Garbage Guns

Plastic toys. They're fun for 3 - 5 years, and then where do they go? Into the trash. Plastic waste is mainly made up of these fun refugees, and it's hard to solve this problem because you can't really give a new kid old toys.
... Or can you?
In my house of 6 people, we keep all our old toys in bins. We have about 6 of them sitting in the living room. There's headless horses without the men, foam bullets, golf balls, basically anything that doesn't have a home. That's kind of like our Lego bin. We take the boys and pieces and build with them. It's surprising how well hot glue can hold hundreds of tiny pieces together. This instructable isn't really a step-by-step process, but more of a loose guide for starting out. I'll show how we do it, and you can do it too, and hopefully we'll reduce the garbage together. (This is a great project for group activities and any other setting!)

This is the Degtyarov machine gun, also known as the DP-28 (google it). To make this, I started with its unique round magazine, using old DVDs (what the heck did they use those for??) and some round pieces of plastic. I built out from there, using a light saber hilt, a vitamin container, and a plastic pool table leg to make the barrel. Moving towards the back, you see a handle that I stole from Thor's hammer, glued to another pool table leg for a trigger, glued to a futuristic RC car remote. A stand is made with 2 bits of transparent plastic. It bears a striking resemblance to the actual thing. This method of building is better for models with a large center part that you can start with and build off. A couple examples are the Instructables robot (the torso) and Batman's utility belt (The rather heavy-looking buckle). This technique is straightforward, and is easily done in half an hour.

This method is for side view models. I'm building the popular AK-47 assault rifle. Begin by building a template. This is done by tracing your object onto cardboard, and then cutting it out.

Fit the pieces onto the cardboard. I've put on things like a mini clothes hanger, a plastic knife, an edge piece from a Rubik's cube I ruined, and a bunch of other cool things. Now, take the hot glue gun and attach them wherever you meet. In the second picture, I've marked the areas I've glued in green (Yes, I know I'm not a professional artist).

Now, slip more pieces into the cracks and glue them in as well for a second layer. It's a good idea at this point to wiggle your shape off of the cardboard, and test to see if it can hold itself together. The final layer will be highly decorative. Fill up any tiny holes with small pieces (for example, I used 1x1 Lego studs), and it should be finished! Small holes that should be intentionally left open, like my trigger, should be marked with long pieces.

If you turn around your model, you can glue it together in the back. It'll be as stable as any new hunk of plastic!

Honestly, this has to be my favorite way of building things. You just glue stuff together and make things that you do NOT want to put next to your bed.

I'm happy to inform all worried animal lovers out there that the headless horse has had a successful surgery, and is now living happily with a not-headless-anymore chicken.

Let's just hope that they don't have any kids.

I've taught you all I know about this field. Now go out and make your own garbage city!

This is a favorite pastime of mine, and I hope you guys will enjoy it as well.

(Try to guess what this sculpture means!)

Until we meet again!

zakbobdop