With the Thanksgiving holidays behind us, and the end of another year looming ever larger, the time has come to take stock of what's on the workbench, remove the distractions, and begin to plot-out what lies ahead. . .
As the Wolf Man (save for the trap and reworking the hands and feet) is in the final stages of finishing), it was time to play some catch-up with Nosferatu. As is oft the case, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was much further along than I had previously thought: still loads to do; but more at refinement than actual reworking.
This afternoon I have all but finished the arms, continued work on the drapery of the frock, and set the eyes. Tomorrow, I will hopefully have time to effectively conclude the work on the legs and lay-out the strategy for the keys.
More to follow. . .
29.11.2009--FOLLOW-UP
The left leg is now all-but-done; the right leg about 80% there. The underside of the frock (i.e., the attachment plate for the legs) has now been cleaned and finished and awaiting its "dependents". By the end of the week, I should have the legs permanently attached and the rest of the figure undergoing final finishing. FOLLOW-UP (2): I have begun preparing the leg sockets to accept their permanent residents: all that remains to be done on the legs is the surface finishing. The head is just about at the final finishing stage as well.
Images to follow once the legs are permanently attached.
Moving right along. . .
03.12.2009--UPDATE
With two dozen buttons to make--or rather, enhance--I decided to tackle the tedium in 3 lots of eight. The first lot is now curing. . . one down, two to go. . .
04.12.2009--UPDATE (2)
Two down, one to go. . . In what I hope will be a productive weekend, I have the legs and the preliminary once-over slated for tomorrow. If all goes as planned, I hope to spend some time with the camera on Sunday so that there will be ip pics up by Monday.
Back to the bench. . .
28 November 2009
21 November 2009
"Open Channel D". . .
The pace at work is rapidly increasing as the November holidays draw nigh, and time at the bench is lamentably the first casualty. Nevertheless, I've been able to eke out small blocks of time here and there, and here is where the Illya project currently stands:
23.11.2009--UPDATE
The head is now approximately 45% done. I am absolutely delighted with the progress, and even at this early stage, it is recognizable as David McCallum--at least to me. I still have a bit more to go (mainly the hair) before posting ip images.
27.11.2009--UPDATE (2)
First of all, I hope everybody who observes the holiday had a Happy Thanksgiving! Not much of a break given a late Wednesday at and an early Friday return to work, but at least I can look forward to leftovers in the days ahead!
But I digress. . . just a brief update to report that the head is now approximately 2/3 done! I did some refining work with the #12 blade tonight, but the major accomplishment was the addition of the lower eyelids. As most of you know, I've long ceased to place the eyeball and models the eyelids around the orbs: my preferred approach is to model and finish the eyelids, and then simply "fill the void". Much less stressful and MUCH more effective. FOLLOW-UP: The head has been located and fixed (but still removable), as has the torso to the legs, and that concludes PHASE 1 of this project. Once the putty cures, the subassemblies will be boxed and set aside to make room for Nossie and the Wolf Man. . .
"Channel D. . . Out. . . "
- Pose locked-in; pants have begun to be "fleshed" out. Reduction of lower pant legs to accommodate boots begun as well.
- Length of torso reduced to scale (~90%), as well as the length of the left forearm.
- Wrist sockets ground-out on both forearms.
- All sub-assemblies now pegged with 1/8" tin solder.
- Re-sculpting of head has begun in earnest. To date, I have scaled the head (80%), reshaped the frontal area of the skull (60%), and have begun to work the chin and lips.
23.11.2009--UPDATE
The head is now approximately 45% done. I am absolutely delighted with the progress, and even at this early stage, it is recognizable as David McCallum--at least to me. I still have a bit more to go (mainly the hair) before posting ip images.
27.11.2009--UPDATE (2)
First of all, I hope everybody who observes the holiday had a Happy Thanksgiving! Not much of a break given a late Wednesday at and an early Friday return to work, but at least I can look forward to leftovers in the days ahead!
But I digress. . . just a brief update to report that the head is now approximately 2/3 done! I did some refining work with the #12 blade tonight, but the major accomplishment was the addition of the lower eyelids. As most of you know, I've long ceased to place the eyeball and models the eyelids around the orbs: my preferred approach is to model and finish the eyelids, and then simply "fill the void". Much less stressful and MUCH more effective. FOLLOW-UP: The head has been located and fixed (but still removable), as has the torso to the legs, and that concludes PHASE 1 of this project. Once the putty cures, the subassemblies will be boxed and set aside to make room for Nossie and the Wolf Man. . .
"Channel D. . . Out. . . "
09 November 2009
U.N.C.L.E. meets Bond
Background (the short version).
