# Big Spindrift



## Brent Gair

I've had this project in the works for awhile but I wanted to get something recognizable before I posted.

I've scratchbuilt more than a few 50's spaceships but my building background is actually in seafaring vessels. I love the old style rockets but I wanted to demonstrate more than lathe turning. The Spindrift is a nice, complex shape that lends itself well to some fancy modelling.

The model under construction here will be just over 36" long. The main structural component will be fiberglassed foam and NOT wood. The wood here serves a couple of purposes. It serves as built in templates for the foam which will fill in the structure. It also serves as a hard mounting surface for the fin and for the split fuselage.



I obtained three sets of plans. I got the drawings off the net that were posted by "charonjr" (one time poster here). I got the Richard Kreeger drawings (he did the research for the Lunar Models kit). Finally, I got the Fred Barr drawings. I made my own full scale drawings which are an "average" of the various plans and photographs. As you might guess with Irwin Allen stuff, there is no single definitive plan which is correct for the filming miniatures and full size set.

I will leave room for an interior. That's why the ship is designed to break open at the engine intakes. However, since a scratchbuilt interior would be a huge undertaking in itself, I'm not concerning myself with that part of the project yet.


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## Carson Dyle

Very cool, Brett. I'm glad you've decided to tackle this particular subject; the design is one of my all-time faves. Please keep us posted -- it'll be a lot of fun watching this baby come together!


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## Brent Gair

A quick bit of additional info. I should point out that the structure seen in the bottom picture is not permanently bonded as you see it. The fin is designed to slide into a channel on the backbone AFTER all of the fiberglassing is done. That will make foam carving and glassing much easier. And the front and rear sections (as seen in the top picture) are intended to be separate assemblies which can be split for interior access.

So that bottom picture is essentiall a mock up of the final assembly but it is three individual components placed together...not glued together.


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## Brent Gair

Carson Dyle said:


> Very cool, Brett. !


Is my name really that hard to spell  ?


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## Carson Dyle

Gimme a break, I got four letters outa five.


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## Lloyd Collins

Quite an ambitious undertaking, Brent! Looking forward to seeing the progress.


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## beeblebrox

What scale does that make it at 36", Bertt?


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## Brent Gair

I call it a nominal scale of 1/18. Because of variations in the plans which show it from 48' to 53' in full size, it's hard to determine an absolutely accurate scale.

1/18 works well because that puts it at a recognized scale common to diecast cars and 4" action figures.


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## StarshipClass

Does it put it at the scale that the ship was to the giants?


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## Trek Ace

Great looking project, Bent!

Take a LOTG picture of you holding the model in your hands when you're done.


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## Brent Gair

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Does it put it at the scale that the ship was to the giants?


Very close.

I usually hear the filming miniature (which was occassionally seen with the "giants") as "the 40 inch miniature". So it would seem that mine is very close to studio scale but not quite there.

Certain considerations went into choosing the size and the ability to work with standard wood sizes was one issue. For example, the backbone on the rear section is about 11 3/4" long. It has one piece of thick plywood in the core with two other thin pieces laminated to it. By choosing this size, I could cut those two thin pieces from a standard 24" small plywood sheet. If I had gone for a larger model, I would have had to buy larger pieces of wood and probably scrapped a lot of it. Also, the face of the rear section (with the intakes) is 21" wide so I could cut it from a 24" x 12" piece of plyood. A larger model would have made me go up to the next larger size of wood: 48" long.

36" seemed like the most practical size to build.


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## StarshipClass

^^Close enough!


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## John P

Looks great, Brunt! () can't wait to see it finished.


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## Brent Gair

I may have to revert to my real first name.

Brent is my middle name...and the name I've always used. But for those who have trouble with all of those letters, my first name is Ken.

C'mom, how tough can three letters be ? .*


*What's worse, everybody spells my last name wrong too. Four friggin' letters and when I got my last computer, the shop had set up the system owner as "Ken Gaier".


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## ThomasModels

Great job, Kent!

I have always really liked that ship and have been wanting to make a 'full sized' one for many years. Thanks for sharing this!


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## Guest

Your a brave fella for tackling a subject that has a smooth finish and more compound curves than you can shake a set of profile gauges at, your medal is in the mail mate! :thumbsup:


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## Brent Gair

I'm starting the foam infill on the rear section of the hull.

In the top picture, I'm cutting the foam in a bandsaw. The foam sheet is 2" thick. Since the ship is symetrical, I can cut pieces of foam by stacking two together and cutting them from one pattern. So that block of foam is 4" thick.

In the lower picture, you can see the first of the foam going into the hull as the 4" thick block has been separated back into the 2" thick halves.



The result will be a rough shape shape with hard edges but it will give me a starting point for the final shaping.

The rear hull shouldn't be too difficult but the front will be tough. the front has very thin walls plus there are several other considerations. Expect to see one or two more updates as I progress on the rear hull and then this thread will probably go into hibernation while I work on the front.


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## heiki

Trek Ace said:


> Great looking project, Bent!
> 
> Take a LOTG picture of you holding the model in your hands when you're done.


What, sitting in a swim suit with the ship on his lap?


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## Brent Gair

Here's the rear hull with the foam blocks (12 of them) installed. Next step is roughing them into approximate shape. I'll save the final shaping for later when it comes time to fiberglass (no sense final shaping it now and getting it banged in the shop while I work on other projects).


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## ThomasModels

You know you will, you MUST scrape off the extra foam covering up the Spindrift underneath!

Just do it and get it over with. Those other projects can wait.


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## Dave Hussey

Nice work!!

What a crew. I mean, how hard can it be to spell Kenneth Brent Gare?

Huzz


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## Seaview

What "other projects"??? THIS is THE project, my good man, and as you can tell, we can't wait to see how it turns out!
Keep up the good work! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Brent Gair

Here's a picture with the hard edges knocked off the foam. Hmmm...I'm actually starting to believe I might be able to do this...




*In my Grade 11 year book, they spelled my name "Brent Glare" (true).


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## Trek Ace

Brent Glare said:


> *In my Grade 11 year book, they spelled my name "Brent Glare" (true).


You must've been a *bright* student. 

Seriously, it's looking great!


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## Lloyd Collins

I believed you could do it! Man, are you good!

On the name exchange,they alway tried to call me Floyd. So now I am Pink Lloyd!


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## Dave Hussey

Impressive stuff Brent!

I'm keen to see how you fabricate the forward hull in view of your plan to have it capable of housing an inteior at some point.

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

Work continues on the forward hull while my crack team of inspectors gives a thumbs up to the interior:


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## beeblebrox

Uh...Zoinks? :thumbsup:


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## PhilipMarlowe

That's going to be _real_ cool when you finish that, impressive work :thumbsup:


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## Dave Hussey

Loo-keeeng Good Brent!

Nice shirt too by the way. But Jinkies - didn't you say on another thread that you had grey hair?

Huzz


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## X15-A2

Hi Brent,

What method will you use to surface the foam once it has been shaped?


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## Brent Gair

I will be covering the foam with automotive weight fiberglass...I need to brush up a bit on the specs but I think it's about 10 oz glass. I will use epoxy resin for the glassing. The huge advantage of the epoxy is that it doesn't attack the foam (unlike polyester resin). Epoxy is far and away the best choice in almost every category for this kind of glass work. It won't attack the foam, it's stronger and more flexible than polyester, it won't shrink, it has longer working time, it has almost no odor. It's almost perfect.

The one drawback?

It's expensive (as if you couldn't see that one coming). I haven't done any serious calculations but I could be looking at 50 bucks worth of resin...give or take.

My initial guess is that I will need a minimum of two layers of cloth but I could go to three layers. About 18 months ago, I did a rather small scale experiment using this method on the ship from My Favorite Martian. It was 24" long and carved from foam. It was also covered with glass reinforced epoxy. Although it was a success, I learned some lessons that I want to incorporate on the Spindrift. The Martian ship had one layer of heavy glass with some areas reinforced with lightweight (2 oz) glass. I want more strength this time so I'm going with a minimum of two full layers of heavy cloth. Also, for the Martian ship I held the foam blocks together with spray adhesive which did not have the desired holding strength. For the Spindrift, I have switched to one of the new polyurethane glues which are claimed to have great holding power (it's that yellow goop you see squeezing out from between the foam blocks).


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## Brent Gair

Here's a peak at the method by which the front and rear hulls will be joined:



Because I want access to the interior, I need a reasonable way to separate the hull. I have previously built a split hull ship model (so that I could get the two halves into my car) but that was a little different because I could access bolts through an opening in the deck. In the case of the Spindrift, there is no obvious place to access mechanical fasteners.

So I'm trying four neodymium magnets. The photo shows the back face of the rear bulhead on the forward hull section. On that bulkhead is a hole just over .5" in diameter. Into the bottom of that hole, I will install the steel washer shown in the photo. On the front face of the bulkhead for the rear hull, I will install the magnet (that tiny metal piece) inside the steel cup shown.

The magnet and steel cup will sit on the surface of the rear hull bulkhead. When mated with the front hull, that magnet cup assembly will go inside the hole and bind to the steel washer. This kills two birds with one stone. The raised magnet assembly acts like a dowel going into a dowel hole and will automatically line up the front and rear hulls. And the magnets will hold it altogether

The magnets are extremely powerful and this idea may require some adjustment. Each of those tiny magnets (3/8" diameter by 1/8" thick) is claimed to have 5lb's of holding power. The steel cups are claimed to increase that holding power up to a factor of 4x. So I'll have to be careful that I don't make the bond too strong.


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## X15-A2

Thanks Brent! Cool idea about using the magnets too. I don't know if I could end my life-long relationship with polyester resin in favor of epoxy though...  

Made my first polyester resin & fiberglass parts while in 6th grade (a TOS phaser). Of course, I used a plaster mold which the resin stuck to because I used the wrong mold release so the final product was half plaster...

Still have that phaser in storage somewhere.

I will be following your progress here with interest.


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## Brent Gair

The ONLY advantage polyester resin has is price.

Not that price is insignificant, but epoxy is so superior that it's worth the extra for a major project.

Although I've only used epoxy over foam on one other model, I've actually used it a few times on large wooden ship models. In fact, I used it on a 102" long battleship model.

I glassed that model inside my house, during the winter, 6 feet away from a gas fired furnace. That would be impossible with polyester. And, before it sets, epoxy resin will wash off your hands with soap and water.

Epoxy has another advantage that I didn't mention. Most of the polyester resin sold is "finishing" resin. This has a small wax component that will weaken multiple laminations if it isn't cleaned between the application of glass layers. This is not an issue with epoxy. You can keep adding laminations to epoxy resin with no special preparation of the previous layer (no sanding, no degreasing).


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## X15-A2

How sandable is epoxy resin?


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## Brent Gair

It generally sands quite nicely. Epoxy resin has been popular with RC model airplane builders for many years because strength is obviously a critical consideration. And full size airplane and boat builders use it. Many epoxy resins are made spcifically for fiberglassing. I used to use a model product called "Z-poxy". And "West System" is popular with boat and airplane builders. On the My Favortie Martian model, I actually used a product which is intended as a glue (Industrial Formulators G-1 Epoxy) and it worked just fine. As with any resin, wet sanding works best.


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## Brent Gair

Those damn little people have escaped...probably through that big hole at the back of the ship.

In the next day or two, I'll have the front section of the hull completely blocked with foam. I'll cover over the windshield and cut it open AFTER fiberglassing. That will make the glass job a lot easier. So this is my last chance to look through the cockpit windows for some time.


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## Brent Gair

The basic foam work is now done. I'm going to relax for awhile and then I'll start refining the shape. Right now, the foam is a bit "thick" so that I'll have material to work with when I get it ready for glassing (easier to shave down thick foam than to build up thin foam). I must say that I'm pleased with the shape up to this point.


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## Brent Gair

Just adding a note.

In that bottom photo, you'll observe a detail not previously seen (or not seen well). There is a series of holes in the core of the fin. They are visible because the backlight is shining through the translucent plastic skin. Those holes are a feature designed to prevent the fin from warping. I used a 1/4" plywood core for the fin because I wanted a very strong structure. I'm a bit of a clutz and I'm sure to bang into a doorway with that fin. But plywood can warp. The holes help to disrupt the internal grain structure of the ply so that it is not strong enough to pull to one side while maintaining the impact strength of the wood.


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## Lloyd Collins

Reading the about the size in inches, just don't do it justice, till you see it. It is impressive. About how much does it weigh?


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## Brent Gair

It only weighs 4.5 lbs and probably half of that is the wooden frame. Of course, the fiberglass will add weight but I still expect the finished ship to come in under 10lbs.


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## Dave Hussey

Wow Brent - that is going to be amazing!! How much beer would you want to do one for me?  

Its neat that you are doing a giant model of a Land of the _Giants_ ship  . I think in the show the crew of the Spindrift were about 6 inches tall in the Giant's world. Would that size figure fit in your model? That would make it 1:1 scale.

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

Ha...you have misjudged my weakness...I'm a teetotaler. Had you offerred me cigars or women, I might have considered your request! 

The length of my spindrift makes it approximately 1/18 scale so a 4" figure would be the closest fit. That Shaggy figure in the earlier photo is 5.25" tall. I just measured the headroom in the hull and it's about 6.25".


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## Chuck_P.R.

I'm in awe! Beautiful!


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## big-dog

Hi Bert, love it. Scale? What the Hell is that? Isn't that something a fish has on it?


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## FoxTrot

Stupendous! Keep em' coming! Fox


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## Dave Hussey

Hey Brent - while you're at it, why not get all the Scooby Doo figures and repaint them to match the Land of the Giants costumes? Of course, you would have to paint your Spindrift that funky green.........

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

Fiberglass work is underway on the forward hull.

In the top photo, the glass cloth has been trimmed to size and draped over the top of the hull.

In the lower photo, the epoxy resin has been applied. the resin is poured onto the cloth and squeegeed against the hull. The idea is to force the resin into the weave of the cloth and keep it in contact with the hull. A common mistake is to use too much resin. More is not better. If too much resin is used, the cloth will float away from the surface. The completed ship will have two layers of cloth. The second layer is applied after the first has cured and been trimmed.


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## Y3a

Will the foam uner the glass be removed with lacquer thinner or something so you have a hollow form to work from?


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## Brent Gair

No, in this case there is no need to remove the foam. I've already cut out the inside of the foam so that it roughly follows the proper shape of the interior. I can just line the inside with sheet styrene to form interior walls. Dissolving away the foam would just require me to build in another interior support structure so it would create more work.


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## Seaview

Stay patient, and keep up the wonderful job, Brent!


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## scotpens

Looks great so far! Because of your choice of construction method and materials, I was wondering -- have you had any experience in making surfboards or small boats?


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## Brent Gair

Surfing isn't a big sport in Winnipeg .

Although I had fiberglassed some wooden model boats (rather large model boats) I have only used the fiberglass over foam technique on one previous model. I used it on a model of Uncle Martin's ship from My Favorite Martian.

I'm extremely pleased with the results so far. Most of the glass work on the forward hull is done (I haven't finished final shaping the rear hull so it will be awhile). The result is incredibly strong and relatively light. I think I could probably sit on the front hull and not damage it...although that's a theory which I don't intend to test!


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## Trek Ace

Beautiful job, Brent.

Just superb.


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## fluke

AWESOME! Very nice work Brent! :thumbsup: 

Your making what I did seem easy!


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## Brent Gair

fluke said:


> Your making what I did seem easy!


Looks can be deceiving.

I've always taken pride in my engineering ability. In my model ship days, I could make the best looking, strongest, most reliable hulls and running gear. But I ALWAYS fall flat on my face with the detail work!

As soon as it came to things like railings, guns, deck fixtures, I was useless. I've got 10 year old running hulls with 20% complete superstructures because I just lose all momentum when it comes to detail work. It's not that I CAN'T do it...it's just not something that I enjoy and I'm unable to motivate myself to see the job through.

