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Author Topic: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)  (Read 5014 times)

Offline Silent Invader

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 9636
Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #30 on: February 10, 2017, 06:52:05 AM »
This is a fascinating construct - I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it before. I do hope you've kept a tally of the bits!  ;) :D
My LAF Gallery is HERE
Minis (foot & mounted) finished in 2024 = 0
(2023 = 151; 2022 = 204; 2021 = 123; 2020 = ???)

Offline Elk101

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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #31 on: February 10, 2017, 06:54:30 AM »
Wow! Just catching up with this, it's bloody impressive. It looks like it's stepped out from Italian 'Medico Chi '. Cool  :)

Offline von Lucky

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8796
  • Melbourne, Australia
    • Donner und Blitzen Wargaming
Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #32 on: February 10, 2017, 08:47:55 AM »
I'm sorry Mike - I can't read your posts or look at your photos. My eyes start to hurt!

(Will I go blind if I touch it?)  :D
- Karsten

"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Blog: Donner und Blitzen

Offline beefcake

  • Galactic Brain
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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #33 on: February 10, 2017, 09:43:29 AM »
Great work on all the fine detail in this. I think I would lack the patience.


Offline mikedemana

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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  • Investigating curiosities around the globe...
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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #34 on: February 15, 2017, 05:08:44 AM »
I am running out of time!  :o  I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm not 100% sure I will finish on time. It doesn't help that I'm running a new scenario at a local convention this weekend. So, I have double deadline!!


The landing ring -- brass wire threaded through the copper jewelry eyelets -- is actually very sturdy

The landing ring is finished...at least that is what I've taken to calling it. I threaded brass wire through the copper eyelets projecting down the bottle cap base and epoxied it into place. It is much sturdier than I'd imagined. This part of the build worked out even better than planned.


Mikedemana does math...NOT his best subject, in an attempt to make a smooth, progression of smaller vanes

Not so with my plans for the aerial screw's circular vanes. In fact, the execution of my idea turned out to look so crappy, I scrapped it. Luckily, I had two backup plans. I immediately began working on backup plan #1. Instead of a smooth, circular corkscrew made of metallic craft paper, it would feature separate, kite-shaped vanes made of very thin styrene. This allowed me to keep the upper part of the central shaft, which I'd already drilled and painted. I wanted to keep the corkscrew look with progressively smaller vanes as it spiraled up the shaft, so I jotted down some numbers and then drew out the kite shapes on the styrene.


These kite-shaped styrene vanes are taking the place of the circular aerial screw vanes, which proved beyond my ability

I picked up a tiny "L-shaped" package of styrene to epoxy over the brass wire and help hold it securely against the underside of the styrene vanes. I wasn't sure if the vanes would hold with only epoxy on the brass wire against styrene. With the L-shaped styrene enclosing the brass wire, clamping it against the styrene vane, it gave multiple points of contact. I was relieved to see that it appeared to be working. The styrene vanes were thin enough I think they flexed when pressure was applied, and were so light that the epoxy could hold them.


More vanes are added...much to my surprise, the epoxy actually holds them in place relatively securely

I had to towers of blocks and other items to brace the vanes into positions so that I did not have to sit there and hold them forever while the epoxy dried. Over two days, all 8 vanes were glued into place. While it was drying, I began work on the "feet" or flight stand. I cut lengths of clear acrylic dowel and epoxied them into wooden spools to hold them securely. I cut pieces of shim to give a sloped wooden connecting piece (so the legs would flare out), to which I epoxied VERY strong magnets. The plan is to use three of the clear legs as a tripod flight stand that can be removed for storage. I chose a tripod because I didn't want to count on myself cutting four legs equally. A tripod will balance itself if one leg is shorter.


The kite-shaped vanes make it less Leonardo, I realize, and more Steampunk...but considering how the rest of the model looks, maybe taht is a good thing!

I also finished the crew except for a wash, which I will apply tomorrow. I painted the styrene vanes, but I am still debating whether to glue the copper craft paper to them anyway. It will all depend on how the paint looks, whether I try this or not. Wish me luck as the deadline looms nearer and nearer...!


The feet, or flight stand, will consist of three acrylic dowels attached to the underside of the base with magnets

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/


Offline Elk101

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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #35 on: February 15, 2017, 06:44:21 AM »
This is an impressive undertaking. Good luck.

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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  • Snapcase Hall, Much-Piddling, Devon
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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #36 on: February 15, 2017, 08:21:55 AM »
Looking really good!


Offline mikedemana

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2848
  • Investigating curiosities around the globe...
    • Worldwidemike
Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #37 on: February 17, 2017, 03:34:33 AM »
Well, the LeoFlyer came perilously close to a maiden flight against a stout wall, propelled by my angry hand. I reined myself in, though, and controlled my temper.  >:( >:( >:(

I was making a last modification this afternoon, attempting to make the upper central shaft (with vanes) detachable for storage. I wanted to use a strong magnet to hold it in place where it sockets into the lower central shaft instead of permanently gluing it there. As I began to make my modifications, pieces began to pop off left and right. The lower central shaft all but fell apart. Had ONE more piece broken off, I honestly think that would have been it. I would have given up, and the LeoFlyer would have been smashed into a bajillion pieces...  lol

Still, it was the closest to a temper tantrum I've thrown in years. I used to have a fairly bad temper in my younger days, but since I hit my 40s and 50s, I've reined it in so that it is nonexistent. I went back to rebuilding it, and honestly, I think the new lower central shaft looks nicer than it did before. I added in more pieces, a few more gear thingies, and essentially tightened and shortened it up ever so slightly.

I mounted the crew once I was sure all things were going to work out, and in my opinion, they really make it "pop," so to speak. I like the way the crew makes it look like a real vehicle -- not just a bunch of odd, shiny textures thrown together in strange shapes. The crew figures feeding the belt into the machine guns didn't fit on the gun platform, though -- something I'd been worried about. So, there are only two machine guns, gunners, and a spotting officer. I guess the LeoFlyer features magazine fed machine guns, right?  ;)

Last, but not least, I popped on the magnetically attached flying stand. It works like a charm! Being detachable also, the flyer will actually fit in a smaller storage container than you'd think.

So, a hectic and exasperating finish to this build, but it is DONE!!! My first-ever Build Something Contest...! :-*

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/


Offline Elk101

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Re: Mikedemana's aerial screw (not a Mile Hile Club reference!)
« Reply #38 on: February 18, 2017, 09:42:08 PM »
Great, looking forward to seeing the photos.

 

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