"I guess like anything it's a matter of just fiddling with things till you find something that works"

Bingo. Same is true with the tissue and glue method. Work with it long enough you might get what you want. I don't want to get that bogged down. 

"My hat's off to all the actors there, anyone who could do that with a straight face is a heck of an actor in my book"

So true. So true.

Lol Bakster you're completely right...

Watched the episode with the Norse god Thor last night and the one with the wizard tonight...

Oh gawd were they awful. I was prepared for the whacky adventures of Will, Dr. Smith, and the robot but not for the whole let's just bring on a guest star and have them act like a giant goofball for an hour. 

The series left behind any pretense of being a science fiction series and it's totally fantasy at this point. Who or what will pop up next? Durned if I know.....  

The series left behind any pretense of being a science fiction series and it's totally fantasy at this point. Who or what will pop up next? Durned if I know....

Wow. That is perfectly said.

Bakster

Question: What is the context of, the horror the horror. Where does that come into the story and why?

In Heart of Darkness, the main character, Charles Marlow relates the tale of how he spent more than a year--close to two--up this fictional version of the Congo, in his quest to reach Kurtz's station and return again.

His first steamer is wrecked, and it takes months to repair it.  The boat then is stricken upstream, but this time by disease.  Months and months later, Marlow finally reaches Kurtz, only to find him dead of the plague already.  His return trip is no better than the upstream version.

So, it's really a form of the Oddessy, with Marlow as Oddyseus, the only survivor.  Only, he has no riches, no golden fleece, nothing but, "The Horror the horror" of it all (notably several print versions, no doubt due to persnickity type setters, rendered the manuscript as "The Horror!  The Horror!" to make it gramatical).

And, of course, Conrad'a point was to paint a very ugly picture of Beligian Colonialism in West Africa, and its utter inhumanity.  The swells in Bruges, or any of Europe did not let the book interfere with their fois gras, truffles, or mayo on their pommes frites in the slightest.

The curtains look realy good.

I've not used GG as an adhesive.  I do rather like the AK SuperGrip, which seemst for be a very "sticky" PVA much like a blend of Titbond II & Titebond III (both flexible when set, but sticky while curing).

You probably do not have enough bearing surface to use the MicroMark PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) which can best be imagined as the "glue" on transparent tape only without the plastic film.  It's huegely 'polite' for adhereing transparent materials to other things (sandwiching glazing between bulkhead panels for one).  But, it's very much "activated" by pressure.

Gamera

The series left behind any pretense of being a science fiction series and it's totally fantasy at this point. Who or what will pop up next?

This can be the fate of too many shows just "left to run" without any thought of an over-arcing story arc, or some reasonable point to move to, and then from.

It's endemic in the SF genre, and one that particularly plagues episodic SF.  The writers get caught up in the heroic ensemble cast, and fail to give equal consideration to their foes.

If you stand up an implacable foe, even worse, and invincible enemy--what happens when your heroes win?  This is particularly complicated if you have a resolution in mind, but you get canceled a season before you can carry that off (see Farscape, among others).  It's worse if you have no resolution in mind, and get continued for another season.

Also, the production companies need to understand, and believe in the success of serials with multiple, interleaved, story arcs, to where an episode can be "padded out" with forshadowing and left "hanging" at the end.  J. Michael Strazinski really proved that with Babylon 5.

He built a five-year story arc, and put not one, but two "end points" in the middle of that, to allow for early cancellation.  Until B5, most "tv people" assumed you "had to" resolve the entire episode in the episode, or no one would come back next week.

The notion was slow to "take"--witness Andromeda, one of Gene Roddenbery's last, and helmed by his widow, Majel.  About halfway through Season One, they started writing in deeper arcs, and incorporating parts of earlier episodes as foreshadowing (if after the fact).  S2 uses those more effectively.  Which is what carried Andromeda through 5 seasons.

It's the "grit" that kept The Expanse going, despite SyFy canceling it (or, perhaps, because of).  Interweaved story arcs is the definition of Farscape, too (also cancled by SyFy for being "too successful"). 

