A plastic model Parthenon? Yes, really!

Just got this "new" plastic replica of the Parthenon, direct from Athens, Greece through an eBay auction my son did for me. This little model is only about 6" long but the detail in it is incredible. You can make out the relief sculptures in the surrounding architraves and the statues in the pediments, the detail is that good. It also has a little view-master feature. You look through a little lens on the one pediment, and you push a little button on the bottom, and you can view 8 different pictures of different ancient historical ruins around Greece. Cool little replica was made in the 1960's, as the seller says in his eBay auction. He still has a couple more left to sell.

As you can see in these photos, the engraving details that were put into the molds of this model are fantastic in recreating the pediment and architrave friezes. Again , I say for the small size of this model the detail is unreal. I guess that has to be expected as this model was made in Greece, the country where the actual 2,500 year old buiding still stands, today in Athens.

 

In this picture, I have the model sitting on top of the original cardboard box that it came in new. The model was originally probably sold as a souvenir at the acropolis museum in the mid 1960's. This is the most detailed ready made replica of the Parthenon intact, that is as it was originally built that was made, in my opinion. That is, as opposed to the ruin that remains of it, today.  

                                   
                                                                                 

                                 

The little  six inch long model fits perfectly inside a 1/24 scale model car display box that I bought for it. I have it tied in place using white natural twine so that there would be no chemical reaction in between the twine and the 50 year old plastic of the model. I did not want to damage the model in any way be gluing it to the display box base or drilling holes in the model base itself to secure it. So I passed the twine through the front and rear porticos between the pillars, through flanking holes in the display box baseplate on either side of the model's base, and tied the twine together on the bottom side of the display box baseplate, securing the model gently, but securely. Model is now protected from dust and impact damage, but yet is still viewable.

Jim.

Plastic Parakeets Never Die!!

 Plastic parakeets never squawk, shed feathers, need fed, bite, poop, or die. They just get dusty. Here is an old Bachmann "Birds Of the World" series Parakeet model kit from the 1960's that I bought on eBay about 5 years ago, built it up and painted it to look like our late parakeet that we had that we named "Beak" because he had one. Here are pictures that I took of the life sized model recently.

Here, below is another plastic parakeet model that started out as a robotic toy. But because of how that the batteries had to be placed inside a cavity through an access door in the front breast feathers, and a head that looked like it was partially popped off or severed, I decided to modify it into a static, more realistic model, if you will. I filled in the battery compartment cover cracks, as well as the screw holes where the screws go that hold the toy together, using a plastic filler putty. After it dried, I sanded the breast back to its original contours, but I purposely left it a little rough to simulate the layered look of the bird's breast feathers. I also did before I did all this removed the button cell batteries, and disabled the heads animated movements, by cutting off the metal motor shaft that the head was mounted to, and crazy glued it directly to the birds body. While the thing was still animated, my wife said it's head moved when it chirped like it had Turret's Syndrome, the animation was that bad. After I did all this stuff, I went to my True Value store, and bought a small bottle of "Folk Art" brand acrylic paint in bright green, to repaint the breast back to the green color it originally was before I partially sanded it off when I resculpted the breast feather features. Here are the results.

Jim.

Plastic Owls!! A new hobby---fun for all ages.

Here, above is my latest acquisition. This is a rare Chinese/European hooting resin  motion sensor owl. It emits an even more shrill hooting when you  move near it. Got it from Northern Tool and Equipment out of their huge mail order catalog (company located located in Burnsville, Minnesota), after finding out about them having this rare bird on the internet. It's easier getting this owl in Europe than it is here in the United States. Not very many outlets for it, here. Got her this past Wednesday, August 29 (2012). One of a few plastic owls around that does not have ear tuft feathers, Kind of reminds me of a Saw-Whet Owl.

Above is my latest acquisition. This specimen is a Harriet Carter Motion Sensor Screech Owl. This is a species found in New Wales, Pennsylvania, and it emits a shrill hoot when you walk in front of it. I did paint work to the eyes and added brown tips to the breast feathers.  She's about 7" tall, but she has alot of texture to her feathers. I got her this past  Monday July 23 (2012).

The above image is my latest acquisition, that I bought from a guy in South Dakota. This is a Carry-Lite Great Horned, the biggest and most realistic looking one yet. I just got this big guy this past Saturday, April 7th. Very nice detail!!

It's easy observing this type of wildlife. Even collecting them is not a federal offense. Plus they won't bite the living crap out of you, either if you pick them up to pet! :-D. I have two different sub-species of Great Horned's taking up residence here right now. The more common Dalen subspecies, and the much rarer and bigger Bass Pro sub-species. Very hard to observe in the wild!

They drive the crows and ravens stark "raven" mad. These have been domesticated, and are very docile. In fact, they are so well behaved that they don't even flinch a muscle. Of course not. They're plastic!!

Jim.