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Post by Gromit on Sept 21, 2011 19:59:29 GMT
I settled on a compromise otherwise this build would just not be completed within the time frame. The flat roof stays but being a 'Wallace & Gromit' special, there has to be a few inventions. Here's the first, the ECO generator ... ... using the porridge gun, a propeller and other bits and pieces from the spares box we have a generator, here's what it looks like from the ground ...
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Post by Gromit on Sept 21, 2011 20:08:59 GMT
To add a little further detail on the roof I built a Solar Panel ... ... I cut a piece of thin white plastic card, marked it equally length ways and width ways, and then scored the lines with the back of a scalpel blade, the idea being just to score the card and not cut it. I then sanded the card down and glued it to a piece of thick black plastic card. I looked at several solar panels and they're a sort of dark blue colour, so, I had a look through the paint stock and found a pot of mid blue acrylic paint. This was watered down considerably as I wanted the paint to cover but remain translucent. The card was given several coats pf paint and force dried after each coat. Once dry, the final coat was followed with a dusting of Vallejo black weathering powder which deepened the blue to an acceptable level. The final stage was to cover the whole item with a piece of clear plastic acetate. Now all I had to do was mount the panel on the van ... ... I just love the hands supplied with the 'Were Rabbit' kit, they so 'handy'? for lots of things. Ah well, also put together at the same time as the solar panel was the satellite aerial.
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Post by Gromit on Sept 21, 2011 20:17:07 GMT
may I present the 'jack-o-matic', the automatic vehicle staibilizer and wheel jack. A quick firtle into the spares box produced a couple of resin boots which were cast for a previous 'Wallace' conversion ... perfect! ... The height of the boot leg was reduced to make it sit under the chassis, a few drilled holes, a couple of bits of plastic rod, and a smear of superglue later ... here's the stabilizer in the up position ... ... and in the down position ... ... and as you can see they're independent for use on uneven ground ... I thought about making an amazing working contraption, but I'm generally lazy and the build time was cracking on, and apart from that the working bits wouldn't be seen.
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Post by Gromit on Sept 22, 2011 18:16:16 GMT
If you've ever watched a cartoon and attempted to understand how things work? ... well, it's the same with this build, the sliding room extension has to look as though it works, it's this detail which either makes or breaks the model. I added detail to the extension, just enough to make folks think about how it slides out ...
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Post by Gromit on Sept 22, 2011 18:26:30 GMT
One of the shows I attend each year is the Scottish Nationals in Perth, it gives me a chance to sit down and cogitate, and come up with new ideas of course. Here you can see the automatic gearbox or the change-o-matic, which had further bits and pieces added since the picture was taken ... ... and also the steer-o-matic
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Post by Gromit on Sept 22, 2011 18:33:37 GMT
I find the best thing to do part way through a build is take a photograph of it and take a long hard look at the progress so far. Here's one I took of this build ... ... and after a bit of a rethink ... The story so far, Wallace has installed a couple of his inventions in the camper and one of them has gone a bit wrong. The camper was reversing and it's hit the pigs shed ... ooer!
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Post by Gromit on Oct 5, 2011 19:24:09 GMT
About half way through this build I had a post from a friend of mine, Don Junis in Chicago, he believes we're slightly left side of normal. This was his post ...
Nick,
NEVER....EVER let anyone EVER tell you that you are NORMAL.
NO WAY NO HOW!!!!!
Without a doubt you guys are some of the most imaginitive and talented modelers I will ever know.
Keep it up so us less imaginitive types don't have too please. HAHAHA
All the Very Best to all you MANIACS..... YES YOU TOO IAN SADLER!!!
Don
Of course I just had to respond ...
Normal? ... Don ... what's normal?
Maybe I need a certificate to prove it? ... I'll have to print one off. This build started out as something simple, a quick conversion which turned into a major build, due possibly to ideas coming out of the woodwork, a few from members of this forum, little tinkers. But the idea of the 'Beyond the Box' SIG is to bring a smile to the folks who visit the shows where we exhibit, mainly SMW, the SIG was designed so that members could enjoy themselves, getting back to the idea that modelling should be fun, not just rivet counting and laborious. Just wait until next year matey, you've got to bring something over for display, I'll let you have a copy of the rules at some point, then we'll see who's normal. But first, I've got to finish this build, now then, where's the pink pig paint?
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Post by Gromit on Nov 17, 2012 11:33:24 GMT
This build will be coming back to the shed in July 2013 for a little TLC and a clean and then making its way back to Margate.
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