MetalEarth Mars Exploration Rover & Drone
1October 23, 2021Preparation: - 4 1/2 PE Sheets - 12 pages (3 sheets) of instructions
Lots of very small parts (190 not counting duplicates)
Gotta be nuts!! Scale is 1:30
2October 23, 2021Starting with the "Ingenuity" helicopter (drone).
4 parts to get to this stage. seeing how small this is, and how fat my fingers are, I decided that a bit of CA might be called for.
3October 23, 2021I was right - Used CA to fix the "shaft" up the guts - Total of 10 pieces to complete.
No. It doesn't fly!
4October 23, 2021Starting on the explorer - key chassis components - a little more CA methinks!!
5October 25, 2021This is the "rear" end of the chassis, with lots of small complex-bending components to add.
6October 25, 2021Another component for later on
7October 25, 2021bodywork, for later on
8October 25, 2021The radiated unit consists of a cylinder, into which you insert 8 other panels, twist them all on the inside, before closing the cylinder........slowly, slowly....more components then added
9October 25, 2021top view
10October 25, 2021top view 2
11October 25, 2021back view
12October 27, 2021More small components to be used later - 1mm chisel for scale reference
13October 25, 2021next mutli-folded component - around 10 pieces in this one.........called it a night after this!!
14October 27, 2021Camera stand assembly
15October 27, 20212 cameras & lights readied - 1mm chisel for scale reference
16October 27, 2021Cameras & lights mounted on video camera base
17October 27, 2021camera stand completed.
One point of caution here (not that anyone will notice), the tabs in the video camera lens don't match the slots, so had to chop one & use CA. (hidden inside the video camera case.)
18October 27, 2021Starting to add components to the top plate of the rover.
19October 27, 2021and some more - fine pliers for scale reference
20October 27, 2021close up - very good fits here.
21October 27, 2021top plate of rover fully populated
22October 27, 2021Insurance......don't want any loose components!
23October 27, 2021Top plate joined to rear plate - that's it for tonight!
24October 29, 2021Left hand side plate fully populated
25October 29, 2021Insurance CA on the back!!
26October 29, 2021Starting on the LHS suspension
27October 29, 2021bringing these 2 parts together is tricky, with 15 tabs to align - this is where I use the 1mm chisel to help manouevre the tabs into slots.
28October 29, 2021First arm completed
29October 29, 2021Now is as good a time as any to explain the "secret tabs & eyes" method.
1. bend IN the tab & eye like so (90 deg for the eye, a little less for the tab which you may need to curve too)
2. bring the parts together feeding the tab through the eye so that it's at the back of the piece
3. twist the tab around the eye which will pull the parts together
4. crimp the tab at the back of the eye to lock it in place
5. the result is much neater that an exposed tab, but you can only use this where you can access the back of the pieces.
30October 29, 2021Above piece added to the arm
31October 29, 2021Two suspension arms joined together - I figured this needed strengthening.......Good old CA to the rescue
32October 29, 2021Close-up - CA is hidden at the back.....
LHS wheels next!
33October 30, 2021Wheel Assembly - 2 parts attached to the stub - the initial ring is flat, while the "spokes" are twisted 90 degrees to create the sprung tyre support.
34October 30, 2021All 3 on the LHS of vehicle
35October 30, 2021Tyre building - with hidden tabs & eyes.... making the first one was bloody hard, a very tight, fragile process. Subsequent builds improved.
36October 30, 2021Will try to build these "Off" the stubs when it come to the RHS......Alignments is precarious!!
37October 30, 2021Suspension attached to the side panel, at ONE point - I think I'll add some CA to that join!
38October 31, 2021RHS Panel completed - unsurprisingly very similar to the LHS
39October 31, 2021bit of a close up
40October 31, 2021Insurance CA on the back too
41October 31, 2021Starting the LHS Suspension - remembering doing this in reverse, so knew what to watch for - went together well......g'nite!!!
42November 3, 2021Added the axle -OK
43November 3, 2021Reinforced with some more CA
44November 3, 2021Built the 2nd arm - quite fiddly, but will be OK
45November 3, 2021As previously mentioned, I'll try to build the wheels BEFORE they go on the axles, to reduce the stress on the axles, etc.
