HO, 1/87 Scale Details - Wooden Crates

Freight stations and docks need all sorts of goods. Here is small collection of wooden crates, part of my details collection.

Details are molded from all sorts of materials. These four are the metal verity. The top two have been painted and weathered and are ready to be added to some dock on my model train layout.

These two have been salvaged from a freight station kit and were to be adhered to the floor of the model. The castings are finely detailed and I decided to switch things up a bit.

These crates are cast from plastic and came from a kit that included are sorts of dock castings, including sacks, wooded cases in different sizes, barrels and other miscellaneous details.

As you might notice this kit includes materials to build your own wooden crates.

Of course you could build your own crates from scribed plastic and or cardstock.You could build any sized crates you require including those for loads on your flat cars.

A Roof for a Board and Batten Structure

It seems I have a few of these roof sections. You will find these panels in kits from Pola and Concor. As provided they might be used for adding a roof over a loading dock. I haven't measured or layed anything out yet, but I do have this partial sheet of clapboard and material for a foundation and loading dock.

A partial Evergreen polystyrene clapboard siding as found in an Odds and Ends package.

Robot #2 an Update

Robot # 2 under construction and showing off its components.

Every so often I need to walk away from a project, in this case, to let the adhesive cure and to prepare for the next phase.

Selly HO Gauge Products

Back in the day there were dozens of sources for model train products. You had sources with large product lines, especailly with companies like Selly. I don't know who took over Selly's line of products or even parts of it. It is ashame that these products are no longer available. Prehaps I am wrong about this and someone will inform me of there product line still being available, hopefully at lest in part.

Here is their line at one time sold through Browser:

These were metal castings.

Selly produced quite an extensive collection.

Hopefully, someone still produces some of this fabulous line of white metal products.

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Let's have another look at Selly miniatures, shall we?

Pravda (Truth/Justice)

"The king stared at the figure in astonishment. It walked with rapid strides, moving its head up and down, so that anyone would have taken it for a live human being. The artificer touched its chin, and it began singing, perfectly in tune. He touched its band, and it began posturing, keeping perfect time..."

Liezi Text, Forth Century BC

The Clock Work Dynasty, Daniel H. Wilson

Another Thought From an Avtomat

During my first reading of "The Clockwork Dynasty", I seemed to have missed this selection of text:

"My mind flashes with a vision of this woman-she is riding a fantastical horse with tiger stripes across a lush jungle clearing. She is laughing, hair flowing, looking back at me and flashing her teeth, sharp and white. Then a primeneval forest swallows her, wet and dark, and from deep within I hear roaring..."

Pyotr Aleveyevich, an avtomat

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Other texts by Daniel H. Wilson

RV # 5 and Bonus Unit Completed

A cake topper, if you will. Although I did create a sixth unit, displayed below, this is the last robot vermin in this series for a while. I have desinated this unit as a security drone. The drone started out as a plastic tube inside a floss container. The material in which it was manufactured was of some waxy type of plastic, which at first, I didn't believe regular model cement would adhere strips to the cylinder. So I started of using super glue which made the process too fiddly. Things went better when I started to use model cement. I glued scale 1/4 strips around the spools diameter. The bottom was wrapped with a band of very thin styrene and I added scratch built rivets. The topper is a mystry, a part from my greeble collection.

This unit is signal repeater which picks up signals from other devices, amplifies the signal and pushes it out to the corresponding device. There is also a small storage area of a terabyte or two. Operating systems and the small bit of data that might be found on each device are also stored here to help restore necessary files quickly.

Adam Savage, Ghost Busters Special Effects

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Official Website

Fiddling Materials

One and three milimeter polystyrene bits.

I do use a lot of 1mm thick styrene, not for any real reason, I just have a lot of this sized material on hand. If thicker material is needed you can laminate several thiner sheets to the desired thickness.

I have seperated my plastic bits and have organized them by size. Since starting my RV project I have been using my leftovers for small details and greeble on my models.Outside of some trimings this small collection is all I have left of these smaller bits. I use these to fashion components for my models, such as applicators, hatches, and sensor fixtures.

One, two and a half, and three milimeter polystyrene bits.

I always start a new project with the right sized plastic sheets and usaully will cut something of from these leftover bits if I don't already have a piece at an appropriate size.

Robot # 2 Underway

Upper rright hand corner and under orange tube are componets of a hover craft, to the right and center are a few pieces of fiddling bits in 1, 1.5, and 2mm, in which I am wittling materials as needed, bottom left and right showing off my glue curing weights, center -in orocess robot componets: Legs, proplosion tracks, and head unit.

In addition to my robot vermin units, I have built two robots from kits, and one from scratch. I will be using a few of my leftover robot parts for my second scratch built robot.