I will finish the Spindrift and I expect it to look very nice. I will put in a RUDIMENTARY cockpit because of those big windows at the front. But I'll bet money that I never get around to finishing the rest of the interior.


SIDE NOTE: Getting back to RC model ships, the funny thing is that my building style was 180 degrees opposite from everybody else in my club. The other builders did phenomenal, museum quality detail work. In fact, about half of the ships in the club eventually ended up in a naval museum. But they would put that detail on some terribly hopeless hulls that were little more than leaky orange crates with propellors. So we would go out to the pond and most of the fancy ships would fail in short order while my plain looking ships would invariably run for three hours without stopping.


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## Dave Hussey

Sounds like you should have patnered up eith a detail guy and both of you would have ended up with highly detailed r/c models that ran well.

Huzz


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## flyingfrets

I don't come around these parts much anymore, but I can see some things never change  . Outstanding work as usual Brent! Love the scale...almost studio (or close enough that most folks would never notice) :thumbsup:.


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## terryr

I'm wondering how you're going to do the grates...


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## Brent Gair

I'm wondering the same thing!

Things are moving faster than anticipated and I didn't expect that I would have to worry about the grates until next year.

A cursory glance indicated that the grates are just a grid of circular shapes. Hopefully, I can find some kind of thin tubing that I can slice into small sections and lay in the correct pattern.


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## Carson Dyle

The Spindrift miniature is currently on display at Paul Allen's sci-fi museum in Seattle. As I recall from my last viewing, those grates, or thrusters, or whatever they are were formed from a series of hollow brass rods (about an inch deep) arranged in the familiar tear-drop shape. 

I suspect you'll be able to find reference pix at the Model Bulider's Reverence Vault, or on one of the many Irwin Allen sites.


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## Brent Gair

I've fiberglassed the front hull and rough cut the opening for the windshield. The glass has been removed and the foam remains. This area will probably start to get pretty ugly as work progresses. I'll be removing more foam, building up areas of fiberglass and doing some more shaping so it will probably have an unsettling patchwork look until I can get primer on it.


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## Lloyd Collins

Nice turtle shell. Go Gamera!


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## RMC

brent,..............

please send me some info,.......


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## Brent Gair

I'm starting to put a face on the Spindrift. I began by cutting the windshield opening with the Gair MK I Foam Saw...a hacksaw blade with the back ground to a point. This gives it a lot of of character. It's starting to be recognizable as the Spindrift.



There's still some wood and fiberglass work to do but I'm pleased with the result to this point. I've gained a lot of respect for the design. When I first saw the various lines on the page, I couldn't really see how it would come together in three dimensions. But there is an admirable amount of logic in the way everything falls into place.


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## Lloyd Collins

Shaping up real good, amazing work.


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## Guest

Looking good and going good, gonna be a stunner this one. Nicely done sir.


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## Dave Hussey

The Spindrift has always been one of my favorite sci fi ships so I have been eagerly awaiting Brent's progress updates. I have to admit, I am truly impressed! Brent's Spindrift will be quite spectacular once it is finished. No, scratch that - it is impressive now! 

Keep up the grate work!

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

I've got the face fiberglassed. There are also thin plywood panels on either side of the windshield (covered with a mixture of shredded fiberglass in epoxy). When it comes time to install the windshield and the re-entry shields*, this will provide the hard-shell backing.



*Some plans refer to those silver louvers beside the windshield as "re-entry shields" which seems like a logical designation although I don't know if that is the official term.


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## Lloyd Collins

Looking more like the Spindrift. To me, the windows define the ship, since it is always a focal point in the series.
I am still impressed by your work.


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## Brent Gair

Work is also progressing on the back half of the ship. Here, fiberglass is being applied. The hull is propped between a couple of stacks of catalogues to support it on it's side. It's being glassed as left and right sections so as to leave the center channel (that holds the fin) clear of epoxy. You'll also note some newspaper near that center channel for the same reason...to make sure I don't foul the channel that holds the fin.



Two out of the three plan sets show the sides of the hull as having a straight side. Only one shows a slight curve. If I was a prop builder, I admit the straight side would be easier. But the rest of the ship is a collection of compound curves and I couldn't bring myself to do straight sides. So I made an artisitic decision to weight the design in favor of the plans that display a gentle curve to the sides of the rear hull.


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## Guest

I think your on the right track to go with the curved sides, i think i'd do the same in all honesty.
Superb work ! :thumbsup:


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## Steve Mavronis

This link shows a good view of the miniature. The rear also looks curved to me as well.

http://www.profilesinhistory.com/auctions/images/Auc17_474.jpg


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## Brent Gair

That's a handy jpeg. I've actually got the two photos on the right side saved in files but the resolution is better in that link.

The airframe should be completed very soon. The next important piece of construction will probably be the dome and the fairing that supports it. That will be a pain in the butt. I'll have to vacuform the dome. I'll have to have the master done before I can build the fairing. Unfortunately, I'll need a block about the size of 6" cube to turn the master on a lathe and that will be a bit inconvenient. To make a block that size from a regular "pattern quality" wood is an expensive proposition. I'll try an experiment and see if I can cheap out and do the master in MDF. It's not that I mind spending money for material...but I hate to spend money just too make a mold for one piece.


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## Brent Gair

A major milestone has been reached.

I have now passed the botch point. The "botch point" is that theoretical point at which a model is sufficiently complete that it can't be seriously screwed up. I have succesfully completed and fiberglassed the basic airframe. Until now, there has existed the danger that I might make some grevious error that would make the model unsalvagable. However, with the completion of a properly shaped and finished airframe, there should be no more serious hurdles to overcome. Of course, there can still be mistakes made (and I expect to make them) but any problems from now on should be fixable.

In these photos, the model has received two full layers of fiberglass and I've done the early stage body work. The initial bodywork consists of giving the model a skim coat of epoxy resin and microballoons to smooth out the surface. More work will need to be done before the final painting but the results to this point have surpassed my expectations. I'me very pleased with the quality of the surface.


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## Brent Gair

Another giant picture (just taken) featuring the completed airframe.


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## terryr

That looks great. If I was a kid I'd crap myself.

From the previous link;
http://www.profilesinhistory.com/au...s/Auc17_474.jpg
I guess we know about the grills. 'brass grill honeycombed engine cowlings'. I wonder what a drum engine looks like and how it works.
The model sure is lopsided.

I never noticed that access door on the engine before. Those screws must be four inches across!


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## Brent Gair

One of the strange ironies is that I haven't seen LAND OF THE GIANTS since the original run 35+ years ago. It never appeared here in reruns. And I was never a particular fan of the show. I probably watched it because, in those days, we had three TV channels and you didn't have a whole lot of choice. But I have no real recollection of any of the characters or plots.

My attitude today would be quite different and I look forward to an eventual Fox DVD release. I have developed a real fondness for all things Irwin Allen and LOTG is the big hole in my knowledge.

Even though I still know very little about the show, it's hard to deny that the Spindrift is one of the prettiest vehicles ever made. At the risk of annoying the Trek guys, I've never had much affection for the mechanical collection of pipes and discs that make up the popular starship models. The Irwin Allen stuff always had a sense of style although most of it was ridiculously impractical...like the glass nose on the Seaview.


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## Guest

Mega serious modeling there Brent, she a beaut :thumbsup: 

No argument from this quarter on the "Spindrift is one of the prettiest vehicles ever made" and damn the practicalities of the design.


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## Trek Ace

I agree. To heck with the practicalities. They are neat designs.

The nice thing about the _Spindrift_ is that it looks to be in the same design family as the flying sub. In Irwin Allen's universe, they would probably have come from the same manufacturer.

It's looking great, Brent. Excellent job!


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## Dave Hussey

Brent - that is simply beautiful work. I'm envious! I can't wait to see the finished ship. I can see the appeal in the more recent ship designs a la some of the Star Trek ships and the like, but the Irwin Allen designs had a very appealing blend of futuristic and at the same time, retro design elements that appeal to the wide eyed kid in me. I look at one of those things and I just go "Wow!"

And a double "Wow!!" for the great job on your Spindrift! Kudos to you and your crack inspection team!! :thumbsup: 

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

I feel compelled to ad a "corrective" photo to clear up a shape issue.

When you try to photograph something over 3 feet long in a confined space, perspective is a problem. It bothers me that most of the photos cause the forward section of the hull to look elongated with straight sides at the flairs. In fact, the front is a rather broad, pumpkin seed shape. Aurora did a super job of getting the shape correct. I wanted to post an overhead photo of the forward hull so that I could eliminate the perspective distortion and demonstrate that the hull is shaped properly...an extremly close match to the Aurora kit in fact.


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## Brent Gair

I couldn't resist one more photo.

It almost gets lost in the glare of the big model but I've put the Aurora kit in this picture for a size comparision. BTW, I have to give Aurora unusually high marks for their Spindrift. Other than the dome (how did they screw that up?), they did an amazing job of getting the shape right. It may be their most accurate sci-fi kit.


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## scotpens

Looks gorgeous! Can't wait to see it detailed and painted. Just nitpicking here, but is "airframe" the appropriate term? Well, I guess if it flies. . .


terryr said:


> From the previous link;
> http://www.profilesinhistory.com/au...s/Auc17_474.jpg
> I guess we know about the grills. 'brass grill honeycombed engine cowlings'. I wonder what a drum engine looks like and how it works.
> 
> The model sure is lopsided.


The Spindrift or Deanna Lund?

The link you posted didn't work for me — the word "images/" is missing from the URL. This should be the correct link:
http://www.profilesinhistory.com/auctions/images/Auc17_474.jpg


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## Lloyd Collins

Brent, it is so fantastic looking. I am loving this project, it is so cool. 

As for the show, the FX still look good, and using real giant sets really makes it hard to not believe, that they are in the Land of the Giants.

If any fan of Irwin Allen don't have the DVD "The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen", you need to get it. Really nice piece of LOTG, and interviews of the cast.


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## Guest

Brent Gair said:


> I couldn't resist one more photo.


Oh yes you could have resisted, you just didn't want to.  

Is it just me or i can hear several tape measures being run over display shelves for a size check ?

She looking damn good so far Brent.


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## terryr

To me, the Aurora model looks too short, and the flanks are straight, as opposed to curved like yours.


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## Brent Gair

One of the problems with trying to nail down the shape if the Spindrfit is that it is a set of continously changing shapes that photographs differently from every angle. The second problem which dogs every Irwin Allen production is that multiple miniatures never quite match each other or the full size set.

The straight flanks of the Aurora kit actually appear straight in the Fox blueprints. The Fred Barr plans show them as straight. I can't fault Aurora because they just might be straight. The Richard Kreeger (he did the main research for the Lunar it) plans show them with the slight curve. I went with the curve because I felt it was a more aesthetically pleasing match with the other curved shaps of the ship.

As I mentioned very early in this thread, my particular model is an amalgam of the various plans and photos. There is no single, absolutely correct version of the ship (it's like trying to find the ONE accurate Jupiter 2...can't be done). Even the Fox plans show some inconsistencies with the photos so they aren't entirely reliable. It has been my practice to literally measure the lines from ALL the plans and then average them out.

Just today, I was working on a template for the fairing that holds the dome. The Fox plans show it as 7.95" long. The Kreeger plans show it as 8.20" long and the Barr plans show it as 8.89" long. That's a rather substantial difference from the shortest to the longest measurement. When averaged out, the result is 8.35". I then take that mathematical average and factor in a completely subjective judgement. The Kreeger plans are more pleasing to my sense of proportion so I take the mathematical average and then I weight it towards the Kreeger plans. The result is that I have made a fairing template that is 8.25" long.

In a world of compromises and judgement calls, I think Aurora did a very good job. As I measure it, you could make the case that it is slightly short but only by about 1/3". For the most part, those areas of their model which differ from mine can be supported by other plans (still don't know how they got that dome wrong!).


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## toyroy

Brent,
Super ship model! It's gonna be gorgeous, when done.

Question: (I haven't read all 89 posts here-) Will the front of your fin remain squared-off?


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## Brent Gair

toyroy said:


> Brent,
> 
> Question: (I haven't read all 89 posts here-) Will the front of your fin remain squared-off?


Oh no...the fin will be shaped as per the "real" thing. Since the ship is designed to separate, I had to devise a way to carry the seam through the fin. I've got it figured out but I haven't got it built. That part of the build will be coming up shortly as I start adding details to the top of the forward hull. I have just begun that process as I've started work on the bubble fairing. Once I have that fairing in place, I'll get the work on the fin done.


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## Brent Gair

With the basic hull construction done, I'm afraid the updates will get rather dull. There isn't much big "Wow" stuff left to show.

For those interested in the mundane drudgery of fabricating the smaller components, here's a photo montage of the bubble fairing being built.

1)Upper left shows the top of the fairing being cut from plastic. The outside was cut with a bandsaw (fast) while the interior is shown here about to be cut on the scroll saw (slow but precise).

2)Upper right shows the plastic piece epoxied to a block of foam.

3)Lower left is the fiberglassing of the foam (which has been carved to shape).

4)Completed fairing in the lower right.


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## terryr

I just noticed that the original has another grill under the bubble.


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## Lloyd Collins

Brent,it is all part of the model, so please keep on showing. I like your step by step photos. 
I also use my scroll saw for modeling. In fact I am using a center finder square, that I used while working in steel fabrication shops. It is good to have the tools and equipment we need, when needed.


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## Brent Gair

terryr said:


> I just noticed that the original has another grill under the bubble.


Yeah...I'm planning to put a grill insert (don't ask for details because I haven't figured it out yet  ) under the bubble. The way it should work is that the slightly undersized grill insert will fit inside the plastic fairing top leaving a shallow channel into which the bubble will sit.

"In fact I am using a center finder square, that I used while working in steel fabrication shops. It is good to have the tools and equipment we need, when needed."

One thing that I found especially helpful for this fairing is a center-finding ruler. In fact, it's a pretty handy modeling tool. For those that don't know, a center-finding ruler is a ruler that has a "0" in the middle and then has graduations outward in both directions from the center. It's really handy for finding the centers on odd shapes. It worked great on this fairing because it would be difficult to plot the centerline on the strange ovoid shape.

I'm a hopeless gadget freak and sometimes buy stuff that I don't really have a use for. It's good to put some of the more obscure tools to use.


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## Brent Gair

The fairing is now in place:


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## Brent Gair

Here's a tease. In the next day or two, I'll show how this ugly lump of MDF and oak will become the critical part in the making of the clear bubble. Can it really work?


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## Brent Gair

I've turned that lump into a pattern for the bubble. Under ideal circumstances, I would have turned that pattern from a material more suited to the purpose. A big block of fine grained basswood or maple would have been wonderful...but expensive. The size of the bubble would dictate about a 6" cube of wood and I wasn't about to spend $25.00 for something that I would only use once.

So I'm getting ready for a session of "guerilla vacuforming". I'm making some cheap, down-and-dirty parts that should last just long enough for me to make one part.

The reason for the odd shape of the lump is because the actual pattern will be made from MDF but it is spun off-center on the lathe. Because it's not centered, I glued on some big chunks of oak to counterbalance it (without a counterbalance, the lathe would vibrate violently). The picture here tells the story:



At the bottom of that photo, the pattern is sitting on my vacuforming table. Notice that I've blanked off the ends of the vac table with paper and black vinyl tape. Because the pattern is relativley small (about 5.5" long by 4.1" wide) I'm using a small piece of plastic in small frame that I've cobbled together for this one project.

More to come.


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## Brent Gair

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and cook for 2 minutes or until saggy. That's my recipe for preparing clear butyrate for vacuforming.

