Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
I haven't tried that process but based on the concept, I would imagine any amount of sealing would provide better results than direct painting. I'm also super curious what the exact results would be!
3d Printed Doctor Who Props by Doctor Octoroc (building & finishing thread)
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I haven't tried that process but based on the concept, I would imagine any amount of sealing would provide better results than direct painting. I'm also super curious what the exact results would be!
TimeyWhimyStuff
Well-Known Member
Apologies, I wasn't trying to derail the thread or anything.
drjon
New Member
I intend to, yes, but i envisage others will get to it first.
TickTockMan
Active Member
Okay, I finally got up the courage to start painting my alt 8th Sonic and have a couple of questions. I only had the time tonight to give the "gold" parts of it one coat of acrylic (FolkArt Metallic Gold - it's pretty close to the color of the actual prop), and noticed that that the texture of the WSF seemed to just suck the paint right in...I checked them a few minutes ago, and they're dry but still the texture is quite noticeable. How many coats does it typically take to smooth it out a bit? I only had time tonight for the one coat and wanted to make sure I didn't put it on too thick...
The other question is about electronics: I managed to carefully remove intact the LED, wiring, switches, circuit board, speaker, and battery terminals from a CO 11th Doctor's Sonic (basically by slowly tearing the plastic around them apart). I have a 12V battery that my tester says is good, but when I try it, it doesn't seem to work. I tried it with the three button batteries taped together (which are just wide enough NOT to fit in the base section of the Sonic) to make sure I didn't break anything, and it worked fine. Will I need different terminals?
The other question is about electronics: I managed to carefully remove intact the LED, wiring, switches, circuit board, speaker, and battery terminals from a CO 11th Doctor's Sonic (basically by slowly tearing the plastic around them apart). I have a 12V battery that my tester says is good, but when I try it, it doesn't seem to work. I tried it with the three button batteries taped together (which are just wide enough NOT to fit in the base section of the Sonic) to make sure I didn't break anything, and it worked fine. Will I need different terminals?
TimeyWhimyStuff
Well-Known Member
I'm going to have to wait till this weekend to go hunting for paints for my Alt 8th.
Doc, do you have any particular shades to recommend?
Doc, do you have any particular shades to recommend?
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
I used a few coats of Testor's enamel and had a similar texture, but after dry brushing the grime, adding patina effect, and a final coat of varnish, it's not as noticeable. It's not metal smooth but it looks alright. I would recommend a coat of varnish either between the first and later coats and then as a finishing coat, or just as a final coat, to smooth things out a bit. Clear coats can be used to finish and smooth the appearance of the paint underneath, so while the regularly painted metallic acrylic on the WSF looks gritty, a coat of varnish at the end can do a bit to fill in the bumpiness and improve the appearance of the surface. 3-4 coats total shouldn't add so much thickness as to interfere with the assembly or operation, except where the push button piece and the ring around it fit in. When in doubt, test fit first to see if minor sanding should be done before applying a few coats of paint that might thicken the piece too much for proper fitting.
I'm not an electronics expert so everything I've done has been by trial and error. the A27 12v was enough to power an LED at maximum brightness without blowing it out, but I have no idea what sort of voltage and amperage the circuit of the CO 11th sonic eats up. Ironically, those three button cells probably only generate 4.5 volts while the A27 generates 12, and the A27 may still not be enough to power the same circuit. I only found out recently that amperage has a lot to do with what all can be run on a circuit. Again, I'm a total noob with electronics so I can only share my experiences.
Not the shades I used, lol. Testor's doesn't make a proper metallic shade that fits the 8th alt sonic, and from the comparison picture I posted in the INT thread for these props, you can see mine turned out way too dark. Perhaps mixing the Brass or Bronze with Gold would get a better shade for the main shaft of the alternate 8th sonic? I literally bought one of every metallic paint from Testor's website and chose from that group to determine which colors to use.
I can say for the 9th and 10th sonic variations, silver metallic is the best. The other grey metals end up too dull (especially after a coat of the Ceramcoat varnish that I used on all of mine).
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Nooo, don't run that 12V on the CO electronics! You risk burning them out (luckily they haven't it sounds like). They're designed to run on 4.5V so you need to stick close to that voltage.
If the LR44 batteries from the CO don't fit, perhaps some smaller LR41 button cells would work? That's the kind of battery that is inside the Sonic Pen toy, and their diameter is smaller than the A27.
I have an 8th too and will be experimenting with light/sound as well so will post results when I can.
Pobbrett
Sr Member
you should easily fit the co toy electronics in one of these if you get them out of the case be gentle though as they are very delicately soldered so put a little hot glue over the contacts and the first couple of mm of wire then it should be pretty sturdy without seeing its hard to say on the battery size but making your own packs up is easy enough go much above the 4.5v and you are gambling on blowing it
Well i let my impatience get the best of me, and I plugged the A27 directly into the electronics of an 10th CO...and so far it seems to be working wonderfully. I am having an issues with the switch, and sporadic distorted sonic sounds after I release the switch. Since the circuit didn't flatout blow up when i first connected the battery, I assumed it was loose connections (battery is NOT permanently connected yet) - do you guys think i'm slowly cooking the circuit?
