Builds By Baz- Full scale Mk II Colonial Viper
- Thread starter sandbagger
- Start date
sandbagger
Master Member
All that's left now is to put in an edge choil, give it a final polish and etch the artwork onto the blade.
sandbagger
Master Member
Well it's been an interesting season. Record high temperatures, half of Australia on fire, six weeks of breathing smoke, holidays on the coast cancelled, (everything is on fire), back to work, hail stones the size of golf balls, causing $350 million dollars in damages. What a start to the year!
Fires are still burning, but most are under control now, so finally we can get moving again.
There's been a lot of hard work preparing the new Viper hangar/workshop, some by backhoe, but most by hand.
The old shed and carport torn down, the cracked, lifted and broken slab underneath removed, big old tree roots removed and the ground re-levelled. Heavy duty concrete-sleeper retaining walls dug in and concreted, (nearly killed me), new side fence erected and now the slab has been poured.
Idiot me, got so excited with the concreting yesterday that I totally forgot sunscreen. Burnt to **** and feeling very sorry for myself today. Self inflicted, no sympathy.
In a few days time after the slab has cured properly, I will start erecting the steel frame and get the workshop up.
A graphics mate of mine thought he'd have some fun with the picture of the slab. Pretty close to the right size. The slab is longer than it is wide, so the Viper will be parked nose-towards the back fence. Arse end facing the roller doors on the front.
Here's where mine's currently at....
Fires are still burning, but most are under control now, so finally we can get moving again.
There's been a lot of hard work preparing the new Viper hangar/workshop, some by backhoe, but most by hand.
The old shed and carport torn down, the cracked, lifted and broken slab underneath removed, big old tree roots removed and the ground re-levelled. Heavy duty concrete-sleeper retaining walls dug in and concreted, (nearly killed me), new side fence erected and now the slab has been poured.
Idiot me, got so excited with the concreting yesterday that I totally forgot sunscreen. Burnt to **** and feeling very sorry for myself today. Self inflicted, no sympathy.
In a few days time after the slab has cured properly, I will start erecting the steel frame and get the workshop up.
A graphics mate of mine thought he'd have some fun with the picture of the slab. Pretty close to the right size. The slab is longer than it is wide, so the Viper will be parked nose-towards the back fence. Arse end facing the roller doors on the front.
Here's where mine's currently at....
Lt Washburn
Sr Member
Tremendous amount of work, very impressed!
Hope the remodeling is going well. I miss reading about your progress on this amazing project!!!
sandbagger
Master Member
Building! Viper hangar/workshop.
I got the front two mullions up today. They were a pain in the ass, but I got them done and am calling it a day. Sheeting by Thursday I reckon.
At least I got a good view of the fires from my scaffold. So glad they are over and after nearly two months, we have clean air. The rain is nice too.
The Viper will be parked in the right hand roller door.
I got the front two mullions up today. They were a pain in the ass, but I got them done and am calling it a day. Sheeting by Thursday I reckon.
At least I got a good view of the fires from my scaffold. So glad they are over and after nearly two months, we have clean air. The rain is nice too.
The Viper will be parked in the right hand roller door.
sandbagger
Master Member
Things have been crazy in my life - I feel like I'm going a little insane. I'm tired, sore and ready to retire. Only another 17 years.
I've had a couple more flight suit sessions with my tailor, he doing the skilled sewing machine stuff and I doing the grunt work, cutting and gluing stuff for him to sew on. The right leg thigh pocket was a bit of a mongrel. We had four attempts at it to get it right. Finally, that one is out of the way.
The last bits of padded and covered plates are glued up and top-stitched onto the back. The photo looks skewiff because I've just draped it over my shoulders and am holding the sides in with my elbows. Trust me, it's symmetrical and the right size.
We also made a good start on the flak vest. The neoprene plates have been backed and stiffened, then covered with pigskin suede. This is what was used in the show.
Finally, I have been squeezing in an hour here and an hour there, (most of that time is eaten up by dragging tools and power outside then packing it all up when finished.) on the new hangar/workshop. Today I got the last of the big bolts drilled and fastened. A few more tech screws in engineer specified places and the sheeting is ready to go on.
