It's okay folks, the most gruesome thing about this post is the title. Don't let it scare you off!
My
dad gave me this box a couple of weeks ago with one simple word stamped
on it. Needless to say, the original owners did not heed the warning. I guess the Michelin had a prominent spot at the main desk at my dad's work, until... GASP! He was was dropped!
See Exhibit A, to the right:
Yikes! The Michelin Man has been dismembered!
I've made a bunch of sawdust in my workshop and
fashioned some cool things with my tools, but I've never performed surgery. Sure. Why not?
First a couple of holes. Apparently Mr. Michelin Man is ceramic. Lots of white dust!
Next, I had to channel my inner mad scientist as I went searching through a container of random screws. Found one that fits!
As you can see, I sawed off the non-threaded portion of the screw and inserted it into the neck. You're absolutely right... I should have used anesthesia. Poor guy.
So, I grabbed the Gorilla Glue and squeezed some into Mr. Michelin Man's base and then I applied some to the screw threads. A couple rotations of the head and then I had to find something to weigh the neck/head down while the glue dried overnight. Um, a canister of paint thinner and my favorite pliers seemed work.
Day 2: Dried Gorilla Glue! Not on my patient! I found some tweezers and my dentist tools and I cleaned up the re-attachment site. I dipped into Laura's paint supplies and did my best to replicate his off white color paint job.
I also cleaned him up a bit. He had been well-handled and I was actually able to bring a little shine back to his finish. Nice.
I would say my first head re-attachment procedure was a glowing success. I mean, just look at that smile on the Michelin Man. It was a fun little project. I'm not sure Mr. Michelin Man would feel at home in my bobblehead collection. Perhaps I'll offer him back up to my dad unless there are other takers in the audience!
It's okay folks, the most gruesome thing about this post is the title. Don't let it scare you off!
Very impressive, Tom! One of the funnest challenges I think is to find the right "tool" to do an odd job, as you did with the can of paint thinner and pliers. Nicely done. Reminds me of trying to hang up a 2-inch-wide paintbrush (bristles down) to dry, which was the challenge about a week ago. Your father and I rigged it to hang from the kitchen cabinet by clipping a spring-type clothespin to its handle and then closing the cabinet door on the handle so that the clothespin caught on the cabinet shelf and kept the brush hanging in place. Worked great, and put a smile on my face.
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