Looking for... a seahorse?

[Guest]

Greetings from Florida after another lazy day of sun and swimming - it's a hard life I know. Still haven't managed to get a decent cuppa mind!

Another modelling website I keep an eye on is running a competition at the moment to build a prototype kit built sci fi model. It has to be able to be assembled, disassembled and reassembled. I'm hoping to do something based around a seahorse. No set scale given. I know there are model kits you can buy of some animals which are designed to show their anatomy and I'd thought I might be able to find something similar for a seahorse as a good base to build from. Anyone able to offer any suggestions or advice?

Mods I apprecaite this thread might be in the wrong place. Please move it if needed.

Cyrano

[Guest]

this was all I could findhttp://storeforknowledge.com/Sea-Life-Toy-Models-C898884861.aspx. I'm in Orlando where abouts in Florida are you?

[Guest]

That's a coincidence Trey, I work out of Port Canaveral and so fly into Orlando regularly.

I'm afraid I've never heard of a Seahorse model but I'll have a look around.

[Guest]

Thanks for the link. I can picture exactly what I want to do in my head but unfortunately my tools, bits box and everything else I'd usually be rummaging through is back in the UK. What I'm hoping is I can find a suitable model I can take a knife to. The concave segments which make up the seahorse are what I'm interested in; they would form the overlapping armoured segments on the finished piece. Unless I can come up with another way of making concave armour segments. I've toyed with the idea of trying to heat plasticard until it bows or finding suitably shaped plastic moulding from something else but nothing yet. I'd even found one of those 3d jigsaw puzzles in the shape of a seahorse but it's too basic and the foam pieces wouldn't stand up to much. I'm actually quite surprised there aren't more kit build animals. I know it's quite a niche market but I would have thought for educational purposes they would have been useful.

Am staying over near Venice with a couple of American friends. Have another 2 and a bit weeks here and then head up to Pennsylvania for a while. Haven't quite got over how spread out everything is here. I don't drive and you really need a car to get around don't you? Public transport seems non existent where I am. Still the apartment complex has a couple of pools and a gym so I can soak up the sun quite nicely if nothing else! Still haven't managed to get a decent cuppa mind.

Anything you'd suggest I try and see while I'm over here? There's Myakka State Park which I'm hoping to explore and have found a company doing kayaking tours through the mangrove swamps which looks good. Other than that and a couple of museums and so on the area really seems to be just for golfers.

Cyrano

[Ian M]

Hej Cyrano.

Re the decent cuppa, I am sure one of the lads in England can send you a "red cross pack" with a box of Yorkshire tea and a packet of hobnobs to dunk in the tea. If you dont want it they can send it to me!! Yorkshire gold please the water here in Denmark is well hard!

Now about ths sea horse. If its only the concave plates you are after, would it not be easier to make them?

Plasticard and a few bits of wood. Shape the wood to the form you are after, soften the plasticard in hot water and press the wooden former into the softened plastic. That might give a result.

OR Make the plates out of fairly thick plastic and get into gear with a dremmel and grind them out in the middle.

I have seen that done on a model submarine and it looked the bees knees!

Sure sounds like you are having a rough old tome out there. If you get fed up with all that sun, you can always send some over here!!!

Ian M

[Guest]

Without a doubt visit the Kennedy Space Centre. I take it you have done all the parks you want to do but if not I would certainly recommend a couple of Disney Parks. Even if you think you are too old for them I can assure you you won't be and you'll enjoy the attractions. Go early to avoid the queues though.

[Guest]

Cheers for the advice; Florida and seahorses. The Space Station was on my list - one of the last shuttle launches was supposed to be happening while I was over here but they move the date back unfortunately. As for the seahorse imagine trying to build an airfix kit from scratch out of the contents of your holiday rucksack. Making some nice sketches and working it all out but I may have to accept that I need to wait until I'm back at my desk. :/

Cyrano