Jack Sparrow Compass Toy Conversion
- Thread starter Kylash
- Start date
lilpropdude
New Member
looks awsome everyone i've taken a small break from mine to try and figure out the best way to finish it up i have to go find the hinge sometime this week at lowes.
DrMcoy
Sr Member
Okay all you Sparrow wannabes, here's my take on converting the toy to something that more closely approximates the movie prop. Let me first say that I wouldn't have even taken this project on had it not been for the tips shared in this forum...so thanks to everyone for contributing. Secondly, this all started because my 16-year-old daughter saw the toy and thought it would be fun to have...I asked my wife to pick it up when she was at Wal-Mart, but she said it was a passing fancy and that my daughter wouldn't do much with it. But, I knew she adored the movie and thought it would be fun for her to have a replica of this prop -- which became even more endearing to me once wev found out what it truly points to in the second movie.
Anyways, I was going to get her the MR replica, but I thought my wife would blow an o-ring if she found out I spent close to $200 for a "toy" for an item my daughter might only have a passing fancy for. That's when I saw this thread on the forum and decided to give it a shot -- after all, how hard could it be to dremel off a few things and slap on a coat of paint, eh? Wish I knew what I was getting myself into.
Okay, okay -- I'll tell you what I did to convert it and how crazy the process made me, but before I ramble on anymore, here are the photos...
Here's what I did:
1) Shortened the bottom.
2) Made a new bottom plate after struggling with how to get all the innards dremeled out of the existing bottom without losing a fingertip or three.
3) Removed trident inner compass control piece, dremeled off the fin, covered spokes with brass "L" strips and added a brass washer over the top...made new fin from sheet plastic
4) Added a brass hemisphere tack to the center of compass dial
5) Sanded off the faux clasp, added real clasp -- thanks PHarchive
6) Reluctantly sanded off plastic hinge and replaced with brass hinge -- to do this I had to dremel away at the toy back plates to create an indentation in which the brass hinge would sit flush -- looks like somebody else on the this thread found a simpler way to add the hinge.
7) Added leatherette material to inside front cover
8) Added styrene strips to simulate the ivory insets
9) Added the d-ring clasp -- I actually had a full ring clasp thingy, but it was too long and I couldn't trim it down to size and I couldn't (or didn't want to) fuss with drilling through the brass plate hinge -- too mch trouble, so I dremeled off the screw fromt he back of the d-ring and glued it in place with epoxy, which didn't hold so I am trying JB Weld -- not meant to withstand wearing on belt, but merely to hold in hand...we'll see if the JB Weld works a little better.
10) Gave the whole thing a new paint job with acrylic paints
As with most of my projects, they always seem to balloon into something bigger than what I ohad expected, and I can be anal about details. But I never intended for this one to get out of hand -- I thought a few bit of dremeling here and there, add a new clasp, and I'd be done -- my daughter would be happy with as little as a new paint jobn on the toy anyways. But watching others work on this thread kept pushing me to make more little changes along the way. I could go into more detail, but this may be getting to taxing to read. Suffice it to say, every time I thought I had the thing done and ready to paint, another detail or nit would present itself that would either move me to keep tinkering to improve the accuracy OR simply needed to be done because something I changed in oen area made it necessary to rethink how I was going to do soemthing else. There were several trips to hardware stores, hobby shops and fabric stores -- but after spending the better part of two weekend afternoons and an hour here or there during the week, I got it to a point where I realized I was happy with it.
No, it isn't 100% dead on, and there are some small things I wish I would have done, like fatten up the inside brim with thicker sheet plastic, but it seemed like every time I turned around, I was dropping another $4 to $7 on things to make it better -- I lost track of the exact dollar amount, but I imagine I spent an additional $30 to $40 on everything I used or thought I'd use to make it better. And if you add in all the money I spent on gas driving everywhere, well, let's just say the MR piece may have been a better deal after all.
Well, that's it for me. Hope my results inspire someone to keep plugging away at theirs. If there is anything I did that I didn't cover in my little diatribe here, please ask and I'll be happy to tell you how I did it.
And thanks again to everyone who takes the time to not only monkey around with this kind of silly stuff, but takes the time to photograph their work and share their pictures and knowledge with other members.
