[MJFinegan]

Greetings. Longtime lurker first time poster.....
Finally got off my dead ahhh backside and began a long awaited scratchbuild.
I've been toying with the idea of a scratch Fireball since I saw David Merrimans write up in a modeling mag back in '86. I still have the magazine and look it over every now and again for inspiration. When complete the model will measure in at about 30 inches in length. Construction is male molded fiberglass for the fuselage, wings and wingtip engine pods. The tailpipe will probably be vac formed along with the various bumps, bulges and blisters. The Junior may be vac form as well or I may take a crack at thermoforming some light plexi. I hope to have some pics available if anyone is interested.

Mike

 

[Steve244]

I'm interested. As far as pics go you can upload them to the hobbytalk photo album or attach to a post.

 

[david merriman]

Greetings. Longtime lurker first time poster.....
Finally got off my dead ahhh backside and began a long awaited scratchbuild.
I've been toying with the idea of a scratch Fireball since I saw David Merrimans write up in a modeling mag back in '86. I still have the magazine and look it over every now and again for inspiration...
Mike

Mike,

People actually read that rag??

David Merriman lll

 

[MJFinegan]

And enjoyed every word of your article.

Mike

 

[John P]

Yikes! I thought he only appeared if you said his name three times! :lol:

 

[trekkist]

Hey! What mag was that? I've several featuring Dave's articles -- always full of great info, and often about amazing subjects (my favorite, an old Scale Modeler, I think, with his repair of "Spaceship One" from "Conquest of Space" -- actually a 2-part article, of which, alas, I'm missing part II...

Dave, have you ever considered submitting an anthology of your printed work for professional publication? I, for one, would pay gladly for such a book.

David Winfrey

 

[TrainClown]

I too am a Fireball XL5 fan. I like that show way more than Thunderturds. I was thinking I would like to model the ol' XL5 myself. Dose anyone know where a person can find specs on that ship/model? I guess I could watch the show a few dozen times, oh wait, I already did that. Well..............I'm a dreamer....aren't we all?

TrainClown

 

[david merriman]

Hey! What mag was that? I've several featuring Dave's articles -- always full of great info, and often about amazing subjects (my favorite, an old Scale Modeler, I think, with his repair of "Spaceship One" from "Conquest of Space" -- actually a 2-part article, of which, alas, I'm missing part II...

Dave, have you ever considered submitting an anthology of your printed work for professional publication? I, for one, would pay gladly for such a book.

David Winfrey

David,

There was no part-two (long story).

Not an anthology, no. My work today is of a much higher caliber and I refuse to embarrass myself by printing shots of old work. A book? Yes, when I'm not so damn busy with other projects.

Currently I'm working with CultTVman to produce kits and videos.

David Merriman lll

 

[StarshipClass]

David, PLEASE do a book!

I'm sure you could find someone willing to follow you around like a lost puppy documenting everything that you do! :devil:

Whatever you come out with would surely be a textbook for all model makers/builders in the future :thumbsup:

 

[david merriman]

David, PLEASE do a book!

I'm sure you could find someone willing to follow you around like a lost puppy documenting everything that you do! :devil:

Whatever you come out with would surely be a textbook for all model makers/builders in the future :thumbsup:

Perfesser,

In the interim you have an Alumilite Co. video that we're producing. It will cover the basic and advanced aspect of tool design, and usage as well as the specifics of spin, ambient pressure, pressurized, and vacuum resin casting techniques. That DVD/VHS video should be available by the end of the year from Alumilite.

On another front: Steve Iverson has threatened to edit down the 'Wheel' space station video tape I sent him a while back into one of his commercially available DVD's. Bug him!

In today's world of 'self-published' books, yes, I will likely write the definitive piece covering the craft of SF model building. Rants and all! One of these days. Whatever I come up with it will not be a puffy, 'feel-good' treatment of the craft; my book will be as removed from the oft ill-informed and stupid material found on this and other SF modeling boards and chats as War And Peace is from MTV.

David Merriman lll

 

[PhilipMarlowe]

^^^^Just as long as there are lots of purty pictures...

Seriously, David, I've gleaned a lot of very useful information from your articles/post.

 

[StarshipClass]

. . . yes, I will likely write the definitive piece covering the craft of SF model building. Rants and all! One of these days. Whatever I come up with it will not be a puffy, 'feel-good' treatment of the craft; my book will be as removed from the oft ill-informed and stupid material found on this and other SF modeling boards and chats as War And Peace is from MTV.

