delta
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Member since: January 2015
Posts: 365
Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 25, 2015 20:13:24 GMT -5
In my novel, Valhalla, the villain of the first book makes his home in a large white aircraft carrier, one that walks through the Congo jungle on eight tall spindly legs. Here's my original sketch for it: And here are three discount aircraft carriers I found today: I'm new to "kitbashing" if that's the term, and this is an ambitious project to begin with, but well, I'm gonna see what happens. I've bought some pipe for the legs and looked over the kits, and I think they have most of what I'll need to make the giant monster thing. (If you'd like to read about it, I humbly suggest checking out "Valhalla" by Ari Bach, the first chapters are free on the Amazon Kindle site.)
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Post by TRM on Jan 25, 2015 20:35:15 GMT -5
Cool concept Delta!! Looking forward to the production line opening up!! Count me in!
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Post by Leon on Jan 25, 2015 21:04:48 GMT -5
Count me in Ari! This looks like it's going to be a very cool project.
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delta
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Posts: 365
Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 26, 2015 0:08:25 GMT -5
Thank you both! I've started on the superstructure so far- Apologies to the Shinano and Intrepid. The Essex is still mostly intact, but it'll need some holes for the legs soon.
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kiwibelg
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Dec 28, 2014 17:25:24 GMT -5
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Post by kiwibelg on Jan 26, 2015 0:45:07 GMT -5
This is going to be awesome Ari!! Nothing like a new challenge to get the creative juices flowing! Painting, drawing, writing, scratching...is there anything else that you don't try your hand at?! Just out of interest do you go under the writers name of Bach? Cheers, Shay
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delta
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Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 26, 2015 1:46:28 GMT -5
Thank you Shay! I try to hit all the visual and story bases and intend to make movies someday, but have no talent for music whatsoever. I'm good at listening to it but that's about it. I write under the name Ari Bach, my books so far are called Valhalla and Ragnarök. They're mostly explosions and ray guns and flying cars
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Post by kaytermarram on Jan 26, 2015 4:05:32 GMT -5
Sounds very interesting, I mean, Aircraft Carriers with mechanical legs, SF pure! I remember the Spiderthing from WILD WILD WEST, but yours must be a 1000 times bigger. Count me in, this is a cool story!
Frank
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Post by Deano on Jan 26, 2015 4:18:27 GMT -5
Excellent , we have a buzz going on in the Fantasy section .... very cool project buddy !
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Post by Leon on Jan 26, 2015 4:51:44 GMT -5
Off to a good start Ari.
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delta
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Member since: January 2015
Posts: 365
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Post by delta on Jan 26, 2015 4:54:11 GMT -5
Thank you both! Seriously you all make this a very cool place to be. I couldn't be happier to share this with all of you as it progresses! Speaking of progress, I've built the Essex tower by the book, it's too small to be the full tower for the Kyryll but I think I'll keep it in place as the communications array, given the heaps of dishes and antennae. It's fun to see the concept develop from the circumstances of the ingredients.
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Post by TRM on Jan 26, 2015 7:06:37 GMT -5
Off and running nicely Ari!! Doesn't take much to get things heading in the right direction!! In your drawing, the bottom left sketch almost looks like a Sherman upper hull for the base superstructure! Well, until you get to the top view that is...LOL!! Keep up the great job!!
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delta
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Post by delta on Jan 26, 2015 14:37:00 GMT -5
Thank you TRM! Progress- The legs have been cut: Anyone know a good way to cut large holes in a plastic hull without resorting to a new drill bit or jeweler's saw? And will these need wire or will glue alone support the carrier?
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Post by TRM on Jan 26, 2015 17:02:01 GMT -5
Cool watching the vision unfold Ari!! Legs look great! Personally I would slide some wire down through them first for the extra support. As for the large circles, two things come to mind...a circle cutter which can be found at most craft stores. Second would be a standard set of spring dividers (scribes)...
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Post by Leon on Jan 26, 2015 19:07:00 GMT -5
Ari! Nice work on the tower and start of the legs .Really looking forward to seeing the evolve.
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delta
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Post by delta on Jan 26, 2015 20:34:51 GMT -5
Thanks Leon, and thanks for the advice TRM! I've put some tough floral wire in and the legs hold nicely under weight now. Unfortunately the holes I need are on a bent surface and only about the size of a quarter. I've been carving them out slowly with an X-Acto blade but I worry about breaking the hull.