This takes some coordination (which I generally lack) because it has to be done FAST. I'm not kidding...REALLY FAST! The plastic is placed in the frame and put in the oven. I keep an eye on it and wait until it sags. Then I turn on the shop vac which is hooked to my vacuforming table. Now is where you really have to pick up speed. Yank the frame out of the oven and push down over the form as fast as you can. The difference between failure and success is less than 2 seconds.

If it doesn't work right the first time, you can try again. You can reheat the plastic for another go. I didn't get this right the first time. But it looks good here.

My vacuforming setup is rather old and I'm capable of better work these days. I really should make something more professional. As you can see, I made a special frame out of old scrap plywood for this one project. Nevertheless, the unit is functional. Next ,lets get the plastic cut away from the pattern and see what we have.


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## Brent Gair

Well, now...that's not bad at all!

Needs a bit of trim and polish but it looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself.


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## Lloyd Collins

Very good to me. The excitement is building, or maybe my nerves again.
The only vacuforming I have ever done,was with the Mattel Vac-U-Form machine. It did the job. But your slap together, one shot deal, it did it's job!


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## Brent Gair

This may be the ultimate example of "wretched tool excess".

I'm preparing the put the leading edge on the main fin. This process will be slowed by a real ugly injury inflicted on my left index finger by my belt sander...but these things happen. Just prior to that incident, I was able to do some work on the fin extension. I needed some way to ensure that the extension would line up properly when the front and rear of the ship are mated. The fin will slide forward onto a piece of square brass channel on the top of the forward hull (lower right photo). I had to cut a matching channel into the bottom of the fin extension. This is where the wretched excess comes into play.

This operation could be done with an exacto knife and/or Dremel tool. Just for the heck of it, I decided to get real fancy and cut it with the horizontal milling attachment on my Taig lathe. It's accurate to .0005" which is slightly more than my actual requirements . But the simple fact of the matter is that I have this very nice piece of equipment which I rarely ever use and I needed some practice with it. Cutting perfect channels is an operation it is designed for so I used it.

The extension should be finished in a day or two. It's maple with plastic cladding on the side.


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## Brent Gair

Picture with the fin completed (fin fini?) and a better look at the ship with the bubble.


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## Lloyd Collins

Even now it looks like the series model, just think how good it will look painted.


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## toyroy

Just gorgeous. Your choice of lines is impeccable. 

I think this model really deserves the pulsing red engine intake lights. I hope you are considering them.


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## Dave Hussey

Truly inspiring work Brent!!

What are your plans to add the passenger compartment windows and entrance hatch details?

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

I would expect to add the windows and hatch after an early coat of primer.

The whole ship will be given a skim coat of polyester based Bondo. This is the quick drying, two-part stuff. The thin bondo coat is a normal step in the preparation of a very smooth surface...most of it will be sanded away. Because this is applied with a flexible plastic squeegee, I can't cut any holes until AFTER it is done. If I cut the holes now, the Bondo will be forced through those openings and, unlike epoxy, the Bondo will dissolve the foam.

As always in Winnipeg, weather plays a factor here. The Bondo has a very unpleasant smell and makes a particularly noxious, fine dust that hangs in the air. So this is an outdoor job...and it will be at least six weeks before anything can be done outdoors (-22C this morning).

But the basic idea is to Bondo the whole thing, sand it smooth and give it a light coat of primer. Then, I'll draw the windows and hatch in place using a template. I'll cut the openings using a small carbide burr in a dremel. I'll smooth and adjust the openings and then do full priming and painting. I haven't yet figured out the exact method I'll use for finishing the insides of the openings but I've got time to work on it.

Toyroy, I'm not sure how I'm going to handle the grills and the engine section. Right now, that is moving up the priority list and it's in the number two position. Right now (number one priority) is the installation of the magnetic holding system to join the front and rear hull. Very Fortunately, I have a lot flexibility when it comes to engine, grill lighting. Even after the model is completed, I can separate the hull and I have full access to the area behind the grill. This will allow me to add extra features at any time in the future. So I might initially go for a simple, unlit system and then add more advanced lighting later (when I get better references like a Fox DVD release).


**NOTE to DAVE HUSSEY**

A new Princess Auto opens in St. John's at 410 Stavanger Drive on April 10. These folks are the Canadian leaders in cool gadgets. I was there yesterday and picked up 100 Nitrile gloves for $8.99 and a couple of 12" steel rulers for $1.44 each. They sell more neat stuff than you can shake a stick at: solid carbide burrs (gorgeous and cheap), diamond burrs, calipers, lights galore (bought myself a head lamp with six LEDs for $8.99), small diamonds files (got a set of six for $5.99), every drill bit known to man (currently selling a set of 20 micro drills for $4.99). You MUST go.


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## Dave Hussey

You mean you were in town yesterday and didn't let me treat ya to a beer or lunch?  

Sheesh! But I will definitely check it out! :thumbsup: 

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

I didn't word that very well, did I?!

The funny thing is that Princess Auto is actually headquartered in Winnipeg and this is where the main warehouse is. All the mail orders come here. But there nearby retail outlet was little more than the size of an average 7-11. They put out an incredible catalogue of goodies buy relatively little was stocked for retail pick up.

About two months ago they opened up a new store and, much to my astonishment and delight, it's about 40,000 square feet. Part of the store is all hydraulic equipment, part is all measuring equipment (micrometers, calipers, contour guages, squares), part is for compressors and compressed air euipment, part for automotive, electrical, welding, drilling, cutting etc..

It's the pile of gadgetry that fascinates me...and the low prices. I picked up a 1" to 2" micrometer for 20 something bucks. They are currently selling a 1" micrometer for $9.99. There is an infinite selection of accessories for moto tools: racks of diamond cut-off wheels, high speed steel saws. I've recently bought diamond coated drill bits and and set of step drills.


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## Y3a

Can we see a picture of that finger??


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## Brent Gair

Y3a said:


> Can we see a picture of that finger??


I really wish you could! Maybe I'll photograph it when the dressing is off.

I actually take some pleasure in photographing my injuries. The problem in this case is that the damage was pretty gruesome and I was forced to keep pressure on the wound in order to prevent blood from gushing so even I didn't initially get a good look at it. Time was, this would have qualified as a trip to the emergency room but my last ER trip for a finger injury was infuriating. I was in the ER for 9 hours without getting treatment. I finaly left to see a private doctor by which time it was too late to sew the wound and I ended up on antibiotics for two weeks.

This time, I've decided I might as well depend on my own first aid. As long as there are no signs of infection (so far so good) I'm on my own. But I will have one whopper of scar where my figerprint USED to be!


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## Lloyd Collins

I am glad that your injury, was not as bad as it could be. Are you still alive? That is what matters. Photos of the injury, no way!


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## Chuck_P.R.

Brent Gair said:


> I really wish you could! Maybe I'll photograph it when the dressing is off.
> 
> I actually take some pleasure in photographing my injuries. The problem in this case is that the damage was pretty gruesome and I was forced to keep pressure on the wound in order to prevent blood from gushing so even I didn't initially get a good look at it. Time was, this would have qualified as a trip to the emergency room but my last ER trip for a finger injury was infuriating. I was in the ER for 9 hours without getting treatment. I finaly left to see a private doctor by which time it was too late to sew the wound and I ended up on antibiotics for two weeks.
> 
> This time, I've decided I might as well depend on my own first aid. As long as there are no signs of infection (so far so good) I'm on my own. But I will have one whopper of scar where my figerprint USED to be!


Yuck!

So how much super glue did it take to close the wound?

By The Way, any progress on a Big Seaview?


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## Brent Gair

The big Seaview await good plans. The only set of plans I have are beyond useless. I knew they were bad shortly after I received them but, now that I have VTTBOTS on DVD, I can see that the plans are so far off that they may as well go into the trash.

There is really only one good set of plans...I've written the guy's name down somewhere. He lofted the plans from the big miniature. Unfortunately, I can't find out who sells the plans (if anybody). The plans I have are from a company that was mistakenly represented to me as selling the good plans. When I got them, I discovered that they are 20 year old fan-produced plans that appear derived from the Aurora model.


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## Brent Gair

One thing I really enjoy about a project like this is the engineering...finding elegant and efficient ways to do things. But sometimes there is just NO good way to do a job. Once in awhile, you have to settle for least offensive alternative among a sea of bad choices.

So it is with the grills. There is just no obviously good way to do this job. I considered any alternative. I initially rejected the idea of trying to line up and drill 120 holes. Ideally, I would have found some commercially available product that could be adapted to the job. But searches of plumbing, heating, automotive and sporting goods stores was fruitless. I could have cut small sections of tubing and stacked them in a pattern. Turns out that most plastic tubing is rarely round and I'm not in a mood to try cutting over a hundred pieces of brass (also examined everything from carbon fiber arrow shafts to ammunition casing!).

So I came full circle and ended up drilling. This isn't ideal because the limitations of wood prevent me from making the grill with properly thin walls between the openings. I tried to preserve the proportions but I did have to make that compromise. Cutting very thin walls would likely have torn out sections of wood and made a mess.

I was able to develop two ideas that made the job easier than I had first anticipated. I printed out a pattern for drilling and glued it to the wood (hardly an innovation on my part...just took me awhile to think of the obvious). The most important revelation was the realization that, since the grills are symmetrical, it would be possible for me to drill the holes in ONE thick piece of wood and then split that wood on the bandsaw to yield two identical grills. That cut the amount of drilling in half!

There is much more to do and the grill work is extremely complex. It's not just a matter of sticking them in place. The grills need a lot of "dressing" to make them look decent (filling chips and gouges) and I want to mount them on translucent plastic to preserve future lighting options. So they will problably have to be painted separate from the model and added later (adding them first and then painting would require masking 120 holes so as not to paint the translucent plastic).

Big job ahead.


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## Carson Dyle

Brent Gair said:


> I'm not in a mood to try cutting over a hundred pieces of brass.


That's your problem Brent; you're lazy.  

Kidding aside, I think you arrived at an effective (not to mention time-consuming) solution.


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## Lloyd Collins

It is rough to have to do it the hard way. You probaby would not have found something bought, that looked right, anyway.


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## Brent Gair

I've got the engine intake grill assemblies done and I'm very pleased. It actually went a bit faster than expected. More importantly, the grills look very good.

I was concerned that they might look a bit heavy because the walls (between the holes) weren't as thin as I would have liked. Well, it turns out that black really is a "slimming" color because the black paint made them look quite svelte.

The grills are backed by translucent plastic which is actually designed for light fixtures. In the lower photo, I held an LED flashlight behind one of the grills so you can see the effect. It makes the wall thickness look almost perfect.

I don't intend to build lighting into the model at this stage. I have enough on my plate without doing lighting right now. But I want to keep that option open so I've designed the grills to receive back lights in the future.


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## Lloyd Collins

The grills came out real good. Can't wait to see them in the model.

I had hoped you plan some lighting. Then you can have it lit, surrounded by plants, it will look like the series.


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## Dave Hussey

Those look great Brent. I can't wait to see the finished product!
Huzz


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## REL

Any updates?


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## Brent Gair

Well, I didn't really have anything particularly interesting to update since I'm getting into some of the drudge work. All the "exciting" construction is done. But, since you asked, I'll post this picture because it does show a very dull but important bit of work:



That picture could be titled "What I learned from watching AMERICAN HOTROD".

AMERICAN HOTROD is one of those reality shows where we follow the guys in a shop as they build a hotrod. I learned a good lesson about paint prep from the show. Even though I used to be a spray painter, my job was in an aviation related shop where I did mostly "functional" coatings with minimal reagards to good looks. While watching AMERICAN HOTROD, I discovered that the paint shop prepares car bodies by putting a skim coat of polyester Bondo over the ENTIRE surface of the car and then block sanding it.

With the Spindrift, it's necessary for me to do the "body work" on the forward hull before I cut the windows and door. If I cut the windows and door first, then the openings would just fill up with junk as I prepped the surface. So, taking a cue from AMERICAN HOTROD, I skim coated the forward hull of the Spindrift and block sanded it.

It's not much to look at but it is an important step because it now makes it possible to cut the windows and door.

It's also reinforces my belief that ANYBODY who builds something can learn SOMETHING from anybody else who builds things. I'm a big believer in cross-training. I thank the hotrod guys for this tip on prepping for paint work.


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## REL

Thanks for the update I've been following this one, excellent work. Bondo is great stuff, I'm finding more and more uses for it every day. 

American Hotrod is a good show, I learned a little about fiberglassing from one episode. This is going to look great when it's done.


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## Lloyd Collins

Glad to see an update. I am taking my experence of almost 25 years, working in steel fabrication shops, and using in my model hobby. I was a layout fitter, so I use some of my tools to work on the models. So I guess it was not wasted time.


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## terryr

REL said:


> American Hotrod is a good show, I learned a little about fiberglassing from one episode. QUOTE]
> 
> I learned how to moan, complain and act up for the cameras. They all seem to hate each other.
> I notice more of their ex-staff showing up on Overhaulin' each month, where Chip Foose will actually cry over the great job they did.
> 
> Time to cut some windows.


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## X15-A2

Brent Gair said:


> It's also reinforces my belief that ANYBODY who builds something can learn SOMETHING from anybody else who builds things. I'm a big believer in cross-training. I thank the hotrod guys for this tip on prepping for paint work.


This is a very important point. In my own experience I can relate how, even after 15 years of use, I still learn things about the CAD software "Microstation" everytime I watch someone else use it. Other people always approach problems differently and therefore come up with different answers, often times better ones. So yes, I always appreciate the chance to see how other people do things, whether building in the real world or the virtual one.

And on the subject of this thread, Brent, your Spindrift is looking fantastic and really makes me want to start building one too (it is very high on my list of models to build, once I get my workshop set up).

I have big hopes of providing you with an excellent set of Seaview plans in anticipation of what you will do with them. My next drawing project will be the 2001 Moonbus, which I don't expect to take too long (possible "famous last words" here, ahem...) and then will come the Seaview.

Keep up the great work.


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## Brent Gair

In the words of that famous Winnipegger, Monte Hall: "Let's Make a Door!"

Well, maybe those weren't his exact words.

I positioned a door template on the craft and traced around it with a pencil. I cut the corners of the door with a carbide burr and then did the straight sides and top with a cutting wheel on a dremel. Next, I "peeled" off the central portion of the opening because this will actually be reinstalled as the door. I'll add another layer of glass to the back of the door and build up the edges where the cutting wheel abraded it.

I used the Gair MKI Foam Knife to cut through the thick foam hull.

The opening is rough and unfinished but it is an opening. I'll smooth it out and glass it.


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## Brent Gair

Here's a composite photo taken outdoors for that Land of the Giants look. Unfortunately, this lawn had a foot of snow on it last week so you aren't seeing any lush green foliage!


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## Brent Gair

I didn't try to do this on purpose. It's just an interesting coincidence that I discovered this angle of my ship matches up very closely with an exisiting reference photo I have stored



http://imageshack.us/


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## REL

That's looking great. It's a spot on match to the movie set, nice work.


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## Lloyd Collins

Awesome! Now again, which one is yours, the B&W or color shot?


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## terryr

Now do a photo with a bikini clad model.


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## Brent Gair

Now we're getting to the good stuff!

The front half of the Spindrift has made it's first trip to the spray booth. I've got the first coat of primer on it. The basic body work was done with polyester Bondo and this coat allows me to see the accuracy of the bodywork. I can now touch up any pin holes and blemishes before a final coat of primer.

Now, I can REALLY see the shape...and I'm quite happy with it. When it was in it's "raw" form, It was really hard to guage the shape. There were so many things playing tricks on the eye and breaking up the shape: the wooden spine, the indivudual foam sections set at and angle to that spine, the splotchy bondo. But now we see what it really looks like.

In order to get this done, I've rather neglected the back of the ship but it's turn is coming up. That's one advantage of building the ship in two parts. The individual sections are easier to manage than having to do all of the work on a 3 foot long vehicle.


