Star Trek Wall Communicator Panel

[JiminSTLouis]

It's been suggested that I move this from the General Modeling section to here in Replica Props. Thanks davison 6!

I've ordered "most" of what I need for my TOS Wall Communicator build. It may not all be perfect, but I think I can make a pretty convincing replica with these parts. I'm still looking for an acrylic cube for the red alert beacon.

gmprops electronics:

Red acrylic panel from U. S. Plastic Corp.:

Red Alert activation button - Arcade button from eBay:

Comm activation button from eBay:

The piece of red acrylic has arrived and I'm starting to size things up.

QUESTION:

Does anyone have good dimensions of the screen used prop? The acrylic is 12"x12" and looks too big from pics I've found on line. I could use the total panel size, the speaker housing, and the red alert beacon.

I've decided to pour the beacon from clear casting epoxy. This will be my first cast ever.

Thanks in advance for any help with this project!

 

[phase pistol]

You could estimate the overall size from the button diameter and the speaker size (speaker is the same as the desk comm units).

And in fact somebody did that back in 2007.

http://www.therpf.com/f9/need-help-researching-tos-wall-comm-19129/

Also I shot some good closeups of a screenused desk comm prop at Worldcon in2006, I'll dig up the photos.

K

 

[JiminSTLouis]

PERFECT! Just the information I was looking for.

Thanks!

 

[phase pistol]

next to a small-size Moleskine notebook.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Speaker housing ready to seal and paint. Once the speaker grid and light cover are in place, the back side of this detail won't be seen, so I'm not worried about the imperfections at the bottom of the cutouts.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Polystyrene foam speaker housing sealed with Spackle.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Also I shot some good closeups of a screenused desk comm prop at Worldcon in2006, I'll dig up the photos.

K

Oh and I forgot to mention... thanks for the great pics. They are going to be very helpful!

 

[Zombie Killer]

Are you going by that pic with all the dimensions on it?

 

[JiminSTLouis]

I'm using those pics, the screen caps, and best guess.

 

[Zombie Killer]

Reason i ask is i was going to build this awhile back and nothing jived with anything. I got a casting of supposedly a correct white button from Trublood on here and also have the pic with dimensions of the wall panel from the thread posted earlier. I also am pretty sure i know what the red button is. When i scale screencaps to the size of the white button the red button measures 1 1/2" for the bezel and 1" for the button and the comm is 4 3/4x 3 3/8. That matches up with both the red button dims and white button i have. When i scale the pic with dims up so the white buttons bezels match with the one i have the comm measures 4x3 and the red switch is 1 1/4 as listed on the pic. When you compare the screenshot of the whole panel to the pic with dimensions the one with dims. looks wrong and looks like it is small to me. Are we sure that the comms were 4x3". If it is i am stumped. If not then i believe the panel is 9.5 wide and 7 3/4 tall and the plexi is 2 1/2 x 2 7/8 and the red button is 1 1/2" wide. I was going to lay it all out and check but have not had a chance to verify that it looks right to the screencaps.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Since I already had my comm cut out before the dimensioned pics were posted, I left mine at 4 1/4 x 3. In the pic with the crewman pushing both buttons, that comm looks bigger than the desktop unit. In this pic with Kirk, the entire red panel looks square with all 4 sides the same dimension, and looks bigger than the previously mentioned pic. It sure doesn't have the screws in the corners. I've come to the conclusion that these were all made by hand, and possibly by different people, so it's possible that no 2 are alike.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

For the experienced casters, can I pour clear epoxy directly into a clay mold?

Thanks

 

[WNMHGB]

I don,t know much about casting so i can't help there but the size on the intercom housing should be 4 5/8" x 3 1/4"

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Thanks for the info.

 

[WNMHGB]

n problem, cant wait to see it finished.
great project BTW

 

[JiminSTLouis]

My arcade buttons arrived today. Here is my first mod test.

Current configuration of an arcade button:

Interior button configuration:

Modified button configuration. Center stem cut short and threads removed to maintain low profile of the panel. A clearance cut was made in the button housing to allow installation of the micro button. Once the electronics arrive, the shape of this hole will be modified as needed. Return spring was turned upside down to prevent false activation of the micro button by the spring. When depressed, the wall of the button will activate the micro button. Two slotted holes will be cut into the sides of the button housing, and retaining pins installed in the sides of the button. The rounded top of the housing will be sanded flat and painted silver to replicate the screen used prop.

Final size of the panel will be determined once all components can be laid out.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

The gmprops electronics have arrived (thanks Gerry!) as well as the white buttons. Here is a modified button to accept the tactile switch. I'm going to use the components from two buttons to make the white part taller. I bought the wrong epoxy and it cast yellow. I ordered "water clear" casting resin from TAP Plastics, as someone suggested earlier.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

I did another test cast of the Red Alert Beacon with TAP Clear-Lite casting resin. It came out pretty good but I didn't give the front face enough of an angle. I have another pour curing now. I frosted it by wet sanding on 220 grit sand paper. I've attached a YouTube video of the gmprops electronics. I need to find a way to disperse the red LED. I will probably back it with some sort of reflective tape.

Star Trek Wall Communicator Replica - YouTube

 

[GKvfx]

I've had these two pieces on the "to-do" list for about a decade or so.....

I'm approaching the sizing from a slightly different angle. I found some speaker cloth material that looks pretty darn close to the pattern used on the intercom units and based my sizing on that -

Counting the thicker vertical "threads" (which seem to be a thicker, monofilament-type material), and then the horizontal "bands", I come up with a grill opening of 3 3/8" x 2 1/2".

Sizing a frame grab from "Naked Time" to that same set of dimensions, I come up with:
- an overall communicator size of 5 1/4" x 3 13/16"
- an overall wall panel of 8 1/2" x 10 1/2"
- a red button diameter of 1 1/16"
- a red button bezel diameter of 1 5/8"

My measurements may be a bit off due to distortion of the frame grab, using modern grill material that may be sized differently, etc...... but I think they are close.

I took Karl's photo of the desk communicator and scaled it in Photoshop and the proportions at least, match up -

I think the arcade button is an accurate ID, but I would look for old pinball NOS to come up with the correct size. I found one, with a nice alum bezel, but it was sized just under 1".......

Gene

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Red Alert Beacon - Final Cast

I'm REALLY happy with these results. This will be the one that makes the grade.