Farnsworth Discussion

Hi. I'm new here and I'm tired and on my iPhone- so forgive me if I'm a bit yesterday and perhaps on the wrong page.

I've been tinkering with props and prop replicas and conversions for about twenty years, but I got out of the forum thing and just started building. Ever since I first saw the Farnsworth I decided to make one from scratch. It's such a simple prop with so many possibilities. The only real hard part is of course the brass face plate. Fabricating one by hand simply takes a lot of patience and hand tools for the old schoolers like me. As long as it looks correct, screen accurate, it is correct. I use my micrometer as a paperweight.
However, I would certainly like to purchase one of the beautiful machined plates being made by a member here if someone could Toss me the link.

I was just wondering if anyone has had a notion to make styrene or resin plate or Farnsworth kit. Over the years I've learned how to make wood, plastic and resin look and feel absolutely real, and would be happy with such a thing. One secret to making plastic and wood look like a thick sheet of brass, steel or aluminum is to actually sheet (laminate) it with a thin sheet of the metal. A quality straight edge, T-square and triangle on a ruled cutting board can work wonders with no more that thin K&S sheet metal and "quality" no 11 blades. I've got basswood and styrene TOS tricorders that are only skinned with metal and carefully placed lead weight inside.

Anyway, if someone here will take this here dolt under their wing, I'll
post a fairly easy way to make screen accurate yet actually functioning view screens in your Farnsworth! Hell, if I can do it in a Tricorder, an "enormous" Farnsworth is nothing!

Thanks!
Robb
 
Yeah, Robb... It's full, but there's still a decent chance for dropouts, as there's still something close to 15 people who haven't paid yet. Three dropouts in the last week or so have cleared out the standby list, so you'd be first in line.
 
I have a bag of about 50 crystal stones. If you need a couple PM me your address and I'll send you a few. No charge. They didn't cost me but a $1 so better to share with any Farnsworth builders. Once they're gone though they're gone.
 
shereekachu said:
I have a bag of about 50 crystal stones. If you need a couple PM me your address and I'll send you a few. No charge. They didn't cost me but a $1 so better to share with any Farnsworth builders. Once they're gone though they're gone.
Click to expand...

VERY good of you! +1
 
So, I was thinking... has anyone tried "blowing" their own clear dome? You could take a piece of clear styrene or very thin plexiglass, lay it over the hole in the Farnsworth face plate and then blow from the back using a hot air gun. If you point the hot air towards the middle of the hole, the dome should push outwards, through the cut hole, when it gets hot. That's more or less how plexiglass domes are made anyway...
 
I plan on vacuum forming some but im still waiting on the die's and the guy making them is out of the country till the end of the month. I think the problem with heat blowing from the back side through the hole would be having it come out in a uniform shape, could be possible but I have never tried.
 
Finished my Farnsworth the other day and thought I'd share a photo. I've never done anything like this and was completely lost in the beginning, but this thread and all the information you all have posted was incredibly helpful. I made quite a few mistakes on this one so it's not perfect or 100% accurate, but for my first build...I'm really proud of it. I'm gonna take what I've learned from the build (and you all!) and do another more accurate one as soon as funds allow it and then see what other kind of builds I can get my hands into. Thanks again for all the info.

http://gobbledygookwithconviction.tumblr.com/image/31306358916
 
Alrighty, ordered some side jacks, center and side knobs, pushbutton switches, and lens covers... should have a pretty good start now when the faceplates arrive.

Took a chance on a few of the parts in favor of price over accuracy, will post here once I make some progress with it.
 
Fyberdyne Labs said:
Ok here is a picture with the Dollar store compack. You can see a small gap around it. It could be use but you would have to glue it yo something to hold it in place. Plus you would see the hing and the claps.
Mark
15871-plate-wwith-compact.jpg
Click to expand...
yes its almost perfect just went out and got one
 
The LA colors compact may not be the best option but IMO it is a better option than the furniture sliders some were using (not a bad idea either and very creative). The diameter of the compact case I have is 2.975 inches which is only .012 of an inch smaller per side of the diameter of the opening. Also with the compact having alot of room after the makeup tray is popped out makes it a nice place for sticking batteries-wiring-etc. I think I posted this but here is a pic of my farnsworth with a cardboard faceplate for mockup and with the inside of the compact painted a darker color, you can barely see the hinge inside. With a little work or touch up that too might even be painted and then completely hidden. Good luck with your build.
img0364ak.jpg
 
So, I don't think this has actually been discussed but, within the Warehouse 13 universe, what exactly are the official functions of some of the gadgets on Farnsworth?

I'm guessing the black knob on the left is to click the Farnsworth "on" and adjust volume?
Center brown button is for the "channel" or frequency?
Right button is to answer or call?
The crystal cabachon is some kind of convex lens for the camera?
Rectangular section under the view screen is a reciever??
Jacks on the side for power charge?
Grill on the upper left is obviously the speaker.

Does anyone remember if these gadgets have other multipurposes?
 
I noticed a small oops in the show last night. There was a scene where pete was talking to myka on the farnsworth and the one pete was using had a chip in the paint near the top corner on the backside of the case and when it switched to myka the same chip was there in the same place. I guess I might not have noticed it before but since ive been involved in this thread i tend to notice details on the props more.
 
Last edited:
I've started paying attention to the ringtone and the way the light flashes while they talk on it!

CYBORG65 said:
I noticed a small opps in the show last night. There was a scene where pete was talking to myka on the farnsworth and the one pete was using had a chip in the paint near the top corner on the backside of the case and when it switched to myka the same chip was there in the same place. I guess I might not have noticed it before but since ive been involved in this thread i tend to notice details on the props more.
Click to expand...
 
So I'm awaiting the new faceplate and wanting to get mine finally ready. I am hooking up a small screen inside and want to know this. I need to find a 2 way switch type of thing, so I can push the button, have the sound chip and light flash, push it again, change the power over to the screen so it can run its video file, then shut off on its own and then the first push goes back to the ring. Or if there is enough room maybe a timer for the ring and so maybe 3 functions :)

Anyone know of a chip that will do that and it needs to be pretty small. Thanks
 

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