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## Guest

Nice, smooth and CLEAN !
Beautiful workmanship, just you keep going the way you are sir.


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## Lloyd Collins

Awesome looking. The primer really shows the beauty of your work. Still enjoying watching it come together.


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## Admiral Nelson

I wish you could secure the rights to the thing and make some molds for us dumb folks who can't master the way you did it.


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## Dave Hussey

Brent - that's going to be huge! Where are you going to put it? I have LOTS of space.....................

Incredible work! It will be just awesome when done. Heck, its awesome now!

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

My dirty little secret is that I do an awful job of displaying my models. In fact, Just about everything I build ends up in a plastic bag sitting in some forgotten corner.


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## Admiral Nelson

Brent Gair said:


> My dirty little secret is that I do an awful job of displaying my models. In fact, Just about everything I build ends up in a plastic bag sitting in some forgotten corner.


That's against the law in 36 states and some countries.


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## Brent Gair

I just got the first coat of primer on the rear part of the ship. I also cut away foam from inside the engine intake openings to allow clearance for the grills to be installed.

As with the front of the ship, the next stage will be to fill in all of the small pin holes and imperfections before putting on a final coat of primer. This marks a milestone because the final shape is now finished. No more full coats of filler and block sanding with 80 grit paper. The final surface touch ups will be with tiny amounts of spot and glazing putty and some wet sanding with 220 and 320 paper.


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## Daikaiju1

Brent, that is looking amazing! I have been following this thread eagerly from the start and enjoying your progress. Can't wait to see more. :thumbsup:


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## Trek Ace

Gorgeous!!!


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## REL

Incredibly smooth with a perfect shape.


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## Lloyd Collins

Awesome!


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## toyroy

Is there a book, in this project?


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## Brent Gair

toyroy said:


> Is there a book, in this project?


I think this thread IS the book!

Ten pages long. Over 145 posts and almost 70 photos. I doubt that I could include much more detail in a book.

I have to say that I NEVER imagined this thread would turn into such an epic. I expected things would progress much slower than they have. My original intent was, as you see in the very first post or two, was to "announce" this project which I figured might stretch over a couple of years. I thought a few people might respond with, "That's interesting. Let us know how it goes". Then I thought the subject might go away after a day or two and page of posts.

A few things took this thread into much more detail than planned. The most obvious thing was that construction progressed much faster than anticipated. I credit that largely to the large bandsaw which I hadn't really used on a big modelling project before (I didn't know it would be so efficient). Also, the fiberglassing went better than I expected...apparently I finally learned the lessons from my previous glass work. Lastly, digital photography and transferring of photos has become so easy that I decided to take a lot of in-progress photos.

With all of those factors in place, this evolved into a lengthy "how-to" piece.


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## Lloyd Collins

We are the lucky ones, to see this masterpiece coming together.Thanks!


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## heiki

Brent Gair said:


> My dirty little secret is that I do an awful job of displaying my models. In fact, Just about everything I build ends up in a plastic bag sitting in some forgotten corner.


Ya know, I could find a forgotten corner for you. I'll even pay the shipping cost and provide the plastic bag!


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## BatFanMan

As my 15 year-old son would say, "Dude! Sweet!!"

Really nice Brent. If I was still publishing the magazine, I'd pay you for the article, if you were interested.

Very nice work.

Fred


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## Brent Gair

Here's some more progress...living color!

In the top photo, the forward section of the ship is base coated with metallic copper. Reds and yellows (and thus: orange) tend to be slightly transparent and I didn't want to end up putting 10 coats of paint on it trying to cover over the primer. The copper metallic is a nice base for orange.

For whatever reason, people like to paint the Spindrift in fire-engine red. Well, it ain't red. Determining an exact color isn't the easiest job. Reds tend to shift colors something awful over the years. But I've looked at the available material. I've looked at the old photos. I've looked at new photos of the original miniature. I've done some DVD screen caps (from THE FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN). I think this particular shade is the most reasonable choice that I could make. 

Cool wet weather is in the forecast so it may take awhile before the back end of the ship catches up to the progress on the front.


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## Carson Dyle

Sweet, Brent. 

Wish I'd known about that copper undercoating trick back in `91 when I was painting my Lunar Models _Spindrift_. I don't recall how many cans of Testors Italian Red I burned thru trying to cover the grey primer, but it was a lot.


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## Lloyd Collins

Beautiful! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## X15-A2

One problem with determining the "color" of a ship like the Spindrift is that it, like some other Irwin Allen TV show models, is not one solid color but rather several colors. The Fox miniature builders would often paint "shadows" onto the models in what I suppose was an attempt to highlight the contours and help prevent them from appearing flat under the studio lights. These "shadow areas" were usually a darker version of whatever the base color was. In the case of the "Flying Sub" the yellow base was shaded with a darker color which was closer to orange. The Spindrift "reverse highlight" color leans more towards brown I believe.

This is even more of a problem with the ships and vehicles from some of the later Gerry Anderson shows, they were often painted with many colors (misting with an airbrush over some base color) which would give the impression of different hues, depending upon ones viewing angle and the light source location.

Brent, your Spindrift is looking really great. I look forward to your future updates and really enjoy reading your tips on how to handle different problems. There's always more for me to learn here.


----------



## StarshipClass

Thanks for the info on the color. I've been trying to figure that one out as well. I was thinking a mix of orange and red would work.


----------



## Brent Gair

Here's a composite that shows some of the references I used (with my model in the middle strip). These are just averages. I probably saved every image I could find. I even have a few recent photos of the miniature from a magazine. You almost have to "reverse-engineer" red because it can shift so much and change over the years. Did you know that quality red auto paint actually costs more than other colors (just checked this at the autobody paint supplier last month). Trying to find stable red pigments is not easy. Plus photos change over the years. And color photographs differently under different lights. Very tough.

Then again, this is a problem common to just about all sci-fi models isn't it? We don't have the luxury of FS colors like the military modelers.


----------



## StarshipClass

^^Wow! Great pics! Thanks!

Too bad it couldn't have been painted lifejacket red/orange .


----------



## Lloyd Collins

Finding the true color of a models, has always been a problem for me. As pointed out about the age, and lighting, best guess, sometimes is all you have.

The model is so close to the reference material, it is just fantastic to see.


----------



## Steve244

er- somebody tell me that's not Brent in the lower left pic.


That's some Spindrift!


----------



## StarshipClass

No, that's Irwin Allen's incredibly ugly nephew.


----------



## Brent Gair

MAJOR MILESTONE!

My goal for yesterday was to get the front face of the rear hull painted. There was a sunny, dry break in the weather. Having accomplished that, I had time to put the metallic base coat on the rear hull. I observed that the lacquer was drying very quickly with the sunshine and dry wind...quick enough that I could actually wet sand just a few minutes after painting. I figured that I worked non-stop, I could get the hull painted. I finished it with about five minutes to spare before the clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped.

For months, when people ask about the thing in my living room, I've been telling them, "It's GOING to be a model of the Spindrift from the old TV show Land of the Giants". But this is a milestone. Although obviously incomplete, I feel now that it IS a model of the Spindrift. The paint job really pushes this project over the hump.

Another photo will follow after this:


----------



## Brent Gair

It's not Irwin Allen's ugly nephew. It's my Uncle Roy's ugly nephew:


----------



## Nemorosus

Beautiful, Mr. Gair, just beautiful...


----------



## Steve244

Yes, he is, in that Ray Walston impish sort of way. Spindrift isn't bad either!


Separated at birth?


----------



## Carson Dyle

I'm thinkin' more Johnny Carson... Johnny Carson via transporter mishap with Ray Walston. :hat: 

Great job on the _Spindrift_ , Brent. Truly inspiring.

Question: I fully understand why you chose to split the model into two sections, and I love the method by which the fore and aft halves are secured together (I recently purchased an assortment pack of those little magnets, and they're proving quite handy on my current project). 

Anyway, my question is: how visible is the seam on the underside of the ship? So far as I can tell this would be the only aesthetic drawback to the approach you've taken, and I'd be curious to know how noticable it is. 

On a semi-related note, how do you intend to display the model?


----------



## Lloyd Collins

Like I said before, AWESOME!


----------



## Richard Compton

Brent, this is amazing work. Can't get over how clean the lines and surfaces of the model are.

I have some questions. I'm totally inexperienced at fiberglassing. Were you able to get it to like completely smooth over all the surfaces? If a shape is pronounced enough to cause bunching of the glass fabric, would you just cut it to make seams?

Also, you're grills look great, but I had an idea from reading the different options you considered. Would it have worked to make a male mold, with "pins" in it, and cast a piece out of resin or something? Would that have allowed you to space the holes closer together? I'm just curious if this idea would have worked.


----------



## Brent Gair

Carson Dyle said:


> Anyway, my question is: how visible is the seam on the underside of the ship? So far as I can tell this would be the only aesthetic drawback to the approach you've taken, and I'd be curious to know how noticable it is.


Excellent question.

I'm posting a slightly larger than normal picture here so that you can see the detail.

Since it is largely a question of aesthetics, as you said, the final answer is subjective. At the bottom of the composite photo, you can see a ruler against the seam. As you see, the ruler is graduated in 32nds and I think we could say that the seam aproximates about 1/32". The model itself is nominally scaled at 1/18. So a 1/32" seam would equate to little more than half an inch on a full size (roughly 54 feet) Spindrift.

The degree to which this might be objectionable is a personal call.

The "standard" place to put the seam on a Spindrfit model is as per the Aurora model. My decision to locate the seam as I did was largely based on the strength and long term stability of the seam. By locating the way I did, I esentially divided the ship into two closed structures...like two pieces of pipe. This is a very strong and stable construction. The Aurora style placement creates a weak link by making the forward hull open at the back and the bottom. Such a structure is more prone to warping over a long period of time.

So, although the lower seam on my model is in a more noticable place, it should remain stable and constant over the life of the model.

As for display...I'm working on the it. I have two ideas. One is an in-flight stand which is a modification of an old project that I never finished. The other idea is a more standard "nautical" display which would have the model displayed on a base much like a model ship with keel blocks. At 36" long and 21" wide, a diorama is out of the question .


----------



## Brent Gair

Richard, in answer to your first question: I was able to get the fiberglass RELATIVELY smooth over all the surfaces. I didn't have to cut it or take any unusual measures. If you go way back in this thread, you can find a fairly good description (and photos) of the glass work.

But when I say "relatively" smooth, I have to qualify the remark by saying that fiberglassing doesn't provide a "paint ready" surface. Any fiberglassed surface will have a slight ripple or minor imperfections. I treated the surface of this model like I would treat the surface of a car. I first sanded out any obviously high spots in the fiberglass. Then I skim coat the surface with polyester Bondo body filler (two parts, cures in about 20 minutes) and block sanded it. I then primed it and filled any remaining imperfections with Bondo Spot and Glazing putty. Final primed it and it was ready for painting.

Also to you question...feel free to cut fiberglass and do what ever is necessary to make it fit. Fortunately, the smooth shape of the Spindrift makes that unneccesary. Although I again refer you to earlier photos in this thread so that you can see how I divided up the surface of the ship for glassing so as to avoid having to glass around sharp bends.

Fiberglassing has a learning curve and I'm pleased to say that my effort on this model showed marked improvement over my previous work. Once you get it figured out, it works great.

Regarding the grills, the idea you suggest may work in the hands of somebody more skilled at casting than I am. The problem with the grills is that they require depth. I think it would be very difficult to cast grills with the necessary depth using conventional means. It would be extremely hard to get them out of the molds. Depth wouldn't be such a problem with something like the lost wax method but that's WAY out of my league.

I'm not entirely happy with the method I chose and I would encourage anybody to think up a better solution. After all, I'm sure the Spindrift isn't the only scratchbuild in the world that requires grills. There were other methods that would lead to more accurate grills...but they also looked they'd probably require a lot more labor than my lifestyle would tolerate .


----------



## Admiral Nelson

I'd like to see you do a Seaview.


----------



## StarshipClass

What a beaut! If I saw that in my backyard, I'd probably think that we were being invaded by little people!


----------



## Richard Compton

Thanks for the answer Brent. By the way, how hard is it to pry it apart with the magnets?


----------



## Brent Gair

In my installation, it's moderately easy to pull the assemblies apart but I suspect it's largely a matter of how things are put together.

I found that, when the magnets are in contact with the steel washers, they are very hard to get apart. I was a bit surprised when I found that it wasn't difficult to separate the halves of the Spindrift.

However, I suspect that the magnets aren't actually contacting the steel washers in my model. The magnets sit on the rear of the hull and, when the halves are attached, they go into holes in the forward hull. At the bottom of the holes in the forward hull, are the steel washers that make the magnetic bond.

But that is a blind installation and you can't see the contact point. It's quite probable that there may be a tiny gap between magnets and washers. So, rather than being in direct contact with the washers, the magnets might be just short of touching them.

If that's the case, it's probably all for the better. If in direct contact, this number of magnets could have a theoretical holding power of about 100lbs! As it is, I can separate the halves with a fraction of that force...and that's a lot better than having to yank them apart with all my (limited) might.


----------



## Richard Compton

Yeah, I was just curious because you said that each could hold 5 lbs. I was imagining the model being broken trying to separate the two halves!


----------



## woof359

*many questions*

what did you use to knock down the edges on the aft hul?
where did you find thos netronium magnets?
you got a wood shop at home full of tools?
not sure what you mean by curved or stright sides
when you cut plastic with a scoll saw doesnt it met and bunch up?
wood love to seen a vid of you turning the wood for the bubble master
this wood have made a great new video for the culttvman
copper primer? or just copper paint?
enquiring minds neeeeeed to know, great jub, its fantastic.

now back to watching the epoxy dry.


----------



## beeblebrox

You might want to open a window. Let some fumes out. :wave:


----------



## Brent Gair

woof359 said:


> what did you use to knock down the edges on the aft hul?
> where did you find thos netronium magnets?
> you got a wood shop at home full of tools?
> not sure what you mean by curved or stright sides
> when you cut plastic with a scoll saw doesnt it met and bunch up?
> wood love to seen a vid of you turning the wood for the bubble master
> this wood have made a great new video for the culttvman
> copper primer? or just copper paint?
> enquiring minds neeeeeed to know, great jub, its fantastic.
> 
> now back to watching the epoxy dry.


All edge knocking (is that a word) was done with sandpaper and a sanding block.

I got the magnets at Lee Valley Tools because I happen to have a store within easy walking distance and they have quite a selection. They also do mail order.

Yeah, I got a pretty complete wood shop...for a hobbiest. Took a long time to gather all the tools. In fact, my favorite tool (the big bandsaw) is less than a year old. Actually, come to think of it, all of my major tools except the lathe have had a major upgrade in the last year and a half. New drill press, new belt sander about two months ago (old one died), oscillating spindle sander last June, and just got a small jointer/planer.

Often when we see plans for the Spindrift, There is a view where the sides of the rear hull are absolutely straight from the rear bulkhead (engine exhaust) to the front bulkhead (engine intake). This is best seen from directly overhead. Honestly, I suspect that view may be the closest to correct . However, I elected to go with a gentle curve because a straight line just didn't seem right given the shape of the ship. Because this section of the ship is unseen on the full size set, and difficult to guage on the miniature, there is a certain amount of judgement involved.

Cutting plastic with the scroll saw is tricky. There is some melting and the edge needs a lot of cleaning but it can be done. It's not pretty...but it's possible.

I used copper metallic lacquer PAINT as base coat. It's common when you use a fairly transparent paint to use some kind of metallic paint as the base. More often than not, silver is used. But I didn't want the orange too bright and I figured the copper was a nice color match for the orange.


----------



## woof359

*magnets*

i think these magnets wood be the thing to hold the fusion cage onto the bottom on my 2 foot j2, ill have to check the local Wood Smith store to see if they have any of these rare Earth magnets.


