While the HDU box sides were being routed we whipped up a plywood box that would serve as the base structure for the sign. The top and bottom 'metal' bands was 30 lbs. Precision Board HUD. The plywood was cut at a 45 degree angle and also tapered — just to make it a little trickier. The hole in the top (and a matching hole in the bottom) accommodates the transformer for the LED lighting.
For the smoke trail and flying saucer support we opted for welded steel. We bent up a piece of 1" x 1" square tubing and welded it to a steel plate which then we bolted to the plywood. Then we welded some pencil rod to support the expanded metal lath which, in turn, will support the sculpting epoxy.
The 'T' shaped steel rods at the top of the next picture will be laminated inside two flying saucer halves.
Next, we glued the routed ‘wood’ panels onto the box.
Below you can see several of workshop participants learning to tie expanded metal lath onto the pencil rod smoke plume.
The flying saucer is piloted by an alien. He is sculpted with epoxy and measures about 8" tall. Here we are testing the effect LED's would have from the instruments on his flying saucer.
The flying saucer file was built in EnRoute and routed from HDU. Here one of our workshop participants is giving Dan a hand assembling it on the structure.
The saucer details were sculpted with two part epoxy and the engine smoke was formed with balls of sculpting epoxy over crumpled tinfoil. We added orange LED's in the rear jet engine to throw a glow over the smoke.
