Royal Barge of Helium (lots of pics)

[DowVooVoo]

OK I'm sure now, you sir are a steam powered engine of gaming goodness, well EVIL gaming goodness! Again I need to pop my eyes back in my head, well one anyway. Haven't found the other they popped to far this time!!!GRRR  Just fantastic! WOW!

[Red Orc]

It really is a beautiful thing there Froggy, and nice to see that you've managed to find a use for one of those troublesome coaches that didn't seem to be any use (joke).

Can I ask a few questions?

Firstly, for the deck-shape, did you use something for a template, or create the shape yourself? Either way - nice shape. Elegant and groovy.

Secondly, what is the deck made from? Obviously, something like Starbucks Coffee Stirrers for the planking, but underneath, some kind of black... card? Plastic? It doesn't seem to have much depth to it, I'm guessing no more than 2mm if that, but it's difficult to tell.

Thirdly, the hull; obviously, the gunwales look like wood (More coffee stirrers, presumably, though the bits at the prow look too broad - for the 'wave-crest' part - and thick - for the keel/prow part - so I'm not sure what's going on there), but the other bits seem to be really thin foamcore. What are you making it from, how well does it take curves like that, what's stopping it all flying apart, how can I get some, and can you adopt me please?

Sorry, got a bit carried away there.

Seeing your work always makes me happy, because it's so joyfully, gorgeously inventive. You have made, not only a Barge sir, but My Day as well.

[Froggy the Great]

It really is a beautiful thing there Froggy, and nice to see that you've managed to find a use for one of those troublesome coaches that didn't seem to be any use (joke).

Can I ask a few questions?

Sure

Firstly, for the deck-shape, did you use something for a template, or create the shape yourself? Either way - nice shape. Elegant and groovy.

I used a large plastic easter egg for the template, and then cut in the sides.

Secondly, what is the deck made from? Obviously, something like Starbucks Coffee Stirrers for the planking, but underneath, some kind of black... card? Plastic? It doesn't seem to have much depth to it, I'm guessing no more than 2mm if that, but it's difficult to tell.

The deck is made by first cutting out the shape in 1/4" (4mm?) foamcore, then cladding it with wooden popsicle sticks.

Thirdly, the hull; obviously, the gunwales look like wood (More coffee stirrers, presumably, though the bits at the prow look too broad - for the 'wave-crest' part - and thick - for the keel/prow part - so I'm not sure what's going on there), but the other bits seem to be really thin foamcore. What are you making it from,

The gunwales are made from 2mm styrene that I cut to shape and then pre-bent before gluing down.  I then took balsa strips and bent those over a form and glued them on to the styrene walls.  Some of the more involved shapes (without woodgrain) are bits of old Rocket Man CMG models.

how well does it take curves like that,

Pretty well, so long as it's pre-bent.  You have to hold it in a vise or be willing to lose skin to the superglue though, till it fully cures.

what's stopping it all flying apart,

Everything else.  Really.  It's only really stable once it's all together.  Once together though, it's pretty solid.  I wouldn't drop it on a tile floor or anything but that goes without saying.  So of course I said it.

how can I get some,

Most hobby stores would cheerfully sell you some at extortionate prices.  Really though, get one of the styrene garage sale signs or whatnot and use that - it'll be cheaper.

and can you adopt me please?

The kids already in my house eat enough on their own, thanks.

Sorry, got a bit carried away there.

Yes.

Seeing your work always makes me happy, because it's so joyfully, gorgeously inventive. You have made, not only a Barge sir, but My Day as well.

Well thank you!

[Red Orc]

Thanks for the replies - I did wonder if the gunwales were balsa, then decided they probably weren't. Also wondered about the sign-from-the-garage thing. It's been recommended to me many a time as a source of styrene. Never managed to get hold of any.

Right, I'm going to go and poke the random collection of bits I have to hand in an (undoubtedly futile) attempt to conjour something half as inventive and a quarter as elegant as this!

[mattblackgod]

Sweet sweet work! Stunning model. 

[Dr DeAth]

Jolly nice indeed.

[XCIV]

Dejah Thoris would be proud to prance nekkid around on that thing, she would.

 

[Pendrake]

Simply excellent!

Btw, does someone know  what happened to the astounding Cloudships of Mars http://www.salute.co.uk/salutegames/cloudships/main.htm site, which was still accessible a few months ago? Was the content moved elsewhere?
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=262394

It looks like the South London Warlords ( //www.salute.co.uk/ ) revamped their webpage. But a little bit of GoogleFu turned up this:

http://www.werelords.com/cloudships/salutezerofive.htm

Did the game occur at Salute 2005? At this URL:

http://space1889.blogspot.com/2011/05/those-wonderful-toys.html

Frank Chadwick was blogging about it as recently as May of 2011. And his [now dead] link is the same as the one you quoted.

[abdul666lw]

Thanks a lot, Pendrake! 

[Pendrake]

It looks like the South London Warlords ( //www.salute.co.uk/ ) revamped their webpage. But a little bit of GoogleFu turned up this:

http://www.werelords.com/cloudships/salutezerofive.htm

Did the game occur at Salute 2005? At this URL:

http://space1889.blogspot.com/2011/05/those-wonderful-toys.html

Frank Chadwick was blogging about it as recently as May of 2011. And his [now dead] link is the same as the one you quoted.

Update for Abdul...
http://web.archive.org/web/20090429091955/http://www.salute.co.uk/salutegames/cloudships/main.htm

Found that looking for something else...