Update: 10/5/2011 – Projects and more that I wont be able to complete

Yes, I ratted myself out. I start alot more then I finish. So far I think my success at failure is something around 100%. I got several projects in the works though this one I have some incentive to actually complete. Its for halloween 🙂

Utinni!!

 

Yes, I am being a Jawa. Not only am I being a jawa though, I am being a Jawa that has been plagued with gigantism. I have been ostracized from the clan which is why I am dressing alone. I am a wondering Jawa. Well, nearly. I will likely just have the cape and hood for this costume (so I will at least look like a Jawa) as well as the eyes. The cloth material, sadly, I just dont have the time to learn and create it myself this time. So we have asked one of my wifes coworkers to create it for me. Now the eyes is what I am working on, and as luck would have it, I think I have it pretty figured out.

 

For the basic mask I shall be using this:

http://www.spirithalloween.com/product/blank-male-mask/

Very simple and basic mask that I can cut up and get rid of the mouth portion of it. I just wont need that portion of which I shall use a deep black cloth to cover up the lower part of my face. On this mask I shall also be attaching some elastic bands of some sort to wrap around my head to hold it into place. Attached to this will also be black cloth wrapping up over the head as well and attaching to the back of the elastic bands via some sort of glue or so. This will hide my face in almost pure blackness 🙂

Now, the eyes. They will be a simple yellow/orange LED light. Pretty simple setup actually, will just attach a 9v battery, a resistor, and a LED light together and we are set. In addition thought to this setup, I want to try to attach a simple on and off switch so that I can turn the lights off when I am not using them. This who contraption will be attached to the mask as well, the battery, resistor and some wire will be ran along the elastic band and attach to the LED light that will be embedded in the mask just below the eyes of the mask. Now, I do still need to figure out something to attach to the LED base in order to sort of focus the light out a bit, think some concave piece will work but this is something I need to work on yet. Once all this is attached though, the head piece is pretty much complete and in theory I shall look similar to the picture above 🙂

Anyway, I hope to have this completed within a week. So looking forward to seeing something here soon 😉

As for Project Force Pike, it has hit a hurdle, I have some of the pieces I need, but one of the main pieces I had gotten is a bit to big and I am having to go around looking for a replacement for it, so this may take some time which for the time being, I am putting this one on hold for now.

3d Project, that is on hold till my new hopefully laptop arrives in the mail to replace this poopy one that I am on now. So hope that arrives in the next week or so as well 🙂

Personal Project: Force Pike – Update

Been awhile since I have posted about this. I had been having issues finding cheaper solutions for a couple of the pieces I had been needing to buy. All three were from amazon and with the shipping cost on each one, would have put the cost of those three pieces up in the range of the 20 dollar mark, which would in turn put this project far over budget. So I have spent the last few weeks digging around and just the other day manage to find a site that has them for cheaper.

Then there are some other things in the works which may make the overall cost of the project drop farther as well. So we shall see how things go over the next couple of weeks. Once I see what pieces I have and what needs to be done and bought still, I shall begin ordering in earnest and preparing the pieces for the eventual coupling and paint job that will need to be done.

For those who might be interested in creating your own:

Shopping List – all the parts I have found links for so far (minus a few smaller bits that you can get for cheap at any hardware store)

Original Plans – This is where I got my idea to make this from, as well as the original shopping list of parts as well. From here is where I started shopping around for the pieces.

Now once I begin piecing this together I shall be posting pictures of the process as well as I go. So we shall get a detailed description of the process as well once I get to that point.

 

On a side note, I am a bit jumping the gun here as well, but I have already decided what the next project will be once I create the force pike, and surprisingly it is non star wars related. I am planning on making my own Telescope and mount. More on that though once the force pike is completed 😀

 

Personal Project: Force Pike – Update and Shopping List

*1. Pool Cue at least 48″ in length – I actually found this at Dunham Sports here near me. You can check the website, but the actual stores have random sizes of pool sticks that I believe have been used before, or are just a cheaper brand. Either way, I got it for about 11 dollars instead of paying 25 plus on it. Yay for me!

*2. Backflow Prevention Valve – Only recently found a new source for this one, which is one of the things holding this project up. Anyway, I managed to get a few dollars shaved off the price here, so thinking I shall go with the new updated link here.

*3. Brass Craft Lavatory Handles

4. Multiflex Riser 1/2 x 4 inch – Finally found this bastard! Not sure why it took so long, just did a quick google search tonight and found one in 2 minutes. I guess perhaps I was spelling it wrong, but either way, I found one now! ***EDIT*** I have found a much cheaper option for this piece which I have now changed the link above to be the new one. Plus if I ever needed this site lets you order in bulk as well 😀

*5. 1″ x 3/4″ Copper Reducer

*6. Deleted for redundency

*7. 3/8″ wooden Dowel

*8. 7/8″ Black Plastic Endcap
Ordered for Free through Alliance Plastics.

