Here's a photo (from downtowncasper.com) showing the entrance to the Natrona County Library in Casper, Wyoming. The statue is Prometheus bringing fire to the mortals (the fire is stylized as alphabetical letters). The kids love it, but the librarians never seem to tell them about the eagle . . .
I am working on a scratch build of the library, and I'm trying to find some figure that can stand in (as it were) for Prometheus. Doesn't have to be exact; maybe not even close. The prototype is a bronze abstraction and is nude to a degree appropriate for a public place. It is about twice life-size, so HO scale or even 1:48 scale figures could be used on my N Scale layout.
I'm hoping the war gamers or the zombie-and-orc fantasy modelers might have some insight as to someplace I can look to get me going.
Thanks.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
I think you need the Simpsons' Jebediah Springfield
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Monopoly-Simpsons-Jebediah-Statue-Pewter-Token-Game-Piece-Replacement-2001/324123635345?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D226424%26meid%3Db04f8dd57b9e42208d5de0f0774735a2%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D252671188963%26itm%3D324123635345%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithBBEV2bDemotion%26brand%3DHasbro&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I would look for S-scale athletes, perhaps tennis players, dancers or volleyball players. They would need some sanding to eliminate clothing lines, and of course would need upside-down mounting and painting.
I've had good luck carefully removing arms and legs and re-positioning them with plastic glue and a bit of putty to the desired orientation.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
BigDaddy I think you need the Simpsons' Jebediah Springfield
Hey Henry -
That's good, thanks.
I did say the statue doesn't have to be exact, or even close . . . but Jeb is a little more not close than I was hoping for. But your link is useful in that it shows there are talented tiny sculptors out there.
MrB's advice is very helpful.
Google seems to be stuck in "Holywood mode". I Googled Prometheus and every image is from a movie in 2012 by same name. I Googled Prometheus Figures, and all I got was figures (like action dolls) from the same movie.
What images I did see, there were not from that movie, different artist and sculpters all had a different view of the Titan.
Robert, your very talented, I bet with some wire and modelers putty, you could come up with something believable and convincing.
I did Google the library, and seen some views of the sculpture, and there i read that in 2015, the statue was taken down and sent to a bronze foundry, where it was repaired, and restored. Maybe you could set your model in that time period, with a sign "Prometheus shall return". stuck in the garden that surrounds it.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi Maybe you could set your model in that time period, with a sign "Prometheus shall return". stuck in the garden that surrounds it.
Maybe you could set your model in that time period, with a sign "Prometheus shall return". stuck in the garden that surrounds it.
Hey Mike-
I have a habit of using stand-ins and not getting around to doing the actual model building. Your suggestion is appreciated, but it is too easy to follow.
Here's something I found:
Cut off the base and the racket (leave the clothes), turn it upside down, and voila.
But the problem is it is listed as 8" tall, and what I need is about 1" tall or 1-1/2" tall max. Dang!
Robert, I just search for HO scale tennis player and found this from Noch There is a figure in that set that is close. It's in the middle of the second row.
There are many different ho scale figure manufactures.
ROBERT PETRICKI'm hoping the war gamers or the zombie-and-orc fantasy modelers might have some insight as to someplace I can look to get me going.
Robert,
I would use Reaper Miniatures #75008 Dollies. These come in a pack of 4 for $7.00, and are about 1 1/8" tall. There are two male and two female in each pack.
These are intended for scuplters to use a the base model for gaming figures, adding clothes and faces with PSI's blue/yellow epoxy putty. They are cast in tin alloy, and can be posed without much effort.
I think this is pretty close.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Google "greek gods figurines" I didn't see Prometheus right away, but there surely were a pantheon full of them.
SeeYou190 I would use Reaper Miniatures #75008 Dollies. These come in a pack of 4 for $7.00, and are about 1 1/8" tall. There are two male and two female in each pack. These are intended for scuplters to use a the base model for gaming figures, adding clothes and faces with PSI's blue/yellow epoxy putty. They are cast in tin alloy, and can be posed without much effort. I think this is pretty close. -Kevin
Hey Kevin -
This looks promising, especially if I can articulate the arms above the head and flex the torso slightly. The size looks about right.
