It's been awhile since I posted a stupid story, so, I am overdue.

True Story

Many years ago now I was getting my feet wet as a warehouse worker at my current employer. The economy sucked, (early 80s), and I settled to pull customer orders. Here I am, 40 years later, at the same company. Who'd da thunk. Thankfully, I am not doing the same job I was doing then.

Around that time my cousin finished his tour with the Army and Cuz needed a job. I spoke with the Prez, Cuz applied, Cuz was hired. Little did I know, Cuz, viewed the job as a stepping stone to something perhaps a little more suiting to his talents. Don't ask me what those talents are because I don't think he even knew. Heck, we were still young, and we were still trying to find our feet. Only, in his case, his feet were adorned with clowns shoes.

Well, his first day went pretty normal but within days I began to see trouble brewing. I guess the job didn't entertain him enough because he began fashioning hats out of cardboard parts bins. He found one that fit snugly to his goofy noggin, and in marker he wrote, NIMO across the face of the box where we'd apply stock labels. So, imagine his hat with a flat face, flat sides, and a flat top. Soon after he attached two radial leaded disc capacitors at the top of the box towards the face of it. I suppose they were to represent antenna. When I first saw him doing this I laughed because seriously, what an idiot. I thought the idiot would get his jollies, and then move on. Um, not so. He'd wear that thing all day, everyday. Imagine the looks of people as they came into the warehous. As the days rolled into weeks, the looks turned towards me like, you recommended this guy? Lol. Good thing that I didn't really care. I viewed the job as he did, a stepping stone too, but, in my case, I didn't make a mockery of it like he did. 

Soon, it came to my attn that he was sending parts through the pneumatic tube with notes like, Death to this, and death to that. I don't remember exactly what it was he wrote, but it was all pretty infantile. I don't think anyone was threatened, he was just making a mockery of the job. So, the guys waiting for parts at the counter are getting crazy notes sent along with them, and those worksheets are used to write up customer receipts. This is usually done with the customer standing across the counter. Needless to say, they were not happy.

We had another guy start not long after Cuz did. He looked a lot like Jeffery Dahmer, only this guy had a big mop of curly hair. Aside from the hair, he was a spitting image of Dahmer.

This guy was not the brightest buib, but a nice enough guy. Cuz, he had decided to prank the guy. Dahmer was a smoker, and Cuz inserted exploding loads into his cigarettes. Every now and then I'd hear a pop. Soon, Dahmer approached me, "these cigarettes must be defective because they keep exploding."  What can I say other than, "Oh? Really?" 

Then one day I see it happen. Dahmer is about 10 feet from me, he is sucking on a cig, POP!  He looks at me,  says, "you see? They keep exploding!" I say, "I don't know man. That is really weird." And yeah, trying not to laugh. He says, "You saw it explode right?" I say, "Oh yeah. It exploded alright. Maybe you better get a new pack." 

We had another warehouse worker that was scared of Cuz. I think he thought he was crazy! He didn't know what to think of him. I think Cuz smelled blood in the water because  Cuz played on his fears. 

Probably a good thing, but Cuz left the company after about 5 weeks. He decided that schooling was in order. Here is the crazy thing. After Cuz resigned, Prez came back to see me and he says, "Steve. If you have any other people like him, be sure to tell me. I am sorry to see him go. I didn't think he would stay here long, not with his qualifications."  Dumbfounded, I say, "Ok... I sure will." Clearly, his antics didn't filter up to him.

After Cuz left, there was a palpable sigh of relief within the company. Lol.

So what does Cuz do for a living now? He is an airline mechanic. Think of that the next time you fly somewhere. 

PS:  Maybe I told this story already. Hard to remember with how long this project is running.

Bakster

Thanks, Cliff. One more sanded today, two more to go

Clapper is excited this project may see an end. He is tired of clapping.

Yup. Still trippin.

Gamera

They look really good. Looking forward to more!! 

 

Thanks for the head's up. Have 'The Omega Man' on DVD, guess I need to pull it out and watch it again before long. 

 

Thanks, Cliff. One more sanded today, two more to go.

They look really good. Looking forward to more!! 

Thanks for the head's up. Have 'The Omega Man' on DVD, guess I need to pull it out and watch it again before long. 

steve5

you amaze me sometimes steve , with your patience and dedication . keep up the good work mate .

 

Hey thanks, Steve. It's the only way through to the end.

you amaze me sometimes steve , with your patience and dedication . keep up the good work mate .

I used Puduo two-part epoxy resin. It is clear, slow curing, and not much for smell. Being clear it helped me to find bubbles clinging to the surface of the mold. Slow curing gave me the time needed to work them out. Some of them were stubborn to dislodge and it's important to do so or you'll end up with divots on the face of the cast. Stating the obvious probably. I didn't expect the difficulty. It was like they were statically clinging to the mold. I had to keep poking at them until they came free.