----------



## Brent Gair

I just installed the engine grills. This is another small milestone because it marks the first detail parts added to the hull. Seems hard to imagine but, for all of the months working on the hull, not a single piece has previously been added to it. It's been carved, glassed,sanded and painted but no exterior parts have been attached. The grills add nice detail and I'm now starting to cover up the last visible signs of the foam core.


----------



## Carson Dyle

Brent Gair said:


> I will leave room for an interior. That's why the ship is designed to break open at the engine intakes.


Any further thoughts re: the interior?


----------



## Lloyd Collins

Looking better an better. When you finish, turn your back, and I will give it a good home.


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## Brent Gair

Carson Dyle said:


> Any further thoughts re: the interior?


It's not something I really look forward to.

Right now, I have no desire to do anything behind the cockpit. My thought is that a cockpit is required simply because of the size of the windshield. That means I can put a bulkhead in the hull just forward of the door location. I expect that I will make a wooden bulkhead...probably sheathed with plastic and I'll use a lot of sheet plastic to build interior cockpit surfaces. I haven't studied the cockpit drawings in detail yet.

But, as with most aspects of this model, things are designed so that detail can be added should I chose to do so. The engine grills are an example. In that second picture, you can see the translucent plastic at the back of the grills. That plastic is actually designed for light fixtures. The grills are glued to the SIDES of the openings but not the back of the openings. That means that you can go into the rear hull and pull out the foam from behind the grills if lighting is desired.


----------



## RMC

brent ,..
absolutely awesome,.....I wish you could put all this info and pics on a CD and offer it for sale,......
and oh,...by the way the "UNCLE MARTIN" photo and your resemblance is a bit freaky
....LOL


----------



## Brent Gair

RMC said:


> brent ,..
> ...by the way the "UNCLE MARTIN" photo and your resemblance is a bit freaky
> ....LOL


'Fraid I just don't see it 



Funny thing is that I was a fat kid. I was fat until I was 18. When I see myself compared to a wispy guy like Ray Walston, the first thing that pops into my mind is, "What are these guys smoking"? When you grow up fat, the mindset always sticks with you. In reality, I weigh about 165lbs but I always picture myself weighing 245lbs.

For all the Spindrift pictures I post here, I probably take another 5 photos that don't get posted. It's this damn digital photography. My camera is about a year old and I'm just coming up on 1200 photos...probably a couple of hundred are Spindrift photos. When I shot Kodachrome, it took me a month to shoot 24 pictures. Heck, I think I shot 200 digital photos last weekend. I keep all the Spindrift photos in a separate folder and I'm getting ready to burn them onto a CD. Maybe I will make them available.


----------



## Captain Han Solo

Brent, I have been following this build since it started. Superior work sir! Your Spindrift would look ultra cool with a complete interior! Irwin Allen loved those Big Viewports! Again great build, Can't wait to see it completed. Regards.


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## toyroy

Your model only makes me sorrier that the show featured so few in-flight SPFX shots. But, perhaps, your model will inspire a new version of "Land of the Giants". This time showing mag-lev runways, or whatever allowed for the absence of old-fashioned landing gear.

I think the original Irwin Allen ships are all beautiful, and continue to be both plausible, and futuristic. I'd like to see them all featured, unchanged, in new versions of their shows. 

Well, maybe, the Jupiter 2 could lose its lower deck...


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## Brent Gair

I don't know if I've ever really mentioned this (you'd think after 13 pages I would have mentioned EVERYTHING) but I should make note of the main reason I'm building this model.

In my experience, most (not all) spaceship models fall into three basic categories. There are the classic silver ships of the 50's (space ark, MARS-1) and I've built several of them. They are really my favorites. Then you have the saucers (Jupiter 2, Day the Earth Stood Still) and then there is what I call the "Modern Industrial Free Form" ship of the current era. These are the vessels with various geometric panel and greeblie details which are usually white/grey and they come in a variety of shapes (From Icarus to Enterprise).

The thing about those ships is that they are all part of "families". You can group them together and see the resemblance. The Spindrift really does stand alone*. It's got that gaudy orange that looks like it's from a '69 Plymouth (probably is) and curves that could have come from the General Motors design studio in 1956. Whe you put spacecraft into their various categories, the Spindrift just doesn't fit anywhere except by itself.

*That being said, you can see that the same guy designed the Flying Sub (by virtue of the windshield if nothing else).


----------



## RMC

very true,............ but i just think IRWIN ALLEN had a thing for viewports (SEAVIEW ,FLYING SUB,JUPITER 2 ,SPACE POD AND OF COURSE THE SPINDRIFT)so his actors could be seen and it would make it more believeble.........WHEN I WAS A KID IT SUCKED ME IN HOOK LINE AND SINKER.........LOL
who knows,...were probably all wrong...lol


----------



## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> The Spindrift really does stand alone*. It's got that gaudy orange that looks like it's from a '69 Plymouth (probably is) and curves that could have come from the General Motors design studio in 1956. Whe you put spacecraft into their various categories, the Spindrift just doesn't fit anywhere except by itself.
> 
> *That being said, you can see that the same guy designed the Flying Sub (by virtue of the windshield if nothing else).


That may be because the Spindrift is a suborbital transport, unlike the other interplanetary/interstellar spacecraft you have mentioned.

And, it's not just the windshield. The whole front-end treatment of the flying sub is essentially the same as the Spindrift.


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## Steve244

Brent Gair said:


> For all the Spindrift pictures I post here, I probably take another 5 photos that don't get posted. It's this damn digital photography.


Keep posting pictures! (~dial-up users be damned~)


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## Brent Gair

I'm a dial-up user so I try to be sensitive to those requirements!

That's why I usually try to combine photos into composites and generally limit the width. I try to squeeze a lot of angles into a posting without a lot of full size pictures.

One thing that realy pleases me about this thread is that almost everybody has avoided the tendency to "quote" the photos in their replies. That happens in other threads all the time and it drives me crazy (as a dial-up user). Somebody will post a bunch of 200K pictures (that's OK)...and then somebody will quote the post with the picture link still active and then add the words: "Nice model"!


----------



## Zathros

Brent,

Again, mere words tend to fail me..That is one monumental and fantastic feat!!
I consider myself merely an "assembler"..but to be able to create a fine
replica such as that strictly from scratch..Is TRULY a talented GIFT!! ..My hat is off to you...GREAT JOB!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Brent Gair

Your being extremely kind but perhaps a bit too effusive in your praise.

I don't want to claim this has been easy, but I honestly believe that most modelers are capable of work that is beyond what they think they can do.

I have very, very limited "natural" ability. I didn't grow up using power tools (my Dad wasn't into this). Got my first scroll saw when I was well into my 30's because I had to build a stand for a model boat.

The Spindrift is largely a process of mechanics and logic...not so much art or talent.

A part has to be shaped...so find material and cut the shape. We know what the profile looks like...so draw that profile on wood and cut out the shape. Although the process is long (because there are a LOT of shapes) it's not really complicated.

I really think that most modelers could do this given the time and equipment.


----------



## pagni

You are being far too modest.
Your Spindrift is probably even better than the original miniature.
The original was created out of the need for a paycheck.
Yours has been created out of love and appreciation.
There is a vast difference.
Really, truly, breathtaking work .
Bravo


----------



## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> ...I honestly believe that most modelers are capable of work that is beyond what they think they can do.


Very interesting point. I think we're talking about the degree of a 'do it yourself' inclination. Some just have an interest in how things are made, not that they are interested in DIY. 



Brent Gair said:


> The Spindrift is largely a process of mechanics and logic...not so much art or talent.


Yeah, but taste is a factor in critical choices. Also, your work illustrates that neatness counts.


----------



## SPINDRIFT62

Wow!!! Brent awsome job on the spindrift, being a fan of Land of the Giants find your reproduction of the Spindrift truly stunning. If they ever make a Motion picture adaptation they should use your Spindrift it's movie quality at best. I can't wait to see more of its progress.


----------



## Brent Gair

Well, you'll have a chance to catch up on this thread because I'm taking a bit of break from the Spindrift at the moment. I have managed to go for a few months working on the Spindrfit and doing no car, yard, house maintenace or anything else that would be considered productive . It's all catching up with me...even the neighbour is complaining about the state of my fence (I painted it in 1979, what's his problem?).


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## RMC

.....I sure will miss the updates to this thread.....


----------



## Dave Hussey

I would like to see a picture of the Big Spindrift on a freshly mowed lawn, with a nice painted fence in the background please.:thumbsup: 

And the car washed and tuned in the driveway!
Huzz


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## Lloyd Collins

^^Talk about being picky! It would be neighborly of you to help, then Brent can get back to the Spindrift.


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## Dave Hussey

Normally I would help!

But its a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong walk from my house to Brent's. Four time zones in fact!

Huzz


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## Brent Gair

Seriously, there isn't really a whole lot of especially interesting things left to update.

One of the next big jobs will be painting the main stripe...but that's not really any different than painting the stripe on the PL Spindrift (just bigger).

With the main construction done, most of the remaining work is just scaled up versions of regular modeling. There will be the re-entry shields (silver slats next to the windshield), some cockpit detail, some sensor detail, the door, and so on. But there are few real significant construction steps between the model now and the model completed...just a lot of typical modeling grunt work.


----------



## terryr

I've been looking over the photos and wonder if the door is too tall, or is it the camera lenses?

It's definitely taller than the minatures' door.

http://www.profilesinhistory.com/auctions/images/Auc17_474.jpg


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## Steve Mavronis

It looks like he's using the live action set as reference for the door height.


----------



## Dave Hussey

Brent - the remaining stuff may be grunt work as you say, but just the same, I'm eager to see your Spindrift get those finishing touches.

But if the domestic chores around the house need tending to first, I'll just have to be patient.

Huzz


----------



## Lloyd Collins

I agree with Huzz!


----------



## Brent Gair

terryr said:


> I've been looking over the photos and wonder if the door is too tall, or is it the camera lenses?
> 
> It's definitely taller than the minatures' door.
> 
> http://www.profilesinhistory.com/auctions/images/Auc17_474.jpg


I wouldn't get this far and screw up the door.

There is a major discrepancy between the door on the miniature and the door as it appears in the full size set and the Fox plans. Here's what I mean:



If you go back a bit further in this thread ( a few pages), you will see a composite photo of my model in the same position as the full size set for comparison. The model is and excellent match for the set.

The model is weighted towards the full size version because a lot of elements on the miniature just don't work out very well. Frankly, some of the details look cheap on the miniature (like the poorly done re-entry shileds).


----------



## Brent Gair

Here's a small version of an earlier pic (for those who don't want to wade through old postings) showing my model compared to the set:


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## Seaview

Beautiful; just the way it's SUPPOSED to be! Pleeeease, hurry up and finish with the lawn & washing the car & painting the fence & trimming the hedges & doing your 2004 taxes so we can all see this baby done!
Pretty please with suger on top!!!!


----------



## Brent Gair

A surprise update.

Even surprised myself. I hadn't really intended to do any immediate work on the door. But I realized that the stripe on the ship will require some custom paint mixing so I decided I better have the door ready to paint. It will be easier if I can paint the ship and the door at the same time rather than risk painting them two weeks apart and being unable to match the color.

The door isn't permanently installed. I set it there to take the photograph. When completed, the door will be set in place and supported by a couple of blocks glued in from the interior. This will allow the door to be removed at some future date if I want to build a full interior. The door is made up of the piece that was removed when I built the opening plus some plastic sheet added to the side to rebuild and smooth the door edges that were lost when it was cut out.

What the heck is that thing in the bottom picture?

It's my new toy: a two way, cross-sliding vise. I've always wanted one and they finally came on sale. Unfortunately, I hoped for the little one to come on sale...but that didn't happen so I got this 40lb. monster. This is Spindrift related because I want to try and use it for the remaining grill work (exhaust and under the dome). This vise allows things to be clamped into position and then adjusted by moving cranks. you can, in theory, drill several holes in a straight line by advancing the work with one crank and then drill more parallel rows by shifting the work with the other crank.


----------



## RMC

looking great brent !!

what drawings is this spindrift made from or did you draw your own?


----------



## Brent Gair

I started with three sets of drawings. I got one set that had been posted on the internet (I believe they are now gone). They had been redrawn from the original Fox plans. I bought two more plan sets. One set is by Richard Kreeger who did the research for the Lunar model of the Spindrift. The third set is by Frederick Barr (well known for a few Irwin Allen projects).

I photographed all of the plans and printed them on 8.5" x 11" paper and put them in a 3 ring binder so I could easily flip from one drawing to another to cross check them.

When it came to time to cut a part, I would measure the part on all 3 sets of plans and take an average. Then I would draw my own full size template to be used for making the part.

But I also check against photos. Sometimes, I will just completely ignore a drawing when certain details are clearly inconsistent with photos (the exterior door shape on the Barr plans is just not right)


----------



## toyroy

Brent,

Your picture of the door in #209 raises a question for me. Was the door ever seen flush with the hull, on the show?

Again, as a suborbital transport, the friction of atmospheric re-entry(in common with the real space shuttle), would suggest the desirability of a flush door.


----------



## RMC

brent ,........
can you post a link to those drawings?........or should we all wait till you can pop out a few hulls for us...lol


----------



## Brent Gair

I don't know if the door was ever seen flush with the hull. I doubt it. But I have to tell you that I haven't seen the show in 35 years! The only clips I've seen have been from the FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN disc.

Though I will mention that I just shoved the door into the opening for the photo and removed it soon after...so the position you see in the photo isn't where the door will actually be located. It will be recessed as seen in the still photos (I have no idea why I didn't properly recess it for that photo).

I'm afraid I've long since lost the link to the drawings that were posted online. In fact, it was so long ago that I was using another computer and I think it may actually be about 3 yeas since I printed them out. And I think the guy who posted them mentioned that he was going to be removing them.


----------



## Carson Dyle

toyroy said:


> ...a suborbital transport, the friction of atmospheric re-entry(in common with the real space shuttle), would suggest the desirability of a flush door.


Given the inset passenger windows it may be a moot point.

In general, Irwin Allen never seemed terribly concerned with issues of scientific feasibility. It's part of his charm.


----------



## Steve Mavronis

Found these during a Google image search. The top image proports to be an actual studio miniature but I don't see the side windows or door. The bottom is the control yoke plans.

http://www.uncleodiescollectibles.com/img_lib/Spindrift%20Set%2010%206-26-4.jpg

http://www.uncleodiescollectibles.com/img_lib/Giants%20Control%20Yoke%2003%206-25-4.jpg


----------



## X15-A2

I have moved this post about Spindrift landing gear to the "PerfessorCoffee" thread where it more properly belongs. My bad.


----------



## X15-A2

The model shown in that photo is something of a mystery. I saw it and the "hero" model in the Fox miniature storage area in the mid '70s. It kinda looked to me like a pattern for mold making but that doesn't explain why it is painted. Whatever it was intended for, it is clearly unfinished. It is anybodys guess what it was intended for but I can verify that it is authentic.


----------



## terryr

Is it the same size as the Hero model?


----------



## X15-A2

Yes, same size.


----------



## SPINDRIFT62

Maybe the photo of the prop replica was flipped and thats why the door was not seen, as for the windows I'm stumped


----------



## portland182

X15-A2 said:


> Whatever it was intended for, it is clearly unfinished. It is anybodys guess what it was intended for but I can verify that it is authentic.


It seems to be transparent under the paint.
_If_ it was unfinished...
Perhaps (I'm guessing) they intended to remove paint from the window areas for a lighted model?

Jim


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## Y3a

Jeez guys!!

The paint is off from heat or chemicals. The fiberglass was probably done without gelcoat. It looks like it HAD a fin, bubble etc, so perhaps it's a flying model used for stand-in or far off shots or where the hero wasn't needed. perhaps the light weight 'carry' version.


