Ahsoka's Holo-Training Data Card Archive

[gabevt]

Hello! I am taking a leap here and starting my first build thread!

I am a huge Star Wars fan and I have some experience with wood working so I immediately got hooked on the wooden box in Ahsoka's training armory seen in Ahsoka: Part Seven: Dreams and Madness.

I searched online for "antique cigar box", and "antique sliding lid box". My thought is it was most likely a thrift shop find, retrofit with slots to hold the data cards. Recently after showing a friend the screen grabs, he recognized the slots in the box and suggested it may have been built to hold wet plate negatives.

I started by making some assumptions on the box size based on the circumference of the Jedi Training Remotes in the armory and built a prototype out of 1/2" MDF.

 

[gabevt]

The training remote is approximately 6” in diameter so I started with a 5 1/2” height and based the width on the size of the data card.

 

[Halliwax]

Amazing job

 

[gabevt]

I have learned a lot from this first draft. The footprint is out of proportion and there are some adjustments necesary in the height as well as the depth the slot panel sits in the box. It looks as though the cards are not fully seated in the slots.
It’s been fun trying to decipher the details with so few references. Some creative liberties will certainly be necessary, but I look forward to the end result.

 

[gabevt]

The details in the box construction include rabbet joints and splines as well as fillets on all sides. I thought at first the sides were tapered but I realized after seeing high res screen shots the taper was a distortion error.

 

[gabevt]

Amazing job

Thank you!

 

[gabevt]

I have decided to go forward with solid cherry, mostly because that is what I have available, but also, I feel like the grain is similar, though the large knots will be missing. My search continues for the correct type of wood.

I will also be using walnut for the splines, they look much darker.

 

[gabevt]

The big challenge was to match the gold rectangular greeblies on the box. They look like Art Deco pins or some kind of vent, but nothing I found online was matching them. I fired up Fusion and did my best to capture the relief. After printing a few iterations, I may still have some scaling adjustments, but I am happy with the current results.

 

[gabevt]

Here are some images showing the 3D printed, silicone molded, and cold cast greeblies with metal powder and resin.

 

[gabevt]

All glued up, next on the list is to make the lid then it’s on to adding the splines and shaping the corners to match.

 

[gabevt]

As I continue to build the archive box I find little things here and there I might need to adjust. For now I will be keeping notes and following through with the build. I managed to build the lids and cut the slots for the corner splines that will be made of walnut. After they are glued in place I will shape the outside corners of the box to give it the rustic look of the prop. I am having a great time putting this together. Time to work on this will soon be a rarity due to the holiday, though I will try to give it some amount of time everyday.

 

[Halliwax]

Oh this is coming together wicked good

 

[gabevt]

After gluing in the walnut splines, trimmed down the excess with a small saw then started shaping the corners of the box with a router bit. After a quick hand sanding I am very happy with the current look of the box.

 

[Halliwax]

I love how this is coming out

 

[gabevt]

I love how this is coming out

Thank you for the support!

 

[gabevt]

I have shaped and sanded the box to the point I feel like I can add the finish. I am going to try a satin finish wipe on polyurethane. The prop looks like it has a bit of a sheen to it. I still have some work to do on the rectangular greeblies along the base, sanding and thinning them out to sit more flush with the surface. I know my proportions are off a bit in the height, but I am going to finish this version before moving on in case more issues crop up.

 

[gabevt]

The search begins for any kind of Reference for the inlay “rosette” on the front of the box…my first instinct was to search for a vintage Japanese design, but nothing obvious has tuned up.

I do appreciate how these handcrafted wooden boxes are used to hold lightsabers, Spice, and miscellaneous valuables in the SW universe.



If anyone has any feedback on the inlay on the front of the Ahsoka box I would love to hear your input. This is what I have so far…

 

[gabevt]

I always love seeing the wood color change when the first coat goes on!

 

[gabevt]

I am saving the final coat of poly for after the aging process of the box. Instead of hitting it with a stick, I am wrapping the box in a chain and rolling it around a bit on the table per suggestion from a friend who has done a bit of aging on wooden signs and furniture. I was hesitant at first but I do like the initial results…it will need some more aging with a darker wash of some kind. I will continue to test on one then put what I have learned into the “hero” version!