What I've learnt build a TC Kit VH3 So after many hours of trying to unsuccessfully troubleshoot my GBFans Soundboard problem I've decided to put it down, walk away and reach out to the maker. I'm going to go to my local Radio Shack see if I can't find some decent connectors for the speaker, pick up a multimeter and a cheap soldering iron. Not exactly sure what I'll plan to do but figure best have some of the equipment on hand if I need it.
But besides that I wanted to write about my experience building the TC VH3 KIT.
The Kit:
First of all this kit is a great way to have a screen accurate looking thrower and not break the bank. Though I sing its praise the kit has some design flaws which I hope will be improved upon in future versions.
Pros:
1. Great price.
2. Excellent, screen accurate look and feel.
3. It is resin and can easily be patched using epoxy putty or steel stick*.
4. Pre-drilled hole dimples, great for accurate placement of parts.
Cons:
1. Fragile; It is resin, dropping it is NOT an option.
2. Easy drilling, but once it makes it's way through the hole it has a PULL to it. So, be extremely careful when drilling! When I drilled the hole for the red indicator the it managed to pull the drill more than I wanted. This lead to me cracking the bottom of the instrument panel. Fortunately I used epoxy putty to fix it.
3. Pre-drilled dimples for base plate and instrument panel are good but I highly recommend using a drill/tap set. I put 6-32 wood inserts for extra security since when I tapped the hole the resin caked up on the drill bit making the hole smooth and unusable.
Outside of the Pros/Cons there were other flaws that I think come with building a thrower but might be universal across any type of thrower type (metal, aluminum, etc.). For example, the very tight working space inside the gun body. I'm actually for once happy that I have small hands and could manage okay with fitting parts.
TC Kit & GBFans Wand Light Kit:
Before I ordered by TC kit I got the upgrade switch kit from the GBFans store knowing that the ones that came with the GBFans Wand kit didn't fit, but even the upgrade kit had some installation problems.
1. The "activate" switch wasn't a problem to install since the "U" shape resin piece that holds it to the instrument panel slides out. This gave me easy access inserting it into place, but the it just touches the bottom of the trigger box. The "Intensify" button was the biggest pain. Other members said that it doesn't fit, while this is true I got mine to fit without having to cut into the back of the trigger box. What worked for me was that I used a Dremel 194 bit and gradually opened the hole to fit but most importantly gridded down the under side of the hole. This allow the button to be inserted at a 45 degree angle, but this required some force. I'm not going to lie I was afraid I was going to break it. Fortunately I did not but I'm calling this "LUCK"; so, I would suggest if you have some soldering skills have a smaller button ready.
2. Once the buttons were installed the trigger box no longer rests next up to the instrument box. There is maybe a couple mm between the trigger box/instrument panel. I'm considering gluing the "U" shaped resin piece with rubber cement (so it can be removed if needed) and using a clamp to get it close.
3. Wiring up the light kit isn't a problem but I bought a rumble motor for the thrower and I can't seem to find any room for it, even after cleaning up the wires bunching them together.
4. The ear light. Ugh, talk about tricky. Honestly there is no clean way to install this one into the thrower. Justin said you can screw into the side of the ear, run the wires through and epoxy the hole. But in my case I used a real hat light socket. So, for me drilling into the side of the ear did not make any sense to do. If you look closely at the screen used throwers the wires are even visible under the ear. In GB2 the throwers even had shrink heat wrapping to mask the wires. So I drilled my holes and even made the trigger one a bit too big. It still fit and with shrink heat no one will really know, except you. Shrink heat really hides the crimes (quoted by Adam Savage), but this leaves a problem. What about the white connector to the light kit?! How big of a hole do I drill for that?! Well, Parflagush confirmed something I didn't know if it was possible: removing the white connectors. Yes, it is possible but you have to be careful and remember where the wires go. I recommend using colored sharpies to label the wire on the white connector. I drilled a 5/32" hold where the fake weld and the grip meet and fed the three colored wires into the tube. it worked great and it's nice I didn't have to make large ungodly holes.
Other than that the kit still looks great, but maybe down the line I will upgrade to an aluminum thrower if I can afford it. More space in the gun body is one request I would have for Justin, but understand if it can't be done.
5. The Barrel Rod/Extension. I racked my brain trying to figure this one out and in the end I just couldn't. With the limited space inside the gun I don't see how a mechanism can even be built. And what I did come up with to keep the rod in a single position was quickly thrown out since it made contact with the bar graph. (The light kit could really use a long connector cable that what they give you).
Parts, Priming and Painting:
Assembling parts to the pack isn't hard at all. We've all seen photos and pretty much know where everything goes. I swapped by resin knobs for real aluminum ones because I think they look better. The only downside about these parts, as I'm sure with other kits, is the bolts. I find that the bolts reduced the room inside the body and at times screwing them in wasn't easy.
OH MY GOD SCREWING THE 6-32 x 1" WAS TOOK FOREVER TO SCREW INTO PLACE. BE SURE TO SET ASIDE A GOOD HOUR+ TO GET THESE IN. THERE IS VERY LITTLE ROOM TO WORK WITH AND THIS IS ONE PART THE NEED SERIOUS IMPROVEMENT ON. Once every hole was drilled, sanded and ready for painting I chose Rust-oluem 2x coverage paint. Grey Primer and Satin Black paint. Now it looks great but I am concerned about fading. One thing I've noticed in the last few day handling the thrower is the feel the grips get after I've held it for a while. Mostly how it feels tacky but no paint is coming off but it seems to be dulling already. It's important to note that this is skin on painted resin during what's turning out to be a very warm month for Massachusetts. Fading wouldn't be a bad thing since I wanted natural ware on the pack/thrower, but this is something that I don't see get mentioned in thread so I thought I would. Maybe a coat of clear coat will help.
One of benefits is that when scuffed it helps ware the pack.
Overall I am proud of what I was able to accomplish in the last month. Though it's not 100% perfect building one is an accomplishment in itself.
Any feedback/questions are very welcome.
Now back to solving this audio issue.
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