Who collects stuff for scratch building?

Cygnus_X-1 · Post by **Cygnus_X-1** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:20 am

Me neither!

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:52 pm

Then here's something to spark the imagination. . .

<A HREF="http://www.kc6sye.com/images/ares/7_gat ... rdseye.jpg" target="_blank">Disk</A>

The part these came from didn't need to be molded, just poured resin in it then tore it off (master is lost in this process). It will be a bit trickier to ID since I used some blue-faded posts cut in a circle to cover the ugly markings in the center of the main disk.

Ti Raven · Post by **Ti Raven** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:55 am

That's some cool ribbing on those disks, Sparky.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:55 pm

Mmmm, ribbed for h.... never mind....

Woody · Post by **Woody** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:22 am

Not sure if this has been covered but the mould trays for candy making can yeild some interesting shapes. The wedding cake section is loaded with cool styrene shapes too. I recently bought a whole bag of clear fluted columns. I also scored some bags of mini wine glasses and champaign flutes.

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:54 pm

Here's Ti Raven's clear ring gribbly. I meant to get a pic of it stand alone, but sitting on the engine spindle is all I got for now:

http://www.kc6sye.com/images/images_01_ ... 7_0288.jpg

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:31 pm

In the course of cleaning up my work area, I stumbled across a box that Thag had brought over several years ago... loaded with that rectangular-cross-sectioned sprue that Games Workshop used. Coolness!

And an old CA glue cap that makes a potential pattern for the main engines on a Mk VII Viper. Digging through the older junk boxes can be fun!

sotoolslinger · Post by **sotoolslinger** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:49 pm

I thought everything already was a model part http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh50 ... nk/dog.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh50 ... k/tear.jpg

Ti Raven · Post by **Ti Raven** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:51 am

Everything really is either a greebly, cat toy or art supply.
Or any mix of the same!

Tracker · Post by **Tracker** » Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:40 am

I have boxes and boxes of various kits, all are destined to become part of something greater. There are three multi drawer units with each drawer full of all sorts of greeblies. A 3'x2'x4' storage trunk full of damaged/junk models from years past, yard sales and Ebay lots. I walk through almost any store and see things as potential projects or material for existing projects. And yes, a single part can inspire a whole new creation. I keep almost everything because it just might be that one special part that makes the overall creation complete.

publiusr · Post by **publiusr** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:40 pm

I saw a shower capable CD player at a yard sale with an interesting blue plastic base...

Scotaidh · Post by **Scotaidh** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:41 pm

Shop those ethnic food markets - Chinese, Middle Eastern, what-have-you - they usually import their stock from places with different views of packaging - and that means greeblies!

On a different tack, for all of you who are planning to enter Iron Modeler at WF this year, I suggest starting your Greeblie Harvest now. I've been digging through the local Salvation Army stores and have found some interesting items - usually for 25 - 50 cents each.

Don't forget those Party stores!

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:47 pm

Holy moses!
This thread is now OVER THREE YEARS OLD!!!
Bar.

darkwolf29a · Post by **darkwolf29a** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:14 pm

Ever since reading an article about how they did modeling in the old school, I have begun to keep my eyes out for parts and pieces that I can use.

And, yes...this thread is old, and still useful, IMO.

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:32 pm

Bar wrote:Holy moses!
This thread is now OVER THREE YEARS OLD!!!
Bar.

Had to go back and check. By my Liege's many-tentacled visage! It's true!!!

mrwoolery · Post by **mrwoolery** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:07 pm

I had the coolest "found item" experience today. I work in IT, and someone requested that I change out a color toner cartridges in one of our color laser printers.

OMG!

The toner cartridge looks like an Eartforce ship from B5! Just add a few greeblies here and there, paint it up, and it'd pass as an Earthforce ship.

It has some of the EA styling cues already built into it...the vertical ribbing of the main body, the "hammerhead" at the front (with docking bay), side docking bays, and two "main thruster" nozzles at the rear. I can't help but wonder if the guy who orginally designed the cartridge was a B5 fan and put a little B5 nerdiness into the design. Needless to say, I'm taking home the empty cartridge and doing some bashing on it. Maybe I'll make a carrier, hospital ship, or tender out of it. BTW, it's also about the same size as the Warp Omega kit, so it'll be near to scale.

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:37 pm

Got any pics, dude?

Cygnus_X-1 · Post by **Cygnus_X-1** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:01 pm

I've thought this for a long time. (about the cartridge) But the Leonov was one of the inspirations for the Earth Force ships and it came before laser printer cartridges.

I've always stopped short of doing this because of the hazardous and messy toner that would still possibly come out of a cartridge. They do look perfect for making rotating sections on Earth Force Omegas and such though. Does anyone think it would be feasible to stabilize a cartridge enough to do this, and then have the finished model displayed in a human living area? I don't want to breath or clean up toner, basically ever, except maybe after an initial stabilization procedure wearing a mask and gloves.

I finally decided that ink jet cartridges would be ok to use on models because I figure you can drill em, drain em, and dry em, so that they would be inert.

mrwoolery · Post by **mrwoolery** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:12 pm

Bar wrote:Got any pics, dude?