Already folded the tyre edges, and using a suitable dowel to curve the tread...
46November 3, 2021It's easy enough to get the first 3 tabs into the tyres, but I found that I had to angle the last tab, as shown, to get it into the slot!!
(I tried to force this on the first tyre & collapsed the wheel on the LHS...)
47November 3, 2021All 4 tabs in, now to insert these two tread tabs into the eyes, which I've bent in 90 degrees. and also bent the tabs about 45 degs with a bent tip too!
48November 3, 2021Tyre held together, and I can see the tabs that I have to grab on the inside.
49November 3, 2021Twist them over the eyes, and cramp them shut - then go around the outside and fold over the tabs through the tyres.
50November 3, 2021When bending the wheel sprung spokes, grab them on the inner & outer parts, ensure the pliers are pointing to the hub & twist anti-clockwise 90 degrees
51November 3, 2021Wheel & spokes ready to be paired up
52November 3, 2021You can probably get 5 of the 6 spokes inside the tyre easily. Then gently coax the remaining spoke in too - actually, not too difficult a task. I used fine pliers as my fingers are way too fat!!
Once you've got them all inside, you can rotate them to match the holes on the wheel plate.
53November 3, 20213 wheels ready to mount - this should be much less stressful on the suspension arms - I hope..... tomorrow!
54November 6, 2021All wheels & suspension arms mounted - the latest wheels WERE MUCH EASIER & Less Stressful to mount!!
55November 6, 2021This folded part creates a double thickness part, held that way with tabs you have to fold around it.
Need to hold this firmly, so used a regular PE folding tool as a clamp.
56November 6, 20212 sub-parts combined together - part of a camera arm assembly
57November 6, 2021More of the same camera arm (I think)
58November 6, 2021and some more - lots of small parts & tricky tab...................and some cheat snuck in some CA too!!! !;^)}
59November 8, 2021More work on the camera arm
60November 8, 2021This is what happens when you bend stuff the wrong way - any attempt to then bend it the right way, and it just shears off
61November 8, 2021Using more trusty CA, and some reverse tweezers as clamps while the CA sets...
62November 8, 2021and of course, working on the absolutely smallest pieces of the model.
63November 8, 2021more small components ready to go together
64November 8, 2021Not sure what this device is meant to be
65November 8, 2021another view
66November 8, 2021more stuff added to it.
67November 8, 2021and add in onto the "camera" arm - I'm sure some-one will know what it is...
68November 8, 2021the arm & device is attached to the front panel of the rover
69November 8, 2021Time to join some panels - Thought I'd try the "Secret tab & eye" method, so had to bend some of the tabs diagonally to get them to slot in.
70November 8, 2021I needed some finer pliers than I had, and I had often threatened a couple of pairs of cheap pliers with some "bench grinder" action. Here's the results - needed then this fine for the next step
71November 8, 2021Both sides attached, tabbed & glued - Oh, and I abandoned the "Secret tab & eye" method for the right hand side - too hard & fiddly, and also could not get to some tabs on the inside.
72November 8, 2021the other side
73November 8, 2021Next - attached the front panel - I'm sure this would have been easier without that arm hanging out the front - it could be fitted later.....
74November 8, 2021The last panel to attach - the bottom - easy-peasie!!
75November 8, 2021Complete - View 1
76November 8, 2021View 2
77November 8, 2021View 3
78November 8, 2021View 4
79November 8, 2021I wonder where that drone launched from, and that returned to???
SHIT THAT WAS HARD WORK!!!!!
Commentaires
4 June 2026, 23:59 -
Album info
MetalEarth version of the Mars "Perservance" Explorer and it's "Ingenuity" Helicopter drone.
I think MetalEarth is particularly suited to this sort of modelling application.
Let's see how right I am????
Quick visual lesson on hidden tabs/eyes on photo#29.
I'd have to rate this as the most difficult MetalEarth I've done........so far!!!
paper modeling database | gestionnaire d'inventaire