I recently discovered NCIS, and it has quickly become one of my TV-viewing faves. Of course, seeing David McCallum, spry as ever at 76(!), as the NCIS Chief ME, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, got me reminiscing about the halcyon days of TV in the '60s; and from 1964-68, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a must-watch series. For those "youngsters" in the readership, David McCallum played U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in this TV-spinoff of the Bond movies (NOTE: Ian Fleming, in fact, had a hand in the creation of the U.N.C.L.E. series, and the characters of Napoleon Solo and April Dancer (eventually the "Girl from U.N.C.L.E."), if only in name, were created by him.).
The Project
This will be a long-term project to savor and enjoy, so check back periodically to see what progress is being made.
That being said, let's take a peek at what lies ahead. . .
As I mentioned above, this project began with seeing David McCallum in NCIS. This led to reacquainting myself with the U.N.C.L.E. series, and taking a mental trip down memory lane. I never had the Aurora Man from U.N.C.L.E. offerings (more on these later)--by that time I was already into the planes and cars phase of the modelling "bug"; but I did have the Marx U.N.C.L.E. set of vinyl figures. If memory serves, these were about 6" tall--give or take, and I began contemplating cutting a mold and casting resin copies that could be reworked as necessary. A lot of work for what would be essentially a resin knock-off. Pass.
The Aurora Man from U.N.C.L.E. offerings (NB: 1/12th scale, slightly smaller than the Aurora norm to accommodate the expansive scenic bases; cf., Spiderman, Dick Tracy, Bond[???])--Illya and Napoleon Solo--are hard to come by, and prohibitively expensive when found. These are purely collectible/fan "grails" as the sculpts/castings left much to be desired: I might have enjoyed them as a pre-teen, but certainly not now. Still. . .
The Illya kit depicted the U.N.C.L.E. agent in his trademark black turtle/polo neck sweater crouched by a garden wall behind a square lamp post with lantern. . . Was Aurora trying to hide something? Nevertheless, it got me thinking: was there a suitable 1/8-scale kit that could be converted into Illya?
And the answer is a resounding, YES! An original Aurora James Bond is arguably as difficult, if not more so, to find than his U.N.C.L.E. cousins (and if I am not mistaken, as alluded to above, designed in 1/12th scale as well--can anyone confirm this?); but the decade-old Polar Lights "1/8th scale" reissue is not. In fact, they can be readily found for around US$20-25, and if you look hard enough and are patient, they can be had for less than $10!
And this is how the offspring of Ian Fleming's fertile imagination came to meet. The Bond kit (scales out at 1/9th scale/200mm) captures the essence of the Kuryakin kit in a much more viewer-friendly pose and setting. On the agenda for now is a new head and weapon (I'm very much looking forward to the latter!), and the addition of a shoulder holster. I'm sure there will be other mods and tweaks before it is all said and done, but this is a good start.
PS--All subassemblies (including the base/groundwork), save for the arms, are now glued and rubber-banded.
11.11.2009
The lower body (i.e., assembled legs) and the head have been filled with PUR. Regarding the latter, I created a neck extension with a clay dam prior to pouring and I now have a neck--actually the core of a neck--with which to "play around" and optimize the position of the head. As a closing note, the arms have now been assembled.
13.11.2009
I had put the kit away yesterday to attend to more pressing mundane matters, as well as ward off vexing distractions; but a couple of hours of "down time" became available late last night, and I tried to make the most of it. . .
The balance of the kit is now PUR filled. I also began to pare down the bulk of the sweater, and reduce the shoulder extensions on the torso. The latter prompted me to prep the left arm (bisected at the elbow and pegged with 1/8" tin solder) for future repositioning.
All in all a productive 90 or so minutes. I may work a bit more on this over the weekend, but Nosferatu and the Wolf Man will not wait much longer. . . tempus fugit! UPDATE: The right leg has been repositioned to depict a more believable--and sustainable!--crouch: this simply involved removing a wedge from the back of the knee. Naturally, the right foot had to be removed and repositioned as well. Since the stylish loafers will be replaced with leather combat boots, I could concern myself more with the ultimate position of the foot rather than preserving the stock footwear. UPDATE (2): With a few hours to spare this Saturday morning before having to go to work, I reduced the length of the torso and began "playing" with the pose of the figure.
I recently discovered NCIS, and it has quickly become one of my TV-viewing faves. Of course, seeing David McCallum, spry as ever at 76(!), as the NCIS Chief ME, Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, got me reminiscing about the halcyon days of TV in the '60s; and from 1964-68, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a must-watch series. For those "youngsters" in the readership, David McCallum played U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin in this TV-spinoff of the Bond movies (NOTE: Ian Fleming, in fact, had a hand in the creation of the U.N.C.L.E. series, and the characters of Napoleon Solo and April Dancer (eventually the "Girl from U.N.C.L.E."), if only in name, were created by him.).
The Project
This will be a long-term project to savor and enjoy, so check back periodically to see what progress is being made.
