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Author
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Topic: Moon and Space's Apollo moon boot display
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Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4439
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-29-2015 06:16 AM
   
I stumbled across this site last night and I was only wondering to myself recently, "What did happen to the EVA boot mold that was bought from eBay recently?!"Now I know. I think the display looks terrific and knowing David Mather I am confident the quality of the display is as impressive as he would have us believe.  |
David C
Member Posts: 1321
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-29-2015 08:02 AM
Well at near enough $2000 for basically a piece of silicon that isn't even a complete sole, much less a replica boot (never mind that it's not actually from the original mold) - it's going to have to be pretty terrific. |
TLIGuy
Member Posts: 222
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013
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posted 09-29-2015 08:57 AM
Thank you for the link. I think this is a novel idea for a display. I hope his work continues with the AL7 glove since that is what I really need to complete my display. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1334
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 09-29-2015 10:57 AM
It is a nice novelty... but I've never spent that amount of money on a novelty before. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4439
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-29-2015 12:55 PM
While I contributed some of the photos in the book that accompanies this presentation that was the limit of my involvement with the project. quote:
Originally posted by David C:
(never mind that it's not actually from the original mold)
I am interested to know why you think the sole is not taken from the original mold? I watched the documentary movie "Moonwalk One" which features a technician removing soles from one of four molds.The mold owned by David Mather and used to make his silicone displays is clearly visible on the left of the screen 47 minutes and 36 seconds in to the movie. Telltale markings around the mold are an obvious match. How can you be so sure that this presentation is not from the mold that made the footprints on the moon when there is at least a one in four chance that it is? |
David C
Member Posts: 1321
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-29-2015 04:20 PM
The website says this: "hand cast from a master taken directly from the original mold."I accept that I may be wrong, but to my understanding that makes the presentation sole portions second generation. Otherwise I presume it would have said something like: "cast directly from the original mold." I guess this was done to protect the original artifact, however, it would still make the product second generation. But perhaps I've misunderstood. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4439
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-29-2015 04:59 PM
I see your point David C. Having studied the site more closely it is evident David Mather made a master copy from the original mould and it is from this that the 750 replicas were made.Given the historical nature of the original mould and David Mathetr's desire to maintain it's integrity that would make sense. A little clarification from David Mather regarding the mold used to make the presentation: There were four moulds made in total for two sizes of boot – one was medium and one was large. The four moulds you see in the film are those two pairs of moulds. The technician is using a 'large' mould to cast a sole – the only difference is that the large size has one extra rib in the sole (9 instead of 8 not including heel and toe crescents) - Lovell's boot featured in the book is a 'large.' The soles used by Armstrong and Aldrin are both medium and the right medium boot is the mould I have. Aldrin's famous imprint of his right boot in the lunar soil came from this mould. |
mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1299
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 09-29-2015 09:31 PM
Over-priced by an order of magnitude. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4439
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 01-14-2022 01:30 PM
Has anybody been in touch with David Mather recently? David has been selling the Apollo moon boot display produced using the ILC boot mould and more recently a replica EVA glove. Mail to his yahoo address bounces back and his "moonandspace" website has closed down.Better still, if you are reading this post David please drop me a line. Thanks in advance. Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Spacehardware
Member Posts: 136
From: Durley
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 01-14-2022 02:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mode1charlie:
Over-priced by an order of magnitude.
If you have ever tried to reproduce something so precisely and with the correct materials you will understand just how expensive it is to produce something of quality. The resin alone is extremely expensive and is over five times the cost of the standard silicone. The cost of producing a perfect, bubble free bevelled display case is over $100 just for the acrylic, let alone the powder coated engineering quality MDF base - produced by just one company in the UK. Add in writing and printing a book, and it really disappointing to receive such comments. An original moonboot sole will cost around $12,000+ at auction, if you can find one. If you understand just how precise the reproduction process is for resin casting you will understand that the presentation is identical to an original sole. There is no loss of definition whatsoever. You are looking at exactly the same sole that made the first steps on the moon. I am happy to have met some wonderful collectors through our products who really appreciate what we have done and I am extremely proud of our presentation. |
Apolloman
Member Posts: 163
From: Ledignan, Gard (30), France
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 02-22-2022 11:34 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
Has anybody been in touch with David Mather recently?
Yes, me at the very beginning of the year, I wished him the best wishes and he answered me without any problem. From what he told me in our conversations, he had to move to Italy (near Milan).I was again in contact with him because during 2021 I bought a display with the print of the moon boot on eBay. |
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