Re: Living "History" - Sand Cast Alu ANH Stunts
So to catch this thread up with what's happened since, here's a few scant pics I took along the way.
The pic on the left is the buck fresh from Shapeways, unfortunately slightly misshapen for the exorbitant price (one half it ever so slightly smaller from shrinkage), and to the right of that is my first test cast to practice machining. I've not properly machined anything since middle school so this is one hell of an exercise. I should also mention it was no small task to just get this cast; a whole heaping lot of trial and error.
After getting my frustrations out on the first test cast, I thought I'd put what I've learned to use on the second test cast.
After much more trial and error later, I've finally finished my final prototype tonight.
Mind the gap on the clamp section, it's the result of the new steady-rest for my mini-lathe. It's got fresh ball bearings with sharp edges on it and it took a helluva big bite out the soft composite aluminum the cast is made from. Now, it's not completely the steady-rest's fault. I'd like to share some of my findings having followed the original methodology the prop-makers must've/would've/could've done.
First thing's first: This thing is wonky as all hell. I mean
wonky, and it starts with the wood buck. Having worked from the one image we have of the buck (that half of it anyway), I immediately found that upon completion of the model that it isn't a completely straight, cylindrical shape. It actually lilts to the right by a few degrees and starts immediately drifting off center going past the emitter. The emitter plate/face is also off center. This leads me to believe that the original wood buck was lathed out of a piece of angled lumber, like from a folding chair or table leg, where the top of the piece isn't in line with the bottom. In all of my casts, the center of the emitter, and the center of the body, and that of the pommel do not line up.
Because of the awkwardness of the hilt, machining the piece on-center is a trick; one end is always going to angle off the center-line, creating a wobble as it spins in the lathe chuck. As it's machined down, one side is always going to have more shaved off than the other. If I hadn't compensated for this in the size of the buck, and the subsequent alu casts, the diameter of the hilt would be way too small once the surface is completely machined and cleaned up. I've been looking at brushed RC motors that would've been used then in the 70's, modern equivalents are still around today, and they should fit inside the chamber in the handle all right. The boring was a real job but there's enough length inside to fit a motor (and possibly a small rig to hold the steel rod) and to also fit screws to mount the motor, as per Brandon Alinger's description, and despite how rough machined the boring for the chamber is (another detail mentioned), it should be no problem once it's all set up.
Tomorrow, further clean up, and then fitting the pieces together. Then painting. There's a bit more to go now but it's been a helluva trip thus far.
