Brachacki Model Build

[lorisarvendu]

It's been a while since I finished my McCoy twins, and I've been itching to do another model build.  But something different this time. Something I'm not familiar with.  So I'm doing a couple of 29cm Brachaki props.  I'm doing 2 because TBH it's as easy as doing 1, and I'm sure I can offload one of them somewhere.  

I'm sorely tempted to make one (or both) a "World's End" version, with the right face window panes tilted inwards. Anyway, just to show I've actually started, here's the 8 sides all drawn up and ready to be cut out.  As usual my preferred medium is 1.5mm mounting card.



Edit:  Subject line amended as I am now only doing one.

[lorisarvendu]

I decided I am going to make one of these a "Worlds End" model.  By this of course I mean with a set of tilted windows:



For a start it needs a slightly thicker window frame, so when filling in the panels, I extend it to fill in the window panels on one face:



I then cut this open to give a thicker frame thus:



Here's the windows that will go in:



And they'll look something like this:



Heaven knows if this'll work - I'm making it up as I go along you know.  

EDIT: I've decided I'm going to make one normal version...just in case the tilted one goes wrong.  The potential is there for one or both of the windows to snap off and drop down inside of the completed model, and if that happens, the model might as well go in the bin because I'll never get them out.  So I'd rather only have one wasted build.  Actually even if I enclose the window in a little box inside the model so it can be retrieved, it'll still be pretty impossible to glue it back from the outside of a sealed build.  This needs a bit of thought.

[DoctorWho8]

Duct tape on the back of the windows.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[geminitimelord]

can you paint one in Venitian crystal 2 and send it to me please C/O the USA

[starcross]

I always like seeing your model builds take shape. They seem to go together so quickly, a practiced hand I expect eh?

Anyway considering your window issue, I thought perhaps you could make the brackets like on the real boxes.

If you made them out of straightened paperclips and attached them to the side of the box; The brackets would be stable enough to allow you to glue the window in the open position without worry of it falling in.

The advantage of the paperclip, if your build is big enough to hide it, is that it can be integrated and hidden behind the window frame entirely. I imagine this would leave the window looking exactly as you normally have it.   



Anyway, just an idle thought, Good luck.

~Starcross

[lorisarvendu]

Due to Real Life intervening, this build has been on hold for some time.  But now everyone is back home, and I have some time on my hands...

[lorisarvendu]

Putting the first stack on.  This is weird. At first it still looks "TARDIS-like" to me:



But then it just looks...wrong.  Too high!




Because this part of the roof is much deeper than I've ever made, I've put a large support in the middle, to stop it sagging.

[lorisarvendu]

The corner posts are strange.  They sort of extend above the main body of the box in a weird way, leaving a gap between them and the first stack.



Once the glue has dried I fill the gap with specially-cut pieces.



First set of corner posts are on, and it's starting to look a bit better.  That high roof is still strange to my eyes though, but then I was brought up on the flat-roofed Pertwee version.

[lorisarvendu]

Top corner posts, second stack, and under-sign steps.

[lorisarvendu]

It's getting towards the time when I have to figure out how I'm going to do the lamp.

[lorisarvendu]

Roof & centre slats on now.  Stuck until I figure out how to get a fresnel-style lamp of the right size. 

[lorisarvendu]

OK so it's only been 4 months and the model's been stuck on a shelf, but it looks like I've finally got my little fresnel lamp. One of the Design Technicians where I work has managed to craft one for me from an acrylic rod.  He did a prototype and it looked excellent. The finished product should be ready in a week.

So I'd better start painting then!  I've already coated in white acrylic primer to stop the card from sucking up future coats of paint, and additionally give the model a rough textured appearance.  Now I've covered it in Sea Blue matt.



The windows are going to be very delicate because I only want the frames to be white, not the edges of the window panels.  That's going to take a steady hand.



Here's a close-up of the corner posts.

[lorisarvendu]

Got me lamp!

[lorisarvendu]

The lamp now has a cap, and struts.  I normally use cocktail sticks for these, but they were too thick, so I tried something new



These are cut off sections of big plastic-coated paper-clips.  I've shaved some plastic off one end and that will fit into small holes on the base.  The tops will be affixed to the underside of the lamp cap with a dab of glue.  Not ideal but the wire is very rigid and should hold.

The lamp itself could potentially be a weak point if I just glued it on, but I asked the guy to drill a small hole in the bottom of it. There's a cotton bud glued in there, with about 5mm projecting out.  That acts as a "peg" that is now fixed into a hole in the roof.

[lorisarvendu]

Awaiting the varnishing stage now.