Every summer holiday I have a toy day, where I get out one or two toys and have a real good mess. Last year it was my Man From Uncle Counterspy Set, which I've yet to blog about. This year it was my Project SWORD Cape Kennedy Set and I had a sort of a plan. I wanted to construct the inner packaging for the box.
I have a couple of examples in my photo archive of mint boxed Cape Kennedy Sets, below, with all the innards. Presumably these were machine cut in Hong Kong and look so incredibly neat. Despite a couple of differences between the two pictured sets - stuff in different places like the mysterious small box next to the crane [what's in that? badge?] and the rocket box upside down in the bottom example - they are pretty much the same, so I've opted to follow the top picture from the Ferryman collection, now my project's "specimen".
Knowing that I'm a bit if a klutz with scissors, I set off on my journey to the inner box. Starting point, my own somewhat 'lived-in' boxed set complete with treasured Mike Trim et al signed lid.
But the inside is a mess!
Bubble wrap, bags, card!
Finally, the toy! and yes, I don't have the right remote control!
So to work. My my basic raw materials, a big cardboard box.
I've decided to first tackle the small box containing the friction drive end of the rocket bottom left in the specimen.
Predictably trickier than I thought it would be, the box includes what must be a hole for the open end of the rocket as I've attempted to build above.
eh voila! my completed rocket box above, complete with doubled-over edges and 'holed' end flap. Not bad if I say so myself!
Next up, the box for the rest of the rocket and its aerial, sitting dead centre in the specimen set.
This was harder than I thought it would be. I put the measurements on the wrong side to start with! The edges proved very hard to fold over and disaster struck when the rocket just wouldn't fit!
Using liberal scissor movements I removed much of the second layer of card inside and the rocket laid down down like an obedient pup!
At this point I stood back and looked at my handiwork which you can see below. Both rocket parts boxed in and no blood spilled yet!
Just insert the crawler unit and the gantry and ...Houston, we have a problem!
The central rocket box is too big! The card I used was too thick and the gantry isn't standing true like it is in the specimen. Damn!
Nothing for it but to start the rocket box again using thinner card. All I could find had red on one side. SWORD red! ha ha.
Deploying my wife's cutting mat I put on my serious cutting face and set to, which resulted in removing my specs and much face rubbing at the end.
and so it takes shape. The thinner card box works but only fits if I sit it on the feet of the crawler unit. But, the gantry looks straighter! Yay! The discarded box I made earlier, Blue Peter style, stepped in as the case for the remote control. Not perfect but it'll do for now. Right, what's missing?
Ah yes, a card wedge slotted into the left nook of the gantry base. The final touch of this first session is a card brace around the rocket, a bit of poetic licence on my part. Next session, the side box for the crane and gantry limbs and the strange little box sat in there too. What fun!
What do you think so far readers?
Maybe the box is for the crane's aerial and hook?
ReplyDeleteI agree, yes, the crane's aerial for sure! The hook appears to be already attached to the crane in the specimen box. Maybe the badge went into the small box too. I'll have a mess around.
DeleteThat's a frighteningly clean cutting mat, you ought to see the state of mine!
ReplyDeleteI am but a mere novice compared to you Kev! I forgot we had a cutting mat until half way through! ha ha
ReplyDelete