It gets finished when it gets finished. No time limit, or I’ll walk away. The museum president does not care how long it will take as long as it works and looks good.
After the display table is finished, I will cover it up and work a little more underneath it…to have the traversing boat running on rails, plus adding some electronics. I may then send the display to the museum to keep the curator off my back. He can then get busy installing a Perspex enclosure for it.
The control box, motor-cable systems, and connectivity between console needs to be established. Then the bridge can be operated.
While everybody is playing with the new toy, I’ll be busy at home painting the 4 x 8 foot backdrop for it, in oil paints.
Ok, I am for sure stealing the use of coark for small-scale rocks (I even think I know were to get some of better than notice-board thickness, too).
Here in the States, “rip rap” is both a common term, but also a engineer-specified product. As a grading standard for natrually-occuring aggregate, it’s material that is larger than “cobbles” (4-8") and smaller than “boulders” (>24"). It’s also a waste product from the quarrying industry, and represents an excellent vehicle for handling their scrap bits.
This crops up in maritime/coastal projects. Rip rap is used for jetties and breakwaters, and for some forms of erosion control and seawall protection.
Also will crop up in beach preservation projects, especially on high-energy coast lines like the US NW. Corps of Engineers put out requests for “beach sand” for a project on the Oregon coast which called for well-graded sand of 10-12" size. (The NW US coast is tectonic, so there’s not a uniform shallow slope up to the beach area, and it’s exposed to high winds and storms. So, ordinary “sand” is less common (very much only found in protected inlets and bays and the like).
This is rather a stark contrast to the Texas coast, which is shallow-pitched, distinctly low-energy, and a windward shore. Excepting the occasional tropical storm and hurricane.
Took it easy over last two days. At first I forgot about it, but on the 24th, a friend called by to say ‘happy birthday’. Time sure does flies. Yesterday was ANZAC Day, so it was time to show face, respect those that served, and chat with other veterans.
If I ever get to your part of the world again I’ll have to spring for rounds for everyone .Whatta beautiful job . Peter , you never cease to keep me amazed !
Peter, It is coming along fantasically well. There is so much eye candy that perhaps the patrons of the museum will be looking at all the details instead of watching the bridge actually lift. That is the hallmark of an excellent work of art, that you see something new each time you look at it, and it is no stretch for me to say that what you have is a work of ART. Bravo sir. [Y][Y][snYea]
Been busy with other aspects of life which has priority over the model. As a result, I have still worked on the model but paying more attention to personal aspects of the diorama.
Muz (Murray), a good friend, has for the last ten years been fighting cancer. In the last month his health has deteriorated drastically. He has been tied up with the specialists, and while waiting for progress reports I have been tinkering with small scale builds for the diorama.
Muz loves fishing, and has caught (and released) some huge fish over the years. The diorama needs a recreational fishing boat around the boat ramp area. On a subconscious level, I was building this fishing boat as a result of having Muz in mind.
Made this dinghy/tinny from Masonite, scarp wood and paper clip. I discovered that Masonite is quite easy to shape by carving.
Originally I was to add a few children swimming around, but soon discovered that nobody swims in the river due to the Bull Sharks. Some of them have been caught near the Wardell bridge.
So I decided to try and make a shark from DAS clay. I was not too pleased by this medium. soon learnt that there is other stuff more pliable and sticky. As a result, I had to make extra parts and then glued into place after it was dried.
I made sure it was a big shark.
Muz had a good laugh at this. He also told me since the boat is under 5 m the two guys in the boat ought to be wearing inflatable life-jackets. So I painted them on and added line to the fishing rods.
