Saturday, November 29, 2008

1:144 scale canoe tin-update Nov 29

I have painted the canoe charm and also retouched the rest of the tin. I did have to unhinge the paper attached to the lid so I could paint all of the charm. I was able to glue it back with no problems.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

1:144 scale canoe scene - start and progress

My parents collect canoes. They had some small mini tins printed with a canoe scene. They also had some small canoe charms. I decided that I would make them a scene in the tin using one of the charms.
The first charm is too tall to use when the tin is closed if there is any elevation to the bottom. I am thinking I will use the large area for the water area and the lid as a backdrop.
I asked them if they have anything smaller. They do and it is a cool charm in that the paddler's arm moves.
Since the arm moves, I want to be sure it functions that way and my idea is to make it move from the outside so the viewer doesn't have to reach into the scene. I talk about this with my husband and we agree that I should be able to attach a wire to the end of the paddle that will make it move.
The first time we attach a wire using solder we realize that there needs to be a second pivot to this set up. I try bending the soldered wire and it comes off. Although the solder seems to hold, it doesn't hold well enough for too much manipulation.
After repeated application of bent wires, I finally am able to solder a ring to the back of the paddle that clears the canoe properly. Next I add a second wire that is looped through the ring. Previously I had drilled a hole in the side of the tin for the second wire to go out. Once I am satisfied with the alignment of the wires I super-glue the canoe into place.
In this second photo, I have added more paper machie to protect the mechanism from the resin that I will pour to make the water of the scene.
To maintain an open area for the second wire, I used a cut apart straw to cover the wire.
I will trim the outside wire to make a pull of some sort.
I do have to buy some more resin as mine was froze up and discolored. I need to paint the additional paper machie and the canoe.

mini musings

I love miniatures and want to work on them as much as I have time for. The weird thing is that sometimes when I do have the time, I seem to 'waste' it looking for stuff or organizing. Well, I know that needing to find something is crucial to completion but yet until it is found I am not mini-ing. When I organize, it will also help me later so I don't have to spend that precious time searching. Yet, I still feel some loss of mini-time when I do these things. This is my first blog and really I just want to try it out, see if it works for me.