1 - Projects and Props

So - one thing I'm doing is some prop work. I have the opportunity to weaponize a VW bus. Missiles, machine guns, and gunports, oh my! So the first part involved cutting two holes in the roof to add sunroofs. It came out pretty good. We were working on a deserted street around the corner from the apartment complex (so as to not drive the other residents crazy with the sound of metal cutting sabre saws) and only got buzzed by the police chopper for a few minutes. Since my pretty truck was parked next to the bus with the hood up (we had the inverter connected to my battery to run the power tools) and we were all working on the scruffy old bus, it didn't look like we were stripping the truck - it looked like we were working on the bus, and I think that the cops figure anything done to an old VW bus is okay.

Next, I took one of the cut off panels of sheet metal, and made a "missile rack". The premise is that it opens out on the bus in a James Bond sort of way. The next weekend we mounted some hard points onto the side of the bus and there are matching "hard points" on the top of the panel that comes out, as if it really WAS the side of the bus. I am working on a graphic piece that will stick on and LOOK like a hole in the side of the bus where all the missiles were stored. Here is the first version, mounted on the bus.Then I had to make some missiles. Here they are drying - I glued on some fins. And here is one with paint.I cut down the rack rails a bit - they stuck out too far. Then took the cut portions, and welded them on, so it will hold 4 missiles. Shot a coat of primer, but made sure to NOT paint the shiny bits or the black thing on the back (it is actually an old piece of cable management from a Dell server I've had laying around the garage for a few years, finally found a use for it).  I just stuck some missiles on (did not tighten the clamps) to show the spacing. Note to self: Gorilla Glue needs to have one side of a glue join moistened. Don't be lazy and put the little aluminum bits in your mouth to hold them while applying glue to missiles. Yes, it WILL get them damp, but when you forgot you just ground the slot a bit wider a couple minutes or two ago, that sizzle sound coming from your lips is the sound of an "oops". Feels like chapped lips today, but yesterday it felt more like stupidity. I now keep a small bowl of water in the garage for moistening parts when using this kind of glue.

The other piece is a gun that comes out of the spare tire mounted on the nose. Patterned after a water cooled gun from WW2, and with a mounting plate on the back (more masonite board) that should fit the lugs on the tire. Shots here are IN the tire, and by itself.

Next Up: 2 - Pimp my Bus