Fictional Relics

rocket progress

2010-09-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

so, a lot has happened on the rocket. i did not like the original decks, too flimsy, so i re did them with brass bars for the girders instead, so it is much sturdier. i have also finished the nose cone. the next step will be to do the interiors.

rocket!

2010-07-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

so, i have not been doing much in awhile...or have i?...i have. i have been working on designing an atomic rocket! by which i mean designing a model of an atomic rocket. i had gotten fairly far with a particular method, but am unhappy with the results, and am now reconsidering, i may scrap what i have and start over, salvaging whatever i can. here are some progress picks, i love the engine and nozzle a lot, the rest is going to change.

octopus man

2010-07-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

title says it all really. it is a man, who is also an octopus, who only has seven arms for some reason....

personal island

2010-03-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

so, i saw this amazing drawing and had to make a model of it, by which i mean a model similar to it, because i dont have nearly the skill to reproduce it exactly. i tried a few new things on this project, most notably the materials i made the tree with, though the result is not bad, i shall not be doing them quite that way ever again.....ever.

Miniature painting

2010-01-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

so, i have tried my hand at some miniature painting, it started with my painting the miniatures from the board game talisman, but to my surprise i found it fun, and decided to do one just for myself
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Sniper rifle

2009-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

so i have been playing borderlands since it was released. its a great game, and it has inspired me to make this prop sniper rifle. the body of the rifle was a foam dart gun which originally cycled the dart casings and ejected them, a cool feature which i have managed to maintain. the barrel is simple copper tubing which i have inserted into the original plastic barrel of the dart gun. the stock is a imitation wood stock intended for an airsoft dragunov which i have cut to fit. and finally the scope is made with medication bottles and nerf gun parts.
in this project my main goal was to maintain as much functionality as possible. the bolt mechanism still ejects the shells, though somewhat less smoothly than it did originally. the scope is removable, as is the side panel, so i can adjust the internals later on if need be. the trigger has also been set up with hinge and spring, since nothing is more disappointing than a static trigger on a prop gun.

raygun!

2009-10-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

so, i like rayguns, and i have built one, based partially off the alien blaster in fallout 3, and partially off of Herr Doktor's steam pistol, as seen here: http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5060.200.html
This project also commemorates the first time i have ever cast a piece in plastic. the main body of the gun was cast using Easter egg shells as the mold. i then machined them to get the desired shape. the handle is part of some kind of game controller, just something i found. and the rest is just stuff. all in all it out worked pretty well though i do say so myself.

greenhouse finished

2009-09-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

my greenhouse is finally done, and man was it a pain. the result is indecently fragile, but pretty. anyway, its a greenhouse, with some plants bearing red fruit, possibly tomatoes. i had original intended to do a series of buildings composing a Myst like complex but while doing this project i realized that that to do that i would be forced to recreate certain elements of the original which i now think of as mistakes, like the all too flat tan ground. that being said, i now plan on going in a slightly different direction with my next Myst building. im thinking something more...traditional.

camera prop

2009-09-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

so, i had some parts lying around, including a few lenses, so i decided to do a prop camera. i wanted it to appear old, but not unsophisticated, in this regard im quite happy with the design. i started out with a general idea of how it was going to be put together. i knew i wanted it to be more than a simple camera, but also have image viewing, like you find on all digital cameras. im not sure if it could actually be done, but i image a camera that, when taking a photo, produces a slide, which can then be projected onto the piece of glass suspended behind the camera. points if you can guess what video game inspired my design. anyway, i started with a block of wood and a large pvc connector, which together gave the camera its basic shape. the aperture on the front is made using the top of one of those prescription medication bottles (which would allow me to also screw something onto the front, like a telescope....) i used some sheet plastic for the sides, and other odds and ends for everything else. i even had some rubber feet to put on the base of the thing.

myst greenhouse begining

2009-09-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

so, i am going to do a series of myst buildings, each being a piece of the whole complex, the next is the least of the remaining buildings, a greenhouse. wont have much time to work for awhile, but here is what i have so far.

myst building finished

2009-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

so, its finally done, i will be tinkering around with it some more of course, and taking some scenic photographs when i get a chance, but it is finished nonetheless. so lets take a look, shall we. click on the images to enlarge.

Myst building progression

2009-08-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

River Work, post of Tuesday august 18th, 2009

so, more progress. here we have some of the miniprops i made, as well as the more substantial work i did on the base, the river has been coated in plaster, and it has all been painted, the green areas are were the grass is going to be. that is the next step, then i will pour in the river, and finally make the roof, all the while making various items for indoors.

Books, post of august 17th, 2009

so, i spent all of Sunday, and most of Monday morning making miniature books, i cant be certain, but i think it was shortly after the 11th hour that i went insane. they are finished and painted now, and i have placed them in the shelves. it looks ok, but im not yet sure if it was worth it. as you can see from the pictures i have another piece to the bookshelves that im not sure if im going to use, i will figure it out once i work out what im doing for the roof.