----------



## toyroy

Y3a said:


> Jeez guys!!
> 
> The paint is off from heat or chemicals. The fiberglass was probably done without gelcoat. It looks like it HAD a fin, bubble etc, so perhaps it's a flying model used for stand-in or far off shots or where the hero wasn't needed. perhaps the light weight 'carry' version.


If one could see some of the front or rear of the model, perhaps the holes for the 'flying line' tubes would be visible.


----------



## Brent Gair

Here's another unanticipated update.

I've not been looking forward to painting the main stripe. It's a nuisance when you not only have to plot a curve but also make it symmetrical. Obviously, though, it had to be done sooner or later.

Tuesday night I was watching my favorite mechanical fabrication shows (American Hotrod, Wrecks to Riches, various motorcycle shows). For me, these shows are like soap operas for old ladies. They are "my stories" .

I watched guys doing complete car paint jobs in one day and taping off complicated graphics on motorcycle gas tanks. I thought, "Geez, you lazy S.O.B., are you gonna' spend another six months worrying about one lousy stripe?" So I just decided to do it.

Now I can spend six months worrying about the small pinstripes instead.


----------



## RMC

brent,.....

Its still so very cool,............can I get one too please...lol


----------



## X15-A2

Really fantastic. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the cockpit. Fiber optics..?


----------



## heiki

Brent Gair said:


> I started with three sets of drawings. I got one set that had been posted on the internet (I believe they are now gone). They had been redrawn from the original Fox plans. I bought two more plan sets. One set is by Richard Kreeger who did the research for the Lunar model of the Spindrift. The third set is by Frederick Barr (well known for a few Irwin Allen projects).
> 
> I photographed all of the plans and printed them on 8.5" x 11" paper and put them in a 3 ring binder so I could easily flip from one drawing to another to cross check them.
> 
> When it came to time to cut a part, I would measure the part on all 3 sets of plans and take an average. Then I would draw my own full size template to be used for making the part.
> 
> But I also check against photos. Sometimes, I will just completely ignore a drawing when certain details are clearly inconsistent with photos (the exterior door shape on the Barr plans is just not right)


*Actually you are miss-informed about who did the research for the Lunar Models Spindrift. Jeff Wargo, former employee at Monogram Models had access to the blueprints that Aurora did. He was contracted by Mike Evans to create the masters for the kit.*
*He had copies of the following set of plans of the interior and exterior. These are the Aurora Blueprints of the Spindrift. If you want, I could send you the TIFF file of each. They are each over 4meg in size.*

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/Spindrift-interior.jpg









http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/Spindrift-exterior.jpg


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## Brent Gair

The source of my info is issue 35 of SCI-FI AND FANTASY MODELS INTERNATIONAL.

The specific mention comes in and article by Jim Key (former Lunar Models Art Director)entitled LUNAR MODELS' IRWIN ALLEN COLLECTION: A DEFINITIVE HISTORY AND PORTFOLIO.

"In my place, Richard Kreeger took over as Art Director"

"He managed the position while working in his regular staff illustrator job at a studio in Kansas City, Missouri. Even during this worst of times it was perhaps, for Richard, his best year of work, creating all those cool flyers, instructions and working drawings for the Irwin Allen line. It was also his last, passing on to all of us his greatest work-the finalization of the Spindrift detailing notes and blueprints".


----------



## heiki

Brent Gair said:


> The source of my info is issue 35 of SCI-FI AND FANTASY MODELS INTERNATIONAL.
> 
> The specific mention comes in and article by Jim Key (former Lunar Models Art Director)entitled LUNAR MODELS' IRWIN ALLEN COLLECTION: A DEFINITIVE HISTORY AND PORTFOLIO.
> 
> "In my place, Richard Kreeger took over as Art Director"
> 
> "He managed the position while working in his regular staff illustrator job at a studio in Kansas City, Missouri. Even during this worst of times it was perhaps, for Richard, his best year of work, creating all those cool flyers, instructions and working drawings for the Irwin Allen line. It was also his last, passing on to all of us his greatest work-the finalization of the Spindrift detailing notes and blueprints".


I had several conversations with Mike Evans, the then owner of Lunar Models, and Jeff Wargo. It was as one would say "straight from the horse's mouth".
Jim Key and Richard Kreeger worked for Mike Evans.
Richard, before he died, did some of the best instructions and illustrations for the kits produced.
These Aurora Blueprints were the source material that the Lunar Models Sprindrift was based on. Redrawn blueprints were done as the ship was scaled up and corrected. Richard may have assisted with those. I know he did the instructions.


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## SPINDRIFT62

count me in for the TIFFS pleas and thank you


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## SPINDRIFT62

Any way of getting any of those scanned Brent please and thank you. I missed that issue


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## Brent Gair

Spindrift62, the article I mentioned doesn't contain any plans. It's basically a history of Lunar Models.

The Kreeger plans themselves are not hard to come by on eBay. The set consists of 10 sheets in an envelope with a Black&White line drawing of the Spindrift on the cover and the words "SPINDRIFT SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT". They can often be had with the "Buy it Now" option for about $15.00.


----------



## Seaview

To add to the story, when Richard Kreegar passed away, he had only very rough pencil sketches for the Spindrift Interior Kit assembly instructions, which were sent out with the first handful of kits produced. I had just graduated from drafting school and personally re-drew them for Lunar Models, for which a very appreciative Mike Evans gave me a Flying Sub kit. These instructions were used on a number of Spindrift Interior kits until such time as Mike had them professionally re-drawn via AutoCAD.
I had the opportunity to become VERY familiar with the interior of "flight 612", and also telephone interviewed Gary Conway ("Capt. Steve Burton") a couple of times during the course of working on that project, and Jim Key twice.
Those very exciting early days of Lunar Models are happy memories for me, and I do miss my conversations with Mike, a very fine gentleman for whom I have no complaints!


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## RMC

those drawings shown appear awfully light,....can you het them darker ?


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## SPINDRIFT62

I wonder if anyone has scanned some those original scetches that were in the kits for others to see what they looked like, that would be awsome


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## heiki

SPINDRIFT62 said:


> count me in for the TIFFS pleas and thank you


Get me your email address, I'll send them to you.


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## heiki

RMC said:


> those drawings shown appear awfully light,....can you het them darker ?


I would need to revisit a blueprint shop who has a 4 foot wide scanner. I was a little disappointed with how these came out vs others I had done. Did not notice the issue till later on.

I can send these files to you as well and you can attempt to enhance them.


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## Brent Gair

A bit more progress...note that the styrofoam under the bubble has been replaced by a grill. I do have to confess that the grill isn't completely accurate to the studio miniature. There are limitations to the manufacturing process that make it impossible to obtain the extremely thin walls and close spacing of the original. But this will suffice.



I also took this opportunity to photograph the model with it's Aurora/PL counterpart.

Interesting about the colors. The Pl Spindrift was built several years ago and the research I did was completely separate from the research for the big scratchbuild. In fact, the PL model has been in a bag downstairs so I rarely ever see it. Nevertheless, I've ended up with virtually identical colors even though I used different paints. The PL model was painted with Chevy Engine Orange enamel. The scratchbuild was done with lacquer. The main stripe on the PL kit was done with model enamels mixed to the correct color. The main stripe on the scratchbuild was done with auto touch-up lacquer mixed to the correct color. This is the first time I've had the painted models side-by-side and even I was surprised at the color match.


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## RMC

LOOKS AWESOME BRENT !!!!.......................
TIC ,TOC, TIC, TOC .........i need one of those large ones !!.....lol


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## terryr

I found the site of a talented scratchbuilder. There are errors with his Spindrift but he states he made the grills by cutting tubing and gluing it with epoxy.

http://www.raytheon.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/spindrift2large.html


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## Brent Gair

Cutting tubing really is the best way to do the job. When you look at the original, the grills look like cut tubing on the miniature and proabably sections of cut pipe on the full size.

I very seriously considered that for my model but I had a couple of problems with it. If I could have found thin walled plastic tube of the right size, I would have used it but I couldn't find what I wanted. That left brass tube. It would have been great but I estimated I'd need to cut way more than my patience would allow.

Hat's off to those guys who have the stamina to use cut tubing, they have more dedication than me.


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## Dave Hussey

Indeed Brent the color match is quite remarkable. In fact, unti I read all your post I was quite certain that you had used the same paint on both models.

Lovely work! And that is quite an understatement!

Huzz


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## Steve244

Is that Tall Fescue? Nice! Mine is a sickly brown color (southern burnout).

(mmmm is museum quality an appropriate comment?)


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## Steve Mavronis

If they ever did a re-make of Land of the Giants, Brent's model could definitely be used in it as the new hero model! The quality looks so good.


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## Lloyd Collins

Brent, it is getting hard to find words to express my excitement, to seeing your model.

So I pick......WOW!


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## RMC

way to go brent !!!.......we are all rootin' for you !!


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## Steve244

oy, he's over the hump now. Only way to screw it up is if he runs over it with a riding lawn-mower.


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## Brent Gair

I figure the last "big" project that will really have a noticeable visual impact is the silver shutter "re-entry shields" (or whatever the heck they are) on either side of the main winshield panes.

There are still a lot of details: sensor behind the bubble, pnistriping, window glazing, some cockpit detail. But it's those shutters that will be the last truly visually significant addition. I've pretty much figured out HOW to build them...just gotta' start doing it.


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## Lloyd Collins

And then comes the crew, and the snake. Right?


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## heiki

Brent Gair said:


> I figure the last "big" project that will really have a noticeable visual impact is the silver shutter "re-entry shields" (or whatever the heck they are) on either side of the main winsheild panes.
> 
> There are still a lot of details: sensor behind the bubble, pnistriping, window glazing, some cockpit detail. But it's those shutters that will be the last truly visually significant addition. I've pretty much figured out HOW to build them...just gotta' start doing it.


Have you thought of making the "re-entry shields" movable?


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## Brent Gair

heiki said:


> Have you thought of making the "re-entry shields" movable?


Not in a million years would I entertain that thought !

My display models are definitely minimalist when it comes such goodies. I don't even light them and I'm not big into more interior detail than required. Even if they were seen to operate on the TV show, I'd find a way to avoid making them operable on the model.

Ironically, I do build big RC models which I construct with the opposite philosophy: Intense attention paid to operationing parts with minimal attention to cosmetics.


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## Captain Han Solo

Sir this is truly one fantastic build! Love the Spindrift! Love all of irwin Allen's shows and hardware. The Spindrift is a timeless design. You are creating a work of art. I have been following this build from the begining, and look forward to each update.


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## RMC

I Agree ...........


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## Seaview

I really doubt that those were "re-entry shields", considering that they were never used as such on the show, whether when they entered the atmosphere of the Giants' home planet, nor when the ship was accidentally trapped in the quicksand bog.
IMHO, the only thing worth being made 'movable' on the Spindrift would be the hatch, but that's Brent's decision to make.


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## Brent Gair

Just so this thread doesn't get completely forgotten, I've decided to post a minor update. I've done some work on the re-entry shields/collision doors/your-guess-is-as good-as-mine things on the front of the hull.

This is still very early in the process. They are being shaped and aren't permanenty attached (and won't be until after they are painted). I'm using strips of MDF on plastic backing. The MDF may seem an unlikely choice but it has it's uses for these non-structural components. I was unlikely to find plastic in the right dimension. Wood is good but the grain requires filling which is difficult on the inner edges of the pieces. So MDF became the material of choice by default. It will take a lot of priming but, once thoroughly sprayed with primer, won't display any grain or distracting texture.


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## terryr

It looks like the mouth of a whale.


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## Lloyd Collins

Minor, but a good one. Thanks.


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## Daikaiju1

Yay!! More Big Spindrift! 
More, more! :wave:


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## Trek Ace

_"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..."_


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## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> I'm using strips of MDF on plastic backing.


What is MDF, please?


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## veedubb67

Medium Density Fiberboard. It's a type of hardboard, which is made from wood fibres glued under heat and pressure. 

There are a number of reasons why MDF may be used instead of plywood. It is dense, flat, stiff, has no knots and is easily machined. Because it is made up of fine particles it does not have an easily recognisable surface grain. MDF can be painted to produce a smooth quality surface. Because MDF has no grain it can be cut, drilled, machined and filed without damaging the surface. MDF may be dowelled together and traditional woodwork joints may even be cut. MDF may be glued together with wood glue. Oil, water-based paints and varnishes may be used on MDF. Veneers and laminates may also be used to finish MDF


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## Brent Gair

MDF stands for "Medium Density Fiberboard". It's available in large sheets from home improvement stores. It's a pressed fiber material that is used for projects that are non-structural...in other words, it's not designed to carry a lot of weight. For example, it is often used to build speaker enclosures. It's a heavy material that doesn't have the same kind of directional grain as wood.

It has the advantage of being quite stable because, without the directional grain, it doesn't have a predisposition to warp. I have started using it in many display stands because it will sit absolutlely flat and it's excellent for taking paint. When I use it for the "arm" of my display stands (see my Spindrift/Flying Sub Stand thread on the Modeling board), I use four pieces of MDF to form the arm into a box girder. This gives it the strength to bear weight without warping.

EDIT: I see Veedubb67 beat me to the answer with a very good explanation.


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## toyroy

Thank you, veedubb67, and Brent. How is MDF different from particle board?


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## GLU Sniffah

toyroy said:


> Thank you, veedubb67, and Brent. How is MDF different from particle board?



It's a basically a finer grade of particle board...more uniform. Smaller pieces. 

The grade above this is HDF. Hard Density Fiberboard. Formed under heat AND pressure. 

Engineered wood products


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## Brent Gair

Yeah...what GLU Sniffah said.

When you look at particle board, you can actually see the wood particles.

With fiberboard products, the texture is much finer. You can't see identifiable wood components. It has a surface not unlike newsprint.


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## GLU Sniffah

> Yeah...what GLU Sniffah said.


I didn't mean to answer for ya... You were offline at the time and I thought I could hep!


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## toyroy

Thanks again, guys. It is good to know what materials can be used, even if I don't get around to trying them all.


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## RMC

I am glad to see that brent is workin on it again,....go brent go !


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## flyingfrets

Just passin' thru and saw the updates to your Spindrift Brent. 

I've seen quite a few scratchbuilt projects that have been very impressive, but this leaves me speechless. I can't think of words that would convey my impression of this model other than "flawless." 

Studio models should look this good. My hat is off to you Sir!


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## Brent Gair

Beleive me, "flawless" is not even close! I wish it was. Like most model makers, I find MANY things that I wish I could fix. There are some issues with the build that really bug me...things I'd do different if I had the chance.

However, just because they bug me is no reason that I should draw attention to them so that everybody else can see them . I don't want to be TOO honest so that I have you guys saying, "Hey, you're right...I hand't noticed it but , now that you mentioned it, you really botched that one big time"!

After many years of modeling, I have come to accept that obsessive perfectionism is the main stumbling block to the completion of models. I sufferred from the affliction for most of my life. You start to build a model, realize things aren't going just right and you end up getting discouraged and eventually the project is shelved. I now understand that it's best to keep plugging away and trying to learn from your mistakes on every project so that the next project is a little better.

My first fiberglass over foam model was Uncle Martin's ship from MY FAVORITE MARTIAN. It was good but there were some real problems with my fiberglass technique. On the Spindrift, I think I've realy nailed the glass work but there are other things that I have to work on improving. So I've learned a lot but there is much room for improvement.


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## Guest

Obsessive perfectionism as you put it, is one trait i think all modelers share to some degree from 'kind of' to 'rabidly so'. We can and sometimes are our own worst enemy but that's in the job description i think 

She a beauty whichever way you look at it and a job many would shy from tackling so bloody well done mate!