I've had a couple more flight suit sessions with my tailor, he doing the skilled sewing machine stuff and I doing the grunt work, cutting and gluing stuff for him to sew on. The right leg thigh pocket was a bit of a mongrel. We had four attempts at it to get it right. Finally, that one is out of the way.
The last bits of padded and covered plates are glued up and top-stitched onto the back. The photo looks skewiff because I've just draped it over my shoulders and am holding the sides in with my elbows. Trust me, it's symmetrical and the right size.
We also made a good start on the flak vest. The neoprene plates have been backed and stiffened, then covered with pigskin suede. This is what was used in the show.
Finally, I have been squeezing in an hour here and an hour there, (most of that time is eaten up by dragging tools and power outside then packing it all up when finished.) on the new hangar/workshop. Today I got the last of the big bolts drilled and fastened. A few more tech screws in engineer specified places and the sheeting is ready to go on.
George
Master Member
sandbagger whatever is draining your energy and/or challenging you at the moment, I hope you can manage.
If need be, take a step back and rest.We're not going anywhere.Feel better soon !
If need be, take a step back and rest.We're not going anywhere.Feel better soon !
Frenzy1971
Well-Known Member
Unbelievable!
Great progress on the shed.
sandbagger
Master Member
New hangar is up. I had a little bit of help from friends to do the big lifts, but for the most I've had to do it alone, especially at the moment as we are in the middle of all the new rules on social distancing because of COVID-19.
Most of the modular sections of the Viper I moved back in last night. I've been able to do a lot while I stay at home, but I also need to watch my pennies, which is slowing me down.
Still to do - Stud wall down the length of the hangar to separate the 3m door from the 4m door, insulation, power, lighting, drywall on the insides, weld up some new work benches, install machinery, etc etc. I've a long way to go and without the ability to go where I want, when I want, it's going to be yet another delay.
I still need a few bodies to help me push the rest of the Viper, (main fuselage/engineblock/landing gear), from one end of the house, down the driveway, up the street then navigate the kerb into the other driveway and into the new hangar. I can then reassemble it and start the fibreglass work. With limits on social gatherings of no more than two people at the moment, I'm going to have to wait.
Most of the modular sections of the Viper I moved back in last night. I've been able to do a lot while I stay at home, but I also need to watch my pennies, which is slowing me down.
Still to do - Stud wall down the length of the hangar to separate the 3m door from the 4m door, insulation, power, lighting, drywall on the insides, weld up some new work benches, install machinery, etc etc. I've a long way to go and without the ability to go where I want, when I want, it's going to be yet another delay.
I still need a few bodies to help me push the rest of the Viper, (main fuselage/engineblock/landing gear), from one end of the house, down the driveway, up the street then navigate the kerb into the other driveway and into the new hangar. I can then reassemble it and start the fibreglass work. With limits on social gatherings of no more than two people at the moment, I'm going to have to wait.
Lt Washburn
Sr Member
Really impressive.
I don't suppose you could tow the fuselage with a car, maybe?
Otherwise, we'll eventually get to interact with other humans again.
Otherwise, we'll eventually get to interact with other humans again.
shaunsheep
Sr Member
Bump
sandbagger
Master Member
Sorry I've been slow on the updates. The coronavirus lockdowns have given me opportunity in many ways, to get things done, but in other ways have hampered me terribly. All in all, I have been hyper busy and got a lot done. To earn extra cash to get the Viper hangar/workshop finished, I have been forging prospectors tools, something I have developed over the last couple of years of gold prospecting in the field. Each time I sell a tool, I can go to the local hardware store and buy more wood, steel and fasteners. Slowly getting there.
When I have no money, I roll up the sleeves and get the labour done where the extension on the other end of my house is to be built. After lifting the paver bricks, I discovered a concrete driveway underneath. At least now when I push the Viper around to the other side of the house, I have one less step to negotiate with the wheels.
Today I built a stud wall down the side of the hangar bay. Hopefully I can sell enough tools to go get some more wood and finish it.
When I have no money, I roll up the sleeves and get the labour done where the extension on the other end of my house is to be built. After lifting the paver bricks, I discovered a concrete driveway underneath. At least now when I push the Viper around to the other side of the house, I have one less step to negotiate with the wheels.
Today I built a stud wall down the side of the hangar bay. Hopefully I can sell enough tools to go get some more wood and finish it.