What do you do with an implacable foe after you defeat it?  Well, SG-1 found a way, a brand new enemy.  (That is, until SyFy, itself, became the enemy of the series).

Hey Capn, Wow. That story sounds awesome. I don't have much time for reading but that sounds like one to note. Thanks for sharing that.

Thanks about the curtains.

Also, thanks about the glues. That is good info to know and I might try ordering some. I think particularly for when mounting the panels. Maybe the Micromark PSA would work well. 

You are a wealth of information.

Bakster

You are a wealth of information.

Most of which I'm doomed to never forget--a near eidetic menory is not always a blessing.

Conrad's Heart of Darkness, one of those bits of educational hazing, like Moby ***, Wuthering Heights, or Little Women, meant to "enrich" the urchins and keep them at their studies.  They wind up as checkmarks, rites of passage, Merit Badges, if you will.

Getting actual value out of those is as complicated as it is individual.  Heart of Darkness is handy for having many pithy quotes, if less utile becasue so few recognize them.

So, Shakespeare is actually better, as more people will recognise the refernce, if not necessarily know it verbatim.

I spend too much time doing too many things.  Found some gigs printing off Rapid Prototypes.  As a paid gig, that makes the resin cheaper for my use.  At least until you trade in the Elegoo for an AnyCubic Mono [o_O]

Doing RP work often wants making things in smaller assemblies and sticking them together.  Which keeps a person looking for cool adhesives.

The more I do the less time seems to be in a given day.  Sigh.

Very interesting, Capn. 

Also interesting is the RP work. 

I was wondering how you came across those glues and now I know why. Thanks again for that info. Something tells me it will prove to be very useful with what I am working on.

As busy as you are... do you have time to work on scale models for yourself? I would love to see your projects.

As for me... I did not have time to work on my project this weekend. Too much going on. Add to that... it is hard to relegate myself to a basement when the summer is here. Though, Canadian smoke and oppressive humidity has forced me indoors anyhow. For the most part, the smoke has moved eastward...for now.

I often wish I had a screened gazebo structure where I could install a small bench. Then, I could be outside, and still work on my projects. Well, at least during cooler days.

Off to do chores now. My entanglements never end. Looking forward to retirement in a few years.

CapnMac82

 

 

Gamera

The series left behind any pretense of being a science fiction series and it's totally fantasy at this point. Who or what will pop up next?

 

 

This can be the fate of too many shows just "left to run" without any thought of an over-arcing story arc, or some reasonable point to move to, and then from.

It's endemic in the SF genre, and one that particularly plagues episodic SF.  The writers get caught up in the heroic ensemble cast, and fail to give equal consideration to their foes.

If you stand up an implacable foe, even worse, and invincible enemy--what happens when your heroes win?  This is particularly complicated if you have a resolution in mind, but you get canceled a season before you can carry that off (see Farscape, among others).  It's worse if you have no resolution in mind, and get continued for another season.

Also, the production companies need to understand, and believe in the success of serials with multiple, interleaved, story arcs, to where an episode can be "padded out" with forshadowing and left "hanging" at the end.  J. Michael Strazinski really proved that with Babylon 5.

He built a five-year story arc, and put not one, but two "end points" in the middle of that, to allow for early cancellation.  Until B5, most "tv people" assumed you "had to" resolve the entire episode in the episode, or no one would come back next week.

The notion was slow to "take"--witness Andromeda, one of Gene Roddenbery's last, and helmed by his widow, Majel.  About halfway through Season One, they started writing in deeper arcs, and incorporating parts of earlier episodes as foreshadowing (if after the fact).  S2 uses those more effectively.  Which is what carried Andromeda through 5 seasons.

It's the "grit" that kept The Expanse going, despite SyFy canceling it (or, perhaps, because of).  Interweaved story arcs is the definition of Farscape, too (also cancled by SyFy for being "too successful"). 

