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Author Topic: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod  (Read 10038 times)

Online Daeothar

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BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« on: January 20, 2020, 10:26:20 AM »
Well not mine, obviously  ;D  but I will be building one.

I was thinking of something akin to the life pod that two certain droids used to fall into the Tunesian desert, or the pod that serves as the objective in both iterations of the Lost Patrol board game.

It'll be the first terrain piece to match the (still very WIP) new terrain table I'm building right now. But if anything, it can serve as a proof of concept for the materials I've selected to cover the table :D
« Last Edit: January 20, 2020, 12:21:59 PM by Daeothar »
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Offline Codsticker

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2020, 03:51:11 PM »
Should be awesome... 8)

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2020, 08:17:35 AM »
Cheers :)

However... Last night I watched a Youtube video detailing a way to create very realistic concrete rubble by ways of embeddding metal wire as rebar in pre-coloured plaster, which then gets smashed (literally, with a hammer :D ) into rubble. And the end result was some of the most realistic concrete rubble I've ever seen (short of actual concrete rubble, obviously).

So now I'm contemplating switching over to that, to create some sort of destroyed compound wall, or perhaps a bunker of sorts.

Both have an equal amount of appeal, and both will require the same amount of my time and effort I reckon. So now I've got to decide which way to go. Tonight I'll have my first free evening to work on this project, so I still have the entire day to ponder this dilemma... ;)

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2020, 09:07:39 PM »
And the pod it is! :D

I stumbled onto a large Surprise Egg thingy at the local Action today. I was there for some new plastic primer, and when I'm there, I always browse the toy and crafts isle for anything interesting or useful.

Now, I had been thinking of a spheroid shape, but I think this not so much ovoid shape (it's more like a rounded off cilinder, really) will do nicely.

I plan to have either a part blown off, revealing the insides, or an emergency door opened, doing the same.

Inside, there'll be some sort of cryo-tubes, or grav-couches (or both lol ); the tropish things. You know; with a window offering a view of the occupant, hoses and cables connecting it to the pod, etc. At least one will have to be opened, and one will bbe closed, with the glass cracked and foggy, with a blood smear on the inside.

As you can see, the ends of the 'egg' come off, and I'm planning to leave one on for the top/nose, and the recessed area of the other end will house the (retro/braking?) thrusters.

Still not decided on the positioning of the pod on the ground. I could have it sit on its thrusters as if it made its automated landing, buried at an angle, nose or tail first in a mound of dirt, as if it slammed into the ground, or completely on its side.

I did think about landing balloons, like on the Mars Rovers, but I think they'd be hard to model convincingly... so thrusters it'll be I think.

So; here's the rough shape, Construction Inspector present for size.

Let the building begin. TO THE MANCAVE!!   ;D

Offline Blackwolf

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2020, 09:11:33 PM »
Sounds interesting, I like it :)
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Offline Codsticker

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2020, 01:50:58 AM »
That's a great shape to work with- very unusual and a good size.

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2020, 08:35:27 PM »
Did a first sketch tonight. This is just a very rough idea; it's prone to change a lot once I get cutting and glueing, but obviously the basic shape is pretty much decided... ::)

Offline gamer Mac

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2020, 05:36:18 PM »
Very useful shape what kind of plastic though ?

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2020, 08:12:43 AM »
It certainly is; when I saw it, I knew it was the one I would be working with.

As for the material, that's a bit of a thing. It's the same plastic the original Kinder Eggs were made of. So glossy, thin, quite flexible, and nearly impossible to glue or paint ::)

So I constructed a cylinder from polystyrene that fits inside, and the interior bits can be glued in place in the usual way. It is slightly smaller in diameter than the outer shell, so the walls can be spaced to look like a double-walled pressure chamber. It will also allow me to show exposed wiring, construction elements, such as beams etc in the place where a big hole was blasted into the side of the pod.

As for the outside; I will key it so it will hold a good plastic primer, and I'll take it from there. I was not planning on adding much to the exterior anyway. The only features will be some portholes, the escape hatch/door and recessed handrails and steps, as in my sketch. But I'm figuring I can add those to the inner tube, and work them into the outer shell with putty.

At least; that's the plan :)

Offline Blackwolf

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2020, 08:58:54 AM »
Illustration looks brilliant  :)

I find if you lightly sand the plastic with wet and dry paper,very fine,that paint seems to key pretty well. I’ve airbrushed modified Nerf guns(for stage props) done the same way and the paint is still good after 5 years.

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2020, 10:25:52 AM »
Cheers :)

I've worked with this type of plastic before; it's not my favorite, but when a bit of care is taken, especially during prepping, it's perfectly serviceable. I once used a gumball machine in 2012's Trash Bash, here on the LAF, and that was (partly) made of the exact same material. And that tower is still holding up today, 8 years later!

The only thing I can think of that would be detrimental to all the work going into it, is a drop off the table or a bump against a hard edge.

But then; that's true for most projects and materials... :D

Offline Blackwolf

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2020, 09:05:31 PM »
Haha,indeed :)

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2020, 09:21:30 PM »
Some more progress shots.

I cut out the inside of one of the end-caps (the top one) for better access to the interior during the build. This will obviously be closed off after the insides are all done.

The 'legs'  on the interior tube are there just to keep the curved wall in place while the plastic cement sets; they'll be removed shortly.

The floor has had some grating added by now.

Then there are some shots of the pod's intended final position, with the door and blown out section scribbled on. The door will probably end up a tad smaller, and the hole lower (so engine bits are showing). But there should be a clear see-through.

The blown off door will have a separate base, as will one grav-couch/ cryo-tube.

Offline Hammers

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2020, 08:02:31 AM »
Love this...

Online Daeothar

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Re: BSC2020: Daeothar's crashed escape pod
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2020, 02:37:17 PM »
Cheers  :)

Some more progress this afternoon.

I cut out the door and the blast damage with my Dremel, and cut away some of the bottom, to make the pod sit on/in the ground at an angle. I then bent the material of the hull outward with some pliers, not being too careful, as the more haphazard, the better.

Also, I added a trim to the top of the interior cilinder, to make it look neater (I had a bit of a mishap when my ruler shifted when cutting the plasticard for the cilinder).

Next will be a base, and displaced soil around the pod, plus the funnest bit; the interior and detailing!