#4866441
damster117 wrote:
thebigone2087 wrote:Every time I get a notification this thread has a reply I get giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. This is an AMAZING build! The ultimate tutorial for anyone buying one of Nicks kits.
Wow thanks :) I really appreciate all the comments, advice and encouragement you guys have given me on this build. You've all spurred me on to keep going out to the shed, even when its been like a monsoon outside, and to do a better job! I don't want to let the guys down who've been following my build all this time and really feel like I'm not alone in the build. Sounds odd I know! This is a great forum, I'm glad I found it I really couldn't have got this far without the knowledge and support gbfans members have given me.
Keep it up! I'm currently building up a "deluxe" 3D printed trap that countspatula designed... But man you really are making me want to build up a nick kit with track system...
#4866454
barison82 wrote:OMG...this build is just awesome. I'm seeing loads of details that I hadn't even thought about; I'm actually feeling quite overwhelmed! Not sure what I've let myself in for trying to build one of these myself lol
Thanks :) Don't worry you'll be fine! Nicks kit is actually quite straightforward out of the box it's only as complicated as you want to make it. If you decide to have a bit of a fiddle with it as I have and get stuck just give me a shout. I've pretty much found the way NOT to do it at every part of the build so far, so you can learn from my mistakes!
thebigone2087 wrote:Keep it up! I'm currently building up a "deluxe" 3D printed trap that countspatula designed... But man you really are making me want to build up a nick kit with track system...
Are you going to start a build thread? I'd love to see how you're getting on! The 3D printed trap looks pretty sweet! I'm glad to hear it it means I must be doing something right :)
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#4866525
damster117 wrote:Thanks :) Don't worry you'll be fine! Nicks kit is actually quite straightforward out of the box it's only as complicated as you want to make it. If you decide to have a bit of a fiddle with it as I have and get stuck just give me a shout. I've pretty much found the way NOT to do it at every part of the build so far, so you can learn from my mistakes!
Thanks for the reassurance, and the very kind offer of help - I may well have to take you up on that! It's when I see each stage and what's involved, it looks like so much; but a planned, patient, step-by-step approach is the way to do it, yeah...Lol yeah I've seen you've overcome a few tricky areas and it's very educational :-D Keep up the awesome work!
#4866555
There are times when I've thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew, but trial and error is a wonderful thing! It doesn't matter if you make a mistake, most mishaps can be easily fixed with either filler or epoxy putty. P38 and milliput have worked well for me. Once I'd got my first boob out of the way I relaxed a bit as I knew I wasn't going to "ruin" my trap kit. I haven't actually posted the full method and tools etc that I used in each post because I didn't want to bore people too much; so if you want more details about anything I've done let me know. I've had to improvise my way around my lack of the correct tools for some of the build!
#4866608
damster117 wrote:There are times when I've thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew, but trial and error is a wonderful thing! It doesn't matter if you make a mistake, most mishaps can be easily fixed with either filler or epoxy putty. P38 and milliput have worked well for me. Once I'd got my first boob out of the way I relaxed a bit as I knew I wasn't going to "ruin" my trap kit. I haven't actually posted the full method and tools etc that I used in each post because I didn't want to bore people too much; so if you want more details about anything I've done let me know. I've had to improvise my way around my lack of the correct tools for some of the build!
This is great to hear...again, it's very reassuring. I've seen a few cock-ups in other build threads but they are always recovered (from what I've seen anyway). So very educational. I don't actually have any tools at all yet (LOL) so it would be very handy to know what I'm gonna need, or what you have used - it certainly won't bore me lol
#4866717
barison82 wrote:This is great to hear...again, it's very reassuring. I've seen a few cock-ups in other build threads but they are always recovered (from what I've seen anyway). So very educational. I don't actually have any tools at all yet (LOL) so it would be very handy to know what I'm gonna need, or what you have used - it certainly won't bore me lol
it depends on what you're planning to do with your build as to which tools you'll need really. You'll definitely need at least a drill of some description for a standard build up, after that it's all down to how you're doing your kit, but a Dremel type tool with a selection of bits will come in handy for anything more than this.

If you're adding tracks you can do it one of two ways, cut the base down as I have, or bolt directly to the base as-is for a raised appearance like Bromies' GB2 "Courtroom" Trap build. The metal tracks you can either cut yourself with a standard wood mitre saw as I have (mine came from B&Q!), or order custom cut online. If you plan on adding more metal bits such as the release system you will need extra metalworking tools such as a hacksaw, metal files (full size and jewellers files) and a Dremel fibreglass cut-off disc.

