USCSS Macondo

Bondo Fett

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This is my first major posting here, as most of my models are original designs, not replicas. This build is inspired by the story of the Nostromo's design/build process as told in the "Alien Makers" documentary. Basically the conceptual artists never really arrived at a strict, finalized design for the ship and the schedule reached a point where the model shop guys had to grab the most recently dated drawing (a sketched three-quarter-view by Ron Cobb) and built the Nostromo model from that. With so little to go on most of the details- and some significant design elements- were created by the model builders themselves. This model project mimics that process, but instead I am building from this earlier, close-but-not-quite-there, Cobb illustration:
 
Of course this isn't strictly a replica, but there have been some excellent builds based on concept art here recently so I decided it would be appropriate to start this thread. I'm calling it the "Macondo", the name of the BP oil rig that blew up and sank in the Gulf of Mexico. I think it sounds nicely cynical, and it keeps with the mini-tradition of ships-names-end-with-O in the "Alien" universe. Lets say it is an older, earlier model of the Weylan/Yutani Bison class tug.

Having only the single view to work from is exciting because I get to design all of the real details, but its slow going for the very same reason. And because Cobb's drawing is really only a rough concept, some of the lines and proportions are impossible to resolve for real. So I'm designing on paper as I go- draw a little, build it, draw some more, build it. I'm not using any particular scale, I'm just working with a size that I find comfortable.

I started with the engine pods. This is the pattern for the mold, made from MDF, acrylic tube, styrene sheet, and carved foam finished with bondo. I'll laminate four of these and get two top and two bottom halves of the engines. I deliberately left the pattern light on detail. I'll add more to the cast parts later on so the engines have more of a distinct left/right look.
 
More engine pod pictures, with final engreeblification, and molded in a silicone/fiberglass mold:
 
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Forgive me everyone for replying to myself, I'm not sure how to run this all together in one post, I'll get it figured out...

Here are some detail parts cast from resin out of silicone molds, thrusters and such. See if you can name the greeblies. Also a quick mock-up the rear end to see how the details look together. The cast resin thrust vectoring baffles (or whatever) are still on their sprues. Cobb's illustration shows only a front/side angle so I'm cheating a little bit on the stern and making the details look much more Nostromo-ish back there.
 
This looks awesome so far!

I commend you for tackling such an off-the-beaten-path subject. And scratchbuilding :)


-Mike J.
 
WOW!!!!! This thread is jaw dropping!!!!!:eek
Seriously, Beautiful detail & i LOVE the way you show the model casting!!! Make me want to try it!:love
THANKS ALLOT!!!! (y)thumbsup:thumbsup
 
Thank you, one and all, for your kind comments, they are very encouraging. I will get more pictures up soon.

Captain April- do you know where I can find the other renderings you mentioned? I've seen one showing a rear angle view of two large thrusters sort of situated near the top. Is that one of the ones you refer to? If so it might be too late for me since I've got the whole ship pretty much drawn up and the stern is already mostly built. Be interesting to see, though.
 
Awesome, Skin Job, thanks for the links! I thought I had scoured the web pretty thoroughly but obviously I hadn't looked close enough at Propsummit. There are some great images there.
 
Bondo, I can't wait to see more of this build. Making something from a sketch is mindblowing to say the least.

Keep it going mate.
 
I applaud the concept art builds. This one is going to be an amazing model. You've made some great decisions off the concept and I look forward to this project step by step.
 
Here are some more pictures: the rear end module is getting closer and the pattern for the main thrusters is ready for molding. And here is the frame of the main body starting to come together. It is basically a series of boxes attached together. I know its hard to see whats going on here- I tried to photograph the same angle shown in Ron Cobb's drawing.

As mentioned before the materials used are MDF, acrylic tube, sheet styrene, bondo, and various kit geegaws (tanks, ships, old Star Wars kits). The black strips on the thruster are made of Dymo lable tape. Its faster than gluing styrene because the pieces only have to stay on the pattern long enough to mold and I don't need them to be durable. Quick and easy.
 
Thanks, Yellowjacket. Its fun to extend on an original design. My approach on this one is, when in doubt lean toward Nostromo (for detail cues, that is).
 
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