A Dog Named Lasko

I was digging through a drawer the other day and came across an old remote that I forgot that I had. It came with a Lasko fan that bit the dust many years ago. I was about to toss it, but suddenly realized I might made a dog out of it, so here goes.....

The parts required for building this dog are simple.

1. Something for the head. I used an old remote from a fan. Pretty much any remote or old phone will work for a head.
2. Some scrap wood. I used a piece of 1x6 pine left over from building a shelf.
3. 1/4 inch threaded rod and 8 nuts.
4. 1/4 inch bolt
5. Two googly eyes. Googly eyes enhance almost any project!
6. A small spring
7. Sandpaper, stain, varnish, and something to apply it with.
8. A small bit of epoxy or other suitable glue.

Very few tools are required.

• You will need a saw to cut out the wooden parts. I used a band saw, but all parts could be cut out with a hand saw if that's what you have.
• You will need a drill and 1/4 inch diameter bit. Some of the holes are deep and must be drilled very straight, so a drill press makes this easy.
• Two spade bits are needed to countersink 6 holes. I used a 5/8's and a 9/16th spade bit.
• The quarter inch threaded rod will need to be cut. I used a metal cutting band saw, but a hacksaw will do just fine.
• Something to tighten the nuts with -- wrench, pliers, etc.

I sort of made this up as I went, so I have no detailed plans to post. I will, however, describe the parts I made and give the approximate dimensions. All parts were cut from 1x6 pine.

I began by making the body approximately 2 inches wide and 8 inches long On one end I cut a mortise for the dog's neck to fit in. The tenon (see closeup in the 2nd image) will be the dog's neck. Three holes are drilled in the dog's neck -- a 5/8's hole and two quarter inch holes (see the photo for placement). One hole will be used to attach the neck to the body and the other two to attach the head.

On the body I drilled 3 quarter inch holes through the width of the body (again, see 1st photo). One of these holes will be used to attach the neck and the other two will be used to attach the legs. The placement of these holes can be seen in the images. Exact placement is not critical. After all, this is a wooden dog, not a space shuttle part!

The legs are shown in the last two photos. The front legs are 5 inches long and the rear legs are 4 inches. I cut them about 1.5 inches wide at the top, tapering to 3/4 inches at the bottom. 1/4 inch pivot holes need to be drilled in each leg.

Once all the holes were drilled, I used the spade bits to countersink the holes. This doesn't absolutely have to be done, but it makes everything look neater.

I cut the threaded rod to the length required attach the legs and neck to the body. After cutting the threaded rod, use a file (or sander) to remove any burr left from cutting.

I also decided to use a small nut on the spring used for the dog's tail. The spring is simply glued inside the nut with epoxy.

For the head I used an old remote designed for a fan. I made others of these and have used remotes designed for TV's, robot vacuum cleaners, and even cell phones.

You will need to anchor a 1/4 inch bolt to the remote. On this one I simply took the remote apart, drilled a hole in the back, and attached the bolt. Once attached, glue on the googly eyes.

It is easier to put a finish on the individual parts before assembly. Sand, stain, & varnish per the instructions for whatever you choose to use. I used an oil stain and a couple of coats of tung oil, but you can use whatever you are comfortable with. Be sure to let everything dry before assembly.

Attach the head to the neck and the neck to the body per the first photo. After that, use the remaining threaded rods and nuts to attach the legs. Remember, the longer legs go on the front, the shorter legs at the rear.

The final step is to drill a small hole and glue on the spring used for the tail.

These little "art projects" are easy, a lot of fun, and a great way to use old junk and wood scraps.

Good luck!