THE SEARS SPACE COMMAND CENTER AND SOUND STUDIO

I love a good space toy mystery, especially one involving box art. This unusual Sears Space Command Centre and Sound Studio appeared on fleabay recently. It seems to be a plastic work station surrounded by card screens and was presumably generic enough for all 12inch figures at the time such as GI Joe and Barbie [Barbie did get her own Space Station].

It's the four card art screens that I like [pictured above right]. Depicting various spacecraft, I recognised the floating city as being from a beautiful Ken Fagg cover from a 1954 If magazine [below left]. I know I've seen the spaceship, which is flying below the floating city, before but just can't place it. As for the rest of the craft shown I would be amazed if they're not from similar Sci Fi pulp covers of the 1950's and 60's. 

Anyone recognise them?

A reader has struck gold identifying the Discovery panel, above right, as the cover of the paperback The Lost Worlds of 2001. The cover was painted by Bruce Pennington and he became famous overnight when it appeared on the first issue of Science Fiction Monthly in January 1974 [below].

The Man from Uncle Cane Pistol: our Custom Toy Job

Continuing our custom reproductions of carded spy toys, here's our version of the Man from Uncle Cane Pistol by Marx.

Bill created the stunning graphics from stills on Hakes auctions (see bottom) and I fashioned the cane from a litter grabber. A label and some glued-on bits, the set was completed with red beads giving the impression of the ammo.

Here you go, UNCLE's cane pistol a la Moonbase International. Hope you like it.

Our visual inspiration, ignited by a reference iny Spy Toys book, was Hakes' auction image.

Penelope's Choice

 My cracked FAB1 canopy is sure perplexing.

Rob's idea of Kitsugi is appealing, the uniqueness of the crack. I like it!

I consulted keen modeller Paul A and he agreed toothpaste might remove scratches. Teeth fixative powder too and complete with clear varnish. I did try toothpaste but I just couldn't get it to work. Maybe it was too smooth.

I've read on Richard's, a previous reader's resto effort, that T-Cut does the job too, on both body and dome.

Bill Ev had another useful tip: replace it entirely with one from from the Imai Amerang FAB1 model kit. Good call! Typical, I sold a loose Imai FAB1 last year ( a lockdown donation from Wotan), but if I recall it didn't have a dome, so I don't feel too bad!

Another way forward, if any at all, is the paper method. Simply cover the split with a parcel tape band, as it would have come packaged in its box back in '65!

Here's one, for sale, like that, courtesy of online dealer Modellers' Loft.

Here's my copy! The cracks gone!

Another more technical solution comes via a modeller I just discovered online today, Marc Brassé.

Marc's method is to create a whole new canopy from a plastic bottle. Yes! I can relate to that, as I've done it before myself, albeit on a smaller scale with my Matchbox Draguar.

Marc used a Reddy fritturollie bottle, which, with his obvious skill, gave this amazing result, completed with beautiful pink stripes.

Image: Marc Brassé

You can see more of Marc's fabulous work on his website:

https://www.brassee.com/scalemodeling.html

Attempting to emulate Marc I found some old water and pop bottles in the greenhouse and using the FAB1 canopy as a template, drew the shape and cut it out.

I repeated this four times but none of them fitted well enough to be deemed an ersatz. The bottle shape has to be spot-on I reckon, which is a feat in itself! 

Anyways, here's my less than satisfactory efforts. I've realized I can't cut curved plastic for toffee! 

I may just leave it up to Lady P!

Have you made your own domes readers?

ALIEN CAGE

 Testing and idea for an animal cage, here's my Aldi trash toothbrush holders on the back of Juniors Fisher Price Safari car.

Cargo: giant toxic alien caterpillar! 

Fixing up my New FAB1

 It's years since I owned a JR21 friction FAB1. My first was in 1965. My second 2009. My third, now.

The first my parents threw out. The second I swapped in the worst swap of my life ( I was desperately seeking SWORD lookalikes back then and delirious).

This new one is from a vintage toy shop in Otley and has fair warmed my cockles I must say. What a design! What a toy! My favourite of all the Thunderbirds vehicles. Is it yours?

My new FAB1 did have a few issues (hence the low price, £17):  namely a missing wheel, a non-working friction drive, a missing FAB1 front sticker and a cracked canopy. 

So, after some unscrewing, polishing, glueing, bodging, chroming and fettling, I mended the motor, created a sticker, made a wheel and had a go at the canopy.

This is how it looked when I got it. Not that bad on reflection!

Alas, this part of the job went south. Opening up the crack to glue it I created more micro cracks! In at attempt to fill them I covered it all in PVA. This achieved nothing but removing the PVA did leave a nice clean surface. The cracks remained and were worse!

You live and learn. I moved on. I don't want to mess it up anymore!

The body itself unscrewed easily and I was able to loosen the motor with WD4O and with some fixing got it to stabilise and work properly.

I finagled a wheel from a white draughts piece, two white rings and some bits painted chrome silver. Not brilliant but it'll do until I find a real one.

Some buffing and a new FAB1 sticker later and, ignoring the canopy cock-up, I was generally chuffed with it. I'm done now and will leave Parker and Penelope alone to drive.

Here's some snaps of it on the road to deadly danger.

Did or do you have a JR21 FAB1, either sort?

Pictures welcomed!

Martian Screaming Missile Rifle by Tudor Rose

I wuz gobsmacked when I saw this on eBay last year when researching Dalek toy guns.

One I'd never seen before and certainly a rarity, this is the 30" long Martian Screaming Missile Gun, the M.S.M.G, made by those gorgeous toy makers, Tudor Rose.

With an eye-watering price tag, I saved the pictures for later. It eventually sold I think and some lucky Buck will be making martians tremble everywhere!

Not sure who the creatures are on the box? General martians?

Overall it has a feel of the big Dr.Who bazooka I covered - and made - last year.

A bazooka style toy in a huge box, it's the first time I've ever come across this toy. Is it one you know?

Corgi Night Squad

 A few home snaps of my new Corgi Black Beauty, along with stablemates The Thrushbuster and Batmobile.

It's quiet in the city tonight!