Scratch-built SS life boat.....(Escape Pod)

[Jedi Dade]

Awesome! If its not too carzy expensive I'm in

 

[joewhite]

Damn, Mike stole my idea!

I just received my buckets. After I finish my Claptrap master, I was going to foam up my buckets and start on the laser cut skin. Since Mike will be potentially offering this (I think?), I can go back to my snail pace of building. Hehe!

BTW, looking good Mike!

Joe

 

[3d-builder]

I was able to combine these two sections......it's a pretty tall part
and just made it with the size plastic i have for this former. Actually
the plastic pulled away from the frame when i set it down! Al thanks for the
wax tip worked well later for me!:thumbsup

I cut the top out to help it release later after the sanding....

Sanding the very top stage to sharpen it up......the black plastic is nice
because as you sand it it tells you where you miss.......anything shinny
and black you missed or have a low spot.I didnt have many low spots....:thumbsup Then i sanded the lower stage up into the top
until it was sharp.

Inside....

For the bottom of this section I cut a piece of 3mm and just taped it for now.....later i am thinking I can drill a hole and run the armature through sections like this.

This is another buck i made just wood laminated with 3mm styrene
to make the height. It will be the ring that separates this stage from the main stage once its vacuum formed.

Mock up......

 

[qcfoundry]

looking very slick.
remind me, what thickness plate are you pulling?

 

[3d-builder]

I cant form the main body until i make a larger former, I need at least 4inches of plastic from the edge of the frame to the pattern. currently i only have less than two, and that proved to be close on the part I pulled above!

 

[3d-builder]

looking very slick.
remind me, what thickness plate are you pulling?

Hey Quinc its 3mm high impact poly i am using.
i wish i would have saved the big former i made
for the A-wing! It was getting ratty but would
have got me through this!:behave

 

[qcfoundry]

3mm is nice and thick...what was the final thickness after you pulled it?

what thickness will you pull over the taller/lower form? -- its going to get pretty thin considering the length of pull (maybe start out even thicker than 3mm?). sounds pretty tricky!

 

[3d-builder]

Dimension wise its going to be off here and there .......i forgot
to adjust for the forming and plastic thickness. I will hit the height
though as most parts are a bit tall and can be dialed in. Anyway
it will make a nice display once i get around the main body section,
it's done challenge wise for me after that!thumbsup

 

[3d-builder]

3mm is nice and thick...what was the final thickness after you pulled it?

what thickness will you pull over the taller/lower form? -- its going to get pretty thin considering the length of pull (maybe start out even thicker than 3mm?). sounds pretty tricky!

It will be tricky thats for sure......:lol

Yea that traveled a good distance for that part
i posted today, i ended up with around just over
1mm. With a bigger frame holding more plastic i
could have been around 1.5 i think. When i make
the new former i will form all the parts on that
one. 1mm still is ok because of the 3mm disk that
goes on the bottom, and the top stage was formed
to the lower making it very strong up there.

I may need thicker for the lower part not sure yet?

 

[ralphee]

Great work Micheal, looking very nice, sharpening that edge worked a treat!

lee

 

[qcfoundry]

1mm seems a little thin for the main/tall section IF it supports itself. i'm assuming you'll have an armature/rod connecting the "bottom"/main thruster section to the equator disk?

 

[3d-builder]

Great work Micheal, looking very nice, sharpening that edge worked a treat!

lee

Thanks Lee I am trying over here!thumbsup

 

[3d-builder]

1mm seems a little thin for the main/tall section IF it supports itself. i'm assuming you'll have an armature/rod connecting the "bottom"/main thruster section to the equator disk?

Yes i will have a base for a rod inside the main body at the bottom,
I am just going to see what happens, i think with more plastic in a bigger frame
i am going to make it work pretty good. Remember the inside could always be filled with expandable foam......if you want to get crazy. my goal was to see if
I could build one of these minus all the ribs and wrapping of styrene.

 

[3d-builder]

Here is the center ring the upper parts sit on up on the table,
i formed this is just under 2mm no need to be thicker.

Trimmed and real rough it's to high right now by at least 3mm
so needs some sanding and clean up.

This is the end cap and it's very thick still 3mm
after pulling because its not tall at all. Which is
good considering i willl mount the base for the
rod here.

 

[3d-builder]

If I fail to form the big section to my liking,
i will take it some where and have it cut in
two equal halves., with the thinnest possible
cutting blade!:lol Then you just run some matting
inside on the seams with some epoxy and it's
a done deal. At least that will take care of it being to tall
when i form it!:lol

 

[ralphee]

Im sold already Michael, really love how this looks, joining a two part lower section due to draw depth is a VERY small price to pay, probably a safer bet...but then, im no expert in vac forming.
Count me in 100% if your going to sell these, this is something i could really get my teeth into.

lee

 

[IEDBOUNTYHUNTER]

Looks great Michael. glad the wax helped with the release.



Al

 

[jawsmodels]

looking good Michael.

 

[3d-builder]

I was wondering what's wrapped around the center ring of the escape pod,
in regards to detail? Is it a tank track they covered the ring with?

 

[qcfoundry]

I was wondering what's wrapped around the center ring of the escape pod,
in regards to detail? Is it a tank track they covered the ring with?

yep..tank tread
Pk M/N, i believe