The Energon Pub

Please make sure to let me know when you're done, so I can feature you in the Creative Round-up - this thing looks amazing!

Thank Va'al much appreciated and will do

UPDATE:

Ok it has been a minute since I actually did some work on this project. I have been so entranced with all the new TF family members that showed up recently .

I finally settled on a design for the thrust nozzles on the Ark. I bought some 6 inch plain plastic plant pots and some 6 inch recessed lighting bezels... so here goes.

I cut the "collar" off the top of the pots and removed the water "pan" at the bottom.





Then I took the bezels and glued them to the top of the pots, the springs on the side all help to keep it center in the pot.







Here are a couple of shots showing how they look with the roughed out shape of the Ark tail... I need to create the transitional pieces to attached the nozzels to, the pots actually have 3 "feet on the bottom that the pan attaches to, and each foot has a hole in the center. I am going to take some doweling rods and glue them into those holes and inset them in the foam of the Ark tail end.

Lessons learned so far...my patience has grown a lot since being younger! My scratch building skills need some refining. My sculpting skillz need lots of work, but seeing as they started at 0 I am feeling good. And the most important lesson...this is a ton of fun!

Those work GREAT!

Cobotron wrote:Those work GREAT!

Thanks man! I really appreciate your enthusiasm! I am off today so I am hoping to get them a little further along today, and hopefully not shop online which is what I am itching to do LOL!

Mornin' btw! Happy Friday the 13th...

oh man... rear ark thrusters...
anyone else getting tingly feelings?

Oooooh... This is very similar concepts to what I am about to start.

I looked at the arduino, but passed on it probably to quickly. ***following this more closely...

shajaki wrote:oh man... rear ark thrusters...
anyone else getting tingly feelings?

I know I am glad you are too! I am so looking forward to having this complete.

KnightAero wrote:Oooooh... This is very similar concepts to what I am about to start.

I looked at the arduino, but passed on it probably to quickly. ***following this more closely...

Glad you are getting inspiration from it , would love to see your work when you get some photos going.

The Arduino is pretty spot on for this type of art project. You could go Raspberry PI or something similar but I think the Arduino programming interface is easy enough for anyone at any level to use and produce something meaningful quickly.

So I have gotten some tedious bits of the Ark Diorama done or more done that is...

The base is coming along...and taking up most of one corner in my basement...where to put this later on Thank the gods I built it to split down the middle for moving.




I got the engine nozzles primed, painted and drying; including the interior pieces of the nozzles (painted black).








I also did some work on the intermediate pieces that the engine nozzles will attach before being attached to the Ark.





Finally continued the never ending job of sanding (which I hate) the Ark tail end. Now starting to coat it with the some modgepodge to seal it and keep the paint from melting the foam...

Hey that looks great!

Definitely understand the "what do I do with it..."

Which is one reason why my display will be no deep than 2 feet... (Which may be even less than that...)
Next issue I am seeing is that some of the TF's are greater than 18" now days and even the CW's can stand a bit larger than that... Top shelf perhaps??

What sort of paint are you using? Assuming your spray painting after the primer? I have seen some use some auto paints because they tend to "shine" a good bit.

Thanks Knight! Well when I started on this and decided the scale I knew it was all or nothing...I seem to like biting off more than I can chew. Oh well...I'll burn that bridge after I cross it...

As for paint since I am not experienced at mixing sooo I searched high and low for a mettallic burnt orange paint and found a rustoleum (not a fan) all-in-one-covers-everything paint. It's called Sienna Mist and is nice and glossy, coats well but the can and nozzle suck. I am also putting a matte coat over some of the paint to cut down on the glare...plus a 4+ million year old space ship stuck in the side of a moutain better have some weathering...eh?

donny1975 wrote:Thanks Knight! Well when I started on this and decided the scale I knew it was all or nothing...I seem to like biting off more than I can chew. Oh well...I'll burn that bridge after I cross it...

As for paint since I am not experienced at mixing sooo I searched high and low for a mettallic burnt orange paint and found a rustoleum (not a fan) all-in-one-covers-everything paint. It's called Sienna Mist and is nice and glossy, coats well but the can and nozzle suck. I am also putting a matte coat over some of the paint to cut down on the glare...plus a 4+ million year old space ship stuck in the side of a moutain better have some weathering...eh?

Yea that seems to be the brand that is used the most in these customs. I do see some auto paint that is a slightly different brand, but otherwise probably has similar issues.

I have a matte sealer also, do you find when using it several coats that it doesn't really reduce glare? I have found it to actually add to the shine.

