OOB? (Improvised Modeling)

[marc_reusser]

I am posting this thread here because I thought it might be fun or interesting to some, or inspire some ideas. This is an excerpt(s) from a tank model building thread that I am doing on the MIG forum.

There is a category in IPMS (international Plastic Modelers Society) competition, that is called "Out Of The Box" (OOB).
this category requires that you are only allowed to use what came in the box as part of the kit to build the model. No aftermarket details, nostyrene, no wire nothing...unless ist comes with the kit from the Mfr.

I decided I wanted to see how far I could take this (to a reasonable extent/limit due to time constraints in getting the model done).

Every tank needs some steel cables:

....so I decided to experiment with some streched sprue, and see if I could make "plausible" steel cables.

This cable has "field" made ends (so not really a true "tow cable").....The entire cable is a bit less than 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. It has been brush painted with Floquil "Roof Brown", dusted with some powders, and been rubbed with pencil graphite. Far from perfect, but it makes me think there might be a possibility to do this for my project.






Well I wasn't quite happy with the cable....so I thought I would have a try at it again.

I built a tool to better help me hold and turn the stretched sprue pieces:



After about the fifth try I ended up with a 19cm long cable that was acceptable.

I devised a story for this cable: It was to be a cable that had once broken in the field at one end during use.

Here the original end. The hasps were made out of paper from the kit instructions (has to be OOB  ), and the rivets/screw heads, are pieces of stretched sprue:



Here the field repaired end:



Here both ends after some quick preliminary paint and finish:



Here the entire cable:




Then I needed some gear stowage bozes for on the fenders:

My first attemt was using the instuction sheet paper to fold one up....Well heres a photo of the paper stowage box disaster.



...So it was time to implement Plan "B'.....this involved using the Sprue Tabs, which were removed, cut in half, and glued together:



These were then filled where needed, and sanded smooth and thinner....



...then cut to size, and assembled into the pasic boxes. lower portion of the box at left is made from the unused smoke discharger rack.



Lastly the details were added. Hinges and rivet heads were made from stretched sprue. The hasps are a combination of stretched sprue, and perts formed from the PE sheet frame. The large box is 15mm wide, and 9mm tall ..



Next came the wood beam and rack:

Here is detail of one from a photo. This one appears to have been field built.



Here is the rough beam shape out of 9 pieces of sprue.



Here is the rough beam sanded to shape and cut to length:



Next step is to fill the gaps and grooves.....and so I don't have some IPMS guy whining its not out of the box because I used Putty for the filling....I am making my own filler out of disolved sprue pieces.



...actually the real reason for making the filler from disolved sprue rather than putty, is that the sprue filler will take carving and woodgraining the same as the adjacent sprue surface.


Marc

[marc_reusser]

Ok...a bit more.

I needed to make the parts for the steel frame to hold the beam....so another sprue tab was sanded thinner...to .012" thick. (I wanted to go thinner yet, but then later fabrication would prove to be too troublesome).

Here the sanded tab:



Were the two angle iron pieces that were made from it (approx .050 x .050)



Marc

[lab-dad]

Very interesting Marc.
I cant beleive how much you are able to do with the sprue.
That kit musta come with a hell of a lot of it!
You have quite the imagination!!!!!

How are you streching the sprue? (obviously heat) but there has to be a good way to control / optimise the heat.

Very impressive.
-Mj

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Marty,

At this point I am down to about a half Dixie cup worth of leftover parts and sprue. But I still have the two figures I can cannibalize for plastic.

This was my first time streching sprue. So I merely heated it over a candle flame. I heated an area about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in lenght, turning (rolling) the sprue as I moved it back and forth...then when it seemed soft enough I  slowly stretched it. How soft the plastic is, and how fast you stretch is what gave me varied thichnesses. For the most important thing I found, is that at at whatever speed you stretch it...you do so at a consistant speed for the wholl stretch.....otherwise you can end up with uneven thicknesses in the stretched piece.

Manufactured styrene only comes down to .020" dia...but this you can stretch any thickness you want...I have some thinner than my hair...and they're pretty darn tough. Also, plastics have shape memory...so if you stretch a rod it will stay round...if you stretch a hex or square it will stay that shape. I also just for fun tried some sprue from different plastic kits/mfrs. that I had...and the stretch results and resulting plastic behavioc varies depending on the plastic used in the kit making/sprue. Some cured very hard and kept its shape (it would hold a sagged shape when let cure in that manner), while another remained much softer and pliable.

Manufactured styrene only comes down to .020" dia.I can see it has some great fiture application for my models, such as; telephone lines and wiring, using it instead of wire for some small details, small pipes, small rivet and bolt heads (by slicing it), coils of wire (like baleing wire)...etc....

Marc

[marc_reusser]

Here the prototype:



Here the frame made with the angle irons and stretched sprue (the previously made stowage box can also be seen set loosley in place):



Here the frame with the beam (beam still needs wood-graining):



As a side note, in order to bend/damage and deform the metal fenders, the kit parts were milled to about .010 thickness.

Marc

[lab-dad]

This is really turning out great!
I cant beleive the details you were able to manufacture!
I think once in paint the judges will acuse you of cheating!
I cant wait to see this in paint!
Keep the info & pics coming!

p.s. did you get my email about the DVD?
-Marty

[marc_reusser]

I decided to switch gears away from the tank for a few, and move to the base.

Here is the inside of the box lid. I drew a grid in AutoCad, and printed it with an inkjet printer.



All the peices were then cut out. I also cut a slight bevel at all the corners of the pieces. All cuts were made from the grey side of th cardboard, so that the pressure indentation would be the right direction.



