Chapter 9: The boys build an Anti-Asteroid Suit for a torosaurus.

A project by Ray Masters and James Thurman in the summer of 2003...

It all began in the late summer of 2002 when we received a Call for Artists from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh:

"It's been 65 million years since a dinosaur was last seen in the area. That will change in the summer of 2003!"

"Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh is proud to announce DinoMite Days™ -- a citywide art event that will turn back the clock to the Age of Dinosaurs. Starting in Summer, 2003, dinosaurs will appear on street corners, green spaces, community centers, downtown plazas -- everywhere across Pittsburgh! This public art event celebrates Pittsburgh's international reputation for scientific excellence while showcasing emerging and established artists."

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History was calling local, regional, and national artists to create designs for 100 Tyrannosaurus rex, Torosaurus, and Stegosaurus fiberglass casts and bring these 65-million-year-old creatures back to life! By September 15, 2002, they had received 330 proposals from artists and designers all over the country. A jury of art professionals, educators and critics approved 100 of the strongest and most creative dinosaur designs.

Our proposal was one of those selected.

This was the proposed concept: "Little remains or is known about dinosaur culture and society, and most people are surprised to learn that dinosaur civilization was very similar to life as it existed for humans on the American western frontier in the late 19th century. Imagine a few hyperactive, nervous dinosaurs watching meteors streak across the night sky and worrying about being hit by one. Imagine the dinosaur equivalent of the Snake-oil Huckster or Con Artist preying on the insecurities and worries of those other neurotic creatures and convincing them that owning and wearing an 'Anti-Asteroid Suit' was the only reasonably safe way to exist."

The suit consisted of a web of crossing leather belts (fiberglass appliqués) supporting stand-offs with shock-absorbing springs to which various metal shields and shapes were connected. The concept was computer-modeled on a generic, but silly-looking dinosaur so as to not limit it to any particular dinosaur of the three forms available. Ultimately, we were selected to use the torosaurus as the basic form.

Dinosaur forms were distributed from a warehouse in Monroeville, PA. We culled one of the torosauruses from the herd for the trip to State College.

We loaded the torosaurus into the bed of our pickup truck. The form was about 5.5 feet tall and 10.5 feet long -- about a third of the size of a real torosaurus. It traveled quite well on the three-hour ride back to State College and garnered a lot of stares and double-takes along the way.

Later that same day we unloaded the torosaurus and got ready to move it into our workspace in the shop. Over the next five to six weeks, we gradually created the leather belts, shock absorbers and plates that defined the anti-asteroid suit. With a few exceptions, most of those weeks were full of 10-12 hour workdays.
(Left to right: Torosaurus, James Thurman, Ray Masters)

Before we began construction, we realized that thick metal plates of an appropriate size would be too heavy to be supported by the fiberglass torosaurus form and probably would present many safety hazards. We explored various types of plastics and finally selected half-inch thick polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plate. It was readily available, was not too expensive, machined well, and became very malleable when heated to 245 degrees. We adjusted an ordinary dry-mount press to accept the thick material, set the temperature for 260 degrees, and then heated the sheet for ten minutes on each side. The result was a soft-as-leather sheet that had reasonable working time and could be molded easily to a curvilinear form. Once clamped in place, a half-hour cool-down produced the desired, permanently curved form.

We used ordinary crêpe paper, a large roll of two-inch wide black streamer, to determine the location of the fiberglass belts. After the paper was in place, we sketched a pencil line a half-inch out from each edge. The result was a network of three-inch wide lines that were used to locate the foundation of styrofoam for the belts.

One-eighth inch wide slots, half the thickness of the styrofoam, were cut every quarter-inch on the back of the material. This allowed the strips to bend easily and flow around the curvilinear body of the torosaurus. The strips were epoxied in place, but tight curves typically required an occasional screw to hold the material.

Supports for the anti-asteroid shielding plates were fabricated from steel and formed to fit the curvature of the torosaurus at the appropriate location.

The steel support plates were integrated into the system of leather belts (fiberglass appliqués) and lie under the belts.

After the appropriate angle for the support had been determined and the allthread fitted to the shielding plate, the coupling nuts were welded to the support plates and the support plates were both epoxied and riveted to the torosaurus's body.

