The Force Awakens Z6 Riot Control Baton

[renegadecow]

Spikey bits done so that just about sums up fabrication for all major components. I just need to drill a hole for the release button disguised as an LED and paint it. I'll be looking around office supplies for something to use for the black strip on the main body, some kind of semi opaque plastic so that LEDs will shine through when turned on. That's 32 LEDs to string up though so I may just go with red dots and go with a more dramatic electric arc effect using EL wire light.

 

[JJ Griffin]

Looks great, mate. What's the final overall length, out of curiosity? Most of the others I've seen have been way too long to actually spin around like in the film.

 

[renegadecow]

Thanks! End to end that's 28" folded and 40" unfolded. With the corrections in length it should be 26.5" folded and 37.5" unfolded. I'm 5'8" tall and I can comfortably spin it (spins at the waist and not the chest or it will never clear) but that's with just wearing a t-shirt on.

 

[JJ Griffin]

That's not too bad. Even in the stunt training video, you can see the stunttrooper at 0:20 REALLY have to lean forward and stretch out his arm in order to get the baton to clear his ab plate when he's spinning it against Boyega.

I think the extra couple of inches due to your length correction will actually make a huge difference (at least in the stiffer ANOVOS kits, mind you)! Will it still be possible for customers to trim it a bit if desired to customize it to the wielder's size (or rather, arm length)?

 

[renegadecow]

Progress has been a bit slow, but still coming along steadily. Other than the length correction, I've made some changes along the way to make things more streamlined like making stencils and jigs for cuts and switching to a slightly thinner pipe (orange) for the arms. Meanwhile the prototype that's already done is still being painted.

 

[Praetor]

Hello all,

I've spotted some detailing that doesn't appear to have been picked-up elsewhere, so I'm posting here and in the other thread regarding the Z6. Let me know what you think:

View attachment 593209

...So, I'm pretty sure there are two big details here that might reveal more about how this thing works. Part A appears to be a rod of some sort, running in parallel with the main axis of the arms. It clearly sits in front of the axis-rod (Axle? Excuse my misuse of terminology!) when the arms are extended... Where it appears when folded is unclear and I can't find references to show this.

The second detail (the B parts) appears to be end-caps of a sort, which when the arms are in the folded position, would partially cover the end of the baton. These appear to be metallic to match the electrode bars/stripes.

Parts B1 and B2 would appear to be aesthetic, but it's part A1-A2 (a single rod?) that is interesting to me. If this was a spring or cable, it might be responsible for the flip-out action of the arms. If this is a rod, it might be a locking mechanism.

Let's assume it's a spring, or a pair of springs, in this configuration it would make for a really simple method of applying the rotational force required to swing-out the arms. If you imagine that in the extended configuration, the springs are at rest and the arms locked by their axis (probably internally). When folded, the springs would be stretched and twisted around the axis (partially, it only swings out 180 degrees) and would then be placed under tension and the arms would need to lock into the folded configuration.

On releasing the arms, the spring would tend towards the rest position, pulling the arms out (in a single direction, too, as is seen on film). A similar effect could be achieved if they were cabling extending into the body of the baton and held under tension internally by some loaded spring mechanism. Similarly, it could be responsible for pushing the arms outward (away from the baton body) which has been observed too (when extended, the arms are clearly seated further away from the baton body than when folded, sitting against the baton body). Either way, these add nothing aesthetically, so I'm pretty certain that they give us a clue as to the underlying mechanics of the device.

If a locking mechanism (which appears more likely, because they reflect light as a rod would) I'm not quite sure how they'd work, but may simply act as a catch against some out-of-sight rod or latch-arm that sits under the arms, extending from the axle.

What do people think?...

 

[Praetor]

...Here's my quick/cr*ppy MS Paint diagram of how it would work as a locking mechanism:





Edit: Note - This does not depict the other detailing, or the arm positioning away from the body on extension/flip-out.

 

[renegadecow]

As if I weren't falling behind enough as it is, I went ahead and made another small change. The old handle base was round even though it's supposed to be square and be a part of the body instead of the handle. I kept it round because I was lazy but it kept haunting me so now I went and made a mold for it and is glued directly to the body.

