Vinyl issue. WT actual F?

 AARRRGH, blather, Gah., Hmm..., models, science, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Nov 202020
 

UPDATE: “Good” news: a link in the comments section explains what happened here. Bleah.

I recent bought a model kit of a tank (a 1/35 Dragon T28). it has been *decades* since I’ve built a tank model, and right now with the Book projects building models is not a high priority, but what the heck. So I popped open the box, started looking at the parts and realized there was a problem.

The tracks are supposed to be flexible bands of molded vinyl. Fairly standard for a model kit… the two general approaches are either bands of flexible vinyl, or individual tracks and links. The tracks and links approach can produce the best looking model, but it can be a time and brain consuming nightmare to link hundreds of parts.

But there was a problem with the tracks. Instead of being flexible vinyl… they’re more like brittle cast resin. They actually shatter and crumble in the packaging:

As best as I can determine, this is the legit actual part. Based on YouTube videos of other people doing reviews and assemblies, the color is spot on, the vacuum-packed plastic sealed bag is right. The molding is crisp and clear, far better than would be expected if I somehow got someone’s resin recast of the vinyl tracks. But as you can see, the tracks are extraordinarily brittle… and they’re wet. They’re soaking in what seems to be some sort of oil.

So what am I looking at here? Is this some sort of weird manufacturing mistake… a set of resin tracks instead of vinyl? Or could this be vinyl that has degraded to a phenomenal degree? Is the oil the cause of the brittleness… or did the vinyl exude the oil and become brittle?

I’ve contacted the manufacturer and *might* get a set of replacement tracks in a couple  months. That would be nice. But I am really curious about what the problem really is here. Anybody know of a series of reasonably safe tests that could determine what the oil is (silicone? hydrocarbon?) and whether the tracks are vinyl or resin. The easiest test I can think of: burn some resin, burn some vinyl. Then burn the tracks, which does it smell like? Simple, straightforward likely toxic as all get-out, so, yeah, no.

 Posted by at 10:56 pm

Apollo Extension System models

 history, models, projects, rockets, science, spacecraft  No Responses »
Aug 262020
 

This set of models was recently sold on eBay. It depicts a proposed concept for extending the utility of Apollo hardware… in this case, the Command Module and the Ascent Stage of the Lunar Module, by using them in Earth or Lunar orbit in conjunction with a small space laboratory. The Lunar Module would be used as a little space lab of it’s own, with a bolted-on telescope… this idea transformed into the Apollo Telescope Mount on Skylab, which began life as a modified LM. This probably dates from 1965-66. The purpose of the lab was to provide living space for the crew of three, because missions were contemplated lasting several months, providing detailed examination of the Earth or moon. Scientifically useful to be sure, but were the crew packed solely into the CM and LM for that period they’d likely kick the walls out.

 

 Posted by at 7:41 pm

Model 227/237 Heavy Lift Helicopters

 aircraft, history, models, projects  No Responses »
Aug 172020
 

From 1965, two Boeing-Vertol Heavy Lift Helicopter concepts in model form, to scale with a Chinook (at far right). At far left is the Model 227 which carried loaded internally; in the middle is Model 237, designed as a flying crane. note, though, that even though the Model 237 is designed to carry payloads externally the vehicle is so large that the reduced fuselage still has room for a substantial passenger load, windows and all.

 Posted by at 11:28 pm

Dyna Soar launcher options

 aircraft, history, models, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Jun 092020
 

A photo montage of Boeing display models showing a range of launch vehicles intended to put the early (1959) Dyna Soar into orbit. The three at left are clusters of Minuteman ICBM boosters; the next two are larger solid rocket motor clusters. The next is a Saturn I booster, followed by an all-new recoverable liquid rocket booster, the Titan II and the Atlas/Centaur. The Titan II design was chosen, though it could not actually get the Dyna Soar into a true orbit. To do that, solid rocket boosters needed to be strapped to the sides of the Titan II… leading to the creation of the Titan III.

