I've wanted to do this project for a while; build a 1/6 scale Star Wars-esque "escape pod" sized to the 12" collector figures but I never could find the parts so I downsized it considerably (like Kenner SW figure size / scale). Logically and realistically, a 1/6 scale escape pod big enough for two 12" figures would have to be about the size of a medium trash can and I just didn't want anything that big hanging from my ceiling in my study so down, down, downsized it went. Like several of my projects listed here, I wanted this to be done with a minimum of expense and so that just about anyone with a little bit of imagination and some pocket change could go out and duplicate it. This was also my pet project to jump start me back into my hobby of modeling and scratch-building sci-fi subjects.

With that in mind, I traded out the artwork in the study from the Planet of the Apes themed work (courtesy of Jim Key) and instead put up a piece by Angus McKie and two Peter Elson pieces ("The Variable Man" and "The Early Williamson"). The Tim White "Earth Enslaved" and Dan Goozee's "Battle of the Galaxies" remained where they were hanged. With the mood set for some serious sci-fi hardware bashing and some ambient sci-fi music playing in the background, I dove into my work.

I've wanted to do this for a while, build a 1/6 scale Star Wars-esque "escape pod" sized to the 12" collector figures but I never could find the necessary parts in that scale so I downsized it to the scale of the classic 3.5" action figures or thereabouts.

This project started out as two plastic plant pots spotted at and bought from Hudson's Treasure Hunt (salvage store) in H'burg. They were $3.99 each, marked down 70% off that at the register. The pots are 4.75" tall by 6.5" wide and include removable drip basins on the bottom.

Trial fit of the two halves.

There's a rounded lip on the bowl of each pot so I'm going to have to sand that down. Enter a six sheet pack of sand paper (from the "Everything's a Dollar" store) and some elbow grease and we're up to about $3 invested into this project so far.

Oh, yeah, when you're sanding one of these, face down, against the paper, it wobbles and warbles and makes a sound akin to an Aboriginal didgeridoo. Thirty seconds after I started sanding the first half I had three cats in my study sitting in front of my work bench, ears perked back, with the wide-eyed WTF look on their face.

Drip basin removed from the lower half of the pod project. It just snaps off. There are four holes in the bottom all identical. The drip basin attaches with two simple pegs pushed into two of the holes, you pick which two holes.

The four holes will provide pre-existing anchor points for screws used to secure the engine nozzles to the base. After the two halves are glued together and the engine package is assembled, the pod will be covered in detail ... scribed lines, panels, roll jet quads (similar to the Apollo command module), sensors, antenna, maybe even a recessed port or two.

I doubt that I'll get into anything as tricky as lighting ... this is just something to get me back into sci-fi modeling and scratch-building.

All parts test fitted.

The four engine exhaust nozzles are actually 1" wooden plant pots from "Hobby Lobby" in their wooden accessory section. The "fuel pods" are wooden curtain rod ends (somewhat flat on one side with a hole drilled into them for a wood rod). I may attach some lines, conduits, hoses, etc. to feed the engine nozzles and later some greebles to flesh out this area. There's some greeble work in the middle just to take up space and give a uniform look to the project.

Approaching from the side and the bottom, another view of the diamond patterned four thrust nozzles (wooden plant pots) and the fuel pods (wooden curtain rod caps).

Looking straight down on the model, you can see the four nozzles, the four fuel pods and the start of some greebling in the center. Still not sure what I'm going to put there or how much I'm going to build it up. Hmmm. Looking at the engine package this way it kind of reminds me of the thruster pack that went on the tail end of the giant Mattel Space:1999 Eagle Transporter ... a cherished toy from my youth circa 1976.

The two halves seemed kind of flimsy with simply having to rely on a bead of glue around the edge to hold them together so I thought up ways to both strengthen the interior and pull the two halves together tighter.

The first idea was to use steel wire, spider webbed from left to right, going from one drain hole to another kind of like a shoe lace but that didn't seem effective.

In the final idea, I simply cut down a wood rod and screwed the two ends into each half. When I held it up to look at my handiwork, Morgan said "It looks like a lamp, daddy!" Then she picked it up, held it over her head and walked off saying "It's raining and I have my umbrella!"

She's 4 years old and her imagination knows no bounds.

I might put some kind of internal bracing in this but that seems to be more work than I intended for this quick and cheap project. However, the build itself may dictate just such a bit of engineering.

After about 2 hours of sawing and sanding to get the halves to fit just right ... now I've got to attach the engine nozzles to one half and I'm going to use some Bulldog "Sharkie" screws and anchors. Add another $1 worth of screws (6 screws, 6 plastic anchors) from Walmart and the whole project just reached $4 in parts.

I just didn't see superglue holding the wooden engine nozzles to the plastic bottom half as an effective means of attaching the two different media in this model so I had to go with a more physical form of connecting the two different media types.

Pic showing the interior of the bottom half, Sharkie anchors being spread with the screws from the engine nozzles. The wooden rod is going to attach with one of the 1.5" long Sharkie screws (sans plastic anchor) through the center there (I've already taken my Gerber ParaFrame II folder and dug out a starter hole for the screw).

The engine nozzles attached and screwed into the base. The only problem is that using the four drain holes to mount the engine nozzles resulted in them being closer than they were in the trial fit. This means that the fuel pods that I had intended to include in the lower design will no longer fit inside the raised lip and near the nozzles. I'll either have to come up with some other idea for the detail down here or I'll have to reduce the diameter of the fuel pods.

Back to my parts box ... or back to Hobby Lobby. The first option is free, the second option will probably add another dollar or three to the cost of the project.

Shot showing the screws up inside the wooden engine nozzles securing them to the bottom half. I'll cover the screws up with some greebles from my parts box. I may add some fins or thrust vector flaps to the inside of the nozzles ... just a little bit of detail that goes far in defining the area.

That bottom screw is going to be hidden as well ... I just haven't made up my mind as to what to use to hide it yet.

The two halves reinforced internally, glued and curing overnight. Saturday night, I think, is going to be my hobby night each week. The drain basin has been put back on the top hiding the anchoring screw in that half. The bottom screw will be hid by greebles and what-not.

The finished pod, ready for detailing. It stands 11.5" tall. So far, I think I've got about $4 in materials and about 3 hours worth of labor in this project. Not bad for something quick and easy, an idea and some parts from everyday walk of life transformed into something else entirely.

I guess as a child that's what always amazed me ... the way that some people could take ordinary things and turning them into extraordinary things.

I don't know why but this angle makes it look "fatter" than it actually is. Strange.

As for paint, I'm still not decided ... go with something drab and utilitarian (like the movie) or something bold and bright (like a Chris Foss / Peter Elson / Peter Jones painting). Yellow, black and white or red, black and white might be interesting combos.

(MORE TO COME ... SOON)