Raygun:From the junk bin

Monk · Jun 27, 2012

Ok, this is my third build, I've built a WWII Captain America Shield from an old seat back. And a couple of weeks ago built a lightsaber from trash.

So now inspired by some of the work of others, primarily D48thRonin, I needed to build a Raygun.

So I searched for inspiration! There is of course D48thRonin's work of art:

and a few other pieces of inspiration from the interwebz:

such as this from Weta

and then this work of art:

So with these images in my brain... we set to gathering bits from the junk box.

Monk · Jun 27, 2012

carrying on...

A speaker from an old iMac

an umbrella handle and drawer pull that I didn't use on another project...

and then the main donator of gizzle to my project! A Oscilloscope that dated from the early 1960's that was in a pile of electronics heading to the metal reclamation yard.

Oh yes! That alone was a work of art inside, everything point to point wired with tubes!

Top side:

Bottom side:

what fun that must have been to solder.

Monk · Jun 27, 2012

so an initial sketch up in Illustrator, just toying with shape and size...

and roughing it out with some scrap PVC and conduit along with a huge old Federal circuit breaker, "penny in every one!"

Here's where we're at so far. The oscilloscope has a perforated top and bottom aluminum chassis which may be better for the barrel cooling area. Also the umbrella had a pointed tip... I'm thinking wave guide for that, so we're more on the path of a Telsa device.

Monk · Jun 27, 2012

without pic's, there's no proof.

So here's the umbrella tip:

and the oscilloscope case:

and I have a LOT of bits from old hard drives....

This is going to be fun.

Canobi · Jun 27, 2012

A man after my own heart! Fantastic stuff and kudos for your ingenuity, I'm going to enjoy watching this for sure

Wes R · Jun 27, 2012

The old oscilloscope should provide you with tons of parts for projects to come. Hard to believe they were soldered by hand back then isn't it? This is going to turn out great.

Knighttoknight · Jun 27, 2012

this looks like its going to come out great. I wish i had more junk laying around haha i cant waiy yo see how this will turn out.

Monk · Jun 27, 2012

My goal is to use as little paint and magic as possible. To use real bits in one way or another. (I hate sanding)

I've had some ideas on the way back from rehearsal, (Merry Wives of Windsor, I'm Falstaff... ) to get the heat shield and umbrella bits to be more in view.

As far as other spares go, the plasma cannon from Wolfenstein caught my eye, that could inspire a rifle version of this build. I have the top of one of my old sailboat masts that could make an awesome butt of a shoulder fired plasma weapon.

Back at it in the AM.

Monk · Jun 29, 2012

Ok, work on the handle so far.

Handle attached with stove bolt in grip, epoxied in place and then bolted to inside of sphere.

Sphere drilled out to accept tube plugs.

Trigger is from a hard drive. It's the read head of a multi disc platter with the heads themselves sanded off. Drilling that hole through the sphere was a trick!

and the look of the handle section with tubes temporarily installed.

So far, so good!

Nopal · Jun 29, 2012

Can't wait to see the finished piece! Looking great.

WireFox · Jun 30, 2012

Looking very Retro so far...can't wait to see more.

thegreatgalling · Jun 30, 2012

Your junk bin has cooler things in it than mine. :lol

Hogosha · Jun 30, 2012

Now THIS is gonna be sweet!

Loosewire · Jun 30, 2012

I'm absolutely loving this. Wish I just stumbled across 60's oscilloscopes

Monk · Jul 2, 2012

The oscilloscope was one of those finds that I couldn't resist. It was at an electronics recycling drop-off day. Someone just put it in the pile.

So here is the umbrella tip with the flange pushed down toward the tip some more.

and with two bits from a hard drive slid over...

Sorry for the lack of depth of field adjustment. I'll bust out the better camera in a few.

and then the barrel. I painted it with copper paint. I wasn't going to, but then I did.

and I took this one step further by wrapping the tube with cat5 cable, which I'll use gold rub and buff to get it too look like bare copper wiring.

So we let that all dry over the weekend.

Monk · Jul 2, 2012

and here is the mock-up of the inner barrel, with windings bumped up against the back handle and tube section.

and looking down the at the business end.

Now we'll start construction on the outer sheilding, and circuit breaker "clip"

that954trooper · Jul 2, 2012

:thumbsup

Fuzzual · Jul 2, 2012

nice build

Monk · Jul 3, 2012

I bought this ABS reducer:

And cut it in two....

and that will hold my cut aluminum shielding... as temporarily put together here...

I also soldered wires to the tube bases, so you can see that interior looks more interesting. And I slid a rotory switch assembly from the oscilloscope in there to give more interior greeble.

Here's a mock up of where I'm going next...

Don't worry, beauty shots will be taken with a far better camera. But it's getting there!

Canobi · Jul 3, 2012

That's just awesome!

Raygun:From the junk bin

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