Tucker Sno-Cat Commonwealth Trans - Antarctic Expedition 1957

[Paper Kosmonaut]

@Whulsey: Yes, thanks for the pics. They are really useful. I usually build space related subjects and have the nasty habit of reducing them in scale rigorously. I like to build in 1/400. But this one would be too small. In the meantime I have started on the diorama part of this build. I'll post it here since it has the rest of the build, too. (any objections, mods?)
Pics will follow probably tomorrow.
@rixtoys: I was fascinated by that documentary. So cool they actually filmed it. I know how hard it is to film with cold weather (especially with regular Bauer pack batteries dying within 15 minutes) so props to the cameramen and the equipment! Besides that, it also is a great story.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Originally Posted by outersketcher

Hey, nice work. And wow....so tiny. That's impressive.

I documented my own build of this model a couple of years ago on the "other forum". Take a look if you are interested.

I know, I saw it, it inspired me and I really liked it a lot.

Love this model. Am interested to see how you construct the diorama. Do you plan to show all three of the original cats from the expedition in one scene? That would be fun to see.

First pics of the diorama will come tomorrow. it will only be this Cat, stuck in the crevasse. I first thought about getting Able (the one driven by Fuchs and with the "A" on the doors) into the dio, getting ready to tow Rock 'n' Roll out of the crack but I think it'll be just this one. I *might* change my mind, though...

[outersketcher]

Well, OF COURSE you were going to do that crevis scene! What a dynamic, tension filled moment. It'll be a treat to see that in 3d.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

In the documentary they show how they got it out. Here's a little clue:


This is Able experiencing a crevasse itself.
With the famous upper picture they also used Able to pull R'n'R out of it.
Pretty tough little vehicles they were!

[closet astronaut]

Hey Pk nice to see ya in a different cat, still working in microscopic scale to I see, but, as usual doing a fine job.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Hi CA, yes, I wanted to try my luck on something else again. I did some rockets in the time inbetween but didn't post 'em here. (they're on my blog though.)

Okay, I took some first steps with the diorama yesterday and today. I intend to make this model out of just paper as much as is possible. Up until now only the drive train on the Sno-cat has some brass rods incorporated.
Previous diorama displays of mine were done with gypsum or just a picture of earth underneath a model suspended on a brass rod. Now I'll try to do an all-paper one. Ingredients: ribbed cardboard and paper mache. The buildup of the structure wasn't hard, and I made it up as I went along. I will try and first make a layer of thin strips of paper aligning the walls and the innards of the crevasse before applying the paper mache. In that way I have provided a structure for the paper mass to cling to. The paper mache itself was made out of a local tabloid-sized newspaper called "de Gezinsbode", which translates as something in the line of "the family herald", but that's not important anyway.
I cut small shredded strips of the newspaper paper into very small pieces and I'll let it soak for a couple of days to let it get all mushy. I'll add some glue later on.

[Tapcho]

I guessed you had to do this diorama. Eversince I've had this model this was my intention too. Great build so far and I've enjoyed it every time I've visited your thread.

BR Tappi

[romanmodels]

Looking good like the crevasse.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

So today I started messing about with the paper pulp I made yesterday. It was already quite pulpy but after using the immersion blender it really became pulp. Great stuff. I added two handfuls of flour and two hands of gypsum. Then I squirted about five, six big tablespoons of PVA into the mass. After mixing the stuff up I ended up with something that looked like a homogeneous mass of paper, water, powder and glue.

After I closed up the crevasse bit itself with regular 80 gram printing paper and letting it dry, it was time to start playing with the paper pulp.
It didn't as much attached itself to the surface of the diorama frame but it clung on to itself due to its fibrous nature. Thus I first did the top side of the diorama and consequentially the crevasse part. I then placed it into my hot-air oven at 80ºC for about twenty minutes to half an hour.
When I took it out the oven it was almost dry and I could do the side walls. Another 30 minutes, now at a 100ºC was enough to get it dry enough to handle. I modified the pulp on the diorama a little bit and now it's awaiting a layer of white paint.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

*DING!*
Instant update! I kept on going, I apparently was on a good flow. After some extensive drying in the oven, I gave the landscape a dab of paint (acrylic titanium white) and I did some necessary reshaping to the still damp lower ends of both sides of the crevasse. Then, with all the paint still wet, I dusted some gypsum powder over the top and in the crevasse. There! Instant snow! After blowing off most of the residual powder there still was enough to give the diorama that snowy effect it needed. And even though the tracks aren't on, when I put the Sno-Cat on its future place, it already shows it has the right look!