“Moonbase Alpha Main Mission Study Model
- Thread starter Octoman
- Start date
Yes, according to the websites I've looked over there were several lighting shifts that were seen in the series; the most common was the florescent white light but there was also the amber-ish lighting you mentioned (maybe to simulate evening?), a deep red light (I'm assuming that was for "Condition Red" scenarios) and even a pale green light (no clue). I have certainly considered being able to change the light as an effect for the scratch build. Just have to figure out the easiest way to do that... RGB LEDs would take up the least space but I know little to nothing about electronics, Arduino, etc. (Have some friends who do that kind of thing that might jump at the challenge). The other thing (and most likely what I would do) is to simply install several different strings of LEDs in different colors side by side that would be on different switches. It would certainly be worth doing considering the detail I'm planning on putting into the project but I'd be happier if the scale wasn't so tiny.
By the by, Thanks for the comments. I've got a really old digital camera but it has a "close up" feature that doesn't work all that great. Most of the close ups I've taken were dictated by whether the camera would focus or not! The one looking into main mission from the office was pure luck but it does rather make it look like a set. Wish I could claim credit for the art work, which is really very good. I need to look for the name of the artist and give him some props here.
Once again, thanks for all of the support.
Best,
Ian
Hello to all!
Hope your weekends were good. Mine was busy but I did manage to work on the stairway up to the mezzanine a bit... Nothing to show yet but as you can see by the attached photos; this thing is more like a post industrial sculpture.
It's really just a collection of thin, steel beams that the art department obviously tried to make as attractive as possible. The stairs seem to be welded onto the cross beams from the sides (sometimes on only one bar!) and the banisters are likely wooden boards shaped and painted.
The R2/MPC kit has a spiral staircase (No idea why other than it was slightly less complicated) so a more accurate stairway wouldn't even fit on the model. Fortunately for me, I've been able to find good photos of where the framework attaches to the set walls. This is giving me decent measurements and structural design. It will be relatively easy to build out of square styrene rod but it's going to be a pain to do in paper...at least in 107th scale.
I'll put up templates as soon as I get them coherent.
Hope your weekends were good. Mine was busy but I did manage to work on the stairway up to the mezzanine a bit... Nothing to show yet but as you can see by the attached photos; this thing is more like a post industrial sculpture.
It's really just a collection of thin, steel beams that the art department obviously tried to make as attractive as possible. The stairs seem to be welded onto the cross beams from the sides (sometimes on only one bar!) and the banisters are likely wooden boards shaped and painted.
The R2/MPC kit has a spiral staircase (No idea why other than it was slightly less complicated) so a more accurate stairway wouldn't even fit on the model. Fortunately for me, I've been able to find good photos of where the framework attaches to the set walls. This is giving me decent measurements and structural design. It will be relatively easy to build out of square styrene rod but it's going to be a pain to do in paper...at least in 107th scale.
I'll put up templates as soon as I get them coherent.
I also did a little work on the back walls of the mezzanine this weekend. There are panels from the floor to the big, slanted "picture" windows and then what looks like some kind of air conditioning above that. On the scratch build there will be window wells and ten slats for each compartment of the AC overhead thing. The slats will be pretty thin so you can actually see the model through them. I cut out those sections for the study model.
I also cut out the windows. All of the windows on the scratch build will have wells (more like tunnels to give the impression of depth), the idea being that you can see the model through the roof and window.
More later but I'm hungry now... I'm off to cook up a Philippino Box Spring Hog!
I also cut out the windows. All of the windows on the scratch build will have wells (more like tunnels to give the impression of depth), the idea being that you can see the model through the roof and window.
More later but I'm hungry now... I'm off to cook up a Philippino Box Spring Hog!
This really looks good. It stands on it's own. I wouldn't think you need make anything else?
I appreciate that very much but it honestly doesn't hold up to very close scrutiny. I know that seems weird with all the photo's I've posted but the camera seems to wash out a lot of misalignments, paper damage and glue spotting. I'm certainly learning what not to do both with card modeling and plastic. That being said, it's not like I'm going to toss the thing after I finish the scratch build. It's pretty good for what it is; I'd put it on par with Walter M. Jefferies "stage nine model"
Thanks again for the compliment
Still working on the stairway but in the meantime, I've installed the office walls.
Honestly, the biggest difficulty with this effort has been the scale. The following photos show and American quarter dollar coin for scale
...and this is how big the hands of your humble builder are...
Needless to say... doing this is a lot like trying to thread a needle with jumper cables!
More later. Have and excellent evening!
Honestly, the biggest difficulty with this effort has been the scale. The following photos show and American quarter dollar coin for scale
...and this is how big the hands of your humble builder are...
Needless to say... doing this is a lot like trying to thread a needle with jumper cables!
More later. Have and excellent evening!
That camera can hide a lot of sins. Always strange how a model that looks so rough in real life can look awesome on screen.
That camera can hide a lot of sins. Always strange how a model that looks so rough in real life can look awesome on screen.
Yes, I think television producer counted on that in the 60's and 70's thumbsup
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Well...
I was getting down to installing the mezzanine when I found out where the misalignment is. I was a builder for a while so I know that a miss measurement of a fraction of an inch will show up as a much bigger skew somewhere down the line. This one is pretty big. Glad it happened on the study model.
This happened because I glued the computer wall to the floor first. I should have glued both of the main walls down first and made certain they were aligned properly.
If I force the misaligned corner into place, it bends the walls rather a lot and will definitely pull the columns out of place... I'm thinking I'll just glue it as is and live with the error. This is what I get for
not taking my time.
I was getting down to installing the mezzanine when I found out where the misalignment is. I was a builder for a while so I know that a miss measurement of a fraction of an inch will show up as a much bigger skew somewhere down the line. This one is pretty big. Glad it happened on the study model.