Below: How the resin looks cured while still in it's mold. It gives you an idea of it's clarity. Suspended bubbles are still a problem for anyone looking to cast a clear part.

Below: How one figure looks on its bed. This bed is actual size in relation to the figure and to the chambers I built.

Below: This is the profile I ended up with. Probably, it should be slightly deeper, but I don't dare go further. It is too fragile. Btw. This 1 figure took me about an hour to sand. It is delicate work, not helped by the heat of working with it, making the resin pliable.

I guess that is it for now. 

PS: I noticed that tomorrow, Sunday AM, TCM is airing Omega Man. I think a few of you said you like the movie. I do too. I set the DVR.

Gamera

The molds look really good, guess I does help that the figures don't really have a back to cast.

True. It is easier to cast. Before making the mold I sanded the back side of the pieces flat making it easier to steady the figures and to help keep the mold material from wrapping around them.

Funny about the cryo-bed! Thanks for the levity. Maybe before going to sleepy, Taylor had something else in that stogie other than tobacco. Taylor: Hmm. What does this button do?

Greg

Schmart idea.

Schmanks!!

Bakster

That I don't end up with broken, difficult to use, or even useless figures, I will cast duplicates.

Schmart idea.

The molds look really good, guess I does help that the figures don't really have a back to cast. 

BTW: Please make sure that cryo-bed is set to the right thing. I think Taylor accidently hit 'COOK' with the lady astronaut... 

Below:  You can see that each astronaut has a recessed bed where they rest in.

Rather than to make something like that--it will be much easier to mimic it. The solution I chose is to sand the backs of each figure to a point that it mimics that profile. Doing that is a delicate process because it weakens the already delicate figures. That I don't end up with broken, difficult to use, or even useless figures, I will cast duplicates. If I mess one up--I can cast another. 

Below: I used blue stuff to make the molds. I will use a two-part epoxy to cast the figures.

End of update

Gamera

Oh wow that is a great deal!

And the Icarus looks great. I'm glad you didn't shelf her Bakster she's going to look fantastic!!!

 

Thanks, Cliff!

Oh wow that is a great deal!

And the Icarus looks great. I'm glad you didn't shelf her Bakster she's going to look fantastic!!!

Greg

$8 for those 4 figures is unbelievable. Deal of the century.

You are telling ME. I wanted to give him more money, if only for the work he put into this. Luis insisted that I don't. He said that he enjoyed the project. Pretty nice of him.

I agree about the masking. I was more concerned about this because the mask had been on for weeks. You know how paint gets brittle over time. It was that, and that I didn't always have a flat service to tape to because of the epoxy used to attach the windows. Paint can creep under. Fortunately, all was well.

Thanks,Greg.

$8 for those 4 figures is unbelievable. Deal of the century.

Front end looks cool with the masking tape off. I know what you mean, it's always an adventure. I dunno about you, but knock wood, my experience is usually better than expected more than not.

Update: I added ceiling light decals and sealed them in with Dulcote. They look so-so, but they will do. Now that those are done I was able to remove the window masks. That went well. You never know what you are gonna get when you pull masking off.

I also drilled a hole into the airframe, bottom side, just forward of the aft bulkhead. The hole is to route wiring and it will be submerged in the dio.

Below: For grins... I inserted the cabin. You can see what is visible through the windows. It is nice to see some of the work I did. Most of what I did is not visible, and that will be true too from the opening at the rear of the ship. In testing, the seats block a lot of what was done. I knew that going into this--doing it anyway is all about the journey. 

When I paint the exterior that ugliness around the windows will get framed out. 

Timing is everything

With finishing the work I did yesterday, I'd have to start more work on the exterior until the figures came. Guess what I found in my mail yesterday? Wow! I could not have timed it better.

Luis advised that detail was softened by the small size of these. Though, that seems true--these are lightyears better than what I was moving towards using. I paid around $8.00 for the set, shipping and paypal fee included. It is a real bargain for a custom set of figures. Thanks, Luis!

Facebook page is :  https://www.facebook.com/HOLDEN8702/

End of update.

My biggest issue with BR2049 is the villian. I just couldn't take Wallace seriously as a foe. He was just a crazy guy wandering around in a bathrobe and quoting the Bible. 

Sorry, guys- crazy ain't scary. I just feel sorry for crazy people. 

I mean crazy people can be dangerous. But someone who's level-headed, sane, and just evil is lot scarier. At least to me. 

Terrell was a much better lead guy. He wasn't a cackling villian- he just saw the replicants as a product to be bought and sold. Which in my opinion made him more evil and more believable as a bad guy. 

