Metal Micky
Built by Santiago Plicio in January 2025
As the year 2024 was winding down to a finish and with too much spare time on my hands, I thought about creating a model based on a radical idea I had had for a long time.
Having suddenly committed myself to the idea, I started constructing in the morning of December 30th and was finished by the afternoon of the 31st just in time to ring in the new year!
In 18 years of being a member of at least five different Meccano clubs I hadn’t seen a model based on the idea and similarly after having seen hundreds of photos of Meccano models in endless magazines I hadn’t come across something like the one I had just built and so perhaps I can count myself lucky and hopefully claim to being the first with such a type model.
The idea is based on a large worn metal face mask; like the death mask of TutanMeccanoon but only worn by someone still living!
I wasn’t sure at first if I would be able to create a Meccano mask that I would be able to comfortably wear, but I persevered with the idea anyway and it wasn’t too long before I had found a way to pad out the inside to make it comfortable enough to be wearing.
After I had tested it out in the mirror I was satisfied with the mask but wondered if it would be even more effective if I covered up my shoulders and chest to make the focus on the mask more effective, and with that I decided to create more of a suit to make it feel more complete.
I could maybe go on and keep adding more body parts to it and the thought has crossed my mind to wear it at one of the coming Meccano meetings though I wouldn’t want anyone to think I was taking the Metal Mickey by doing so.
For now its still only a prototype and perhaps I might evolve it further depending on what I find in my armoury of 2025 coming.
The man in the iron mask feels like it wears a little bit heavy and it took some adjustments before it sat sturdily and comfortably on my head, and the rest of the outfit is similarly heavy, making me feel less like an Iron Man of the future and more like a Metal Mickey.
Some things just never grow old; you just have to find more inventive ways as how to mask the lines of longevity!