Here are all the pieces and the shaved sprue "trolly track" glued in place.
once the "stone" pieces were glued to the board and dry (before track was added) I took the board outside and laid it face down on my apgalt driveway and some concrete, and stepped ion the board, till I cot the texture impressions I was after. This was then covered with a brushed on coat of Liquitex "Matte Medium". Just before the M-M completly dried I tok the rounded end of a small brush and dre/indented it along the stone lines/cracks, to great a slight depresson and eased edges to the stones.
Lastly the track detail was attached with superglue.



Here is about how the tank will sit on the base.


Lastly a pic of it sapryed with Mr. Surfacer. (why the stuff didn't dry completely matte I don't know :? )



Whether this looks good/right, I will have to see once I add some washes and weathering to the stones and paint the track.....If not, I think I have nough stones and sprue pieces left to try one more.


Marc

PS.

Marty....I did....but completely spaced. I don't have that one....I have though about buying a copy, but haven't done so yet. Looks interesting though.

[marc_reusser]

Ok,....here is the result of the coloring of the cobblestone street to date.

How exactly I acheived it is a bit tough to expalain (can't fully remember the whole process myself)....base washes were done with grey and brown Tamiya Acrylics. This was followed by highlights of varied mixes of grey and beige Vallejo Acrylics...then a wash of Artists oils...at this point there was quite a bit of variation and highlights in the stones....however when the pigments were applied for the cracks, it took away alot of that  The rail was painted with Floquil "Roof Brown", into which pigment was rubbed. Staining and coloring was done with more artists oil washes in Turpentine.(what appearst to be white spots/areas on the rail, is the photo lights reflecting in some of the sheen of the finish)



...and A detail Pic.




Fortunately the tank will cover most of it, and there will be rubble and debris scattered across it as well....so in the end it will hopefully look OK.

Marc

[marc_reusser]

After all that, this is all that's left of the stuff in the box.....




I am sure though that there are still a couple of detail parts that can be made from this ..... of course there's still the rest of the box, and the decal sheet. In hindsight I should have saved the shrink wrap . Unfortunately I can't use much of the instruction sheet, as it has to be submitted with the model.....otherwise it may have been usable for paper-mache items such as natural terrain...or cut up into plants/leaves......or a rolled up a sheet could even have become a telephone pole.

Marc

[lab-dad]

I dont know about anyone else but I am sure enjoying this!
You are out of your mind!
-Mj

[finescalerr]

This is the kind of innovation and artistry I wish more people in model railroading would demonstrate. Too many seize upon one material or technique, then shut their eyes to others equally effective or possibly superior. Worse, a majority rarely bothers to build any kit, let alone improve one.

It is not a hobby when all you do is collect or copy. That is simply a passtime. A hobby involves both a physical and emotional investment. It becomes an art when you create something out of nothing.

I find Marc's approach more inspirational than I can express. I couldn't care less that it happens to be a non-railroad model. And I find much of the degeneration now characterizing model railroading in general to be correspondingly depressing.

I'm going into the other room to cut up some cardboard and sticks and finish up that model I've been avoiding for the past three months. What are you guys going to do? -- Uncle Russ

[TRAINS1941]

Marc

Just an outstanding job!  Of taking just an everyday kit and making it into a work of art.
I hope to have the imagination you have one of these days, and where better else to learn it then on this web site.
The projects and the workmanship on this forum is just outstanding and very creative!!
I will have to go with Marty on this one you may be out of your mind, but then again I listen to Marty all the time, and I think he may try to give you a run for your money.
Please do post the finish pictures of this model!!

Jerry

[MikeC]

I have been following this thread since Marc started it on Monday. But it's so jaw-droppingly creative that I've not known how to reply appropriately. The usual "attaboys" seem pretty darned lame in this context. But I think Marty summed it up perfectly in his last reply: Marc, you are out of your mind. 

Seriously, Marc, I have been as intrigued by the boxlid "cobblestones" as I was with the cables-from-sprues. Incredible!

What am I going to do, Russ? Well, I was working on a mini-scene, HO scale, ya know, of a family of LPP's in their living room. The family has apparently taken up basket weaving as a family activity.... but trying to weave those darned little baskets in scale is so intricate that it was making my whole body hurt. I've had a little break from it now, so perhaps I should try finishing it up.....

[marc_reusser]

Wow...thanks guys!

This has really been fun to do. Though in the end it is probably too overboard to be allowed in the OOB entry category.   

It has taken me back to some of the fun, adventure and creativity of modeling that I used to feel as a kid, when you would open that box and just be in wonder of all those parts and what would be created with them....and that great fun of seeing something evolve in front of your own eyes.

It has given me a nice opportunity to think outside the proverbial "box" as what is possible with these items, and to do some great research, experimenting and creative thinking. It was also fun/interesting to build all this without spending a dime on materials or aftermarket parts...(though an existing small fortune in tools, paints, etc., didn't hurt ) Above all though, it really helped to hone some of my existing modeling skills/techniqes, and learn a number of new ones.

For those interested, the tank coloring and weathering will be based on these Bulgarian prototype examples:

http://www.rbadesign.net/TERRAPIN/Reusser_Military/MR_38tOOB/MR_38tOOB_BulgarianScheme3a.jpg

http://www.rbadesign.net/TERRAPIN/Reusser_Military/MR_38tOOB/MR_38tOOB_BulgarianScheme4.jpg

http://www.rbadesign.net/TERRAPIN/Reusser_Military/MR_38tOOB/MR_38tOOB_BulgarianScheme1.jpg




Marc

[Younger]

I've been away for a while, and just found this. What creativity! Please bring the project to the next meet.
-Younger