The Remora

[FichtenFoo]

I almost wanted to post this in the Maritime forum.

I wanted to show you the first master I did for Industria Mechanika. I just finished her up today so she's just about ready for my caster. This is an all-new ship design by concept artist Ian McQue who I've been working with to realize some of his concept designs into model form. It's in 1/35 scale and about 11" long. It looks larger than it is due to the sunken wheelhouse.



Check out many more Remora pics here:
http://industriamechanika.com/blog/tag/remora/

Check out Ian's other works here:
http://mcqueconcept.blogspot.com/

Industria Mechanika is a company I recently started. We're producing resin kits based on really cool original designs by matching amazing concept artists with talented modelers. We're always looking for talented modelers to work with so please contact us if you're interested in a collaboration.

http://industriamechanika.com/blog/collaborators-wanted/

[JESTER]

Very cool!! I can't wait to see people's paint jobs!!

[shropshire lad]

Oh good , it's got a crane . I'll have one .
Not sure about the tyres as fenders , unless you are being ironic . I thought about using them but figured that by the time mankind had managed to build craft like these it would no longer be driving on roads with wheels . But I guess having them is all part of the fun .
  It is also good you don't need to build a diorama for it . You just hang it from the ceiling in the living room . Just like we used to do with our plastic airplane models .

  Nick

[finescalerr]

Charismatic. -- Russ

[mad gerald]

Michael,

in fact that I came across this topic of modelling in this forum first ... and it's not my favourite yet ...I must admit, that I feel (more and more) attracted by this kinda modelling topic and have to say: congrats, great work so far!

BTW: Any progress regarding your 1/12 mechanics???

Kind regards

[FichtenFoo]

Thanks guys!

Nick: If you check out Ian's blog, he's done some weird "taxi" like craft that have tires. (possibly as landing gear) So it definitely fits his world. But yeah, mostly it's all part of the fun and that tugboatish feel. I'm looking forward to doing more of these so I can have my own personal flotilla!

mad gerald: Thanks! I appreciate that. The mechanics are sitting on my shelf waiting on paint. Two of them anyway... the 3rd kneeling one needs finished. Do you think they'd be marketable enough to do a small run of ~20 sets? I'm not sure how many people do 1/12 stuff as my experience is mostly 1/20 and smaller.

[pwranta193]

'Effin Beautiful execution, Herr Fichte...

I was going to ask how tight to the sketch concept you were going to run, and this answers the question - really great job of bringing the concept from a non modeller's eye to fruition... I'll bet he's stoked?

Can you throw some light on how you went about it?  I'd like to see your framework and panel process for the master (i.e., did you go with hollow hull - or is that lower pretty solid).  Also - can you give an idea of price point, yet (ball park us?).  This thing looks like a lot of fun - and a bit of a blank slate in the way that the fish sub was for finish and modification... 

[Carlo]

Michael -

I, for one, will buy a set of 1:12 mechanics if you cast them up.
Perhaps you could do an online SBS on painting? That would boost sales too.
Also, mention/show them on the SE (7/8ths) Forum, since many there model in 1:12 scale too.

Finally, does Ian McQue have a "backstory" posted for that wonderful wacky world he's creating?
I just love the paintings, and your models should make it even better.

Carlo

[FichtenFoo]

Thanks! Yeah, Ian provided rough sketches and told me to do what I do. He actually uses Luca Z and my work as his own reference so it worked out really well.

I started with a dense insulation foam carving of the hull-shape then covered it with Bondo polyester putty. I then sanded it smooth and removed the foam form. I added the sub-deck and exterior hull plating with styrene. More putty and sanding and had a great hull shape. I added the diamond plate and other details over that. At one point I filled the hull with miscellaneous styrene scrap like sprue-bits, wads of leftover epoxy putty, airsoft balls and whatever for cheap bulk. Then I poured in some resin to solidify it. So the master is really nice and solid and heavy.

I actually have progress images of the whole process. When the kit is closer to release I'm going to put together an article on how I did the master.

The price will end up being more than the fish sub just because it'll use 3-4x the resin. I'll know more once my caster sees it. The hull's about 11 inches long, 4" wide and 2-3" deep.

