Review on 🤖 Wood Trick Robot Wooden Robotic by Jeremy Flint

First, I am an adult carpenter and have experience with small details. With that in mind, it took me about 8-10 hours to assemble this model. It was fairly easy to assemble but the construction methods were time consuming. This model was more difficult to assemble than, for example, a plastic model with a comparable level of detail. The finished hand worked well and scared the dog. However, as I am writing this in late March during the COVID-19 crisis, I can try to use it as a means of social distancing. OK, maybe not. Just take a look. I ended up building it because I could spend a lot of time at home and didn't have enough things I wanted to do to fill that time. I have some recommendations for those who are going to build it. Eliminate friction between moving parts before breaking pieces off the boards. - Sanding the boards. When delivered, the boards are pretty rough, so the parts don't slide over each other that easily. I used 400 grit sandpaper and it worked really well. - It can be tempting to finish the boards before they break apart. Do not do that. Surface finish will affect the friction fits of mortise and tenon joints, and oil finish will affect bonding if you choose to do so. Instead, wax only the parts that rub against each other, if at all. *There are toothpick issues as mentioned in other reviews and the model uses a lot of toothpicks. The toothpicks have a friction fit, so expect them to be snug. I used a few tricks to make the toothpick assembly smoother. - If possible, insert toothpicks one by one into the holes. It's not always possible, but if you can do it, it will be easier. - If possible, slide the piece over the toothpick so that you are putting pressure on the piece and not on the toothpick. - When I could, I put a piece on one end of the toothpick and put the other end of the toothpick on the bench while I put the piece on the toothpick. This works best if you cut off the end of the toothpick that's resting on the bench (or table or desk) as it won't slip out from under you as much. As you press down on the toothpick, hold it perpendicular to the surface you're working on. - Keep some small hobby pliers handy to pull out toothpicks that break before they are fully inserted. - I used electronic scissors to cut the toothpicks after I was done. - Make sure you only cut toothpicks as you are told. Some toothpicks should not be cut as they will be used to assemble additional pieces on the next page. - If a toothpick is only needed to assemble 3 pieces or fewer, a 1/2 toothpick will do. If you cut a toothpick in half, you end up with two short pieces, each with a pointed end and a flat end for applying pressure. - For assembly, if you can't bench press, have a set of thick nails ready. You can press the end of the toothpick with a set of nails and save your fingers.* Gluing - I used quite a bit of glue to assemble the hand. I didn't fully trust the friction to hold the model together, although I had no problems. - I used Titebond III with a Wood River disposable glue gun. After filling the syringe about 1/2 full with glue, I occasionally had to scrape the crusts off the top, but the glue stayed in the syringe for three days with the cap on. The syringe provides the precise control needed to apply adhesive accurately. I used about 1/4 of the syringe on this model. - Gluing can be a bit tricky as you can't glue parts that need to move. If the pieces are held together with two or more toothpicks, you can safely glue them together. Using a toothpick is impractical in most cases. - Only apply adhesive where the two surfaces to be bonded are in direct contact. Otherwise the adhesive may affect moving parts.