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Other Stuff => Workbench => "Build Something" Archiv => Topic started by: Vanvlak on January 02, 2019, 12:08:15 PM

Title: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 02, 2019, 12:08:15 PM
I don't really know what I am doing but this is the first thing which came to mind  :D
It's a rare sponge species (as corals are allowed, I'm assuming sponges are too), Spongeabobia Quadripantsia.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 03, 2019, 06:23:17 AM
Someone beat me to it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spongiforma_squarepantsii (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spongiforma_squarepantsii)  >:(

Still, it's a different species, and not a model, so....
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: beefcake on January 03, 2019, 06:55:08 AM
 lol
Looking forward to seeing it.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 03, 2019, 08:07:08 AM
lol
Looking forward to seeing it.
I hope you will. It's a busy time of year.
Still: I have decided on the basic shape, and it will be a sponge, or a succulent, or a cactus. To make it more interesting I might include a tree-house - well, more accurately, a sponge/succulent/cactus-house - in it.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 04, 2019, 04:45:24 PM
A bit more detail - since I am working on my great march project, the land-sponge (complete with grass-like photosynthetic organs growing all over - plants call theirs 'leaves') will be growing on a tiny island and has reached a comfortable old age, so much so that someone cut a tunnel through it for little boats to pass through (they could just as easily have gone round, but what's the fun of that?). I am also making another two smaller ones, offspring of the first I guess, on their own micro-islands.
I may or may not make an observation post cut into it, so add some detail. The thingy will also be branching off sideways, in cactus fashion. It will be very cubical in shape (hence the name), and I'd like to add some flowering structure or fruit (this is no ordinary sponge...).



Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Hammers on January 04, 2019, 06:49:57 PM
A bit more detail - since I am working on my great march project, the land-sponge (complete with grass-like photosynthetic organs growing all over - plants call theirs 'leaves') will be growing on a tiny island and has reached a comfortable old age, so much so that someone cut a tunnel through it for little boats to pass through (they could just as easily have gone round, but what's the fun of that?). I am also making another two smaller ones, offspring of the first I guess, on their own micro-islands.
I may or may not make an observation post cut into it, so add some detail. The thingy will also be branching off sideways, in cactus fashion. It will be very cubical in shape (hence the name), and I'd like to add some flowering structure or fruit (this is no ordinary sponge...).

You're a nutter and I love you for it.  lol
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: von Lucky on January 05, 2019, 02:57:30 AM
Same - this will be interesting.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 05, 2019, 07:52:36 AM
Thanks guys. The 'tunnel' idea was inspired by this: (https://www.stingrayforums.com/forum/attachments/around-garage/114082-storm-topples-iconic-sequoia-tunnel-tree-northern-california-p1040071.jpg)
which has since toppled.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 05, 2019, 03:07:39 PM
And here are the first pics of work in progress.
The basic material for my build is part of a length of blue rigid foam (polystyrene?) I had lying around for years waiting to be used.
Here's the unassuming start to the project:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-050119155356-370002028.jpeg)

Having decided on the tunnel-through-the-sponge, inspired by the pic in the previous post and a rock tunnel from a tiny inland 'sea' to the exterior in Gozo, I cut open a tunnel. I helped the cut by piercing the foam through with a kebab stick several times on the tunnel profile, before removing the material with a hacksaw blade, unmounted in the hacksaw.
 
I was thinking of coating the thing with flock when it was done, but that would have made it very similar to a moss-covered rock, so I decided to experiment with some sculpting. After trying a blade and then a heated screwdriver edge I remembered my old soldering iron, and used that. If you try this, remember to do it in the open or have lots of ventilation!
Here's the result.

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-050119155357-37001165.jpeg)

The boat (undercoated in black) is from The Hobbit Laketown house - nice and useful little model. I'll be showing it not as part of the model, but solely to demonstrate the tunnel idea. In any case, even with it included as part of the model I should still be well within the 25% manufactured model parts total, as I will probably have nothing else other than, possibly, 1-2 tiny accessories from the same set (lobster traps and stuff) on the island base which is to be added.

