#4887298
41. THROWER: FRONT & REAR CYLINDERS

The gun body has stubby cylinders on the front and rear, with varying levels of detail.

The front cylinder is supposed to be 1-1/4" in diameter, so I was able to come close enough using a piece of 1" I.D. PVC, which has an outer diameter of 1-5/16". To make it, I simply put a sign plastic "cap" on a 1-1/2" length of the pipe. If you're just tuning in and didn't see this process in the full pack build, here are the steps:

Image
1. I cut the PVC to length, traced the end on a piece of sign plastic, and cut that out, staying just outside the line.
2. I superglued the "cap" onto the end.
3. I sanded the edges of the cap with 80-grit sandpaper, and finished with 220 and 400.

I glued it onto the front of the gun body using epoxy, centering it vertically on the lower part of the block, and bringing it just about flush to the left side.

Image
The rear cylinder is quite a bit more complex, as it has two flat sides near the front.

I decided I want the cylinder to fit more snugly against the gun track and instrument bar (even more so than the actual film props), so I planned to cut my flat sides not quite so deeply along the length of the cylinder as you might expect.

This is too much work for PVC, so I opted to use a 1-1/4" diameter wood dowel, purchased as a 4-foot length at Lowe's for $4.48. That's quite expensive for such a small part, I know, but I think the dowel is going to come in handy again later.

I cut a 1-3/4" length, and after careful measuring, marked where the flat sides are located.

Image
Next, I clamped it into my miter box, and used the hand saw very gently to cut the flat sides to the correct depths.

Image
After some cleanup with a file, emery board, and sandpaper, I had my flat sides the way I wanted them:

Image
After that, I painted the wood with two light coats of wood glue. (The hole is there so I could hold the piece in mid-air, suspended on a chopstick.)

Image
The film-used part has a seam right about where the shorter flat side ends, so I cut some electrical tape and applied it on both sides. Once painted, it will look a little like a stepped seam.

Image
The end of the cylinder is slightly larger in diameter, so this is where my 1" PVC pipe helped once again. I cut a 1/4" length and capped it with more sign plastic:

Image
Then, I epoxied it to the end of the wood dowel.

Image
This may seem like a lot of effort for such a small part, but I really want to get as many details as I can. This will add to the perception of complexity when the whole thing is painted and weathered. Every detail counts!

Finally, I attached the rear cylinder to the gun body using epoxy. There are three surfaces where the parts come into contact, so it was a solid bond.

Image
In this last shot below, you can see how the flat side of the cylinder lays perfectly against the gun track. I know the real movie prop has a bigger gap there, but this "idealized" approach, I think, looks better.

Image

That's it! Next post, I'll make the instrument bar.

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$4.48 - 4 feet x 1-1/4" diameter wood dowel (Lowe's)

$361.69 - previous total

TOTAL: $366.17
#4887484
42. THROWER: INSTRUMENT BAR

Pretty simple piece this time. The instrument bar is a rectangular block that rests against the rear of the gun body and on the rear cylinder. I opted to make mine out of leftover "for sale" sign plastic.

First, I took measurements of my assembly and, combining them with Stefan's plans, measured and cut my plastic pieces.

Image
Next, I glued the pieces together with superglue into the box shape, and then sanded all the edges and seams with 80, 220, and 400-grit sandpaper.

Image
And finally, I epoxied the box to the gun body, resting it on the rear cylinder.

Image
Not much else to say; it was pretty straightforward. :)

UPDATE:

Oops! I forgot the flat plate that is mounted on the back of the instrument bar! Easily fixed. I cut a piece of sign plastic to 1" x 2-3/4", gently rounded the corners with sandpaper, and superglued it on in the right position.

Now that rear cylinder is a tight fit!

Image
Next post, I'll make the trigger box, which is a very similar process.

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $366.17
EJLambert liked this
#4887669
43. THROWER: TRIGGER BOX

The trigger box is mounted to the side of the instrument bar, and houses the trigger button and activation switch. My version was made out of leftover sign plastic, and has no entry point. As a result, the switches will be non-functional.

This is a pretty straightforward part. After taking measurements from Stefan's plans, I marked and cut my pieces from the sign plastic.

