"Have you ever built a time machine?" Topic

In 28mm, for my purposes. I want to make one for a "chrononauts" campaign. I was inspired by this cover art:

Parroom's Extraordinary Pilots will be my time travelers. My modeling skills are pretty crude, so I don't expect to come anywhere close to the time machine in the illustration. Perhaps there are some spaceship kits out there that can be converted into a VSF/pulp time machine? I'm just curious if anyone has any ideas.

And sorry, no Deloreans, although flying steam trains are not necessarily out of the question:

I've built one, but not yet.

;)

Shawn.

Tomorrow I will build one and finish it yesterday….

I pushed the button without getting into it first….

I program my home computer
Beam myself into the future

I told you the answer to this next year didn't I !

For the 'umbrella' shaped bit at the back, have a look at 15mm or 25mm elephant models, some of them have a giant parasol which would be very easy to adapt.

I am sure I have seen a 25/28mm model of the 'Time Machine' from the classic movie, but I can't remember where now.

My prototype time machine only goes forward and advances at a rate of 1day every 24hrs.

However, having proved the theory with a working prototype I've just got to tweak it a little to get it to run faster.

I built one of the HG Wells type in the above PT cover. I made it from a handfull of quarter scale dollhouse ("regular" dollhouse scale is 1:12, so quarter scale is 1:48) Victorian furniture. I added some finishing touches from various sicfi bits and bobs. The furniture was a bit big for 28mm, but: (1) that gave some room to put figures on it, and (2) it made it look very much like a home made engineering project.

Well, I started to build one, but couldn't find any retail source for a black hole. Drats.

Seriously, the train one would be an easy build using cheap plastic toys (I think I have a couple in my "bits and parts" stash).

Or you could just go with a blue British police call box. For one with a working camo device, a port-o-john or outhouse would also work. The outhouse would be an easy scratch build while the potty should be available from railroad model sources, I expect.

Rob

Sorry, I should've added "No TARDISes." I'm looking to put together something that looks like it could've been built by Victorian/Pulp scientists. One idea I've played around with is converting a Star Wars model, like this "Tri-Fighter." With a different paint job and some glued-on bits, it might work:

Still, it's a bit small, and I was hoping for something that could accommodate a small crew. I just wanted to throw the idea out there to see if anyone had done something similar.

and some glued-on bits, it might work

And LOTS of rivets… ;->=

accommodate a small crew

That's a bit of a stopper; the George Pal movie version, on which the illo at the top must draw inspiration, was strictly one person.

Even the mag cover only carries two, comfortably.

Any larger, and it won't be likely to mean as much. A tank kit, a bit boxy structure, with with junk-bashed 'electrodes' around it, and Robert may definitely be in your family as avunculus.

If you do go with the tri-fighter, I'd suggest replacing the center globe with one a great deal larger.

Doug

I thought time machines looked like Police Call Boxes …

bsrlee's suggestion is a good one – hard plastic toy (dolls'; silvan families, etc) umbrellas would give you the shape. etotheipi's doll furniture also sounds good. I think I'd try a plastic inflatable raft from those cheap large scale modern military figs for the base and add steam punk tech.

etotheipi – do you have a good source for furniture in that scale.

etotheiepi--so your time machine has a love seat?…you cad!!!

You could use hoop bracelets for interlocking moving 4th dimensional rings…just a thought

Oh.. toy raft. That's a good idea. Thanks.

There's a Wellsian time machine in the Westwind EOTD kickstarter that should be available a bit later this year.

Ainsty do an exterior for a constabulary communication device and also a control console for the same (bigger, but it is for the inside).

Time seems to be slipping through my fingers….

Does that constitute a time machine?

Once. But things got all wacky. I had to go back in time and sabotage myself, preventing development of the time machine. I miss my invention, but I'm glad the Goat-people no longer rule the Earth.

Baaa…

*ahem* Bah, humbug!

Doug

I had NO idea my great-grand-tentacle was so….BEAUTIFUL!