The success of this tongue-in-cheek anti-asteroid suit depended on how well the premise -- a gullible and worried torosaurus -- was represented in the facial expression. The addition of large, bulging eyeballs and a raised skin fold (similar to a raised eyebrow), coupled with a nervous grin helped pull it off.

The original torosaurus mouth was similar to a parrot beak. We cut off the protruding upper beak and fashioned a set of styrofoam dentures. These were subsequently fiberglassed -- three layers of cloth to help resist those little poking fingers.

The forms for the styrofoam belts received three layers of fiberglass: an initial layer on the surface to lock in the form, then a double layer on each side that lapped over the edge to the top.

While the belts were receiving their fiberglass appliqués, a concurrent activity was the cutting, forming, and positioning of the shielding plates. The sweeping tail of the torosaurus created a sense of movement, and the plates were developed with slots rather than holes to communicate a sense of articulation even though they were fixed rigidly in place.

Plate clearance, interference, positioning, and support were constant considerations. Plates were assembled on the torosaurus many times during construction.

After the belts had received the appropriate number of fiberglass layers, the next step was to apply a uniform thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch of Bondo, an epoxy automobile body filler. This was mixed for a quick cure and applied in small amounts, about two feet of belt at a time, so that it could be quickly worked and shaped into a smooth and fluid belt.

Accessing the belts for the Bondo process, which required a lot of hand work in application, rough shaping, and final sanding, was a challenge. At various times the torosaurus was on its side or up in the air.

The tail belts were the first to be completely finished. This image shows the smooth surface, which was intended to look like thick leather, on the tail along with the holes that allowed access to the "hard points" underneath supporting the allthread.

We wanted the Anti-Asteroid Suit to give the appearance of something wearable, that is, something that is put on and comes off. Three giant belt buckles were sculpted in styrofoam and fastened in place.

After fiberglass and Bondo, the belt buckles integrated well into the entire belt system.

The facial features -- bulging eyeballs, apprehensive eyebrows (skin folds), and a nervous grin -- started as styrofoam, were filled with epoxy, covered with many layers of fiberglass cloth, and filled and sculpted with Bondo for the final effect.

The shock absorbing springs for the shielding plates were fabricated in three lengths and painted in bright, playful, primary colors. Each assembly consisted of two opposing pipe flanges connected by a standard pipe nipple. The spring form then spiraled between the two flanges and was welded in place. The assembly was absolutely rigid, but it gave the appearance of flexibility.

The ends (pipe flanges) of the spring assemblies were flat. However, the surfaces they met (torosaurus on one end, shield at the other) were curvilinear. The ends of the spring assemblies were subsequently molded to fit by first protecting the shield and the torosaurus with a wax paper barrier. Then, generous amounts of Bondo were wiped onto each end of the spring assembly and the assembly was bolted into place. Once the Bondo cured and the excess was trimmed, the ends became customized for each particular location.

One of the shields contains a meteorite that struck and deformed it. However, injury to the torosaurus was prevented by the anti-asteroid suit.

All the belts were Bondo-ed and, all the shields and spring assemblies were positioned for one final check.

The torosaurus was painted with three shades of green paint, and then two shades of brown were textured on over the green using natural sponge to apply the paint.

The fiberglass straps were subsequently hand-painted, and black steel rivets were glued in place at locations where the belt assemblies intersected one another.

The shields were bolted in place with simple washers and nuts. To avoid the possibility of vandals unbolting the shields, a Bondo sphere was molded over the allthread/nut/washer end. A simple two-piece mold was constructed to accomplish this. Again, wax paper was used to protect the shield as the mold was filled with Bondo and pushed onto the end assembly.

After the Bondo cured, the form was removed and the sphere was trimmed in place.

The resulting hemispheres were painted a bright, playful red. Not only would they deter vandalism, but they also eliminated any sharp, dangerous edges that might injure a youthful torosaurus climber.

Final assembly and painting of the last details: eyeballs, teeth, and gums.

A good view of the shields, springs, hemispheres, and the overall playfulness of the color scheme.

