MOONBASE CENTRAL

Monday, 27 May 2019

LIPSTICK LT10 TRANSPORTER: A WHEEL MESS

Yesterday was a white knuckle ride on the workbench.

It began well enough. I even found one of my first efforts to restore a die-cast toy from 25 years ago, a Das Pronto set of periscopes I made for an old die-cast Yellow Submarine. It was awful but I had fun making it!

What I actually needed were 8 wheels for my LT10.

I looked in one bits box ...

I looked in another bits box .....

And found 4 old Spacex Cricket wheels. Flipping out the silver hubs I ended up with 4 decent black tyres.

Things got lairey when I tried to create axles using pins pushed into soft plastic.

I almost believed it was going to work...

But it just didn't.

In the end I had to make a sort of box chassis to glue the axles to.

Anyway, after covering my fingers in superglue and losing part of my thumbprint this what the wheel housing looked like stuck to the main body.

Nearly done now. Phew!

What do you think readers?

BRAINS' BLUE GLASSES

Being a specs wearer since the age of 12 I've always admired Brains' blue gigs.

They always reminded me of the prescription glasses I wore from the off. Mine were black though. I doubt if blue was an option in 1972.

I did see a female news presenter with a pair of thick pale blues specs on the TV the other day and I immediately thought of Brains or in her case Mrs. Brains.

I can't find any just like Brains online but here's something along those lines.

Have you got Brains' blue specs on?

Sunday, 26 May 2019

Molab Squad

Back when breakfast was fun and a bowl of cereal held more promise than some tooth rotting sugary slop, Kelloggs was regularly including little toys in the packs. The Space Age range were a milestone for me as they caught the spirit of the time perfectly and included some of the best premiums ever.

My first ever box, back in about 1970 gave me my first kit, a green Molab. I was so excited by this neat little craft, that I later saw on other artwork and eventually in the Spacex II range. But at the time, the little 2" model was a godsend and travelled in my pocket to schooeveryday to explore the playground.

Soon after, I got the Rocket Transporter, but as I wouldn't eat the cereal, my supply soon dried up.I did manage to get the Atlas Rocket on a pad and a mate had the super fragile LEM.

Many decades later, I found a replacement model Molab in orange and a new transporter and the supercool Space Station.

Just this week, I managed to acquire a fab red Molab too, which just needed a new aerial. My original green Molab has suffered greatly over the years, with replacement wheels glued on and a hamfisted attempt to cram a spacex pilot inside.

Nowdays, I am amazed that these delicate little models were included in cereal boxes at all!

TWO CARS

Two cars have made an impression on me.

This gorgeous Matchbox Citroen with its neat blue and red paint job.

Found by Missus Moonbase at a car boot sale.

And this weekend I saw a car being repaired by a brave owner, an American muscle car, the car that dreams are made of, the SST Javelin.

Here's a completely roadworthy one on Wiki.

It looks like a Hot Wheels!

Did they make a Javelin?

BOXED LUNAR TRANSPORTER

Talking of boxed toys, I love seeing the American SpaceX II boxed series.

In the US SpaceX II were called the Golden Astronaut Deluxe Die Cast Chassis Series by Multiple Toymakers.

I've only ever seen them online though.

Here's one from the Worthpoint auction register, the LT-10, which I'm currently scratch building.

How good does that look in its box!

LP UPDATE 2: CULPITTS ASTRONAUTS AND FRILLS

Ever since first reading about the link between LP astronauts and Culpitts the cake decorators in One Inch Warrior magazine I was fascinated and always looked out for examples.

Here's a good one I saw this year on Ebay.

It's a couple of paper and cellophane bags containing LP silver spacemen, together with a bundle of space related cake frills.

Here's one paper frill up close.

and the bags of spacemen.

I presume that this is how they were sold in cake shops as well as loose.

I've seen generic Culpitts boxes but not one for Spacemen specifically so these bags are maybe as close as we get to Culpitts packaging maybe.

What do you think readers?

Have you any Culpitts spacemen and cake frills or similar?

LEWIS'S BURTONS POTATO PUFFS NOSTALGIA RECIPE

Hi Woodsy!

I like the recent natter re. the SpaceX moon buggy.

As it was the "one that got away" for me as a kid, I share your loss!

I liked your recent comments on Walnut Whips. They were never a big thing with me, but my Ex-pat Brit boss on "Razorback" Bad Bob McCarron LOVED them!

My favourite snack were Burton's Potato Puffs - Tomato flavour.

Not only do I miss them, but so apparently does an entire cadre of English Baby Boomers, because they are no longer made.

Period.

Well, I'm known for making fake nostalgia food, so I decided to make some EDIBLE nostalgia food!

After a few taste experiments, I found the Aussie "Jumpys" snack is fairly similar in taste, if you can find the plain salt variety (I've only seen them in multi-packs)

At first I tried to flavour them with Tomato packet soup, but it just wasn't right, so I started a search for proper tomato powder and finally bought some online.