Close Encounter of the Small Kind

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Close Encounter of the Small Kind

Posted by disastermaster on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 8:14 PM

Been working on this since my last post, remember when?

https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/189557.aspx

Sure hope ya'll enjoy this.

Picked up this old wooden nut dish at the local salvation army outlet .......($.50)

And it just grew from there......

Got some (plastic) automotive door edge strip leftover from a local bodyshop..... gave me about 18"

....just enough.

So far $.50

A used and washed frozen food dish and some internal pieces ... 'bout $2

in place......Bottom will be covered over with wood and a cork overlay.

On/off switch with optional 9 volt battery or charger connection made with "old" calculator. Maybe another dollar.

Better view......

Another dollar tree treat here. Had to cut out the bottom of that container.

Trying different angles of beam simulation.

Globe fitment test. A $10 flawless globe from salvation army (got lucky).

Top half of saucer.......5/6 pieces.

Bottom half of saucer (more detail on it's bottom, about 7 pieces here)

Both pieces made from dollar tree party accessories, maybe $3.

Getting it together.

Next I'll be adding the grass and reflippin that glass (the drink container that is).

So if you have a tractor beam you just got'a have a tractor, right?

Here it is. $.50 goodwill.

And here's the complete result.

Less than $20 altogether.

Sure looks better than a tic-tac.

The lower light stays on but the upper light sequence is accessible/adjustable and really reflects nicely on that glass.

Here's a shot in the dark.

"Where's my tractor?"

I bet that "Farmer in the Dell is gon'a be madder than e¬¬.

Sorry guys, but it's not possible to show that animation in a still photo.

Reply

keavdog

Member since
April 2003
From: USA

Posted by keavdog on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 9:30 PM

That's pretty darn creative! And the addition of the tractor is hilarious. Nice job and what a fun project!

Thanks,

John

Reply

fox

Member since
January 2007
From: Narvon, Pa.

Posted by fox on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 10:21 PM

Wow! Very interesting what can be done with a lot of imagination. Nice work.

Jim Captain

Stay Safe.

Main WIP:

On the Bench: Artesania Latina (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 11:23 AM

keavdog

That's pretty darn creative! And the addition of the tractor is hilarious. Nice job and what a fun project!

Thank you for the comment.

Yeah, a cow is too common. I've seen many configurations for this subject so I thought, what the heck.... it's a tractor beam, so no cows allowed on this trip.

Anyhow, too much dung clogs up the beamer filter

and the crew gets tired of having to roll it out.

Reply

Gamera

Member since
November 2009
From: SW Virginia

Posted by Gamera on Thursday, April 7, 2022 11:36 AM

LOL! that's awesome!!! Great job with a few cheap odds & ends!

The aliens probably already mutilated all his poor cows.

I dunno if aliens exist but if they do they are jerks...

As Joe Bob Briggs said about Texas aliens they don't mutilate cows, stick probes in people, or make crop circles. They just sneak in your kitchen in the middle of the night and steal all your beer...

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

Reply

philo426

Member since
March 2005

Posted by philo426 on Thursday, April 7, 2022 11:41 AM

Really neat!

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Thursday, April 7, 2022 3:02 PM

fox

Wow! Very interesting what can be done with a lot of imagination. Nice work.

Jim

Stay Safe.

Thanks Jim,

With too much free time on my hands it's good to have an imagination

Reply

Real G

Member since
May 2011
From: Honolulu, Hawaii

Posted by Real G on Thursday, April 7, 2022 3:39 PM

Brilliant.

"Tractor Beam"? Oh my.

Galaxy Quest Laughing GIF - Galaxy Quest Laughing GIFs

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

Reply

Greg

Member since
May 2013
From: Indiana, USA

Posted by Greg on Thursday, April 7, 2022 4:45 PM

A huge 'Atta Boy' from me, too. Yes Yes Yes

Creative, indeed. And I darned near didn't get the significance of the 'tractor' beam! Bang Head

Big Smile

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Friday, April 8, 2022 3:14 PM

Gamera

LOL! that's awesome!!! Great job with a few cheap odds & ends!

The aliens probably already mutilated all his poor cows.

I dunno if aliens exist but if they do they are jerks...

As Joe Bob Briggs said about Texas aliens they don't mutilate cows, stick probes in people, or make crop circles. They just sneak in your kitchen in the middle of the night and steal all your beer...

