Tom from Sugru sent me some of their family safe formula Sugru.This is a low odour, skin-friendly version of the familiar moldable glue. I’d not used this version before so was keen to understand how it is different from the classic version. I was also interested to see some of their new colours as I’d previously just used white, black, yellow, red and blue colours, this pack comes with orange, grey, brown and green. You can, of course mix your own custom colours by blending packs.
Sugru isn’t the obvious first choice when it comes to modelling but it does have one key advantage over simple polymer clays. It’s sticky.
So that means you can make things with multiple components and have the Sugru bond them together. I have recently been reading Automata Magazine decided to build a small automata.
Automata
I expect my trip to the Tring Natural History museum might have influenced my design for the Automata. A Dodo, running away from a volcano. The idea is that the backdrop and volcano will be made from MDF, the lava flow will be recycled milk bottles with orange LEDs and the Dodo made from thin plywood and Sugru. Winding the crank to activate the Dodo will also turn a small motor as a generator to make the LEDs light up. Using the Sugru on the model will allow me to add some texture to the feathers.
I’m not sure yet if I’ll have the mechanics on display or tucked away behind. Watch this space to see how it progresses.