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## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> However, just because (some issues with the build) bug me is no reason that I should draw attention to them so that everybody else can see them . I don't want to be TOO honest so that I have you guys saying, "Hey, you're right...I hand't noticed it but , now that you mentioned it, you really botched that one big time"!


I think we're all more interested in our own issues with a model, than with the builder's issues, or anyone else's issues. So, I think, putting forth your issues just serves to help the rest of us, who are following your construction technique. But, I can understand the magician's point of view, too.

I think this model is perfect, and it is scratchbuilt. I don't know how much better you can get, in modelmaking. :thumbsup:


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## Brent Gair

The issues that I'm not happy about relate primarily to shape and line of certain elements.

I try to be entirely open about anything regarding the actual physical construction of the model. I don't want to hold back any information regarding building technique. All of the info about the glue-up of the foam blocks, the fiberglassing, bodywork, painting and such is all there and is good info to the best of my knowledge. If I made errors which would cause poor construction, I'd let everybody know.

When I say that I don't draw attention to some things, let me make a hypothetical example. Let's suppose I was unhappy with the shape of the door. Imagine that I made it too big (or thought I made it too big). I would not be inclined to post the fact that I thought I messed up the door...unless somebody else mentioned it first or questioned the shape. If I'm not planning to fix it, and everybody seems Ok with it, then I'm not going to serve any useful purpose by announcing that I think I messed it up .

I would say that there are about FOUR things of varying degrees of significance that I would do differently. I MIGHT change one of them but the rest are finished, painted and not going to be changed so I'm not going to revisit them. There is one item that I still MIGHT change even though it means grinding away a bit of paint. If I change it, I will include that in an update. If I don't change it, you'll have to guess .


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## Steve244

Go easy on yourself. It's Irwin Allen not Lockheed: I'm sure all your changes are improvements.


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## terryr

Brent Gair said:


> After many years of modeling, I have come to accept that obsessive perfectionism is the main stumbling block to the completion of models. I sufferred from the affliction for most of my life. You start to build a model, realize things aren't going just right and you end up getting discouraged and eventually the project is shelved.


Yep. I have a half dozen projects stalled out becasue I wasn't sure of the details. 
If I made it as a 'quickie' then it gets done and looks pretty good. But if I try to make it 'the ultimate', then it never gets done. I have a rebel blockade runner sitting around half finished since the 80's! ( I see someone has finally made a kit of it)

Just like anything in life, just do it, and then fix it if you have to.


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## GLU Sniffah

> Just like anything in life, just do it, and then fix it if you have to.












*" Do it. Do IT! "*


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## Y3a

Brent, Your Spindrift is as good as the SPFX model of years ago! Remember, no two Irwin Allen models representing THE SAME SHIP were identical. NO TWO SEAVIEWS had the same nose, The Jupiter 2s were crude at BEST. You have the Best Spindrift model, Enjoy!!!


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## Brent Gair

I got the basic shutters installed on the front of the ship. This is another area where there are radical differences between the full size set and the surviving miniatures. The full size set has a higher count on the number of shutter segments, they are deeper set into the front of the hull and they seem to follow a fairly straight line from the windshield to the outer edge of the ship.

My installation is closer to the miniature which has fewer segments and has a slight curve as it extends toward the outer edge. This wasn't really a concious decision. Earlier in the hull construction, I had to make some decisions about shaping the opening at the front of the vessel. When it came time to install the shutters, the installation seen on the miiniature was the one that most naturally fit.


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## Dave Hussey

*WOW!!! - *Nice lawn!!!


Huzz :jest: 

And nice Spindrift too of course!


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## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> I got the basic shutters installed on the front of the ship. This is another area where there are radical differences between the full size set and the surviving miniatures. The full size set has a higher count on the number of shutter segments, they are deeper set into the front of the hull and they seem to follow a fairly straight line from the windshield to the outer edge of the ship.
> 
> My installation is closer to the miniature which has fewer segments and has a slight curve as it extends toward the outer edge...


Brent,
You really researched this detail thoroughly. The one area I'd like to ask you about, are the corners. From what I can see, on both the full-size set, and the miniature, the shutters are recessed a bit, from the hull edge. Since your most recent photos show your shutters almost flush w/ the hull in this area, my question is: just how will you treat these areas?

A note about the attached photos: I retouched them a bit, with the intent to clarify.


----------



## Brent Gair

On the miniature, as you approach the corners, the back of the shutter assembly (ie, the base onto which the shutters are attached) is only very slighty recessed.

If you look at that second photo (the miniature) you'll note that there are no shutters near the corners. 

I suspect the guys who built the miniature faced the same dilemma that I faced. They realised the back of the assembly was quite shallow and continuing to install shutters right into the corners whould cause them to run out of the depth needed.

On my model, I took the shutters right out to almost the corner. Because the shutters have some depth, this causes the assembly to be near flush at the corners. If you were to remove the last shutter or two, you'd probably find that the geometry the assembly on my ship is a very close match to the miniature shown.

This is part of the compromise between the full set and the miniatures. My model has the somewhat shallower base assembley of the miniature combined with the deeper shutter design of the full size set. This makes it stand out more at the corners. I could have avoided the issue by following the example of the miniature and just leaving the shutters off of the outer edges. Quite simply, I didn't like the way that looked.


----------



## scotpens

Another detail point to nitpick: On the photos of both the full-size mockup and the studio miniature, the shutters appear to overlap clapboard-style. On your model, they look like raised slats with recessed grooves in between. Was this another esthetic decision, or just easier to build that way?


----------



## terryr

On the miniature they are flat, but it's tough to tell on the full size with that lighting.

How was the Aurora done?

(it looks the door is the same height as the cockpit window.)


----------



## Brent Gair

Funny thing...I actually had a paragraph in my reply to Toyroy about the clapboard style shutters (even using the word "clapboard"). I deleted that paragraph because I thought I was being too long winded .

In fact, the clapboard style overlap is not used in the full size set (I'll try to find a clearer photo to post) but the clapboards are used on the miniature shown.

I went with the "non-clapboard" style since it it the type most familiar to viewers...because we saw more of the full size set than the mini.


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## toyroy

scotpens said:


> ...On the photos of both the full-size mockup and the studio miniature, the shutters appear to overlap clapboard-style...


I don't know if the pics come up the same for everyone, but, for me, I have to click on the enlargement icon to see the full-size version. This icon appears when I move the cursor to the lower right-hand corner. No way can I see the relevant detail, otherwise.


----------



## toyroy

Brent Gair said:


> ...the clapboards are used on the miniature shown.


From what I can see(by enlarging my original bmp of the auction pic of the miniature), the front panels look to be made similar to the full-size set. That is, the same way you made them, NOT clapboard-style.


----------



## scotpens

Funny, now that you mention it, after looking at my copies of the auction pix, the grills on the miniature _do_ look more like Brent's version. The "clapboard" or "overlapping louvers" effect may be a trick of the light.

BTW, the grilles on the Aurora/PL model are similar to Brent's, except that the raised vertical bars are thinner and there almost twice as many — 17 per side, to be exact, as opposed to nine.

Who cares about these niggling details, anyway? Us geeks, that's who!


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## Brent Gair

The count on the raised shutters (grills or what have you...I'm officially calling them shutters now because I've seen it on two differnt set of plans  ), varies WIDELY between various miniatures and the big set. I'd previously noted the count go from a low of 8 to a high of 15! If the Aurora model is 17, then that's a new record.

That's the kind of thing that drives me nuts. You know that somebody will look at it and say, "Man, how could he count all those shutters wrong".

It's like the door issue all over again. The door on the miniature is nowhere near the same as the door on the full size set.


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## scotpens

Yup, I counted again and it's 17 — if you include the weentsy ones at the corners.

[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=32606&stc=1[/IMG-LEFT]


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## Steve Mavronis

Brent Gair said:


> It's like the door issue all over again. The door on the miniature is nowhere near the same as the door on the full size set.


Well you are doing a great job recreating a miniature of the full size set. I can easily image myself as a giant running through the woods with your Spindrift under my arm to tell everyone of my discovery! You make me feel like Gulliver


----------



## SPINDRIFT62

I found this interesting flying sub plans from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and oddly how similur it looks to the Spindrift.


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## Seaview

Unless I remember incorrectly, both were beautifully designed by the very talented Robert Kinoshita (who also designed Robby the Robot, and the Lost In Space "B-9" Robot).


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## toyroy

Seaview said:


> Unless I remember incorrectly, both were beautifully designed by the very talented Robert Kinoshita (who also designed Robby the Robot, and the Lost In Space "B-9" Robot).


I thought I read somewhere that they were designed by William Creber, who designed the Jupiter 2 precursor, the Gemini 12. Anyway, the first thing that struck me when I first saw the Spindrift, was the similarity of her front, to the front of the flying sub.


----------



## toyroy

scotpens said:


> Yup, I counted again and it's 17 — if you include the weentsy ones at the corners.
> 
> [IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=32606&stc=1[/IMG-LEFT]


How do you get your pictures to show full-size?


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## scotpens

toyroy said:


> How do you get your pictures to show full-size?


First I click on "Quote" or "Add Reply" and go to "Manage Attachments" under "Additional Options." I attach my image file, then click on the file name when it shows up under "Current Attachments," and the image pops up in a new window with its own HobbyTalk URL. (This works with TIFF, JPEG and GIF files; doesn't work with PDFs for some reason.) I copy and paste that URL into my post, highlight it and click on the "Image" or "Image Left" icon.

At least, that's how it works on Mac OSX. And I'm probably doing it wrong anyway, ’cause I keep getting both the full-size image _and_ thumbnails.


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## toyroy

scotpens said:


> First I click on "Quote" or "Add Reply" and go to "Manage Attachments" under "Additional Options." I attach my image file, then click on the file name when it shows up under "Current Attachments," and the image pops up in a new window with its own HobbyTalk URL. (This works with TIFF, JPEG and GIF files; doesn't work with PDFs for some reason.) I copy and paste that URL into my post, highlight it and click on the "Image" or "Image Left" icon.
> 
> At least, that's how it works on Mac OSX. And I'm probably doing it wrong anyway, ’cause I keep getting both the full-size image _and_ thumbnails.


Thanks much, guy. It is SO much nicer to simply get the full-size image, than to have to go back-and-forth from an enlarged pic, especially when you're trying to compose a message.


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## Y3a

OS X is Sumtin Ain't it!!

See them new Mac Pro boxes? Sheeez!


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## flyingfrets

Brent, I gotta tell you...the fact that you've shared each step of the build up with the rest of the community is a real lesson in how to create art.

As someone who (unfortunately) doesn't have time for the hobby anymore, I can still appreciate the hard work & talent that goes into a project like this. 

I just dropped in again to check on your progress and truthfully, I don't even care HOW you pulled this off anymore...it's a stunning build how*ever* you did it. 

The use of material and techniques that NEVER would've occurred to me in all my years in the hobby, and the fact that everything came together so well is all the more impressive  (especially since the Spindrift's lines made it one of my favorite Irwin Allen ships).

She's a real beauty...
'Frets


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## RMC

yeah brent !.........DITTO WHAT HE SAID !


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## Brent Gair

Thanks for the over-the-top compliments !

I hate to get introspective and analytical over a model, but I was thinking how I've started doing things so differently since my my up close and personal encounter with mortality about three years ago (cancer surgery). I've almost stopped building kits...not completely but I don't think I've finished one in a year. I seem to have a need to do original work. It's not a conscious decision. It almost a subconscious recognition that I haven't done a lot of work that will be remembered as unique to me.

I got out of the hospital in May of 2003 and, by the end of the month, I was scratchbuilding my first old movie rocketship. Then another...and another...and another. And I still haven't finished the KIT I was working on before I went in to the hospital.

I have to think there is a relationship between scratchbuilding and the loss of half of my large intestine .


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## Steve244

(steve244 calls up quack to schedule intestinectomy) (sorry, shouldn't make light of your illness)

Just lovely, Brent. I'm a sucker for interiors: that thing screams out loud for one. Do you think you'll ever do it?


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## scotpens

Brent Gair said:


> I have to think there is a relationship between scratchbuilding and the loss of half of my large intestine .


So that means now you have a semicolon?  

Sorry about that.

Didn't know about the cancer surgery — I assume you've been okay since? Whatever inspired you to create something as gorgeous as that _Spindrift_ from raw materials could just be a blessing in disguise!


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## Brent Gair

Yeah...like I haven't heard the semi-colon joke before .

I've been oK since but I require regular inspections. 

Kinda caught me by surprise too since the initial biopsy was negative but the doctor did warn me that they wouldn't know for sure until they got it out and looked at. So I told everybody it was benign. Found out about 10 days later that it was cancer. But, by that time, it was already cut out of me and I didn't want to worry anybody by telling them the "truth". So even my best friend still doesn't know I had cancer.

But this is not without it's benefits. I have the worlds simplest colonoscopies. My doctor said they took out all of the twists and turns so my colon is straight tube about 12" long. Just shine a light up there and they're finished !


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## terryr

In a few years you'll be able to scratchbuild yourself a colon.


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## GLU Sniffah

terryr said:


> In a few years you'll be able to scratchbuild yourself a colon.


Eek.

:freak: :drunk:


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## toyroy

Brent,
Best wishes for your ongoing good health. My father is now age 86, and he had similar surgery 44 years ago.


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## Brent Gair

Got some more progress here. I've done the pinstriping and I'm quite pleased. It's surprising how a relativley minor cosmetic addition can have a significant impact. It's starting to take on an almost finished appearance:


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## Steve244

Stunning, Brent. Needs a cat or something in the pic to lend realism!


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## Y3a

I guess you can use it like those cement yard trolls, and put it under a tree? LOL Plant some catnip near!


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## Lloyd Collins

More awesome than before!


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## Chuck_P.R.

Incredible work Brent!

What are her overall dimensions?

Will you be selling copies and or kits?


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## Brent Gair

Unfortunately, I didn't really engineer this thing from reproduction. My current mold making skills are on a much smaller scale than the model. That is something I plan to work on though...making a model that I can reproduce.

The ship is 37" long from the front peak to the tip of the fin. It's 21" wide at the widest point. The hull is 9.2" tall at it's tallest point not including the the fin. With the fin included, the ship is 10.3" tall.

Depending on which numbers you use for the length of the vehicle (it varies among plans) that is close to 1/18 scale. That works out well because 1/18 is a common scale among diecasts and some of the currently popular military miniatures. So it's possible to buy figures and accessories in scale with the ship.


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## Lloyd Collins

So are you planning to put figures in the ship, or just mentioning it?


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## heiki

Steve244 said:


> Stunning, Brent. Needs a cat or something in the pic to lend realism!


Brent could sit holding it wearing just his swim suit...like Deanna.

But please, not JohnP in his naked orion slave girl suit.....


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## toyroy

Just gorgeous. 

I like the idea of the cat. You could have a clear display case, over a diorama of Fitz and the cat. With air blown from underneath, you could have 1/18-scale $100 bills blown all around, as when the cat batted Fitz's bag. Sort of like a LotG snow-globe. Also reminiscent of those grab-the-cash games!


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## Brent Gair

I just painted the logos on the ship. This is another item that varies widely from the miniatures to full size set but I'm happy with the way they worked out. I couldn't tell what color the "C" was. Sometimes it looked silver...sometimes gold. I actually mixed up a batch to 50/50 silver/gold lacquer and sprayed it so that it will look different under different light.

Rather than just post a picture of the logo, I thought I'd take the opportunity to composite it with a photo of the set so that you can check out my color matches.

I've seen all kinds of versions of the colors for the stripes. I think you can see that my colors are very close to what we see in the full size studio picture here...which is kind of a happy coincidence because I wasn't specifically using this photo when I chose the colors.


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## Griffworks

Your version of the logo looks just fine to me! Great job, Brent.