The Humots #2

"The humots aped the vanished race to which they had been dedicated, wore old human clothes retrieved from the wreckage underfoot, assuming hats and scarves, dragged on socks, affected pipes and ponytails, and tied ribbons to themselves. Thier guttering electronic memories were refreshed by old movies ferreted from the D-Dump they copied in metallic gesture the movements of shaddows, aspired to emotion and hoped for hearts. The thought themselves a cut above the non-anthrophic automata that had superceded them."

Neanderthal Planet, Neanderthal Planet, Brian W. Aldiss

The Humots

"Humots executed slow, rhythmic dances to an intricate pattern, heads nodding, clapping their own hands turning to clap others hands. Some were grotesquely male, some grotesquely female. In the door-ways, or sitting on old refrigrtators, other grotesques look on.

These were the humots-old type human-designed robots of the late twentieth and early twenty fifth centuries useless in an all-automatic world, scrapped when the old technology was scrapped."

Neanderthal Planet, Neanderthal Planet, Brian W. Aldiss

Found - Greebles

I found this greeble at a spot I call my greeble field. I have found quite a few pieces at this spot and usaully after a good rain. This one is made from a bendable type of plastic. I have no plans for this item at this time and it will thrown into my greeble collection.

My partner found this one on the floor in our den. Neither one of us have any idea where it might have come from. It is made of a very thin plastic.

Neanderthal Planet

"Tales of Wonder and Terror!

This volumne is a collection of four of Aldiss's epic stories. First published in 1959.

On Neanderthal Planet the being were both less than human and more than human. Now they had to decide which way to go!

If you fall into the wrong matrix of the past, present or future you must beware of the choices you face. The sign is clear: Danger - Religion!

Intangebles, Inc. could not be be seen, but is ruled the lives - and deaths - of a couple and their children.

Since the Assassination a drug granting immortality is conceived; then moon vistors find that time is distorted. Would earth withstand such pressures?"

Neanderthal Planet, Brian W. Aldiss, First Avon printing in 1970.

Four Becomes Five and Five Four - RV #4 Complete

My forth robot vermin will become my fifth as my fifth bcomes number four. I had been working on these two simultaneously. When the former became too tedious I would switch over to number five.

This robot vermin stands about as tall as a US half dollar or approximently 34mm. The unit represents a intrusion detection sensor. It would, using a small hydrogen fuel cell, fly to it required location. Once there, it would land, the fins would be blown off by the means of a small charge, and using the built in cutting edges the unit would start to drill itself into the ground. Once at the required depth it would connect to the perimeter network and start to do its job in intrusion detection.

What is on your Workbench - Spare Parts

Spare Robot Parts - Arms, and Propulsion Units

Although I am putting finishing touches on my RV's five and six, I have started to ponder what my next project(s) will be? With the spare robot parts I am planning on building a robot or two. In addition, I have laid out the sides for a hover car. I don't know which project will get priority, but any rate, I do have, at least, two projects for next month.

Greebles & Structural Bits

Recently I have been organizing my scratch building materials. Getting down to my small materials I have picked these out either to be used in upcoming projects or to store them with similar materials.

This mix is made up mostly plastic bits, however there are a materials of other types as well. There are two disks I created to top plastic tubing, micro rod, some kit parts, a piece or two of kit sprue, parts from a pen assemble, and some random plastic bits I picked-up from somewhere. Some of these bits may be used just as they are or they may be reduced and only used in part.

Roofing Materials 2

Having a wide variety of materials on hand is important to me. If I have the materials on hand I can get started on a project straight away. Anticipating future projects is always been a game of chance for me, so I have taken in many types of materials over the years and have just started to make use of these diverse materials. Inventorying and knowing what I have on hand now dictates what I will be building in the future.

These plastic roof panels are leftovers from some kitbash project and resemble galvanized corrugated roofing. I have enough for a small out building and or a small lean-to structure. This roofing would look well on any type of structure, but I was thing of a small old grimy brick structure way back in some industrial scene.

I have featured this material before. Scalloped roofing I believe will look great on a board and batten structure. I have enough of this material for a few small shacks and sheds.

The Tragedy of Droids in Star Wars

Materials for RV#4 - RV4 in Process - Changes To...

Changes to... in Process...

I have decided to switch to 1 by 4's instead of the 2 by 4's I had been using. I didn't care for the way looked upon the cylinder core. I am also had a little difficulty with the placement of the strips with the tweezers that I have and have made some alterarions to my pair so that they may hold the very fine bits of strips.

A last minute thought: I wish I add alternated between the 1 by 4 and 2 by 4's. It would have created a nice effect.

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Materials for...

I am pulling materials together for the robot vermin number four. What you see here is the unit under construction. I used a floss role for the body, wrapped a very this strip of styrene around the bottem, and I startd to add styrene strips to the top half. Below are a strip of 1mm round rod and a strip of HO guage 2 by 4 material. The piece of to the right is something I picked-up in my travels. Not pictered here are the are rivets I fachioned from a piece of 1mm round rod. They will be added to the white band at the bottum of the unit. I haven't decided on how this unit will be propelled yet.