Carlo: Thanks! I'll start looking into it for the figs. Ian doesn't have a backstory yet, but he's working on one.

[mad gerald]

mad gerald: Thanks! I appreciate that. The mechanics are sitting on my shelf waiting on paint. Two of them anyway... the 3rd kneeling one needs finished. Do you think they'd be marketable enough to do a small run of ~20 sets? I'm not sure how many people do 1/12 stuff as my experience is mostly 1/20 and smaller.

... that is difficult to forecast ... I myself am dabbling with the idea of building a small ride-on Feldbahn loco in 1/12 scale ... and your mechanics would make a perfect workshop gang for a Feldbahn loco shed scene ...

I, for one, will buy a set of 1:12 mechanics if you cast them up.
Perhaps you could do an online SBS on painting? That would boost sales too.
Also, mention/show them on the SE (7/8ths) Forum, since many there model in 1:12 scale too.

... I would have suggested too (like Carlo does) to ask 7/8ths guys ... and I also think an SBS on painting would help to raise interest too ...

Methinks a sitting figure would even attract more modellers, as these ones are desperately needed as drivers ... so why not create an additional 4th guy (or modify i. e. the goofy one with a sitting "bottom section" ... ?

[shropshire lad]

I just realised Ian McQue is Scottish , that is even better . I had him down as a Californian type of dude .

  The best thing is that the paint job you do on it can be as rough as you like and it still wouldn't look wrong . Well , that'll be my excuse .

  I have visions of a man hanging on to a rope ladder that is dangling over the side . Don't know what he is doing , maybe a bit of welding to another craft . Or maybe sitting on a platform painting over a rusty bit on the hull . The possibilities are endless .

Are you taking reservations yet , Michael ?

Nick

[FichtenFoo]

I just realised Ian McQue is Scottish , that is even better . I had him down as a Californian type of dude .

  The best thing is that the paint job you do on it can be as rough as you like and it still wouldn't look wrong . Well , that'll be my excuse .

  I have visions of a man hanging on to a rope ladder that is dangling over the side . Don't know what he is doing , maybe a bit of welding to another craft . Or maybe sitting on a platform painting over a rusty bit on the hull . The possibilities are endless .

Are you taking reservations yet , Michael ?

Nick

I envision mine with a deck-full of sheep. No, seriously. One of Ian's rough sketches on his site has a ship with some sheep crammed on deck. It's so silly and such a "real" use of a transport vessel that it begs to be done.

No reservations yet. I try not to take reservations until I know a price. Plus I might not be able to do reservations like I've done in the past due to the store software. I might put together an "advance notice" email list and let those people know a few days ahead of the public so that they can order first then after the 2 days I make the store page public for the rest of the stock if any. Still working out the new systems and will definitely let everyone know.

(note this does not apply to the hornethopter coming in a few weeks as that's already got a reserve list)

[pwranta193]

F2:

Yeah - I didn't think it would be cheap at those dimensions. Please add me to the pre-reg!  I love the sheep idea... especially if you can kit them out with some kind of wild ass paint scheme - stripes... or tropical plumage    I like the idea of this being the center of an almost "mobile" like hanging scene... a couple of runabouts, or for your version maybe a floating livestock loading ramp.  I was digging on your propulsion solutions for this one... very "plausible" looking.

Looking forward to the next thing...

I actually had some questions/comments on the figures question as well - but am going to move them over to the sticky they set up here:
http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=1401.0

Paul

 

[eTraxx]

Wonderful stuff. First thing that came to mind was the floating restaurant from the Fifth Element ..

re: future and end of tires. I doubt that. On the settled worlds .. sure. The infrastructure is there. On newly colonized worlds nope. Their technical base would have to be such that it can be supported at lower technical levels. Wheeled vehicles make sense there. Think about it. The Romans had shovels. We have shovels. Sure .. we have ditchers .. heck there was one just talked about .. that huge honking machine from the turn of the century. We still have shovels. When all the fancy machines break or run out of gas .. we walk over and pick up the shovel .. the pick .. the mattock.

[FichtenFoo]

Thanks guys. Good points eTraxx... simple tools are always going to be needed. It's going to be cool to see his other ships realized with that cool working class/sci-fi combo.