Enemy Mine Drac Bible -my next project-

Slowly but surely. Currently etching 12 sets of pages, which will take some time as one set takes about 3 hours to do. Also want to make an improved mold for the cover and start on the backs during my holiday
 
If you can show me or do a video of how you cast stuff, i would be very interrested.


Looking beautiful! I noticed in an earlier post that you were looking into spincasting the pewter covers. If you don't have access to a spin-caster, you can use pressure casting. I used to do it all the time for jewelry casting. Pewter has a lower melting temp than gold or silver (which is what I was casting), and if you aren't familiar with the process, I can give you instructions. Seriously easy to do at home if you have even a small pressure pump or compressor.
 
Received lasercut brass for the back and hinges 2 weeks ago and have been working a bit more on the prototype, but time has been really limited.

Have some thoughts on the gem for the hinge, but determining the color has been very difficult due to the use of color filters in the movie.

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Next steps are nickelplating the back piece and brass/nickelplate the cover and drill holes in the pages. Then i will concentrate on the hinge
 
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Received lasercut brass for the back and hinges 2 weeks ago and have been working a bit more on the prototype, but time has been really limited.

Have some thoughts on the gem for the hinge, but determining the color has been very difficult due to the use of color filters in the movie.

338386_10151227864116101_1272658635_o.jpg

327440_10151217870976101_1199072576_o.jpg

483007_10151223267401101_101909896_n.jpg

561960_10151223267076101_1074030342_n.jpg

536256_10151223267831101_601000559_n.jpg


Next steps are nickelplating the back piece and brass/nickelplate the cover and drill holes in the pages. Then i will concentrate on the hinge


It looks beautiful. I've been saving all my pennies for this one. There's a thread here for your favorite book props. I've been thinking about it and I'd have to say I think this one is probably it. There's just something about a tiny metal book you wear around your neck.
 
This looks SOOOOOOOO COOOOOOLLLLL!!!
Such detail for so small a prop! Your attention to every aspect of the build is inspiring!
The movie, IMHO, was such a great film for the money spent and the year, 1985, it was made!

Trivia for those who may not be aware:
This film was a remake of the film "Hell in the Pacific" (1968) which was directed by John Boorman and starred Lee Marvin and Toshirô Mifune! Which IMHO is another great movie!!!
It also shows that a remake CAN be made without totally messing either one up. I realize that it was easier to do a remake of "Hell in the Pacific" by simply changing the setting from an island during WWII to a planet during a futuristic alien war. But still, compared to some of the remakes coming out of Hollywood today, a much better experience!

(BTW "Enemy Mine" was directed Wolfgang Petersen, another great director who has done some of my favorite movies: "Troy", "Outbreak", "In the Line of Fire", "Das Boot" just to name a few.)

Sorry to rattle on but this whole thread has really got me stoked!
Thanks much, Petseal
 
Yeah, this going to one of the most well made fan made props I will have the pleasure to own...
 
just watched (and did some capping) of a bluray rip and learned some new details not visible in the DVD. Good thing i always make a prototype first, going to implememt the changes i learned :)

As for the gem, in some scenes it looks white, in others more like a "tiger eye" gem, the later is probably more beautiful.
 
received some more materials recently for the hinge. After watching a bluray rip, i decided the knob on the hinge should be bigger so went with 14mm dia instead of the 8mm i had. It also looked like they used a tigereye gemstone in a metal cap in the domeshape, so that's the items i traced and bought. Looks pretty good to me this way.

I also noticed the hinge arm should be shaped a bit differently, so i will have them recut once i advance a bit more on the prototype.

Another detail that couldn't be seen in the DVD, is that there is a 'V' shaped cut out in the hinge section which is underneath the back and it also has the corners rounded off.

drac-tiger.jpg
 
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Great attention to detail. I'm loving the 3d texture you've got on the cover piece. Great research in identifying the tigereye gemstones. How many inner plates(pages) will there be?
 
Trivia for those who may not be aware:
This film was a remake of the film "Hell in the Pacific" (1968) which was directed by John Boorman and starred Lee Marvin and Toshirô Mifune! Which IMHO is another great movie!!!
It also shows that a remake CAN be made without totally messing either one up. I realize that it was easier to do a remake of "Hell in the Pacific" by simply changing the setting from an island during WWII to a planet during a futuristic alien war. But still, compared to some of the remakes coming out of Hollywood today, a much better experience!

:lol
Yeah, this generic story has been around for a while. Ever see None but the Brave?
 
prototype is 99% done. Just need to do some minor finishing on the hinge, round of the corners of the cover and do some nickelplating. One thing i added is the cuplike piece on the cover, which i made from the same type of stud i used for the gem cup. Looked like they did this on the original too.


Very happy with how this is turning out (heavy too :) )

dracproto2013-1.jpg

dracproto2013-2.jpg
 
prototype is 99% done. Just need to do some minor finishing on the hinge, round of the corners of the cover and do some nickelplating. One thing i added is the cuplike piece on the cover, which i made from the same type of stud i used for the gem cup. Looked like they did this on the original too.


Very happy with how this is turning out (heavy too :) )

dracproto2013-1.jpg

dracproto2013-2.jpg



That is beautiful. Iam definitely in if you go with making a run of these. It'sprobably one of my favorite book props I think.
 
.....and done!!!! :)

the final version for the limited run will slightly differ from this one. 14 pages instead of 12, two small metal pieces on the inner solderspots on the back and the hingesection on the back will be accurately shaped. Other than that, below is what it will look like. Very, very happy with the result.

dracbible1.jpg

dracbible2.jpg

dracbible3.jpg

dracbible4.jpg

dracbible5.jpg

dracbible6.jpg
 
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