THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

Tater Schuld's Descon-14 Entry

Quoted from D.J. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nock at http://www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/A-D/day_earth_stood_still.html:

"If you ask any serious film buff which sci-fi flick they love t' most, arrr, many would no doubt choose Robert Wise's seminal classic T' Day t' Earth Stood Still.

Unleashed upon a troubled world in 1951, me bucko, shiver me timbers, this highly influential picture legitimized sci-fi in its decade, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, a period that delivered many memorable films, and gave birth t' what is commonly known as "quintessential science fiction". T' Day t' Earth Stood Still is certainly quintessential; a movie that helped t' lay t' ground works for t' genre, providin' many o' its archetypes and conventions."

Kind o' odd that no one has entered one o' these in descon before? I had watched t' movie about a year ago and thought this would be an easy saucer to build, arrr, plus a little challenge in t' curved dome on top. Avast, me proud beauty!

After takin' t' image from http://www.tauspace.freeserve.co.uk/day_the_earth_04.htm and dumpin' it into AutoCAD I be able t' scale it from three quarters up to full size, then I took and matched t' radiuses and angles. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Notice that there are parts that don't match due t' t' camera bein' at an angle. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!

I then shrunk t' outline down t' a useable scale (which came out neatly at 1/200th full scale) t' give me a 8 in saucer. Ahoy! would some o' t' details die off in such a shrinkin' process?

As you can see, t' outline is still recognizable, ya bilge rat, so I decided t' start cuttin' parts. I used foamcore for t' 8 and 5.5 inch rings (your try to measure t' a .0001 o' an inch!) and manilla folder for t' angled transition, three bt-20 tubes in standard motor mount configuration, me hearties, me hearties, leavin' t' dome to do. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' dome I made by cuttin' another upper ring, ya bilge rat, me bucko, cuttin' a tennis ball in half, arrr, wrappin' a latex rubber glove over t' whole thin' (i really wish I had pictures o' this....) I then painted a 50/50 water/wood glue mix and layered toilet paper for make t' dome. Begad! after about 8 layers o' this I had an acceptable lookin' form that could get t' irregularities filled or sanded out.

Then I did as Dick Stafford suggested, I went on an extended vacation. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! A full week at Oshkosh (with Burt Rutan!) (http://www.airventure.org/), then a road trip t' Boston for a weddin' and sightseein' tour. Aye aye!

This o' course completely took me mind off Descon, me bucko, and it has been a struggle gettin' back t' it (the deadline is WHEN?!?)

Get all t' parts glued together, start usin' drywall compound t' fill in the contours. Avast, me proud beauty! bake in oven t' speed drying, drywall cracks. Begad! Sand, arrr, do over, arrr, more cracks. Begad! Futz with it one more time, ignore cracks. Ya scallywag! Then paint. Begad! Blimey!

Note: t' saucer looks like brushed aluminum in t' movie. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought I would use Krylon Chrome which usually dries poorly t' look like brushed aluminum. Didn't this time givin' it a shinier look than I would expected. Ahoy! Ahoy!

OOOO! I forgot t' add. Avast, me proud beauty!

I wanted t' try t' make this a night launch, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, or at least add some lighting effects, so I grabbed some light sticks and attached them t' t' bottom o' the saucer. Aye aye! only t' photos will tell how well it comes out. Aye aye!

Launch report:

08/30/04 (day after Zak Orions launch) weather looks ok, will be drivin' out to t' launch area at dusk, me bucko, me hearties, get everythin' set up, me bucko, and launch before someone thinks UFOs are in t' area. Arrr! Ya scallywag! (hmmmm, colored lights, shiver me timbers, saucer shape, matey, me hearties, out in the country....)

ok, get everythin' set up, crack t' glow sticks and install. Ya scallywag! seem a little dim but we'll work that out later. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! borrow battery, me hearties, fudge electrical hookup and other last minute mayhem. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! then wait t' get dark t' launch. Ahoy! Begad!

Well, shiver me timbers, matey, t' glow sticks didn't seem t' work too well, will have t' try somethin' else another day. Ya scallywag!

3...2...1...LAUNCH

Should have done this in t' daylight, me bucko, well another day...