DalaGStanator's Customs, Mods and Experiments

Following the moderate success of the previous turnout, I tried to design another type with two straights instead of a curve after learning how the blade works. It's not really Y shaped since it doesn't have the right angle, but more similar to this type (which I'm not sure what to call). It works exactly the same way as before, complete with the same quirks I have yet to overcome. Had I made it diverge slightly further away, it would've ensured any curved pieces would meet at the correct spots and made it easier to build sidings.



That same Thursday, I was suddenly invited to rewatch a few episodes of Noddy's Toyland Adventures (1992; in the Hebrew dub I grew up with). It reminded me that I cited the main character's car as the inspiration for my dark red roadster and planned to make it in the same style, so it looked like the perfect opportunity. I'll show both side by side below. About time I scratchbuilt (not repainted) something from another IP besides Thomas & Friends.



To avoid repainting any of my existing wheels, I tried moulding and casting one with a hole in the outer side of the rim. Clay and hot melt glue (respectively) don't really work well for this, which caused imperfections and very poor rolling. Once I could find a more appropriate process and/or materials, I could replace them with better ones and do it for other cases with unique colours.





Notably, it's also my first vehicle with its own custom figure. Noddy is only a wooden puppet, so I had (little to) no concerns about scale or anatomy. That said, I do find him a bit oversized. I started with a "tube" of paper folded into a V shape for the arms, which I glued onto another piece for the body. Like the Fat and Thin Controllers in Take 'n Play, he doesn't have legs and essentially "floats" inside. The head is a wooden bead with hot glue for the ears, nose and fringe, the latter being made from strands of it. For the cap, I put a small rod from a paper clip through the bead and coated in air drying clay. The bell was to be a plastic bead that looked perfect in size and colour, but I gave up trying to glue it and made it of hot glue instead. His facial features were carefully recreated, but could've been even more accurate in this scale. Even though I wanted to use a "wire skeleton" for the body, I'm still happy with him. Had the car been wide enough at the doors, it could've had room for a passenger like Big Ears, Mr. Plod or Tessie Bear. Could've just added a few side layers like on the Post Van. Besides original vehicles, I would like to add a fair share of other trademarked (TV, film, video game, real life) ones later on.