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MajorGravy posted:Perth! Also gonna be heading to Sydney's Supanova as well this year. These are awesome. Have you guys made friends with RichH in Sydney yet? He'll have his 1960 Ecto running soon! Boomerjinks fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Apr 19, 2012 |
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Apr 19, 2012 20:13
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 14:14 |
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Seems like a good thread for this. Video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QLJjb39VrA It's a 1965 Vespa Super Sport 180 from FLCL (fooly cooly)  Last summer I decided to fulfill one of wife's long-standing dreams of having a scooter. She would often talk about wanting a Ruckus or a superbike, but she would more frequently fawn over how cute a classic Vespa looked. She's also a pretty avid cosplayer, the kind of girl who spends hours dying and styling wigs, who has completely taken over the second bedroom of our apartment with rolls of fabric, buckets of resin, and all manner of crafting accessories. I started a secret savings account last July and I've been putting little things into it since. eBay sales, tips from when we use the movie cars as charity limos, stuff like that. In February I reached my goal and started officially looking for a starter body. The SS 180 is a pretty sought-after type of scooter, it's not the rarest or most valuable, but it's really popular. Originally I planned to build a clone by buying a late 70s P-series scooter and swapping out the parts to make it into an comparable look-alike of an SS. At the end of February I lucked out. Someone in Arizona was selling an SS, the exact body type that I needed. The exterior was kind of rough, but mechanically it was sound. The original engine had been removed and replaced with a more powerful, more reliable, and easier to maintain engine from a P200. This made the scooter undesirable for a collector, but ideal for someone who wanted to turn it into a nerdmobile. I guess the meme of "and nothing of value was lost" might apply here! So I made up a story about going snowmobiling across the divide with my brother as a cover to keep my wife from asking too many questions. I grabbed a good friend to tag along and we departed for Flagstaff, Arizona. We drove through the night, planning to sleep in Socorro, but stopped in Albuquerque to visit Walt's car wash from Breaking Bad. That was pretty cool. After leaving Socorro we headed west to another place I've been dying to visit for years, the Very Large Array.  Most famous for it's role as a location in Contact, Terminator: Salvation, and a handful of other films, the VLA is a set of 27 dishes arranged in a Y-shape that act as one large radio telescope. We hit the visitors center, watched the little video and looked at the exhibits, and I picked up some VLA swag for my nerd friends back home. The staff saw the car and got pretty excited (we must have been their only visitors in a while), and they let us drive around the access roads of the facility for some neat photo opportunities. Great people, awesome place. You should go. Near Holbrook, Arizona we came across an old Route 66 Wigwam motel that had classic cars parked in front of each room to add to the atmosphere.  So it looks like Radiator Springs is a real place! After that was Meteor Crater.  Which is pretty goddamn amazing. I was a bit disappointed that it felt like a tourist trap thanks to it being privately owned, but the crater itself is worth seeing. VERY cool.  We arrived in Flagstaff around 4pm and made our way to seller's house. He ran over the details of the scooter, things like modifications, damage, behavior, all the good stuff.  At this point, I had never driven a motorcycle or scooter by myself. Now that I think about it, the only two-wheeled motorized vehicle I'd ever been in control of had been a Segway! He took me around the block on it, gave me a quick lesson, and I tried it myself. It almost got away from me at first (the P200 engine is a goddamn MONSTER for this thing), but I figured it out and took my first ride in a neighborhood in Arizona. We loaded it up into the back of the Magnum, it fit perfectly. This was a huge relief as, eyeballing the space back there, it didn't look like it would fit. The measurements the owner gave me before I left were well within the confines of the car, so I had to trust the math.  The fuel tank was pretty empty, but it still reeked of gasoline, something we'd have to endure for the next 12 hours. We went home by going north through Utah. Moab, Grand Junction, Vail, and back in Denver by 2am, which was pretty good!  After getting it hope and secreting it to a friend's garage for storage away from prying eyes, we stripped it down and got it ready for paint. Kind of sad to see the flat black go, that looked REALLY cool...    A week later it was ready!  Initially I'd planned to get the scooter 100% complete before giving it to my wife. But she is pretty particular about her cosplay stuff, her favorite costumes are the ones she made completely from scratch. For her it's more about making them than wearing them. So I changed my plans and decided to unveil the scooter early so she could be a part of the assembly process, thereby turning it into something she helped make. When she first saw it, she didn't quite understand. She thought it was just someone else's scooter that would be perfect for a Haruko FLCL scooter. When I stated that it was hers, she looked at me confused, shoved me, and started crying. God. drat. Adorable.  We brought the Vespa home and wiggled it into the elevator and up into the apartment. Work started immediately.  