Bogger 6x6 part 3

I started on the control console and built a backlit desk from styrene and a clear acrylic desk top. Under the desk is a 12 volt LED strip facing sideways which reflects off an white angled wall around the knees of the 1/24 scale figures. The console is on a raised plinth so the figures' heads will be at the right height for the front windows.

The clear acrylic has been fine sanded to give it a frosted appearance to help diffuse the backlight.

 

A bunch of kit parts that have a suitable framed opening in them were then cemented to the acrylic to become control screens.

The 1/24 figures were from a mechanics kit and required some butchering to make them fit into the seats taken from a 1/24 car kit. A few nurnies were added to the seat section which may or not be seen through the front side windows.

Liquid mask (latex) was then painted inside the screen openings ready for priming.

The console and the seat section were sprayed with a black primer prior to painting.

I decided to tint the screens with some Tamiya clear colours. The screens will not be easily seen through the front windows but should throw a bit of coloured light onto the faces of the figures for a bit of visual interest. The lit up buttons were achieved by drilling through the paint and then adding a touch of clear colour.

  Concurrently I was also engaged in building the cabin interior. I started by designing a door in CAD. This was then printed out and stuck onto some styrene for cutting out.

The back wall was constructed in two parts so I could get it into the cavity in the hull. The seam was covered with detail. Two ceiling lights were added from 12 volt LED strips.

The interior was primed with black primer and then a mist of grey primer to bring it up in value a bit.

Weathering was next with a wash of burnt umber and black oil paint followed by a white artists acrylic dry brush.

The figures and console was then glued in position. Once again my poor figure painting skills are in evidence.

I thought it might be nice to add another figure as the cabin is quite palatial. In the same kit was a racing glamour girl. I decided to give her some pants and used a couple of bits of red heat shrink tubing blended with some grey putty. I also added a couple of thin bits of masking tape as a belt and down the front of the chest so it looked a bit more like a jacket.

Once painted she was glued at the back of the cabin looking out a side window.

To round out the work on the front end I detailed the front windscreen panel. It comprises a window layer of 2mm perspex (acrylic) with a 1.5mm styrene front layer with the windows cut out followed by panels of 1 and 0.5mm styrene and various kit parts. The protective plastic that comes on the acrylic sheet has been cut using the styrene layer as a template, leaving the windows masked up.

Thanks for looking.

More soon...