Has anybody out there built a scratch built display or structural model of a Bat Vehicle or other vehicles. We would love to see your work in pictures. vertigo

Forgot to explain resource file folder development in research sections.

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-Ready to actually build.

Start building your Bat Vehicle: You gathered your research and resource files into manageable folders. Then you built a high quality structural model. You are over halfway to realizing your dream Bat Vehicle. But there is still one problem. You still don’t have the building money. So, where does a frustrated BAT ENTHUSIAST go from here? This is where the devoted fan must become more driven, more fanatical, more obsessed, and more dedicated. His urge to build must become a passion on fire if he is to overcome the seemingly endless cascade of obstacles falling into his way. I started my Tumbler with a 20.00 model I bought at Walmart with no idea where I would get the rest of the money that I would need to complete it. Still haven’t worked that out completely. Somehow along the way though, I have managed to find enough money to keep me building at a reasonable speed. Part time jobs: normally building things for others is my usual way of acquiring capital. Here is one from my Bat Zen. WHEN YOU CAN’T BUILD - PLAN AND PREPARE TO BUILD. vertigo  

Create Your Build Sheets: A current lack of money is no excuse not to continue forward on your Bat Vehicle build. Start making your build sheets. Doing them right will take you several months. Break every building task down into machinable doable steps that take about 30-minutes or so to complete. One thing I learned in high school machine shop, that I still use, is the PROJECT SHEET. Basically you state the project, identify the sub-division, state the mini-mission, identify the material you are working in with the dimensions, state the tools needed, and break the task down into machinable/doable steps. For example: Building and installing an access panel. Step 1 Draw out dimensions and holes on raw stock. Step 2 Cut panel from raw stock. Step 3 Deburr cut panel’s edges. Step 4 Drill holes in panel. Step 5 Deburr holes and remove any rust. Detailed small incremental build sheets give the builder many small successes leading to a collective big success without the stress associated with just an overall complex part construction statement. A man cannot move a mountain of sand all at one time but a man can move a mountain of sand one bucket at a time. A man or woman cannot build a Bat Vehicle all at one time but a man or woman can build a Bat Vehicle a small incremental step at a time. Same as the sand but modified to match the Bat building zen. vertigo

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-Ready to actually build.

Build Status Summary: If you had plenty of money and had wanted to pay for a turnkey Tumbler of excellent quality, you would have expected to pay around 1-million dollars. Probably, closer to 1.5 million. That is if you could have found anyone willing to part with theirs. If you were not able to manage to fit a million dollar plus expenditure into your budget, you could have bought a set of blue prints. Existing blue prints go for 2-10,000.oo dollars if you can find someone willing to sell them to you. You could have even hired someone to do all your research and draw a set of blue prints to your specifications with relevant build sheets for 50-100,000 dollars. But you didn’t and you have a set of quality drawings, an excellent structural model, and a set of complete build sheets. What are they worth? Many will tell you SOMETHING IS ONLY WORTH WHAT SOMEONE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR IT, also known as the true cash value. But Bat Vehicles built and owned by the individual builder have intrinsic worth, that often goes way beyond the true cash value, such as unique ownership, pride of accomplishment, symbolized pride, etc…. If we stay with the Tumbler as an example: Your detailed drawings, highly accurate structural model, and build sheets have a true cash value of 50-100,000.oo but an intrinsic worth to their creator that may not be measurable in money. For the 500.oo and the many hours you put into your project you have saved 100,000 dollars on your Tumbler. “A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED” Benjamin Franklin    

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-Ready to actually build.

Skills Inventory: Place your stack of build sheets in front of you and page through each one, looking for the skill(s) required to physically construct the build sheets into reality. When you have finished with the build sheets analysis make a summary check list of all the skills required to physically complete your Bat Vehicle build. Examine each skill listed and ask yourself “do I have this skill and if I do what is my level of competence ; novice, minimally proficient, generally proficient, or master of this skill. For any missing or deficient skills, acquire a general proficiency. Still don’t have the money to begin your Bat Vehicle build or even to go to school to acquire any missing skills. Don’t let the lack of money stop you now. I have a lot of engineering and building skills and never set foot in a classroom to acquire any of them. Make a separate list of any missing or deficient skills you may have. Resolve your missing or deficient skills one at a time. Start with a skill specific general book and/or research the skill on the internet. Next study the how to online videos related to the sought after skill. Finally practice the actual skill in reality to gain practical and application abilities. Try to build something useful while practicing the skill. vertigo      

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-Ready to actually build.

What Else Can I Do?: Still not quite financially ready to build there is still a lot you can do.

Make a Raw Materials Check List

Make a Parts/Components List

Draw and cut out your 1:1 Templates/Patterns etc.