Another update, post of august 7th, 2009

windows are attached, and the book shelves are coming along

house update, post of august 5th, 2009

small update. i have assembled the water wheel, and its components.

the house, post of august 4th, 2009
i have been playing the myst games, and i have fallen in love with the aesthetic of the games. this project as my attempt at creating a building like you might find in one of the games. my plan is to make a small building, with a water wheel, obviously by a river. i dont want to go into all the details, so instead i will just show you what i have so far.

more to follow.

fallout 3 plasma pistol

2009-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

it is a plasma pistol very much like the one in fallout 3. this is by no means screen accurate, rather it was what i could put together using things i had around the house (yay, first project i didnt spend anything on). i also worked off the concept art as well as the in game model. every thing i have said above are actually excuses to cover up my laziness and lack of skill. still, i had fun making it, and im fairly happy with the result, though its rather fragile (mostly made of hot glue).

this piece consists of bits of nerf guns i cut up and glued together, some sculpting putty for the handle, sheet plastic, brass tubing, an old paint bottle some pvc parts, and an old computer power cable. in case it was not clear, i would love comments, thanks.

the rattlesnake

2009-07-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

this simple ray gun, which i am calling the rattlesnake, is among my favorite creations to date, and we are counting everything, not just the items that are thematically appropriate to post here. its fairly simple, im using the handle of a flint lock i made many years ago, on which i have mounted the "barrel" which is made of many plastic domed disks. the trigger is brass tubing and the side panels are sheet plastic. overall i love the look, though i need to put proper grips on the handle. but more than its appearance i like the fact that unlike so many of my creations, its pretty solidly built, its not going to break if i drop it. these things really matter, a prop isnt just about how it looks, its also about how it feels in your hand, and the rattlesnake doesnt feel like its going to fall apart. this is a step in the right direction.

the inn

2009-07-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

so, this was a major project. the medieval inn was built to about 1:20th scale. the blocks are hirst arts plaster blocks. the wood floors were made with popsicle sticks (so much work) as was the tables and stairs. the upper floor is mostly foam core. all that i have done on the upper floor was the interior walls. for a learning project like this i may have gone a bit too ambitious.

the tree

2009-07-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

this is the final experimental piece of this set. on this one i was trying something different when making trees. the trunk and branches are pipe cleaners, that i have twisted together (a common technique, but new to me) and then i have coated the outside of them with hot glue, and smoothed it out, then i painted it an applied clump foliage to the branches. the clump foliage looks alright from a distance, but in future im going to use something that will look better close up.

the path

2009-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

this is another cd build, a simple pleasant path, i did a much better job with the grass, and the painting. while this was another experiment, i think it would be fun to expand it.

the wall

2009-07-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

so, i have started using hirst arts castle molds. this piece is an experiment with them, a little ruin built on a cd. i picture this sitting on some field, as the only indication of the building that was once there. this is what i like about things, and places, the history of them, the thing has a story, what has happened to it, who has owned it, known it. my goal in making these things, and working on developing the needed skills, is to make things that feel like they have a history.

the Prometheus 1

2009-07-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

a laser pistol i made years ago, originally the idea was to have a working green laser in the barrel, but unfortunately i purchased a cheapest i could find, and it didn't last very long, i also used wood and hot glue, useful things, but since then i have learned its best to cover them up, i consider this project a bit of a failure, should the interest come back i will remake it. but for all the mistakes i still rather like it, it has a good weight, and i love the trigger.

the ferrofluid machine

2009-07-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

a simple device that raises or lowers a magnet to bring it into proximity with the ferrofluid in the jar. i imagine finding this device on a shelf in the back of some Victorian inventors workshop. the device is made of some scrap wood, and brass, and an old vinegar bottle, and other random stuff. the device's only purpose is to contain the ferrofluid, since the stuff is a nightmare to clean up from (stains everything).

ninja helmet

2009-07-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

this is the first step in a project to make ninja's helmet from MGS. the sculpt is mostly done, the next step, which i will likely not get around to for a long time, is to cover the outside with silicone rubber, which will then be used to cast a plastic helmet. these steps have to wait until i can afford the supplies, and until i have time.
this is my first project of this type, the sculpt took forever, most of that time was spent smoothing the clay as much as possible, very boring, and very time consuming, but im pretty happy with the result, and i think it will look pretty good if i ever finish it.

anti-airship rifle

2009-07-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

anti-airship rifle. originally intended as a quick junk prop, but the more i worked on it, the more i liked it, and i eventually bought the eye glass for a scope. its simple, and crude, and yet i really like it. mostly scrap wood and brass, the barrel is a tube from an old wind chime, and the handle was from a rubber band gun.