Hundreds of years of over-industrialization and extreme population density have left the the air in Space City remarkably unpleasant to breathe. Those residents who can afford to, sign up for FreshAirSubstitute™ plans; for a monthly fee (plus an initial instillation cost) one can have a steady stream of FreshAirSubstitute™ pumped into one’s domicile pod. Most contracts allow for a change in scent every few months. The FAS™ is stored in large pressurized tanks located all throughout Space City. The proximity of the tank to the consumer is vital as the scent additives in FAS™ break down extremely quickly. After only a few minutes of depressurization, the underlying, acrid odor of raw FAS™ becomes apparent. Therefore, A.I.R. Corp. recommends FAS™ lines not exceed 1000 meters.
I had a large kinder egg and some cardboard tubes in mind when I drew the initial sketches for the FAS tower. To create the concrete texture for the base of the tower, I cut panels out of cardstock, punched holes in the corners, and glued them to the cardboard tube. I then gave the cylinder a coat of modpodge, followed by a few shades of grey acrylic paint mixed with modeling paste. I dabbed the paint on with a sponge to give it a bumpy, concrete like texture. The platform is made out of a thick sheet of cardstock with a cardboard rim. The supports on either side are made of bits of styrene. I gave the shiny egg a good sanding to make the paint stick better.
To make the ladders, I made a jig out of thick cardstock to solder brass rods together. I made the railings the same way, but instead of making a jig I sketched out the measurements on some paper. The pipe on top of the platform is made from an angled PVC pipe connector from the hardware store with a styrene wheel glued to it. I used plastic cement for the styrene parts and CA glue for everything else.
The rivets are made out of dollar store jewel tape. The hatch at the top of the tank is made from a plastic cap, some bigger jewels for rivets, and a styrene handle and hinges. I airbrushed all the bits that should look like metal with a coat of light grey primer, followed by different shades of brown to build up a splotchy rust texture. The primer didn’t stick to the railings though, so I removed them from the platform and let all the brass parts soak in vinegar for a few days to build up some rusty texture, to moderate success.
I wanted to try out hairspray chipping on this model. So after the brown coat I covered everything in a coat of hairspray. I sprayed it straight out of the can, but in retrospect I think I would have gotten a more even coat if I’d used the airbrush instead. After the hairspray dried I gave the tank a bright yellow coat. And, after masking off the pipes, I painted the platform a dark grey-blue.
Then, with warm water and a variety of brushes and tooth picks, I peeled up little chips of paint, revealing the rust color underneath. Letting water sit on the surface created some real nifty little cracks. The jewel-rivets were a bit of a pain to work with because they kept popping off as I tried to rub off the paint. But after lots of jewel hunting and supergluing, the tank looked pretty good.
To finish it off, the whole tower got some black and brown washes, followed by a dusting of some powdery bits mixed with a matte clear coat to make it look extra chunky. It’ll probably get a few more dirty washes when I put the whole city together, but I’m happy with it for now. The gas canister came from a scale model car kit.
Gabriel Maxwell Freed 