My new HAL 9000

[rogerrabt]

After the incredible disappointment that was the Master Replica fiasco, it's time to build a HAL 9000 that fills that little niche for me. I saw j_holtslander's work from last year and was able to find a few of the parts he used. More on the way.

The Moebius model kit - for dimensions.
HAL 9000 labels - from am Custom Plaques
Arduino and MOVI shield - going to try and make this talk! We all need a psychopathic companion, right?
Red filter from aliexpress
White LEDs
Primary lens from Aliexpress - VELEDGE Ultra Fisheye Lens 37MM 0.3X
Secondary lens from Aliexpress - Cell phone fisheye
Mini-amplified "hamburger" speaker

I have an idea on the red eye. Seems the original Nikkor lens had a 600nm filter built in. I can't find a 600nm filter, but I can find 590 for a reasonable price. Just a touch more orange than 600, but I hope it looks better than a red diode which VERY red at, usually, 630nm.

 

[rogerrabt]

While waiting for more parts, I'm going to start building the lens.

Taking apart the cell phone lens using "vacuum pads". Before trying, run some 70% alcohol on a q-tip around the threads to dissolve any thread-locker that's on there. Took a bit of effort, but it does come apart.

All the parts:

Using the little plastic ring to mark out a red filter to go in the middle.

I cut out the filter using a diamond saw on a dremel. 3 or 4 seconds of cutting, then dip in water. Repeat... It worked so-so... It's not like we're taking photos through it. Eye and lung protection ... nasty stuff here.

My new stack...

Lighting it up with a LED. So... I'm not overly pleased with this. The white light is coming around the edges of the filter. Hard to tell in the photo. I'm going to have to make a new filter that goes behind the lens.

 

[Mozzie]

try getting very dark/black nail polish and run it round the edges of the filter. I think the white light is getting internal reflections of the uncoated edges of the glass

 

[3Dsf]

What’s the diameter of the lens you’re using as primary?

I’ve modelled the Nikkor lens in 3D and have been thinking about making it available, but it’s not super useful without a lens to put in it - and printed lenses generally don’t look great.

 

[joberg]

Love the WIP...and yes, it's always a challenge to make that prop. Eager to see your next update

 

[rogerrabt]

What’s the diameter of the lens you’re using as primary?

I’ve modelled the Nikkor lens in 3D and have been thinking about making it available, but it’s not super useful without a lens to put in it - and printed lenses generally don’t look great.

The diameter without the ring is 73mm. The full diameter is 77mm. I plan to print parts to enshroud the lens to look like the Nikkor. There's a model on thingiverse of the Nikkor to do this. Just need to modify it for my lens. HAL 9000 Prop modified to use a 37mm fisheye lens by SoulkeepHL

try getting very dark/black nail polish and run it round the edges of the filter. I think the white light is getting internal reflections of the uncoated edges of the glass

I might try that. Interesting idea. Hard to tell where light goes.

 

[Mozzie]

I might try that. Interesting idea. Hard to tell where light goes.

In a previous life I had several IRND (basically ir cutting filters that also reduce camera exposure) cut from large format square cinema filters into round ones so they'd fit in a helicopter mount. We had big issues with IR pollution glare across the image, and it turned out it was because when we had them cut there was an invisible IR blackout coating along the edges of the filter to reduce internal reflections between the faces of the glass, and IR light was slipping in and bouncing back and forth between the two internal faces of the glass.
In this case my guess is the wavelengths of light being bounced off by the red filter is getting between the edges and acting as a "fiberoptic style" waveguide that's causing it to amplify and pour out without passing through the red filtration.

Putting masking around the edges will both prevent it from leaking out but also reduce the amount of internal reflections that are perpendicular in the glass itself.

 

[rogerrabt]

IR light was slipping in and bouncing back and forth between the two internal faces of the glass.

I can definitely see that happening! Thanks for the info. Wish I had a cleaner and safer way to cut the IR filter, but it works. No one will ever see it. Certainly not for optical use in any fashion.

 

[Yaan]

Following this thread. First lens is looking good so far...

 

[rogerrabt]

Working on the primary lens!

First step - take it apart. Same drill. Rubbing alcohol to break any thread lock. Then spin off with this tool I didn't know I needed - a Lens Spanner. Tricky to use. Temptation is to grab both ends and try and twist, but if you do that, you run the risk of compressing them together and ... well disaster. So, hold it in the middle and one side and twist off the locking ring.

Yay parts.

The secondary lens fits perfectly in the recess. Couldn't ask for better luck!

And the glass fits over the cell phone lens perfectly too! Couldn't help but try it out with the LED to see how it would look.

So, here's where I'm going with fixing the red filter. 3D print a cup with a hole to hold the LED and the filter all at the same time. I 3D printed a guide to cut the filter too. These super-bright LEDs are really going to be over-kill but I'll solve that later. I have a lot of them laying around.

Making sure the lens will look ok in the end.

Some spray lacquer for the outer ring on the secondary lens.