Thank you!

Can't figure out why I'm always up to something like this. This really wasn't next on my project agenda.

I'll see something with a bit of potential and then I'm off to lala land

Was watching "Close encounters" and upon seeing the "Devil's Tower" portion I began to be drawn to this idea.

I've no idea what will strike me next.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Saturday, April 9, 2022 3:55 PM

philo426

Really neat!

Thank you, I really appreciate that.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 5:03 PM

Real G

Brilliant.

"Tractor Beam"? Oh my.

Thank's real g.

I'm a plowing right on in to my next project.

Hope it shines just as bright.

Wow, time flies. I just realized I didn't check in on the internet yesterday.

Reply

Tanker-Builder

Member since
October 2019
From: New Braunfels, Texas

Posted by Tanker-Builder on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 5:10 PM

LOL!LOL!

I can't stop chucklin. Whatta great imaginative creation there!

Reply

Back to the bench

Member since
July 2009
From: North Carolina

Posted by Back to the bench on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 6:10 PM

Now that is AWESOME!!! Very creative and nary a piece of photo etch, resin or actual kit in sight! Big Smile Alien Bow Down

Gil

Reply

lurch

Member since
August 2021

Posted by lurch on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 6:47 PM

Thats fantastic. See what happens when you use your imagination. Great job I love it.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Saturday, April 16, 2022 10:19 PM

Greg

A huge 'Atta Boy' from me, too.

Creative, indeed. And I darned near didn't get the significance of the 'tractor' beam!

Thank you Greg.

Finally got back on here. I've been having car problems that's been taking away most of my online time.

I got started and the more I did, the more I did.

This was an impulse build as I hadn't planned on doing it.

In this episode of 'Things That *** Me Off'......... - Ars Technica OpenForum

"Tractor" beam.... Yeah, I thought that might be an amusing addition!

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Friday, April 22, 2022 1:55 AM

Thanks Tanker.

Always glad to provide a bit of creative humor.

Sometimes my imagination gets me in trouble though.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Monday, April 25, 2022 1:10 AM

Back to the bench

Now that is AWESOME!!! Very creative and nary a piece of photo etch, resin or actual kit in sight!

That's right, just dollar tree and thrift store rejects.

I'm glad you like it!

Thank you.

Reply

Eaglecash867

Member since
April 2020

Posted by Eaglecash867 on Monday, April 25, 2022 9:15 AM

That's really cool, DM! Did you do your mock-up with a big pile of mashed potatoes? Alien

"You can have my illegal fireworks when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers...which are...over there somewhere."

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Saturday, April 30, 2022 8:11 PM

lurch

Thats fantastic. See what happens when you use your imagination. Great job I love it.

Thanks Lurch.

I can't imagine not having imagination.

After seeing your screen handle, the imagination kicked in again..... I'm thinking "Adam's Family".

Reply

TigerII

Member since
June 2004
From: East Stroudsburg, PA

Posted by TigerII on Sunday, May 1, 2022 12:24 AM

Wow, THAT is really a fantastic job. You might say its out of this world.

Achtung Panzer! Colonel General Heinz Guderian

Reply

lurch

Member since
August 2021

Posted by lurch on Sunday, May 1, 2022 1:08 PM

Long story behind that DM. I have been using it for aboyt 45 years now and never had an issue with it on either end. Glad you like it.

Reply

disastermaster

Member since
July 2003
From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in central North Carolina.

Posted by disastermaster on Friday, May 6, 2022 2:58 PM

Eaglecash867

That's really cool, DM! Did you do your mock-up with a big pile of mashed potatoes?

Thank you eaglecash.

"Did you do your mock-up with a big pile of mashed potatoes?"

I'm a bit slow on that question.......??

But, on the other hand it did start with an old nut bowl, so

I guess you could say this was a nut job using some big nuts (walnuts that is).

Reply

Eaglecash867

Member since
April 2020

Posted by Eaglecash867 on Friday, May 6, 2022 4:25 PM

disastermaster
"Did you do your mock-up with a big pile of mashed potatoes?" I'm a bit slow on that question.......?? But, on the other hand it did start with an old nut bowl, so I guess you could say this was a nut job using some big nuts (walnuts that is).

Just playin into the Close Encounters theme...where Richard Dreyfus uses a big pile of mashed potatoes as his first prototype for those Devil's Tower visions he was having. Wink