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2001 Space Pod


ewahl

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I've been driving myself crazy attempting to scratchbuild accurate manipulator arms for the 2001 Space Pod. The kit is an ancient Lunar Models resin offering whose accuracy can be described charitably as cartoonish at best. I carved so much resin to create a properly sized and shaped front window that I put the kit aside until recently. Comparing the kit to published scaled drawings, I believe the kit could be called 1/35 scale without too much argument. Reopening the box I knew the next step must be replacing the horrible resin pieces provided for the manipulators with entirely new scratchbuilt pieces. So, with Evergreen strip and rod, some copper wire, and tiny metal punching blanks, I've cut and carved and filed and bent to produce what you see in the following two photos. Super glue holds things together. The first photo shows the tiny scale. The second photo shows the originals next to their replacements.

 

2001Pod2.jpg

 

2001Pod4.jpg

 

This all eventually gets painted white with some red bands on the rods.

 

Ed

Edited by ewahl
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Beautiful scratch-work ewahl, I'm duly impressed. Yep, those LM kits really drove me up the wall, got to a point where I refuse to build them anymore. Builders who get nice results off those, know how hard it is to do it with an LM kit.

 

Always wanted to do one of those, I'm curious how yours will progress, keep us posted!

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  • 3 weeks later...

After several weeks, here are some additional progress shots.

 

Just for the record, there is no single detail on the entire resin Lunar Models kit that does not scream for reworking or replacement with scratchbuilt details. When compared to photo references, the kit is almost a cartoon of the original film prop, and there are some features that just can't be fixed. One such impossible-to-fix flaw is the wrong diameter on the main pod spherical section--too small.

 

There are two round let's-call-them maneuvering packs, one on each side of the sphere. The first photo shows the work needed to bring the detail up to par. Any white plastic you see is part of the scratchbuilding. The black rings are photoetch instrument bezels from an aircraft fret, but they are exactly the right size for the scale. I scraped off the corresponding rough and shoddy resin details. I also cut the radiator fin texture into the three pads on each piece because that detail was omitted. The fourth (top) section is scratchbuilt based on photos. The two hemisphere thruster arrays still await reworking on each nozzle.

 

2001Pod5.jpg

 

The right side maneuvering pack is in place on the sphere section. It seems to look OK in this dry fitting.

 

2001Pod6.jpg

 

Here's another view showing the front detail. Note the drilled holes for the spotlights and the added center pieces for the grip pockets.

 

2001Pod7.jpg

 

The casting of the front window opening was pathetic. The window was much too small, and the framing around the window in no way was a representation of the flat ribbed detail. I carved out the window opening to the correct size using the templates shown as my guide. Each of the ribs around the window is a separate piece of Evergreen strip glued progressively into place. I started at the bottom and worked my way up each side, not knowing how the top would mesh until I arrived there. It's a little off, but who would know?

 

2001Pod8.jpg

 

The spotlights will be clear white LEDs. I found some 5mm dia. LED's that fit the holes almost exactly. On each LED, I had to file off the rear lip and just a slight amount off the diameter for a perfect fit. I blunted the round ends and repolished the plastic for the spotlight lens effect. Yes, I will be working to eliminate light leaks, and the leads will be cut to appropriate length before connection to the thin guage wire I plan to use. The wires will run through the bottom of the pod into the base (where the battery will be).

 

2001Pod10.jpg

 

I'm going to be really happy when this project is finished. I never imagined it would involve this much work when I ordered it.

 

Ed

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Using the wildly beautiful time-space chute could be an interesting background, but I'm leaning toward building a section of the pod bay floor with the pod on its turntable platform and a figure in a jumpsuit standing next to it. The battery will be under the floor.

 

Ed

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Ed,

 

I LOVE it! I had the discovery kit and sold it to some poor sucker on eBay. To this day I have never seen one built. I always wanted a Pod and you have a great start. I look forward to seeing more. The arms look great.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not worthy!

 

Chris

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All those tiny pieces in the very first photo above have now been combined and assembled, along with some additional pieces that had not been scratchbuilt yet. I was amazed that a careful count revealed I have somehow cut, shaped, and otherwise massaged 105 tiny pieces to make up each of the two manipulator arm assemblies. Some pieces were so tiny I had to make them oversize to super glue them in place, and then I filed, sanded, and scraped them down to their final size. I have no estimate of the number of trial-and-error methods and materials I tried before discovering the ones that produced the desired results, nor do I care to guess how many pieces I did not make properly and discarded. Most of those 105 (210) pieces are smaller than the shavings we make when cleaning up regular normally molded plastic parts.

 

The first photo shows the completed maneuvering packs and the two manipulator arm assemblies. The quarter provides a reality check on the size of everything.

 

2001Pod11.jpg

 

The second shot shows the manipulator arms from two angles. Obviously, I lost my depth of field at the top of the vertical arm assembly.

 

2001Pod12.jpg

 

The third photo shows a dry-fit of the parts to the central sphere section. The arm assemblies are taped next to their final mounting positions on the sphere.