I think the slender female figure would be closer, and I'd be okay using Prometheus' hot little sister as the statue.
I went to that website and there are literally 4000 figures in metal and plastic. I browsed a couple of hundred. How do I know what size or scale they are? Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the description.
One of the great things about this forum is that there is a kind of collective knowledge. I had no idea such figures existed and where they could be found. But there are many others who do, and they freely pass along the info.
ROBERT PETRICKI went to that website and there are literally 4000 figures in metal and plastic. I browsed a couple of hundred. How do I know what size or scale they are? Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the description.
All Reaper figures, unless otherwise noted (very few rarities) are 25mm/28mm scale. This scale supposedly means that a HUMAN MALE figure will be 25mm from the bottom of the foot to the eye. It is generally accepted to be a 1/56 ratio.
HEROIC SCALE is still 25mm/28mm, but the hands, arms, muscle structure, and other anatomical components could be purposely oversized for comic-book-like effect.
Scale Creep is very real in wargaming figures. A 25mm scale miniature made in 1984 will be smaller than a 25mm scale figure made in 2018. This just adds to the confusion in gaming scales.
10mm scale is very close to N scale. 18mm scale is very close to HO scale.
As stylized as that actual statue is - I'm thinking scratchbuild it by twisting some copper wire together and applying solder at key points. The one place I might actually use lead-free solder, so it can be sanded to shape safely.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi Robert,
I wonder if one could be made using a wire armature and some modeling putty, kind of like making wire frame trees. Just a thought. How artistic are you?
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hi Robert
As a one time wargamer I can tell you
You are spoiled for choice anything from Davy Crockett to Daemons to Ancient Egyptian Ducks covering anything from Cave man right through to the 40k with a very large number of side and back diagonal steps along the way.
And my personal window shopping favorites even though I never played the game or bought the game the Disk world figures perhaps the Librarian from the unseen university.
I think your best bet is to start if you have one at the local specialist war games suplier, and no I don't mean Games Workshop they only deal with thier own brand of games.
War games miniatures are not scaled the same way as model railway figures they are measured from the sole of their boots to eye level, so if you are in "N" I would suggest a 15mm, 20mm or 25mm figure at a push a 28mm would be suitable any larger and it will be way to big.
Be aware that in addition to ordinary normal proportions there are also what are known as exagerated miniatures.
If you find a suitable spell caster with a book that could be another suitable stature for a library.
There will be somethig out there that is suitable as a fun library statue the real trick will be finding it.
regards John
rrinker I'm thinking scratchbuild it by twisting some copper wire together and applying solder at key points. The one place I might actually use lead-free solder, so it can be sanded to shape safely.
I like that idea! I mentioned the wire and putty in an earlier post, but I think Randy's method would give almost instant results, without waiting for putty to harden.
Mel, I sure like that lounge car! Can I still get a ticket on that train?
Unfortunately this fellow, a C'Tan Deceiver, is way too large, about 6 inches tall.
My favorite statue I have made is visible in this picture. This is an older gaming figure dating to the 1980s. She is a goddess, so stands about 2 1/2 inches tall.
Some older figures make better statues because the poses are less dynamic.
mbinsewi rrinker I'm thinking scratchbuild it by twisting some copper wire together and applying solder at key points. The one place I might actually use lead-free solder, so it can be sanded to shape safely. I like that idea! I mentioned the wire and putty in an earlier post, but I think Randy's method would give almost instant results, without waiting for putty to harden. Mel, I sure like that lounge car! Can I still get a ticket on that train? Mike.
Here are some photos of the library I took in 2012. The site has been gussied up a bit, including renovation of the statue.
The library started out as a Carnegie Library in about 1910. The building has been renovated at least three times since then and the original structure has been completely absorbed.
Casper is built on the second terrace of the flood plain of the North Platte River, and is pretty much flat like a pancake with a regular network of streets in a rectangular pattern. Yellowstone Avenue cuts diagonally across the grid and parallels the old right-of-way of the Chicago and Northwest Railroad. The tracks ran immediately behind the library, and have since been abandoned and turned into a walking/bike path. But during the second renovation in the '50s, the rear of the building expansion took on an angular facet to follow the then railroad right-of-way.