Image
I then superglued them together, using a nail file (emery board) to sand a bevel between the surfaces where the join was not a 90-degree overlap. After this, I sanded the edges and seams using the usual 80-220-400 sandpaper combination.

Image
Since this bond is plastic to plastic with some sanding between surfaces, it was safe to attach the trigger box to the instrument bar with superglue. I used Stefan's plans, some online reference photos, and kind of eyeballed it. :)

Image
And finally, for that added touch of realism, I used hot glue in the top and bottom corners to apply my fake spot welds.

Image
That's about it!

Next post, yet another simple step: side discs. After that: heat sink.

(Yes, I know I'm going slow and making small, less consequential posts. 'Tis the season, and I ain't giving the kids my proton pack!!! ;) )

Thanks for reading!

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $366.17
#4887764
44. THROWER: SIDE DISCS

The side discs are the two stacked knobs on the left side of the thrower. The upper knob seems to be knurled in some pictures, so I went with the caps of these glue sticks from my local dollar store:

Image
After tracing where I wanted to cut (by holding a fine-point Sharpie still and rotating the cap), I carefully cut off the top 1/4" of two of the caps with a very sharp x-acto knife.

Image
For the larger discs, I used 1" I.D. PVC pipe, and cut quarter-inch lengths. I capped with with leftover sign plastic using the same technique as before.

Image
Then, I superglued the smaller knobs onto the larger discs.

Image
After carefully measuring and marking where the discs are mounted, I epoxied them to the gun body.

Image
For the screws that go in the top, I picked up these #10-32 x 1" flat-head socket screws from Home Depot:

Image
I drilled 5/32" holes through the upper knobs all the way into the gun body. The screws went right in, no glue necessary! I deliberately over-tightened them, creating a little bit of a bowing effect in the upper knobs, because I kind of liked the look. :)

Image
And that's it for the side discs. Next post, I will try to make a reasonable looking heat sink.

Thanks for reading!

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$1.35 - #10-32 x 1" flat-head socket screws (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$1.00 - Glue sticks (4-pack) (dollar store)

$366.17 - previous total
$2.35 - this stuff

TOTAL: $368.52
twmedford23 liked this
#4887875
45. THROWER: HEAT SINK

The heat sink is the large boxy thing with fins on the right side. There a lot of clever ways to make them, as I've seen in these forums, but I decided to go with the most simple and cost-effective route: popsicle sticks.

Image
After picking out the nine most uniform-looking sticks I could find in the package, I cut a 2-1/4" square piece of leftover 1/4" MDF to act as the base. I then marked the square with pencil, dividing it into eight equal strips.

Image
Next, I superglued the popsicle sticks along the lines and on the edges, taking my time with each one individually, holding it straight for a few seconds while the superglue set.

Image
At this time I realized that in my measurements, I had not taken into account the thickness of the sticks when placed at the ends of the block! As a result, the sticks on each end are very slightly closer to their neighbors. It's hard to see, and I kind of like the look. No biggie.

Once cured, I sliced off the excess with my miter saw (a careful hand with the hacksaw or coping saw would have worked just as well). I cleaned up the piece with sandpaper and a nail file.

Image
After this, I applied three light coats of wood glue mixed 50/50 with water, to seal wood pores and help hide any grain. I followed up with a light 400-grit sanding.

Image
And finally, I glued the heat sink into position on the gun body using epoxy.

Pretty straightforward!

EDIT: After some advice from DarkSpectre in the posts below, I have lightly rounded the corners of the fins with a nail file/emery board, and coated with a little watered down glue. This really improves the look!

Image
Next post, in my efforts to finish all the black-painted parts, I will make and install the handle and barrel.

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$2.74 - 150-pack of popsicle sticks (Wal-Mart)

$368.52 - previous total

TOTAL: $371.26
Last edited by Astyanax on January 10th, 2017, 4:21 pm, edited 3 times in total.
#4887904
Thanks very much. The idea has been done on these forums before. :)

For rounding, you mean round the edges down the length of each fin, or just on the ends?

Having finished with the coat of glue on this part, I don't trust a dremel, but I can use emery boards!

Thanks!

