In one of the most impressive builds I’ve seen here (or ever really), former Navy electronics technician, game tester, and current stay-at-home dad Wes Swain has come up with an incredible Mario Kart-themed nursery. His grandfather (an accomplished gunsmith and general tinkerer) and his dad (a skilled artist) inspired Swain to make something that his son “could point to knowing that his dad made it just for him.”
You can find a full set of images for this build on Imgur, or check out the excellently-produced video from his Youtube page, which is also embedded below.
In the video you’ll see a variety of skills on display, including foam fabrication and painting of Mario and his “Kart.” From the amazing results of this and the mural, you might suspect that Swain has extensive experience in this type of work, but his last art class was in high school in 1997. He has, however, done a lot of 3D-modeling, which he credits with helping him retain some sculpting skills.
Besides sculpting, he added LED strips to the cart and had the tire treads cut out on a friend’s CNC router. He’s quick to note that during this year-and-half and over 800 hour (estimated) project, he had the help of lots of people, including a few tips from Jimmy DiResta. Besides personal help, he cites Youtube as quite helpful when learning a new skill for nursery creation.
I’d have to say that his son won’t soon forget this build and, as a father, it makes me feel a little guilty for not making something like this for my son! On the other hand, I suppose it’s never too late, so maybe this will inspire me or someone else.
Besides his Youtube page, you can check out his “Geeksmithing” website for an overview of this and some other interesting projects, including two other video game themed nurseries!
[via Reddit]
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