KEVIN'S DOMES

Hi,

In response to your question, here are models I've made that have clear domes.

Kevin

UK

Domed If You Do and Domed If You Don't

Woodsy,

Waaaay back in 2011, shortly after starting the blog, I made a temporary space diorama using a clear acrylic dome I bought off of fleaBay. I used bits and pieces to emulate structures within the dome and just had a bit of fun with the whole thing.

From Vegas Base

Ed

My Dome is my Castle

I'm currently staying with my Grandkids and my Granddaughter's little fairy castle dome is a delight. It even lights up.

I didn't have anything inside domes when I was a kid.

The overall look of this one reminds me of a domed Star Wars ESB collection I once saw in a Pembroke toy shop. Quite a snazzy thing, which I blogged in 2016.

 https://search.app/qS8yFj9hZ4z6n8ycA

Have you anything domed readers? 

THOSE PUPS JUST KEEP ROLLING THEIR EYES

 Years ago my friend Paul V discovered that LP Lik Be re-used their toy puppy eyes as space domes. You can read about this fascinating discovery on his fab SpaceX website.

https://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAderv/LPHK/LPhkSmTy/LPdomes/LPdomes.html

Those domes are a mindworm. I just cant help coming across rolling dog dome eyes. I've spoken about blow moulds before and here's another one in the US, a large ball visible underneath that propels the pooch along.

This is a big puppy at 12 inches long, much bigger than the LP Space Dog but the same principle.

Paul V has just found one of these doggies pictured in a French Sitap toy catalogue too!

Can you spot any dome eyes readers? Keep your eyes peeled.

Let me know.

SNOW DOME LIKE HOME

 I had to look twice at this dome!

I immediately thought LP/ Lik Be!

Its an igloo!

Part of a lovely bagged set of Christmas cake toppers on the gorgeous Pineapple Retro shop site.

Perfect Fishbowls

 I saw this recently, a modern Mysterio.

His perfect fishbowl helmet impressed me.

I can only think of one I had as a kid.

Commander Comet.

Here's one from an old auction.

Did you have a perfect fishbowl? 

DOME SWEET DOME

There's something cute about Popeye leading this small group of plastic toys on Worthpoint. He looks pleased with his snow dome. Not sure what's in it? Olive oil?

The ball seems to sit will with the two domes vehicles. The orange one is a T in a Circle space ship and the white moon car is by Hover or Hoover I think.

Have you got any of these?

Ed's Red Dome

Woodsy and Fellow Moonbasers,

A couple of weeks back Woodsy featured this LP #205 set in a post. He mentioned it was on auction and I thought perhaps it was eBay UK.

 Wellll, I did a quick search on American fleaBay for LP sets in general and it showed up! It had a reasonable 'buy it now' price but the postage was a tad pricey coming from Argentina, but I've been down that road before and knew that if I didn't buy it the opportunity would be lost...

...it showed up at my door last week after only

 about eight days in transit - quite fast for an international shipment. 

The little dome is the same as what I have in the Montgomery Wards Miniature Apollo Exploration set, only in red.

From Vegas Base

Ed

Have you got one?

Red Dome Space Exploring Carded Set by LP

The red dome is new to me. Like a lovely half Easter egg!

I saw this set on auction a while ago.

Anyone got one?

The little yellow character on the card art reminds of Astronut! Remember him?

ED'S MILWAUKEE ROAD SKYTOP TRAIN

Woodsy,

Your post on observation windows really struck a chord!

The first two photo's show what I have running on my train layout right now! 

It's from K-Line's Milwaukee Road Hiawatha set from 2002 and represents one of the Skytop Lounge observation cars built by the MR for its famous Hiawatha fleet. 

The cars were designed by famous industrial designer Brooke Stevens and first entered service in 1948. The Tri-ang version appears to be a caricature of that car as there was - to my knowledge - no other railroad observation car designed like that.