Bill
#4887919
Ooh, I gotta check those out. Thanks for that!

EDIT: Bummer. Too big for that 1/2" coupling, which wants more like 13/16" diameter to fit inside it. The JB Weld tube is just over an inch. S'ok, I have some dirt-cheap 3/4" O.D. tubing coming on eBay that I'll be experimenting with.
#4887934
46. THROWER: HANDLE & BARREL

After coming to some decisions about how I'm going to build the rest of this, I decided to get my basic handle and barrel pipes onto the gun body. I'm very close to having all the parts completed that need to be painted black, so that is my focus.

For the handle, I cut a 10-1/4" length of 1" I.D. PVC pipe. It slid quite nicely into the hole I had made for it in the gun body, and I secured it with epoxy.

Image
I then used hot glue to make the "fake weld" effect where the pipe comes into contact with the gun body. It's not as proounced effect as some builds, but I don't love the fake weld effect anyway, so I'm going with the minimum I can to get by. :)

Image
That's it for the handle. For the barrel, I picked up a piece of 1" dowel from Home Depot, as well as a 1/2" PVC coupling.

Image
The coupling has the same diameter as a piece of 1/2" I.D. PVC pipe, so that was a cost savings. I cut the dowel and an additional piece of leftover 1" I.D. PVC pipe to a length of about 6-1/4" each.

Image
The coupling does not fit into the pipe, as it's about 1/32" too wide all around. But once I sanded it heavily with the sanding drum attachment on my drill, that made it just small enough to insert into the tube. I was careful not to sand the 1/2" of length that I want to show.

Once I inserted the coupling a half inch or so, some heavy taps from my mallet knocked it into place. No glue was necessary.

Image
NOTE: The coupling has a ring inside that prevents pipes from being inserted too deeply. I ground this out with my dremel, as I will need that full 13/16" inside diameter.

I then epoxied the dowel into the barrel hole in the gun body about half-way (3"), and then epoxied the barrel onto the remaining 3" of dowel that was sticking out. I left a small gap between the two pipes, showing the dowel underneath. This seems to be common in many thrower builds (some leave more space in the gap, but I chose 1/8").

Image
That's about all there is for this step. Next post, I will add the barrel lock and ears. Then it'll be ready for paint!

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$3.98 - 1" x 48" long round wood dowel (Home Depot)
$0.32 - 1/2" PVC coupling (Home Depot)

$371.26 - previous total
$4.30 - this stuff

TOTAL: $375.56
Last edited by Astyanax on January 8th, 2017, 10:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
#4888018
47. THROWER: BARREL LOCK & EARS

The last structural bits to complete on this build prior to painting are the greeblies that can be found on the barrel. The "ears" are the two protrusions on the end of the barrel, and the "lock" is near its base. I first sketched them out by hand, using reference pics and measurements from Stefan's plans as my guide.

Image
Two of the parts are a half-inch thick, and the third is three-quarters, so I started by gluing together some layers of 1/4" MDF.

Image
Next, I cut cubes of the outer dimensions of each piece with my miter saw.

Image
After that, I marked each cube according to the details of its part, and sanded each piece to the proper shape. For some surfaces, the sanding was done by hand. For others, I used the drum sander attachment for my drill, as before.

Image
Image
Image
I then coated each piece with 3 layers of wood glue, not just for protection, but also to take away the "wood" look and make them appear more like plastic or metal.

Image
After an additional light sanding with 400-grit, I glued the ears onto the end of the barrel with epoxy.

Image
As you can see in the above pic, there's quite a seam showing at the attachment points, so I decided to use Bondo to cover the seams and to "caulk" the attachment points to the barrel.

Image
For the barrel lock, I first test fit my recently-purchased hand grip (coming soon), and marked the back end of the grip on the barrel with a pencil. Then, I glued the barrel lock onto the barrel just behind that line.

Image
The barrel lock now just overlaps the gap between the barrel and its base. Perfect for my needs. :)

Image
Ready for paint! Next post, I will paint, fix glaring seams and other imperfections, and paint again.

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $375.56
#4888391
48. THROWER: PAINT

At last, a couple days with lower humidity and higher temperature! Finally time to do some painting.