Sound great! :thumbsup:

I look forward to it, sir!

 

[Mike Warshaw]

To a professional like me, Merriman is nothing more than a word assembler.

 

[origAurora buyer]

To a professional like me, Merriman is nothing more than a word assembler.

Good one, Mike!:thumbsup:

I guess you must find it difficult to post along side us morons too?

OAB

 

[heiki]

Mr Merriman,

Was this the ship that ended up being used as a background prop in ST-The Wrath of Kaahn?

Hey! What mag was that? I've several featuring Dave's articles -- always full of great info, and often about amazing subjects (my favorite, an old Scale Modeler, I think, with his repair of "Spaceship One" from "Conquest of Space" -- actually a 2-part article, of which, alas, I'm missing part II...

Dave, have you ever considered submitting an anthology of your printed work for professional publication? I, for one, would pay gladly for such a book.

David Winfrey

 

[david merriman]

Mr Merriman,

Was this the ship that ended up being used as a background prop in ST-The Wrath of Kaahn?

Heiki,

That 'water distillation unit' you saw was indeed the Booster element of the SPACESHIPONE miniature originally built for the George Pal film, The Conquest Of Space.

The Booster miniature element lives today because of Mike Minor.

My memory may be a bit spotty here, but this is pretty much what happened regarding the three elements that made up the SPACESHIPONE miniature:

At the time of the ST-2 production, Mike Minor was working as an Art Director and personally placed the Booster within the Botany Bay set as dressing. His real intent was to get the Booster out of a Paramount lockup and on-set where it would be easier to grab later. And that's just how it worked out. As the Botany Bay set was struck, Mike tucked the Booster under his arm and marched off the property. And off to Bob Burn's home it went, to join the two other elements that comprise the SPACESHIPONE miniature.

If I have it right, Mike, Bob Burns, Bob Skotak Dennis Skotak, and others (Tom Scherman's hands were in there somewhere) had been working for some time to get the SPACESHIPONE miniature components off the Paramount property before they all were torn up beyond repair or simply trashed.

The Wing and Pilot ship elements of SPACESHIPONE were eventually snuck out of a loft and through the gate in a separate capper perpetrated by the Burbank-five.

After everything was assembled at Bob's, the Skotak's lofted a set of working drawings off the miniature and the elements went out to specific outfits, and the restoration was underway.

I was brought in late in the enterprise. After the theft ... err ... liberation of the miniature components.

The Skotak's and others rebuilt the Wing and Booster. I was sent the Pilot Ship. After a few months work I shipped the repaired Pilot-ship back to North Hollywood, and the miniature was assembled, placed on a custom welded support fixture, and put on display at the then just completed new wing of the Bob Burns museum.

Mission accomplished! A Classic miniature saved!

Yes, Heiki, the booster can be seen in the ST-2 movie. As set dressing, in its pre-restoration condition.


David D Merriman lll

 

[Carson Dyle]

Mike Minor was working as an Art Director and personally placed the Booster within the Botany Bay set as dressing. His real intent was to get the Booster out of a Paramount lockup and on-set where it would be easier to grab later. And that's just how it worked out. As the Botany Bay set was struck, Mike tucked the Booster under his arm and marched off the property.David D Merriman lll

Marvelous! Phil Broad related this story to me years ago, but I had forgotten the details.

On a semi-related note, I recently returned from a trip to Seattle where I spent a couple of hours at Paul Allen's new Sci-Fi museum. It's a pretty small space, but what space there is is put to good use. Among the items on display are the Spindrift, the large Spinner model, and the 17-foot Seaview. Nice to know this stuff has finally found a good home after having bounced
from one owner to another over the years.

 

[MJFinegan]

Wow...I guess I really got something going here. And a history lesson from the Great One to boot. After an afternoon of fiddling around with a very recalcitrant camera, I finally produced a couple of more or less passable pics of progress thus far on my XL5 project. I've posted them to the Hobbytalk photo album.

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php?photo=2203

Mike

 

[Otto69]

I was brought in late in the enterprise. After the theft ... err ... liberation of the miniature components.

David D Merriman lll

Um, the words you're looking for are "after the act of Revolutionary Expropriation" .

 

[MJFinegan]

Um, the words you're looking for are "after the act of Revolutionary Expropriation" .

How about creative aquisition?