Fully Functional Vulcan Harp Finished! Video!

P

pielock373

Well-Known Member
Sense I was 14 years old I always wanted to make the prop. Now at 53 I am taking it on! I think I first picked these plans up at the 1975 New York Star Trek convention at the Commodore hotel. Those were the days, that convention was over the top!!

Here is a link to the plans on-line: http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/vulcan-harp-construction-plans.php

These plans not only layout the physical body of the instrument but also shows you how to build a cord circuit board based on a 50240 IC, this chip is known as a Top-Octave Frequency Generator. It was the base of just about every electronic organ that sat in many of our homes in the 70's and 80's. I have etched the circuit board shown in the plans and assembled the parts. For the amplifier section I have used an updated amplifier board kit commonly available on-line. The cord generator board is built as shown in the plans.

Here is a picture of the test assembly. I powered it up last night for the first time, it all works!! Now that I have a working set of electronics for the harp Its now time to press on with making the main body of the Harp.





 
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Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

Here's a video for you all to watch so you can here the cord generator in action.

 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

The body will be high grade plywood. Still working out much of the jointing in my head. Below are the scaled up 1/1 plans I've drawn. Head to toe is 35 1/2 inches by 14 inches wide by 2 inches thick.




- - - Updated - - -

Making a template for the body. Will become eventually become the front face of the instrument.
 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

Trimming out the veneer. I ended up find a more traditional type veneer with no backing that had a wonderful walnut grain.






 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

Here's the center opening for the electronics and resonator box.




Also, the penciled in circle for the tension knob. Also notice the last body piece I need to cut on the scroll saw. This is the raised area of the front neck.
 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

The soon to be tension knob.
20150412_224811_zpsdrpdp82a.jpg




 
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Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

Finished machining the tension Knob.





Inside the harp resonator box,and electronics compartment.





All the pieces loose stacked for effect. Over the comings days I will be attaching the veneers and glueing the main body together.


 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

So I made two bridges, one out of the African mahogany and one out of walnut. I'm not sure which one to go with, please help me decide? In case anyone is wondering. About the slot, it will have an insert bar glued into place that will have the guide slots for the strings.


Steve







 
Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

Here is the refined bridge, the metal will have grooves cut into it for the strings to sit in.





 
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Re: Making a Fully Functional Vulcan Harp

I veneered the front on, it's now being pressed. Hope the God it comes out alright! There is going to be seven layers of gluing on this prop all together. If this newest layer is successful that will be three down and four to go.


Steve


 
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