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How I made this WW2 Life Raft Ration Perfectly Clear!!


rambob
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Well, it took a lot longer than I had expected but I finally finished my example of a see through Life Raft Ration tin with all contents. Before anybody blows a gasket, I want everyone to know that no original life raft rations were harmed during the making of this see through version. That is because all of the contents are reproductions and were made by hand, by me. I could spend at least one page of text going through the magic it took to make the clear plastic tin and especially the authentic looking contents. Just be aware that I am a computer nerd and I have very strong art skills and computer software/hardware that helped doing the things such a labels and artwork necessary to complete this ration. I also am very good with modeling and tools which helped tremendously in making the jig I used to mold the dimples in the cellophane sheet where the 6 vitamin tablets reside in the cellophane package.

 

The major help in deciding to do this project is that the Charms candy is still manufactured and I was able to use the rolls of this candy as a basis to make the 12 whole packages of Charms and broke up a few other packs to get the 12 loose candies.

I used artistic license in printing the usage instructions located inside the ration on clear, transparency paper so you could see the vitamin tablets nestled underneath. If I had not done that, then all the hard work I did to make the tablet package would have been wasted and unviewable behind paper instructions. I really spared no detail or effort in make this ration and I hope you enjoy the end result.

 

Bob   

Whole Ration Display out of Tin.jpg

Top and side view.jpg

Bottom and side view.jpg

Top.jpg

End1.jpg

side1.jpg

end2.jpg

side2.jpg

bottom.jpg

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Here is the jig I made to "mold" the dimples on the two cellophane sheets to hold the vitamin tablets. Also shown is an image of one side of the package after molding. BTW. The tablets are  coated Advil with the name carefully scratched off.

 

Bob

vitamin tablet package press.jpg

Tablet cellphane half.jpg

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Here is a top and Bottom comparison of the see through version and my mint, original, life raft ration. It was sure handy having the original ration when making the outer container.

 

Bob

top comparison.jpg

bottom comparison.jpg

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Everyone. I just noticed an error on the top label of the ration where the bottom line of text that should be in the box is actually below the box. I have fixed the art and will update the ration tomorrow. Stay tuned, but I probably will not update more than a couple of the ration photos with the new art installed. Probably just the two comparison pictures with the original ration.

 

Bob

 

 

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General Apathy
5 hours ago, rambob said:

Well, it took a lot longer than I had expected but I finally finished my example of a see through Life Raft Ration tin with all contents. Before anybody blows a gasket, I want everyone to know that no original life raft rations were harmed during the making of this see through version. That is because all of the contents are reproductions and were made by hand, by me. I could spend at least one page of text going through the magic it took to make the clear plastic tin and especially the authentic looking contents. Just be aware that I am a computer nerd and I have very strong art skills and computer software/hardware that helped doing the things such a labels and artwork necessary to complete this ration. I also am very good with modeling and tools which helped tremendously in making the jig I used to mold the dimples in the cellophane sheet where the 6 vitamin tablets reside in the cellophane package.

 

The major help in deciding to do this project is that the Charms candy is still manufactured and I was able to use the rolls of this candy as a basis to make the 12 whole packages of Charms and broke up a few other packs to get the 12 loose candies.

I used artistic license in printing the usage instructions located inside the ration on clear, transparency paper so you could see the vitamin tablets nestled underneath. If I had not done that, then all the hard work I did to make the tablet package would have been wasted and unviewable behind paper instructions. I really spared no detail or effort in make this ration and I hope you enjoy the end result.

 

Bob   

Whole Ration Display out of Tin.jpg

 

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Thanks General for the kind words!! Here are three updated pictures with the corrected label attached to the ration. I looks like my work is done here.

 

Bob

label and instructions.jpg

top side by side new label.jpg

 

bottom side by side new label.jpg

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If anybody on the forum has any additional ideas for WW2 rations or other items to make "perfectly clear" please let me know as I am always looking for new projects.

 

Also for those of you who missed my D Ration made perfectly clear, here is a link to the topic.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Bob

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