Building an Ark of the Covenant from our kit

[Rebelscum]

For some reason my work pc wasn't showing them but they do work fine otherwise. I just purchased a kit from a member here with a set of SSkunky Cherubs and I'm very excited to get underway. The pics in this thread are so incredibly helpful.
Many thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

Did you get the cut list for the box parts?

 

[agent5]

Did you get the cut list for the box parts?

I believe so. The list of thicknesses of the boards and such?

 

[Rebelscum]

I believe so. The list of thicknesses of the boards and such?

It's a cut list for all the pieces to build the actual box.

 

[agent5]

It's a cut list for all the pieces to build the actual box.

I got one sheet that had thicknesses and sizes of the pieces and the dimensions of the lid and box. Is that the one you're referring to?

 

[Rebelscum]

I got one sheet that had thicknesses and sizes of the pieces and the dimensions of the lid and box. Is that the one you're referring to?

That's it. You should be all set.

 

[rooker2k]

this is crazy

 

[hazelrig11]

How much is it to order a kit? Also where is the classified section? I’m a little lost..

 

[Jediguy]

my gawd this is amazing!!

 

[kevin926]

How did they achieve the gold finish

 

[agent5]

How did they achieve the gold finish

The box itself looks to be gold leafed while the accessories are plated. I've often wondered if I was correct?

 

[kevin926]

delete question please--moved to own thread

 

[kevin926]

The box itself looks to be gold leafed while the accessories are plated. I've often wondered if I was correct?

Reading deeper into this thread, I spotted where they spent big bucks to send off and have finished. Over 3 grand

 

[OasisSupernova]

Philip Wise here to show how to use our Ark kits to build an Ark of the Covenant, just like the one I finished years ago. The kit has been posted in the classified section.

Since we had a couple assembly commissions waiting on the kits, we used that first one to document the process so I could post this build guide.

The creation of my original build, and the source of all the parts, was chronicled over at my Rebelscum forums: http://forum.rebelscum.com/showthread.php?t=1098610

Here is my gallery of reference photos of one of the Arks on tour. These photos were taken at the Cube in Anaheim. Rebelscum Star Wars Photo Archive

Here's my Ark at the unveiling during one of my prop parties.

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A finished kit

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Here's the cast parts in the kit.

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Lid custom milled double cove wood pieces

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Here's the custom milled wood trim parts

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Here's the aluminum lifting ring parts.

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The kit includes everything needed for the build except the cherubs, flat boards, and miscellaneous assembly hardware like screws and nails. This material I recommended for the lid top and bottom plus the cabinet bottom is 1/2" MDF. 3/4" plywood for the cabinet sides.

The first thing you want to do is wash all the plastic parts well with soapy water. We don't use mold release on the parts, so having paint stick shouldn't be a problem, but it's a good practice to do this first anyway.

Here is a cut list spreadsheet for the ark box parts. You will need this for the build.

Assembly starts with the very large wood double-cove profiles that make the frame for the top. You will receive 4 pieces that are already mitered for assembly.

You can see that we use a long band clamp and corner clamps to join it together. You can user your 1/2" MDF that becomes the bottom of the lid and assemble the four lid pieces with it in place to hold your parts square. Just don't glue it in yet. Be sure and check that your pieces are square with diagonal measuring during assembly. We use a special inside corner nail gun for this but you can use glued wood blocks or screwed metal corner brackets attached inside the corners. You will need something to stiffen the joint since you can't rely on just glue for the miters. Since they miters are HUGE, the joints may not be perfect. Do the best job you can getting them close in a dry fit so you can see what you're up against. This is a large and stressful glue-up even for an experienced woodworker. Be sure and get an assistant to help you. You'll want to use epoxy in the miters instead of wood glue. Don't try to use a 5 minute version. Get something that's longer and do two on one end first, then the other two. Use blue painters tape to prevent the gaps from leaking and don't worry about squeeze out as you'll be sanding them anyway and the joints don't show on the finished ark.

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Here's the orientation of the lid profile pieces showing which side is up.

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What if I only needed certain pieces? Is that something that could be ordered? I was thinking of making a shelf for my Indiana Jones section out of just the lid. Standard lid length but only about 4" to 6" deep. Is that a possibility? Basically i want to put the shelf under my posters to hold more props.. I'd order the whole ark if I could afford it. Sadly my wife would probably divorce me. Lol. Anyways, let me know.

 

[Rebelscum]

The way to do this now would be to get the 3d print files I made available, scale to your needs, and print just the ones you need.

 

[OasisSupernova]

The way to do this now would be to get the 3d print files I made available, scale to your needs, and print just the ones you need.

Dang. I need a 3D printer. Lol