Star Trek 'Search for Spock' and 'Final Frontier' communicators
- Thread starter wayouteast
- Start date
wayouteast
Sr Member
Hahaha! That's a LOT of communicators!
Nope!! I'm being disciplined and keeping myself only to the 'original series' line-up at the moment (I do have a couple of Next Gen comm badges but...). So TOS and the 6 movies. Maybe Generations. Maybe the weird see-through Pike era communicator. That's it! To save my sanity!
PicasoX
Sr Member
you must have a good 3D printer, those don't look printed at all. I have grown to hate PLA because of all the crappy prints that are being sold out there, but I'd take this quality of printed props any day.Well, I know I said I wouldn't... but here we are!
View attachment 1776553
There's a little bit more cleaning and tidying up to do as well as some further minor modifications to fit the electronics in but they've printed up nicely in general. I'm planning on adding the blinking red 'translock' indicator light as well as lights in the two translucent pieces - white in the 'hinge' and red in the bottom extension (as that's what seems to show in most stills from the movie showing the communicator being used).
Put together, it's actually not quite as gigantically clunky as I'd feared, though still a weird departure from the rather more sleek design aesthetic of the others (even the TMP wrist comms) and it stands out in the line-up, even unfinished. The TOS communicator is the Wand Company version. I'll assemble it and paint it up over the next few days. It's (hopefully) a relatively simple paint job - just matt/sating black and polished aluminium as far as I can tell.
View attachment 1776554 View attachment 1776555
The ST:TMP wrist communicators are made from files from LimeyBuilds on CGTrader, by the way, and offer several versions, both 'hero' and 'background' to mimic those seen on various crewmembers in the movie.
View attachment 1776556 View attachment 1776557
wayouteast
Sr Member
It's actually pretty basic compared with the newer models. It's the first generation Elegoo Mars. So a small build volume and quite slow in comparison to later models. But it does the job (mostly!). The size is the most frustrating thing since for larger props I have to slice parts into multiple pieces to be able to print them and that can mean structural issues as well as a lot more filling and making good to hide the joins.
I use Elegoo ABS-like grey resin mostly, and Anycubic Translucent for clear parts. To be honest, I think the quality of the prints is often to do with the prep work and post-print processing rather than the machine - for resin at least it's critical to spend some time dialling in the right settings, using an appropriate layer height and orientation, being careful about where you put the supports. And then (for resin at least) properly cleaning and curing the printed parts before any filling, smoothing and wet sanding.
wayouteast
Sr Member
Ronldheld
Well-Known Member
You do not have Too many communicators?
scottsusernames
Active Member
Some prop trivia for you: The film producers for TWOK intended to make all new phaser and communicator props for the second film, but only the new communicator props made it to the screen. To portray a military look, the handheld comm was modeled after a Vietnam war-era field radio (???). The inner lid is printed with “MP” (for Modern Props) and numbers “1130” (MP’s street address). Although boxy and ugly, an unused prototype comm sold at Heritage Auctions on June 29, 2016 for $2,400. A screen-used hero (light-up) prop sold for $17,400.
PicasoX
Sr Member
cool, my TWOK is full metal, light up just like the screen used hero. Made by JTK (John Broughton) back in the TPZ days. Not sure what you mean about the phasers, those were a new design and only used in TWOK far as I know. The TWOK is definitely my least favorite version of the Star Fleet Phaser.
PicasoX
Sr Member
I ran across this concept of the TWOK communicator, pretty cool, I think, which looks just like the thing on their field jackets.
I found the parts but the files to print are sold one part at a time and they get spendy when you add them up/
www.shapeways.com
I found the parts but the files to print are sold one part at a time and they get spendy when you add them up/
Picasox's List: wish1 on Shapeways
Picasox's list: wish1 of 3D printed products on Shapeways. See what Picasox has curated into their list.
Attachments
Last edited:
scottsusernames
Active Member
More TWOK prop trivia:
The producers of TWOK initially asked John Zabrucky of Modern Props, Inc. to design new phaser and communicator props, but ultimately decided to reuse the existing phasers from the first Trek film. They redressed the phasers from TMP with new paint and electronics.
