Thread: Hex bugs

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The Hex bugs are on sale this week at Target for $7.99 but I wasn't able to find a black one. I want to glue a big plastic roach to the top of one. Do you think it will hurt the Hex bug to spray paint it?

What are these?

Sorry...I just assumed everyone knew what they were,here is a former thread on them...............

Radio Shack Hex Bug--nano robotic creature

I dont think it would hurt it If you put some vaseline of the mechanical parts and wiped it off after it dries.

Hi Deadna. I picked up a half dozen or so of the Hex Bugs in the past few months. I found a few black ones at Target, but the rest of them are other colors. I haven't experimented yet with colorizing them. I can tell from the way the soft rubber legs are and how the legs need to vibrate to create the movement of skirting across the surface that you wouldn't want to put anything on that part of the Hex Bug that will stiffen it--although a spray paint might be okay if it doesn't affect the rubber. I was also thinking a marker pen might work on the legs. I don't think the rest of the body would be affected with a paint as the legs are really the only parts that move. The body as a whole vibrates and the mechanics are inside of it. Just don't clog the on/off switch or the screw to replace the batteries.

I have two different size roaches and the larger one would be the one I would recommend. I'll measure it tomorrow but I think it was over 2 inches. It covered the Hex bug body the best. I don't have a dremel yet and got anxious to test the roach-topped Hex bug so very carefully sliced sections of the underside off of the roach with an Xacto blade knife. Wouldn't recommend doing this as the roaches are kind of hard to cut through (at least my kind were) and it was really slow going with the constant thought of the blade slipping and cutting me or something else. It was also hard to slice down only so far and control that depth. I decided to go back and "hollow" out the underside with a dremel for the best effect when I get one. To get the bugs to move well you really have to hollow it out so that what's left is pretty thin. Otherwise the weight of the roach will hamper good movement. I found this out by taking some floral wire and strapping it onto the Hex bug and the roach and turning the bug on. Ultimately I thought I would glue the roach to the top of the bug for it's final stage. Not sure if airplane glue or something like that would work with the plastics but that's what came to mind.

My roaches are brown so I was going to make my legs and body dark brown. If the marker pen idea works, I think I've seen it come in brown. Otherwise black is easy to find.

Wish I had gotten further with my experimentation but right now that's all the help I can be.