BSG FTL Jump Key ?

[Rik1138]

Just got a couple of the red ones from the eBay listing, and they are indeed the correct ones... (Well, except for the blue LED.)
It looks like there's a 'join point' where the little circuit board was put it... I can't get it to unscrew (but only trying by hand), so it might be pressed together, but there's a good chance you can probably pry them apart using pliers, and not damage it to the point it can't be re-assembled...

 

[Sean]

Mine came In also. actually two different one's. One optic unscrews from the base all together. on the other one it has a collar attached that unscrews from the base.

 

[Wolvster1]

So, curious, were the metal parts for the Key
found parts or custom machined ?

 

[Rik1138]

Mine came In also. actually two different one's. One optic unscrews from the base all together. on the other one it has a collar attached that unscrews from the base.

The style with the optic that screws directly into the base is older. It's really easy to strip the threads on that plastic, so they changed the design to have the little collar of stronger material.

The original ones in the actual prop are the ones that the optics screw directly into the base, and both of them are fairly loose (not completely stripped, but you can tell they were over tightened a few times...)

So, curious, were the metal parts for the Key
found parts or custom machined ?

Completely costume machined. It even went through at least one design change... Only the light sticks were a found object.

 

[Sean]

If I may ask. Were was the switch on the hero prop? I can't tell from all the screen grabs...

 

[NTBBCPD]

I loved this prop when the first threads went up and I bought a couple of the flash lights. Never got around to making one (health stuff). at the time I could only find white ones, but I figured i could just add a blue gel over the led and then they will be good to go.... Easier then changing the led.

Sean, the button is on the other side of the prop. there is a groove milled into the tube part.

With the new info I'll have to give this a try.

Eddy

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Heh! I still have a ton of those rods laying about from the run I did. Custom ordered from China but actually a really good price. I think they ended up being cheaper than plain acrylic rod I can get locally.

Sometimes I use them as stir sticks :facepalm

 

[19narvik40]

We'll forgive you for the stir stick perfidy as long as it was vintage Ambrosia you were stirring. :devil So is there the possibility of another run, what with all that spare rod laying about being abused? Or possibly some guidance for those who want to do one? Pretty please?

Heh! I still have a ton of those rods laying about from the run I did. Custom ordered from China but actually a really good price. I think they ended up being cheaper than plain acrylic rod I can get locally.

Sometimes I use them as stir sticks :facepalm

 

[Sean]

We'll forgive you for the stir stick perfidy as long as it was vintage Ambrosia you were stirring. :devil So is there the possibility of another run, what with all that spare rod laying about being abused? Or possibly some guidance for those who want to do one? Pretty please?

I like this idea. save me the trouble of starting a project then dropping it because it pissed me off...:lol

 

[19narvik40]

Just a quick thought, would it be possible to make a kit which has either the crystal rods for the FTL drive and/or the fancy key like on the Nuclear Release key? Would that make it more viable as a sale able item? Any comments?

 

[Rik1138]

If I may ask. Were was the switch on the hero prop? I can't tell from all the screen grabs...

There isn't a single switch, each rod is turned on separately. There's two ways to do it: on each side of the key there's a hole drilled in it (you can see the one for the lower rod in the picture I posted with the key on the measuring board). On the other side there's a recessed area that also has a hole drilled in it. The buttons on the Flash Fire lights line up with these holes.

You can turn the lights on by either poking something in the holes, or by gently pulling the end of the light like you are trying to pull it out of the key. The button will hit the edge of the hole and depress. So you can cycle through the different lighting states (flashing, constant on, off) by tugging repeatedly on the ends of the rods.

The diameter of the hole for the Flash Fire lights actually gets a little smaller just past the drilled holes (toward the front of the key), so you can't actually pull the lights all the way out through the 'front' of the key. You have to take the key apart and remove them from the back to get them out.

That's part of the reason way it's been suggested to redesign how the lights work with a proper switch...

Heh! I still have a ton of those rods laying about from the run I did. Custom ordered from China but actually a really good price. I think they ended up being cheaper than plain acrylic rod I can get locally.

I'll have to look at them again, but where they exactly the same as the Flash Fire rods? I can't remember if they were a perfect match, or just really close...

 

[B-Movie Zombie]

I would LOVE to have a Jump key in all Metal.

 

[msleeper]

I've been looking for a simple project to do some lathe practice and I've always loved BSG and the jump key. Does anyone have a guess to the diameter of the cylinder section?

 

[Rik1138]

I've been looking for a simple project to do some lathe practice and I've always loved BSG and the jump key. Does anyone have a guess to the diameter of the cylinder section?

1.128 inch at the largest part.

 

[Sean]

wouldn't that recess/trench area need a milling machine?

 

[Rik1138]

Yeah, it's not a perfect cylinder in it's final state, but lathing it out is a starting point... Then milling out the trench.
I can't see how the cylinder is attached to the lower part on the prop (I can't get them apart easily, and not going to force it. ).
It's either just a tight fit and holding onto each other, or glued. The piece held on with the screw doesn't actually hold the cylinder piece down, so I'm guessing there's an epoxy or something holding them together.

 

[msleeper]

1.128 inch at the largest part.

1.128 inch at the largest part.

Thanks. Actually I don't suppose you have a set of calipers that I can bug you for some dimensions, do you? The photo is great but exacts are even better!

wouldn't that recess/trench area need a milling machine?

You mean on the main body of the key, where the cylinder fits onto? That's what I was thinking too. Thankfully we have a mill at the space. The way I'm looking at the prop from Rik1138 's photo is that it is 3 parts - the cylinder light saber part, and the two smaller flat parts.

Right?

 

[Sean]

I'm not sure. I'm getting conflicting Info with what i'm seeing. data overload...:lol

 

[Rik1138]

Thanks. Actually I don't suppose you have a set of calipers that I can bug you for some dimensions, do you? The photo is great but exacts are even better!

At this time I don't want to share detailed dimensions of the key publicly. Rebelscum has them for making the one he did, so I want to wait and see where that goes. If he ultimately decides not to pursue a run, I can share the info with others. And if he does a run, everyone will have access to them that way.

You mean on the main body of the key, where the cylinder fits onto? That's what I was thinking too. Thankfully we have a mill at the space. The way I'm looking at the prop from @Rik1138 's photo is that it is 3 parts - the cylinder light saber part, and the two smaller flat parts.

Yep, 3 parts. The cylinder, the larger flat portion the cylinder fits on, and the thinner piece on the back. The back piece is exactly what you see, nothing 'inserts' into the other pieces. It's drilled out a little on the inside to allow for the back end of the Flash Fires. Obviously the cylinder overlaps the bottom piece a little, but other than that there's no 'hidden' overlapping or inserting pieces. The small piece on the back is just held on with a screw, and that holds in the lights.

 

[19narvik40]

Can resin be electroplated? It would have the heft of a metal key but maybe if it was chromed it would look pretty damned good wouldn't it?