I've used imperial thread taps and matching drill bits for the fasteners throughout this build, but this is optional really as with a bit of effort the bolts will self-tap to some degree in resin. it's easier and faster with them though and you can get them in the UK from http://www.modelfixings.co.uk. You could of course use standard UK metric screws to hold the trap sides etc together and simply fill the holes so they can't be seen, as I think many people who have built this kit up have done.
barison82 liked this
#4866851
damster117 wrote:it depends on what you're planning to do with your build as to which tools you'll need really. You'll definitely need at least a drill of some description for a standard build up, after that it's all down to how you're doing your kit, but a Dremel type tool with a selection of bits will come in handy for anything more than this.

If you're adding tracks you can do it one of two ways, cut the base down as I have, or bolt directly to the base as-is for a raised appearance like Bromies' GB2 "Courtroom" Trap build. The metal tracks you can either cut yourself with a standard wood mitre saw as I have (mine came from B&Q!), or order custom cut online. If you plan on adding more metal bits such as the release system you will need extra metalworking tools such as a hacksaw, metal files (full size and jewellers files) and a Dremel fibreglass cut-off disc.

I've used imperial thread taps and matching drill bits for the fasteners throughout this build, but this is optional really as with a bit of effort the bolts will self-tap to some degree in resin. it's easier and faster with them though and you can get them in the UK from http://www.modelfixings.co.uk. You could of course use standard UK metric screws to hold the trap sides etc together and simply fill the holes so they can't be seen, as I think many people who have built this kit up have done.
Thanks for this really helpful info - those mentioned items are definitely on the shopping list. I will be adding the tracks and release system so I will take note of your suggestions...I've got the entire screw/bolt sets needed for the trap build already, I bought them from a prop supplier in the USA who has the complete assembly kits available for a screen-accurate build. I've also bought loads of UNC screws & washers from modelfixings for the pack build in the past, so I will definitely revisit their site for those imperial thread taps :wink:
#4867300
Just a quick one on the trap cartridge, where did you get the D-Sub connector from? Thanks!
#4867329
damster117 wrote:I think it was maplin but hang fire I may have spares. I'm not 100% but I think I had to buy multipacks! I'm at work at the moment but I'll check my bits box later :)
Awesome! Let me know, otherwise I've got a Maplin's near my work anyway. Thanks a lot :cool:
#4867349
zombielucas wrote: If you have trouble getting the correct sizes figured out and ordered online, I could help you get some where I'm at and put a packet together. I've actually thought about doing that and selling baggies of them. It can be a hassle to try to figure out which ones and where to get them.
Did you end up going this route and putting together packets of screws? I plan on starting my Nick A Tron kit soon and would like to get the screws together now, this may save some time.

Thanks
#4867417
Quick update- new battery cover drilled and finished today. As I had to make a new one anyway I thought I'd make some changes. I made this cover slightly smaller than the original, and I've moved the light, switch and bolt locations to look more accurate.

Quick clean up after drilling
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Ready for blacking
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But first I drilled pilot holes for the bolts
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Going to be using these threaded inserts for most of these screws for durability
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You just drill..
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...then screw them in
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All fits ok
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Time to try the alu black on a larger plate
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Looks pretty rough so it's about right :)
barison82, alphabeta001 liked this
#4868769
I've hit a snag on my build. I'm not sure it it's over zealous sanding on my part or whether it's just the way it is but one of my door "ears" is noticeably smaller than the other and is sitting at an odd angle.

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They're clearly not symmetrical as you can see in this picture. Has anyone else had this issue?


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I've started work on a replacement part which i'm going to attempt to scratch build out of styrene to match the good side. I drew around the shapes and flipped them to make a mirror image copy:

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Pretty close shape and size. Should look much better. Once the glue is fully set i'm going to pack it with epoxy putty to make it solid.

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#4872035
It's been a month since my last update and things have not gone according to plan! I've had alignment issues caused by the base being out of square, which pretty much meant I couldn't get a functioning trap until it was rectified. That's the trouble when you add perfectly square metal parts to a resin kit, things don't always line up as before. The only way to fix the base was to take it all apart and machine it square.