 Posted by at 6:51 am

The coming golden age of toy spaceships that shoulda been made 40 years ago

 art, awesomeness, models, science fiction, spacecraft, youtube  No Responses »
Jun 082020
 

So here’s some good news for those oldster sci-fi nerds who were/are fans of the original Battlestar Galactica, who wanted spaceships to go along with their toy figures, and who currently have buckets of money:

That’s cool and all, but I have two current concerns, apart from the cost:

1: The 3D printed nature of the things is still really obvious. Of course as printing tech improves, the surfaces will also improve. Eventually these sort of prints will be indistinguishable from injection molded parts. Not there yet, though.

2: Some corporate suit will doubtless fire up the Legion Of Doom Lawyers to drop a ban hammer. “Someone is making a nickel selling something we couldn’t be bothered to sell even though there’s clearly been a market for close to half a century? OUTRAGE!”

So, a bit of games theorizing needed here. Do you shell out big bucks now for things that are – to the right person – pretty cool, yet still rather imperfect… or do you wait for quality to improve and cost to decrease, while risking a Cease and Decist making them vanish altogether?

 Posted by at 2:43 pm

The AH-56 Cheyenne and P6M Seamaster are back in production

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, history, models, new products, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Apr 222020
 

These old Aurora and Revell model kits are back in production under the Atlantis Models brand, for the first time in half a century in some cases. Click the images to go to the relevant Amazon page (the usual Amazon type of ad isn’t inserting correctly for some reason).

But wait! There’s more!

Sure, these kits are simple, not terribly accurate, in many ways kinda crummy in their terribly outdated way. But that is kinda what makes them interesting and fun to build. They are *cheap* and you don’t need to worry about a billion parts and photoetched bits and so much effort required that you are assured of giving up a quarter of the way through. Probably good kits to get kids working on.

 

 

 Posted by at 5:32 pm

See, now this is how you “celebrity” during a time of quarantine

 art, awesomeness, blather, models  No Responses »
Apr 142020
 

Not screeching insanely at the camera or engaging in massive self indulgence, but… dping actually interesting stuff. Take, for example actor Henry Cavill (link to a worthy instagram post):

View this post on Instagram

Considering we are, both, going through the Easter period, and going through The Lockdown, I figured it a good time to put a silver lining onto the cloud that is some of the darker moments during this time. So I've decided to polish some old skills and try my hand at some new ones! It is a time of rebirth after all. So, as you can see here, the obvious might look a little bit like a tiny helmet…which it is. One of my almost life long hobbies, that I've been following but not actively doing, is this. A company called Games Workshop…or plastic crack as "we" call it. Genuinely can't get enough of the lore they have built over the decades. They have been some of my most enthused reads! If you were in denial about me being a geek before, you can't hide from it now. Also, in the background of this photo, there may just be some completely new skills I'm working on…..or there may not be, so all of your eye squinting and attempts at digital unfocusing will be in vain….orrrr maybe they won't. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of the NHS (National Health Service, here in the UK) and healthcare workers worldwide, for your unceasing efforts to protect us. I imagine it might be feeling a little rough right now, but you Ladies and Gents are absolutely smashing it! Keep it up! You got this. "Hold on a second", I hear you utter….."if he has both hands in the photo…how is he taking the photo??" New skills, my friends….new skills. #Easter #Passover #GamesWorkshop #ProperGeek #Custodes #NewSkills #NHS #ThankYou #Raggy?

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on

Sure, it’s a single photo. But it’s a single photo of the guy who gets paid millions of dollars to play Superman holding and painting a tiny little Warhammer 40K figure. Not my hobby, but it’s a worthy one, and orders of magnitude more respectable than anything Madonna is up to these days.

 Posted by at 8:59 pm

Money Pit

 AARRRGH, aircraft, art, Gah., models, youtube  No Responses »
Feb 262020
 

When I first saw the thumbnail and title of the video, my initial thought was “I wish there was a store like that somewhere within a few hundred miles of me.” Having gone through the video… I’m really kinda glad there isn’t.

 Posted by at 10:12 am
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