Farnsworth Discussion

[jason1976]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Someone suggested Michael's here in the thread, and none of our local stores carry it any longer. Anoter sugestion was a brass kickplate from lowe's or Ace. Ace has them for $20, and Lowe's had some for about $15.

I'm having ours done in plastic which has a metal brass surface. When using plastic, they can completely cut all the way through, resulting in a clean hole. If we’d gone with real brass, I’d have to be cutting out all the holes with a dremel or exacto afterwards.

Since I’ll be weathering the faceplate anyway, I’m pretty sure I can use paint ops to make the plastic look like brass.

Any Old time of the smaller, older style hardware store should have them. My Ace Hardware has them, along with a number of other smaller stores around here. I've also bout my brass sheat for other projects, at little hobby shops, like those that carry stuffy for models, and model building. Like Hobby Town. (One of the ones near me, closed last years, and I STOCKED UP, on a lot of that kind of stuff when they marked it all down to 75% off. :LOL)

A piece that size shouldn't be more then $5. or $6. (give or take.)

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Thing is we live in a very small western NC town, so anything like that we'd have to order online. Rather than have to worry about cutting out all the cutouts twice (I'm also making my wife one.), it was just easier to go with plastic for now (and dragoncon)

If I dislike the plastic, I can repurpose the eps file for real brass later, but I suspect it'll look just fine.

 

[Zombie Killer]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Gareee, i am in rocky mount NC. How thick you want? I can get some .050" here at the hobby shop and ship it to you. Let me know

They sell 4x10" sheets

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Thanks for the offer. I should have the plastic ones in today or Monday, and I can see how they look after weathering. We are trying to get our Warehouse 13 props (and others) doen for Dragoncon Labor day weekend, so if I'm unhappy with the plastic, I'll revisit the issue once we get back.

On my plate today is painting the flyboxes, doing a green lantern foam mask, and working on Despicable me Minion goggles. Interesting day, eh?

 

[macdaddy]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Which is the correct size for the left black knob? The 1" or the 3/4"? Thanks!

The 3/4" knob. The Fender Bass Knob kit comes with two 1" knobs and one 3/4" knob. The small knob is it.

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Ok, here's finally some progress on ours. Just a quick check of the basic layout, and initial paint ops. The flash washed out a bit of the front, but you get the idea, I think.

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

There is really not much difference between the parts you have and the QMX. You just bolt and glue them on. My box is sitting on the lid of the QMX so it a bit closer to the camera and looks bigger but it is not. Everything is about the same. What other documentation is needed?

Phez:

Did you just mount the pushbutton under the faceplate, or did you take it apart? I see the "c" ring at the bottom holding on the black plastic button, but I can't seem to get the rest of it apart.

Also, how high is the bottom external right hand jack, and how far away from it is the one above it?

Sounds like I won't have our faceplates till mid next week, so I can't really begin to assemble or test fit parts properly yet. If I can get the measurements, I'll mount the right side jacks, and finish do the weathering on the other one I'm making.

And that give me a few days to cobble up a tesla or two!

Oh! BTW, I found a great belt holster you can get for your farnsworth. Sears has black tape measure holders we use for our Ghostbuster PKE meters, and the exact same holders fit the farnsworth case perfectly. Plus they only cost about $6.

IMHO, it makes sense that as large as they are, that the W13 team wouldn't always have them hidden in a pocket, and for conventions and events, you really don't want to hide your hard work as well.

You can just cut off the logo with a razor, and then slip the holder on your belt. Pop the farnsworth in, and its visible, but is also safely tucked away, and easy to carry around.

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Got my plastic plates today!

They forgot the center dial post cutout, but that is easy to do. They also could have been another 1/32 of an inch wider, but if I can always redo them after Dragoncon if I decide I'm that picky, and then maybe offer our original ones here for sale at the $9.50 cost.

I'm very pleased with how they came out, considering its the first time I've used illustrator in ages, and I was going by a lot of guess work.

 

[jason1976]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

That really looks great.

 

[RandeG]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

That looks awesome! How were you planning to do the numbered dial at the bottom?

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

The numbered dial is actually already etched in. Since the plastic is black, it just all looks black in the pic. I'll paint it brass, and then weather the entire faceplate so it blend in.

I also need to paint all the etched things brass as well, so they also blend in. Someone else recently got an etched faceplate, and mangled it with his dremel making all the cutouts. IMHO, this is the easiest solution that just happens to also be the most affordable.

(Although real brass would have only cost $5 more each, I think.)

 

[PeterLC]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

The plastic plates look good. I'd also suggest the speaker grill holes should be a bit narrower if you're wanting to be picky. If you could get that in brass for $15 it would be a very good deal. I'd even buy two more of them at that price.

 

[Gareee]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Thing is, they can't do the cutouts in brass. Plus the only way to do the recessed center dial in brass, is to cut out that section, and put another engraved disc under it.

Odds are between doing the tiny speaker cutouts, the view screen, and the center dial, everyone would muck something up, ruining it.

I see what you mean about the speaker cutouts being a little thicker than they should be. I'm just glad to have something fairly close at a good price.

 

[PeterLC]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

deleted

 

[PeterLC]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

I think what you've got is pretty reasonable for under $10 and I'd probably buy one or two of them

 

[RandeG]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Gareee, would you be willing to get some more made after DragonCon? (My wife and I are going too--can't wait!) I'd be willing to pay extra for your troubles. I need 2 of them. I have no idea where I'd have to go to get this done around here!
Thanks, Rande

 

[sleepless]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

I would love to start builing one of these, does anyone know where I could get the brass etched faceplate??

Brad

 

[Zombie Killer]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

This thread got shut down once because of talk of making and selling plates. I would recomend you guys keep that stuff out of the thread. There has been a C&D issued once already for the sale of plates.

 

[RandeG]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

This thread got shut down once because of talk of making and selling plates. I would recomend you guys keep that stuff out of the thread. There has been a C&D issued once already for the sale of plates.

Oops, thanks

 

[sleepless]

Re: Warehouse 13 Prop Research - The Farnsworth

Sorry didn't realise there was a C&D read the whole thread didn't mention that it was shut down previously. Unless I missed it.