- December 15th, 2016, 4:20 pm#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:
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.
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.
Next, I clamped it into my miter box, and used the hand saw very gently to cut the flat sides to the correct depths.
After some cleanup with a file, emery board, and sandpaper, I had my flat sides the way I wanted them:
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.)
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.
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:
Then, I epoxied it to the end of the wood dowel.
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.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
Next, I clamped it into my miter box, and used the hand saw very gently to cut the flat sides to the correct depths.
After some cleanup with a file, emery board, and sandpaper, I had my flat sides the way I wanted them:
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.)
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.
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:
Then, I epoxied it to the end of the wood dowel.
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.
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.
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