What next?
I need to:
clean up the foam from loose bits left over from cutting;
decide on whether to add the 'branching' sponges to the upper portion (in cactus fashion), and if so how many and what size;
make a small 'island' base under each leg of the sponge;
make two smaller sponges;
decide on the finish for all three;
decide what to add at the top - a construction, a 'flower', or something else. I have a sort of idea for this...more later.  :D
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: beefcake on January 05, 2019, 07:53:04 PM
Great start there. Texture is looking good.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: von Lucky on January 05, 2019, 10:23:14 PM
A good start.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: ichwillauch on January 06, 2019, 09:11:29 AM
A great start!
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 13, 2019, 04:50:53 PM
Thanks guys.
A bit of Sunday progress.

I now have all three of the sponges (the bits sticking out of water, that is) with one side branch each on two of them and a small plasticard base for stability.

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-130119173856.jpeg)

I went and added some sand to serve as gravel piling up around these sponges - the immersed section is more swollen with water and thicker, and a small platform forms around the sponge on which the gravel accumulates, or so the story goes.

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-130119173918.jpeg)

I need to clean up the sand a bit...

The main structure of the thingies is now done. Some 'adornments' remain to be added - either man-made stuff stuck to the poor old sponges, or natural stuff such as flowers (on sponges!) or buds or fruit or something.
Then it's on to undercoating and paint, and maybe a little bit of flock here and there.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 20, 2019, 11:53:56 AM
Well, I'm done, here's the finished thingy:

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-200119125131.jpeg)

Good eh?

OK, back to business. I'm going to trim the asparagus plants (if that's what they really are, it's what they're called here) for some dried branches, which will be put to use on one of the sponges.
Because sponges have branches, right?  ;D
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 20, 2019, 12:26:14 PM
A little later: the harvest has been completed, and here (from left to right) are a single dried twig of the asparagus fern (I checked the name!), a tin of chopped twigs and sponge number 3, the smallest, with an old nest built on top. Although I added a tiny bit of static grass this will be painted over. I'll probably be adding some other types of flock or vegetation to line the nest, as it looks pretty uncomfortable at this stage - these things are quite spiky and I managed to get one under my fingernail - oww :-[

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-200119132513.jpeg)
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: von Lucky on January 20, 2019, 01:04:45 PM
Starting to come together.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on January 20, 2019, 01:19:59 PM
Starting to come together.

Sort of.
I decided to put some sort of topping to each of the sponges. These were originally ideas I had for the largest one - in my initial plans the smaller ones were to be unadorned. But as I couldn't really decide I used all ideas (well, 3 out of 5) and reduced two of these in size to fit the smaller of the sponges.
Here is the full set:

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-200119141139.jpeg)

The largest has something I had undercoated for a different project which was never completed -  a water tower. In this case it's ... a water tower! These sponges tend to pump brackish water from their native territory upwards and filter it, and if tapped produce fresh water - the local dwellers have taken advantage of this and construct tanks on the larger ones, to collect water for the dry season. This one has fallen fould to the ravages of time. And it seems the society which constructed this had access to technology of sorts, judging by its construction...

The middle-sized sponge has a bird cage - this too is damaged and has a broken bar:

(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/37/1107-200119141359.jpeg)

Needs a bit more work, but the glue needs to dry first. It also needs some guano from its erstwhile prisoner.
I left both this and the spherical tank unglued for painting.

The tank is an old, broken float from a water tank float valve, topped with a (scaled down!) barrel and a bucket. Another barrel will be abandoned by the side of the sponge.
The cage consists of two wooden hexagonal bases, bits of cocktail sticks and another bucket.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: von Lucky on January 21, 2019, 09:08:04 AM
Gone off in an interesting direction - I like it.
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on February 03, 2019, 01:43:58 PM
Er - I think I'm done...!
I have to paint the groves before undercoating (don't ask  lol), and the rest is flock and a bit of mossy stuff, so I cannot show more pics!
Title: Re: BSC2019 Vanvlak Spongeabobia Quadripantsia
Post by: Vanvlak on March 08, 2019, 04:51:12 PM
Deadline is getting too close for comfort!  :o