Designing a large creature

T

texast9018

Member
Hello I am trying to build a large (about 15 foot) basic looking sea slug that I can drag through a lake with my boat. Does anyone have any ideas for building this on a small budget?
 
You could probably build a frame-and-stringer structure (think old-school airplane construction) and cover it over with some kind of thick rubberized material. The tough part is getting a satisfactory skin that doesn't bunch and sag over the framing...
 
The drag of something so big through the water is going to be enormous. Even a fat guy on a wakeboard is enough to lull most motors. Make it as aerodynamic as possible. Or would that be hydrodynamic?? :)
 
I was thinking I could get a large piece of foam and wrap it with some kind of thin rubber but im not sure where to get materials for that or if it would just totally sink.
 
Carving a foam core to shape and then sealing it with some kind of spray-on sealant sounds good. You'll probably need to ballast it to get it riding right in the water and possibly fit it with a centerboard for stability.

But I think all this sounds like more than $200.
 
Rubber and foam float -- a lot.

This may affect your look in the water. Are you filming this with an underwater camera?

This may be a place for a miniaturized version?

Lots of rubber fighting lots of ballast weight could just rip the thing to shreds.
 
Thought of a old skool miniature (it worked great for "Das Boot" and several Indiana Jones films.) and would fit better into your budget.


Frank
 
There's also some good stuff on the DVD for ROGUE wherein they break down an attack sequence of a giant crocodile with some of the shots done with a miniature puppet. It's shot underwater and looks great.
 
WTF ?


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I AGREE
 
Get a plastic kayak (the kind that are completely sealed/cant sink), wrap it in carpet foam. You should be able to get plenty of used carpet foam from your local carpet place. The one my town has a bin outside. I've raided it many a time for various projects.

Maybe extend the kayak "core" with something long and flexible. Thick rope maybe? Think the kind you could never actually climb up in gym class. Maybe garden hose. Wrap that with foam too, so it's a long ..uh... sperm-like tail. Then the whole thing gets wrapped in a clear plastic tarp. (you can paint the inside of the tarp whatever color you need) It wont keep the water out, but as long as you make everything sturdy, it shouldn't be a problem. Place in the water upside down, so the shape of the kayak keeps it just below the surface. You could also rig some kind of lever so that a friend/expendable nephew could be under the slug, and move the tail!

...I got really into that.
 
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