This made the base too short so I had to build it back up with styrene.
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And then I started down a slippery slope. I wasn't entirely happy with the way the cartridge stuck out more since I put a metal bottom on it, so I thought why not add a bit more styrene to lengthen the base further. I'd need to move the tracks a little I thought to myself but it was worth it as I had the filler out and they weren't quite right before anyway.

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Now, this made the bottom layer of tracks too short. That's ok, I thought i'll just redo the bottom layer.

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Then my OCD took hold. Basically even with chopped-down base depth the cartridge sat too high in the trap for my liking. (see pic below)
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So, after much deliberation, I decided to redo all my previous work on the tracks. My first tracks we're too thick, the wrong widths (I just used whatever my local DIY place had), and were held with screws that were far too big! By switching to thinner metal tracks I could reduce the height a little and improve screen accuracy at the same time! so I started playing about with different thicknesses and bolt sizes. See how oversized the previous heads were? New size bolt is fitted on the left track for comparison:
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After poring over reference pics I settled on new sizes. Ladies and gentleman, may I present hero tracks MKII- Lower and longer with wider upper tracks!
Image and GB1 hero for comparison

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I'm pretty happy with it and it's improved the cartridge appearance quite a bit.
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alphabeta001, barison82 liked this
#4872039
Hang on there folks, i'm not done with you yet! (pressed submit my mistake!) I've got more to show you :)

That's all the stuff you've kind of already seen before out of the way it's on to new stuff. After disastrous attempts to make my own aluminium vents, which I won't show you to protect your vision, I stumbled across a cheat. DIY Soffit vents!

They require a fair bit of chopping and layering up before they're thick enough to work with though

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Rough first attempt

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Should look the part once finished off
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Not sure whether to mount the vent vertically as is correct, or just mirror the other side at the moment
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Now, onto the bargraph. This bit was fun!

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The cutout isn't big enough for the more accurate bargraph so I filed it out larger.

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Fits like a glove Image

Finished bargraph with added 3mm white LED in lieu of inaccurate yellow standard Hyperdyne one. You can also see the extra seam detailing i've added to the lip of the cartridge opening to mirror the hero in this pic.
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barison82 liked this
#4872906
Wow you've come out of that ordeal with the tracks pretty well. Brilliant job with the new strips, I'm taking note!! The DIY vent was also a great innovation, looks great :)

...and a reminder that I need to pick up another bargraph as well.
#4873133
barison82 wrote:Wow you've come out of that ordeal with the tracks pretty well. Brilliant job with the new strips, I'm taking note!! The DIY vent was also a great innovation, looks great :)

...and a reminder that I need to pick up another bargraph as well.
Thanks :) I made work for myself there really but it's better to redo it now, rather than wait until it's finished and be unhappy with the end result. It's also saved a little weight!

The vents were a chance discovery, not super accurate as the slots are too wide, but close enough I think.

The bargraph by Spongeface really looks the part. I've never seen one fitted to a trap which is surprising as the hero trap used the same incandescent bargraph as the hero thrower. It seemed an obvious upgrade to me!

I might seem a bit nit-picky, but where I can get things more screen accurate I think it's worth the effort. I know I'm building at a glacial pace and it doesn't look like I've done much lately (others have started AND finished their trap builds while I've been working on mine), but the Devil is in the detail and I've been doing subtle shape changes and extra little details as well as the more major choppage; so much so I don't think I have many original parts of the kit left unmodified in some way!
#4873293
nick-a-tron wrote:Was thinking about this build while in the workshop today so thought id check in. Amazing work on the vents and bargraph!
Nice to know you're thinking of my humble build Nick :) Thanks for the kind words!
Take all the time you need! I dont want this build to end :)
It's got a fair way left to go yet so no worries on that score!
#4873302
Had another bit of a setback....
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Dropped the back plate on a concrete paving slab with the handle attached. Aluminum 1, resin 0. Tried to rebuild it with epoxy resin and milliput but it's just not strong enough. Working on a fix now. Aluminium may be added! ( just a side note - you can see here I've reshaped the trap side plates to more closely resemble the propbay trap, and also the filled holes where I've shifted everything back)

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Last edited by damster117 on July 22nd, 2016, 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
alphabeta001 liked this
#4873331
I know :( it was a moment of slow motion terror as it fell to the floor! I uttered a stream of expletives I can tell you! I think I've got a fixed worked out though. I'm going to braze it to the aluminium piece I've cut and attach this to the back plate with screws hidden by the battery box. I'll cut an access hole underneath the handle for the release catch to pass through. Works in theory!
#4873532
damster117 wrote:Thanks :) I made work for myself there really but it's better to redo it now, rather than wait until it's finished and be unhappy with the end result. It's also saved a little weight!