First, I gave the entire assembly a couple light coats of flat black. With so many pieces to this, the flat paint helped me spot any glaring imperfections (seams, pock marks, etc.) that I would want to fill before finishing. I'm glad I took the time, because it made a huge difference!

After deciding what to clean up, I applied Bondo spot putty on all the problem areas.

Image
Next, I sanded these areas down, using only 400-grit, followed by 800-grit sandpaper.

Image
Then, I re-painted the whole thing, using my usual black formula of 2-3 coats flat black, 1-2 light coats of semi-gloss, and then 1-2 very light coats of flat again to even things out.

Image
I am very happy with the result!

Image
Here are a couple more shots of the front end:

Image
Image
Yes, I know the end of the barrel is supposed to be silver, but I'm going to save that for the weathering step. I want to get the hand grips on as soon as possible, so that I wont have to handle the painted areas much!

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $375.56
twmedford23 liked this
#4888455
49. THROWER: HAND GRIPS

Getting the hand grips on the thrower as soon as possible was the next priority, enabling me to handle the whole thing more without worrying about fingerprints and oil stains.

After doing much research on these forums and a lot of online searching, I managed to find these grips buried deep in the Home Depot Web site:

Image
These grips are split down the back side, and are meant to be wrapped around 1" handles to enable you to hold onto tools and gear more easily. I test fit them around my larger PVC pipe, and they fit that as well. I had to have them shipped to the store in order to keep shipping costs down, but they're exactly what I wanted!

Image
These are hard rubber, already black, and just about the perfect length! To attach them permanently, all I did was leave a thick bead of epoxy down the non-split length of each. Carefully, I then pulled the split side open, and snapped them onto the pipes of the thrower. The epoxy lubricated the insides of the grips just long enough for me to align them just right before curing.

Here's the rear handle:

Image
Image
And the front handle:

Image
Image
It's amazing how perfect a match the black color and texture is to the rest of the thrower; I'm happy not to have to paint them!

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$4.29 - 1" comfort grip handle (Home Depot)
$4.29 - 1" comfort grip handle (Home Depot)

$375.56 - previous total
$8.58 - this stuff

TOTAL: $384.14
#4888466
I'm glad they finally make black ones in these grips. I used the same ones but they were neon green and had to have some serious work for them to take paint. I'll have to grab a set of these for my newest build, I'm tired of making the grips from foam lol

**UPDATE**

Home Depot is currently sold out of these but Walmart.com seems to have the same ones

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Creative-Pro ... about-item
#4888576
50. THROWER: WEATHERING

I won't spend too much time here, as the techniques were already covered when I weathered the pack itself, so I'll zero in on the parts I found most interesting. :)

The first thing to take care of was the metal coloring for the end of the barrel. As you can see from the pics below, I first hand-painted the end with two coats of my silver model paint. I didn't worry too much about overpainting onto the rest of the barrel, because I cleaned that up by masking off the metal part (and some of the hand grip), and spraying it lightly with flat black. This produced a sharper line where the two barrel parts meet up. For weathering, I then coated the metal part with black acrylic paint.

Image
Next, I wiped off as much of the acrylic paint as I could before it began to dry. This dulled the metal shine a little, and made the line between the two barrel parts even cleaner.

Image
For the rest of the thrower, I took a silver drybrush approach along all of the lines, working very sparingly. I only wanted to indicate light use with my weathering, not total neglect, so most of the lines are fairly sharp.

Image
Some of the parts I gave extra silver attention, such as the heat sink and the inner pipe between the two rear barrel pipes

Image
This light weathering is mostly intended to bring out detail and make the whole thing look a little less artificial.

Image
Outlying edges I tried to weather more than others, including areas that would be handled more frequently.

Image
Again, a more subtle approach, bringing out the lines.

Image
By the way, my phone has a black metal case that has taken some minor abuse over the last couple years. I thought I'd show off some REAL weathering on a similar material:

Image
As you can see, just bringing out the lines can be totally legitimate. Have a look at Westies14's amazing Venkman build (especially the thrower pics), if you haven't already referenced it a million times for your own build!

Next post, I'll put on all those socket cap screws.

Thanks for reading!

