Colins (CDWs) Plesiosaur scratch build.

[CDW]

I intend to build a Plesiosaur, on land after laying eggs so it'll be in a little grassy/fern dio.

No sprue shots obviously but I'll get a photo of what I'm using when I've got it all together.

Its a bit ''carte blanc'' with colours and even the general shape but I'll be using the latest scientific estimates from papers written by the expert palaeontologists to produce a reasonably believable facsimile.

 

[tecdes]

Yummy I shall watch this Colin. What sort of scale will this be & how big is the or was this Plesiosaur ?

Laurie

 

[Gern]

I intend to build a Plesiosaur, on land after laying eggs so it'll be in a little grassy/fern dio.No sprue shots obviously but I'll get a photo of what I'm using when I've got it all together.

Its a bit ''carte blanc'' with colours and even the general shape but I'll be using the latest scientific estimates from papers written by the expert palaeontologists to produce a reasonably believable facsimile.

I thought I'd heard of plesiosaurs as animals that lived in the sea so I had a look. According to Wikipedia, only young juveniles came ashore and the females gave birth to live young. Your planned dio doesn't match these ideas so now I'm confused?

Gern

 

[Polux]

Terrific idea Colin!!

A challange for your excellent scratch build skills!!

Good luck friend!

Polux

 

[CDW]

Dave .. Concerns noted.

Wikipedia does state that ... Lots of other information sites follow.. This latest ''discovery'' however is based on the finding of ''one'' fossil with an unborn fetus (Polycotylus) And because its such a revelation the idea has already started to become gospel and definitive, which it shouldn't until more discoveries are credited, even then we can't be 100% as we have no guarentee we have found every last bit of the puzzle, after all they're not here anymore to study 1 on 1.

There's many species and subspecies of plesiosaurus and previous evidence shows mothers next to egg pits, a couple have been found mid lay when they died (exhaustion or attack who knows)

This new discovery, although proven, just shows that there were a diverse range of animal in the water at the time, almost like discovering a whale or dolphin in a sea of fish .... they look the same so in our thinking they should behave the same.

Plesiosaurs were reptiles, not dinosaurs, there are lizards today that are similar that lay eggs or give birth to live young (referencing two lizards in Britain, ''sand'' and ''common'' .. One lays eggs the other has live young (viviparous) This is how diverse this group of animals is)

I could go on about the size of the pelvic opening design in other plesiosaur fossils that would indicate they, in particular, were egg layers but I'd end up boring the pants off you all.

Hope that, sort of, explains why I'm going for this dio

 

[Ian M]

Well I am going to enjoy watching this one.

Ian M

 

[papa 695]

I intend to build a Plesiosaur, on land after laying eggs so it'll be in a little grassy/fern dio.No sprue shots obviously but I'll get a photo of what I'm using when I've got it all together.

Its a bit ''carte blanc'' with colours and even the general shape but I'll be using the latest scientific estimates from papers written by the expert palaeontologists to produce a reasonably believable facsimile.

Is that on the banks of Loch Ness Colin

 

[tecdes]

Ian do you mean building it on the Banks of Loch Lomond ? :P

Laurie

 

[eddiesolo]

Interesting build, will be watching this evolve.

Si

 

[CDW]

So i've got to build Nessie on some bonnie banks then

Anyway, thanks for the comments... i'm just popping the "Sprue Shots" up for now

Main modeling material, clay and wire.

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Going to be some of this lot in there somewhere no doubt.

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[Gern]

I shoulda known better than to trust a quick read on a wiki site! You just gotta do proper research.

Mind you it doesn't surprise me to find lots of different ideas about something which disappeared millions of years ago. Look at the recent threads about markings on WWII aircraft. We can't find definitive answers to some things which are still within living memory!

Gern

 

[Ian M]

@Gern Well it was Wiki so you are forgiven. LOL

@Colin. How does the Ark Royal Fit into the grand scheme ??? :P

Ian M

 

[CDW]

@Colin. How does the Ark Royal Fit into the grand scheme ??? :P

Ian M

Ah.. Yes.. Well ... Errr .... Well spotted, dont think it was around all that time ago

its just sitting there waiting for me to get me finger out!

Its either going to be put on a stand as a facsimile of the damaged ship or I'm sending it to our Ron with some cash for silicon and he can finish it properly and keep the bu★★er

 

[papa 695]

Ah.. Yes.. Well ... Errr .... Well spotted, dont think it was around all that time agoits just sitting there waiting for me to get me finger out!

Its either going to be put on a stand as a facsimile of the damaged ship or I'm sending it to our Ron with some cash for silicon and he can finish it properly and keep the bu★★er

It could be like that film when the American aircraft carrier went back to just before Pearl Harbour only the Ark Royal goes back to the jurassic

 

[spanner570]

THIS will be fun!

 

[flyjoe180]

It could be like that film when the American aircraft carrier went back to just before Pearl Harbour only the Ark Royal goes back to the jurassic

The Final Countdown was the film you refer to Ian. I think this will be a great project Colin.

 

[papa 695]

The Final Countdown was the film you refer to Ian. I think this will be a great project Colin.

That's the one Joe

 

[Andy2035]

Hi Colin,

No matter what the scientist say, at the end of the day, most of what they say is only speculation, we can only guess what these creatures looked and where like, same as the ones that say things about Black Holes in space, my guess is they are the entrance to a sort of hyper highway and a White Hole is the exit, sorry for going way off track here...

Anyway, I shall look forward to seeing this one being built...

Andy...

 

[yak face]

Looking forward to seeing this one Colin , cheers tony

 

[CDW]

well i've made a start

Got the frame made up, and added wire supports for the flippers, these will still be adjustable when the body clay is dry so i can fit to shape on the diorama.

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The basic body shape is there, with exaggerated body folds and ripples, i find it easier to add small amounts of clay rather than sand/file/dremel off when it's dry., the thin clay "wrap" i've used to make the body shape is held in place by scrunched up kitchen roll in the cavity

I've just started the base of the neck and tail so when dry it'll give a more sturdy base to work on the ends of the wire for the head and tail tip

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Just got to wait a few days for this to dry fully and i'll be back on it.

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