WELCOME!
With the full scale Viper build taking a break in lieu of home renovations, I still need a creative outlet.
This is a rather unconventional method of model-building, Baz style.
The original aim was to create a pattern to be cast in solid aluminium, then detailed with brass and copper*. No paint – solid metal with a high-polish finish. However, time and obligation restraints have conspired to halt that plan. I will simply complete the scale build in whatever materials I have on hand and paint it all up.
Enjoy!
Baz.
On a side note:
Funny thing is, many folks have implied that I am obsessed with BSG, like they did with Iron Man when I built the steel suit. I’m not. I enjoyed the show, but I have so much other stuff on in life, even if I was obsessed I’d have no time to be.
I like the shape of the Viper and like the Iron Man suit, I enjoy the technical aspects of creating the shapes in whatever materials I have available. THAT’s the fun part. They may appear to be an obsession, but that’s only because they take so long to build. Once they are done, they will only really come out when there’s some sort of event on.
Iron Man is in a box and rarely gets seen these days, even though I spent nearly six years working on suits.
I am using the same formers I used on the full size build, scaled down. (Thanks P). I’m also building the ship in the same modular fashion.
One brass cannon turned. Nice warm shed, cuppa soup, comfy chair and some tunes. It’s good to have machines that do the work while you watch. I’m in no condition to strain and stress at the moment. Keeps my bugs away from others too. Still pretty drained though. I’ll do the other one on another day.
I came up with an inventive way to slot the cannon sections by clamping my Dremel with an end mill bit in it. Indexing achieved by working out circumference of chuck and dividing by the number of slots. Glued on an indicator needle point.
One cannon completed, slots all indexed in and finished to a high polish.
Started the second cannon tonight.
In between everything else, I have slowly been building form and detail on the wings. They look a bit rough at this stage, but they get better with every session I spend on them.
Some pics showing various parts of the three footer at different stages. because I am using a variety of scrap material and fillers, the sanded finish is difficult to get consistent. Some of it sands very easily, leaving convex depressions in the surface, while the harder materials leave lumps and bumps. To try to solve this, I’ve sealed some parts with a lacquer, akin to resin hardening. At least after a few coats of that, I can apply a single putty, then sand it down to the hardened surface.
Cannons finished and given some protection while they wait for the rest of the ship to be completed.
13 September 2019
Rethinking lots of my life lately. Priorities and where I’m spending my time. Self inflicted I know, but I’m stretched way too thin with all these builds. Time to cut back. I will finish this 3 foot Viper, but I will only go as far as assembling and painting the model intended to be the pattern for casting. At this stage I am NOT going to cast it in metal. I have the know how and resources, but just not the time. The full size Viper will still go ahead once this new workshop is built, but that will be the last of the extreme builds.
2 October 2019
My friend Josh of Mundy and Co in Canberra, was kind enough to CNC route the base for my stand. Pretty darned nice job too! I’ve welded up a post and bracket to stand the Viper upright on.
13 October 2019
16 October 2019
A couple of late nights McGuyvering with bits of random wood, wire, cable ties, strips of sheetmetal – anything within reach to simulate these panels. Attached the cannons too.
16 October 2019
23 October 2019
I’ve been up late nights trying to finish all the detailing in the aft panels and the front grill. Finally, it’s all done, bar weathering and decals.
14 October 2019
I ordered some custom decals to be made by Tango papa Decals in the US. They arrived this week and I couldn’t wait to apply them. All applied now, just some weathering with the airbrush to finish it off.