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $384.14
#4888618
51. THROWER: SCREWS

Although the 12 additional cap screws and 2 set screws are intended to actually hold the thrower together in most kits, in my case they are purely cosmetic. For the most part, it wasn't necessary to use any glue, as I took care to drill holes that were tight enough to engage the threads. So let's dive in. :)

After some deliberation, I decided to go with metric screws instead of standard, because they come in black at Home Depot. The standard ones are silver, so this saved me the effort of painting. I picked up these 12mm long M4 socket head cap screws, plus a 2-pack of 8mm M4 set screws.

Image
I started with the six screws that go the bottom plate, on either side of the gun track. Again, I drilled 9/64" holes, which are a 64th smaller than the actual screws, so they went in nice and tightly.

Image
Next up, I installed the two cap screws for the plate on the instrument bar:

Image
Then, a single screw between the two side discs. It's not obvious here, but my drill went off-center a bit. Oh well!

Image
After this, tackling the barrel lock required a single cap screw in the back. But, because the gun body is all assembled, I couldn't get my drill in there to pre-drill that hole. So instead, I cut off the head of the screw with a hacksaw and glued it on with epoxy. For the additional set screw on the side, I carefully drilled my hole, and then cleaned it up with a black Sharpie marker before screwing it in.

Image
Depending on which of the many versions of the proton thrower you're building, the base of the barrel has one or two cap screws, with or without brass spacers. I opted for two screws with spacers. The spacers weren't readily available, so I sliced off some 1/8" lengths of dowel, and:

1. Drilled them through the center (sort of :)) and applied two thin coats of wood glue
2. Primed them
3. Sprayed them gold
4. Weathered them by painting them with black acrylic and wiping it off

Image
The screws went in nice and tightly without glue, again making sure my holes in the barrel were just the right size for this.

Image
And finally, my barrel ear took a set screw in the front. Once again, I cleaned up the hole with a Sharpie before screwing it in.

Image
That's it! It was crucial to take this step slowly, drilling my holes very gradually and carefully. I didn't want to have to do repair work, so I was pretty scared through most of the drilling. :)

Next post, it'll be time for the switches and (fake) lights!

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 12mm socket head cap screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)
$0.54 - M4-0.7 x 8mm socket set screw (2-pack) (Home Depot)

$384.14 - previous total
$3.78 - this stuff

TOTAL: $387.92
#4888694
52. THROWER: LIGHTS & SWITCHES

For the lights and switches, I wanted to see exactly how close I could get to looking authentic, but without sourcing vintage or otherwise expensive parts. Lights and switches found on eBay from China and Hong Kong turned out to be the right choice, but I had to wait some weeks for the delivery. I ordered a couple months ago, so I was covered. Most came in 2-3 weeks.

Caveat #1: I built this thrower with no way of getting to its insides. This means mounting lights and switches was a bit more complicated. Building the rest of the gun was easier this way, but that was the trade-off.

Caveat #2: I decided early on that none of the lights or switches would be working. My intention is just for an inert prop that looks pretty close for a scratch build. Maybe someday down the line I will build a working one, but for now, looking cool in the hands or on the back is good enough!

Okay, with all that out of the way, let's start with the toggle switches. I picked up this four-pack on eBay for just over a buck:

Image
Because I could not mount them from inside the gun, I had to cut the threaded switch part from the connection block. I did this with a hacksaw, and then used epoxy to glue the toggle back into the threads in an angled position. This renders the switches unable to be flipped, but I was okay with that. After placing the small nut in the right position, a few dabs of epoxy with a toothpick underneath held the nut in position.

Image
To install the switches, I slowly, carefully drilled holes that were 1/64" too small for the threads, and they popped right in, nice and tight.

Image
On the trigger box, I installed a toggle switch the same way, and then drilled my hole for the first of two push-button switches.

Image
The push-button switches I found on eBay, a pack of five for just over a buck. They have only red caps, but coloring one black would be easy enough.

Image
Prepping the push-button switches required grinding off the ring just below the threads with my dremel. This caused the base to pop-off, and kept the spring mechanism intact.

Image
As before, I used a little epoxy to hold the nut on the threads in the right position. I also used epoxy on the underside of the nut to glue the switch onto the trigger box. Once that had cured, I colored the red cap with a black Sharpie marker.

