Life-Size Buzz and Neil (enlarged 1/4 Ken West "Apollo Astronauts on the Moon")

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by ShadowCory

You are 100% going to wear this suit, aren't you? Lolol!

Absolutely!

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Dear all

So having built one arm I now know what is involved. So it was onto Buzz's left arm. This I decided to build from the former of the wrist up. So first was cutting out the former



which then has to go inside an incredible slim wrist part



The first of the arm rings was then made and the wrist attached to it




This was then immediately strengthened on the inside of the wrist



as well as the outside



Then it was forming the "rings" of the arm and then attaching them one at a time




The strange tab you can see in the last ring is where the "armpit" is. In the 1/4 model this area is just left as an opening which you should not see when the arm is glued to the torso. For Neil's left arm I simply made a small "well" at this point since the "hole" was quite small. However on Buzz's left arm is considerably bigger so will need to "sculpt" it properly.

The parts are getting pretty big by the time you to the shoulder of the arm and getting the glue down into the tabs is a bit of a handful as you can see



So all in all progress in moving on nicely I think and finishing off the arm should be straightforward since it is very similar to Neil's left arm

Regards

Kevin

[rifleman]

great work just keep going this will be one out standing build

[Algebraist]

Cheers rifleman. Much appreciated.

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Dear all

So I have now molded the "arm pit"



as well as closing in the top of the arm with the former.



So the arm now needs two more layers of strengthening.



So that was one of the the two layers done as well as an additional "seam" layer around the top of the arm. So another layer of strips to do on the inside of the arm.

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Dear all

So I have now done the third layer of Buzz's left arm



It does surprise me how much paper that strengthening strips take up, so I have been doing a little experiment. The parts are printed on A3 sheets of paper and once the parts on the sheet are cut out I have been using the remainder to out strengthening strips.

In the photo below the green mat is A3 in size and in the bottom LH corner is typically what is left (ie thrown away) after the parts and strengthening strips have been cut out from the A3 sheet



So doing this for a number of sheets and then a little calculation shows on average 93% of each A3 sheet of paper forms part of the model (of course most of it not visible). I would have never have guessed it was anywhere this high at the outset.

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Dear all

I have been looking quite far ahead for the model and thinking about the antenna of the astronauts. They are on top of the backpack. In the model, they are in the "folded down" position and in the model instructions it suggests using a piece of copper wire (due to the thin size).

However with scaling up I think they can be made from paper and this got me to thinking about the position of the antenna (up or folded down).

In lots of pictures the antenna is in the up position, for example



(which is Gene Cernan from Apollo 17: source NASA)

In fact it seems it is nearly always up (though sometimes very feint), like this photo of Buzz Aldrin



(Apollo 11:source NASA)

Yet puzzlingly the antenna is down on this very famous picture of Buzz Aldrin



(source NASA)

I wanted to know when was the antenna up or down and was about to ask on the forum when I finally found the answer which is a story about the above picture.

Everything is explained in this NASA article

A Brief History of AS11-40-5903

Probably everyone already knew the answer to this riddle but in case anyone did not I will not give any spoilers and leave you to enjoy this (I think interesting) read.

And talking of the above picture you might find the following youtube interesting



Regards

Kevin

[gotham]

If the picture isn't 100% real, what elses is 'faked' ?🤔🤔🤔
--Only joking
Keep that build going !!!

[rifleman]

yeah you just keep going build man build

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by gotham

If the picture isn't 100% real, what elses is 'faked' ?🤔🤔🤔
--Only joking
Keep that build going !!!

Very good! Caught me.
Glad you are enjoying the (slow) progress

Regards

Kevin