The vents were a chance discovery, not super accurate as the slots are too wide, but close enough I think.

The bargraph by Spongeface really looks the part. I've never seen one fitted to a trap which is surprising as the hero trap used the same incandescent bargraph as the hero thrower. It seemed an obvious upgrade to me!

I might seem a bit nit-picky, but where I can get things more screen accurate I think it's worth the effort. I know I'm building at a glacial pace and it doesn't look like I've done much lately (others have started AND finished their trap builds while I've been working on mine), but the Devil is in the detail and I've been doing subtle shape changes and extra little details as well as the more major choppage; so much so I don't think I have many original parts of the kit left unmodified in some way!
You're welcome [emoji4] Well worth the effort of re-doing that part, no doubt about it. Handy that it has made the trap lighter in the process!

The vents are a great find, they are a pretty good representation nonetheless [emoji4][emoji106]

I'm surprised that the Spongeface bargraph isn't more widely used, it is perfect and I'll definitely be getting one to use for my project as well.

I'm exactly the same when it comes to detail, I think it adds to the satisfaction of the build plus having the real parts just adds quality as well as being obviously more authentic. It's great how you are taking such effort, my build will be slow too, I'm still in need of the kit itself plus the odd metal parts; not to mention all the tools I need to get! A great build and very helpful to see each stage covered in such detail. Keep it up! [emoji4][emoji106]
#4873533
Damn! Just read this part...glad you have a solution in hand. Another area to modify! Hope it works
#4873569
Well at least it gives me the opportunity to have a fully welded handle! Yup, still trying to look on the bright side here :)

The vents just need filling in either end to make them six slot, and I need to file a bevel all the way around. Cost me £10 which is a lot for a small part but I did have to buy 2.5 metres of the stuff!

You're right about using real parts, they instantly improve the look of a build. Thanks to your research and generosity, my trap will have a genuine side knob and skirt :) Still looking for the rest but after seeing Bromies' GB1 trap I know the resin ones can be made to look very close to the real deal.

I'm glad you're finding my updates to be helpful! I've made a conscious effort recently to try and show how I'm doing each step as it isn't always obvious how to go about things- certainly wasn't to me! I did take a lot more pictures during the early stages, mainly for my reference, but I don't mind posting them if there is anything specific people would like to see more of.

Oh and you might need to add a Tamiya razor saw to that tool list. It's worth it's weight in gold when it comes to cutting the trap sides neatly! Don't think I posted pics of that actually. Here you go. Actually chopped a little bit more out than this in the end but it pays to be cautious on your first cut.

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barison82, alphabeta001 liked this
#4873843
damster117 wrote:Well at least it gives me the opportunity to have a fully welded handle! Yup, still trying to look on the bright side here :)

The vents just need filling in either end to make them six slot, and I need to file a bevel all the way around. Cost me £10 which is a lot for a small part but I did have to buy 2.5 metres of the stuff!

You're right about using real parts, they instantly improve the look of a build. Thanks to your research and generosity, my trap will have a genuine side knob and skirt :) Still looking for the rest but after seeing Bromies' GB1 trap I know the resin ones can be made to look very close to the real deal.

I'm glad you're finding my updates to be helpful! I've made a conscious effort recently to try and show how I'm doing each step as it isn't always obvious how to go about things- certainly wasn't to me! I did take a lot more pictures during the early stages, mainly for my reference, but I don't mind posting them if there is anything specific people would like to see more of.

Oh and you might need to add a Tamiya razor saw to that tool list. It's worth it's weight in gold when it comes to cutting the trap sides neatly! Don't think I posted pics of that actually. Here you go. Actually chopped a little bit more out than this in the end but it pays to be cautious on your first cut.
Lol. The fully welded handle is an option I'd like to have as well! £10 is a fair amount but the results will be worth it - 2.5 metres? Means you have some going spare :-P I'll buy a piece off you lol!