Here's one I found on the intardnet:

http://www.printergalaxy.com/images/bigimages/14402.jpg

There's lots of detail lost in this pic due to it's low resolution...and it's a wee bit distorted, making it look shorter in length...but you get the idea.

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:22 pm

Wow! That is SWEET!
It could even be a starship from HALO!
Good find, dude!
Bar.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:51 pm

It also has the look of (most of) a Sci-Fi weapon. Just add grips and trigger mod.

Ti Raven · Post by **Ti Raven** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:18 am

There is much modeling goodness, manifesting right there!

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:44 am

Indeed!
What model of printer did this cartridge come out of?
Bar.

mrwoolery · Post by **mrwoolery** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:58 pm

Bar wrote:Indeed!
What model of printer did this cartridge come out of?
Bar.

It's a Canon C4580 printer. The toner cartridge is part# GPR20

...oh, and yes I DID think it'd make a good gun, too.

It even has a sliding portion to it that you can "pump" like a shotgun.

Ti Raven · Post by **Ti Raven** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:52 pm

Does it make a cool sound when you pump it?

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:26 am

Boy... the number of quips that brought to mind, Ti....

Ti Raven · Post by **Ti Raven** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:49 am

Silver platters, dear, silver platters...

Scratchawan Learner · Post by **Scratchawan Learner** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:44 am

Have literally boxes upon boxes filled with things I've "found" at the petfood stores, at Wally World, and at other odd intervals along my way. Driving a truck affords me the odd opportunity on layover, to scout for new Scratchbashing inspirations. I've walked out of a store with a likely looking artifact, simply because I KNEW I could work it into a ship design.
I have all the small stuff in clear plastic organizer drawers.... Big stuff is in plastic tubs. Then there are all the kits I've bought for no other reason, than to bash them into details for various ships.Hasegawa's "Karl" railroad mortar comes immediately to mind. I agree with Dave, when he was talking about "seeing something for it might become" rather than what it was, in the manufacturer's packaging. This hobby requires the use of a VERY healthy imagination. Go big, or go home.[/code]

Scratchawan Learner · Post by **Scratchawan Learner** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:44 am

Have literally boxes upon boxes filled with things I've "found" at the petfood stores, at Wally World, and at other odd intervals along my way. Driving a truck affords me the odd opportunity on layover, to scout for new Scratchbashing inspirations. I've walked out of a store with a likely looking artifact, simply because I KNEW I could work it into a ship design.
I have all the small stuff in clear plastic organizer drawers.... Big stuff is in plastic tubs. Then there are all the kits I've bought for no other reason, than to bash them into details for various ships.Hasegawa's "Karl" railroad mortar comes immediately to mind. I agree with Dave, when he was talking about "seeing something for it might become" rather than what it was, in the manufacturer's packaging. This hobby requires the use of a VERY healthy imagination. Go big, or go home.

Scratchawan Learner · Post by **Scratchawan Learner** » Sat May 03, 2008 1:26 am

A word on Merriman's views on scratchbuilding... Dave is a very capable scratchbuilder. Dave is a very skillful scratchbuilder. However. Dave is an enormously opinionated and narrowminded scratchbuilder as well.
I've learned an enormous amount about the "art" of scratchbuilding, from David Merriman. Dave is very generous about sharing his knowledge of building this or that... from the most basic materials. For his knowledge...and his ability to communicate the said same... I admire Dave. HOWEVER. I also pity Dave Merriman, because he can't see the same things that the rest of us see. Dave lacks the artistic capacity for "imagineering" that so many on here have. I can look at a model part that is a round ring, in just such a size, and SEE that it's a Lifepod ejection port... but Dave? Nope. David Merriman suffers from a condition that I'll refer to as ALOI syndrome. Acute Lack Of Imagination. Did I also mention that David rather lacks certain social skills? I'm wondering at how Dave manages to build models with only one arm... he crippled the other one long ago, whilst patting himself on the back a tad too hard and repetitively... Love Dave, or hate Dave... the man DOES build good models. He researches his subjects in the most anal retentive fashion you could imagine, and then makes accurate patterns, and builds an accurate model of a real subject. However, I can't condone ANYone looking down their nose, at anyone else's "idea" of what a model is or isn't. I'm a kit assembler AND a scratcher. A good replica of a ship, is a good replica... whether I paid good cash for it, or whether I scratched it. Dave, if you read this forum... (and I doubt that you do) respect is not a given, to anyone. I generally tend to give my respect to everyone, the first rattle out of the box... and then let them hang themselves, or prove themselves afterwards. Dave thinks himself worthy of our respect, based on his perceived prowess as a "professional" in the model building industry. My problem is... that professionalism alone isn't enough, to garner respect. Not with me. If you want MY respect... first treat OTHERS with respect.
I can't countenence someone's behavior, when they try to enhance their own reputation, by treading upon someone else's. Shame on you Dave.

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Who collects stuff for scratch building?

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