Building a Colonial MK II Viper - Life Size.

[Marty_d]

He's not a journo, he should be ok.

 

 

[w3stie]

This is next level madness! Love it

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Nice one Baz but where will all this work get you and where will it finish up?

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I love it too but don’t understand it. Will you enter a permanent fantasy world when it is done?

 

 

[Downunder]

Credits to you Baz..... for making your dreams come true.

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

Cheers guys. Like the steel Iron Man suit I created below, I use it for kids charities, Starlight, Camp Quality, Ronald McDonald house, etc... The Viper will likely go to Comicons, Supanovas etc, but unlike Iron Man, this one is not specifically for charities, more just a project for fun because I make stuff.

 

If any kids charities want to use it for fundraising, (I've already been asked), then of course, I'm up for that.

 

The ship is modular so it all comes apart section by section for storage and transport, but I'm toying with the idea of a custom low-ride trailer to store it on/in on a permanent basis.

 

Baz.

 

 

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

Mods/Admin, is there a more appropriate place on the forum to move this thread to?

 

Baz.

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

3 Foot Colonial Viper Mk II

 

THE TIME HAS COME.

 

The full scale Viper is in storage and on pause while I renovate part of my house and build a bigger shed/workshop. I've been putting this off for a long time because of some fears.

 

1. I might lose much motivation because it will be very difficult to work on in the dismantled state.

 

2. It may get rodent or water damaged in storage.

 

3. The rest of my intrusive life may get in the way of completing it.

 

I'm a pretty determined kind of a bloke, so I will fight all the way, but these are the things on my mind to watch out for. I can't afford to buy the hundreds of dollars in resin just yet as I have to find funds for the renovation and the new shed, which is up in the thousands, even though I am building both of them myself as an owner-builder.

 

In the meantime, I have a little three-foot model of the Viper to work on in the shed, that doesn't take up any room. This should keep me inspired and help work out a few things, like mounting the wings and guns. A difficult part of the build that makes sense to do small, before moving on to full size.

 

The Viper will be cast in aluminium with brass and copper highlights and detailing. I have a magnificent picture in my head of the finished model of highly polished metals, now to bring it out into the real world. I've made a start on the pattern for the mold.

 

 

 

 

 

[w3stie]

Keep up the updates Baz, this is fascinating to me. There are guys on youtube with millions of followers who don't have half the creative output as you.

 

 

[w3stie]

Also, I posted a link to your build to the ozclubbies forum - that's the car building forum for lotus 7 type cars.

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

Also, I posted a link to your build to the ozclubbies forum - that's the car building forum for lotus 7 type cars.

Thanks you mate. Most kind.

 

Cheers,

 

Baz.

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

Nice one Baz but where will all this work get you and where will it finish up?

Here's a story.

 

My Iron Man suit was done on a whim, to begin with. That led to charity work. That led to folks helping me and donating to see the suit finished. That led to me making gifts in my workshop to thank people. That led to making knives, then metal sculptures. When my job in the parks came under threat, I was offered a job making knives, teaching knife-making, black-smithing and metal sculpture full time, which I still now do.

 

You never know where these things will lead, but if making an Iron man suit leads to full-time employment, then who knows where the Viper may lead. I already have the attention of some very influential people in the movie industry. I'm not saying it's going to go anywhere, but I'll leave that to the powers above.

 

Baz.

 

 

[Builds By Baz]

G'day all. Wow, it's been four years since I last posted here. Lots has happened and the Viper is nearly finished. I'm in the middle of fibreglassing the hull right now.

 

Here's a video on youtube of where it's at now. 

 

 

Full story is now on www.buildsbybaz.com, or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/240486113096646

 

 

[Marty_d]

That's brilliant!  Can't wait to see the finished skin.

[rgmwa]

Can't help feeling it's a lot of work just to listen to some jet engines, unless he has plans to make it do something else like being able to taxy it around. An impressive effort though.

[Builds By Baz]

27 minutes ago, rgmwa said:

Can't help feeling it's a lot of work just to listen to some jet engines, unless he has plans to make it do something else like being able to taxy it around. An impressive effort though.

I'll be taking it to comicons, supanova and other events. a couple of airshows and some children's charity work. plenty of people out there spending squillions on static art, 

or wasting it altogether.

 

plus, it brings me joy. what's that worth?

 

Baz.

[Builds By Baz]

Fibreglassing.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Builds By Baz

[onetrack]

Good onya Baz, we need a few blokes with the artistic streak in metals, to keep our entertainment levels balanced. I have to admire the amount of work you've put into it. 

[Builds By Baz]

This was a while back. Some dimming improvements have been made to the lights, plus the gauges have been backlit.

[rgmwa]

23 minutes ago, Builds By Baz said:

I'll be taking it to comicons, supanova and other events. a couple of airshows and some children's charity work. plenty of people out there spending squillions on static art, 

or wasting it altogether.

 

plus, it brings me joy. what's that worth?

 

Baz.

They're all excellent reasons. Nice work. Should be a hit at the shows.

[Builds By Baz]

Started fibreglassing the fuselage.

 

Progress here >>> https://www.buildsbybaz.com/fibreglassing-the-hull/

[Builds By Baz]

Late night fibreglassing continues...

Edited November 9, 2022 by Builds By Baz

[Builds By Baz]

I finished glassing all the underside now, right to the rear. I've now put a new trim and some bulb seal around the cockpit edges and now the canopy slides back and seals on the rubber. Sounds heaps better too. Kinda like closing the door of a Rolls Royce.

 

Glassing high tonight.

 

Tell me it wasn't a mongrel job getting my hairy arm in the top intake without getting resin all over it! Port intake done as well.

 

Unfortunately I've run out of resin 

 

Looks like I won't be able to finish the fibreglassing of the engines, until I can afford more. There's a thousand bucks worth, stretched out as far as I could. I'll get this last bit out, and see how far I get.

 

Edited November 12, 2022 by Builds By Baz

[facthunter]

Well you have gone far enough to have to see it through from here.. Nev

[Builds By Baz]

Would anyone happen to have an unwanted tail strobe? Something small.

 

Baz.