 

2001Pod13.jpg

 

 

Next, all of the cast resin "detail" below the main sphere window must be corrected. Almost all of the details are wrong. I still have to figure out how to do this. Carving this hard resin is no picnic.

 

Until next time, Ed

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  • 3 months later...

Well, it has been 3.5 months since I posted any progress. Actually, it took me that long to reach the next photo shoot stage. I decided to display the pod on a section of the pod bay deck on its turntable and extending platform. Thus, I had to design and build the necessary parts; easier said than done.

 

Stanley Kubrick destroyed all the set plans, sets, models, and other props when he was done shooting "2001." He did not want a cheap producer later on stealing his stuff for a low grade film. There are no bootleg copies to be found on the internet. The producers of "2010" encountered this problem when they had to reproduce the pod bay and other sets on the Discovery (notably not the complicated, expensive centrifuge). The "2010" sets were half-baked imitations of their originals and were designed to fool the eye rather than reproduce all the details. I worked from still photos and DVD freeze frames of "2001" rather than from "2010" to get the proper details.

 

Like many movie sets and models, they are different on the inside than what they were on the outside. I started with the pod bay doors offset at 45 degrees from each other as they were on the outside of Discovery. I could not, sketch after sketch and drawing after drawing, make the inside proportions of the pod bay work. Using the rules of geometry on some of the still photos, I finally came to the realization that the pod bay doors on the inside were set at 36 degrees from each other. Redrawing the floor deck in 1/35 scale was another challenge because of the lack of any dimensional references. I finally used the length of an astronaut's foot at 12 inches, and from that worked out the other dimensions. The proportions then worked much better.

 

The first photo is of the "final" layout from which I began cutting sheet plastic. Notice that I do not intend to build any side walls or pod bay door frames. I chose my desired floor segment around the center pod platform and surrounding walkways. I also avoided the main instrument console this way. The console would be just off the edge of the base in this scale.

2001Pod14.jpg

 

I copied the drawing and cut out the deck and platform shapes. I then used these pieces to cut some thick foam to shape to test the layout on the wood base. I need thickness here because a 9-volt battery has to be located under the deck. This test fit showed I needed to add some length to the platform, as shown by the longer paper cutout over the shorter foam.

2001Pod15.jpg

 

The main feature of the platform is the turntable. I cut out the textured surface from a food container bottom and built up the edge with two strips of Evergreen, which I beveled and sanded to shape to match the photos.

 

2001Pod16.jpg

 

This shot shows the basic deck and platform surfaces. I used .060 sheet. The platform already has rails and side structure.

2001Pod17.jpg

 

Here's the underside of the platform and rails. Note I left a wire channel under each rail to run the power leads from the battery. This is all Evergreen sheet and strips.

2001Pod19.jpg

 

 

Here we see the basic platform extended on its rails.

 

2001Pod20.jpg

 

The platform was detailed with motors, pumps, electrical junction boxes, and a wheel-handle valve. These are the scratchbuilt pieces, all the fraction of the size of a fingernail. Building one was bad enough, but in two cases two copies were present. All of these will be connected with hydraulic lines and electrical conduits on the platform when they are permanently installed. Note the curve of the turntable for a size comparison.

2001Pod21.jpg

 

The detail pieces that will be attached to the top of the platform are shown in position. No lines are attached yet. The side detail items are not present here yet. This is the first photo to show the velcro walkway strips at the end of the platform.

2001Pod23.jpg

 

For an appearance check, I added the pod to the turntable facing outward.

2001Pod27.jpg

 

 

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The last post dealt primarily with the platform and turntable. Here we will look at the main pod bay deck details. The film accounted for the weightlessness of the astronauts in the pod bay by covering the floor with pads of velcro strips. The flat black pads have a hard silver trim edge. I used .040" Evergreen grooved sheet plastic and .040 quarter round strips to make these. Here the drawings made above became critical to get all the angles and dimensions right.

 

Here are the velcro pad detail pieces and the one raised storage box (?) in the center of the floor.

2001Pod28.jpg

 

Here the walkway pieces and storage box are located on the deck piece.

2001Pod29.jpg

 

Now we add the platform to the deck, with the deck piece sitting on the platform's rails. On the finished piece, the floor deck and the platform will be at the same level. The edges of the velcro pads are deliberately long now and will be cut off flush with the deck's edges when they are permanently attached to the deck.

2001Pod30.jpg

 

Again, a reality check with the pod on the turntable as it will be on the completed piece.

2001Pod31.jpg

 

And, finally, the same scene from the other side.

2001Pod32.jpg

 

 

Comments from all you "2001" fans are welcome. Actually, comments from all are welcome.

 

Ed

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Page 1 of this thread shows you many photos of how we get here and explains why things were done the way they are.

 

The platform and rails are now complete and ready for paint. I had three good pictures of the sides and top of the platform (from a book, not the DVD), so all the hydraulic lines and conduits have a photo reference. The blue lines are telephone bell wire with the copper still inside the insulation. The silver conduit on the right side is bare 20 gauge craft wire. All of this gets painted monotone flat black except for the velcro strips, which are a reddish brown with silver framing.