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## toyroy

I had never noticed the compass-like shape of the "C" in the logo before. What is the name of the transport company, again?


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## bert model maker

i can't believe how accurate your spindrift is, even the angles in the side windows by the hatch, wonderful job.


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## Griffworks

toyroy said:


> I had never noticed the compass-like shape of the "C" in the logo before. What is the name of the transport company, again?


I'm far from an expert, but I don't think it was ever mentioned on-screen, was it? I did a quick search of Wikipedia and found their LotG entry which doesn't state a corporation name. Not that Wikipedia is all-perfect, but it's usually fairly complete.


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## Brent Gair

It appears that nobody has an explanation for the "C". I have a couple of sets of plans where it's given a couple of different names. One set of plans calls it "Cestus" Corporation. I have no idea where that comes from. Another calls it "Continent" Air and Space Lines. I'm fairly confident that both of those names have no basis in fact.


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## Steve244

What about 'Spindrift'. It seems more a description of the thing's ballistic flight path (assuming that's what it did). Being a 'suborbital' craft and all, how did it end up in the land of the giants? Twilight Zone moment there, I guess.


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## bert model maker

DR.Smith probably filed the flight plan lol


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## Carson Dyle

Brent Gair said:


> It appears that nobody has an explanation for the "C".


The patches found on the _Spindrift _crew uniforms were originally created for one of the James Coburn "Flint" pictures (I've forgotten which one). The logo adorning the ship appears to be based on the patch. In other words, as far as "L.O.T.G." is concerend, the "C" doesn't stand for anything.

Question for Brent: I'm surprised by your decision to paint the logo directly on the hull. It looks fine, but I'd be curious to know if you ever considered using decals.


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## Steve244

"Galaxy" appears to have been the arch-evil organization in "Our Man Flint". Do you think it's a modified "G"?

Research provided positive answers. What was the question?


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## Carson Dyle

Just popped "Flint" in the DVD player for a quick look; it is indeed the Galaxy logo. I think it's safe to say the "C" was originally intended to read as a stylized "G." 

The logo as seen in the film does in fact reflect this subtle difference -- much more so than the (upthread) shot of a replica patch I found on eBay.

In a related bit of studio cost-cutting trivia, the Project Tick-tock logo created for “The Time Tunnel” eventually wound up (rotated 45 degrees) on the armbands of the ape slaves in “Conquest for the Planet of the Apes.”


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## Steve244

Here's a better picture  of the logo.

There is something extremely satisfying about solving this mystery.


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## Brent Gair

Here's another view of the logo as it appears on a set of Fox plans and on the ship itself. There is some variation. The logo, as used on the ship is slightly simplified as the rings appear of constant thickness.



I don't like decals for larger projects.

I think of my big stuff as "industrial scale" and I like to be able to work on a large piece as I would work on a large piece of machinery. It has to be tough because it's going to get drilled, ground, banged up and generally take a bit of a beating.

That means it has tolerate paint and body work almost like a car. I sometimes have to repaint imperfections and polish out the paint. And I've done that a few times on this ship where I've had to rub it out with wet&dry sandpaper and then take polishing compound to the surface. I just don't want to have a large decal interfering with that ability. So everything is painted including the stripes. If any of these things are damaged, they can be repainted.


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## toyroy

Steve244 said:


> Here's a better picture  of the logo.
> 
> There is something extremely satisfying about solving this mystery.


That is a "better picture" alright, LOL! :dude: 

But, I'd still like to know what the "C" in the logo refers to.  Maybe, it's not supposed to be a "C", maybe it _is_ just a compass. Sort of like the instruments in the Freemason's logo. But, I think it more likely that it is a commercial logo, and it is no accident the compass is set to look like a "C".

Unlike "Lost in Space", I don't have any tapes or DVDs of LotG. I'll have to defer to you show fans, for the answer.


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## Brent Gair

The top sensor is done. This was another nice excercise in scratchbuilding with available material.

It's also another example of a item which has several incarnations. There seem to be several distinct versions of sensor which even varied on the large miniature(s). This is the most common design...the one seen in the photos with Deanna Lund is a bit spindly. It also varied in color.

The support post is machined from bass and extends through the fairing into the wooden keel. The Ball was machined from a piece of maple dowel. The tubes coming from the ball are wooden barbeque skewers and the round ends are plastic beads used to make fishing lures.



Note that there is a bit of perspective distortion in the close-up photo as the ball sits higher on the support post but the photo makes it appear centered half way down the post...which it is not.


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## Dave Hussey

Hey Brent!

Now I am impressed! Anyone who can machine a bass and use bits of fishing lures must be a great fisherman in addition to being a great modeller!

Keep up the great work! Ae you putting an Evinrude on that thing or a Merc?  

Huzz


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## bert model maker

that looks perfect, your spindrift is really something to be proud of.


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## Brent Gair

I'm sifting through some detail photos which I'll post later but I've got this picture to give the project some scale. (And I'm an awful fisherman).


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## Carson Dyle

Pretty nifty, Brent.

And I still think you look like Johnny Carson.


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## Brent Gair

Here's a composite picture that shows the Spindrift from various angles so I think you can make out most details:


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## Brent Gair

I'll add an adenda about the dome.

Someone asked once if it was frosted. At that time, it was not. However, I elected to use some rubbing compound to slightly frost it.

In the show, it appeared as frosted (almost pure white), tinted red or clear. When I had it just clear, it looked to insubstantial...it just dissappeared like it wasn't there. I did attempt a clear red paint job but I found the paint blotchy and it adhered poorly. This mild frosting seems to be a reasonable compromise. It makes the dome visible but still clearly shows the grill detail under the dome.


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## scotpens

Carson Dyle said:


> Pretty nifty, Brent.
> 
> And I still think you look like Johnny Carson.


More like the love child of Johnny Carson and Ray Walston. :tongue:


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## ThomasModels

My God, that is gorgeous!

I'll forward you my shipping address. Don't forget the extra insurance. I wouldn't want anything to happen to it in transit!

Oh yeah, and get a tracking number.


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## bert model maker

that is the best spindrift i have ever seen !!


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## Steve244

It's lovely, but it needs an inside!


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## Carson Dyle

Steve244 said:


> It's lovely, but it needs an inside!


^What he said (albeit a minimalist one).


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## bert model maker

that is quite an accomplishment to build this from scratch and be so on the mark with it.


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## Seaview

MAGNIFICENT, BRENT!!!
When you get finished, you might want to alert the "Uncle Odie's collectibles" website and enter it into his monthly contest; you'd win for certain, against some very talented competition to boot!


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## toyroy

Steve244 said:


> It's lovely, but it needs an inside!


One idea, which I originally had for model railroad passenger car windows: holograms. As the perspective changes, people of the virtual interior appear to move, unlike actual miniature figures.

OK, OK, it's just an idea! :hat:


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## toyroy

Seaview said:


> MAGNIFICENT, BRENT!!!
> When you get finished, you might want to alert the "Uncle Odie's collectibles" website and enter it into his monthly contest; you'd win for certain, against some very talented competition to boot!


Absolutely! Uncle Odie has everything, but nothing, anywhere, compares with your Spindrift. Your model outclasses the original hero. Go get her some trophies.


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## bert model maker

I agree that has to take first prize somewhere. any ideas of what you are going to build next Brent ?


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## Brent Gair

The next project is still open for discussion.

For one thing, I'm sure I'll need a REST from this one. I might return to something a little simpler like the 50's silver rockets that I love. Irwin Allen and Gerry Anderson stuff is guaranteed to be on the list of things I want to do.

If I go on to another megaproject, I have to say that Thunderbird 2 has always held a special fascination for me. Useful documentation for Tbird 2 seems to be even worse than documentation for the Spindrift. With the Spindrift, there are multiple plan sets available and, even though the plans don't match, you can average enough information to get a reasonable idea of how things should look. But if their are Thunderbird 2 plans out there, I haven't seen them. David Merriman indicated that he may have some info and invited me to email him on info for various project so I may do that.

There are a number of big Spindrift models out there. I've seen three or four on the net that are about the same size as mine. But amateur builds of Thunderbird 2 are rare...at least, I haven't seen any. I have seen a professional recreation of TB2 for commercial purposes but I've not seen one done as fan project by and averge Joe with a $200.00 budget. TB2 is one of those projects, like the Spindrift that is a mass of curves and requires good reference material. If you take a tubular ship like TB1, all you need is one good profile and some pictures. TB2 would need a lot more.

But how does that sound...a 3'...maybe 4' long Thunderbird 2?


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## bert model maker

that i would love to see, i know about having to take a break from projects, they always seem like there is no end to them.


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## Carson Dyle

Brent Gair said:


> ...amateur builds of Thunderbird 2 are rare...at least, I haven't seen any.


Interesting site if you're into Anderson's stuff...

http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/tb2.htm


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## Brent Gair

Wow...that is a good site. I hadn't seen that model before (haven't searched in awhile).

I do see that the guy had to draw his own plans. You'd think somebody would have something more easily available.


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## bert model maker

excellent site thanks for posting the link


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## Brent Gair

I guess this is it.

I wanted to make sure I could get some official photos while we still have some green foliage. It wouldn't look very realistic if I had to photograph it in the snow! I put things on the fast track so that I could declare the model "provisionally" complete and I could take some pictures. That meant completing the cockpit section around the windshield so that I could get the windshield installed and finish painting around that part of the ship. The windshield has been installed. It's clear acrylic about 3/32" thick I would guess.

There are still things left to do but they are below the threshold of photographic necessity. I haven't installed the side windows but they are virtually invisible because they are quite deeply inset. There are no seats in the cockpit yet but they won't be visible in most photographic angles anyway.

In short: THIS IS IT! While I will pick at some small details, this model is now complete for photo purposes. Anything done to finish off the small stuff won't be visible in normal photos so these pictures represent the appearance of the finished model.


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## Carson Dyle

Bravo.


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## Steve Mavronis

If they ever did a re-make of the show your model would do it proud!


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## Steve244

...yay!


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## bert model maker

simply OUTSTANDING !!!


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## Lloyd Collins

Congratulations on an excellent model! It has been very enjoyable to see it come together.


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## Steve244

Ok, 'yay' doesn't do it justice. I'm in awe of your building and finishing skills.

On another note, IA never worried about landing gear. Much. How's this thing supposed to land and taxi around? IA seemed satisfied with crashing stuff, but I need to know!


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## toyroy

Magnificent. You would do the hobby a favor, by entering her in contests.


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## terryr

All the finishing touches made it come out great.


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## bert model maker

it would be the best looking spindrift there !


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## terryr

I see another one is being made on another site;

http://www.therpf.com/index.php?showtopic=121078

Some of his proportions seem off to me. Especially the front.


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## CaptCBoard

I don't know why, but I never went through this thread before. Incredible model! 

Someone made an observation about the similarity between the Spindrift and the Flying Sub. I was on a tour of the Fox studio while the first season of LOTG was filming and was told much of the FS set was converted to become the Spindrift. Of course I was only 16 or 17 at the time and had no camera, so I can't share any of what I saw!

Scott


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## woof359

*pictures*

some ones has a nice clean shop. who is that?????


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## Admiral Nelson

You *HAVE *to do a Seaview.


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## bert model maker

woof359 said:


> some ones has a nice clean shop. who is that?????


 woof, have you finished your Jupiter 2 yet ? any pics ?


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## Mr.Predicta

Absolutely amazing!
great execution and finish 
One of the best I have seen.


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## jimmydog

Is anyone here registered on RPF? I would like to PM the guy who made the other Spindrift but they're not accepting new registrations.


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## Mark Dorais

The original filming miniature of the Spindrift is now on display in Seattle at the Museum of Science Fiction and Hall of Fame. While visiting there I was informed that this was the only miniature used on the series. One other, unused, very rough non -film used casting is owned by Greg Jein. It's amazing how different the studio model is in relation to contours from the studio blueprints..... Like the Flying Sub, it has many beautiful curving lines to it, much different from the studio blueprints...... If Moebius produces the Spindrift, I only pray that they use the filming miniature as the basis. The upcomming Flying Sub kit will be gorgeous because they scanned an actual filming miniature of the flying sub. All the best to you.


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## Antimatter

Carson Dyle said:


> Interesting site if you're into Anderson's stuff...
> 
> http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/tb2.htm


The XL5 is a mastepiece.

http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/xl5.htm


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## Antimatter

Brent Gair said:


> I guess this is it.
> 
> I wanted to make sure I could get some official photos while we still have some green foliage. It wouldn't look very realistic if I had to photograph it in the snow! I put things on the fast track so that I could declare the model "provisionally" complete and I could take some pictures. That meant completing the cockpit section around the windshield so that I could get the windshield installed and finish painting around that part of the ship. The windshield has been installed. It's clear acrylic about 3/32" thick I would guess.
> 
> There are still things left to do but they are below the threshold of photographic necessity. I haven't installed the side windows but they are virtually invisible because they are quite deeply inset. There are no seats in the cockpit yet but they won't be visible in most photographic angles anyway.
> 
> In short: THIS IS IT! While I will pick at some small details, this model is now complete for photo purposes. Anything done to finish off the small stuff won't be visible in normal photos so these pictures represent the appearance of the finished model.


It would be a shame to weather it with green mold and dirt.


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## Mark Dorais

Very impressive model making.


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## 71challenger

That is one amazingly beautiful model! I love the finish! Something that large, that smooth... Kudos! 



Mark Dorais said:


> It's amazing how different the studio model is in relation to contours from the studio blueprints..... Like the Flying Sub, it has many beautiful curving lines to it, much different from the studio blueprints......


Really? I look at all the blueprints that have shown up everywhere on this site and it seems that they all are nothing but sweeping curving lines. I know that all 3 flying sub sizes had slightly different shapes from each other. But exactly where are the differences for any of these from the bps? Actually, it might be better to start a new thread on this, rather than highjack this thread on this incredible model. But I am really curious. Esp. seeing how beautifully this model turned out. Kinda makes me want to tackle something totally different from my usual. What a stunning finish. Love it.


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## Mark Dorais

This model is beautiful. I meant absolutely no disrespect at all. You're correct, I should've started a new thread on the subject.


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## scotpens

Where is Brent, anyway? Has he left the boards altogether? Has he been lurking? Did he disappear off the face of the earth? Is he in the Witness Protection Program with a new identity?

Brent, if you're out there, please show us a sign! Blow a trumpet or tap on a table or something.


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## Carson Dyle

Brent is a frequent poster on Steve Iverson's CulTVman site. I shot him a heads-up re: the sudden reappearance of this thread, but I get the feeling he's moved on.


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## Seaview

Thread bump; very inspirational stuff, what with the new Moebius Spindrift coming out (hopefully) next month!


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## woof359

*new Spindrift*

maybe I missed the heads up, new Spindrift ?


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## kdaracal

If you figure out a way to reproduce a kit, I'd pay $300-$350 for it in a blink.....


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## Seaview

Thermalized Plastics has a 1/12 scale fiberglass kit that I'm currently building.
http://alienscollection.com/thermalizedplastics.html
(it's also available through Monsters-In-Motion).
Moebius is releasing a "mini" Spindrift in the same scale as the 1/125 "big" Seaview, and will be roughly half the size of the Aurora/PL Spindrift. This, and the mini Flying Sub, will probably make great Christmas tree ornaments!


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## Argonaut

Seaview said:


> Thermalized Plastics has a 1/12 scale fiberglass kit that I'm currently building.
> !


Any pics to share?:tongue:


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## jonboc

*spindrift*

The Thermalized Plastics kit is amazing. :thumbsup: I have a friend who purchased one, built and lit, and it is a beauty...not to mention HUGE. I love to drool on it when I go to visit.


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## Seaview

Argonaut said:


> Any pics to share?:tongue:


 
When it's finished, and judging by how little free time I have, possibly by late spring/early summer. :hat:


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