I haven't seen any of the 'Alien' movies past number four. And the only Preditor movies I've seen are the first and second. From what I've heard I haven't missed a whole lot. I always got the impression the replicates were genetically-engineered and vat-grown humans. Completly organic but considered androids since they were created in a lab instead of born.  

BR 2049 really cast Ryan Gosling well--he comes off as an android really well.

I'm really glad the new cannon about how BR is a prequel for Alien came out after they did the movie. 

This is soething Im not "sold" on very well.  As it comes across as a way to justify the hot mess that was Prometheus (and, for that matter, Covenant).  And, there's no good way to resolve the pre-existing blending of the Predator universe with the Xenomorph universe.

If Wayland Corp is a precursor, then Bishop should have been even more seamless.

Especially, as BE 2049 generally implies that there are organic components in Replicants.

Becase, let's face it, what is simpler to power an android than mitochondria--able to break down carbohydrates into glucose, and use that energy.  Skip the batteries, the fusion power cells and all that--just eat food.  (This is a very implied part of HBO's Westworld, that the Hosts are organic, use blood and the like, if on manufactured chassis.)

Gamera

I really liked Blade Runner 2049. Maybe it's a little thing but I loved that it's set in an alternate dimension since you can see the logos of Atari and Pan Am in some of the backgrounds. I liked that they may be bankrupt today but that they didn't rewrite the sequel to go along with this. 

And on a darker note if you look close at the ballet dancer hologram it seems in this world the USSR is still around too.

 

That is an interesting analysis there, Cliff. I like your track of thought. I have been trying to think of any one thing that I like about it, but I can't pin it down. I like all of it. It is so well put together. Like Nino said, it sucks you in. Now a days, that is a rare thing with movies.

Nino

 

DECALS!   Love what you've done with'em.

TRON.  I worked for IBM too long to get enthralled with Tron.  Byte me Tron. 

(I actually enjoyed both T movies; once I learned to relax and not take it personal.

BLADE RUNNER.  Ya gotta watch them again and again.  You darn near can smell the food. You can practically feel the rain.  And the Confusion & Mystery, as felt by the actors??  Oh yeah, I get it.

I do get caught up in that story.  It's the Story that sucks you in. 

     Nino

 

How close are we to drive-or fly-by dining and Clone Kiosks & Clinics? 

 

Thanks Nino, about the decals.

Yeah the BR movies are so nicely done. If you have the Blu-ray remake, the extra features are interesting to watch too. They took great pains remaining true to the storyline. 

I really liked Blade Runner 2049. Maybe it's a little thing but I loved that it's set in an alternate dimension since you can see the logos of Atari and Pan Am in some of the backgrounds. I liked that they may be bankrupt today but that they didn't rewrite the sequel to go along with this. 

And on a darker note if you look close at the ballet dancer hologram it seems in this world the USSR is still around too.

DECALS!   Love what you've done with'em.

TRON.  I worked for IBM too long to get enthralled with Tron.  Byte me Tron. 

(I actually enjoyed both T movies; once I learned to relax and not take it personal.

BLADE RUNNER.  Ya gotta watch them again and again.  You darn near can smell the food. You can practically feel the rain.  And the Confusion & Mystery, as felt by the actors??  Oh yeah, I get it.

I do get caught up in that story.  It's the Story that sucks you in. 

     Nino

How close are we to drive-or fly-by dining and Clone Kiosks & Clinics? 

Gamera

That looks great Bakster! And looking forward to seeing the figures all painted up. 

 

As to Tron, never saw it it the theater. But the cable channels, I think mostly TNT used to run it all the time back in the '90s. Love the movie and link it to my childhood due to this. And the sequel is pretty friggin' awesome- this is how to do a sequel thirty years later! 

 

"As to Tron, never saw it it the theater. But the cable channels, I think mostly TNT used to run it all the time back in the '90s. Love the movie and link it to my childhood due to this. And the sequel is pretty friggin' awesome- this is how to do a sequel thirty years later!" 

Yeah-- I agree about the sequel. Another sequel I really liked? I really like, Blade Runner 2049. I thought they did a great job on it. The story drove the movie, not the special effects. I think its time to pull BR and watch it again. 

That looks great Bakster! And looking forward to seeing the figures all painted up. 

As to Tron, never saw it it the theater. But the cable channels, I think mostly TNT used to run it all the time back in the '90s. Love the movie and link it to my childhood due to this. And the sequel is pretty friggin' awesome- this is how to do a sequel thirty years later! 

Hey Greg, Mark, and John... thanks for the support. It means a lot!

CapnMac82

Wow, that's incredible.

 

I'll second the Cap for sure.

That is some seriously nice work, Steve.

Looking good.  Decals turned out great.  Back in the day anti aliasing was used for line smoothing to soften the 'step' appearance of lines on displays but shouldnt have impact on Horizontal or vertical lines... strange

Wow, that's incredible.