And it was all back together a few days later! Immediately after getting it roadworthy, one of the gear selector cables snapped and the scooter was back under my wrench. Installing the bar-end turn signals.  Interestingly enough, bar-end signals were NOT available on original SS 180s. After talking to some scooter mechanics in Englewood for a few hours, we determined that the headpiece of her scooter is an SS180, but that the handlebar "twist grips" are from a 60s or 70s Vespa Rally. I'm sure there's a goon scooter enthusiast that can clarify everything. But it's nice to know that the original "production" Vespa is at least as much a frankenscooter as this one is.  People at anime cons will likely know exactly what the scooter is all about, but it's an obscure-enough cartoon that lots of people probably won't even know what the gently caress, so I made this for her to put next to it.  Vespas are sassy.  Tapping the holes for the fin.  Perfect fit!  The sticker on the leg shield was a placeholder, she applied the final vinyl and pulled it off - the finishing touch!  Things left to do for the scooter: - replace a few gray seals with black ones - replace the legshield beading the original, fatter trim - fix the horn - add the 3D "egg" shape on the side of the fin. - I may or may not add the ignition slot on top of the headpiece. It's rarely drawn on the scooter in the show, and when it is, there usually isn't even a key in it. - create an accurate "5656" license plate. "FLCL" is the current custom plate we're gunning for. Things left to do for us: - motorcycle safety class - gear shopping My wife cosplayed as Haruko back in 2007, so now she's in super go-mode to get that costume back up to her standards so she can wear it on the scooter at the next con! A terribly fun project that will make for a terribly fun summer!       edit: I also plan on mounting a toy robot head to the idle screw on the engine... for accuracy. Boomerjinks fucked around with this message at 19:04 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 08:18
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Red Robin Hood posted:I'm kind of speechless but I want to say that I don't know what that anime is but it looks incredible. Very, very well done! Fooly Cooly (FLCL). It's on Netflix, only like 6 episodes long. Lots of punk music, guitars, and super pre-teen angst. Iconic scooter 
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Apr 23, 2012 08:39
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paisleyfox posted:What? I love AX. I proposed to my wife by sneaking out from Denver while she was at AX, abducting her mid-con and asking her on the beach near Point Dume. She tries to go every year but has an unfixable scheduling conflict this year. She adores it.
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Apr 28, 2012 00:56
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That is the kind of stuff I find terrifying. I can bolt poo poo together, repaint it, etc etc, molding something from scratch is such a daunting idea to me, which it makes it that much more impressive. Great job! Keep us updated, that's really freaking cool.
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Apr 29, 2012 20:13
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McPantserton posted:Check it out, I made a thing for my boyfriend's Yoshimitsu outfit! Hoooooly crap that is AWESOME. You are amazing!
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May 4, 2012 20:47
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So we've got that scooter. I took my wife shopping for helmets and she settled on a sparkly purple 3/4 with rose-tinted visor that she's likely going to cover with stickers or something equally cute. Initially I really wanted to get a Simpson Diamondback helmet and just spend my days being a Fat Stig, but since those cost $500+ I had to find an alternative. She made a suggestion and I started with a new 3/4 black helmet with a goofy pattern.  I tried so hard to find a used helmet that I could mod, but in the end this worked. Pulled the rubber trim.  I HATE taking something brand new and scuffing hitting it sand paper. This was almost as agonizing as when I put the drill to the roof of my brand-new Magnum in 2009, ugh.  Coat of blue - wetsand with 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 - repeat x3 Coat of clear - wetsand with 2000, 2500 - repeat x4 Then off to my vinyl guy!    Red vinyl is reflective, which I guess is redundant since if I am to wear the helmet at night I will have to switch the faceshield out for a clear one. But I rarely ride at night. I actually need to trim the white stripe 2 inches away from the visor, and I am still debating whether or not I want a non-flip-up mirror visor. Right now the flip-up completely covers my face and jaw so I like it, but I know the simpler face shields would look closer to the actual design. It's not supposed to be a straight-up replica or anything really worthy of the term "cosplay," but it was fun to make. It's hardly worth showing off compared so the AMAZING paint jobs and mods that people make to their helmets, but I like it. Boomerjinks fucked around with this message at 07:48 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 07:45
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That is positively astonishing! Amazing, goddamn amazing work!
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Jun 10, 2012 04:58
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I am absolutely determined to cosplay as Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation at an upcoming convention. Do you guys have any advice on fake mustaches or fake eyebrows? e: I plan on carrying around a smallish wooden rocking chair and some beef jerky.
