BUILDING THE BAT SIGNAL: A Full Scale Prop

Great work! Its a shame there's no video of the play.

Actually, there IS a two-minute clip from one of our preview performances that features my brightly-lit friend above! Don't forget to turn on the HD function.


 
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what did you use for a light source

You'd be surprised: Since I did NOT have to worry about the Bat Signal actually projecting the Bat emblem image, I just worked to make sure it looked good lit up as a prop. I used a simple photography light socket and 12-inch reflector set with a 150 Watt PAR 38 flood bulb screwed into the socket.

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The person who quoted you "three tons" was including the weight of the generator. See The Fort MacArthur Museum's searchlight page: it quotes the combined weight (of both the searchlight and generator trailers) as 6,000 lbs. Since the generator is a fairly hefty piece of equipment powered by a 6-cylinder gasoline engine, I'd guess it makes up probably 2/3 or more of that total.

I believe you are correct. One ton for the searchlight, then. Still far too hefty for a non-profit student stage production performed in school or on a community theater stage. LOL!
 
Actually, I was still being conservative... I would be surprised if the light trailer weighs much over 1000 pounds. If you got one on a wide-stance 4-wheel trailer, at around 250 pounds per wheel I think your stage could handle it just fine. Moving it wouldn't be too difficult either, after all one person can push a car around on level ground. But all this is moot anyway since you already have your prop.
 
Well (Shhhhhhh, don't tell my wife)... but, I was motivated to build my own light weight prop, because (after the play over) it is my intention to create a "CLASSIC DYNAMIC DUO DISPLAY" in our home using these two mannequins dressed in the Batman and Robin costumes, flanking the Bat-Signal on either sides. :D

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With the basic Bat Signal shape now constructed, I turned my attention to the next phase of construction that would give the prop real personality and realism.

Using the collection of reference photos and you tube videos that I had amassed of 1942 Carbon Arc searchlights, I sat down and drafted all-new schematic drawings of the COMPONENTS AND DETAILS that I planned to add to the Bat Signal.


This is the Main Power Switch Box Enclosure that will be positioned on the left side of the Trunnion "U" bracket.

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This is my Producion Design rendering of the Carbon Feeder Control Box Unit, which is to be mounted on the opposite Tunnion Bracket arm.

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And here we have the Bat Signal's Main Rotation Motor, which will be located at the rear circular base of the stage prop.

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I also drafted brand new schematics of the final prop itself dressed with these new items. With no actual, real, three-dimensional prop for me to closely examine, this drafting work was often something of a challenge.


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These new schematic drawings required a fair amount of research to be as accurate as possible. A considerable amount of grid comparison guess work was also required when it came to establishing the exact measurements of these different components that I planned to build.
 
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Great work man! One question though, as I understood, you didn't care much for the prop to project any bat signal which is why you used a conventional lamp inside it just so it appears light. But the video (and closed curtains) showed the bat signal hovering all over the theater, may I ask what did you use to do that?

Yours,
Ammar
 
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