Re. the skirt/side knob - it's a pleasure and really glad it helped out with your build :) Real parts just make it look like the real deal, yeah - totally worth it. Especially when so much work has gone into it. The remaining tricky parts seem to be the side rods and doors; still need to see if aluminium ones can be sought. Your updates are a massive help and are providing a lot of areas for me to consider when I get to mine. The additional pics of the build stages may well come in handy - if I get stuck I'll ask, thanks! :)

And many thanks for the info on the Tamiya saw - added to the shopping list! Very helpful.
#4873885
barison82 wrote: Lol. The fully welded handle is an option I'd like to have as well! £10 is a fair amount but the results will be worth it - 2.5 metres? Means you have some going spare :-P I'll buy a piece off you lol!

Re. the skirt/side knob - it's a pleasure and really glad it helped out with your build :) Real parts just make it look like the real deal, yeah - totally worth it. Especially when so much work has gone into it. The remaining tricky parts seem to be the side rods and doors; still need to see if aluminium ones can be sought. Your updates are a massive help and are providing a lot of areas for me to consider when I get to mine. The additional pics of the build stages may well come in handy - if I get stuck I'll ask, thanks! :)

And many thanks for the info on the Tamiya saw - added to the shopping list! Very helpful.
I'm not sure the welded handle is all that great tbh! I've been struggling with it all day and I've had trouble with the joints not holding. Worked out that it was due to the blowtorch running low on gas and as a result not getting hot enough!

I've been trying to source alloy doors for a little while now from momeraths24, been sending messages back and forth but I think he's just too busy to do them as he's not getting back to me. The main reason for getting alloy doors is to get the accurate hollow backs really. Whilst I'd much prefer metal ones I took a punt on trying to adapt CountSpatulas 3D printed ones to fit (I need slightly longer than the originals anyway due to the position I've fitted the ears ). Whilst I think they can be adapted to fit ok, I was disappointed to find that they are inaccurate, with the join off centre when the doors are closed.

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It's a shame as it would've been a quick and cheap alternative!

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The same with the side rods, can't find anyone doing them so I thought I'd try the 3D print ones. Unfortunately they're a fair bit shorter than Nicks originals. Not sure if it makes much difference as I've yet to "offer them up" as it were.

I've got plenty of soffit strip so I should have some spare. I have one more thing to make using it and then I'll send some over! I'll probably trim it down a bit first as its not flat until you cut off the extra box section mouldings that are not needed. If you like I can mark out the vents and bolt holes for you.

Ok so Here's my repair progress so far:

Trimmed repair piece down from a piece of square tube with fibreglass cutting disc (nearly worn out they're usually bigger!)
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Started cutout for release catch. Will extend and clean this up with jewellers files later
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So here it is welded to the handle and bolted in place. I'm not sure what I think of it as it has added thickness to the back plate, which now doesn't look right, and a join at the front to deal with. Am I being too fussy?

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I'm also left with a redundant hole in the handle. I could attempt to fill this in with brazing rod, but I'm worried about heating this close to the handle welds, especially given the trouble I had doing them today. I could just use filler but that stops me using aluminum black as I'd planned.

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barison82, alphabeta001 liked this
#4873928
Wow, the welding has really been a pain by the looks of it...but you appear to have done a good job in the end. I think a correct screw head placed in the redundant hole, then filled in to disguise it if you didn't want it to show, may be another way? The join is a very tricky one - you'd need to make an extra bit to fill in that gap but attaching it to the alloy handle nice and flush may be very difficult, especially as welds are already in place...and then the join would have to be hidden somehow...raising the surface would be the easier solution if you can live with the resulting difference in height...although it would have to be a pretty thick battery box cover needed to do this from what I can see there...maybe other experienced builders can chime in as well!

The 3D doors are definitely no good with the off-centre join - shame - as for the side rods, I'll be sticking to the resin kit for these parts if the alloy counterparts are not a possible option. I'll do the same with the doors as well if all else fails. Momeraths24 is definitely fully booked at the moment, I checked out his thread earlier and saw how busy he has been of late. I'm having positive results with my aluminium plates however, as CPU64 is in the middle of producing these, with 45-degree beveled edges to boot! I should ask if he can run up some doors and rods for us as well perhaps?

Thanks so much for the soffit strip - marking out the vent and bolt holes would be very helpful indeed; just send me a PM when ready so that I can cover you for it :)
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