Quick-and-dirty Gemini 6 build....

[dhanners]

I'll try to post some photos tonight, but I got to thinking that for the IPMS contest this Saturday, it would be cool to have a 1/48th-scale Gemini sitting next to my 1/48th-scale Orion so people could compare the size between the two. The Gemini wouldn't be meant for competition. So I printed out one of Dan Shippey's (Delta 7 Studios) 1/24th-scale Gemini models -- in this case, Gemini 6 -- and headed down to Kinko's and printed it out at 50 percent to make it 1/48th scale.

I intended to do a quick-and-dirty OOB, or "out of the box" build (perhaps we card modelers should say "OTS" for "off the sheet") but I wound up deviating from the instructions in a couple of areas to improve the build. (And a note to Paper Kosmonaut: as a nod to you and your fine work, I built the "Beat Army" version of Schirra's GTA6.)

Anyway, I spent a couple of hours on it last night and an hour or so on it this morning before heading out to work. It's done. But when I held it up to the Orion, the Gemini capsule looked so small. I thought, "That can't be right. The machine at Kinko's has to be off or something."

But I checked the dimensions for both spacecraft on Astronautix.com and, sure enough, it was right. One telling fact: The Gemini capsule and its adapters were 18.6' long -- and each UltraFlex Solar Array "fan" on Orion is over 18' in diameter. So the Gemini capsule is basically as long as each UFSA is wide.

It should make a nice display at the contest, but I worry that people will look at it and have the same reaction I did: "Something's off."

I would've built an Apollo CSM (since Orion is often referred to as "Apollo on steroids") but I figured the Gemini would be a quicker build.

Anyway, I've got to do a quick base tonight, and then I'll try and post some photos.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

I always thought the Gusmobile was a better spacecraft than Apollo. At least most 1st generation astronauts agree. It took advantage of the Apollo developments but was built like a fighter plane instead of a truck. Thus it is the right choice for comparison, as far as I'm concerned. A good idea, too, to give a comparison.
Just put a card next to it that they really *do* are in the same scale. Explains it all.

...And the Beat army sign gives the whole capsule just that little 'spark' it deserves, isn't it? (-;

For the rest I'd say: Go!

[Knife]

Is there any problems with the ink falling off the paper when folded when you print it at Kinko's? I know this is a problem using home laser printers. I haven't tried commercial printers and was just wondering. I have a LOT of CT Ertz's ironclads to remake and I'm not too happy with the colors my home dot matrix printer puts out.

Please take some photos of your Gemini, it was also is one of my favorite spaceships.

[dhanners]

Is there any problems with the ink falling off the paper when folded when you print it at Kinko's? I know this is a problem using home laser printers. I haven't tried commercial printers and was just wondering. I have a LOT of CT Ertz's ironclads to remake and I'm not too happy with the colors my home dot matrix printer puts out.

Please take some photos of your Gemini, it was also is one of my favorite spaceships.

I haven't noticed any ink-falling-off issues with stuff I've photocopied or enlarged or shrunk at Kinko's. I usually use the self-service machines, and they do a good enough job. If you want the best job, though, have the folks do it on their machines behind the counter. They're just a lot better. Might cost a little extra, though.

[Knife]

Thanks for the info, I will give them a try. Now get back to work so you can convert those plastic modelers into paper modelers! Viva the Revolution!

[lancer525]

Awesome, David... But aren't you forgetting something?

Like, um....







PHOTOS!

[SAustin16]

LOL...I would like to see the "Quick Build" photos also please.

I would imagine a Dave Hanners "quick build" will still far out-shine my best-ever build (gluey sausage fingers), but I always learns something new and inspiring. Let's see them please...Oh the anticipation.

[dhanners]

Thanks for the kind words, but you folks shouldn't dis your own great works, which have long inspired me.

Anyway, where are the photos. The first one is of the build, with an equally quick-and-dirty stand I built from black foam-core board. I may come up with something better, though.

The second one is the Gemini next to the Orion, and as you can see, our early astronauts had quarters that were quite cramped....

