Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke (Finished on page 7)

Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

WWI and Star Wars have taught me one thing: trenches are bad. So I filled mine in as planned.

Layer 1:
troughlayer11.jpg


troughlayer12.jpg


Layer 2:
troughlayer23.jpg


Tomorrow I'll make a template to measure the outer coats of body filler and maybe put a first coat on it.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

An interesting project. I hope you can make a great version. I can't think of anything you haven't tried but you did think of a few things I hadn't.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Ok, so I'm back to having something that looks like an egg from Alien. You can see that the filler started to set up while I was still applying it. This is actually upside down, so you are looking where the "firing pin" will go. Tomorrow I'll put a little bit more on each end and then start checking to see if I need to put any more on.

fillerlayer11.jpg


fillerlayer12.jpg
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Almost done with the body filler. Which is good because I'm almost done with the can.

Top:
layer2top1.jpg


layer2top2.jpg


Bottom:
layer2bottom1.jpg


I might try to put a layer on the equator before work tomorrow. Then it sand, sand, sand and clean up the openings on each end.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Wrote a long update and closed the window after previewing instead of clicking submit. So no witty comments this time. :angry

Applied a skim coat and put it on a bit heavy near the ends to bulk them out some.

Two of the top:
skimcoattop1.jpg


skimcoattop2.jpg


Two of the bottom:
skincoatbottom1.jpg


skincoatbottom2.jpg


Next steps: Smooth everything and finish the openings on the ends.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

looking forward to seeing this finished, theres a good few fallout 3 props out there now, and many are awesome, but its the more random stuff like this that really iinterests me
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

looking forward to seeing this finished, theres a good few fallout 3 props out there now, and many are awesome, but its the more random stuff like this that really iinterests me

I'm looking forward to seeing it finished too. I picked it because I thought it would be easy (HAHAHAHAHA!) and nobody else had done it that I could find. If I ever finish this I will do something easier, like the Stealth Boy.

So, I got it rough sanded. You can only see a few, but there were some holes that had to be filled. I filled them, but didn't take any pictures. So here it is pre-patch:

roughfinish1.jpg


roughfinish2.jpg


roughfinish3.jpg


Tomorrow I'll hopefully finish the rough sanding and start in on the final sanding. And I still need to put holes in the ends for later.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

I got it pretty darn smooth. The thin horizontal line is a seam I added using a scribe while it was on the lathe. I went a little too deep but I think it will be ok. The darker line is the line the fake screws that are supposed to look like they hold it together will go. The vertical lines are where each of the screws will go. But looking at that and comparing it with a reference image makes me think I need more screws. The bottom needed a lot of filler so I wrapped a piece of balsa in some paper that filler does not stick well to. That is the white thing sticking out the bottom. I have filled the holes and dealt with the bottom, but the battery in my phone was too low to take pictures.

smoothpass1picture1.jpg


smoothpass1picture2.jpg


This morning I was thinking how I was going to make a mold of this thing without having some weird three or four part mold. If you look at the first few pictures you can see I was planning on making a half inch or so deep opening in the top that the fuse would go in. I changed my mind and I will be making it extremely shallow, maybe a 1/16 of an inch. This will allow me to use a two part mold. It will also make it easier to build a master for and make a mold of the fuse.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Ok, I filled in the low spots, added some filler that was missing from the bottom, and cleaned everything up and drew some new lines. I decided to go with eight screws around the perimeter to "hold" the two parts together.

Here is the bottom. There are some cracks between the filler I added and what was already there. At this point I'm burned out with mixing filler and having to sand it down again. I'm tempted to use vinyl putty usually used for fixing drywall or just seeing if the primer I am using will fill them. I kind of hope that when I cut a 1.5 inch hole it will also cut out the cracks (which means it won't).
smoothpass2picture1.jpg


Here is the top. The circle on top is where I am going to make an inset about 1/16 of an inch deep. Not sure yet how I'm going to pull that off. I don't know if I do it with a dremel or if I have to use something else. The lines are what I used to do the placement of the screws at 45 degree increments.
smoothpass2picture2.jpg


Side view. Here you can see the groove again along with some of the future screw locations.
smoothpass2picture3.jpg


So next steps are
  1. Cut a hole in the bottom, cut the depression into the top,
  2. Drill holes for the screws and add them.
  3. Cut the depression into the top.
 