My past experience tells me that 4.5 volt circuits typically blow pretty quickly when over powered by an extra 7 volts...am i wrong?
My past experience tells me that 4.5 volt circuits typically blow pretty quickly when over powered by an extra 7 volts...am i wrong?
TickTockMan
Active Member
Good save! I just happened to have some LR41's in a junk drawer and three of them work like a charm! Now I just have to re-teach myself to solder so I can extend the battery wires to reach the bottom section and replace the LED and I'll be good to go!
TickTockMan
Active Member
I gave them a second coat tonight, and I'll have to find a decent varnish I can brush on (Trying to spray it with Krylon Clear Gloss would probably be a bad idea...). I have no idea where I'd find Ceramcoat varnish out here...
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
If you don't have a Joanne Fabrics near you, the website has all the Ceramcoat products. Here's a link to the varnish I got, as well as the crackle I used.
Delta Ceramcoat Interior Gloss Varnish-2 Ounces & varnish & primers at Joann.com
Delta Ceramcoat Crackle Medium, 8 oz. & craft paints at Joann.com
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
In my experience, if it doesn't cook within a few seconds of use (at least the LED) then it should be good. Again, I'm no expert, but I've lost a dozen LED's between tests and they usually blow out right away (sometimes faster than you can see the LED turn on) or within seconds, at most. But I'm sure one of the more experienced members can give you a more definitive answer!
See, that's what I was thinking!
Incidentally, I switched out the UV LED that comes with the CO 10th, and soldered in the blue one you supplied - SO much brighter! I feel like this probably isn't what's going on, but my sound issues have become non-existent with the new LED, so either I was slowly destroying the circuit and the blue LED is enough of a drain to save the circuit board...or...my connections really are just loose and I'm getting better at holding wires and batteries together in a mostly conductive fashion...:lol
But whatever! I'm pressing on! Time to close it up, seal it and paint it, before ultimately, and unintentionally blinding my girlfriend with it!
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
Awesome! Yeah, the 360 LED's are way brighter than the ones that the sonics come with. I replaced the UV LED in my CO 9th sonic and it was gloriously better looking, then I went and screwed up the the chip trying to pry it out to use in one of these models :-/
TickTockMan
Active Member
Thanks! Although considering the shipping, I'm wondering what might work as an alternative I could find locally...sadly, since the Michaels out here is still under construction, I'm reduced to the crafts section of Wal-Mart. Plaid (the brand they carry) doesn't make an equivalent to a gloss varnish like the Ceramcoat that I've been able to find, but they make an acrylic sealer called "Mod Podge" that sounds like it might suit my purposes...does anyone out there have any experience with it?
Have any of you with the 10th extendable sonic had to sand yours to make any of the parts fit together better or to make the extendable part slide better? Or do they seem good as is? I realize each one of the same model might be slightly different in terms of this due to the printing process but I'm just wondering what others are experiencing.
You can also try "Future Floor Wax" which is commonly used for model clear coat. The product was re-branded as Pledge Floor Care. Make sure you get the Vinyl tile / multi surface (the latter being a second re-branding) rather than the wood floor type.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pledge-Floor-Care-27-fl-oz/15136693
Doctor Octoroc
Sr Member
I used Modge Podge to seal my Edward Scissorhands gloves (straight from the bottle for the blades, watered down for the foam I used on the gloves). It works nicely for craft applications but in the end, it's basically just white craft glue. I wouldn't use it on these props - my scissorhands fell apart the second night I used them! Although, that's probably because I kept stabbing myself with the blades by accident...
That's normal. They were designed with a small tolerance break between parts but with the gritty texture of the WSF plastic, there's more friction. It's impossible to design them to be perfectly fitting for movement (static joints are a bit more predictable), plus painting that adds thickness, so they're intended to be sanded for ideal fitting. I figured each person's application would be slightly different so I designed it so it would not be too loose, but may be too tight. Yo can always sand some off but can add more on! With the slight variations between printings, as you predicted, most of them turned out to fit quite snug. I test-assembled a few from each batch of props before sending them out to you guys and those were my findings.
TickTockMan
Active Member
Well, after three coats of acrylic metallic gold brushed on, the texture was offset enough that I felt safe giving the main parts a couple of coats of Krylon clear gloss acrylic spray, and it turned out not bad at all...it smoothed things out considerably! So once everything's painted (I still have to do the "wood" grips) I'll start weathering it (Doc, any drybrushing tips will be greatly appreciated, as I'm a bit of a novice with it) and then figuring out the electronics. Progress is slow but steady...
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