THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

Tater Schuld's Descon-14 Entry

Quoted from D.J. Ya scallywag! 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, many would no doubt choose Robert Wise's seminal classic T' Day t' Earth Stood Still.

Unleashed upon a troubled world in 1951, me hearties, me hearties, this highly influential picture legitimized sci-fi in its decade, shiver me timbers, matey, 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, matey, me bucko, 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, 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 was able t' scale it from three quarters up to full size, then I took and matched t' radiuses and angles. Avast! Arrr! Notice that there are parts that don't match due t' t' camera bein' at an angle. Arrr!

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. would some o' t' details die off in such a shrinkin' process?

As you can see, t' outline is still recognizable, so I decided t' start cuttin' parts. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! 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, matey, leavin' t' dome to do. Blimey!

T' dome I made by cuttin' another upper ring, me hearties, cuttin' a tennis ball in half, 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. 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, me hearties, I went on an extended vacation. A full week at Oshkosh (with Burt Rutan!) (http://www.airventure.org/), then a road trip t' Boston for a weddin' and sightseein' tour.

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

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

Note: t' saucer looks like brushed aluminum in t' movie. Well, blow me down! 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. Blimey!

OOOO! I forgot t' add.

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

Launch report:

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

ok, ya bilge rat, get everythin' set up, crack t' glow sticks and install. Aye aye! seem a little dim but we'll work that out later. borrow battery, matey, fudge electrical hookup and other last minute mayhem. then wait t' get dark t' launch.

Well, t' glow sticks didn't seem t' work too well, me hearties, me hearties, will have t' try somethin' else another day.

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

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