Image
Next up, the hat lights. I knew I wasn't going to be able to match those perfectly, but after much searching and measuring, I landed on a pair of these red neon indicator lights for a dollar each:

Image
After cutting off the wires, I primed them white and painted one orange with acrylic paint. Then I lightly weathered them by coating them in black acrylic paint and wiping it off. Keeping the nut on the threads almost gives that "hat" look, which was close enough for me.

Image
After this, I drilled a hole for the other push-button switch into the barrel ear, being careful not to go too deep:

Image
Then I epoxied in the push-button switch. For the hat light, I cut off the threads completely with a hacksaw and glued it on.

Image
The underside of the ear seems to have a bump or two, so I picked up these stick on bumpers from the dollar store...

Image
...and stuck one on the underside of the ear, opposite the hat light.

Image
For the white light on top, I had a lot of difficulty finding anything close, so I settled for this white LED dashboard warning light, on eBay for a buck:

Image
I was able to install this into the MDF of the top of the gun body by drilling a slightly undersized hole and screwing it right in.

Below that light, I used another one of those stick-on bumpers. Problem is, it's too clear. But I remember reading about how CA glue causes clear plastics to craze or frost up, so I applied a little superglue to the sticky side of the bumper. Then I stuck that on, and it was cloudy enough to give the right appearance. :)

Image
Next, I hacksawed off the threads of the white "hat" light I had made, and epoxied it on:

Image
For the red "Slo-Blo" light, I found this red LED indicator light on eBay for just over a buck:

Image
Installing this went just like the toggle switches: I drilled the hole a 64th too small, and it snapped in and is holding very tightly. No glue necessary.

Image
And that's it for the lights and switches. Here's a higher-level view:

Image
It's not dead-on, but I'm very happy with how close I came, for a scratch build, and at this cost (under $8 for everything)! And the push-buttons do work! :)

Next post: knobs!

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$1.15 - 3-position mini toggle switches (4-pack) (eBay)
$1.20 - Red cap push-button switches (5-pack) (eBay)
$0.99 - Neon indicator pilot lamp (eBay)
$0.99 - Neon indicator pilot lamp (eBay)
$1.00 - Clear protective bumper pads (dollar store)
$0.99 - White 8mm LED dashboard warning light (eBay)
$1.33 - Red 8mm LED signal indicator light (eBay)

$387.92 - previous total
$7.65 - this stuff

TOTAL: $395.57
OCP_Model-001 liked this
#4888778
53. THROWER: KNOBS

There are four knobs on the proton thrower, and I spent quite a bit of time sourcing the best options for the lowest cost. I also uncovered a semi-glaring build flaw! Read on...

The largest knob, aka "hat knob", I built using the cap from a package of hand soap from the dollar store. I sliced off a 1/8" thick section from my 1" dowel to serve as the "brim" of the hat, and used a 1/2" dowel length inside the cap to help it adhere to the brim. A light coat of wood glue on the wood parts, and the first knob is done.

Image
For the front knob, I found this guitar knob on eBay for a buck. It has nice knurling, and will look great on the thrower.

Image
For the base of the knob, I picked up this pack of rubber beveled washers from Lowe's.

Image
To assemble, I epoxied a length of dowel (same size as the washer's hole) into the knob so that it can act as a shaft. Then I pushed the rubber washer over the dowel, sliding it up to the knob. It was a tight fit, so no glue was necessary. After that, I sliced off the remaining bit of dowel from the bottom. Front knob complete!

Image
For the "stream adjuster" knob on top, I found this tripod nut kit on eBay for just over a buck. These knurled nuts were just about the right size.

Image
I also picked up some M3 x 20mm socket head cap screws to act as the shaft of the knob. And I epoxied a leftover #10 washer onto the top of the knob. That's it for this knob, until painting and assembly.

Image
For the "shaft collar", I cut two 1/8" lengths from leftover dowels (1/2" and 1/4" diameters, I believe), and superglued them together. I coated them lightly with wood glue, and drilled a 1/16" hole through the center. I used a 2d nail I had lying around to serve as the shaft.

