Plan B----> Steam powered, computerized pirate bouy!

[Daryl J.]

On to the backup plan as the Albatros is going to take way too much time:

1/48 scale ocean going, self propelled steam powered bouy-based lighthouse designed to journey the high seas to  help cause shipwreck and mayhem.
It is part of some of the pirate ideas that have bopped about this site for the last several years. 

Started an hour ago:   2 inch fishing bobber, cut in half.   Panel lines scribed; fishing line holder removed, filled, sanded.    Smokestack cut from 11/32" Evergreen tubing and attached.    6" round basswood base has first coat of polyurethane clear satin.    Looking through scrap supplies for suitable air intake.   Scaffolding for the light about ready to start.    Pix to follow later this evening or Saturday Pacific (US) time.


The Albatros is inherently a pretty airplane and roughing this one out quickly would be a dis service to the machine....it's on deck next.
,

Daryl J.

[Daryl J.]

.010 Styrene sheet cut into welded on support straps and rivet detail embossed into the backside with a ballpoint pen.


Superstructure started:   5 inch long main supports from .040 Evergreen rod.


3 hours into project with 2 five-year old twins bumping everything as they help daddy.   



Pix taken, hopefully to be inserted with an edit later.



Daryl J., pausing for some corn on the cob and roasted chicken

[Daryl J.]

Surface roughened to accept paint, panel lines engraved, superstructure complete and installed, intakes made out of a blue round toothpick, exhaust stack cut, wrapped, glued on.  Computer access hatch embossed and glued on.

Lens made from kitchen aloominum foil and clear 5 minute epoxy.   Light mount made from a Red Robin drinking straw.


1st coat of Tamiya Light Gunmetal on.

Left to do:   Finish assembly of light and it's roof.   Weather with Tamiya Titanium Silver, Titanium Gold, and Gunze rust; then dullcoat it somehow.   Upload pix to photobucket.   We watched a movie tonight together instead.     Family first!   


   

[Weaver]

Genuinely can't imagine what this looks like, but it sounds fascinating - can't wait for the pics! 

[Ed S]

PICTURES!  PICTURES!! We demand pictures.....

Ed

[Ed S]

Please.

Ed

[BlackOps]

Daryl ya big tease! Have you been hanging out with Radish?     Sounds cool, can't wait to see some pics.

[Daryl J.]

PrePix tease: if Hayao Miyazaki needed a bouy in Howl's Moving Castle, it would look somewhat like this guy.   



Daryl J., covered in Tamiya Light Gunmetal spray paint

[AeroplaneDriver]

Just post some damn pics or else!!   

[Daryl J.]

The starting point.   
Friday afternoon, 4 p.m.


Every scratchbuilt project I've ever done has a Fred Meyer receipt in the structure of the model somewhere, so there is the grocery receipt ready for use.


The 2" bobber was cut with a dremel saw blade and sanded down with a coarse grit sanding stick to increase adhesion of paint since the type of plastic in the float isn't known.












Lighting unit and rigging to be added along with weathering.
Base likely to be left as is but putting it in a grey stormy sea as a false guide into the rocks ought to be easy enough to imagine.    A modified Glencoe USCG rescue boat is the pirate ship and a parasol Fokker D.VII on floats and Albatros W.4 are the pirate planes.   
,
Daryl J.

PS:  Tutelage--->  The .010 styrene sheet flares on the edges when cut and really should be sanded down prior to embossing with a ball point pen.   Lesson learned.      Tamiya cement in the jar seems to bond the styrene to the bobber just fine.    The blue parts are air intakes for the boiler made out  of toothpicks.    It's 100% entirely scratchbuilt.  Materials used include:  Wood toothpicks, 5 minute epoxy, sheet styrene .010,.020, styrene rod .040, aluminum foil, bobber, Tamiya cement, ball point pen, Verlinden template.

[Aircav]

Looks great 

[puddingwrestler]

Excellent! The ball part has a somewhat ramshackled Orky feel to it...

[AeroplaneDriver]

Amazing!!   

[Weaver]

Yet more proof that we really, REALLY need a jaw-drop smiley on this board....

[Daryl J.]

The steambouy has been getting weathered for the last hour and some photos taken, but it's time to get the twins some hot dogs for lunch!         The Iwata hadn't been used since 2002 so getting the settings right took a couple hours.    The overall base color now is Tamiya Titanium Silver.   The light gunmetal is still there as ''preshading'' although that's a significant misnomer with the technique used.    I've forgotten just how fun painting is!!!!!!!



More pix in 3-4 hours or so.




Daryl J., thinking a Junkers D.1 on floats and a boosted engine would be a great tender for this thing......