Old


New

 

[widescreen]

Just a thought on the handle - should the handle be able to spin/rotate? FN2199 is spins the baton around with ease. with a fixed handle & textured gloves this is going to be very difficult to replicate on a troop/costume event. if the handle was able to rotate it would make the spinning action a lot easier to replicate.

 

[renegadecow]

It's basically a long tonfa. Handle should be fixed otherwise nothing's stopping it from spinning. Strikes will be weak and easily deflected with the arms flying back to the user. Gloves actually make it easier to use because you get more grip/control on rotation, unless you use ones which are slick.

 

[Rein]

...Here's my quick/cr*ppy MS Paint diagram of how it would work as a locking mechanism:

View attachment 593248



Edit: Note - This does not depict the other detailing, or the arm positioning away from the body on extension/flip-out.

This is fantastic, and the diagram really helps clarify what you were talking about. I definitely agree that this seems to be some sort of stopping mechanism. It could possibly even be curved like an "S" (when viewed down the length of the baton) so that the arms remain parallel with the body when closed & close to *and* when open and farther from it. If that rod is straight then when closed and open the arms would be slightly off parallel by some degrees depending on how big the diameter of the metal rods are and how far the stopping one is from the axle.

 

[JJ Griffin]

Love the attention to detail, mate.... So excited!

 

[Praetor]

I think the angle of the bar that runs parallel to the arm (the bit that swings-out) is all that needs to be off-set:





EDIT: Diagram corrected.

 

[Rein]

I think the angle of the bar that runs parallel to the arm (the bit that swings-out) is all that needs to be off-set:

View attachment 595604



EDIT: Diagram corrected.

I think your first diagram would actually work while the second would not. If you imagine spinning it 180 degrees clockwise it will impact the vertical bar before it reaches 180.

 

[Praetor]

If it were straight, the opposing side would turn through less than 180 degrees before hitting the "locking-bar" (for want of a better term).

With this revised layout, the opposing arm turn through 180 degrees at the point it hits the locking-bar.

This is an appalling and clearly out of scale/inaccurate diagram, but if the lower bar where pointing south, or at an angle further West, you can see how it'd hit the locking-bar before turning a full 180 degrees:



My angles are all off here, but if the lower-most arm is past the "6 o'clock mark", it has less than 180 degrees of turning space before it hits the locking-bar. Does that make sense?... :S

- - - Updated - - -

...Such a bad diagram... *face-palm*

 

[Rein]

If it were straight, the opposing side would turn through less than 180 degrees before hitting the "locking-bar" (for want of a better term).

With this revised layout, the opposing arm turn through 180 degrees at the point it hits the locking-bar.

This is an appalling and clearly out of scale/inaccurate diagram, but if the lower bar where pointing south, or at an angle further West, you can see how it'd hit the locking-bar before turning a full 180 degrees:

View attachment 595714

My angles are all off here, but if the lower-most arm is past the "6 o'clock mark", it has less than 180 degrees of turning space before it hits the locking-bar. Does that make sense?... :S

- - - Updated - - -

...Such a bad diagram... *face-palm*

I just realized that the Attached image (straight) was probably the first one posted and the in-line one (bent) was probably the edit. I had assumed the opposite. We're on the same page here

 

[Praetor]

...Is it sad that I might go and re-watch at IMAX, just to get a good look at this scene??... XD

 

[JaxAndTheMoon]

...Is it sad that I might go and re-watch at IMAX, just to get a good look at this scene??... XD

Not at all. I've seen it in Imax 4 times, and I still want to go back for more

 

[JJ Griffin]

Trying to be patient but I can barely contain my excitement over these! :angel How are they coming along~?

 

[renegadecow]

Painfully slower that I'd hoped, but nearly done with the first five. I assembled my older (longer) one just now to test out the "LED" panel (not actual LEDs). Made it so it's slightly light accumulating so has a bit of a glow to it in low light and sort of reflective in daylight (or in this case, camera flash). Will be taking better photos in the morning.