Sci-fi kitbash

[Steve-the-Duck]

A powerboat or sand skimmer?

 

[Andy T]

Thanks gents, I'm sure there will be more things to figure out as I muddle my way through this

A powerboat or sand skimmer?

Every time I look at it I see a boat. Hopefully that won't last!

 

[SteveT]

Many thanks Steve, your wish is my command

After some testing, playing the strip over my heat gun at 300°C for 20 seconds softened it just enough to be moulded around a make up brush ferrule:

View attachment 504630

I made plenty. There are a few test rejects in the picture too:

View attachment 504631

Lined up in size order, they were then trimmed and glued in place one by one:

View attachment 504632

View attachment 504633

After some shaping with a rotary tool then sanding with 60 grit, we're starting to get the shape I'm after:

View attachment 504634

Such a clever idea!

 

[Gern]

Bit more sanding and filling and that will look very nice. Like it!

 

[Ian M]

Well you did say "do something different." and it most certainly is that. An interesting build this. .

 

[Airborne01]

Looking very good so far - I sense a future DB somehow
Steve

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Many thanks Steve, your wish is my command

After some testing, playing the strip over my heat gun at 300°C for 20 seconds softened it just enough to be moulded around a make up brush ferrule:

View attachment 504630

I made plenty. There are a few test rejects in the picture too:

View attachment 504631

Lined up in size order, they were then trimmed and glued in place one by one:

View attachment 504632

View attachment 504633

After some shaping with a rotary tool then sanding with 60 grit, we're starting to get the shape I'm after:

View attachment 504634

Genius!

 

[Andy T]

Thanks guys.

I had the house upside down looking for a bottle of the right kind of size & shape as that would have been a lot easier. I even considered whittling down a balsa rod, but I'm happy with what I came up with.

 

[langy71]

I like the idea of it being a 'sand skimmer', kind of lends itself to a simple looking diorama .

 

[yak face]

Excellent scratching andy , great idea with the hoops , keep it up ,its fascinating viewing ! Cheers tony

 

[minitnkr]

Will there be guns or just engines? Great imagineering.

 

[Andy T]

Thanks all. It's taxing my brain but a whole heap of fun!

Will there be guns or just engines? Great imagineering.

I'm planning weaponry of some kind...

I've spent a bit of time filling & sanding today. The green stuff world UV filler is great in one respect - it hardens in seconds and doesn't sink, allowing large areas or complex shapes to be built up quickly - but by golly is it hard as nails to sand!

This means care is needed with application as the surrounding plastic sands away much quicker, which can leave a lump of filler with a low spot around it. I think I'll be using it for large/deep areas and finishing off with my usual automotive acrylic putty.

Any way, to check my progress I squirted it with Halfords finest. It's still a very long way from primer in reality but I wanted to see how my filling had gone and get an idea of how the overall shape was looking. Most of the primer will be sanded off before I progress:





The shape isn't perfectly smooth but there should be lots of detail and greebles to disguise that.

I spent the rest of the day searching for tubes of various sizes to start on the engines. I'd give my right arm for a selection of drinking straws

 

[minitnkr]

Beautiful bodywork.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Y'know, it would almost be a shame to greeblie up that front bodywork
Almost

Looking forward to the paint job now!

 

[Jim R]

That front looks to me as if you've done and excellent job.

 

[Andy T]

Thanks gents. Sorry for the slow reply, I didn't realise it had been so long!

I've been muddling along with this but haven't taken many pictures. However, I did snap the crew before closing up the cockpit:



I think I'm at the finish of the build now. I could keep adding more and more bits & bobs but I don't want it to get too cluttered.

Much of it isn't as cleanly built as I'd like, I still struggle to use CA neatly and scribing panel lines over a mixed surface proved tricky for me, but I'm sure I can fudge it with paint:

 

[Neil Merryweather]

WOW!
That's a result!
Great Gizmology, as Wabble calls it!

 

[Jim R]

I like the look of that Andy.

..... and scribing panel lines over a mixed surface proved tricky for me,

Definitely something I find difficult.

 

[yak face]

That looks fantastic andy , cant wait to see the magic happen with the paint job , cheers tony

 

[minitnkr]

".....too close for missiles, going to guns..." Let there always be guns. Excellent mix.