New Workshop, Nautilus Submarine Style

[Utilitarian Prototype]

I must say I am rather stumped for words, brilliant, brilliant work done with skill, talent and a healthy dose of humour, absolutely love it.

Not knowing in what capacity you sailed sir or if it would clash with your overall design plans, may I suggest some nicely framed technical schematics, some lovely piping diagrams or electrical diagrams, done a bit like the lovely map.

May I add you have given me a ton of inspiration for my "office/workspace" for when I have the time and finances to spruce it up.

Also I like what you have done with the floor, I would personally fear that had you done it in at darkish wooden finish it would have sucked too much light from the room.

But really, really nice work sir.....

[Capt James Salt]

Piping diagrams !!  Oh I like that. 

I do need some art work or industrial drawings for the walls !!

[Capt James Salt]

Well, I finally got to the hard part.  The window. 

I have gone through every idea that everyone has come up with.  Some really good ideas. 
If I had about $60 I could get a really nice window transparency with an underwater scene.

But I went for the cheap way to do it.  And I'm not totally happy with the way it turned out.  But I can always remove it and do something better.

I used spray paint on the glass door.  I first painted on some plants.

Here it is with daylight coming in.  I used the flash on my camera.




No flash.





Hey if you were 500 feet down in a real submarine you would probably just see very dark blue or black.

Here is the outside of the window.






Here I have added some fish.  I added transparent fish and solid fish.  This is day time light coming in.








Notice the dark fish.  Now here is the look I get at night with no daylight coming in.




 



So in the daytime the transparent fish look good, but the solid fish look like shadows.  And visa versa in the nighttime.


Night time




Day time




It looks OK in the day time.    Best I could do on the cheap..............

[Torvald_Faust]

It does not look half bad, but I understand you say there is room for improvement

[Rockula]

I love them fish!

[frances]

Yes, the fishes are great!

[as is everything else.]

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

Capt.! I think that you have come up with a wonderful solution for the water window problem. Especially the color. My only critique would be the plants, but as you said, more work to be done in the future!

Also, I think I discovered how your wall railings started out their life.  Ceiling light fixtures! My parents have one in their house that looks almost identical to those. The shaping of the bar, the hemispherical end bits, and even the length is spot on. As a light fixture, it is quite annoying though. Really low hanging (supposed to be over a table) but you always manage to smash your head into the light.

[Capt James Salt]

Brilliant work, with great humor. Here is a suggestion that would be relatively cheap yet would add much to the dynamic environment. Build in one or two portholes and install large digital photo screens behind them (about $100 each) Each photo screen would constantly project a loop (up to 20 minutes long) of fish swimming on a reef, to give the impression of water just beyond your walls. I have used these screens in my Nautilus Viewer, and I have one hanging on the wall which has played a clip of Venice constantly for 3 years now. I even have a 10 minute reef clip which I would happily send you, the viewer plays the clip off an SD card.

Hey, this is a great idea.  I'll look into this.

Thanks..........

[Professor J. Cogsworthy]

( Hey everyone! Watch this! I'm gonna suggestion something REALLY complicated but also
REALLY cool and thematically appropriate and we call all see if he takes the bait and makes
himself one..... ready? Shhhh, don't tell him that is the plan.)

How about mounting a white board  on one wall with a mechanical iris that closes on top
covering it when it is not in use? Something kinda along these lines ( but different... )

[Capt James Salt]

( Hey everyone! Watch this! I'm gonna suggestion something REALLY complicated but also
REALLY cool and thematically appropriate and we call all see if he takes the bait and makes
himself one..... ready? Shhhh, don't tell him that is the plan.)

How about mounting a white board  on one wall with a mechanical iris that closes on top
covering it when it is not in use? Something kinda along these lines ( but different... )

Very interesting idea.  Yes I love the iris idea.  I will put this on my list. 
What will I use the whiteboard for???

By the way I have a curtain and rod.  But I'm not sure if I should hang it up.

Let's take a pole.  Do you think I should hang up the curtain??

[Professor J. Cogsworthy]

Use the whiteboard for planning sketchs, shopping lists, to-do lists, write down ideas you have while working on something else.....

[Capt James Salt]

Use the whiteboard for planning sketchs, shopping lists, to-do lists, write down ideas you have while working on something else.....

Oh OK, yeah, that's what I was thinking you had in mind...............   

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

Hmm, I kinda like the curtain (mainly for the red against that blue color, makes for great contrast and brightens up the room). My only problem is that it is such an enclosed room that something shutting away the only window might make it even more dark and claustrophobic. But then again....I like it.....

[Capt. H. Viscount]

Looking Good. Great job on the window; very effective.

I like the idea of the red curtain, although if I were you I'd use something a little more subtle/conventional, like a darker red with brass rings and a braided chord to tie it back with (after all, you wouldn't want it flapping around while the submarine's listing from port to starboard and back!).

[Capt James Salt]

I have been posting pictures about three days behind of where I actually am in the building process.  Since I'm near the end of the project I will bring you up to date. 

I have been re-doing my work desk. 
I just could not put that ugly blonde desk in my new submarine room. 

I will show you the progress on my desk and the finished desk in the next three posts.












Gosh if I have the right kind of tools I'd be dangerous.  It would be nice to have a table saw....  LOL












I mixed some brown red and black to come up with the look I wanted.  Then I drybrushed a little red on top.







I glued on some leather strips to create a border.  Then I painted the brown, then the gold.

[Capt James Salt]

Here is the final paint job.  This is before two coats of polyurethane clear coat.






Here is the completed desk.  I added two candle holders. 













I found an old globe book end at the thrift store.  Only one. 
It even has sea monsters on the globe!  I removed the globe and added it to my desk. 
Yes the globe rotates.








The desk turned out so nice that I hate to use it to build models....  LOL





 

[Capt James Salt]

Here is the desk in the room. 
The room is so small that it is hard to get a good picture of the desk in the room.




















Tomorrow I will add the surprise to the room.  So stand by mates. 







 

[Torvald_Faust]

Those curves...You have a steady hand! Quite like what you did to the desk to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the room. Will you be weathering it?

[von Corax]

I thay! Hath addydoddy theeng ngy gottong zhaw? Ick theengs to hath thalleng oth...

[Professor Fzz]

That's excellent!  Great reuse of the ugly old desk.  The one thing that stands out slightly are the legs - they don't quite seem to be in keeping with how amazing the rest of the desk looks.

[Torvald_Faust]

The Proffessor has a point. Is it possible to buy new legs? Most DIY stores here in the Netherlands sell new legs in various sizes, shapes, colors, materials...

[Corroded Alloy]

I'm loving what you did with the desk.

[Professor J. Cogsworthy]

really nice job on the desk/workbench! I even like the color.

[Maets]

Continued to be amazed and delighted with your work.

[Dr Insidious T BoneHammer]

Definition of OVERACHIEVER
: one who achieves success over and above the standard or expected level especially at an early age

Just wanted to put this out there.  Good Gravy man... I've been working on a keyboard and mouse for like three years now and you're creating an entire universe in several weekends?  Congratulations are in order.  Is there some secrete army of Steampunkers that you employ to help you with this endeavor?!?