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Aug 14, 2012 01:04
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JamSessionEin posted:I am a page late for discussion about making a smoking Rocketeer jetpack but by gods I am going to have this conversation. I'm working on a Rocketeer costume right now and this is exactly what I wanted. I can fabricate the jetpack with enough time, but I want the drat thing to smoke for a display! I've been trying to figure out how to make a ghost trap smoke properly for six years with no luck. edit: okay holy poo poo that video was posted on the previous page.  If you like that guy's CO2 venting, a guy on the GB boards found a way to do something similar with his cartoon pack, and the result may be a little more in line with what you want to come out of a rocketeer pack instead of the billowing smoke that would come out of a ghost trap. Fernando's venting solution As I understand it, he just has a can of compressed air (computer dust-off stuff) held upside-down in the pack. You may go through three or four over the course of the day, but it's proven and it works. Just don't buy stuff that has the bitter additive, I guess. edit: This guys video shows that it can easily give off a pretty large jet. Boomerjinks fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Oct 18, 2012 |
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Oct 18, 2012 22:10
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There are actually quite a few nice cardboard and pepakura packs being built lately. You probably wouldn't put them in a display case with autographs and props, but they are more than ideal for Halloween parties and being worn for hours on end. The next big thing being anticipated is mass-produced foam packs. A number of builders are talking with costume companies (inflatable packs, etc) on how to produce nearly accurate, squishy "stunt" packs, but who knows if it will ever get off the ground. Adam (the guy with the pep pack) is also working on a scratch-built rocketeer pack that may be worth looking at. I guess I don't have any pictures of it accessible from work, but a friend of ours came across the original Disney mold in a junk pile and is currently working on creating a new master. Goon LobsterBoyX and I got to fiddle with one of the first casts to come out of it a few weeks ago, so it's likely that having a really terrific jetpack pulled from the original cast will be a possibility in the near future.
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Oct 19, 2012 15:40
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JamSessionEin posted:Also, Boomer, I would very much like to know more about that original mold and possible casts from it. Please tell me you have pictures or something. The only pictures I have simply show what it is, without detail. Up until recently the guy kept it in the corner of his prop room and his cats slept in it. 
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Oct 19, 2012 16:30
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Rubber Slug posted:I'm finally making some headway on my first cosplay attempt (civil protection officer from Half-Life 2). Someone on my facebook feed posted a similar-looking mask and I got all kinds of excited, only to find out they were making their third or fourth Tusken raider. You, though, you know what's up.
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Jan 21, 2013 20:22
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Is that a vacuuform setup? At first glance I thought it was a rotocaster.
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Mar 13, 2013 23:02
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It's getting the tiny things just the way you want them that is the most fun, I think.
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Jul 11, 2013 03:53
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Today I dove into the world of Japanese mandatory vehicle liability insurance in order to get all of the (totally impossible to read from screengrabs) kanji right for the insurance sticker. The number on the tag was definitely "1," but I will have to guess as far as the expiration year goes, which is expressed in something called Heisei years, which I also learned about today. I can't find any references clear enough for the year, but it looks like "14" (2002). Probably incredibly boring stuff, but it was really fun to solve this 'puzzle!'  The shape is a little different so it'll fit better in the existing bolt holes, but everything else seems pretty close. The silver will be cut in silver vinyl, I think it will look really cool when it's on display!
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Jul 13, 2013 03:36
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That is so freaking cool! It's soooo clean!
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Jul 14, 2013 23:24
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duros posted:ugh its been a while but basically there was a huge loving disaster with the original chroming process... long story short if anyone needs chrome work done PLEASE contact http://coatofchrome.com this dude saved my life and was so awesome and fast and helpful. That is simply incredible.
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Nov 13, 2013 04:07
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Work on a bass guitar to go with the Vespa has begun in earnest. Huge thanks to Korovyev for the modeling tips, hopefully I can have this printed and in-hand before the end of February.
Boomerjinks fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Jan 26, 2014 |
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Jan 26, 2014 09:06
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7thBatallion if you're still looking for packs parts, the GBfans store has almost all the greeblies, ThrowingChicken (Chase Black) makes AMAZING gun kits, V330 Creations (Vinny) makes great aluminum parts and shells, and Crix (Kris) makes resin casts of Vinny's aluminum parts.
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Apr 9, 2014 23:31
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One step closer. If I was smart I would have modeled the pullcord handle and done them at the same time, but I think I can find an actual handle that matches.
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Feb 3, 2015 00:30
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That sounds like a nightmare! I'm super excited about the Cosplay First-Aid stations that are popping up at cons that provide access to sewing machines, adhesives, and all kinds of supplies. Of course, there's no way to cover every contingency, but it's cool that clever stuff like this is happening. Someday there will just be an instant 3D printer there and everyone will just carry around their files for backup.
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Feb 16, 2015 04:00
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 14:14 |
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Finally digging into the guitar. Astonishingly, the size I chose for the fan shroud pretty much exactly fits your average spring coil starter for a lawnmower. It's amazing.  The cringeworthy point of no return.  Hard to really see here, but we'll send the router through one more pass making the hole slightly deeper and wider and the spring coil and pulley should fit perfectly.  It isn't gonna go RRRRRRNNNNGGGGHHH when she pulls it, but it will spin up the fan blades and the pulley will return the cord automatically. Excitement!!!
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Sep 3, 2015 03:59
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