Close to Critical

Coverart by Dean Ellis

"Who is Fagin?

Fagin is a robot, an alltogether new kind of teacher, whose nine-foot pupils, each weighing posssible a ton, were busy leaning how to cope with peculiarities of their native planet Temelra.

Temelra's tempeture averaged 370', eight hundred atmospheres of pressure, "air" consisting of water heavily laced with oxygen and oxide of sulphur, and a constantly shifting crust.

Fagin was a good teacher, but he was not built to cope with the life and death problem of two young creatures, one human and one extra-terrestrial, who managed to catapult themselves into this enormously difficult environment."

Close to Critical, Hal Clement, 1970.

Close to Critical was first published in 1958 in Astounding Science Fiction Magazine.

RV#3 (a drone) has been Completed

This minature robot vermin is propelled by a electromagnetic process. We assume, like the others, that this unit was designed by an AI to provide security and defense capabilities. It was fashioned from a piece of PVC pipe, polystyrene sheet, micro-tubing and strips, material from bread clips, a small piece from a pen pocket clip used for a sensor, a couple random bits from the junk box (two greyish greeblies on the front and back and the rectangular bit on the top of the drone, the propulsion unit was created using a cap from some sort of tube, and lastly I used two greeblies from my model train accessories collection, those typicaly used to detail diesel engines; also on the top of the unit.

Side view

Back View

Standing in front of a US half-dollar

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Number 4 is in the works. See number RV1 and 2 here:

• RV#2
• RV#1

Building Materials & Storage

I was excepting a larger selection of the solids, however the collection is made up up of about 75% of the round and sqaure tubes. I will have to search for more solids, mostly in the large (at least 5/16") round variety.

I have seperated the round and square tube from the solids and have updated my obtention method for these materials. This will bring these materials close at hand and easy to get at. I am still waiting to obtain another large and rigid tube. This is not the organizers final resting spot.

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Added image and text on 3.13.24 @ 12:40 PM.

RV #3, an Update

RV #3 is coming along. As is normal for me, I have gotten side-tracked and am putting together materials for my next project and I am brainstorming a CV#4.

RV Makeup

The inspiration for these robot vermin came from Head Bunny's 28mm robot vermin collection. Building these miniature robots allows me to use those small plastic bits I have collected.

RV1 Drone

Polystyrene round and square tubing, added micro rod. I used a kit part and a piece of a sprue on the top of the unit. I also used other bits of sprue for sensors. For the fins I used material from bread ties.

RV2 Security bot

Polystyrene square tubing, styrene sheet and micro rod. The sensor on the top of the unit was created with a small bit of styrene that I carved into shape and then I added bits of micro-rod. The appendages were created from bits from a sprue. Lastly, I added a few greeblies that I either had on hand or I created purposely for this unit.

Neither of the RV units are larger than a US dime, nor built to any specific scale. Are you kidding? I haven't seen any scale drawing for these micro robot vermin.

The 5 Classes of Droids Explained

The video, although informative is rather humorous as well.

Another Star Wars Droid

Star Wars II

The Star Wars series feature an almost endless array of android types.

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• 20 of the Star Wars Galaxy's Greatest Droids
• starwars.fandom.droids

Greebles?

Every spent plastic item may have some use, perhaps not the whole, but perhaps there might be some usable bits that can be extracted.

I have no idea where these bits might come in handy. I will throw them into the bin and await an opportunity to make use of them.

1950's Retro-Rocket Scratchbuild

Although there are no instructions, Green Stuff World's 1950's rocket build provides plenty of images of the construction process for this scratch built retro spaceship.

RV#3 is Under Construction

My third robot vermin is under construction. The reason I haven't completed this unit is that I have become side-tracked on more than a few occasions while experimenting with differnt techniques and processes for creating bits of greeblies for my robots.

The Lost Blade Runner Artifacts

Fodder for Future Projects

I like having assorted materials on hand for it helps keeps my creative juices flowing.

The Start of Another Robot Vermin, #3 ; Materials

Materials for my next robot vermin unit. Most of the materials come from my plastic bits collections. The materials sit on top os a very thin sheet to styrene sheet, this will be used as material for shims.

Reflections of Club Embrujo

"The darkeness of the corridor spilled out into a hugh cement chamber that reaked of alcohol and body order. The scene was surreal- a deep mountain gratto in which hundreds of bodies moved as one. They surged up and down, hands pressed firmly to their sides, heads bobbing like lifeless bulbs on top of rigid spines. Crazed souls took to running and diving off a stage and landed on a sea of human limbs. Bodies were passed back and forth like human beach balls. Over head the pulsating strobes gave the whole scene the look of an old silent movie."

Digital Fortress, Dan Brown

Robot Vermin #2, Complete

All that is needed is some paint.

I used material from a sprue like this for the robots appendages.

Stanley stands tall next to the little robot. That is American quarter between the two of thmm.

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RV#3
RV#1