The final two photos show something I added to Orion last week. The drawings I've seen of Orion show six structures around the Service Module; I think they have something to do with how the SM is attached to its launch vehicle. I think. Anyway, I laminated three pieces of a dark-shaded metal paper, cut out thin strips, scored them in the right places and glued them into triangles. Then I glued smaller pieces inside. I also wound up doing this to my 1/96th-scale Orion and Orion Deep Space Vehicle. Except they were smaller and I used laminations that were only two sheets thick.

The problem now, though, is that it has been raining for a full day here and is very HUMID (so humid the smoke detector has gone off) and the silver metallic paper I used for the UltraFlex Solar Arrays is warping a bit. I hope the humidity goes down by Saturday....

[peter taft]

Hey..... You came up trumps with this my friend ! Very nice indeed - Your speed and quality really does you proud sir ;) Hope the humidity drops and things go well for you.

[Maltedfalcon]

Go down to michaels ( or your local craft store) get a cannister of Silica gel and a large plastic storage bin
dump the cannister in the bottom of the bin.
and place the models in the bin and close the lid.
The moisture in the paper and in the air in the box will be absorbed by the silica gel.
They should be nice and dry in time for the show

[dhanners]

Go down to michaels ( or your local craft store) get a cannister of Silica gel and a large plastic storage bin
dump the cannister in the bottom of the bin.
and place the models in the bin and close the lid.
The moisture in the paper and in the air in the box will be absorbed by the silica gel.
They should be nice and dry in time for the show

That's a good idea. May wind up doing that....

[lancer525]

The silica gel idea is fantastic, but whatever you do, don't pour it directly into the bottom of the container in a way that your models will touch it. We use that stuff in the museum all the time, and it is never allowed to come in direct contact with an artifact. Because it draws the moisture in, if it is touching something, it can wick that moisture right back into your artifact (or model!) and then you'll have a spot on the model. I've seen it before. We usually use cheap plastic containers, like yogurt cups or the little tubs that spreads or margarine comes in.

Oh, and David... If these are "quick and dirty builds" I am Mickey Mouse... Your fast-builds are better than my take-my-time-and-build-my-best builds. Really.

Superlative job!

[dhanners]

I was thinking I'd pour the silica gel in the bottom of a plastic tub, place some pill bottles in the tub and then place the UFSAs on top of the pill bottles. No paper would touch the silica gel.

The UFSAs are the only pieces that seem to be affected by the humidity. They're made of a silver metallic paper. Used the same paper for the UFSAs on the 1/96th-scale Orion/Orion DSV, but they aren't affected. I'm thinking the 1/48th-scale arrays are just a much bigger expanse of paper and the humidity affects them more visibly. Things are supposed to be better today. They've had quite a bit of flooding in southern Minnesota.

And I wish you guys would quit dissing your own work. You've built some amazing models. We're here, in part, to spur each other on, and you guys have done that for me plenty of times with your inspiring work.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Your Gemini is a little gem. Nothing quick and dirty to spot. And a very nice addition to the already very impressive Orion.
Did anyone ever tell you that paper models should not be build under the shower, Dave? (-;
Good luck at the show!

[dhanners]

Went to Michael's and got the silica gel (the smallest box they sell was $9.99 or so) and I've got the UFSAs drying out as we speak. Got the other models boxed up and ready to carry out to the car tomorrow morning. NOAA says there's a 50-percent chance of rain after 7 a.m. tomorrow. Ugh. I'll have to take some garbage bags to cover stuff with....

[Zathros]

Went to Michael's and got the silica gel (the smallest box they sell was $9.99 or so) and I've got the UFSAs drying out as we speak. Got the other models boxed up and ready to carry out to the car tomorrow morning. NOAA says there's a 50-percent chance of rain after 7 a.m. tomorrow. Ugh. I'll have to take some garbage bags to cover stuff with....

My Mother-in-Laws Roast Turkey will suck the moisture out of anything!!

[lancer525]

@Zathros: Hahahahahahaha....

