You know the Drill ....

Back from my earliest days as a kid making models, I loved the way Thunderbirds would use pieces of plastic kits to embellish their models.

Amongst other things, I'm working on a Giant X-ray robot and I want concealed boring drills in it's toecaps!

I couldn't find an off the shelf shape, so I decided I'd have to make it myself.

My 3D modelling skills fall far short of organic or mechanical subjects, so I couldn't just slap one together with a mouse!

So I decided to sculpt some examples using Kleenclay and talcum powder to polish it. After getting a nice smooth general shape, I carefully rolled a Satay stick into the surface to create the spiral grooves.

Then it was just a matter of 3D scanning it and a little smoothing and polishing in zBrush!

Now I can stretch or size it to my satisfaction.

...a pretty high tech way of making things with my own hands!

Looey

Oz Base

All My Ducks in a Row

 Imbued with an urge to spring clean the attic, I've stacked my old VHS tapes and sorted them alphabetically (yep, I've too much time on my hands!).

In a similar vein I've uncrated my old horror paperbacks and lined them up neatly in a bookcase.

When I get time (!) I'll sort these alphabetically too.

Always good to have a cold beer to hand when doing stuff like this!

Are you spring cleaning readers?

Worm Wishes

Cleaning up my attic I found my paperback copy of The Worm Ouroborous, which, despite owning for 50 years, I've never read!

My copy is the 1967 edition by American publisher Ballantine. It's a chunky novel.

The fantastic cover art, which made me buy it all those years ago, is by Minnesota-born Barbara Remington, who sadly passed away in 2020.

Barbara Remington also illustrated the covers of the first official (although not the first overall) American paperback publication of The Lord of the Rings on 1965.

Painted in her fabulous style these three books would find a happy home at Moonbase if I found them at a boot sale, although I must say I've never seen them here in Blighty.

Do you like these covers? 

Have you got the books readers?

Kevin's Cool Cabinets

Hi,

Took some shots of my model room today. Thought you might be interested.

Kevin

UK

F I R E S T O R M

 I noticed these little Japanese gumballs online. 

They contain small plastic toy vehicles from the Gerry Anderson TV anime, Firestorm.

There are elements of these that feel familiar. Probably the SPV

They also reminded me of these miniature soft plastic Space Cruisers spaceships I got years ago.

Have you seen Firestorm or have you anything like those spaceships?

Sora Q: is it a Takara toy?

 I can't work out if this is a toy or not or is it some sort of prototype moon rover?

The motion is strange but effective as it waddles through the sand.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tZXystLYNSw?feature=shared

A SHOT AT ANDROMEDA

 A few photos I took of the Andromeda Galaxy ( it's the tiny fuzzy point in the middle of the shot) from the back garden last month. It's obvious I'm still on a learning curve when it comes to astrophotography, but it's still enjoyable trying to identify those deep sky objects and, even with the limitations of my equipment attempt to take a photo of them.

I plan to try 'stacking' photos at some point to try an improve the resolution, but for now I'll have to be content with this fuzzy point, some 2.5 million light year away.

The line on the photo below is an aircraft light trail.

Open and Shut Case: a Near Mint Redbox Special Agent 707 Set

 After buying a well-used Redbox agent 707 set last week, I treated myself to this much less used and superbly boxed example I stumbled across online.

A real bargain on Etsy, this set is virtually complete and almost near mint.

The photographic box is fabulous! It also incorporates a camera-wielding-agent painted illustration that seems to hark back to much earlier sets to me.

The CE import address sticker is for Redbox in Swinton.

The actual Red Box home address is in California!

You can see how shiny the case is compared to my previous purchase.

Some of the gold print has come away. 

The contents are just brilliant.

 The gun and it's accessories are a more authentic black and it contains both large and small toy bullets.

One larger bullet was missing in the opened packet but amazingly I had a spare courtesy of Bill!

Interestingly this version ran with a Gold Tip cigarette box pistol too. The other case I have houses a less controversial radio gun.

It also comes with two smart pistol dart missiles reminiscent of Marx's spy sets.

The little box of smaller bullets is hard to find separately, although Bill did give me a loose box-full about 25 years ago! Sadly sold on since, my other case is still waiting for its own ammo.

The 707 passport contains the toy's original lucky owner's details and his agent CV! It dates the set to 1990. I thought it was older.

Assembled with shoulder stock, silencer and scope, the agent's black pistol looks stupendous I think!

It looks better than the orange version in my opinion.

So, there you have it. An open and shut Redbox case. Hope you like it.

Have you an attache case readers?

Wetherby, Hull and Fitzwilliam: Touring for Toys and Tat

 I picked this Ass pump toy clown at Fitzi boot sale recently. Hailing from the former East Germany the pump cable would usually make the clown do a sort of press up. My pumps broke.

Have you seen anything like it before? 

This book cover caught my eye. Is that a toy die-cast on the cover?

Waterstones in Hull had a decent shelf of graphic novels.

Modern remakes of some classic games.

A Hull icon now sadly shut, Bob Carvers chippy, home of the Hull pattie.

I would have loved this as a kid, dig out skulls! Great box art! 

And yep, the Spiders got a blue plaque at Hull Station.

We're you a Bowie fan?

Saw this trunk in Thorpe Arch. It's from New South Wales! 

And this lovely Zorro bagatelle came home with me today.

Do you like it?

COMET MINIATURES STINGRAY

Some photos of my Comet Miniatures vac-formed Stingray.