Field desk - part 5 - Painting and trim

The painting and trimming of the field desk.
Painting was straightforward...
Undercoat,
filling,
masking and
top coats of "Bender grey" (the darker grey used to paint Bender's arms and legs)

In keeping with the Futurama theme, and tying in the fact that this desk is designed and made for use in electronics and microprocessor experimentation, I decided to theme the trim on the concept of the desk being a "Momcorp" product, a prototyping/ repair kit for Momcorp products using microprocessors.
From that concept, it wasn't too hard to look at this as an "Experimental Brain Surgery Kit" (Always wanted a tool box with that written on it!!!) for robots and robotic devices.

Figure 1 - Momcorp logo pages drying after clear-coating and spraypainting

I created a version of the Momcorp logo (The nicer one, not the authoritarian vertical MOM one) and decoupaged it to the front and back of the desk. I printed the logo I made on the thinnest paper I could find, then spray painted the back white to increase the opacity -  I clear coated the front to stop the ink running.

Figure 2 - Decoupaged logo on door of field desk

I then got to thinking... if I was in the year 3xxx and a technician, I wouldn't leave my travelling toolbox looking so bland. It would have stickers on it ....

• from places I'd been authorised into (HAL institute for criminally insane robots), 
• stickers from products (Mom's old fashioned robot oil, bachelor chow, slurm), 
• stickers which reflected the world around me (political, social fads, social commentary, humourous), 
• and at least somewhere I'd have my name.

Based on that, I started cruising the internet finding images from the show, and editing them into a sticker style format. I found a few in that "cafepress" site which were already done, and used their look as my template. I downloaded a few fonts, and made a few (how I made the Momcorp logo) and then printed them in my inkjet printer.

Figure 3 - several pages of "stickers" drying after painting

All of the "stickers" where clear coated over (to stop the inkjet ink running when varnished), and most were spray-painted white from the back to improve the contrast and opacity - but not all. A few of the images were deliberately scuffed and aged just to add a "worn look" to them. - given the less than perfect cabinetry, a few bumps and scratches here and there will be well and truly "in character: A couple of the stickers were not painted white from the back so they'd appear to be made from newsprint paper... just for variety.

Figure 4 - Back of Field desk with stickers applied

Stickers include: The vitruvian robot drawing, robo-fresh, the feminista bumper sticker, WWZJD.....

Figure 5 - Door of Field desk (Outer side)

several Slurm stickers, Mars University, Scary Door, a binary expression....

Figure 6 - LHS of Field Desk

Nixon's reelection campaign poster, robot oil sticker, "I love Snu-Snu" bumper sticker (who doesn't?)....

Figure 7 - RHS of Field desk

A hypno-toad sticker, a trekkie bumper sticker, robot oil ad, more slurm.....

Figure 8 - Top of Field desk, including "protest sticker"

more Slurm (it really is addictive!!!), the Earthican flag, a "Morbo" bumper sticker, HAL institute sticker, a NNY sticker, and a "protest sticker".
The protest sticker was written up in the Futurama "alien" font - it's the font used throughout the show. I won't give out the meaning, but it's a very well known sentiment amongst those whom nanny-states will try and govern.

That's it for the trim - I did have a bachelor chow sticker, but it got damaged during painting (Wind got it while it was wet) - I was going to put a DOOP sticker on as well, but it was starting to look cluttered... we'll see.

All that's left now it to show the unit with the contents in it. That article is as much for the PICAXE forum as any other groups since they helped me with the shopping list of things going in there.