(Original) Retro Raygun

[nomuse]

This is not the prop:



That's my full-scale mock-up in foam-core and bead board. I'm building this for my sister, who is going to a big bash with a 50's sci-fi theme in a couple of months, and she specifically wanted the raygun gothic look...but built "well," so it looks and feels like it could be real. So the former leads to the design, and the latter, to CNC; this will be my first big CNC project.

Model is CAD'd up and I'm building in all the tabs and slots and webs that will hold the internal electronics and hold all the parts together. Slow going. The only actual cutting I've done so far was a quick trial run on the mill:

 

[Sean]

That's going to be a neat project. what kind of electronics are you putting In the master build?

 

[Mike J.]

Out of METAL? Awesome!

 

[nomuse]

Electronics is a selector switch, and a 3W Cree for the emitter. Since the body is enclosed, I'm going to try out a surface-mount transducer for the "pew pew!" but I have no idea if that is going to work (I suspect I'll still need a small sound hole -- but maybe smaller than if I used a standard speaker.)

The current scheme is the emitter is turned acrylic and the insulator rings are 3d printed in colored plastic and buffed up to a nice gloss. The rest is aluminium.

 

[DARTH SABER]

That's sweet. Nice design!

 

[nomuse]

Well, change of plans but much progress on this.

Getting the CAD files prepped took so long I couldn't afford to do full machining and still make deadline. So I sent most of the files off to Shapeways to have them printed. Here's a screenshot from inside the CAD:



And here's a test-fit combining both printed and (some) machined parts along with the electronics:



I just tonight finished programming and completed the wiring harness. Have a couple more parts that need paint, the emitter to lathe (out of acrylic), and a holster to build.

The Tiki Party starts this Thursday. Cutting it close to the wire here!

 

[nomuse]

Complete and client picked it up today. I needed to make a holster, and the weird shape meant a weird holster was required. Plus I was really after that Wilma Deering retro look of at least some clear parts. Holster is vacuum-formed PETG with a stitched cover of white pleather...



My built thread is a number of rambling posts on my blog. Basics; most of the gun is printed in Shapeways "WSF" (nylon), sealed with Zap-A-Gap, primed, and painted with Krylon Premium chrome. Nozzle is lathed acrylic, trigger and trigger guard are CNC'd aluminium, and the insulator rings and power pack were printed in pink PLA by me, sanded down and given a couple coats of gloss-coat. Brass thread inserts were glued into the main body pieces to allow the socket-head bolts to be used to assemble everything.

Surface Mount Transducer and a 5W pink "Cree" LED are the effects, all driven from an ATtiny84 on a (highly modified) personal circuit board and powered from a removable lithium polymer cell in the grip. Has several lighting patterns (the power setting knob is practical) and over a dozen sounds, the latter all created on the ATtiny itself using some hairy trickery with the onboard timers.

I ran out of time adding a belt, buckle, and belt-buckle radio box to the mix, and didn't take final pictures before the client arrived to pick it up.

 

[nomuse]

Ray gun was a hit -- here's my sister at Tiki Oasis:




Yeah -- I should have gone for a 3" belt (would have been easier to sew than the 2" was, too!) And next time, a clear emitter instead of the pink one (as cute as that was).

 

[Sean]

Nice work.:thumbsup