Georgia’s roadside robot builder wants your love [photos]

Allan Chesser talks about his construction replica of the original 1984 Terminator, the T-700, that he displays in his front yard on Martha Berry Highway in Rock Spring, Ga. Allan Chesser talks about his construction replica of the original 1984 Terminator, the T-700, that he displays in his front yard on Martha Berry Highway in Rock Spring, Ga.

By Tyler Jett September 23, 2018 17 min read

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Robot builder

Allan Chesser explains his construction of the T-700 arm that replicates the sci-fi movie The Terminator in his front yard in Rock Spring, Ga.

Staff photo by Tim Barber From his front yard in Rock Spring, Allan Chesser talks about his thought process in building the sci-fi sculptures, like the Black Knight, at right.

Staff photo by Tim Barber Using a soft iron paint, Allan Chesser made his Terminator Salvation T-600 look convincing to passers-by from his front yard in Rock Spring, Ga. Chesser's sculpture of the T-700 is painted with Krylon metallic, at right.

Staff photo by Tim Barber A hip replacement would look like this—Allan Chesser utilizes wood, pvc pipe, wiring and nuts and bolts to fashion a leg joint to the main body of his Terminator T-700 replica in his front yard in Rock Spring, Ga.

Staff photo by Tim Barber Allan Chesser explains his construction of the T-600 arm that he interprets as a replica from the sci-fi movie Terminator Salvation.

Staff photo by Tim Barber Allan Chesser uses a remote he built to move the head of his Black Knight sculpture character in his front yard in Rock Spring, Ga.

Staff photo by Tim Barber Allan Chesser explains his construction of the T-600 leg that will soon be attached to the Terminator Salvation character in his front yard in Rock Spring.

As a boy, despite his intelligence, Allan Chesser struggled to pay attention to teachers in school. He daydreamed through classes and struggled to fit in with his peers.

Allan Chesser wanted to be left alone as a child and didn't make many friends.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a series on area residents taking unusual paths through life.

ROCK SPRING, Ga. – There once was a boy who didn’t want to go to school. The other kids made fun of his lazy left eye, his uneven hair, his cheap Kmart track shoes.

He couldn’t pay attention to the teacher, his grades were bad, and boys chased him home for sport. A redheaded kid flicked the back of his ear all class. He was afraid to dress out for gym. He ate alone.

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But there was a girl, two rows to his right in homeroom. She had blond hair, twisted in a braid to her waist. And she wore a plaid shirt and yellow pants. And unlike him, she always seemed clean. And unlike him, she got along with people. And when she sharpened her pencil, she smiled at him. And when other boys teased him, she said, “Pay them no mind.”

She liked him. She liked him not.