More Body Work

Today I spoke to Will Strange regarding the backdrop material around the PEZ logos. He said that the minor flaws on the edges really don't matter as they are barely visible when painted and given the scale of the project as a whole there will be little attention paid to them if any. I must admit I was unsure at first but having thought about it I am going to continue with the existing pieces in place and if worst comes to worst replace them at a later date after gold painting.

I spent most of the day sanding back flawed areas and filling gaps on the body with Goldstop body filler (above) which I find gives a much smoother finish that standard Easy 1. Once sanded back I added additional detailing in the form of mould seam lines as they appear on the standard dispensers. I really think it’s this attention to detail that makes pieces like this complete to the viewer without really noticing them. Either that or my desire to be exact in the replication of large scale objects rather than idealising them by removing such details.

I gave further thought to the mechanism which I intend to experiment on tomorrow by laser cutting further sample parts for testing. I definitely think I need to have minimal variables by having a simpler design than the cog's I have previously tried. One idea that I had was to use a '2-way' rubber strip that allows smooth flow when moved one way but friction when moved the opposite. I can't think where exactly I have seen this type of rubber before but it is similar to that used on window squeegees. Will suggested if I can't find it anywhere then I should make a hard mould then a cast of it in silicon. This could work and would also allow me to make it exactly to the desired size.

The benefit of a 2-way strip is that it will push the card out with the motion friction but not create equal friction as the sculpt section returns to its upright position.

Body Details

By layering up pieces of laser cut acrylic (above) I was able to create the raised lettering of the PEZ logo and the small additional text. Whilst this proved successful I am less pleased with its textured backdrop. This unidentified neon green styrene like material (below) has the perfect texture like that of the original only at a larger scale. Unfortunatly the finish on the edges is too rough and needs to be refined somehow. Perhaps experimenting with laser settings? I will work this out and replace this element this coming week.

Despite the backdrop being unfinished I decided to apply the text and prime the body to see what further flaws were visible and required modification. The primed body really looks great and I finally feel like I'm making some progress with this project (below).

The main problems were, as previously stated, the edging of the backdrop and a few join lines that require further filling and sanding.

I have decided to press on quickly with this project and aim to get the mechanism working and complete roughed out sculpt done in the next 2.5 weeks before I head up home for a few days.

The Body Continued

Using a broken hacksaw blade (above) to remove any minor overhang of the acrylic pieces at the joins on the piece. This method is considerably quicker than sanding and actually leaves a good finish without further polishing. These joints on the side of the body actually appear on the standard sized dispensers and so an impression of their presence would be fitting even in this large scale. 

The photo below shows the scale of the body alongside a standard dispenser with character head. Once completed, the sculpt itself will be almost the same size as the body (see drawing guide below).

I also briefly talked to Paul who suggested looking at printer dispensing techniques to further my ideas for the mechanism. Although this week so far has had little in the way of mechanics I am happy to be getting something made to feel like progress is being made quicker. Tomorrow I will draw and cut the PEZ logos and additional text that fits on the side of the body.

Making a start: The Body

 

 Today I began making a full size body using waste acrylic from the off cuts bin. It never ceases to amaze me how much material people throw away as useless! This may well end up being the final body depending on how successful the assembly goes over the next few days. I am still undecided as to whether or not I will be casting the body as one piece for the finished dispenser. This is an area that really needs more thought. 

 

 The cut pieces (above) looked like a simple bunch of strips. Each one is however numbered to fit in a specific place on the body. As I began to assemble the parts I realised I had miscalculated one piece which I will recut tomorrow morning to continue the assembly process.

The full size of the body has really become apparent now I have these parts to hold. It's great to see something coming into being all of a sudden. Once I have completed the PEZ logo drawing and other text I will cut them out and aim to have the body with all details assembled by the end of the week.