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Post by tigrazor on Jan 27, 2015 1:52:43 GMT -5
Sick sick sick.... in a positive way. I love that already. Looks very steampunkish - and thats exactly my thing.
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delta
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Post by delta on Jan 27, 2015 5:03:54 GMT -5
Thanks Tigrazor! I'd not considered a steampunk angle to it, but I'm very happy to evoke one. I'm curious, has anyone here done any models or scratchbuilds for Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy? The steampunk take on WW1 tech in its illustrations were fantastic-
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Post by tigrazor on Jan 27, 2015 12:10:50 GMT -5
Not the Leviathan, but I just completed an Imperial Knight.
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Post by wbill76 on Jan 27, 2015 18:33:52 GMT -5
Nice project you've set out for yourself here Delta! Should be fun to see it all come together.
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delta
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Post by delta on Jan 27, 2015 22:37:25 GMT -5
Tigrazor- I looked it up (The Imperial Knight thread) as soon as you mentioned it here, and wow! Very impressive detail, and as a whole it's very well done. I need to get into Warhammer, everything from it I see is awesome. WBill76- Thank you! It's a great motivator to keep working hard to hear you and others are watching
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delta
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Member since: January 2015
Posts: 365
Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 28, 2015 6:54:45 GMT -5
I had to wrestle with this wire brat until 4:30 in the morning but it finally stands up straight: It'll need a bit of tweaking and I'll have to fix all the pipes I split at the ends but it's pretty stable and solid even before gluing. The big problem now it where to put it so the cats won't play with it. Thanks again to TRM for advice concerning the wires, it was hard enough with them, without them it just wouldn't have been possible at all.
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Post by deafpanzer on Jan 28, 2015 10:21:24 GMT -5
Man, those legs are looking GRREEAAAT!!!!
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Post by wbill76 on Jan 28, 2015 13:37:57 GMT -5
Looks like it's ready to run for the corner when you turn the lights on! Nice work on the legs.
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Post by tigrazor on Jan 28, 2015 13:42:29 GMT -5
And thats the evidence: Mosquitoes are NOT made of wood and have two engines. But made of steel.
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Post by Leon on Jan 28, 2015 16:07:59 GMT -5
WOW!!! Nice work on the legs Ari.
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delta
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Post by delta on Jan 28, 2015 18:05:05 GMT -5
Thank you all very much!!!
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kiwibelg
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Dec 28, 2014 17:25:24 GMT -5
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The Kyryll
Jan 28, 2015 18:18:31 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by kiwibelg on Jan 28, 2015 18:18:31 GMT -5
That is scarily awesome Ari!! Might be a good idea to place a box over it and tear a few pieces of masking tape off and stick it down on the sides...we wouldn't want your hard earned work ending up in Morks hands lol. I have a 2yr. old boy to contend with who loves getting his little hands up on the work bench!! Shaping up nicely mate, looking forward to the rest of this. And on a side note, nice to see you bring your novel to life! Cheers, Shay
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delta
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Member since: January 2015
Posts: 365
Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 28, 2015 18:40:00 GMT -5
Thank you very much Shay! Right now it's in the cat-free room taking up a whole shelf. It means fetching it whenever I want to work but it keeps it safe. I'm also very happy seeing something from the book take shape. My next project will definitely be one of the Panzercopters- It will be fun to see how the design changes as construction progresses. The Kyryll has become much less stubby in shape.
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Post by tigrazor on Jan 29, 2015 0:30:56 GMT -5
Reminds me a bit of the "Hornethoptr" from IndustriaMechanika.
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delta
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Member since: January 2015
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Jan 21, 2015 0:58:01 GMT -5
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Post by delta on Jan 29, 2015 1:58:00 GMT -5
I can see that a bit, it is very much based on a wasp or hornet. Another comparison is definitely to the Jigabachi I constructed recently, the name Jigabachi actually refers to a Japanese wasp. There's something else in the book that actually looks even more like the hornithoptr- Tikaris. They're daggers that can shift into insectoid shape to perform tasks, spy and so on. A lot of insect tech inspiration throughout the book. Progress- Working on the tower right now. Below are the main windows and a test fit of the tower in place on the central deck: I plan to work out some sort of miniature bridge to be seen inside the massive windows, they look small but in scale, they're each 2 stories tall like the NASA launch control center in Florida. Once the glue on the tower is done, the great greebling will begin.
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