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 😀

 

Update 6 – 4 – 11

Well, life has dictated for a bit that I have not had a chance to post a new update for quite sometime in a matter of speaking. Gotten a few post up for sure, just not had time to post about whats been going on… but first, project and blog updates.

 

As I had posted before, the Force Pike Project is currently in the shopping stage. I have found links for all the pieces I need and am planning on ordering them here momentarily. Shipping is a bit high on a few pieces, so going to do a quick search to see if I can find as many as possibly through the same site so I can save on shipping cost. Granted it would be cheaper to just go to the stores to find these things, which I still might do, it would also require me to find more time to do this in. Right now I have just been putting this project together in the middle of the night when I am unable to sleep and have nothing better to do, usually around 3 to 4 in the morning to be more precise. Either way, once I get some more parts ordered, I shall be updating here with the project step by step as I go through this.

Click here for the most current update on the project and all the links for the shopping list as well.
https://tsukisramblings.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/personal-project-update-and-shopping-list/

 

 

The reviews I have gotten up since my last update.

Star Wars: Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson

Star Wars: Allegiance by Timothy Zahn

 

Reviews up and coming.

I am currently reading the Paths to Darkness books out of the forgotten realms by R.A. Salvatore. In addition I have mostly gotten the second book in the Champions of the force trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson nearly done, just really have to post it up and call it a day. So its as follows:

Star Wars: Dark Apprentice by Kevin J Anderson

Silent Blade by R. A. Salvatore

 

I am also greatly looking forward to the release of several more books in series that I have grown quite fond of. The first one I have made no denial of my interest in rereading. The book that has gotten this dork of a person hooked on reading Star Wars books for probably close to around 15 years now, Heir to the Empire’s 20th anniversary written by the ever so talented Timothy Zahn. This book releases on September 6th 2011… as long as it does not change this time at least.

In addition the last book in the Strain Trilogy, The Night Eternal, releases this October 25 2011. This is a joint effort between Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. For all of those who are into Twilight, this one is not for you. The vampires don’t sparkle, they are not the type of person you take back to mom and dad for dinner. In fact, you wouldn’t get a chance to take them for dinner before you would be consumed yourself by the much more animalistic version of a vampire to date. I got interested in this series and bought it on a whim just because I am a fan of Del Toro’s work in directing movies. (Pans Labyrinth, Hellboy, The Orphanage among others). Check out the first book if you are into a good horror in a modern day setting. The Strain Book 1

 

Now on to further buisness. Just got back from vacation with my wife and have taken many pictures in addition to this. So I shall be posting a few of the favorites up just for my own benefit, but I had many pictures that had red eye as well. So after a bit of web searching and playing around in photoshop, I have worked up a way that will nicely remove red eye for anything outside of a complete eye close up. (the effect fails up close, but most pictures dont focus on the eye directly like that). I should be posting all of this up over the coming couple of days. So stay Tuned 🙂

Otherwise though, just had to many things going on that needed to be attended to in order for me to completely focus on keep this up to date. Now with those things taken care of, should be able to more readily keep this up to date with new content and many other things. So stay tuned 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.