This happened because I glued the computer wall to the floor first. I should have glued both of the main walls down first and made certain they were aligned properly.
If I force the misaligned corner into place, it bends the walls rather a lot and will definitely pull the columns out of place... I'm thinking I'll just glue it as is and live with the error. This is what I get for
not taking my time.
- Apr 5, 2013
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- 10,673
ops:
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, Gents...
The miss measurement occurred in a place where most of the parts left to add wouldn't fit right. At first I thought I'd just glued a wall in the wrong place (which I certainly did) but to be thorough, I went back and started measuring. Good thing I did. There are times when I'm painfully aware that I am neither an engineer nor an architect. I'm certain either of those professions teaches you how to do things in three dimensional space; I had initially created a lot of parts by taking measurements from, say one other part when I should have included any part that it would be connected to... So... Long story short (yes, it could have been MUCH longer
), I've taken the whole thing back to formula. At first I was going to just start on the scratch build but it occurred to me that if the templates are flawed, I would run into the same problem without being able to simply crumple it up and start again...
So... I've spent the week redesigning everything and will post photos of the new and improved model soon.
Thanks for staying interested.
Best,
Ian
The miss measurement occurred in a place where most of the parts left to add wouldn't fit right. At first I thought I'd just glued a wall in the wrong place (which I certainly did) but to be thorough, I went back and started measuring. Good thing I did. There are times when I'm painfully aware that I am neither an engineer nor an architect. I'm certain either of those professions teaches you how to do things in three dimensional space; I had initially created a lot of parts by taking measurements from, say one other part when I should have included any part that it would be connected to... So... Long story short (yes, it could have been MUCH longer
), I've taken the whole thing back to formula. At first I was going to just start on the scratch build but it occurred to me that if the templates are flawed, I would run into the same problem without being able to simply crumple it up and start again...So... I've spent the week redesigning everything and will post photos of the new and improved model soon.
Thanks for staying interested.
Best,
Ian
Here's a couple of photos of some of the redesigns
I redid the computer wall as individual parts rather than the original "accordion" arrangement I had.
The new "lower" floor has placement marks now. This should do the trick.
Just got done printing the new designs and will begin building tonight.
Stay tuned!
I redid the computer wall as individual parts rather than the original "accordion" arrangement I had.
The new "lower" floor has placement marks now. This should do the trick.
Just got done printing the new designs and will begin building tonight.
Stay tuned!
Okay!
Starting from square one again...
The new floor templates are cut and trimmed. Note the box numbers on the main floor. I really just winged it last time and paid a price. This time, the floor will be supported equally and there will be firm edges for the walls to connect to.
The upper floor with the first steps of both rooms folded over and glued with center pieces to bulk them up to the right thickness
Some of the "boxes" have artwork where necessary while other serve as support.
The top of the box supports have cutouts so I can adjust placement and burnish down the glue tabs.
I redesigned the stairs and numbered them very carefully. I'm installing them one tier at a time so they meet at the proper 45 degree angle. They are a great deal stronger and more consistent than the last attempt.
I'll post more photos when the floors are attached.
Thanks for looking!
Starting from square one again...
The new floor templates are cut and trimmed. Note the box numbers on the main floor. I really just winged it last time and paid a price. This time, the floor will be supported equally and there will be firm edges for the walls to connect to.
The upper floor with the first steps of both rooms folded over and glued with center pieces to bulk them up to the right thickness
Some of the "boxes" have artwork where necessary while other serve as support.
The top of the box supports have cutouts so I can adjust placement and burnish down the glue tabs.
I redesigned the stairs and numbered them very carefully. I'm installing them one tier at a time so they meet at the proper 45 degree angle. They are a great deal stronger and more consistent than the last attempt.
I'll post more photos when the floors are attached.
Thanks for looking!
Thanks all,
Still working on the floor. The only real problem so far is that I put the floor support boxes a little too close together and I'm having to trim here and there but it's otherwise moving along as expected.
I have also started work on the bigger paper model. I'm having to do my own artwork so it's down to designing components with Corel Draw. You will be able to build this model at several levels; the "simple" level that has all of the raised detail expressed as art, the "detailed" level where you can cut out all of the panels and glue them over optional backgrounds and the "lighted" level where you can also use vellum for the lighted panels, install light boxes and backlight your diorama with LEDs. I'll include optional parts packs.
Ambitious, I know... but hopefully it won't take as long to design as it sounds. I'll be doing that at the same time I'm doing the plastic scratch-build and eventually putting up a "How I did it" video (Video is the other thing I do) on Youtube. It'll be pretty tongue and cheek but I guarantee you will all enjoy it! Don't know the rules about posting those here but I will if it's allowed.
There! Now that I've promised all of this, I HAVE to do it!
Okay... back to work! thumbsup
Still working on the floor. The only real problem so far is that I put the floor support boxes a little too close together and I'm having to trim here and there but it's otherwise moving along as expected.
I have also started work on the bigger paper model. I'm having to do my own artwork so it's down to designing components with Corel Draw. You will be able to build this model at several levels; the "simple" level that has all of the raised detail expressed as art, the "detailed" level where you can cut out all of the panels and glue them over optional backgrounds and the "lighted" level where you can also use vellum for the lighted panels, install light boxes and backlight your diorama with LEDs. I'll include optional parts packs.
Ambitious, I know...
but hopefully it won't take as long to design as it sounds. I'll be doing that at the same time I'm doing the plastic scratch-build and eventually putting up a "How I did it" video (Video is the other thing I do) on Youtube. It'll be pretty tongue and cheek but I guarantee you will all enjoy it! Don't know the rules about posting those here but I will if it's allowed.There! Now that I've promised all of this, I HAVE to do it!
Okay... back to work! thumbsup