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| New White Styrene Decks (photo by Dave Bryant) |
Submitted by Pat LeBlanc 2015.05.26-2015.06.28
I think this is true for most Major Matt Mason collectors - If you have a Space Ship case, it's probably missing at least 1 thruster from the bottom and has either a cracked top or is missing the nose. I know that was was the state of my first. I later bought a second that was just the cylinder and ramp, thinking that at some point I'd attempt to make something of it. For most, you'll rarely see one that's worth displaying at all as the Styrene is both fragile and becomes brittle with time. That's where Pat's project comes in (edited a bit for clarity).
Pat writes:
2015.05.26 I'm starting a project to refurbish a Space Ship Case. It is in pretty bad shape (no bottom, cracked couch deck and nose cone). I will be attempting to vacuum-form replacements for these pieces (starting with the bottom). It will also involve removing the rivets and replacing them with nuts and machine screws.
Question: If the replacement styrene pieces were available, would you (and do you think others would) be willing to remove the rivets from your 50 year old toy? I use vise grip pliers to grab the head and needle nose pliers to roll back the "petals". Do you think this would be too involved for the casual collector? Would the machine screws be a show stopper for the purists?
I'd appreciate any and all feedback (positive and negative). Thanks, Pat
2015.06.04 Starting work on a reproduction of the Space Ship Case couch deck. Thanks to Frank May, Jeff Hayes and John Eaton for sharing information. (John: I sent Pat a diagram of an intact bottom with measurements).
2015.06.08 Here's the first vac-forming attempt with the couch on the deck. The edge between the couch and the deck is more rounded on the new piece than the original (a smooth rather than a sharp transition). I don't see this as a bad thing since it reduces the stress. Now I need to remove some 50 year old rivets and install it in the case.
2015.06.09 Here are a couple of pictures of the new deck installed. The rivets are replaced with 3/8" long # 4 machine screws with a washer and nut. There is also an extra piece of Styrene glued to the deck to act as reinforcement where the deck is bolted to the case.
I noticed one odd thing about the original case: the rivets for the couch deck were not at the same elevation with respect to the graphics on the inside or the outside. Look at the picture of the outside. The screw on the left is in the original rivet hole. The screw on the right is about 1/4" higher than the original rivet hole (you can see that in the picture too) so that the deck will be level. The deck is now level relative to the red stripe on the outside and to the graphics on the inside. Does anyone have an intact case where the deck isn't level or is the one I have just an oddball? I wonder if the original riveting was done by machine or by hand? This one must have been done on Friday afternoon when someone was looking forward to the weekend.
2015.06.14 Here is the master for an alternate couch deck for the Space Ship Case. The couch is rotated to make room for an opening at the ladder to the lower deck. I always thought it needed something like this. I am going to make one more alternate: a two seat version. Should have pictures up in a few days.
I was going to start with the bottom first but I realized I needed to get the basic deck shape right before adding the thrusters. Once I got the right shape it was just easier to add the couches. I do intend to make copies of the different couch decks and sell them (maybe as early as next week). After that I will start on the bottom and who knows, maybe even the nose cone some day.
I did it old school (with some help from others in the group). I estimated the diameter and cut a disk out of foam board to test the fit. Repeated that with hard wood and vac-formed it to verify. I traced the elevation of the couch and transferred it to a balsa block and cut it. No computers were harmed during this build. can't say the same for the foam and the wood.
2015.06.13 Here are a couple of pictures of the deck with the opening for the ladder. Lest you think everything always goes as planned, you can see a "wrinkle along the top of the couch and some around the headrest. This is caused when the Styrene is melted too much before forming. It's just part of the learning (trial & error) process. I can still use this one to test fit-up in the case.
There is a gap between the couch and the deck and holes underneath draw air in. I just melted the Styrene too much (about 1/4" more sag than the previous try). Here is a picture of the deck installed. If some one wants to add a hatch it would pretty easy to do so.
What a difference 1/4" makes (insert "That's what she said" joke here).
2015.06.14 Here is the final deck master with two seats. It is based on the angled couch arrangement in the Gemini capsule. There is actually plenty of room since the the diameter of the Space Ship Case is bigger (at scale) than the Gemini (Gus Mobile).
2015.06.14 Here's a video showing how easy it is to remove a rivet from the Space Ship Case
2015.06.15 REPRODUCTION MAJOR MATT MASON SPACE SHIP CASE COUCH DECK (Free Shipping) INSPIRED BY MAJOR MATT MASON (post about eBay Ad for the decks)
If you have a Space Ship Case and the decks aren’t missing, the vintage 1960’s plastic is probably cracked where it was attached to the case with rivets. This is unfortunate but not surprising for a great toy that is almost 50 years old! These reproduction items based on the original will allow you to restore your case to its former glory. This auction is for the middle deck where the astronaut sits (replacements for the bottom with the thrusters and the nose cone are in development).
Whether you are replacing a missing or a damaged piece, you have three choices.