The last night in State College: the torosaurus in the anti-asteroid suit was featured in the plaza in front of The Pennsylvania State University's Palmer Museum of Art.

We loaded the torosaurus into a moving van for transport back to Pittsburgh. It had to ride inside due to the unknown aerodynamic properties of the shields and was securily fastened to prevent any motion during the trip.

The Torosaurus in the Anti-Asteroid Suit, exhibited in front of the Hillman Library facing the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, just a stone's throw from the Carnegie Museum.

Contact either Ray Masters or James Thurman with any questions or comments.

	This was the proposed concept: "Little remains or is known about dinosaur culture and society, and most people are surprised to learn that dinosaur civilization was very similar to life as it existed for humans on the American western frontier in the late 19th century. Imagine a few hyperactive, nervous dinosaurs watching meteors streak across the night sky and worrying about being hit by one. Imagine the dinosaur equivalent of the Snake-oil Huckster or Con Artist preying on the insecurities and worries of those other neurotic creatures and convincing them that owning and wearing an 'Anti-Asteroid Suit' was the only reasonably safe way to exist."
	The suit consisted of a web of crossing leather belts (fiberglass appliqués) supporting stand-offs with shock-absorbing springs to which various metal shields and shapes were connected. The concept was computer-modeled on a generic, but silly-looking dinosaur so as to not limit it to any particular dinosaur of the three forms available. Ultimately, we were selected to use the torosaurus as the basic form.
	Dinosaur forms were distributed from a warehouse in Monroeville, PA. We culled one of the torosauruses from the herd for the trip to State College.
	We loaded the torosaurus into the bed of our pickup truck. The form was about 5.5 feet tall and 10.5 feet long -- about a third of the size of a real torosaurus. It traveled quite well on the three-hour ride back to State College and garnered a lot of stares and double-takes along the way.
	Later that same day we unloaded the torosaurus and got ready to move it into our workspace in the shop. Over the next five to six weeks, we gradually created the leather belts, shock absorbers and plates that defined the anti-asteroid suit. With a few exceptions, most of those weeks were full of 10-12 hour workdays. (Left to right: Torosaurus, James Thurman, Ray Masters)
	Before we began construction, we realized that thick metal plates of an appropriate size would be too heavy to be supported by the fiberglass torosaurus form and probably would present many safety hazards. We explored various types of plastics and finally selected half-inch thick polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plate. It was readily available, was not too expensive, machined well, and became very malleable when heated to 245 degrees. We adjusted an ordinary dry-mount press to accept the thick material, set the temperature for 260 degrees, and then heated the sheet for ten minutes on each side. The result was a soft-as-leather sheet that had reasonable working time and could be molded easily to a curvilinear form. Once clamped in place, a half-hour cool-down produced the desired, permanently curved form.
	We used ordinary crêpe paper, a large roll of two-inch wide black streamer, to determine the location of the fiberglass belts. After the paper was in place, we sketched a pencil line a half-inch out from each edge. The result was a network of three-inch wide lines that were used to locate the foundation of styrofoam for the belts.
	One-eighth inch wide slots, half the thickness of the styrofoam, were cut every quarter-inch on the back of the material. This allowed the strips to bend easily and flow around the curvilinear body of the torosaurus. The strips were epoxied in place, but tight curves typically required an occasional screw to hold the material.
	Supports for the anti-asteroid shielding plates were fabricated from steel and formed to fit the curvature of the torosaurus at the appropriate location.
	The steel support plates were integrated into the system of leather belts (fiberglass appliqués) and lie under the belts.
	After the appropriate angle for the support had been determined and the allthread fitted to the shielding plate, the coupling nuts were welded to the support plates and the support plates were both epoxied and riveted to the torosaurus's body.
	The success of this tongue-in-cheek anti-asteroid suit depended on how well the premise -- a gullible and worried torosaurus -- was represented in the facial expression. The addition of large, bulging eyeballs and a raised skin fold (similar to a raised eyebrow), coupled with a nervous grin helped pull it off.
	The original torosaurus mouth was similar to a parrot beak. We cut off the protruding upper beak and fashioned a set of styrofoam dentures. These were subsequently fiberglassed -- three layers of cloth to help resist those little poking fingers.