Good move, since this new phaser provided by Modern Props was as poorly designed as their ugly comm. Since this phaser was a non-screen used prototype (and ugly), it was sold by Heritage Auctions on June 29, 2016 for a relatively low $2,480.
Also, a “Power Generator” prop designed by Zabrucky is jokingly called "the most important device in the universe" as a result of its ubiquitous use in numerous science fiction films and TV series. The prop was originally built for the TV series The Incredible Hulk (1977) and has appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) (along with Zabrucky’s communicator prop); multiple Star Trek franchise TV shows; and the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), among many others. It was openly ridiculed for having no apparent purpose in the film Airplane! II: The Sequel (1982). I forget the forum, but someone here on the RPF made a 3D printed model of it...and I want one!
The producers of TWOK initially asked John Zabrucky of Modern Props, Inc. to design new phaser and communicator props, but ultimately decided to reuse the existing phasers from the first Trek film. They redressed the phasers from TMP with new paint and electronics.
Good move, since this new phaser provided by Modern Props was as poorly designed as their ugly comm. Since this phaser was a non-screen used prototype (and ugly), it was sold by Heritage Auctions on June 29, 2016 for a relatively low $2,480.
Also, a “Power Generator” prop designed by Zabrucky is jokingly called "the most important device in the universe" as a result of its ubiquitous use in numerous science fiction films and TV series. The prop was originally built for the TV series The Incredible Hulk (1977) and has appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) (along with Zabrucky’s communicator prop); multiple Star Trek franchise TV shows; and the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), among many others. It was openly ridiculed for having no apparent purpose in the film Airplane! II: The Sequel (1982). I forget the forum, but someone here on the RPF made a 3D printed model of it...and I want one!
Attachments
What are those three communicators next tot he Klingon one and above the Vox from GALAXY QUEST?
PicasoX
Sr Member
the 1st one is Valkyrie Props Scott Nakada, the other two are kits made by a guy whos username was Cincinnati Kid. Since mine aren't finished I'm showing pictures I found on the web. I see someone on Your Props , SLK, claiming the 3rd one is his own scratch build, he has a picture of the 2nd one too and he doesn't claim to have built that one, rather he says it was designed for STV and not used inn the movie. Sounds like BS to me, since I have both kits and I got them from a guy on the TPZ years ago.
Attachments
Last edited:
PicasoX
Sr Member
I wasn't aware there were any phasers shown in the 1st Movie, I just watched TMP and TWOK this past week on Blu-ray.More TWOK prop trivia:
The producers of TWOK initially asked John Zabrucky of Modern Props, Inc. to design new phaser and communicator props, but ultimately decided to reuse the existing phasers from the first Trek film. They redressed the phasers from TMP with new paint and electronics.
Good move, since this new phaser provided by Modern Props was as poorly designed as their ugly comm. Since this phaser was a non-screen used prototype (and ugly), it was sold by Heritage Auctions on June 29, 2016 for a relatively low $2,480.
Also, a “Power Generator” prop designed by Zabrucky is jokingly called "the most important device in the universe" as a result of its ubiquitous use in numerous science fiction films and TV series. The prop was originally built for the TV series The Incredible Hulk (1977) and has appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) (along with Zabrucky’s communicator prop); multiple Star Trek franchise TV shows; and the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), among many others. It was openly ridiculed for having no apparent purpose in the film Airplane! II: The Sequel (1982). I forget the forum, but someone here on the RPF made a 3D printed model of it...and I want one!
scottsusernames
Active Member
Yes, there were phasers made for the 1st movie...they just didn't get much (any?) screen time. Only the security guards had them, and they were holstered, IIRC ("If I Recall Correctly" for those of you who, like me, hate acronyms!). The Klingons had a disruptor (called a "Death Sting") but they too were holstered and not given screen time. They were redressed and reused in STV. You can do a Google search and find many pictures of both the TMP and TWOK phasers. The main differences were the triggers; control panel on top; paint; and the addition of the prismatic pin striping on the side of the later phaser.
PicasoX
Sr Member
oh yeah, here you go.
Attachments
Lightning
Master Member
Since the Enterprise was training cadets I justify it by saying they were using much older model "manual" communicators. Perhaps the model between The Cage and TOS.
Similar threads