David: Might I suggest that you use something like a Rubbermaid storage bin to transport your models in? You can close the fitted lid, and they're relatively impervious to rain.

Best of luck, and take photos man!!

[dhanners]

Got up this morning and haven't left for the contest yet, but I took the UFSAs out of the drying-out tub and, sure enough, the wrinkles were gone. Yet again, I've learned something useful from someone on this forum. I owe MaltedFalcon a drink. (I'm Muslim, though, so it'll have to be non-alcoholic....)

Years ago, when I was a styrene-head, I bought Shep Paine's book on building dioramas and it was one of those books where you learned something new (or two or three things new) on every page. It was undoubtedly the single most useful modeling book I'd ever gotten. This forum is like that. You learn something new on every page.

Now to have breakfast and then off to the contest. And it appears that it has been raining and may even be sprinkling. So it is down to the garage to scrounge for lids for the boxes.

[dhanners]

Came home for lunch and will head out in an hour or so for the final festivities. By the time I had left -- with registration still open for an hour -- my four entries were still the only "Real Space" entries. But at least they gave them their own category. At first, they were sticking me on the table with the sci-fi entries. There were a ton of sci-fi entries (all plastic or resin) this year and some of them were very, very good.

First things first, though -- the boxes worked great. Nothing broke. I was kind of amazed by that because the driveway leading to the venue was under construction and was all pockmarked dirt. So the last 100 yards or so of the drive was the most exciting. By the time I got to the venue, the rain had stopped.

Lots and lots of entries in the other categories. There are some really fine styrene modelers in the Twin Cities. The turnout was a lot better this year than last.

After I got my stuff set up, one of the judges, "Ed," came over and started me asking about the models. He seemed very interested and asked lots of questions, and I was glad he took the interest and when we were done, I thanked him. He seemed intrigued by the whole card modeling concept.

The model he seemed really taken with, though, was the asteroid Eros which was part of the base of my Orion/Orion Deep Space Vehicle model. When I filled out each entry form ahead of time, I attached a typewritten sheet describing the model, the "kit," the techniques, etc., and then I'd add a page of the actual unbuilt downloaded model. I figured it helped the judges and those at the contest better understand the model and the whole cardmodeling concept.

For the description of the Orion/Orion DSV model, I attached a sheet from Ton's Orion model, as well as Chuck Clark's original 2D model of Eros. Ed was amazed that I'd built a potato out of paper. (I didn't tell him it was my second go at the model....) In fact, Ed suggested that I display the Eros model page to give people a better understanding of what I'd started with, and it was a good suggestion so I did it.

Ed said that as a judge, he wanted to understand card modeling better and understand how different papers were used and how the models were constructed. I really appreciated his interest and thanked him profusely on behalf of all of my fellow cardmodelers who will be entering their local IPMS contests. May you get judges as curious as Ed.

After setting up, I strolled around a bit to look at the vendor tables (in my styrene-head days, I could've spent a ton of money today) and when I got back, there was a sheet at my Orion/Orion DSV model from FineScale Modeler magazine. The editor, Matthew Usher, was at the contest and had a photo studio set up, and if he was interested in your model, he left a form that you filled out and brought with you (along with the model) back to his studio.

So I filled out the form and took it back and he snapped a few photos. The sheet asked about the model, the kit, additions, markings, etc., and I told Matt I could e-mail him a more detailed description, so he gave me his card.

No idea if the photos will ever wind up in the magazine or online, but it was nice for him to express interest. I've often thought that one of our hobby's true artists should propose an article for FSM. In fact, Bomarc kept such a detailed photo journal and narrative of his Mitchell build that he could easily turn that into an article.

Now I just have to figure out what to enter next year. Maybe it is time to finally tackle Ken's X-15A2. With a modification or two, that is. Or Leo's 1/48th-scale Soyuz launcher.

Or both....

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Dave, you're a more than worthy ambassador of the papermodelling society. Don't (mis)underestimate :D yourself!
Good work!

