| Colonel O Truth | 18 Jul 2011 2:06 a.m. PST |
Hi, All. I just posted the latest pics of my big walker project on my blog. link
Rivet count: 1,398 What do you think? |
| Arteis | 18 Jul 2011 2:32 a.m. PST |
Guess its the Mars ROVER? |
| Colonel O Truth | 18 Jul 2011 2:34 a.m. PST |
Arteis! Are you barking?! |
Frederick  | 18 Jul 2011 5:32 a.m. PST |
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| TheBeast | 18 Jul 2011 9:31 a.m. PST |
No comparison figs this time? Colonel, no reason to be 'ruff' on him. As for anyone who should not be suggesting madness in another… Doug |
| Allen57 | 18 Jul 2011 10:34 a.m. PST |
I cant say I like the dog look of the front compartment but that is a personal observation. There is nothing wrong with the dog look and your overall contraption is beautiful. Thinking a bout it, the front could as easily be described as T-Rex like. Al |
| abdul666lw | 18 Jul 2011 2:43 p.m. PST |
Dog or T-Rex? Will depend upon the number of legs! And with a pair of chicken-like 'reversed' legs ('knees' bending backward) it'll look more like a carnivorous ostrich ("Terror Bird")
Tremendous work anyway!
What about a 'Munchausenian' 18th C. ornithopter, next time? TMP link
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| Colonel O Truth | 19 Jul 2011 1:46 a.m. PST |
I honestly, truly had NO INTENTION of making it look like a dog! Thanks, Arteis!!!! It will have four legs… sigh… too late to turn back now! Hmmm… Maybe a leash? Yep – I've thought about ornithopters. And other stuff, too. And I'm planning a big 'steampunk' terrain piece (to be announced) Thanks for the encouragement, pals. Or is that chums? Remember: A man's best friend is his gigantic, bright green, steam-powered engine of death! |
| abdul666lw | 19 Jul 2011 3:46 a.m. PST |
A dog? Well, the Imperial quadruped of 'The Empire strikes back' does look like a ram (or a muskox, given the climate?). Four legs? Just makes tour design more 'credible'.
Bipedal walk is too difficult -even for us it's a permanently controlled fall: imagine the number of gyroscope, feed-back controls and auxiliary engines it would require?
Besides, a bipedal walker is far too easily disabled to be used as an war machine: a tank having lost a track can still be used as a pillbox, while a fallen bipedal walker is totally useless.
Thus four legs are the absolute minimum for a fighting vehicle. A centipede-like multitude of legs would probably be too complicated and easily lose coordination. The optimum, as for AFV wheels, is probably within the 3-5 pairs range. Maybe such a contraption would be superior to wheeled and even tracked or vehicles on some terrains, e.g. on irregular, rocky very steep slopes.
link |
| TheBeast | 19 Jul 2011 6:09 a.m. PST |
@abdul666lw I've always felt that way about walkers, but there's a large group of engineers who feel just the opposite. However, as instability is considered a positive towards mobility and flexibility, it requires the kind of fly-by-wire avionics, even more than gyros and motors, that are just not too available in the steam and rivets era. ;->= In spite of the tripod madness our fellow Wellsians favor, four really is a minimum, and six makes most sense to me. Very stable four on the ground, two to move and then shift center of gravity. Further redundancy gets a bit heavy. Doug PS The mech crowd really irks me; by all work I'm seeing, anthropomorphic is right out. For speed and agility, that raptor, whether dinosaur or bird, and there's a lot of agreement that that's the same thing, makes just SO much more sense. |
| abdul666lw | 21 Jul 2011 3:29 a.m. PST |
Colonel O Truth seems tempted with building a 'Munchausenian' (18th C.) model.
A 'royal' coach link could be a good, if expensive, source of 'rococo' decoration for a 'Lacepunk' contraption. Maybe such baroque sculpts are available as spare pieces
for ship modelers
? For those intrigued by Lacepunk (and Lace Wars 'Fantasy'): link . |
| Colonel O Truth | 31 Jul 2011 8:39 p.m. PST |
Here's the latest, guys! link
Hope you like! (Yes, Abdul, I know! Not very Lacey!) |
| abdul666lw | 01 Aug 2011 6:20 a.m. PST |
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| TheBeast | 01 Aug 2011 8:48 a.m. PST |
Wait a min, who's driving this thing?!?!? ;->= I thought the controls would reside above, but are you going to place them in 'the chin'? Doug |
| abdul666lw | 01 Aug 2011 9:52 a.m. PST |
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| Colonel O Truth | 01 Aug 2011 11:28 a.m. PST |
TheBeast – The controls will be placed behind the eyes. The chin will have a Gatling gun. |
| abdul666lw | 05 Aug 2011 2:11 a.m. PST |
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| Colonel O Truth | 06 Aug 2011 3:08 a.m. PST |
Thanks for the thousands of links, Abdul, but I'll be concentrating my efforts on Victorian steam-power and rivets for the foreseeable future! Lacepunk will have to wait. |
| Colonel O Truth | 07 Aug 2011 8:11 p.m. PST |
A bit more development for you, folks…
More pics on my blog…
link
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| CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 08 Aug 2011 8:04 p.m. PST |
Perhaps just a hint of rust here and there with a touch of Victorian style gold leaf. A wonderful project. We are all so delighted that you are sharing it's progress with us. |
| Colonel O Truth | 28 Aug 2011 8:50 p.m. PST |
And the latest… Legs are in production, neck detailing is finished… link
What do you think? |
| Colonel O Truth | 28 Aug 2011 9:14 p.m. PST |
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| Colonel O Truth | 04 Sep 2011 8:49 p.m. PST |
And the underbelly… link
Rivet Count so far: 2,337! |
| CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 05 Sep 2011 6:27 a.m. PST |
Keep up the good work. I dive into this post every time it up-dates. Love the detail work like the chains and brass fittings. |
| Colonel O Truth | 05 Sep 2011 11:44 a.m. PST |
Thanks, Captain! I think I can almost see light at the end of the tunnel – won't be long before this thing is (gasp!) finished! |
| Colonel O Truth | 06 Sep 2011 5:11 a.m. PST |
Tried gluing me thighs together tonight! link
More soon! |
| CAPTAIN BEEFHEART | 11 Sep 2011 10:33 a.m. PST |
Loved the idea of steam powered pistons! The devil may be in the details but they sure help suspend disbelief.
