The HIC

Decided to take a break from the other prop builds (all of which are urgent) and finally tackle the beast that is the 'HIC'.

Although this is an extremely large project, it is relatively simple work wise, compared to some of the other much smaller projects I'm working on right now.

I've had the front panel (cut up in 5 sections for ease of shipping) for a few years now, but have kept them in storage all this time.

The first task is to assemble and secure the 5 panels onto a ½ inch thick plywood so that I can finally stand it up to save on storage space, and to make working on it easier.

Took me over two weeks to get to this stage, not because it is difficult, but because I simply couldn't decide on what to use to secure it to the plywood. Contact adhesive is out, since it lacks the tensile strength, and would deteriorate with time, AND could come undone if moisture should get to it. I thought about using epoxy, but a structure this size would require a LOT of epoxy, and mixing that much of two-part epoxy is not really I look forward to doing.

And then it hit me; I have 4 litres of resin sitting right here, and resin is like the stickiest and strongest stuff you can get. PLUS the panels are made from a kind of flexible resin, so it should work beautifully.

And voila, the panels went on firm and secure!

(angle grinder is there for scale to show that this ain't no miniature :P)

While the resin cures, I heated areas where the panels come together to make them pliable so I can level and line the edges up as perfectly as possible. This way I'll have less work later sealing the seams to make one panel flow smoothly into the other.

The next challenge is to get my thick-headed carpenter to make the box exactly to specs =_='''