What do you do with an implacable foe after you defeat it?  Well, SG-1 found a way, a brand new enemy.  (That is, until SyFy, itself, became the enemy of the series).

 

Captian,  some great points there. 

But was there any regular enemy on LiS other than Smith? I don't have an issue with episodic TV, both Trek and ST:TNG did it really well. I liked when the Robinsons had to deal with something like a quake, drought, or some crazy alien technology on each episode. 

I just got annoyed when they just keep having a guest star pop up and act like a big goofball and that's the whole plot. The last one I watched 'Cave of the Wizards' or something like I really liked. No goofball guest star, just Smith fooling around with some lost alien technology that bites him on the butt. 

Bakster

Very interesting, Capn. 

Also interesting is the RP work. 

I was wondering how you came across those glues and now I know why. Thanks again for that info. Something tells me it will prove to be very useful with what I am working on.

As busy as you are... do you have time to work on scale models for yourself? I would love to see your projects.

As for me... I did not have time to work on my project this weekend. Too much going on. Add to that... it is hard to relegate myself to a basement when the summer is here. Though, Canadian smoke and oppressive humidity has forced me indoors anyhow. For the most part, the smoke has moved eastward...for now.

I often wish I had a screened gazebo structure where I could install a small bench. Then, I could be outside, and still work on my projects. Well, at least during cooler days.

Off to do chores now. My entanglements never end. Looking forward to retirement in a few years.

 

 

Bakster: Keep your head down! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with when you get some more time. 

Bakster: Keep your head down! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with when you get some more time. 

Will do, Gam. I still have a joy for the build. That is half the battle.

Bakster

As busy as you are... do you have time to work on scale models for yourself? I would love to see your projects

Sadly, just too busy.  I have to live vicariously too much of the time.

That's life.

Gamera

I just got annoyed when they just keep having a guest star pop up and act like a big goofball and that's the whole plot. The last one I watched 'Cave of the Wizards' or something like I really liked. No goofball guest star, just Smith fooling around with some lost alien technology that bites him on the butt.

Well, that was the old model of episodic tv.

Once you have the cast identified, and the characters invented, you then "stand up" enemies/foes/obstacles they can resolve in either 17 or 44 minutes of run time.

Early on, that, for SF stuff was easy, just invent one more rubber-suited alien to overcome/defeat/whatever.

But, that becomes tired and hackneyed; even the writers will tire of it, until they "jumb the shark" (intentionally or unintentionally).

One of the "breakthrough" things Roddenberry brought to TOS was a willingness to embrace larger issues, to stand up, and take away, characters (if typically tangential cast, not 'core' cast).

And the reflex to set things up as actro-based, rather than setting based is often what can cripple shows.  If the premise, the setting, is good, it should not matter which actor is present.  An example of this is ER, where Mike Creighton was very much focused on a show about a hospital, and not just one member of staff, but the interaction of a changing "envelope" of people.  Which mirrors how "real life" functions.

This is challenging, as we each, ourselves, ar the center of our own stories, even as we exist within a swirl of interactions with other people.

We all benefit from great story telling, and fiction serves as a way to look past the mundane, and experience all that is good as well as the bad in life.  That latter being something too many fiction producers sometimes want to shield us from.  Usually to the detriment of the story.

I'm not arguing with you Captain, I agree with everything you said. 

Actually the last few episodes have been better. No, it's not Trek, B5, FarScape, etc but I swear LiS is better than Space 1999, one of the worst and most boring SF series I've watched... 

Gamera

...Space 1999, one of the worst and most boring SF series I've watched..

I'd second that.  I tried to watch it again recently and got throgh a small portion of it before I gave up.  The setting and production design were really cool but not enough to get me to stick with it till the end.

PhoenixG

 

 

Gamera

...Space 1999, one of the worst and most boring SF series I've watched..

 

 

I'd second that.  I tried to watch it again recently and got throgh a small portion of it before I gave up.  The setting and production design were really cool but not enough to get me to stick with it till the end.