The lens parts... The ring on the left side? I 3D printed that too. It's purely to center the secondary lens in the recess in the primary lens while it's being glued in place.

Final fit for the filter & LED support. This one has a deeper hole for the LED and also a ridge for the ring on the LED. Just glued it up with hot glue. This pulls the secondary lens against the back and everything is nicely centered.

Here's the 3D printed bezel as a shroud around the lens to make it look better. Its printed in ABS, so I can acetone smooth it.

Just like that. Smoothing will be done in my next post if all goes well!

 

[joberg]

That lens is going to look good for sure

 

[rogerrabt]

Here are the results from acetone smoothing the ABS on the lens.

I used a glass vase for this. Put a paper towel in the bottom with a little acetone on it. Secured it in place with hard drive magnets. Then I just placed the object on a wood block with aluminum foil so it won't stick. (sorry for the crazy dirty garage workbench)

Almost went too long. Almost. The top of the outside ring is really thin and it got a bit flexible. I propped it up while it dried for a day using the original lens cover. Seems just fine.

Dropped it into the model to test the fit along with a printed bezel that will need to be painted.

While waiting for more parts, I tore apart the hamburger speaker. I'll just need the amp & speaker from it. Seems simple enough.

Metal work is next!

 

[rogerrabt]

Hey look what showed up! Anodized sheets from custom engraving plates. These are actually 1/8" oversize, on purpose, at 4-7/16" x 10-1/2". Because rabbit (ok, ok, rabbet).

So, that's most of the parts to order. I think most everything else I can handle with 3D printing or stock aluminum.

(I recycled this post from Thurs since I couldn't delete it. Actually posted Sat, 10/29/22)

 

[rogerrabt]

Quick view of the eye with the diode. Unsure if a light smear of Vaseline inside the lens would add to the glow. I had the MOVI running the "Let there be light" program here to turn on and off the LED. Nice to have a little bit of a naked HAL running already.

Test fit with a 3d printed support for the electronics. Plenty of room so far. So much de-soldering!

Ok, on to the metal work. Drilling out the aluminum face plate. This is the rough cut. Definitely nerve wracking. Loads of clamping to make sure nothing escapes. Very slow cuts.

On to a boring tool to get the final hole size just perfect.

I cut 1" x 1/8" aluminum bar with a band saw to nearly to the right length. Then used a 90° V-bit to nibble away at the edges to get the perfect length on each. I cut the center bar to be 3/4" tall to allow for room for wires for speakers, mic, etc behind the grill.

Next I cut a 1/4" wide rabbet 1/16" deep about 1/8" from the edge. This will support the face plate. For the long ones, I cut for the length of the vise, and slid the bar down and kept cutting. File and sand to remove the burrs.

Now the grill. I had a local laser cutting shop cut the hole grid and the panel to be the perfect size. Then it was just a matter of lining up the mill to the center of the holes and running a ball end bit across the plate, over and over and over and ... Luckily the spacing is 0.15" so the math on the DRO isn't too bad.

Final result. A little sanding to clean up the cuts.

I brazed the corners of the frame together with Alumiweld. And 3D printed a box to support the grill at exactly the right height.
I went back and cut a little spot for a switch in the lower-left corner of the frame.

 

[joberg]

You're going all-out with that build (minus the real Nikkor) that alu grill is a work of art Eager to see your next update!!

 

[rogerrabt]

Down to general assembly. While trying to get the panel out after test fitting, I snapped one of the sides. Things went from bad to worse as I tried to braze it back together and deformed the aluminum on one side... So I had to remake a side, then re-braze everything to get better strength.

Test fitting the plate, cross-member, grill, and grill support box.

Back side view. I've got the panel temporarily held in place with a few dabs of hot glue.

Comparing the plastic model eye glass vs the glass for this lens. Quite a big difference!

I'll definitely take my build over the plastic kit any day.

I 3d printed some 5mm wide spacers about 1mm thick and 1" long. Epoxy those in place and the plate is secure. I removed the hot glue after this.

Epoxied in the box and switch. This is flush with the bottom to support the grill at the right depth. It also supports the cross-member.

I even 3d printed a guide to put on the label in the right spot. A little double-sided tape holds it in place.

I 3d printed a wall-hanger. The sides are there just to make it easier to get it centered.

A little epoxy on the lens, and ... first view of HAL hanging on a wall.

And, just because I couldn't let it go... I printed a thin cover for the back-side of the lens to hide the ugly hot-glue holding it all together.

Epoxied in place.

And that's it for today!

 

[joberg]

Looking very good ; I know that your sides do not have a bezel, as the original had...maybe the next one?

 

[rogerrabt]

Looking very good ; I know that your sides do not have a bezel, as the original had...maybe the next one?

Ok... what did I miss?

 

[joberg]

Ok... what did I miss?

The screen-used HAL had the top of the aluminium frame slightly beveled. The part, in the middle, over the grill was flat. Neil (3Dsf here on the RPF) made an extensive and most excellent research on that prop.

 

[alensatemybuick]

Looks lovely.