That being said, let's take a peek at what lies ahead. . .
As I mentioned above, this project began with seeing David McCallum in NCIS. This led to reacquainting myself with the U.N.C.L.E. series, and taking a mental trip down memory lane. I never had the Aurora Man from U.N.C.L.E. offerings (more on these later)--by that time I was already into the planes and cars phase of the modelling "bug"; but I did have the Marx U.N.C.L.E. set of vinyl figures. If memory serves, these were about 6" tall--give or take, and I began contemplating cutting a mold and casting resin copies that could be reworked as necessary. A lot of work for what would be essentially a resin knock-off. Pass.
The Aurora Man from U.N.C.L.E. offerings (NB: 1/12th scale, slightly smaller than the Aurora norm to accommodate the expansive scenic bases; cf., Spiderman, Dick Tracy, Bond[???])--Illya and Napoleon Solo--are hard to come by, and prohibitively expensive when found. These are purely collectible/fan "grails" as the sculpts/castings left much to be desired: I might have enjoyed them as a pre-teen, but certainly not now. Still. . .
The Illya kit depicted the U.N.C.L.E. agent in his trademark black turtle/polo neck sweater crouched by a garden wall behind a square lamp post with lantern. . . Was Aurora trying to hide something? Nevertheless, it got me thinking: was there a suitable 1/8-scale kit that could be converted into Illya?
And the answer is a resounding, YES! An original Aurora James Bond is arguably as difficult, if not more so, to find than his U.N.C.L.E. cousins (and if I am not mistaken, as alluded to above, designed in 1/12th scale as well--can anyone confirm this?); but the decade-old Polar Lights "1/8th scale" reissue is not. In fact, they can be readily found for around US$20-25, and if you look hard enough and are patient, they can be had for less than $10!
And this is how the offspring of Ian Fleming's fertile imagination came to meet. The Bond kit (scales out at 1/9th scale/200mm) captures the essence of the Kuryakin kit in a much more viewer-friendly pose and setting. On the agenda for now is a new head and weapon (I'm very much looking forward to the latter!), and the addition of a shoulder holster. I'm sure there will be other mods and tweaks before it is all said and done, but this is a good start.
PS--All subassemblies (including the base/groundwork), save for the arms, are now glued and rubber-banded.
11.11.2009
The lower body (i.e., assembled legs) and the head have been filled with PUR. Regarding the latter, I created a neck extension with a clay dam prior to pouring and I now have a neck--actually the core of a neck--with which to "play around" and optimize the position of the head. As a closing note, the arms have now been assembled.
13.11.2009
I had put the kit away yesterday to attend to more pressing mundane matters, as well as ward off vexing distractions; but a couple of hours of "down time" became available late last night, and I tried to make the most of it. . .
The balance of the kit is now PUR filled. I also began to pare down the bulk of the sweater, and reduce the shoulder extensions on the torso. The latter prompted me to prep the left arm (bisected at the elbow and pegged with 1/8" tin solder) for future repositioning.
All in all a productive 90 or so minutes. I may work a bit more on this over the weekend, but Nosferatu and the Wolf Man will not wait much longer. . . tempus fugit! UPDATE: The right leg has been repositioned to depict a more believable--and sustainable!--crouch: this simply involved removing a wedge from the back of the knee. Naturally, the right foot had to be removed and repositioned as well. Since the stylish loafers will be replaced with leather combat boots, I could concern myself more with the ultimate position of the foot rather than preserving the stock footwear. UPDATE (2): With a few hours to spare this Saturday morning before having to go to work, I reduced the length of the torso and began "playing" with the pose of the figure.
08 November 2009
Art of the Samurai Exhibition
Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868 is now open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (21 October 2009–10 January 2010). Of greater relevance to those of us who will miss this exhibition, highlights of the exhibition are now available online at the Met site; and the catalog for the exhibition is also now available for purchase.
There are some undeniable treasures to be seen at this unique event; however, if I have under- stood the annotations correctly, one would have to visit the exhibit at least twice to get the "full" version. For example, according to the MMA site, Honda's "antlered" gusoku is on display through the 29th of this month; but the ni-mai dō of Sakakibara Yasumasa will not be on display until Dec. 8th.
While there is nothing like viewing the items "in the metal", unless one is in close proximity to the Big Apple, the catalog would seem to be the option of choice.
There are some undeniable treasures to be seen at this unique event; however, if I have under- stood the annotations correctly, one would have to visit the exhibit at least twice to get the "full" version. For example, according to the MMA site, Honda's "antlered" gusoku is on display through the 29th of this month; but the ni-mai dō of Sakakibara Yasumasa will not be on display until Dec. 8th.
While there is nothing like viewing the items "in the metal", unless one is in close proximity to the Big Apple, the catalog would seem to be the option of choice.
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