I would suggest something like an omnibus carriage:

The front would be occupied by the mechanism which regulates one's passage through time rather than by horses , but it might still have wheels for "ground handling" at the beginning and ending of the voyage. If portability is not such an issue, a shape more like a gazebo might do.

Ron

I've built several. Put a lot of energy into them and all of a sudden it's dinnertime! :P

I'm about ready to buy Privateer Press' Celestial Fulcrum, and use it as the generic plot device:

Just need to leave off the disrupted ground and hooded figures.

Scheltrum's Ether Ship could hold a small crew:

Even if you don't want to buy one, you could use it as inspiration. You can find large clear plastic bells and spheres at craft stores like Michael's and JoAnn's, if you want to scratchbuild your own. Bluejacket Shipcrafters sells all kinds of period ship fittings: bluejacketinc.com

Their portholes and hatches are especially useful.

Building on Coelacanth's Omnibus suggestion, you could use one of these Brumm "Old Fire" 1/43 real-world vehicles as the basis for a non-DeLorean time machine. Yes, these vehicles actually existed. They're readily available on Ebay and in other online stores, and prices range from a steal to "you want how much?"

The Diligenza Vapore di Gurney, Carro di Bordino, and Carro di Trevithick would be best for a small crew. (Trevithick even has all of those cool exposed gears.) Just add a time machine "umbrella" behind the driver and some sort of large clock or chrono-counter and they'd look the part.

Some cushions for those hard bench seats, sculpted out of green stuff, would also add to the Victorian feel.

Diligenza Vapore di Gurney 1825:

Carro di Bordino 1854:

Carro di Trevithick 1803:

Carro di Cugnot 1769:

Carro di Newton 1680:

Veicola a Turbina di Verbiest 1681:

Vettura di Pecquer 1828:

Anfibio di Evans 1801:

Not like the H. G. Wells version, but simple to make. It only seems to go one way however,

Classic Illustrated comics have a nice version. This before the movie version

make one with Lego Bricks

It won't have the same directional feel of H. G. Wells version, but if you use the Tri-fighter Droid it might look neat if you turned it and stood it up on its front end.

@jpattern2 – wow, those are cool vehicles !

I know, and they're not well known in the gaming community. They're perfect for VSF, and some are usable in Lacepunk settings.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. jpattern2 – those are some awesome toy models.

After doing a little more internet digging, I think I've come to a conclusion:

It's practical and, more important, within my (admittedly low) skill level. The easiest way may be to find a cheap plastic mini soccer ball -- like the kind handed out at games -- paint it up and add bits and pieces. Any other suggestions are welcome.

And, oh, about that time traveling train, someone made a paper model of it. ( paperinside.com/delorean ) No way am I going to trying building it -- way out of my league:

Double W: "Perhaps there are some spaceship kits out there that can be converted into a VSF/pulp time machine?"

What about putting Victorian-style roof shingles like these …

link

But on something cylindrical like this …

TMP link
TMP link

Another option would be to customize a Victorian-style submarine, preferably one with a million rivets already:

link
TMP link
TMP link
TMP link

Or go crazy and make your own rivets:

TMP link
TMP link
TMP link

Or make it out of wood and add some brass ship fittings:

link

Dan
TMP link

Whoa… Thanks for all the links. Good ideas in there.

Double W,

So, with that link source overload, which way are you leaning towards now?

Dan
PS. By the way, there are lots of cool bits you can get to make your machine look more "Victorian":
auction
auction

Haven't decided yet. Depends on what I can find in Walmart and thrift stores (or online).

This looks promising: link (for parts, that is)

Double W,

How are the plans coming along?

Dan

Dan,

Not well. Having trouble finding parts I need.

Please keep us updated on both your successes and shortcomings. I'm very much interest in trying such a project when I get home in a few weeks, and we could learn much from your efforts.

Thanks,

Dan

I scratch built a 6mm scale blue police box. But that's not what you are looking for, I don't think.