I may have to dust off my failed 15mm VSF tractor and attempt to finish it this winter. Lots of research to create 1/2 a useless model…or not. It's good to know I'm, not the
only detail freak out there. Too much VSF seems to be kit bashed WWII or Warhammer stuff with a Bic pen smoke stack jammed into the engine compartment. Boilers and flywheels rock! Let's not neglect the brass fittings and the manufacturer's logo.
….sorry for going on too long but one gets enthusiastic over such things. |
| Colonel O Truth | 11 Sep 2011 8:08 p.m. PST |
I quite agree, Captain Beefheart! Slog it out, Old Boy! It's worth it in the end! On that note: added another 177 rivets and finished the first foot! link
Rivet Count now stands at 2,526! I may need medication soon. Or perhaps it's too late for that? |
| CHANTYAM | 12 Sep 2011 4:11 a.m. PST |
Just fill the plastic wine glass up a few times once the back legs are finished because you will have earned it! |
| Colonel O Truth | 12 Sep 2011 11:51 a.m. PST |
Chantyam, I agree! Although I seem to recall it was several glasses of something strong that got me started on this thing in the first place! |
| Colonel O Truth | 12 Feb 2012 8:54 p.m. PST |
Wow – It's been ages since I was on here! Been kinda busy with other stuff…. Anyway, Gargantua is back on the table and looking pretty good, if I say so myself… link
Hope you like! |
| Lion in the Stars | 14 Feb 2012 5:20 p.m. PST |
Awesome! Now it just needs to see some table-time (and the creator could use a good brandy!) |
| Colonel O Truth | 14 Feb 2012 11:06 p.m. PST |
Brandy?! What a splendid idea! But she's not quite ready for table time yet. A few hundred rivets still to go… |
| abdul666lw | 15 Feb 2012 4:42 a.m. PST |
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| Watchtower78 | 15 Feb 2012 8:14 p.m. PST |
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| Colonel O Truth | 16 Feb 2012 10:27 a.m. PST |
Thanks, guys! Watch this space! |
| Colonel O Truth | 19 Feb 2012 12:52 a.m. PST |
Posted new pics of components and comparison shots on my blog tonight… link
Hope you like! |
| Colonel O Truth | 20 Feb 2012 2:47 a.m. PST |
She's nearly done! link
More soon… |
| surdu2005 | 20 Feb 2012 3:57 a.m. PST |
"Buck's Law" states that the first time you use freshly painted units or a new gizmo in a game it gets wiped out. I hope you fare better. :) Buck Surdu |
| Colonel O Truth | 20 Feb 2012 10:11 a.m. PST |
Thanks for that, Buck! Yes – I'm only too familiar with that one. Wonder what would happen if I surrounded her with lots of even newer units? Would she survive? Or would it be disasyer for the entire army? |
| Colonel O Truth | 22 Feb 2012 2:49 a.m. PST |
Been working on my rear entrance! Feel free to inspect it!
link ;) |
| Colonel O Truth | 29 Feb 2012 3:53 a.m. PST |
Added controls, scratch-built gatling guns and more today! link
Hope you like! |
| Erasmus Philomel | 29 Feb 2012 6:35 a.m. PST |
I am dumbfounded! Carry on good Sir, you have made something magnificent! |
| Colonel O Truth | 29 Feb 2012 11:28 p.m. PST |
Why thank you, Erasmus! Always nice to found someone dumb! I shall indeed carry on. The end is in sight! |
| Colonel O Truth | 04 Mar 2012 4:43 a.m. PST |
At last! She's FINISHED! link
Thank you all for keeping me going. Time for some new projects now! All the Best! |
| Lion in the Stars | 04 Mar 2012 5:23 a.m. PST |
Jolly good show, Colonel! And just in time for some brandy and cigars. |
| Frank Chadwick | 04 Mar 2012 8:43 a.m. PST |
Absolutely magnificent! I just plugged it on my Space: 1889 blog and added a permanent link to your blog. Great stuff. |
| Colonel O Truth | 04 Mar 2012 11:11 a.m. PST |
Brandy and cigars, Lion in the stars?
No time! Have to invade Mars!
Huzzahs! …sorry. Had to. Glad you like! Frank – Thank you very much. It's an honour, Sir. |
| Frank Chadwick | 04 Mar 2012 11:33 a.m. PST |
Just got the first reader comment on the post as well. "Very cool! :)" a reader writes. Here's a link to the blog entry. link |
| Colonel O Truth | 04 Mar 2012 12:09 p.m. PST |
Thank you, Frank! I've just had a look. You're too kind! I've been a fan of Space 1889 since I was a kid. VSF has fascinated me ever since. In a way, I could blame Gargantua on you! Much appreciated. |
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