Also, here's a short video I posted to Y'allTube last week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyYox36_3ts

Las Vegas Skytop

Ed

Draguar has Risen from the Grave

I picked up a beaten bargain Superfast Draguar at the Sunday sale. 60 pence. The dome was cracked open and the chroming faded. The paintwork wasn't too bad though.

I adored the Matchbox Draguar as a kid aged 9. It was so damn cool with that blister and all.

Rummaging in my bits box I found a clear Cornetto topper, which could well make a decent dome.

The cracked original is on the left.

It worked!

The plastic was thin enough for me to squeeze into an oval, which under tension, keeps itself in position!

A little red Sharpie and some fresh chroming and Draguar lives again!

Did you have one readers?

ED SPACE: DOME SWEET DOME

Woodsy's terrific Moonbase HQ build has re-kindled my long dormant desire to do something with the stuff laying around here. But I digress.

Many years ago, I bought several clear acrylic domes with the intent that I could somehow use them in just such an effort. They are around 10" outside diameter and I did in fact use them in a quickie space toy photo shoot back in 2016. 

In that set-up, larger toys were used as my SpaceX/Golden Astronaut collection was still in its fledgling stages. I have been wondering what purpose these could serve in a diorama featuring the smaller 1/72-ish scale figures and accessories. A couple of things came to mind:

-they could house equipment

-as small 'parks' or recreation areas. Moonbaser's would enter the dome through a hatch and there would be plants, walkways, benches. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit Earthy but it's just a wild idea.

-perhaps just a nice viewing area with a little more elbow room than the modules like an atrium?

I'm open for ideas!

From Vegas Base

Ed

DOME SWEET DOME

Last weekend I invested a fiver in this large HM Forces Harrier Jet. It came with a modern Action Man but it actually needs a 10 inch figure, which I haven't got.

No matter, I wanted to clean it up anyway.

I took the wings off and gave them a wash

I wiped down the whole body.

To mock-up a canopy blister I swiped a plastic half-dome from the garden. I tied string round it to compress the sides and placed it in a bowl.

After pouring boiling water over it I ended up with this.

It sat on the jet quite nicely.

I then made a hinge extension for the blister so it would open and close.

and glued the extension to the blister

So far so good.

I then decided it needs a collar. Bad idea!

The original is grey so I purloined an oil bottle from the shed and cut it into shape.

I created a sort of grey collar but it didn't fit.

I then tried cardboard but that was rubbish too.

In then end I ditched the idea of covering the gaps and went for  a simple trim around the blister using an elastic band coloured black. I suppose I could have used a wider rubber band but hey ho, I was severely harriered!

Anyways my blister's next to my new 1999 Thunderbird 2 [that needs repairing! oh no!]

On location it's a passable blister I guess, though not what I'd hoped for. 

Maybe I should stick to colouring small cars!

The big jet itself is great.

Before.

After.

Dome is where the heart is!

THE TRANSPARENT HOMES OF SMALL TOYS

 With more Perspex on my mind here are a few more futuristic plastic homes and domes. See what do you think of these.

Of course, first up, its every baby boomer's lunar penthouse, Major Matt Mason's space station. I adored mine and wanted to live in it!

Much much more complex, this is the incredible DIY Outer Space Station from Women's Day magazine ....

... from November 1978, its just out of this galaxy. If IKEA had made Star Wars flat-pack toys this would be it. Did ANYONE actually make one of these?

A more commercial but equally elegant Star Wars dome was the range of shop displays for Kenner's original toy line. 

But if you crave stacked panes of coloured Perspex then look no further than the Kaleidoscope Doll's House.

This citadel of translucence was designed by Laurie Simmons and Peter Wheelwright.

This space age bauhaus was released by Bozart Toys in 2001. How appropriate! Its a Major Matt retirement home!

But if you want to put your coffee on your space base doll's house then this final residence is for you, the Qubis Haus coffee table. Watch your young futurists play happily whilst you read your back copies of TV21 by the fire!

Which is your favourite readers?

*

images: Ebay, Qubis, Laurie Simmons, Pinterest