OK,
We’re late…or on Hawaiian time! We plant to convert some sundry parts and wheel sets into a voyaging canoe inspired “locomotive.” Oldest Daughter provided the sketch:
We will build this in “PLAYMOBIL scale.” If the “little people” cannot ride it, what’s the point?
Like last year, I have a 10 day professional obligation that will likely preclude finishing on time, but, oh, well!
Aloha,
Eric
Eric, glad you are in. You may not finish on time but again like last year I will very much enjoy this build because if for no other reason the little monsters will be evolved. Love the concept. Whimsical and fun and bet the kids will enjoy it.
I was gonna edit the evolved but with kids this could be as accurate as involved would be
Awesome!
You may have obligations but your kids don’t, get them working (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Leave it to David to find the prototype for everything.
Korm Kormsen said:
not sailboats, but “sea-locos” from Chris Walas: http://4largescale.com/chris/index.htm
I miss Chris, I loved his creativity
I suddenly feel very boring…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Chris was/is a set designer with Disney.(IIRC) He did several trains…
Unfortunately he is into creatures more than trains these days.
Aloha,
OK, we actually started, and, yes, John, “evolved” is the best word. I figured while we were at this project, we might as well learn what the parts of a real voyaging canoe are called. Lucky for you, you’ll get to learn them, too. I’ll be referring to the terms found here on a site about Hokulea.
To set the scale, the work gang of the Triple O agreed to a photograph as they rolled what I think may have been the handle of a garden implement onto the saw:
I cut it in half to form the ama (port) and akea (starboard) hulls. Oldest Daughter and Oldest Son helped me start to shape them both with our Dremel, which will probably be our primary tool from here on out. I had to guide Oldest Son’s hand, but Oldest Daugther was game to try her own hand at this:
I am wondering why we didn’t have a train on…
Anyway, I had begun to break down the saw, for, Lo! Kid-zilla had awakened! I have rule about power tools and Kid-zilla. If he is up, they are gone, so work had to come to an end. Kid-zill arrived and offered tools to the work crew to facilitate hollowing out the logs:
As I find PLAYMOBIL scale tools in PLAYMOBIL hands even more ineffective than 1:1 tools in my hands, I decided to test which of my Dremel bits would serve this purpose. Naturally, none in my possession would, so it was off to the hardware store and $8 are now out of my budget. Oldest Daughter and I began the process of hollowing out the hulls tonight. She will take over the fine finishing, to include removing the old varnish, with sandpaper. I will get the other hull hollowed out over the weekend.
The plan, such as it is, is to get the wa’a assembled, using dowels for the 'iako (connecting cross-beams) and single kia (mast). The shiskabob sticks will lay across the 'iako to make our pola (deck). At that point, we’ll stain it, and I’ll turn it over to the crew (human, not PLAYMOBIL) to fashion the la (sails) - probably from coconut fiber - and kaula (lines) - probably from twine. That should free me to transform a discarded Big Wheeler chassis, scrap craft lumber, and some wheel sets into the train part of this. I am thinking a 4-4-0 configuration…With luck, this division of labor should a.) get everyone involved, and b.) place the project on autopilot while I am indisposed.
I hope you are having as much fun as we are!
Aloha,
Eric
Eric,
I’ve got a Kid-zilla around the same age (3) that isn’t allowed in the my garage/shop when I have power tools on either. Glad to know that I’m not the only one that has a crazy toddler!
I’ve got to get my hands on some playmobile figures! My boys would love playing around with them on the layout. I keep the LGB cars around for that reason. They love to open the boxcar doors, dump water out of the tank cars, etc.
As always I am impressed with your ability to get the kids involved without blowing up your house. Good progress!
Looks like a fine start looking forward to the madden voyage
Eric,
As always, the very very best part of your builds are your helpers. I really do enjoy your builds if for no other reason than to see your kids getting involved. By the time I got back into RRing my kids had their own interests. That really is the future of the hobby, and I am glad “your” RR is as much “their” RR.
Love to see the kids get involved. I’m sure they don’t realize it, but they are not just having but also learning valuable lessons that will help later in life. Thanks for letting us follow along, Eric.
@Craig. No, you are not alone! We always work outside, so set up and break down factor into time allowed to work. I am hoping once the twin hulls are done, we won’t need tools, and I can let more of the project go over to the,
@Jim, Devon, and Dan. Thanks. I owe it to CINCHOUSE, as she said it had to be a family hobby, not my hobby, as a condition to do this. Had she not, I would still be worrying about trying to make a project beyond my skills and times instead of out getting dirty, learning the ropes, and having fun with the “horde.” I have found by not forcing them to participate but always inviting them to join me, they tend to gravitate towards the action. The Triple O has been my most valuable ally against the allure of digital diversions, and I hope to keep it so! The goal is to come home and find someone has taken the initiative to see a “need” on the RR and fill it.
@Bill. All of this DIY stuff is your fault! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)Thanks for coaxing me over the line.
Aloha,
A cold kept me away from diving (high pressure air + minor cold = risk of lung infection), so I figured I’d actually try to make progress on the ka’a wa’a. To begin with, since my last updates, the crew has put sand paper to ka’ele (hulls) to shape them and strip off the remaining varnish, as Youngest Daughter demonstrates:
Even Kid-zilla got into the act at some point!
Oldest Daughter and I then had to fashion the ke’a (connecting cross-beams) to hold the to ka’ele together:
The center one is wider to accommodate the mast. In a moment of near-craftsmanship, I split this with a coping saw to match the depth of the other two. I neutralized this by somehow botching the alignment of the two ka’ele (hulls), which necessitated more time with those traditional ancient woodworking tools - the Dremel and the disc sander.
I was correcting this as Oldest Daughter tried her had at spray painting the railroad bit of this project in our high-tech spray booth:
Yes, that is North Star’s junk “Big Hauler chassis!” We are going Polynesian steam punk here! Unlike the original configuration, this time there will be no cheap nylon gears to strip!
The chassis dried, and I secured our tools while Oldest Daughter and Oldest Son planked over the ke’a (connecting beams) to form the pola (deck) from craftsticks:
The result of their labor and this weekend’s push is below:
We’ll Dremel away the excess craft stick soon and use those scraps to deck over the “Big Hauler” chassis to form a working platform the PLAYMOBIL sized crewmen.
The crew has levied two more requirements on the project:
This (luckily) will limit the amount of rigging and additional details, which suits my compressed timeline.
We have to fashion a mast, spar, and sail, then I can turn it over to the paint shop for a coat of stain. I might try to figure a way to lash a means to launch the canoe to the sides of the chassis, too. We are debating weathering the chassis. This is, after all, a ceremonial vehicle.
More proof of progress as it happens!
Eric
Eric,
Two things:
1 love this project. It really is coming out nice.
2 I loved the near craftsman ship/neutralized comment. I thought there was something very wrong with my build because I hadn’t hurt myself yet. Made up for lost time last night and sliced both index fingers. The project now has blood on it so we are good.
