Phantasm Ball WIP

[Flagg]

I used a gazing ball I found in my sister's garden as the base for this. The ball was all scratched up so I went in to this knowing everything was going to be far from perfect.

The blades I cut out of some scrap metal I had. I know they need to be smoothed out a bunch but with the tools I have on hand they are good enough.

The drill was just a spare drill bit I had that was about the right size.

After cutting the slots and hole for the bit I realized the ball was a drastically different color than the blades so I got the idea to chrome paint everything. Turned out ok until the paint ran and I had to do it again.

Then I got the brilliant idea to foam fill the ball to make inserting the blades and drill easier. the can said after 15 minutes it would be tack free. After 30 minutes it was still pouring out of the holes like hellish spray cheese. :behave Also screwed up the chrome paint I did earlier. Sigh.

So now it's all together but the paint needs a sanding and redoing. For now it's good enough. I'll shoot it with another coat of chrome on a warmer day and hope for the best.

 

[Apollo]

Great balls of .....

Seriously, looks good!

 

[robn1]

Very cool, and not done too often. You should make another, then you'd have balls of steel

 

[Flagg]

At some point I will do a better one. I just saw the ball buried in my sister's garden and got hit with the "How hard would it be to make one of those?" bugs.

 

[Flagg]

I hit it with a few coats of chrome to bring the shininess back and this is now as done as I'm getting it. :lol

 

[jasonw2112]

What type of chrome paint did you use?

 

[Flagg]

What type of chrome paint did you use?

Dupli-Color Chrome

 

[Laspector]

Very cool. I've always wanted one of these.

 

[jasonw2112]

Dupli-Color Chrome

Thanks!:thumbsup

I've been battling the great chrome paint debacle for some time now!
Looks good!

 

[Chaank]

Dude! So good. I've always loved the balls and the Tall man was so freaky. Very cool idea.

 

[Flagg]

Thanks!:thumbsup

I've been battling the great chrome paint debacle for some time now!
Looks good!

For cheap paint it does a pretty good job. I used it on the Resident Evil-ish injector gun set I made for a friend a while back and it does a pretty good job.

 

[allosaur176]

looks pretty damn good....do you have a pic for size comparison??? I have one of Rylo's sphere's he did years ago

 

[Sean]

I like It.looks cool.and sound's like your tool situation is about as bad as mine.and as far as chrome paint you did a hell of a nice job....

 

[Apollo]

Awesome bro!!

 

[robn1]

Nice! That Duplicolor chrome looks great as long as you never touch it.

 

[Flagg]

Nice! That Duplicolor chrome looks great as long as you never touch it.

After the last coat I let it hang for an entire day before I touched the thing. The first time I painted it I let it sit a couple of hours and it was dry but you could still sort of see where my finger had touched the finish.

On a related note, does anyone know of a clear coat that works with metalic paint? I remember trying years ago and the clear coat I used fubar anything metal painted it was sprayed on.

 

[robn1]

...does anyone know of a clear coat that works with metalic paint? I remember trying years ago and the clear coat I used fubar anything metal painted it was sprayed on.

Nothing I know of. I did once use Duplicolor clear acrylic lacquer over Alclad with good results, but I haven't been able to repeat it.

If you have an airbrush you could try spraying Future on it. Use it straight with no thinner, it's thin enough and thinner would make the metallic paint run. Test it first.

 

[abcwarrior]

Fabulous job on this. I loved the phantasm movies and always wanted one of these spheres. You should look in to reproducing and selling them, I bet you would have a lot of takers.