KnightAero wrote:

donny1975 wrote:Thanks Knight! Well when I started on this and decided the scale I knew it was all or nothing...I seem to like biting off more than I can chew. Oh well...I'll burn that bridge after I cross it...

As for paint since I am not experienced at mixing sooo I searched high and low for a mettallic burnt orange paint and found a rustoleum (not a fan) all-in-one-covers-everything paint. It's called Sienna Mist and is nice and glossy, coats well but the can and nozzle suck. I am also putting a matte coat over some of the paint to cut down on the glare...plus a 4+ million year old space ship stuck in the side of a moutain better have some weathering...eh?

Yea that seems to be the brand that is used the most in these customs. I do see some auto paint that is a slightly different brand, but otherwise probably has similar issues.

I have a matte sealer also, do you find when using it several coats that it doesn't really reduce glare? I have found it to actually add to the shine.

I didn't think about automotive paint. I will have to look and see what's out there. I figure household types would be less solventy (just made that up...)

But if I seal the foam/plastic it should be fine?

As for the matte sealer I have only done a single coat on this project (which is my first scratch build) so I haven't seen that issue.

donny1975 wrote:

KnightAero wrote:

donny1975 wrote:Thanks Knight! Well when I started on this and decided the scale I knew it was all or nothing...I seem to like biting off more than I can chew. Oh well...I'll burn that bridge after I cross it...

As for paint since I am not experienced at mixing sooo I searched high and low for a mettallic burnt orange paint and found a rustoleum (not a fan) all-in-one-covers-everything paint. It's called Sienna Mist and is nice and glossy, coats well but the can and nozzle suck. I am also putting a matte coat over some of the paint to cut down on the glare...plus a 4+ million year old space ship stuck in the side of a moutain better have some weathering...eh?

Yea that seems to be the brand that is used the most in these customs. I do see some auto paint that is a slightly different brand, but otherwise probably has similar issues.

I have a matte sealer also, do you find when using it several coats that it doesn't really reduce glare? I have found it to actually add to the shine.

I didn't think about automotive paint. I will have to look and see what's out there. I figure household types would be less solventy (just made that up...)

But if I seal the foam/plastic it should be fine?

As for the matte sealer I have only done a single coat on this project (which is my first scratch build) so I haven't seen that issue.

Yep you definitely want to seal the foam. If you google some cos-play metal. People have all sorts of tutorials on it. These automotive spray paints might burn/melt the foam if your not careful.

Got the thruster nozzle assemblies together and test fit...now to get the Ark tail end scribed painted and panel lined...

its aaallllll comin together.
have you considered making two?






and giving me one?

shajaki wrote:its aaallllll comin together.
have you considered making two?






and giving me one?

Haha! If I could speed up the production process to like 1 day then sure LOL!

Got some line/greeble work done on the Ark and sprayed a single coat on a portion of it to see how it looks.









Next up attach the thrust nozzles and begin on the styro-foam rock face for the mountain.

Got the thrust nozzles attached to the Ark, also painted up some more flooring/walls for the entry way and made some light fixtures (all of which I need to get pics of)...they'll be this weekend.

SHUUUUWEEEEEE!
That looks GREAT don G-Juan!

The paint job and the finish are fantastic. If I didn't know better I'd think you carved it out of wood.
The line work looks so nice.

Outstanding!

donny1975 wrote:

ACCCprjt74.jpg

are you sure thats something you made? or did you find the ACTUAL ARK?

Cobotron wrote:SHUUUUWEEEEEE!
That looks GREAT don G-Juan!

The paint job and the finish are fantastic. If I didn't know better I'd think you carved it out of wood.
The line work looks so nice.

Outstanding!

Thanks for all the love! Don G-Juan
Maybe that should be my handle...

There are things I dont like or have to fix on this that I am chalking up to inexperience but as a first try I am pleased. The surface is a lil uneven in spots and foam is a pain to smooth out...and I didnt get all od the flat surfaces completely flat...but I already have plans for an update in the future to really tighten it up.

shajaki wrote:

donny1975 wrote:

ACCCprjt74.jpg

are you sure thats something you made? or did you find the ACTUAL ARK?

Haha! Thanks man! As I said above it looks good esp from a distance but up close I see all my mistakes or things I overlooked...hence the Ark v2 plans I am hatching...

donny1975 wrote:

shajaki wrote:

donny1975 wrote:

ACCCprjt74.jpg

are you sure thats something you made? or did you find the ACTUAL ARK?

Haha! Thanks man! As I said above it looks good esp from a distance but up close I see all my mistakes or things I overlooked...hence the Ark v2 plans I am hatching...

It looks great from here. We're all out own worst critics