Last edited:
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Looking very smooth! Glad to see an update.
I'm not using Bondo, I'm using Evercoat Rage. I read that body work guys love the stuff so I didn't even try Bondo. It's ridiculous how smooth that is. It actually shines in bright light. The downside is that a quart can costs about what a gallon of Bondo costs. I took this to work before I filled in the low spots and a guy who uses Bondo said it seemed to be worth the price difference because he has never gotten Bondo that smooth.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Sorry if you mentioned in the thread, but you plan on making the gun too?

I've thought about it, but that's about it. I'm just starting out with prop making and I think small things like this will be easy to display. I don't know what I would do with something as large as a Fat Man. Maybe ebay it, I don't know.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

:unsure Looks like the filler I added onto the bottom to fill some gaps did not bond completely. So I'm going to have to redo that part. I think I did not scuff the previous coat enough because part of it bonded and part of it did not.

I glued together some foam to start forming the nose cone. That will be easy to form and then resin, assuming the blocks are big enough. The bad thing is I have to print out another copy of the blueprints to cut out a template and for some reason my dog absolutely hates my laser printer.

coreblock1.jpg


coreblock2.jpg


Tuesday: Form and resin cone. Fix the filler issue on the main body.
Wednesday: Start covering cone with filler.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

I took out some sections of filler in the bottom that did not bond very well. Roughed up the edges, put more filler on, sanded it smooth and it's good to go. The first photo may not look pretty, but that is going to be filled with a detail piece.

smooth3picture1.jpg


smooth3picture2.jpg


Now I need to drill a 1.5 inch hole in the bottom and make the firing pin detail that goes into it, drill the holes for the screws and get them in place, and finally cut a shallow insert into the top. Then I can concentrate on all the other parts that attach to this.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

A minor update is still an update. I kept wondering, "How am I going to create that inset section on the top?" I didn't want to have to buy stuff to make some sort of jib to use a router in, especially since I don't own a router. I was thinking I was going to have to use a dremel with a sanding drum when I thought of trying out a chisel to see what that would do. Much to my surprise it worked great on the filler. So I roughed out the opening and then did some contortions to get it sanded on the lathe. I was afraid I did not have enough filler to do a full 1/16 of an inch, so I stopped at maybe 1mm. It's not perfect, but nobody will see this area.

inset1.jpg


Now I just need to finish putting my drill press together and I can start making some new holes in this. Then the first really hard part: I have GOT to sculpt the firing pin detail that goes in the bottom.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

I finished putting the drill press together and started putting new holes in my hard work.

screwholes1.jpg


Then I found a problem when I moved to a bigger bit to counter sink the screws.
screwholesuhoh.jpg


Bits get longer as they get thicker. The 3/8 inch bit I want to use is about two inches too long. The simplest solution is going to be to buy the cheapest drill bit or bit set I can find and shorten one. The problem is even more severe when it comes to drilling the end hole where I need to fit the primer detail. I don't know if I can cut that bit short enough.

I also found two high spots on the body I want to smooth out.
 
Re: Fallout 3: Mini-Nuke WIP

Ok, I got all the holes drilled.
The one in the bottom for where the primer detail goes.

bottomyk.jpg


And the holes for the screws. I drilled a little too far (that's what she said).
countersinkholes1.jpg


So I decided the best way to mount the screws was to put some filler in the holes and then put the screws in. It worked for the most part except I added too much hardener and the filler started setting too soon. But I got them all in and scraped off most of the excess. I decided to go ahead and sand everything down now before it fully cured so it would not take as long. That is when everything came apart. Literally.

crap1o.jpg


crap2.jpg


craptop.jpg


Here is a good view of the cross section of the foam and filler in the thicker area that was supposed to support the screws.
crapsideview.jpg


Here it is with the chunk put back into position.
crapdivit.jpg


I think the problem was a combination of having my lathe speed too high, the screw holes weakened the structure, and the extra mass of the screws just ripped it apart. Some of the screws stayed in their holes so I went ahead and sanded part of it by hand. Some of them looked good, some of them were marginal. It might be possible to fix what I have, but it will not be easy. I would have to get some sort of adhesive down in all of the cracks and then buy a strap clamp or two to force everything together while it cures. I think I have to make core #4. I need to think about whether to stick with foam and reinforce it with fiberglass cloth, make the core out of balsa, or some other option. I was so close to being able to start making a mold. Ugh. Well, live and learn I guess.
 
Back
Top