Cutting Up the Egg
Estimated Time: 1-3 hours
Tools Needed: Saw from Last Week, Power Drill with Philips Head, Screws (x4)
Other Items: Wooden Form, Tie Down Straps
This week is another point of no return, after cutting up the lovely foam egg, you can not return to it, and who would want to. This week will be quite obvious on the steps, cut up the egg using the wooden form from last week. So lets get at ‘er. To start lie the egg shape flat side down into the form and use the tie down straps to make sure that it does not move, giving you a good cut.
Step 1: First Cut
Making the first cut into the turret is difficult due to the rounded surface you are making the first cut into. Start at the top of the turret, make sure the saw is running along the wooden form along both sides. Saw slowly, making sure that the saw is always running along the wooden form.
First Cut into the Egg
Step 2: The Corner
The corner where the cut goes from a straight line into the body curve can cause some bad cuts, the trick here is to have been going slow and keeping the saw against the wood form. Just keep sawing slowly and carefully and there will be no issues.
Step 3: The Body
As you are cutting around the body as always make sure that you keep the saw against the wood form. Saw slowly, keeping the saw straight and reducing bowing. As you move down the body move the tie-down straps out of the way.
Cutting off the Wing and Knee Caps
Step 4: Wings and Knee Caps
To cut the wings and knee caps away from the body you will have to have the drill and screws ready. When you are approaching the point at which the wings would begin the straight cut away from the body cut past this point by about 5 cm then back the saw up past the point. Now attach the extra pieces of wood that create the bottom of the wings by screwing it to the wood form. Once this piece is attached begin to cut up the straight angle slowly. After you have cut off the wing you can remove it, place it somewhere safe. You can now remove the extra pieces and finish the cut to the bottom of the wood form. You will now have a half a body, a wing and knee cap piece.
Step 5: Repeat
Get the second foam half egg and redo steps 1-4. Be sure to mark what wing goes to what side just in case you messed up and the side are slightly different, as I did sadly.
This week again is quite simple but as always requires patience and careful cutting. If you have a friend bring them along for moral and physical support they can help you saw a bit more quickly while maintaining precision. Completing this step I found to be a huge booster to feeling accomplished, seeing the all the pieces and how close the end seems. Next week I will be going over finishing up the knee caps. In about 3 posts we will be starting the fibreglass process, I will do a shopping list with everything you will need to complete it. Good luck slicing and dicing, as always follow on Twitter and leave comments and questions.
Portal Sentry Turret Build 