 

Here are some last views before the painting begins.

 

Ed

 

2001Pod33.jpg

 

2001Pod35.jpg

 

2001Pod36.jpg

 

2001Pod37.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

This project has not been entirely dormant since August 2009. Between the cancer-related medical stuff in 2010 and creating my own setbacks, there has been slow progress made over the many months. There is finally something to show-and-tell.

 

Going back to a similar photo on a previous post, you can see several changes to the front of the pod. I set myself back when my clumsy fingers broke off not one but both of the upper spotlight rims that I had tried to protect even as I drilled out the holes for the LED's. The other photo actually shows they did not really look all that good anyway--cracked and uneven--so breaking them off forced me to find an alternative solution. Taking one of the LED's with me, I found a K&S aluminum tube that had the right inside diameter for the LED and a thin wall on the tube. I removed the spotlight shrouds on the two lower lights and carefully set about drilling out the resin holes to accept the aluminum tube. I twisted the drill by hand slowly and with light pressure to prevent the upper holes from rupturing the resin side walls of the pod. The resin was paper-thin after the holes were drilled. I cut four segments of tubing and inserted them into the holes without glue because of the snug fit. All this just got me back to where I could move forward again. The greatest benefit of the tube is that it is a perfect light barrier from the LED light seeping out sideways.

 

I commented earlier that I was not at all happy with the as-molded details on the front of the pod below the window. I had no idea back then for how to fix it. Is there a word "scratcthtration"? Scratchbuilding and frustration always appear together. Fortunately and unfortunately, I have good reference photos and drawings of this detail, so I have no excuse for not making it as close to right as possible. After a couple of false starts at just fixing what was already there, I realized I had to start over by removing all of the detail and recreate it correctly. I carved it all out and filled the remaining depressions. I reduced one of my references on my printer/copier to the size of the opening and started rebuilding. It was another exercise in cutting, handling, and cementing tiny bits of strip and sheet styrene to build the ribs, grilles, and other shapes. I have the top of a tiny red LED to plug into the opening for HAL's eye.

 

I struggled with the grip pockets. The earlier photos show that I installed a divider strip of styrene into the provided holes (that I previously drilled to make them round). The photos of the real thing revealed that they were complex shaped full of compound curves and fillets. I tried several fillers and putty to create and smooth out the rounded contours. I finally used Mr. Surfacer 1200 from the bottle in a thick application to blend it all together.

2001Pod38.jpg

 

I found on the internet a highly magnified blowup of the details on the pod's door. Surprise! Not only is there a manual door mehanism, but it is in a recessed pocket in the outer surface of the door. Going back to an older problem--the diameter of the Lunar Models pod is too small--the width of the door is too small. Because of adjacent molded details, I could not simply widen the door opening. I used proportions as best I could and carved the pocket for the door controls into the resin, undercutting the outer surface to add some depth to the look. Then I added more strip and shapes on the inside. I added the explosive bolt locations. Each silver bolt is surrounded by a red square (to be added later with decals I'll make). The maroon cone replicates a shape on the pod that was not included in the kit. I turned a thick piece of sprue in a power drill and "machined" the taper with a file and sanding stick until I had the right size. There is a short piece of tubing that will fit into the top of the cone to create the exterior camera mount it represents. The half-round strips at the bottom of the door reflect the same features on the real door.

2001Pod40.jpg

 

At last! The Pod Bay floor deck and turntable platform are finished. The masking tape along the edges is there to keep me from marring the paint below with fingerprints while I'm still working on the model. The silver edges on all of the velcro floor mats are strips of Bare Metal foil applied over the quarter-round edges. In the earlier photos I had built the raised platform/storage box(?). After I painted it semi-gloss black, I could see that the liquid cement I used to glue down the two circles and two squares had created sinkholes that were painfully obvious. I scraped off the paint and filled the sinkholes with drops of Mr. Surfacer 1200, sanded smooth, and repainted. The yellow sign is a composite decal with yellow field, red stripe, and red lettering (from a 1/72 F-15 data sheet).

2001Pod41.jpg

 

From the front, you can see I have not yet built the supports under the deck that will raise the turntable platform to the same height as the deck. This will give the platform the cantilevered look I want.

2001Pod42.jpg

 

Finally, I am working on a crew figure. This guy is a cut-and-paste of a variety of donor sources. One of the challenges is to make a military uniform look like a jumpsuit. Another problem was sculpting the top of his head, which was flat to accept a German helmet. I want him to be holding his iPad (as seen in the film over 30 years before we had them for real). I have good artwork for the uniform patches that I can reduce onto decals. The pod and the figure on the deck are getting close to the final look of this diorama/vignette. I can't wait to see how it will look with the four LED's lit up.

2001Pod43.jpg

 

Same thing, different direction.

2001Pod44.jpg

 

Comments are welcome.

 

Ed

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