Farnsworth Discussion

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Nice work Kylash.
I think they sold those toys at Target a few years ago.

I got my left hand knob's yesterday still waiting for UPS to deliver the boxes,
they're probably sitting in a warehouse in Sacramento for a week.:unsure

D6
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Well, I finally recieved the clear crystal for the communicator....Unfortunately they sent me the wrong ones.
They sent diamond cut surface.

At first I thought that maybe I made a mistake, but after looking at the photo on their website, it seems they made the mistake..
Am I wrong or are these smooth domed surface crystals?

cabs_colors.jpg



I also recieved the the correct DC jacks for the side of the communicator box (Looks like a perfect match)...So now that we have a confrimation onb the correct jacks, here's the sourc link -

DC-311.JPG


Here's the source link for the product (Kylash, might want to add this link to the first page)

http://www.unicornelex.com/detail.php?itemno=23-4700&


Also, recieved the center knob.
Im going to file off the skirt and paint it brown (Im going to use that fusion paint which permanently bonds to plastic) -

543-0402.jpg

Source -
http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?SKU=543-0402&MPN=1910CS


DS
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

thanks, ill add the links.

damn on the diamonds..i ordered them as well. Man the shipping on those jacks is a little nuts..
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

A trip to the hardware store. A "wrong" switch - knob too large. And a middle knob, in black and with a skirt. The box is a copy of a Wheatley. Now to work on a faceplate.

parts1_1.jpg

parts2.jpg


Thanks wackychimp!

airhead
 
Last edited:
Re: Warehouse 13 Props Research Thread - Farnsworth

so youres didnt come faceted like Darth Saber got screwed on? Good, mine should show up soon.

"A "wrong" switch - knob too large." Same one I used, aside from the diameter of the button, it seems close. What hardware store had the skirted center knob?
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Kylash327 said:
Quick overview of my work so far, including electronics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0yglZuV8kw

this is the best pic online i could find of the device modified:
r20081118132006.jpg
Click to expand...

Great video. XD I rated it at a 5 XD


Anyway, I think I have a solution for your screen back light.

All you need, is the lens for the screen, and behind it, put translucent white plastic diffuser to spread the light out for a nice glow effect, and then use one of these: http://superbrightleds.com/fit.htm under cabinet and accent lights that are flat disk shaped LED lights that you can wire in that may make good low power usage back lights for the screen.

These particular ones may not be the best to use but I think this may be a good place to start.
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

The knob was in one of those small parts drawer things at the local True Value hardware store. The really fine print on the underside of the knob says "Daka-Ware Chicago Made in USA".

airhead
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

I saw some 3LED stick on lights at Dollar tree the other day.
I was looking at the packaging as a possible screen lens.

D6
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Here's the knob, minus the skirt (it is phenolic, by the way!) and sprayed with some brown rattlecan paint. I gave it a couple of shots to try for the rougher, aged look on purpose.

brown,noskirt.jpg


I also picked up a brass door kickplate at BigLots. It's 6" wide - just about right.

brassfaceplate.jpg


I keep thinking about the video screen. Never tried vacuum forming, but that might not be a bad way to go. Maybe heat the acrylic and suck it through a hole the size of the cutout on the faceplate?

airhead
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Here's a piece of lucite roughed out with a belt sander, smoothed with a file and wet sandpaper, and polished on a buffing wheel. Beats paying postage.

lens1.jpg


Oops! Need to clean off the brown paint!

airhead
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

airhead said:
I keep thinking about the video screen. Never tried vacuum forming, but that might not be a bad way to go. Maybe heat the acrylic and suck it through a hole the size of the cutout on the faceplate?

airhead
Click to expand...

My guess is that won't work well because you'll get a thin slice of a cylinder, rather than a dome appearance. You need to sculpt a dome to vac form ontop of, not try to vac form into a void.
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

You could blow form the plastic.
Years ago I worked for the company that made Picards ready room bubble tank.
It was blow formed.

You need a template to put over the plastic, a solid base with air attachment and clamps.
The amount of air pressure regulates the hight of the dome.

But in this case vac forming over a shape would be better to get the flat sides and low curve of the face.

D6
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Searching on "Wearhouse 13" and "tesla gun" this thread is the only one thus far really looking into these props - currently of course the Farnsworth communicator, but it started off to do both. I was wondering if in the meantime as the comm is being investigated and reproduced here, if anyone has thought about the tesla gun? I am currently curious about the dimensions for starters. But since the title of this thread appears to have been changed, was someone going to start a Warehouse 13 Prop Research - Tesla Gun thread? Again, really hunting for the dimensions.
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

I'm putting the overall length of the Tesla gun at 9". This looks about right in the screen caps and fits with the dimensions of some tubes in my parts boxes. I think that it is unlikely that without the original prop maker's input, we will ever guess the correct vacuum tubes - there are hundreds to choose from. I'm working on picking what looks close. I've got a match for the control knob on the left-hand side - it's 5/8" diameter at the base. Another phenolic knob.
TeslaGunleftsidecopy.jpg

The VU meter in the case is out of some audio equipment - maybe an old reel-to-reel tape deck. It looks to be about 1 3/4" across.

The braided copper wire could be de-soldering braid and the connector to the gun looks like a right-angle sparkplug cover, maybe from a lawnmower.

The two small meters on the right-hand side have faces of about 1/2", which is pretty small. They could be from a handheld reel-to-reel recorder, but I'm planning on making mock-ups.

TeslaGunrightside.jpg


And of course, since it appears to be good for only one use at a time, it's handy to have the "Battery Low" light (although, I'm thinking that it would be more likely to operate on a capacitance discharge - hence the one-shot).

teslagunlowbatterycopy.jpg


airhead
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Started putting some stuff together (The faceplate is just a temporery place holder).

Here's a shot with the port jacks.


IMG_0299.jpg


DS
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

That looks freakin awesome! The jacks on the side look spot on, really make the piece! Are you going to have the plate cut and engraved, or just using it for reference?
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

silverskyes402 said:
That looks freakin awesome! The jacks on the side look spot on, really make the piece! Are you going to have the plate cut and engraved, or just using it for reference?
Click to expand...


I dunno about the engraving yet. Im waiting to see how Kylash's venture with the engraver pans out.
If that doesn't work out, I think Im going to photo etch the text.


DS
 
Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

did you get the jacks from the site you showed or from a store?

I have a few vacumm tubes i got from an old radio that im saving up for a Tesla when i get to it.
 
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