The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate

[Elliot Naess]

You seem determined to earn the tires I promised you. I'll snail mail you the original.

Meanwhile, the paper printout looks OK.

[reprobate]

Hey, where is our resident sage? On the road, perhaps? With all the paint talk circulating....is there paint in the near future for you, oh mighty one?

[Elliot Naess]

Sage?????!

Oh dear. Oh my.

Well, I’m already a “Seer” in Kinetic Sculpture Racing, so... Maybe I can turn this into a cult, collect a bunch of desperate people’s life savings, and marry all their underage daughters. (Buawhawhawhawhaw.... )

Yes, my Children, there is progress in the Glorious Realm of Millicent Land.



Grille has been shortened. I left it an inch or two "too" tall, for the Toon Town look. And it’s pretty much mounted, except for some details of bolting the latches in place. The windshield wiper mechanisms had to be moved inboard one inch each, and there was just enough room to do it.

The turn signals (oval L.E.D.s like the tail lights) will go in line with the head lights, as indicated with black mounting brackets and masking tape.



Still to be done: some quality time with cutting tools, to fit deck plates in the gaps below the headlights.


Then comes the crowning touch:



Daisy the Duck will not only look pretty (I’d have Mallards for pets if I could), but will serve as the handle that releases the grille latches. Very easy to do, but I’ve been working on the Counterfeit Bluesmobile.

[reprobate]

All is well in skoolie land

[timbuk]

yes it is because a thing of beauty is a joy forever im thinking summers a coming......

[oldog12]

I saw these and thought they might represent Millicent better....
They're on fleabay under "hood ornaments"

[KevinCoughlin]

Are you going to "black out" the area behind the big grill to hide it into shadow, or do something with mesh cloth (bug catcher as well as eye blocker). Just thinking of the airflow - you don't want to cut it down if you can avoid it.

I learned a new term. "Frit" (noun) or "Fritting" (verb). Frit is ground glass, that can be fused onto a piece with heat about 1100 degrees. Done with a hand torch or kiln. This was what my art school friend suggested to get the best luster for the red backing on the new nameplate. It is GOOD to start branching out my skills and learning new stuff!

[Elliot Naess]

All is indeed well -- always was, always will be.

And a thing of beauty is indeed a joy forever -- because Keats said so. I don't understand much poetry, but I like to think I understand beauty. And a clapped out rolling barn of a school bus ain't it.

Hood ornaments were indeed big business back in the day. At the automobile museum where I used to hang out, we kept some of them in the safe! Not fair to the visitors, but they were too valuable to leave on their cars without supervision. A wide variety can be picked up cheap at any automotive swap meet also.
Daisy the Duck was not originally a hood ornament, but came from a trophy that was awarded to one of my Kinetic Kontraptions -- the Stuck Duck Award. The rest of the trophy was just a block of wood, so I put Daisy to better use. Mallards are so pretty! Maybe not graceful on land, but neither am I. Now get this: Two or three days ago, a pair of Mallards came waddling down the street and into my yard while I was tinkering there. First time in six years that I have seen any up here on the hill -- they usually stay down at the lake. A good omen, methinks. They feasted on the kitty-snacks that I normally use to bribe my neighbor's cat. (Since they were obviously a happily married couple, Daisy is NOT pregnant.)

Yes, the inside of the grille will indeed be blacked out. Of course, once that is done, it would be an idea to install some sort of emblem or logo that would show thru the grille, ever so discretely

(Kevin, the original Peterbilt badge is in the mail for you to play with.)

[KevinCoughlin]

Yes, the inside of the grille will indeed be blacked out. Of course, once that is done, it would be an idea to install some sort of emblem or logo that would show thru the grille, ever so discretely

Something like a kinetic chicken - maybe done in rope lights or something that can be "flashed" at folks?

Just think - you COULD build a road-worthy "Lite-Brite"!

[Elliot Naess]

Kevin, I wish you wouldn't do that sort of thing to me. I have too many things to get done already! Propane flames out of the grill, movable eye lids on the head lights... stop me, somebody stop me!