TNG/DS9 Med Kit Build

Great to see scratch builds. Amazing to watch something like this come from sheets of styrene. :thumbsup :thumbsup
 
Thanks everyone! It was a fun build and had elements that I had never tackled before; figuring out how to make things work is half the fun anyway. :)

I have had a couple of people ask about the "styrene weld" I used so I thought I'd share the answers here for everyone:

Is there a specific ratio or recipe for the styrene/lacquer mixture?

There's no real "ratio" as what's not used of the lacquer thinner just floats on the top. All that is really needed is enough to cover the styrene pieces and enough time to turn the solid pieces into the goop. I draw the liquid styrene up with a syringe and place the syringe with the plunger facing down to allow even more of the lacquer thinner to separate out (this can take a few minutes); then I squirt the clear lacquer thinner out. This allows the "weld" to dry quicker, IMO. Also, I've noticed if I allow a thin layer of lacquer thinner to remain over the goop then I can keep the goop liquid in the sealed container for use later. Of course, leaving the container open would allow the lacquer thinner to evaporate and the goop to harden. Disclaimer: lacquer thinner is flammable and comes in a metal container for a reason! I would suggest using a metal container if you choose to keep the remainder for future use.

BTW, if you want clear or colored styrene glue then all you have to do is get some of those fast food drink covers that are made of polystyrene and throw 'em in. I've tried making little casting of things using this method to no avail; I thought I could squirt some of the goop into a a clay mold and knock out a couple of faux LEDs but it creates too many bubbles in the styrene to make it work. Even surface-work can be hard with it due to the bubbles. It's great for reinforcing though!

A syringe isn't absolutely needed either as the goop could be applied with just about anything (I used a metal chisel at first); the syringe allows for a neater application though. Of course, if it's applied to the inside of a project then it doesn't matter either way. :lol

I hope this helps!

- Karl
 
I must agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments stated by the members in this thread!
A truly FANTASTIC job all around. Great tutorial with great ideas!
I will be giving the "styrene weld" a try! It looks like a great way to strengthen corners and to have extra material inside to make great rounded edges without a lot of putty.
I have seen other build ups of this prop and have always wanted to attempt to build my own. I think seeing this has finally convinced me to give it a try.
Thanks for the post subxinu, and the inspiration.
Later, Petseal
 
Very nice indeed!

I made a few several years ago but it seemed back then that there was little interest.

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Fantastic work!

This is the TNG version right? Because in DS9 you can see that is not the little panel. Bashir used it on the episode "Battle Lines" I think.
 
Image 1: Templates were mocked up in Illustrator and used to cut out pieces in in styrene using a box cutter.

Hi Karl,

Would you be willing to share your Illustrator templates? I have been thinking of tackling a medkit myself, and this would give me a great running start. I promise to post here any tips or improvements I come up with. :)

Thanks!

Ryan
 
Hi Karl,

Would you be willing to share your Illustrator templates? I have been thinking of tackling a medkit myself, and this would give me a great running start. I promise to post here any tips or improvements I come up with. :)

Thanks!

Ryan

Ditto please
 
Awesome work on this!

I've been hunting down accurate measurements or templates for one of these for a while now, my hypo and tricorder need a home.
 
Karl and I were actually discussing accurate measurements for this style of Medkit earlier this year, while I was working on scratch-building my own as shown in this thread --> http://www.therpf.com/f9/tng-medkit-199921/

I believe he was planning to build another one using the screen-accurate dimensions we discussed, but I don't know how far he's gotten with that one or if he's redesigned his templates yet. Your best bet is to probably send a PM to ask him about it.

I've drawn my own set of templates based on the correct measurements, however mine were done using the ol' pen-to-paper approach as I have neither the experience or the software for computer drafting. So, I don't have a digital copy available.
 
Eric, if you would be willing to share your paper sketches, dimensions and notes, I can help make some digital blueprints using either AutoCAD or SolidWorks. I'd love to take a shot at making one of these cases while also helping to provide accurate plans for the community.

That is of course unless Karl has produced them since the last few posts!
 
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