Steampunk scratcher-" THUNDER CHILD"

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hornet driver

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In the summer of 1878, the British Empire landed the first space craft "Thunder Child" on the surface of Mars. The inhabitants of the planet remained hidden and undiscovered during the mission in their underground shelters. The Earth ship left Mars and it's harsh environment behind never to return. The Martians on the other hand viewed, this as a prelude to invasion. Slowly and surely they drew their plans against us. Twenty years later in 1898 the Martians invaded earth. In a strange twist of fate, it was the British Navy's H.M.S. Thunder Child,an ironclad ram,that was destroyed in the Battle of River Blackwater while protecting a fleeing civilian convoy. The original Thunder Child now resides in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester,England.
Now that's behind us lets move on. First I want to thank J P MORGAN for sending me a particular part for this build that inspired me and got me up and running. More on that later. I'm wanting to try my hand at this steampunk thing. The styling is all over the map so I narrowed it down to something along the lines of Jules Verne styling. Follow along and lets see where this goes.
I started with a 3 inch x 26 inch mailing tube I picked up at Walmart for two bucks---a couple of coats of filler and some primer and we're ready to go---100_2581.jpg-100_2582.jpg
 
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I know I'm going to want some elements of wood in the exterior. I figured I'd try a wrap. I went to several art stores and never found the perfect solution. I ended up getting a piece of scratch book paper that had a little grain in it and was brown. Next I used watercolors drybrushed on to give it a little more character---View attachment 179350. This single step has sent me down a road were I have to finish as I go. It won't be a build-prime-paint rocket, more like a build and finish a part and move on. I'll hold off on the internals till last since they are the easiest parts of the whole thing and can be put into the completed shell in the end. Oh yea !! building it for 29mm but can downsize if needed.I went ahead and got a couple coats of hammered gunmetal on the tube-View attachment 179351. I measured my wood wrap and sprayed adhesive on the back marked a guide line on the bt and here's what I've got so far--View attachment 179352 I used some copper tape to do barrel wraps with---I like it so far !!
 
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me too!!! I find it's best to listen to it after a couple of beers or a glass of wine---sit back and close your eyes---very visual sound track !!!
 
I'm sorely tempted to digitize my copy of the LP tonight.

Moving swiftly through the waters
Cannons blazing as she came
Brought a mighty metal War-Lord
Crashing down in sheets of flame
Sensing victory was nearing
Thinking fortune must have smiled
People started cheering
'Come on Thunder Child'
 
AAARRRGGGG !-100_2585.jpg-100_2589.jpg-100_2590.jpg-100_2591.jpg-100_2593.jpg-100_2595.jpg----Sorry gang, I have no idea what's going on with the pics--here's another try ! Thanks LW for the heads up
 
Ya know, I've always wanted to use TP holders for something. I wanted some pods on this thing and they were the ticket---and what a PIA to finish they are. I collected six and primed them up and then filled them. After sanding I sprayed them with hammered copper and picked the best three for the job. I don't want them perfect but not fugly--somewhere in between.---100_2600.jpg---I'd already collected some of those little balls that stockings come in and they fit perfect-100_2601.jpg--they got a good coat of paint--100_2603.jpg--Yep that'll work--
 
Got a little more done on the pods. Just added some detail--100_2609.jpg-100_2610.jpg--I needed to come up with a good mount---Looks like some single use rasor handles might do the job, they have some nice cooling rib looking things-100_2617.jpg-I taped off the tops and sanded all the contact areas to get a good grip after painting them--a little black wash to bring out some detail---100_2619.jpg---after sanding down the mounting area on the bt a little epoxy did the job---100_2621.jpg-100_2622.jpg-100_2623.jpg---tomorrow I'll knock out the fins--another challenge--and start on the nose section--and more details...
 
Amazing HD!!! Absolutely Fantabulous! You make it look so easy, like that Bob what's-his-name-with-the-afro used to make painting happy little trees look easy on PBS...
 
Thanks T, coming from you that's a huge pat on the back. I should get the fins done today--got the day off, it's my B-day--then I'll start to tackle the nose section. That's gonna be a real challenge to get it to look the way I want ---you'll see what I'm talking about later.
 
Jumped on the fins today. I decided to use a set of Vagabond fins I had laying around. I cleaned up the laser cuts and gave them a quick coat of Deft sanding sealer--100_2606.jpg---while that was drying I cut and folded the leading edge armor plates---100_2614.jpg--- Once dry the fins got two coats of filler/primer--100_2613.jpg---while this was drying I sprayed the plates--100_2625.jpg---back over to the fins , I moist sanded them and hit them with the hammered gunmetal. After they dried I used ca to bond the armor plate on--100_2632.jpg---add a little more detail and we're done--100_2634.jpg--
 
100_2645.jpgthe fins are mounted and drying. I drilled the bt and sanded the area where the fins mounted.The were put on with epoxy. This is a potential weak area so tomorrow I'll run a small epoxy fillet down them and then cover it with a rivited panel.I also started adding some piping-100_2646.jpg
 
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I like it. Seems like a lot of people are getting into steampunking. What I like is that mistakes can actually make it look better. And I always have plenty of mistakes.
 
Alrighty, I got back to work on the old girl again. I still have some detailing to do to the main body but I decided to go ahead and start the nose section. I've put a lot of thought into this and changed my mind about a dozen times but today I pulled the trigger. I want the nose section to be a Mars lander. I knew I was going to use this nice dome I got from J P MORGAN--100_2641.jpg--It's going to require me to build a cockpit area since it is soooooo clear. I've also always liked that gold foil on the Lunar Module so I figured I would try and mimic that. I took a section of bt and painted the bottom third with hammered gun metal. After that was dry I taped off the bottom section and applied some spray adhesive. I let it set for about a minute to tack and then wrapped it with this silver mylar. It was in my scrap drawer--I think it was a thermal blanket at one time.Next I used some foam mounting tape and put it on some thin sheet styren---(READ FOR SALE SIGN)--I then cut it into thin strips for ribbing. The more I thought about it the less I liked the idea of trying to paint the ribs on the nose--plus the tape really gives it some depth. I painted them before I put them on. One drawback, they are white inside--damn--guess I'll have to do the same treatment on the inside of the dome--100_2647.jpg--the dome has a seperate base so I can build the cockpit and then instert the whole thing. I'm going to spend the evening working on more external details as well as some sort of landing legs--I gotta think 1800's--more later
 
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Hornet driver.... You are THE Master! We bow down to you!
 
Yes very nice hornet!!! I think I'll start a "steampunked" in the gallery section, so we can all post pics of our creations. Cant wait to see all them together in one thread.
 
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