Oh yeah -- gave the compass to my daughter this morning with a note that she should always follow her heart's desire (I know, gag-time) -- but she LOVED IT. Glad I spent the time making it something special for her.
I would build another one for myself -- but I think I'm going to save up for the MR piece and save myself a few dollars...and maybe a fingertip or two.
Anyways, I was going to get her the MR replica, but I thought my wife would blow an o-ring if she found out I spent close to $200 for a "toy" for an item my daughter might only have a passing fancy for. That's when I saw this thread on the forum and decided to give it a shot -- after all, how hard could it be to dremel off a few things and slap on a coat of paint, eh? Wish I knew what I was getting myself into.
Okay, okay -- I'll tell you what I did to convert it and how crazy the process made me, but before I ramble on anymore, here are the photos...
Here's what I did:
1) Shortened the bottom.
2) Made a new bottom plate after struggling with how to get all the innards dremeled out of the existing bottom without losing a fingertip or three.
3) Removed trident inner compass control piece, dremeled off the fin, covered spokes with brass "L" strips and added a brass washer over the top...made new fin from sheet plastic
4) Added a brass hemisphere tack to the center of compass dial
5) Sanded off the faux clasp, added real clasp -- thanks PHarchive
6) Reluctantly sanded off plastic hinge and replaced with brass hinge -- to do this I had to dremel away at the toy back plates to create an indentation in which the brass hinge would sit flush -- looks like somebody else on the this thread found a simpler way to add the hinge.
7) Added leatherette material to inside front cover
8) Added styrene strips to simulate the ivory insets
9) Added the d-ring clasp -- I actually had a full ring clasp thingy, but it was too long and I couldn't trim it down to size and I couldn't (or didn't want to) fuss with drilling through the brass plate hinge -- too mch trouble, so I dremeled off the screw fromt he back of the d-ring and glued it in place with epoxy, which didn't hold so I am trying JB Weld -- not meant to withstand wearing on belt, but merely to hold in hand...we'll see if the JB Weld works a little better.
10) Gave the whole thing a new paint job with acrylic paints
As with most of my projects, they always seem to balloon into something bigger than what I ohad expected, and I can be anal about details. But I never intended for this one to get out of hand -- I thought a few bit of dremeling here and there, add a new clasp, and I'd be done -- my daughter would be happy with as little as a new paint jobn on the toy anyways. But watching others work on this thread kept pushing me to make more little changes along the way. I could go into more detail, but this may be getting to taxing to read. Suffice it to say, every time I thought I had the thing done and ready to paint, another detail or nit would present itself that would either move me to keep tinkering to improve the accuracy OR simply needed to be done because something I changed in oen area made it necessary to rethink how I was going to do soemthing else. There were several trips to hardware stores, hobby shops and fabric stores -- but after spending the better part of two weekend afternoons and an hour here or there during the week, I got it to a point where I realized I was happy with it.
No, it isn't 100% dead on, and there are some small things I wish I would have done, like fatten up the inside brim with thicker sheet plastic, but it seemed like every time I turned around, I was dropping another $4 to $7 on things to make it better -- I lost track of the exact dollar amount, but I imagine I spent an additional $30 to $40 on everything I used or thought I'd use to make it better. And if you add in all the money I spent on gas driving everywhere, well, let's just say the MR piece may have been a better deal after all.
Well, that's it for me. Hope my results inspire someone to keep plugging away at theirs. If there is anything I did that I didn't cover in my little diatribe here, please ask and I'll be happy to tell you how I did it.
And thanks again to everyone who takes the time to not only monkey around with this kind of silly stuff, but takes the time to photograph their work and share their pictures and knowledge with other members.
Oh yeah -- gave the compass to my daughter this morning with a note that she should always follow her heart's desire (I know, gag-time) -- but she LOVED IT. Glad I spent the time making it something special for her.
I would build another one for myself -- but I think I'm going to save up for the MR piece and save myself a few dollars...and maybe a fingertip or two.