OPTION #1: Original version. This matches the original case with the couch parallel to the case door.
OPTION #2: The original couch is rotated 90° with the head near the door. Why? Look inside your case where the ladder comes up through the deck. How is Matt supposed to take the ladder down to the cargo area and vice versa? This couch deck includes an opening at the ladder.
OPTION #3: Take a friend to space! This arrangement is based on the Gemini capsule couches with seating for two astronauts. Now Storm, Davis or Long can help with the piloting. There’s even room for Callisto (if you trust him).
These decks are made from “fresh” white styrene which is much more durable than the 50 year old plastic. Please note in the second and fourth pictures that the edge around the bottom of the reproduction couches is not as sharp as the original. The rounded transition reduces stress and is less prone to cracking. All versions come pre-drilled, unpainted and with optional seat decals. The styrene can be painted blue to match the original coloring if desired.
NOTE: You will need to remove two original rivets from your Space Ship Case. Please refer to the attached pictures and the following link to a Youtube video for how to do this. (posted above)
Once the rivets are out, you can position the deck inside your case. Each reproduction deck is reinforced at the attachment points with another piece of styrene. It is recommended that you secure the deck to the case with #4 machine screws, washers and nuts commonly found at any hardware store. This is shown in the last picture.
If you need to, you can also contact me and I will walk you through removal and installation.
(payment info removed)
2015.06.11 I worked for months to create wooden masters (or bucks) for the vacuum-formed Styrene pieces of the Space Ship Case. See below for the bottom or thruster deck, the middle or couch deck and the nose cone. In addition to the original, the optional couch decks shown below are also available:
- center front is the original couch rotated 90° and has an opening for the ladder
- left is a two seater based on the Gemini capsule
- right is a recessed design that was offered with a custom case
2015.06.19 Work has started on the base for the Space Ship Case. Here are some pictures of the balsa block as it gets processed into the thruster and a jig for cutting it in half. There's also a video showing some of the process. I use my shop vac to capture the sawdust.
2015.06.20 Here are some progress shots of the base with thrusters. The Styrene came off of the master easily enough but there's a lot of trimming around the nozzles. I need to re-position 3 of the nozzles so that they line up correctly with the openings in the case. Otherwise the thickness/toughness is good.
2015.06.26 Sometimes you have to go backwards to make progress. I wasn't satisfied with the fit of the bottom in the case. I measured the unrolled "width" of the case and compared it to the circumference of one of the bases I had vac-formed. A few fractions of an inch in the diameter translated to almost half an inch on the circumference. I removed the nozzles and added a couple of strips of thin cardboard to the master and vac-formed a "plain" base. The resulting fit is much better. I am also going to turn new nozzles to make sure they are more uniform. I am probably being a little anal retentive about this but I want to make sure it's the best I can do.
2015.06.28 Here is a video of the bottom installed. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
2015.07.12 Here are some pictures of the main part of the master for the Space Ship Case nose cone. I was just about ready to trash this wood because I couldn't shape it. It was wobbling in the drill press and my chisel wasn't up to the task. I went on-line and discovered that when the grain of the wood is perpendicular to the axis of rotation it is like shaping a bowl (as opposed to a table leg). I picked up some tricks like adding a tool rest and added an in-line skate bearing to hold the other end of the assembly. I made the vertical cut for the door and voila! Now I need to turn the smaller nose piece.
2015.07.14 Here are pictures of the pattern used to shape the nose piece in the drill press and the piece on top of the main cone. I am choosing not to include the indentations which were the basis of the "famed Gemini capsule design!" in the description in the '67 catalog. I think these weaken the piece and lead to the cracking we are all familiar with.
2022.04.16: In addition to the original, the optional couch decks shown below are also available:
center front is the original couch rotated 90° and has an opening for the ladder
left is a two-seater based on the Gemini capsule
right is a recessed design that was offered with a custom case
2022.04.16 Here are some pictures from this afternoon. 1) The nose cone master sitting on the vacuum table. 2) The 16" diameter Styrene sheet in the frame, in the oven. 3) The Styrene right after forming. 4) The cones after the first rough cuts to get them off of the master. That's all until at least Monday. We've got company coming over tomorrow. Happy Easter or Passover or Ramadan.
2022.05.14 Here are some pictures of Ed's case after he restored it with the reproduction couch and thruster decks. He found the rivets at Hobby Lobby. Really looks great!
2022.05.16 Instructions for installing the replacement styrene pieces for the Space Ship Case. And how to remove the twist lock:
Instructions for installing the replacement Styrene pieces for the Space Ship Case.
You can reach Pat LeBlanc on Facebook.
Should anybody reading this have any similar information, additions or corrections, then we would very much appreciate hearing about them.
All Mattel images and captions are copyright Mattel and used without permission. All other content, including images and editorial, is Copyright © 1997-2024 John Eaton and/or contributors unless otherwise stated. If there are any comments or objections, please contact John Eaton.
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