*9. Black O-Ring Approx. 3/4″ (These can be found at home depot for dirt cheap it appears. Bought by the bag of 10 looking like for around a few dollars)

10. Seal off Adaptor  – Going to give this one a shot, I am not 100% sure its the right size, but the shape is right. If its the wrong size I shall post here.

*11. Bolts, Washers (these are easy to find at any home supply store, just need to figure out the sizes and buy them.)

*12. Black Corrugated Tubing

With all the pieces found now, I just got to order them! That will take me a bit, as there are a couple of different places I need to order from. I could probably save a little bit if I went to the stores to find all the pieces, but I really have little interest in doing that currently, just dont have the time to be honest.

With the pool stick, I need to start sanding it down to get rid of the color and finish, as well as any indentions as well. Then I will need to cut it down to the correct height also, that is the part that most worries me, as if I cut it wrong, I may have to buy a new pool stick, which would not be cool.

Also, picked up a few things to use as, err, reference? Or it could possibly be because I am just that big of a dork and just had to have it, I will let you decide.

Otherwise though, here is what the two pieces I currently have in my possession look like. Its a start towards completion 🙂

The blue cap on the top is the piece I got for free, worked out nicely as I didnt expect it to be soo tiny! Anyway, this will be the last update for a bit, going on vacation for a week, then once I come back hopefully have all sorts of pictures to post as well as getting time to finally get down and dirty towards this project.

See ya soon 🙂

Personal Project: Force Pike – Shopping List!

Just wanted someplace where I could post the links to the places I have found some of the items. This has turned out to be a bit more of a research project then I expected, as the original list I am following is several years old. So many of the components I would have been using are no longer made, so I have had to adapt. Either way, the project so far is fun to research and if I can get the end result, it will be worth it in the end. 🙂

*1. Pool Cue at least 48″ in length (Probably find this at Wal-mart or Dicks sporting goods locally, need to look more into it.)

*2. Backflow Prevention Valve

*3. Brass Craft Lavatory Handles

4. Multiflex Riser 1/2 x 4 inch (yeah, no luck here yet either. Sad Panda. 😦 )

*5. 1″ x 3/4″ Copper Reducer

*6. 3/4″ x 1/2″ Copper Reducer

*7. 3/8″ wooden Dowel

*8. 7/8″ Black Plastic Endcap
Ordered for Free through Alliance Plastics.

*9. Black O-Ring Approx. 3/4″ (These can be found at home depot for dirt cheap it appears. Bought by the bag of 10 looking like for around a few dollars)

10. Seal off Adaptor (this one will likely have to be replaced, cant find the right size. The search continues)

*11. Bolts, Washers (these are easy to find at any home supply store, just need to figure out the sizes and buy them.)

*12. Black Corrugated Tubing

Looking like I have most of the pieces, at least in theory, that I can get. Now I just need to find the time to buy them and to start assembling them into place and see how this will work!

Personal Project: Force Pike

I have come across a quite awesome site, at least for those of you who are Star Wars fans. Its inspired me to create my own Force Pike. What is a Force Pike you ask. Well that is a good question. Here is the explaination (or sample of it) from Wookiepedia.

These were used by my personal favorite characters from the Star Wars Universe (those that arent primary characters at least)

The Pike is the weapon you see in his hands. All around I think it will be fun to create this piece, and to help me complete it, I have the interwebs to thank. Came across the 501st legion’s website while searching for how to create stormtrooper armor for my eventual take over of the local renaissance festival one of these years. While on the site I found a link to a sister site which was dedicated to these awesome creations. So there we are. Items I am going to need are:

1. Pool Cue at least 48″ long or so. This will be used for the main shaft of the Pike.

2. Backflow prevention valve

3. Brass Craft Lavatory Handles 2745

4. Multiflex Riser ½” X 4”

5. 1″ X ¾” Copper Reducer, 3/4″ x 1/2″ Copper Reducer

6. ¾” Black Corrugated Bilge Pump Hose

7 . 3/8” Wooden Dowel

8. 7/8” Black Plastic endcap (have already ordered this, its blue, but thats nothing a simple paint job wont fix) Cost: Free

9. Black O-ring approx ¾”

10. Bolt

11. Washer

12. Rubber cone-shaped washer

13. Seal Off Adapter

14. Lubrimatic Seal Off Adapter

Tools:
Exacto Knife
Drill
Super Glue and Goop
Fine Sand Paper
Hot Glue-Gun
Screwdriver
Chrome Paint
Gloss Black Paint
Glossy Clearcoat

I am thinking alot of these things will be fairly cheap overall, though, the pool stick is starting to worry me a bit. The cheapest I can find them currently is around the 25 dollar range. While that is not expensive, it is a bit more then I wished to spend on this. I was hoping to keep this project under or close to the 50 dollar range, if the pool stick hits the 25 dollar mark, thats half the budget done already. So I shall need to keep an eye out for bargains.

As of now I dont have any plans on when I shall complete this. I shall be doing this in my free time and hoping that I will get it complete in a month or two? Shall see how this goes.