Tin can man tutorial part 2
Posted By: © Michigan Froggy )
Date: 2004/5/9 12:45 p.m.
Hope you all have fun and I can't wait to see everyone's.
What you need:
Will post the arms tomorrow.

For the feet- 2 General Foods International Coffee cans
Legs- 2 Campbell's soup cans
2 Delmonte Vegetable cans
2 Freshlike Vegetable cans

If you want to make him taller, you can add a larger can to the leg...like the Princella canned yams can...the tall can.

Body- Olive oil can 3qt, 5oz. (3 Liter)
Neck- I used a Delmonte Stewed Tomato can.
Head- Can from Carmel corn, have cookie cans the same size. It is 5 inches across and 6 inches tall.
Coat hanger wire.
Hat- You can use a funnel, Stiffen a real hat with Polyurethane, or just use your imagination. You can attach with screws or just use outdoor goop to attach it.

Arms- 2 Delmonte Vegetable cans and 2 Green Giant Asparagus spears. (150z.)
Hands- Can either be cut out of sheet metal or aluminum cans. One tin can boy I made I used old paintbrushes that never got cleaned and the bristles were quite stiff.

To finish I use Rustoleum rusty metal primer in the spray can, then Rustoleum spray paint to do my main color. I use acrylics to paint the face on and then give several coats of a clear outdoor finish. You can paint however you wish and use your imagination.

If you want to make a girl, you take some sheet metal and start pleating and drilling through the pleats and the body until you go all the way around and attach with screws. I start at the back so you don't see where the sheet metal meets in the back.

These are just the cans I used, you can use whatever cans that will work for you. They just need to be of different sizes so one will fit inside the other to attach with screws. I do my grocery shopping according to what size cans I want at the time.



1. Put larger Delmonte can over the Campbells soup can that is attached to the foot, over lap enough to drill through both cans.

I drill four holes around, as I drill I partially put in a screw in each hole to keep the holes lined up,

then when all four holes are drilled I take them out one at a time, add some goop to the hole then put the screw back in all the way.


2. Add the Freshlike vegetable can over the Delmonte can and attach the same way.

Like wise if you are adding the extra can over this.


3. My Olive Oil can fit right over the two Freshlike cans on the legs.

I overlapped them just enough to drill through both cans, drilled 2 holes in each side and one in front, one in back, gooped holes and inserted screws in all the holes.

If you are using bigger cans to make him taller, you will need a bigger can for the body. A big popcorn can would work. İMargie Coughran 2004


4. Drill holes in bottom of can for neck and mark and drill the holes the same way you did for the feet.

Attach with screws.


5. To attach the head, it's a bit different.

You want to 4 drill holes centered on each side of both cans big enough that wire from a coat hanger will fit through.

I use the coat hangers that have the cardboard tube on them.

Cut the coat hanger so it will fit through the head with extra on each side to bend over to hold secure.

Thread wire through from front to back and side to side through both cans.

This will hold the head on and keep it centered.
© Margie Coughran 2004





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