A HAL 9000 faceplate from scratch

[3Dsf]

I'm also trying to get answers to quote requests as well, so it'll be interesting to see what we can come up with.

The test prints are from a Formlabs 2. Super-carefully sanded, then painted with semigloss black to make the thing look more like a machined metal lens barrel.

 

[Yaan]

Very nice looking prints. I think the biggest problem is to get a decent outer lens. The eBay ones from SD are sold out and no chance in getting another batch from the manifacturer. I was tinkering with some alternatives like lenses from projectors, fish eyes from china, plastic lens from moebius and so on.

I didnt find any convincing alternatives. I think the key to this prop ist getting the lens part right, this is the "heart" of the prop....

 

[3Dsf]

I didnt find any convincing alternatives. I think the key to this prop ist getting the lens part right, this is the "heart" of the prop....

Absolutely! The look of the lens is essential.

Since I wrote the earlier posts I've got my hands on a real Nikkor lens, and will be rebuilding my replica lens for accuracy...

My 3D model is reasonably close, but the knurled ring is slightly too low, and the engraved lettering is slightly too deep.

 

[Yaan]

Well, should be fairly easy to correct the knurled ring and the lettering.

I will not spend that much money on a real lens - thats not a good investment from the bankers perspective.

For now, i will go with the fish eye i got, which by far is not curved enough to resemble the original, but what can you do.

 

[joberg]

Well, should be fairly easy to correct the knurled ring and the lettering.

I will not spend that much money on a real lens - thats not a good investment from the bankers perspective.

For now, i will go with the fish eye i got, which by far is not curved enough to resemble the original, but what can you do.

Yes, from an investment point of view, those Nikkor lenses are not going down in price in the future Since there's a small amount of those around the World to begin with, it's expensive for sure

 

[3Dsf]

It actually puzzles me how much market value those lenses continue to hold. They are of course utterly useless on modern cameras, so it is pure collector value.

I can’t imagine they’re all being bought by 2001 fans.

 

[joberg]

It actually puzzles me how much market value those lenses continue to hold. They are of course utterly useless on modern cameras, so it is pure collector value.

I can’t imagine they’re all being bought by 2001 fans.

Right you are Neil. I know a few lenses collector that are not interested in Sci-Fi/2001.

 

[nalyom9]

After trying the Mobieus kit, a few different fish eye lenses, I was lucky enough to snag the ebay limited run lens that came up briefly. I am very happy with it.

PB

 

[alensatemybuick]

At the risk of thread hijacking, I also used one of those SD studios EBay lenses on a Mobius build; I was not thrilled about some of the kit inaccuracies, but the lens did make it “good enough for govt. work”. Eventually I’ll get a second kit and “shave off” the outer step on the “aluminum” lens housing.

 

[3Dsf]

I’ve designed (or mostly designed - they’re not 100% ready) drop-in replacement lens and ring parts for the Moebius kits. They’d use the “eBay” glass lens replacements. If there’s interest I could put them on Shapeways.

 

[scotthm]

So. Question - would anyone be interested in a more accurate lens model compatible with the Moebius kit?

Yes.
---------------

 

[joberg]

I’ve designed (or mostly designed - they’re not 100% ready) drop-in replacement lens and ring parts for the Moebius kits. They’d use the “eBay” glass lens replacements. If there’s interest I could put them on Shapeways.

Great news Neil...I don't have access to a 3-D printer in my neck of the wood (too complicated, expensive and frankly frustrating). I'm sure some of our members will be interested for sure

 

[alensatemybuick]

I’ve designed (or mostly designed - they’re not 100% ready) drop-in replacement lens and ring parts for the Moebius kits. They’d use the “eBay” glass lens replacements. If there’s interest I could put them on Shapeways.

Very much so on my part, and with all appropriate gratitude; the lens holder and "aluminum" ring are the parts from the Moebius kit that are most bothersome to me.

By the way, I noted this lens on Ebay, that comes with a machined aluminum "HAL" ring (but I am not sure the diameter is correct):

Vtg NIKKOR FISH-EYE LENS as-in 2001:a space odyssey’s HAL 9000 +CSTM BEZEL +CASE | eBay

I say "reproduction" as this is a rare, 1960s(?). The custom made bezel will have to be polished. Also included are the front lens cap and a Nikon leather lens case. When I’d originally got the lens, I hastily created an ad-hoc rear cap to protect it, included.

www.ebay.com

 

[3Dsf]

By the way, I noted this lens on Ebay, that comes with a machined aluminum "HAL" ring (but I am not sure the diameter is correct):

Wow. They're asking a lot of money for a lens that has a bunch of cosmetic damage to the paintwork! The ring they have looks okay, I guess, but I don't see why the interior hole is so oversized like that.

Well I'll put some more work into the Moebius-compatible lens barrel. We'll see how it ends up - the big problem is that it won't be cheap to print using Shapeways' "Detail" plastic material...

 

[3Dsf]

Also, I thought I'd found an amazingly cheap way of faking up a lens here:

Blank Beer Tower Medallion - 80.0 mm (3.15")

Buy blank 80mm frogeye acrylic lens for beer tower online at â Beverage Craft â Best price on fisheyes for beer dispensers guaranteed. Fast shipping â Canada & USA

www.beveragecraft.com

Decorative transparent plates used on British beer tap handles. But unfortunately they only sell 65mm and 80mm sizes, when a 74mm diameter is required. Could be a cheap way to make a slightly under or oversized HAL I guess.

 

[joberg]

Seems that the seller is versed in film/props...and was ready to do a HAL face plate from scratch. A little bit of paint would make it better for sure.
Cheap price...still.

 

[JamesTalon]

View attachment 1448201

Oops - the inner lens ring is missing from my blowup diagram. Oh well.

I'm also trying to get answers to quote requests as well, so it'll be interesting to see what we can come up with.

The test prints are from a Formlabs 2. Super-carefully sanded, then painted with semigloss black to make the thing look more like a machined metal lens barrel.

Hi
Dont suppose you will be selling or releasing the STL files for this? Its great work.

 

[3Dsf]

Dont suppose you will be selling or releasing the STL files for this? Its great work.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with this stuff, other than making it myself. It would be good to break even on my costs at least. But there's always a time-consuming jump between a model for my own purposes, and "productizing" it for ease of reproduction, etc.

 

[3Dsf]

Dang! 3D rendering program really messed up my model of the lens... let's try that again...

 

[3Dsf]

Also, making the lens threads printable causes all kinds o' problems...