DrMcoy
Sr Member
<div class='quotetop'>(Kylash327 @ Aug 2 2006, 12:20 AM) [snapback]1292142[/snapback]</div>
No -- I used the graphic on the PDF file that was posted earlier in this thread -- I simply sized it to the size I needed and had it printed on a parchment paper stock at KINKOS. I cut it out with an Xacto blade and then used a little Elmer's Glue to position it on the washer, and then gave it a few shots of CRYSTAL CLEAR which served to make the paper become a little translucent and darken up a bit -- it blends in pretty nicely with the brass washer. I had never seen a brass washer before -- it wasn't shiny brass but a more copper brass -- in fact, it may even be copper. I found it at a hardware store that's a ways from where I live, but it's one of those RARE hardware stores that has a lot of hard-to-find screws, knobs and other little odds and ends.
I was going to leave the washer plain, but the graphic does add a lot to it -- wish I knew how to make a decal, because that would be perfect and you could apply it to any painted washer or piece of sheet plastic cut to the proper shape. I have seen others on this board have actually scribed lines into their little circle -- that looks great to, but I didn't have the patience or a steady enough hand to etch mine -- and I liked using a real metal washer because it's less work. And I'm a slacker at heart.
Thanks for the kind comments. Look forward to seeing your completed.
No -- I used the graphic on the PDF file that was posted earlier in this thread -- I simply sized it to the size I needed and had it printed on a parchment paper stock at KINKOS. I cut it out with an Xacto blade and then used a little Elmer's Glue to position it on the washer, and then gave it a few shots of CRYSTAL CLEAR which served to make the paper become a little translucent and darken up a bit -- it blends in pretty nicely with the brass washer. I had never seen a brass washer before -- it wasn't shiny brass but a more copper brass -- in fact, it may even be copper. I found it at a hardware store that's a ways from where I live, but it's one of those RARE hardware stores that has a lot of hard-to-find screws, knobs and other little odds and ends.
I was going to leave the washer plain, but the graphic does add a lot to it -- wish I knew how to make a decal, because that would be perfect and you could apply it to any painted washer or piece of sheet plastic cut to the proper shape. I have seen others on this board have actually scribed lines into their little circle -- that looks great to, but I didn't have the patience or a steady enough hand to etch mine -- and I liked using a real metal washer because it's less work. And I'm a slacker at heart.
Thanks for the kind comments. Look forward to seeing your completed.
PHArchivist
Master Member
Yeah... Cut off the bottom, add a new clasp and lanyard ring, glue on some strip styrene, paint, and voila -- your done.
YEAH RIGHT..
I'm with you 100% on how this project just sucks you in. I think its because even the most diffiucult tasks are not that tough, and it has great potential. And its just DAMN fun.
VERY nice work and NICE CLASP.
I MUST get that PDF file for the dial. I must have missed it. Can you email it? PHarchivist@aol.com
Got my final coat of primer on today. Will lightly sand and start painting next. :thumbsup
YEAH RIGHT..
I'm with you 100% on how this project just sucks you in. I think its because even the most diffiucult tasks are not that tough, and it has great potential. And its just DAMN fun.
VERY nice work and NICE CLASP.
I MUST get that PDF file for the dial. I must have missed it. Can you email it? PHarchivist@aol.com
Got my final coat of primer on today. Will lightly sand and start painting next. :thumbsup
DrMcoy
Sr Member
<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Aug 2 2006, 04:02 AM) [snapback]1292253[/snapback]</div>
The link is still on page 3 of this thread -- it is a "how to build" diagram from studio creations -- some nice reference of the compass as it appears in the FIRST movie. Page 4 of his link has a PDF download at the bottom of the page -- click here and look for the PDF download at the bottom:
http://www.studiocreations.com/howto/bluep...wcompass04.html
Now, this isn't an EXACT match of the way the numbers look on the MR version...so I'm guessing the prop makers changed the dial number markers a bit from the first movie to the second. But it was one of the details I was willing to overlook...but my guess is somebody here WON'T so it won't be too long before we see a new & improved dial marker PDF .
The link is still on page 3 of this thread -- it is a "how to build" diagram from studio creations -- some nice reference of the compass as it appears in the FIRST movie. Page 4 of his link has a PDF download at the bottom of the page -- click here and look for the PDF download at the bottom:
http://www.studiocreations.com/howto/bluep...wcompass04.html
Now, this isn't an EXACT match of the way the numbers look on the MR version...so I'm guessing the prop makers changed the dial number markers a bit from the first movie to the second. But it was one of the details I was willing to overlook...but my guess is somebody here WON'T so it won't be too long before we see a new & improved dial marker PDF .
