Terry Pratchett's Unseen University - card buildings

[Dave_R]

Hi All, 

 

Originally I wasn't going to take part in this group build as I'm an injection only kind of modeller, but I was browsing this GB and came across the card models here and remembered I had this book in a cupboard somewhere. 

 

 

 

I've been a Terry Pratchett fan since I was at college in the mid-80's and many years ago (2006 according to the publication date) I found this book on the discount table at Books etc. and thought why not?.  I quickly discovered it was way more complex than I thought it would be, so the book got shelved till now.  There are eleven different builds to do and some look very complex, but I'll make a start and see how things go.

 

Dave.

[JeroenS]

Ooh these look nice. Good luck. 

[helios16v]

That's awesome!  I enjoyed the Discworld Series books that I've read.

[Mjwomack]

Welcome to the dubious world of non-injection modelling! There are some dodgy types on here eager to introduce you to resin and vac-form, but as many of us are finding out card isn't as simple it's assumed to be- but you know that already and some of those shapes look very complex to fold and crease.

Sure Terry Pratchett in the title will attract lots of followers.

We're all hoping you graduate with flying colours!

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

So I made a start - nothing like a of bit momentum to get things going.

 

I started at the start of the book like you're supposed to.

 

 

...and I built a wall:-

 

 

 

 

... and then I made some estimates of scale and reckoned it was about 1/76th or HO/OO as I think railway types call it, and took a picture next to my only finished 1/76th kit.

 

 

OK, fine and then compared to the book cover shot...

 

 

OMG 😲!!!😲!!!😲!!!😲!!!😲!!!😲!!! - as the kids say.

 

It's huge! - realistically I'll aim to do a part of it as the whole thing would need a base at least a metre square and I've nowhere to put that at the moment - with a bit re-organising possibly ? anyway onward.

 

Dave.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Dave_R

[Torbjorn]

8 minutes ago, Dave_R said:

 

 

 

It's huge! - realistically I'll aim to do a part of it as the whole thing would need a base at least a metre square and I've nowhere to put that at the moment - with a bit re-organising possibly ? anyway onward.

 

Dave.

 

Let me propose a new display table, something like this:

 

https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/antique_anglo-indian_carved_hardwood_elephant_table/as623a1159

 

[Dave_R]

5 minutes ago, Torbjorn said:

 

Let me propose a new display table, something like this:

 

https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/antique_anglo-indian_carved_hardwood_elephant_table/as623a1159

 

That's great - just needs a turtle underneath it and it would be perfect.

 

Dave.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Dave_R

[Pete in Lincs]

Don't for forget to buy the bananas for when you build the library.

Interesting stuff, I've never seen the book before.

[PeterB]

Judging by the size of your wall compared with the rest of it - you may need to raise your ceiling to get the tower in!😁 I was a late starter to the books - my then local librarian suggested I might like them about 1997 and I read the first one, but it did not really work for me. Curiously I started again a couple of year ago and found that I liked it after all - must be an age thing with me - so now I have read the lot!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Paul821]

@Dave_R welcome to the world of card modelling. You have certainly set yourself an interesting task here. Hope you have plenty of knife blades in stock as you will get through them very quickly. For some work, like tabs I have found good quality nail scissors work well and can be surprisingly accurate.

[Dave_R]

 

Hi All,

 

I've done another section of the wall.

 

 

A little bit more tricky to do with the round tower and conical roof.

 

I'm working my way clockwise through the buildings, so the next section is the first major building - the High Energy Magic (HEM) building.

 

Dave.

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

Yesterday I worked on the HEM building.

 

 

That's nearly finished now, but I've changed my plan a bit and I'm moving on the Great Hall and the Clocktower.

 

Here's the floor plans.

 

These two builds will just about fit on a A-3 base - so much easier to find room for it and they would make a stand alone model by themselves.  So for the moment I'll just focus on these.

 

Dave.

[PeterB]

Hi Dave,

Coming along very nicely. I bet the "spheres" on top of the High Energy Magic Buililding will be fun!

 

Pete

 

 

Edited April 25, 2021 by PeterB

[Mjwomack]

On 4/23/2021 at 1:34 PM, Dave_R said:

 

A little bit more tricky to do with the round tower and conical roof

Really? It doesn't seem to have caused you that much trouble- post graduate material this!

 

4 hours ago, Dave_R said:

so much easier to find room for it

The perennial problem- what to do with a model after we've built it. Perhaps those childhood days of bonfires and data-daka-daka in the back garden weren't such a bad idea.

[Graham Boak]

I see it on top of a mound with a steampunk model railway running around.  Tunneling would appear to be too dangerous.  Strictly, not according to the canon but I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

[PeterB]

Tunneling underneath risks letting loose the "Dungeon Dimensions" as the book warns!

 

Pete

[AdrianMF]

Well with “unseen” in the title I was expecting a prank, like “Acme invisible rigging” but no, it’s a real thing! It looks like a very high quality kit and you’re doing it justice. Looking forward to see more!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Paul821]

22 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Well with “unseen” in the title I was expecting a prank, like “Acme invisible rigging” but no, it’s a real thing! It looks like a very high quality kit and you’re doing it justice. Looking forward to see more!

 

Regards,

Adrian

Now there's a thought an entry that is created using quantum physics or even dark mater perhaps one for @Schrödinger's kit?

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

The first part of the Great Hall is done.

 

 

 

The stairs and the recessed doorway were tricky, there's a new challenge with each section.  The next bit of the Great Hall is much larger,  I'll just take it a bit at a time.

 

Dave.

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

Here's an update on the Great Hall build.

 

 

 

There about another 60 odd pieces to cut out and glue.

 

Dave.

[Mjwomack]

Another 60 pieces to go? Good job it's going to be a wet bank holiday to keep you indoors 😉

[JeroenS]

Looks like you're doing a fine job on this. It all looks nice and straight. There's lovely details on these buildings. 

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

Two tubes of glue later, The Great Hall is finished.

 

 

 

 

 

The next building is the Clock Tower, which looks to be the most complex of all the buildings - 157 parts with an octagonal tower and dome.  It could take a while.

 

Dave.

 

 

[JeroenS]

This is pretty cool... Shame the book is hard to get and rather expensive too!

[Dave_R]

Hi All,

 

Here's the progress so far on the Clocktower.

 

 

 

There were a lot of tricky angles to get right and did need a bit of extra pressure in places.  Still to do is the dome and buttresses, chimneys, stairs and windows.

 

Dave.