Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Electronic Thumb

[FordPrefect]

OK project time !
In true DNA fashion this project can be done easily - this project can be done cheaply - I will accomplish neither of those !

I have been wanting to do a 3D project and order something from Shapeways. After reading many of the threads (sonic screwdrivers, rifle parts, blaster parts) where 3D printing is being used I really wanted to try something. So in my typical fashion we shall do a very simple project to start with I hate trying to bite off more than I can chew so I often go ridiculously easy

Researching software I have Blender installed and have done quite a few tutorials while on lunch break. During this time I realized I would really like a electronic thumb like Mos Def wears in the movie .. so research begins.

On the RPF is this thread with a great photo
http://www.therpf.com/f9/did-neca-ever-release-hitchhikers-guide-galaxy-homing-ring-101297/

By the way Contec the guide will be one of my next projects !!! Yours looks great.

OK so what in the hell is that wire coming out of the RING !!! I never saw this in the movie and have never seen it in subsequent photo's so the search begins.

Group of screen caps from the movie that help on making the size and way it should wear.

Again no wire coming from the ring .. WTF

OK now a few shots from the book

This does show in good detail the hole with the "Classic Thumb" in it

- - - Updated - - -

OK now the plot thickens .. here are some screen caps while going thru the scene where Ford gets a lift

You have to step through the scene and you end up catching some of this wire while the light is moving from the thumb to space.
It sure looks like a wire to me !

Any thoughts? .. anyone have a story to back up this wire? .. any where I should go for more details my current googling is coming up with only the non-release NECA kit referenced earlier in this post.

 

[laserpistol76]

Dude, awesome name! The Hitchhiker's Guide are the greatest books ever written! (At least in my opinion). I'm not that big of a fan of the movie, but I really enjoy the franchise. So for the ring itself, I kind of noticed it in the film. I've seen some pics on the internet before as well. I think it's supposed to be the device that Ford uses in the book to call spaceships and hitchhike, but it looks lke for the film, they just used a ring.

Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic by Douglas Adams from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The HHG Project - Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic

 

[Contec]

I think the story they were going for was that it was a ring until you started to hitchhike. Then the antennae was deployed around the thumb and then retracted when finished.
Sadly they only used it so fast and once in the movie.

 

[FordPrefect]

Guys thanks for the links and the comments !

OK after hours and hours of blender videos and practice here is my first ring I feel comfortably sharing.

This is a wide shot of the ring. Of course the angle makes it look a bit weird. It is not rounded or modified at all for shaping.

First attempt at adding the thumb. I did not go whole hog and add a planet with ring around it because my skills are just not at that point. But using the knife tool I was able to cut up and extract/extrude a pretty clean thumb.

My gut right now is to redo this a few more times and then submit to Shapeways for a prototype.

 

[FordPrefect]

OK the thumb is back !
3D work with shapeways was going very poorly for me .. so back to old methods.

I got some PVC pipe - used a vinyl printer to make the simple thumb and started removing the excess material. First pass was with a exacto blade next is to get the dremmel out and dig in a little more.

 

[LadySLupe13]

Very cool. I do love subtle props. "Oh, that old thing? It's only..." "HOLY CRAP, YOU'RE AWESOME." "Why, yes. Yes, I am."

 

[robotboy]

OK the thumb is back !
3D work with shapeways was going very poorly for me .. so back to old methods.

I got some PVC pipe - used a vinyl printer to make the simple thumb and started removing the excess material. First pass was with a exacto blade next is to get the dremmel out and dig in a little more.

http://i.imgur.com/XeuLnwA.png?1

Try 123d design its free and alot easier to do hell after seeing this thread i might whip it up myself


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FordPrefect]

Try 123d design its free and alot easier to do hell after seeing this thread i might whip it up myself


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will be sure to give that program a try next - going to finish this one by hand but I have not given up on doing something 3D.

Very cool. I do love subtle props. "Oh, that old thing? It's only..." "HOLY CRAP, YOU'RE AWESOME." "Why, yes. Yes, I am."

I hope that is the reaction by the time I am done !

 

[FordPrefect]

wrapped up the PVC work .. the dremel went well but still not happy with the way this worked out it was not what I wanted.
I saw the problems early on and actually had to try a second piece but kept with it to the finish point.

I got the idea of what it is BUT it is no way the actually replica of the prop. I found my material was not very forgiving and chipped out while doing any thing small. The dremel itself was a BIG tool on doing some of the small work. I actually changed the way it looked and felt while working to finish it up.

While thinking to myself how did they make this prop ? How did they achieve that look ? I went back and started googling ring making and stuff like that. Found some inspiration that ring makers actually use wax to carve and etch before they make molds and pour rings. NEW INSPIRATION !

So this goes on the shelf and I am now going to do some more research on making rings and get some "ring wax" in to start playing with.

Hold on not done yet !

 

[breen2057]

they might use lost wax casting to make rings

 

[FordPrefect]

they might use lost wax casting to make rings

Great comment - went to amazon searched around and of course bought the wrong inside diameter the first time. On my second go round got the larger version which worked out great for the thumb ring. I did find that I need to find someone local who has a ring sizing device for wax - using the large drill bit with round file method was slow and somewhat reckless. I had to be super careful with the large drill bit not to nick myself while opening up the inside of the ring.

I played around with pictures and my thumb and tried to size this properly. I am pretty sure my ring is larger than the real ring but only on the excess top and bottom of the ring - I will make a copy and then see about grinding it down a bit to bring it into better proportion.

Blue one is the smaller inside diameter and first one to show up .. so it got used as a test run.
Green one is the one I am about to cast and see about trimming it up it feels / looks just a shade large.

Ordered the items I needed last night for making this mold !

 

[DentArthurDent]

Was any more progress ever made on this? I love it!