Ghost Traps

Ok, so long time, no posts. Not that I Haven't gotten anything done, just posting my progress is major pain.. Nevertheless, I have began building Ghost Traps using Stephan's plans over the GBFans.com. I must have taken more photos as I've worked, but this is all I could find. It is just prior to first base coat.

They are made from 6mm plywood, ensuring hard and durable finish. Both have detachable cassettes, which do not, alas, mix (I cut the pieces, glued them, and then tried them on... I had to sand much, VERY much out in order to make them fit). I have skateboard bearings fitted on aluminium pipe for the wheels, and something 'extra' planned for the traps. I found out that the one pint beer can fits quite nicely inside the cassette, so these do have some use outside the ghost trapping field.. I'll try to locate my other photos, and post them too, or take more as the paint dries.

Oh my God! I made Kenny!

Well, whenI bought my webcam, I immediately saw was what it would be as I took it out from the box. I cannot, for life, recall which webcam it is, maybe someone could help me here? The original stand was intended for the older type monitors, not for the flat screen types that are the norm now. That meant that the original stand would not hold atop my computer monitor, so something was needed to be done.

I cut the body from some scrap MDF board, which was then laminated together, this picture is from where I've already done some sanding with dremel, and the feet are glued to the body.

Here is the 'head' ie the webcam itself. I test painted it to see how it related to it's unfortunate counterpart. The similarities are astonishing.

Here my Kenny has met with mister Hankey.. The wood filler I had at hand when I started smoothing the seams was brown, hence the color.. I am testing the head with the body together for a millionth time in this photo..

I screwed part of the original stand inside of the new body, to allow the head to be attached like it normally is, and to allow some movement for the head. The white gooey thing in there is PVA glue, if you wondered..


Here is a mugshot of my new Kenny. This was taken before the mister hankey part, but I thought it shows how alike this webcam is to Kenny McCormic..

And finally, here is the finished product, all in it's orange gory.. I still need to make a stand for it so it will stand still, but otherwise this is done. A quite a while ago, I must admit, four months ago... I guess I should update this blog more often, don't you think..

My Log bed

Hmm, several weeks without blogs. I guess I'm not a blogger type. There has been some drastic instances on this summer, which have put my priorities in question. Still, I got some work done, finished my bed, which has been in the thought-part for few years.

I decided, after several versions, to follow the traditional Finnish log housing techniques, and bought several feet of 4x4" and 5x5" logs, which I cut, smoothed and stained to dark oak finish. I must say that I admire the work done by carpenters more after doing this... Hard job, I can tell you, ESPECIALLY if you are using wrong type of tools, as I did, on purpose... Here are the lower frame, without the end pieces.

The end pieces are fitted in place, and they fit as they should. I had some difficulty in putting this together, as I did not mark the pieces when I dis assembled it in my work place. After I got the pieces to home, I had to figure out which part was supposed to go where. That should not be difficult, even when I did make every hole in identical spots, but as I did cut and drill everything by freehand, each cut and hole was quite unique...

Still, in the end, the results are quite self-explanatory. As the saying goes, I can now sleep like a log. Curiously, that saying has an exact translation to Finnish saying 'nukkua kuin tukki' I can only wonder that lumberjacks everywhere think alike.. And snore alike...

Full Body Cast 1

This is something I should have done ages ago, before beginning on my Fett project. It should ease things from the moment I get this done, which is I hope, very soon. I could not have done this alone, so a great thanks for help goes to Janne. He pasted the plaster bandages on me tirelessly..

The arms were made with a slight hollow on the insides, so I could get my arm out before the plaster got hard.

Then the hollow on the arms were plastered over, and left to dry overnight.

The next day I used a cutting disc on my dremel and cut the arms open. I marked the arms with the little 'w' which I thought I needed to align them again.

I then used filler to fill the seams on the hollows of the arms, as well as smoothening any hollows on the parts.

In each part that is. They were then again left to dry.

I used hand soap, the gel type, to act as a release agent on the plaster moulds. I did not take any pictures on the soaping phase, but I should point out that you need to be thorough in it, or else the fiberglass will bond to the plaster.

Here are the results. The soap worked, and the fiberglass pulled out nicely.

Here I have already soaped the other pieces, fiberglassed them and taken them out of the molds. I guess I did not use enough soap, or I left it too long in the molds. The fiberglass on the last parts stuck quite agressively on the plaster bandages, and most of them were destroyed as I pulled the fiberglass out. Oh well, I was going to throw the molds away anyway..

Hmm.. I did not know my insides looked like this..

I taped the pieces together to keep them in place when I fiberglassed the seams over.

Now this was both pleasant and disturbing piece. I can clearly see myself in this. The face cast also survived the pulling, which is good, As I need it for a plaster cast of my face.


The arms were too taped, then affixed together with more fiberglass.


The face aligned so nicely on the backside that no tape was needed. I just used two pieces of fiberglass on each side, and after they had hardened, I did the whole seam completely.


As well as the torso, belly first, and when it was hard enough, I turned the model, and fiberglassed the back too. It needs some work on the waist though, not that I don't agree that I have gained some weight, but not that way shown here. I guess the deformation on the waist area was due the fact that we did not do the whole body on one go, but on separate pieces.


The arms were too fiberglassed over the seams, now all the pieces are drying. Then I need to make the shoulder joints and the neck parts. I intend to make the neck so that the head could be taken off for sculpting. The arms will have round sockets, so that they can be moved slightly.
But more of that later..

Full Metal Fett 6

Well, ok, this work was done last saturday. I've been working with my foll body cast, and forgot to update this blog on this project.

The chest pieces are bent thus far. Still have not decided if they need to be bent more.

The hardboard inside the piece helps a lot when bending the edges.

As well as the rubber hammer. Thanks Skjoldhammar. I hammered these pieces on the floor against a piece of wood. I hit the piece from the inside, so to keep any dents on the hardboard.

This is the side view. I still think that these need more curving. But that is for another day.

Full Metal Fett 5

Well, I did not get any work done on my prop projects today, aside of gathering supplies. This work was done yesterday, but for some reason I could not post the pictures here. Aside these, I cleaned the workspace a little, a chore that I should have done ages ago..
I re-did some work on my cod piece, as the connection method between the butt piece and this I decided upon required it. Boy, would it have been easier if I was to think this before.. I don't have picks for it, but I cut similar piece of hardboard that is in the butt piece inside the cod piece too, to facilitate even folding easier. This of course meant, that I had to unfold the edges that I had folded before....

Hindsight is twenty-twenty, I cut pieces of hardboard inside the chest pieced as well...

And then folded the edges in, the chest pieces did not deform too much in the process, I can correct the deformations after the pieces are bent and the hardboard is taken out.

Here is the pieces again, with the right side upside down. I am pondering on the decision to place some padding in here, but that would increase the weight, and cause some heat problems. Not that metal armor would not provide them enough on it's own..

Ecto Goggles 5

I haven't actually made any progress on my props today aside of getting a rubber hammer for metal working. I have Math and Electrics tests next monday and tuesday, and I've been cramming my head with electric physics. I tell you that bending metal is way easier.

This is how my goggles look as of yesterday. There are SEVERAL coats of paint on these, gray primer, too light catachan green, then Tamiya Olive green, and finally Tamiya Olive Drab (XF-62). I thought that the goggles looked too dark in real life, but this photo taken in daylight actually looks bang on. I'll sand this, then coat it with OD again, then do this again and again until I get even coat and smooth finish. But, that will have to wait, now, of to bed..