PHArchivist
Master Member
Got the pdf file -- thanks guys. I'll print it out on clear self-adhesive mailing label paper, and as suggested hit it with a clear coat of paint (I had picked up a nearly identical washer a few days back).
DrMcCoy, where did you get the brass struts and dome?
DrMcCoy, where did you get the brass struts and dome?
DrMcoy
Sr Member
<div class='quotetop'>(PHArchivist @ Aug 2 2006, 06:13 PM) [snapback]1292526[/snapback]</div>
Brass "V" material came from local hobby shop - cost a buck or two -- dremeled it to length I needed and glued it directly on top of the existing plastic struts that I had cut from the toy. If you can't find any, send me your address (I threw away your envelope you sent me) and I'll drop a piece long enough to get the job done in the mail to you...payback for the clasp.
The brass dome was in a package of material tacks I picked up at a fabric store -- you can also find brass or gold buttons that have the same shape. If you can't find them, I have plenty of brass tacks that I'm happy to send to whoever sends me a padded Self-Addressed-Stamped Envelope -- padded or lined with bubble wrap so tack doesn't tear through envelope.
I have extra leatherette, too -- if you want a piece, same deal -- send me a SASE with double normal postage on it and I'll be happy to send you a piece.
Brass "V" material came from local hobby shop - cost a buck or two -- dremeled it to length I needed and glued it directly on top of the existing plastic struts that I had cut from the toy. If you can't find any, send me your address (I threw away your envelope you sent me) and I'll drop a piece long enough to get the job done in the mail to you...payback for the clasp.
The brass dome was in a package of material tacks I picked up at a fabric store -- you can also find brass or gold buttons that have the same shape. If you can't find them, I have plenty of brass tacks that I'm happy to send to whoever sends me a padded Self-Addressed-Stamped Envelope -- padded or lined with bubble wrap so tack doesn't tear through envelope.
I have extra leatherette, too -- if you want a piece, same deal -- send me a SASE with double normal postage on it and I'll be happy to send you a piece.
PHArchivist
Master Member
I may take you up on that.
PHArchivist
Master Member
Finished the base coat painting, am now on to weathering... Fun.
DarthCalibar
Well-Known Member
coubumghp
PHArchivist
Master Member
:unsure
I did the chips inthe inlay today on the lid. I used the Visual guide as - well -- a visual guide.
:angry THE G'DAM PHOTO IS PRINTED BACKWARDS.. :angry
I did the chips inthe inlay today on the lid. I used the Visual guide as - well -- a visual guide.
:angry THE G'DAM PHOTO IS PRINTED BACKWARDS.. :angry
PHArchivist
Master Member
Looking GOOD.
PHArchivist
Master Member
I got the hinge on tonight. Went very well. I just used a combo of super glue and epoxy. I did mine on the back panle -- nothing fancy. But its fine...
PHArchivist
Master Member
Got the clasp on tonight but ended up super-gluing it in the closed position. But there is no stud on the bottom part of the compass, so it still opens. Will just have to make a stud that is too short.
By the way... Ic ame across a new weathering technique. I am simultaneously working on a space shuttle model for a RPF member. It is in the primer/sanding phase. So After sanding some of the shuttle, I brush on some of the grey primer dust onto the compass. Subtle but nice.
By the way... Ic ame across a new weathering technique. I am simultaneously working on a space shuttle model for a RPF member. It is in the primer/sanding phase. So After sanding some of the shuttle, I brush on some of the grey primer dust onto the compass. Subtle but nice.
roboprop
Sr Member
Ok, so I decided to take a crack at this compass fun myself.
Here's my little 3 day project, still in the works...
This weekend I'll add magnets to the bottom of the dial card so that the dial spins randomly when it's moved. Got it all figured out.
Still have to add the ring on the back, the styrene strips, top latch and some more weathering.
Fun stuff mateys.
D.
Here's my little 3 day project, still in the works...
This weekend I'll add magnets to the bottom of the dial card so that the dial spins randomly when it's moved. Got it all figured out.
Still have to add the ring on the back, the styrene strips, top latch and some more weathering.
Fun stuff mateys.
D.
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