	The forms for the styrofoam belts received three layers of fiberglass: an initial layer on the surface to lock in the form, then a double layer on each side that lapped over the edge to the top.
	While the belts were receiving their fiberglass appliqués, a concurrent activity was the cutting, forming, and positioning of the shielding plates. The sweeping tail of the torosaurus created a sense of movement, and the plates were developed with slots rather than holes to communicate a sense of articulation even though they were fixed rigidly in place.
	Plate clearance, interference, positioning, and support were constant considerations. Plates were assembled on the torosaurus many times during construction.
	After the belts had received the appropriate number of fiberglass layers, the next step was to apply a uniform thickness of approximately one-eighth of an inch of Bondo, an epoxy automobile body filler. This was mixed for a quick cure and applied in small amounts, about two feet of belt at a time, so that it could be quickly worked and shaped into a smooth and fluid belt.
	Accessing the belts for the Bondo process, which required a lot of hand work in application, rough shaping, and final sanding, was a challenge. At various times the torosaurus was on its side or up in the air.
	The tail belts were the first to be completely finished. This image shows the smooth surface, which was intended to look like thick leather, on the tail along with the holes that allowed access to the "hard points" underneath supporting the allthread.
	We wanted the Anti-Asteroid Suit to give the appearance of something wearable, that is, something that is put on and comes off. Three giant belt buckles were sculpted in styrofoam and fastened in place.
	After fiberglass and Bondo, the belt buckles integrated well into the entire belt system.
	The facial features -- bulging eyeballs, apprehensive eyebrows (skin folds), and a nervous grin -- started as styrofoam, were filled with epoxy, covered with many layers of fiberglass cloth, and filled and sculpted with Bondo for the final effect.
	The shock absorbing springs for the shielding plates were fabricated in three lengths and painted in bright, playful, primary colors. Each assembly consisted of two opposing pipe flanges connected by a standard pipe nipple. The spring form then spiraled between the two flanges and was welded in place. The assembly was absolutely rigid, but it gave the appearance of flexibility.
	The ends (pipe flanges) of the spring assemblies were flat. However, the surfaces they met (torosaurus on one end, shield at the other) were curvilinear. The ends of the spring assemblies were subsequently molded to fit by first protecting the shield and the torosaurus with a wax paper barrier. Then, generous amounts of Bondo were wiped onto each end of the spring assembly and the assembly was bolted into place. Once the Bondo cured and the excess was trimmed, the ends became customized for each particular location.
	One of the shields contains a meteorite that struck and deformed it. However, injury to the torosaurus was prevented by the anti-asteroid suit.
	All the belts were Bondo-ed and, all the shields and spring assemblies were positioned for one final check.
	The torosaurus was painted with three shades of green paint, and then two shades of brown were textured on over the green using natural sponge to apply the paint.
	The fiberglass straps were subsequently hand-painted, and black steel rivets were glued in place at locations where the belt assemblies intersected one another.
	The shields were bolted in place with simple washers and nuts. To avoid the possibility of vandals unbolting the shields, a Bondo sphere was molded over the allthread/nut/washer end. A simple two-piece mold was constructed to accomplish this. Again, wax paper was used to protect the shield as the mold was filled with Bondo and pushed onto the end assembly.
	After the Bondo cured, the form was removed and the sphere was trimmed in place.
	The resulting hemispheres were painted a bright, playful red. Not only would they deter vandalism, but they also eliminated any sharp, dangerous edges that might injure a youthful torosaurus climber.
	Final assembly and painting of the last details: eyeballs, teeth, and gums.
	A good view of the shields, springs, hemispheres, and the overall playfulness of the color scheme.
	The last night in State College: the torosaurus in the anti-asteroid suit was featured in the plaza in front of The Pennsylvania State University's Palmer Museum of Art.
	We loaded the torosaurus into a moving van for transport back to Pittsburgh. It had to ride inside due to the unknown aerodynamic properties of the shields and was securily fastened to prevent any motion during the trip.
	The Torosaurus in the Anti-Asteroid Suit, exhibited in front of the Hillman Library facing the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, just a stone's throw from the Carnegie Museum.