[lancer525]

I think it's poetic symmetry that one of our hobby's greatest artists is likely going to be in (and the subject of) an article in a modeling magazine... I certainly can't think of anyone else as worthy as David.

You could always enter my 1/200 Montana.

If I ever finish the thing, that is...



Or better yet, build Ken's X-15A2, but you could also build his XB-70 in the same scale to go with it... You could build the Valkyrie out of Red River silver metallic paper, and use markings as if it were a production-version bird... I'll even supply the nose art for you. And the markings...



THAT would get people's attention... (the models, not the nose art, although if I didn't put clothes on her, it would get their attention... Heh)

Congratulations, my friend. You sound like you had an enjoyable day, and one in which you did well. Bravo!

[dhanners]

If anyone does a build article on the X-15A2, it ought to be Billy because he really went to town with the thing. Looks great. In fact, he should query FineScale Modeler and see if they'd be interested in an article. I remember years (even decades) ago, they had an article on building a card model, but it was pretty basic and the hobby has come so far since then. As good as some of the models were today -- and there were some stunning ones -- Bomarc's Mitchell could have brought home a gold.

As for me, I brought home a gold, but I was competing against myself. I won for ATV-Johannes Kepler and since nobody else entered my category, they didn't award a silver or bronze. Which I suppose makes sense.

In all, there were 417 entries. Four of them were paper. I took photos of my line-up, as well as the final display for Orion/Orion DSV.

I took a smattering of other photos, too, of things that caught my fancy. So here some of them are, in no particular order. There was some amazing stuff. The hydrofoil diorama was spectacular, mainly because you could fit the whole thing, base included, in the palm of your hand. I forget what scale it was in, but it was tiny, and as you can see from the photo, the guy did some amazing detailing work on it.

On the other side of the size scale was the Star Destroyer. The sheet accompanying the model said it used over a mile of fiber optic string or thread of cable or whatever you call it. It was big and impressive.

The other photos are just kind of random interesting things, or at least things I thought were interesting.

[Retired_for_now]

Stunning work - and some well-deserved recognition. Good on 'ya!

Yogi

[Maltedfalcon]

The silica gel idea is fantastic, but whatever you do, don't pour it directly into the bottom of the container in a way that your models will touch it. We use that stuff in the museum all the time, and it is never allowed to come in direct contact with an artifact.

That tells me you are not using enough silica gel and/or you have let it absorb to much water between dryings.

My wife takes flower blooms and basically submerges them in the silica gel sand.
a few days/weeks later she takes brings them back out and they are totally dried and desicated but look fresh whole.

Dont forget in between uses take the silica gel and slow bake it for several hours at 275-300 degrees... then put it in a sealed container. if you dont put it in a sealed container it will absorb water and when you need it it wont work.

[lancer525]

The reason that silica gel is not allowed to come into contact with artifacts, is because it wicks moisture into and out of them. Standard museum practice: Never, never, never allow anything to come in direct contact with an artifact, unless it absolutely does not outgas, incite hygroscopic transfer, leak, or is anything other than absolutely, totally inert. It is paramount that an artifact never be exposed to anything that can damage it. Ever.

While it might be nice for saving flower petals, if they were in a museum and she did that, she'd lose her job. We do things for a reason in museums. First and foremost, do no harm. We have a preserved flower here in our artifact collection. According to the handwritten note with it, it was cut and dried in 1846. It is in an inert, sealed container, completely separated from the small (less than 1oz) packet of silica gel, and it is never allowed to come into contact with anything, except the inert bolster material.

I've been a museum curator for 18 years. You can take my word for it, or not. :)

[Maltedfalcon]

I totally believe you.
Museum level conservation is an art as well as a science.

[KieferRhys]

Given the price of Silica Gel, and it's "not quite the safest stuff" I have an alternate take on the hydroscopic drying scenario - Sugar! Seriously though, this stuff does leech down humidity quite well, and just cakes up in an absorbed state. I've not tried it in a modeling context, but about 30g of sugar left in the car overnight leaves me blessedly free of internal misting in the morning (Old car, no A/C, knackered heaters)