Image
Time for painting. First, I primed them all with flat black, and then sprayed them all with the metallic silver I used previously in this build.

Image
Then, I weathered them all using the same technique as before: a coat of black acrylic, and wiping or dabbing off as much excess as desired with a cloth. The effect is not as pronounced in this picture, but in the assembly pictures following, they look much more grimy.

Image
Time to assemble. For the shaft collar, I pre-drilled part of a pilot hole and then pressed the nail, coated with a small amount of epoxy, into the gun body. The hat knob I simply epoxied onto the gun body.

Image
To install the stream adjuster knob, I pre-drilled a 9/64" hole into the dowel on the top of the gun body, and then screwed in the knob using the 20mm cap screw. It was a tight fit and the threads engaged nicely, so no glue was necessary.

Image
And finally, I epoxied the front knob onto the front of the gun body. And that's where I realized I had made a sizing error...

The lower, "step" section of the gun body isn't long enough! The knob really overlaps the white hat light.

Image
I don't know how I missed this, but it turns out the step is too short by more than 1/4". That, combined with the fact that my front knob is taller than the actual prop, creates the overlap effect.

Ah well, a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, but too late to correct now without major disassembly. I'll live with it. :)

And that's the knobs. Next post, I'll add the Clippard valve and barrel trigger.

Thanks for reading!

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

$1.00 - Liquid hand soap refill packet (dollar store)
$0.99 - Metal guitar tuning knob (eBay)
$1.99 - 25/32" rubber beveled washers (Lowe's)
$1.24 - 1/4" tripod mounting screw & nuts (eBay)
$0.51 - M3-0.5 x 20mm socket cap screws (3-pack) (Home Depot)

$395.57 - previous total
$5.73 - this stuff

TOTAL: $401.30
#4888875
54. THROWER: CLIPPARD VALVE & BARREL TRIGGER

Okay, a couple miscellaneous parts to add this time.

First, I attached the second Clippard valve I had made when I was working on the pack. I did so with the same #6 x 3/4" round head screws I used on the pack. With a dab of epoxy for good measure, this valve isn't going anywhere. :)

Image
The barrel trigger is that little green lever which extends the barrel tip a few inches. Even though my thrower won't have an extendable tip, the trigger itself is still part of my build.

To start, I took the smallest dowel I had left over, and sanded a few inches of one end (by wrapping 80-grit sandpaper around it) until it was of a narrow enough diameter to fit inside a piece of my green poly tubing (which I had purchased when I put the color tubing on the pack). I then primed it and sprayed it metallic gold.

Image
When the paint was dry, I cut a 3/4" length of my green tubing, and inserted the dowel into it. It was a very tight fit, so no glue was necessary. I then cut it to the right length (with test fitting), and weathered it using the same technique of painting over it with black acrylic and wiping it off. This produced the perfect dulled look. :)

Image
To install it, I put about an inch of epoxy on one side of the back end of the dowel, and positioned it just right against the gun body, this time using Stefan's plans as a reference. I jammed a piece of leftover sign plastic between the dowel and the trigger box, forcing the part against the side of the gun body until the epoxy cured.

Image
Once cured, my barrel trigger was complete.

Image

Next post, I'll apply the labels and the little bezel around the power indicator (bar graph).

Thanks for reading,

Bill

RUNNING PARTS COST:

-- NO MONEY SPENT --

TOTAL: $401.30
Xandrew Bull liked this
#4888881
Seal? I'm not sure I follow you. If you mean a clear top coat, I'm not sealing at all. I just couldn't find one that left me with a finish that I was happy with. So instead, I have increased the number of coats of paint for everything. The black probably amounts to 5-6 coats (between flat and satin), and the silver to 2-3. I layer on the coats very lightly in low-humidity climate (or use a heat gun to help dry in the higher humidity) every 10 minutes until I'm happy.

So no clear coat protection, but I'm not too worried about the extra "weathering" I'll get from wear and tear. I can always touch up later.

Hope that answered your question. :)

Bill

Yeah, we've been building this thing for ten[…]

Someone on FB found it. NARDA ELECTROMAGNETIC RADI[…]

It appears that some time today someone who […]

Correct, it grants several in fact the Melody's […]