Star Wars movie set den build
- Thread starter Amazing DJ
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Amazing DJ
Well-Known Member
Next part of the project: I'm putting some details on the "gutter" lights. It will resemble these Death Star Conference Room lights, although on a slightly smaller scale. I like the black barn door shutters that hang down from the white lenses.
The hard part is cutting out the shutter pieces out of J-trim. Then I have to glue the two halves of the "J" together.
After I make about 130 of these, they will be painted flat black. Then they will be attached SOMEHOW to the clear Coroplast lens. Who knows how I will get these to attach firmly and hang upside-down? The best thing would be to have a metal fastener through the assembly, like a staple. But I don't see how there would be room to staple anything.
I'll think on that while I make 121 more of these tedious parts at my kitchen table. Do you know what inspires me? I watch Cake Boss when I'm working on this stuff. That TV show. On every show, that baker's crew is given an impossible task to build. But they always figure out how to creatively pull off a project, making the cake components out of unlikely materials. They are struck with a vision of the finished project, then carry it through to the end. At the conclusion of each episode, the customer is always blown away with excitement because Cake Boss creations turn out so great. Maybe I could glue these together with butter creme frosting?
The hard part is cutting out the shutter pieces out of J-trim. Then I have to glue the two halves of the "J" together.
After I make about 130 of these, they will be painted flat black. Then they will be attached SOMEHOW to the clear Coroplast lens. Who knows how I will get these to attach firmly and hang upside-down? The best thing would be to have a metal fastener through the assembly, like a staple. But I don't see how there would be room to staple anything.
I'll think on that while I make 121 more of these tedious parts at my kitchen table. Do you know what inspires me? I watch Cake Boss when I'm working on this stuff. That TV show. On every show, that baker's crew is given an impossible task to build. But they always figure out how to creatively pull off a project, making the cake components out of unlikely materials. They are struck with a vision of the finished project, then carry it through to the end. At the conclusion of each episode, the customer is always blown away with excitement because Cake Boss creations turn out so great. Maybe I could glue these together with butter creme frosting?
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Demonmaker
New Member
Gluegun and the accompanying glue sticks would be the simple solution I think.
Cracking job.
Brilliant work, my friend! Looks fantastic!
Amazing DJ
Well-Known Member
Glue gun, if you say so! That's what I will use.
Today it's been a monotonous day of cutting and shaving the ends of these PVC blinders. I got a batch of them painted with some flat black, first coat.
Each blinder is made of 2 pieces, glued together with plumbing glue from a tube. I also made a couple more of the gray gutter light "hider" panels at the back of the photo. After you make a dozen of them, they are quick to make, no problem.
Some parts have arrived for the ceiling. I wanted a quiet ceiling fan that doesn't look like a ceiling fan. So I got one of those huge 12 volt computer case fans because they are silent. And I got this SICK 12 volt touch screen fan controller.
The controller will be attached to the back edge of the desk. I'm painting the 2nd face of it gray to match the desk. It won't be red. This thing will control up to 5 fans. I just need one fan, so I wonder what I can use the other 4 controls for. LED ceiling lighting? Yep! Now to build some high tech-looking Star Wars-y gray boxes that will be suspended from the ceiling. Back to the set design drawings for inspiration...
I want to thank all you guys that are following this construction thread. It's your feedback that is helping me push this build beyond the limits of wackiness.
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Amazing DJ
Well-Known Member
I couldn't resist painting the fan grille and the fan controller gray. Lovely gray.
I'm going to do a pewter band around the outside of the grille, so it will match my other stuff. Then I will weather the grille. It will look a little bit like a used exhaust port, but not a whole lot. Sometimes when people weather stuff, they make it look TOO weathered. No sense in making it look all burnt up, like it was in a flamethrower fire battle. :facepalm Not this.
I'm going to do a pewter band around the outside of the grille, so it will match my other stuff. Then I will weather the grille. It will look a little bit like a used exhaust port, but not a whole lot. Sometimes when people weather stuff, they make it look TOO weathered. No sense in making it look all burnt up, like it was in a flamethrower fire battle. :facepalm Not this.
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NIIICE!!!
Amazing DJ
Well-Known Member
The plan for the fan. Fan plan. I prowled around my greeblie box and selected some likely parts. These might decorate the ceiling fan box. This is a simulation, with some parts sitting on a big piece of gray cardboard.
And I have some steel side supports. The fan box will be overhead, made of Sintra with 4 angled-out sides. I might as well throw a rope light on top of it. That means I can cut some holes in the panel to "let the light out", similar to my Death Star control panel. It's gonna get pretty wild-looking, although I will paint most of the greeblies gray. I like them to blend in so they don't seem tacked-on.
How's this strike ya?
And I have some steel side supports. The fan box will be overhead, made of Sintra with 4 angled-out sides. I might as well throw a rope light on top of it. That means I can cut some holes in the panel to "let the light out", similar to my Death Star control panel. It's gonna get pretty wild-looking, although I will paint most of the greeblies gray. I like them to blend in so they don't seem tacked-on.
How's this strike ya?
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Amazing DJ
Well-Known Member
THIS is happening tonight. Hot gluing the blinders onto the light lenses.
After struggling with alignment on the first two, I made this spacer tool. I love that silver metal tape. The hot glue doesn't stick to it, so that's good.
More later, if I can get my index fingers unstuck from my thumbs.
After struggling with alignment on the first two, I made this spacer tool. I love that silver metal tape. The hot glue doesn't stick to it, so that's good.
More later, if I can get my index fingers unstuck from my thumbs.
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Amazing DJ
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Have a 2nd update for the night. I didn't realize the big fan had blue LED's in it. Testing with a spare power supply.
Here is a shot of my electronic bling. The fan controller in the center has an animated screen and looks spectacular in motion.
I'm pretty sure the blue LED's on the fan are too intensely bright. I can dim them down to about half their brightness by painting each LED flat black. I did that with glaring blue LED's on another project and it worked like a charm.
Check out that "Rebel" thing in the back. I made that too. Did I ever show you guys photos of that? It's the first Star Wars thing I ever made. It's a lighted pedestal for my computer that normally sits on the floor.
Here is a shot of my electronic bling. The fan controller in the center has an animated screen and looks spectacular in motion.
I'm pretty sure the blue LED's on the fan are too intensely bright. I can dim them down to about half their brightness by painting each LED flat black. I did that with glaring blue LED's on another project and it worked like a charm.
Check out that "Rebel" thing in the back. I made that too. Did I ever show you guys photos of that? It's the first Star Wars thing I ever made. It's a lighted pedestal for my computer that normally sits on the floor.