 

This is a show I could not get behind either. Bored me to death. 

Glad I wasn't the only one! 

Gamera

better than Space 1999, one of the worst and most boring SF series I've watched

Yeah, it's thick going at the best of times.  The pacing is glacial, ven by contemporary standards.  And the all-too-obvious reuse of "stock footage" is all too glaringly obvious.

And, the second season is even worse than the first, and by leagues.

UFO has some of the same flaws, but winds up better, somehow.

Further testing done using the Gator Grip. The glue works well. Though, it is a little slow to set. It is not terrible, it just requires a tad of my patience.

As I hone the process I think the overall look is improving. This one piece is about an hours work. It is a big time suck, but I am committed to the cause. There is no turning back now. Maybe as I do a few more my throughput will improve. 

A few things to note:

1. The foil used in testing is more of a chrome. I ordered an aluminum version that I think will be closer in appearance to the 1:1. Or, at least, I hope so. I have not looked at it yet.

2. I noticed that the 1:1 has the tiebacks located lower than how I did my first test piece. The final version will be as such. 

I guess that is it for testing. Next step is to paint the frames.

It looks good to me Bakster. I'm sure Mrs. Robinson would approve! 

Gamera

It looks good to me Bakster. I'm sure Mrs. Robinson would approve! 

 

I just hope she doesn't decide to go with floral print. That could be problematic for me. 

Looks good.  Any more detail would be fussy and would threaden making things worse rather than better.

And how could Frau Robinson object, those curtains match her shiny tube suit

CapnMac82

Looks good.  Any more detail would be fussy and would threaden making things worse rather than better.

Hey thanks, Capn.

"And how could Frau Robinson object, those curtains match her shiny tube suit "

That is a good one! Should there be any last minute revisions, I will remind her. 

I didn't expect to get this done today but I went for it. I went with an aluminum. Best I can tell the 1:1 may have them black. I can't see for sure if all of them are that way. Anyway, in this case, I went with what I preferred... that being aluminum.

The paint used is Alclad and I sealed it with MRP Semi Matt. I loaded the sealer to give some strength to the paint. The downside is by doing that it knocks down Alclads beautiful sheen... a bunch. For the most part, the frames won't be seen. So, I am not too concerned about overall finish. My bigger concern is paint rubbing off as I handle them, and there will be a bunch of handling. Alclad is not super durable that way. Thus, the reason for my methodology.

Btw. What you see before you are not all the curtain frames needed. There are two in front and two in back that sort of arch from side to side. For whatever reason, I didn't feel like dealing with those now. I will wait until the end.

In the image below I circled the yet to be made curtains that I mentioned above.

Those might be a tad, well, "fussy"--but, I'm certain you'll work that out.

The frames look good Bakster. I know what you mean about the Alclad's shine being knocked down by the sealer but it can't really be helped. 

The LiS episode tonight 'The Android Rebellion' had me chuckling. First the Robot tells the Android: 'You have the same problem most androids do today- too much chrome on the outside and too little gears on the inside' or something like that. 

Later he points at the android's belt buckle's blinking lights and asks 'What is that? A turn signal?'

CapnMac82

Those might be a tad, well, "fussy"--but, I'm certain you'll work that out.

 

You are wise, sir. Hence why I kicked the can down the road! Lol.

Gamera

The frames look good Bakster. I know what you mean about the Alclad's shine being knocked down by the sealer but it can't really be helped. 

 

The LiS episode tonight 'The Android Rebellion' had me chuckling. First the Robot tells the Android: 'You have the same problem most androids do today- too much chrome on the outside and too little gears on the inside' or something like that. 

Later he points at the android's belt buckle's blinking lights and asks 'What is that? A turn signal?'

 

The thing I love about your builds Bakster is the attention to detail and sharing of your successes and challenges.  Regardless of whether I ever approach this level of refinement in a build, theres tons of technques learned for sprucing up what I do.  In the meantime I'll continue cheering from the sidelines.