
  • Cables.
  • Switch.
  • Various types of plastic pieces from broken toys.
  • Superglue.

Tools: pliers, screwdrivers, cutters, hobby knife, Dremel rotary tool, soldering iron.

Step 2: Battery Holder

This was the "feet" (or "cradle" of the monster). Batteries are not only for energy, but for keeping center of gravity low.

Step 3: Gearbox

As seen in the photos, the long axis gear from the printer had to be glued to the gearbox. A black piece, with a hole that fits the axe, was inserted. It would be the shoulders of the baby.

Step 4: Claws

I took some plastic pieces from broken toys, and I shaped them using the cutting disc and the drill of the rotary tool, creating two claws our Baby Robot will use to crawl on the ground.

Step 5: Arachnoid Arms

I attached the claws to the "shoulders" (black piece inserted in the axis of the printer's gear).

Step 6: Crank Mechanism

I took one plastic strip and I opened one hole in each end. Then I drilled a hole in the largest gear of the gearbox, and another hole in the shoulders. When the largest gear rotates, the plastic strip transmits the movement to the shoulders.

Step 7: Baby Head

I inserted the head into the axle of the shoulder's gear, firmly attached but with enough space to the shoulders to allow a smooth movement.

Step 8: Switch

I took the batteries holder and out the batteries (for balance). Then I screwed a switch from a broken toy.

Step 9: Completing This Hellspawn

I connected and soldered the wires of the switch, one to one of the terminal of the batteries holder, and the other one to one of the terminals of the motor. I did the same with other cable, connecting the available terminals of the batteries holder and the motor.

With double face tape (you can use hot glue, too), I put together the batteries box to the body of the baby. Now it's ready to bring panic to the masses!