Author Topic: The Time Machine - Done ! (Read 13562 times)

Buzzbomb · « **on:** November 21, 2014, 05:49:59 PM »

I have a 1/12 kit of the George Pal Time Machine from the 1960 movie.
This is a Comet Miniatures kit, mastered by my good friend Ian "Stargazer" Walsh.
So for this GB, I am in !

It is a resin kit with lots of largish parts and some amount of metal castings.

I have started on the chair, which is the easy bit, but the rest is taped together to get an idea of what goes where.
Yes. It is screaming some sort of gimmickery, at least one flashing LED and if I can get the disk to spin.. even better

Weaver · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2014, 11:08:37 PM »

Oh that's an excellent project - welcome aboard! :)

Old Wombat · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2014, 01:44:38 AM »

This should be good!

GTX_Admin · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2014, 03:22:46 AM »

Quote from: Old Wombat on November 22, 2014, 01:44:38 AM

This should be good!

Wot me learned colleague said...

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2014, 04:16:35 PM »

thanks for the vote of confidence.. we shall see.

Anyway I had a burst of enthusiasm.
After gobbing off about the lights, then I had to work out how.
For the main beacon, that was easy, just drill out and put some tube in to run the wires

Now the little lights on the control panel... well not so easy as there is no easy way run the wiring.
So first up some surgery to open up the interior a bit

Get the LED's in there.. sadly, one has died or the wire come away and is not working. Any half decent modeller would have pulled it all apart and started again. Apparently I am not one of them

Then back to the issue of getting the wiring somewhere where a power supply and gadgets like flashers can be put. Then I hit upon a brainwave, well for me anyway. It comes with white metal framing, let that be the conduit.. easy !

So I soldered in a lead in wire to the framing then it should be easier to get the control panel wiring to connect to this.
As this model is pretty much modular from here on in, it is almost painting time

Antonio Sobral · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2014, 04:39:01 PM »

Modelling and Electronics together! How better life can get?

The idea of using the fancy ironwork as wiring is genius!

Can't wait to see the the disc spinning in all its glorious psychedelic effect :)

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2014, 06:30:45 PM »

Quote from: Antonio Sobral on November 24, 2014, 04:39:01 PM

Can't wait to see the the disc spinning in all its glorious psychedelic effect :)

yeah.. about that... I have not solved that one yet.

Kerick · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2014, 12:51:51 AM »

Try American science and surplus. They have some cool electric motors, some with reduction gearing built in. All kinds of weird stuf for good prices.

Antonio Sobral · « **Reply #8 on:** November 25, 2014, 04:21:28 PM »

Yeah. That´s no easy task for sure.

But you can always leave the disc spin free on its axle.
And when you want to see it moving, all you need to give it a push with your finger :)

Frank3k · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2014, 12:47:30 AM »

The George Pal version is one of my favorite SF movies. I had the Masterpiece Models 1/6 scale version, but it was just too big for me. This one looks perfect in size. Motorizing the dish may be interesting, but I don't think there's enough room for a motor. Maybe a small bearing (or just a nylon insert for the metal shaft) and let it spin by hand should be fine. Are you going to back illuminate the year display? What about the time lever? Is that cast in clear or solid white?

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2014, 06:58:49 AM »

I have been doing some research and there are some really small crown gears around, so I am currently investigating that part.
There is pleny of room in the support pedestal for the motor so I am looking at a vertical shaft and crown gears giving a right hand angle drive, which should work. then I have to redirect the Large Beacon wires, but one thing at a time.

Using a small geared motor Runway13 Geared Motor like this so it is nice and slow

However this does involve precision engineering which really is not my strongest suite.

I had forgotten about the year display.. it may be too late. for that now.

Camthalion · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2014, 05:38:19 AM »

Cool. Look forward to seeing the finished machine

Silver Fox · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2014, 03:31:21 AM »

You could power the disk passively.

1. Disk mounted on an axle free to rotate.
2. Disk modified with magnetic material (or a magnet)
3. A hidden motor behind one wall of a display box that magnetically couples to the disk.

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2015, 12:33:47 PM »

It. Is alive !!!

After working a few options with getting the disk spinning I have given it away. The space available is just too small.
Big thanks to Uncle Les for printing me some bevel gears but they just did not work the way I envisaged.
So.. no spinning disk on this version.

But the lights are done and now undercoated to start painting.
Some things are just best left alone

Kerick · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2015, 02:12:26 PM »

You just need Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj figures!

Oh, and Penny too!

Volkodav · « **Reply #15 on:** January 10, 2015, 04:18:35 PM »

Can't wait to see the finished product!

My eldest saw that episode when it first came out and the Morlocs terrified him, the episode was repeated a couple of weeks back and when he saw the time machine he looked away and the left the room.

Frank3k · « **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2015, 04:37:42 AM »

We watched "The Time Machine" last night, after hearing that Rod Taylor died. It's a great movie! In the special on the DVD, Bob Burns talked about the worm gear drive for the dish and I thought of this model. My wife lamented that I sold my Masterpiece Models 1/6 scale version, but there was no way I would have the time or talent to build it properly.

Your version is looking great, Brian!

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2015, 08:05:49 AM »

Quote from: Frank3k on January 11, 2015, 04:37:42 AM

We watched "The Time Machine" last night, after hearing that Rod Taylor died. It's a great movie! In the special on the DVD, Bob Burns talked about the worm gear drive for the dish and I thought of this model. My wife lamented that I sold my Masterpiece Models 1/6 scale version, but there was no way I would have the time or talent to build it properly.

Your version is looking great, Brian!

There is a great build online about the 1/6 model, which does have everything working. http://erkelzaar.tsudao.com/models/enlow/troy.htm

I think twice the size of this model would be just about perfect to get the gubbins right to get the disk spinning.
Still painting proceeds, just at undercoats, fixing things and base coats at this stage.
Nothing to see here. Yet.

taiidantomcat · « **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2015, 10:56:15 AM »

That is impressive :) :)

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #19 on:** January 18, 2015, 05:49:35 PM »

It progresses !!!
Pretty much all the painting done, some decals to place then final construction of the last fiddly bits.

Spent some time soldering today and the lights even still work.. bonus !!!

taiidantomcat · « **Reply #20 on:** January 18, 2015, 11:22:43 PM »

That is some amazing painting!

Buzzbomb · « **Reply #21 on:** January 25, 2015, 08:24:32 AM »

Just the base to hide all the electronic gubbins but for here I am calling done.
Except the couple of niggly bits I have seen in the photos.
Soldered up Brass cages for the lights, to replace either the solid metal or resin parts. Before cleanup

The disk, the decals are beautiful

And here we are.

I found some coloured wire for the electode leads in close enough to the correct colours in a craft shop. Much better than trying to paint them
I will post up a short video with the lights running in the next few days.

All in all, a great kit. I am sure a better miniature engineer than me could get the disk spinning as well.

Old Wombat · « **Reply #22 on:** January 25, 2015, 08:45:21 AM »

Sweet!

GTX_Admin · « **Reply #23 on:** January 26, 2015, 02:11:57 AM »

taiidantomcat · « **Reply #24 on:** January 26, 2015, 06:48:06 AM »

Unreal finish!!

Frank3k · « **Reply #25 on:** January 26, 2015, 08:40:19 AM »

Fantastic job, Brian! You could display it as either the full sized model or the 1:1 time machine model (if you get a nice lined box)


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Author Topic: The Time Machine - Done ! (Read 13562 times)