Plan for your Physical Build Location. Garage, yard building, carport, in your backyard stored under a tarp, etc.

Set up the Physical Location where you will actual build your Bat Vehicle. Clean it up and gather your working supports. Jack stands, concrete blocks, railroad ties, etc.

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-The Great Decision – Part One  

You have taken planning and preparation as far as you could go. To make it this far, you have shown remarkable endurance and persistence. You probably have 2-1/2 years on a 4-5 year Bat Vehicle build. About this time many persons in similar creative/artistic circumstances will usually, if without sufficient funds, become frustrated, anxious, and depressed. Torn between the anxieties of facing the struggle ahead to raise the money to physically build and angry at the thought of abandoning your creative endeavor you now must make the great decision. Continue the physical build or quit. You could sell off your work. Plans and build sheets could bring five thousand or more. But the strategic scratch built, one of a kind, model, that’s where you could really make some money. The more detail, the more dollars. Especially if you had built it in 1:3, 1:2, or 1:1 scale. I say model but it really is more of a sculpture. It is the collective physical representation of your very eclectic essence and spirit. You suffered and labored so many hours over the love of your creation. Even if you didn’t continue on to your physical build does not the very thought of letting your sculpture go to someone else not fill you with dread. Can you not feel into the future without regret from having sold it for some sum of money, made more trifling with the passage of time? What amount of money can buy you comfort without the subject of your most proud of creation to gaze upon in later years. Thoughts like these are why many sculptors create some sculpture(s) that is/are not sold until after their death. I strongly suspect some life-sized functional replica Tumbler and other Bat Vehicle builders/owners may feel the same way. vertigo        

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-The Great Decision – Part Two 

So, you have decided to start the actual building of your Bat Vehicle. Your urge to build has become a passion on fire. You understand and expect that a seemingly endless cascade of obstacles will begin to fall into your way and that the less money you possess, the more obstacles you will experience, and the more difficult they will be to overcome. If you truly in your heart of hearts want to physically build a Bat Vehicle you will build a Bat Vehicle. Forget about setting closed end time goals of physical completion. Focus on completing small 30-minute blocks of input project work time. Your first obstacle to overcome is identifying a source(s) of building funds. Part time jobs are a good source. When I was young and married I mowed grass with a used push mower and did landscaping on the side of my regular job to pay for my motorcycles. I started my Tumbler with a 20.00 model I bought at Walmart with no idea where I would get the rest of the money that I would need to complete it. Still haven’t worked that out completely. Somehow along the way though, I have managed to find enough money to keep me physically building at a reasonable speed. For me that’s been about an hour or so a day. I pay for my Tumbler’s building materials and tools by working part time jobs: normally building things for others is my way of acquiring capital but I would go back to landscaping if I had to so I could continue building my Tumbler. vertigo

PART V

STEP SIX: BUILDING YOUR BAT VEHICLE-Building Funds Management

If money is no object to your Bat Vehicle build skip this information. If your building funds are limited don’t run out and buy the tires. This is the number one error many make. Focus on building the core frame or finding/processing the donor car depending on what Bat Vehicle you are building. If you can’t afford to buy both the materials you need and the tools to process the materials. Buy the materials. You will find a way to cut or process them! Example: You need to cut some 3 x 4 x ¼ inch frame/chassis steel pieces without owning a 500-1,000 dollar heavy duty metal cutting saw. Solution: Most steel dealers will cut new/used steel marked with your length specifications for 1-2 dollars per cut with their diamond carbide chop saws. For other steel cutting: There is no piece of steel used to build a Bat Vehicle that a determined man cannot cut with a hand powered hacksaw. If funds are limited buy a stick welder for 1-200.oo instead of an underpowered Mig for 500.oo. 90% of home welders can make good welds with stick while only 10% of home welders can make good welds with Mig on steel greater than 1/8^th inch thick. Complete your Bat Vehicle frame or donor car preparation before you buy the wheels, tires, parts, components, assemblies, etc. Don’t buy anything in advance for the future until you are about to actually use it. If money becomes really short, work on making your labor intensive parts. Note: Pieces of scrap steel/wood and plastic/steel pipe can often be used to stand in temporarily as props for expensive parts and components. Delay buying expensive parts and components until not having them would absolutely stop the building of your Bat Vehicle. Found without momentary funds, a Bat Vehicle builder would be hard pressed to find enough excuse, to do absolutely nothing on their project. PS: DON'T BUILD ON CREDIT IF POSSIBLE AND SHORT TERM CREDIT ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY UNLESS YOU WANT TO GIVE 15-20 PERCENT OF YOUR BUILDING FUNDS COMPOUNDED DAILY EACH YEAR TO CREDIT CARD COMPANIES.vertigo