Desert mound or missle launcher?

Post ID: 97425, posted on July 26th, 2014

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Hi Folks,

I've an idea for this competition but wanted to make sure it fitted with the competition criteria.

The idea revolves around an old "floppy disk" box (remember floppy disks?), it has a lid that slides open to reveal the container for the floppies. If this was mounted on a suitable base and covered with say, sand and desert vegetation it would be suitable for wild west gaming, or other desert based games. Flip the lid and the hill becomes a series of missiles ready for launch.

Is this "convertible / reversible" enough to meet the competition rules?

Cheers

Mark

Post ID: 97427, posted on July 26th, 2014

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Seems like a good fit. 2 completely different purposes

Post ID: 97432, posted on July 29th, 2014

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We really do need a like button don't we?

Post ID: 97433, posted on July 29th, 2014

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Like to Amdy's comment

Post ID: 97434, posted on July 29th, 2014

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I also like it; this one will be fun to watch.

Post ID: 97476, posted on August 10th, 2014

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Been away on a holiday for a few days so haven't made any progress, but got a few hours in today in between starting the decorating of our lounge (orders from She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed)...

The base is made from foam board, I've had to raise the disk box slightly as I discovered that the opening section protrudes out as it flips over so it needs about a 5mm gap underneath it:

Painted the box to look like concrete (well it will once I get the dry brushing done), I want the missile silo to be a very different look to the natural exterior...

I'm adding a tiled floor to the missile silo as the original floppy disk box had alot of text on it which I've found difficult to remove, so just covering it all over.

Post ID: 97477, posted on August 10th, 2014

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For the natural exterior of the terrain piece I'm going to be using these Cacti models that I picked up for 50p (40 cents??) in a second hand store.

Post ID: 97495, posted on August 15th, 2014

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Now adding pre-mixed plaster around the box to create the landscape around the missile silo. It'll take a couple of layers to build it up sufficiently to try to remove the box shape. Too thick and it'll take ages to dry.

I'm trying to work out the best way to create "missiles". Any suggestions?

Post ID: 97496, posted on August 15th, 2014

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Biro barrels, drinking straws, golf pencils, or even rolled up paper tubes. But the truth is, you might not actually have to make any missile bodies so much as just make the nose cones. After all, it's the noses that we'll see and use to recognize the missiles; we won't be able to see the fins. It's the noses sticking out of the box that lets us identify a missile launcher. Example of noses-only launcher.

As for nose cones, you could make a mold from any appropriate sized cone; pencil/pen tip, carved dowel, or whatever. Then you could cast the 6-12 cones you need and they'd all be identical. After that, it's just a matter of gluing them to a frame and sticking the frame in the box.

Or you could get a dowel, run the end through a pencil sharpener, then cut off the cone. Repeat. Easy and simple, the downside is that you won't have ogive cones [How much do you want to get into nose cones? I know WAAAY more about them than is probably healthy.].

You can check out the Wikipedia entry for nose cone design and see what shape appeals to you, then go from there. How to go about modeling cones will depend on what shape you want.

Post ID: 97498, posted on August 16th, 2014

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Looking good! I'd have used some off cut polystyrene to build up the hill before covering - that's just me though!

Also, remember, you don;t have to fill the launcher with rockets - perhaps have some empty spaces where they've been fired already.

Post ID: 97504, posted on August 17th, 2014

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These are from a fly fishing supplies webpage:

One quarter inch diameter.

A package of 10 Bic Crystal (or Biro) pens is usually about a dollar this time of year. The cone caps plus a package of Biro bodies would net parts for 10 missiles for $2.

Froggy the Great did these:
More Rocketships Threads on Reaper's Forum
out of Golf Tees and something cake decorators use. He is a member here but the project is posted on Reaper's Forum.

Golf Tees combined with Biro barrels might work well.

Last edited by pendrake on August 17th, 2014; edited 1 time in total

Post ID: 97505, posted on August 17th, 2014

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I remember floppy disks. I had two boxes identical to this one, I even remember the true floppy disks whose diameter exceeded FIVE inches.
_________

( I miss Bert, my pet brontosaurus, with that tail of his he could give you a slap-up-side the head that would land you in the middle of next week. I miss Bert. I miss the way dirt felt when it was new...)

...I'm old.

Post ID: 97509, posted on August 17th, 2014

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Missiles .... How about small dowl rods put through a pencil sharpener.

Post ID: 97510, posted on August 17th, 2014

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I remember the eights. Never used them, but they were still around.

Had another couple ideas: Certain types of anchor screws ( like this one ) look like missiles; just need paint. Also, small wire nuts and other types of wall anchors, whereas not conical, would make very menacing nose cones.

Post ID: 97515, posted on August 19th, 2014

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Some more progress - built up the hill a bit more. Yes I should have used polystyrene blocks to build it up first and then plaster over - I didn't really think about it before slapping the plaster on! So have used small bits on top to pad out the rock outcrops a little.

Now to add some colour, sand etc