Tuesday 3 April 2012

Meerly a thought...

Hi, All!

Gunner Porter feels a little legless...

Well, here I am again, rested and somewhat flabby after a marvellous two week holiday, and ready to get back into my rivetting hobby!

First up: the continued work on the Bazalgette Light Armoured Perambulatory Contrivance (which I have started to think of as the BLAP-C for convenience...)

Coming together very slowly, I'm afraid... But she should look good in the end...

As you can see, I have added a fair bit of bulk to the body, and rivets have started to appear at last. A pair of ladders adorn the back of the body, so that the gunner can get into the head. I have also added round blank plates on the limb joints. These will sprout pistons before too long...

Detail work begins to take shape. The chimney has changed slightly during development and the armour is starting to get rather chunky. Ladders and handrails will eventually provide an easy, safe ascent for the gunner.

I have to say: this thing has become a labour of hate. Due to insufficient planning and/or concept designs, if anything the model is over-engineered. Once you start gluing bits onto a frame like this, you run the risk of creating all sorts of odd angles and funny shapes to work with - which can all become rather tedious after a while.

Oh, well! Soldier on regardless! Don't let the plastics get you down!

Meanwhile, it appears the HMSW Gargantua has fallen into the hands of a tribe of meerkats...

"Sergei! How do drive this thing?"...  "Simples!"

I found these cute little critters in the gift shop of Wellington Zoo last week and at $1.00 each, I couldn't resist. I've been looking for a potential alien native species and with a little conversion, these might just do the job... They are soft rubber, unfortunately, so possibly not a joy to work with but we'll see what happens...

I'm thinking alien technology... shamans... sharp pointy sticks... but definitely NOT tall, skinny Ewoks.

American explorer Bud Weiser and his new friends...

Anyway, there you go for now. More soon...

All the Best!

9 comments:

  1. Taking shape nicely! The curse of the ubiquitous meerkat has not escaped New Zealand then; blasted things get everywhere! We have our own plague here at 'Awdry Towers'; the good lady wife adores them!

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  2. Whoa .. rubber meerkats ... what you drinking there, Joe?

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  3. Welcome back! The BLAP-C is taking shape, although I know how some projects can go off at a tangent. My tembe went the same way. Ugh!

    Meerkats as aliens? They have a serious advantage - anyone coming up against them will be too busy saying 'Awwww, they're so cute!" to notice the whistle of incoming spears...

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  4. I love how this is coming along it looks great, and I cannot believe it started out as a kids toy!

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  5. "The meerkats are merely a diversionary tactic. You must watch out for their master, the despicable Doctor AAARRRRGHH!!!!"

    Last journal entry of Bud Weiser, an American explorer (some would say tomb robber) who disappeared in the Cytherian savannah.

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  6. Oh, and did you recently add the leaded glass to the windows of Gargantua? A very nice finishing detail!

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    1. Um... Nope. Haven't added anything since finishing Gargantua. (See "I Name This Walker... Gargantua")

      But thanks! I like them too.

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  7. Fascinating progress on this Bi-ped... I look forward to more progress. 'Bud Weiser' - classic :-) Meerkats eh - you're going for the cute angle here eh? I wont want to shoot them???

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  8. What can I say, guys? You see something vaguely humanoid, vaguely 28mm... Well, it's got to be done, hasn't it?

    As for "too cute to shoot," we'll see. Perhaps my new challenge should be: "Is it possible to make meerkats scary?" Hmmm...

    As for the BLAP-C, thanks for the encouragement - I'll carry on, of course. After all, there were plenty of times I nearly gave up on Gargantua.

    All the Best!

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