Structurally only sheet metal and rivets (w/ washers) were used. 26 gauge plates are about 0.5mm thick, which is half as thick as a penny, or slightly thinner than those used for gutters.
Some stats:
- Weight: About 5.25 lbs (2.4 kg)
- Number of metal shapes/cutouts: 32 (for example, the antenna assembly is made of 5 pieces: 2 antennae, the front center cover, the back cover, and the attachment hook)
- Number of rivets: about 146 (most of them are hidden on the inside by design, which is why I can't do an exact count anymore... only about fewer than 40 are readily visible on the outside, and most are located on the side or the back of the head, very few are visible from the front)
- Time taken: 35 hours paper draft + 148 hours metal version = 184 hours total span over 3.5 months
- Cost: All materials shown in pic cost around US $100. Around $60 worth of sheet metal, less than $20 worth of rivets and washers, plus other misc items such as LEDs and stuff. However, tool cost would be quite high if I were to buy them just for this project. I already have most of the tools (drill, dremel, pliers, tin snips...etc), so the biggest tool investment I made was the 4" vise (which costed like $50). In total, I think I spent less than $200. I guess if I were to count labor cost as well, then at minimum wage of $7 and 184 hours, the project cost would be around $1500! It sure is not a wise investment :p
Now a couple of comparison shots against my "plan" / reference:
