E11 Power Cylinder Build

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Life definitely gets in the way of living sometimes man. LoL

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

nice work!

I use brass tubes for my main body and also use the same axle caps for mine!

 

 

some photos are missing from the thread!

[usaeatt2]

Well, since I found new parts and bought screen accurate parts from Andy (PlayfulWolfCub), my first draft power cylinders from this build thread kind of got pushed off to the side.  I decided to finish them this weekend.  I may use them on a resin build or even offer them up for sale.

 

I finished the aluminum cylinders (although they have incorrect 2-56 nuts and bolts), mocked up center resistors from small aluminum tubing, 3mm beads (my resistors are BEDAZZLED) spare wires and epoxy putty.  Finally, I soldered the resistors, wires and cloth covering details on the back.  I thought I would post the final pictures to sort of close out this thread.

 

All that's left to do is maybe add the little stub wings to the outside of the cylinders and hit them with a light coating of flat black.  I may do a shorter version 2 build thread using the correct parts (10BA nuts and bolts, the correctly shaped caps and screen accurate resistors).  If you have any questions about the materials or plans, leave a post or send me a PM.  I also have many more pictures from finishing this build.

 

NO ONE will ever make power cylinders more accurate than Andy, but that wasn't the intent here.  The intent was to make them from parts you can easily find at local hardware stores.  I accomplished that and I've probably got less than $20 invested (and a whole lot of time).  With that said, what do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Very nice, Aaron!

 

Especially loving that they're Bedazzled! LoL

 

Well done.

[gazmosis[501st]]

I am standing and applauding!!

[TrainWreck[501st]]

+1 brother. I don't know how I missed this thread the first time around but I just read through it thinking "Love Child" still needs cylinders. *sigh* This might go into sometime when I haven't anything to do gap. I sure am glad I plan to keep doing this stuff.

Outstanding work!

[usaeatt2]

Very nice, Aaron!

 

Especially loving that they're Bedazzled! LoL

 

Well done.

 

What's worse, is a coworker spotted me and came over to say hello in the jewelry making aisle at Hobby Lobby.

ME:  "I'm finding parts for my Stormtrooper blaster."

CW:  "Uh huh.  What kind of jewelry do Stormtroopers wear?"

ME:  "No, REALLY.  It's to mock up tiny little resistors with red and black ends."

CW:  "Uh huh."

 

LOL, This is the first item I own that's bedazzled, so I'm pretty excited too.

 

I am standing and applauding!!

 

Thankya.  Thankya verrry muuch.

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

LoL... Yeah, I have some co-workers who are Star Wars fans, and have discovered that I'm on the path to joining the 501st. The conversations typically go about like this:

 

CW: Is it true that you're going to join that 501st thing?

ME: Yeah, the 501st Legion.

CW: What character are you going to be? Like Han Solo?

ME: No. The 501st is the Imperial characters. The Rebel Legion is the terrorists.

CW: What?

ME: Terrorists, rebels. The ones running around and attacking expensive government facilities from hidden bases using plans that were stolen by spies. You know, the rebels.

CW: Never thought of it that way I guess. So who are you going to be?

ME: A Stormtrooper.

CW: Oh man! That's freaking cool! How much does that cost?

ME: I've spent about $xxxx.xx so far.

CW: What?

 

They all kind of look at me oddly after the conversation, but they still ask about my armor. LoL

 

I only own bedazzled weapons in Call of Duty: Black Ops games. LoL That's actually how I refer to them, too.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Dark CMF

[usaeatt2]

I think the only possibility of someone outside the hobby appreciating the investment of time and money is to SEE an approved Stormtrooper costume in person.  Even then, they've got to be a fan otherwise it doesn't make any sense to them.  To each his own.

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

For less than 20$ power cylinders, result is excellent! Congrats, this is impressive. 

[usaeatt2]

Thanks, Germain.  I'm hoping to assemble another set using the accurate parts this week.  Hopefully the result is even better! 

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Now that you know what you're doing, have the parts and have acquired knowledge about this feature, it should be pretty straight forward

[usaeatt2]

Working on a couple more power cylinders and trying different materials.  Stainless is the most difficult, but I think those look the best.

 

My wife asked for a set to hang on a choker necklace for Cons and trooping.  The stainless tubes and gold caps will polish up brilliantly.

 

Wish I had a pile of authentic capacitors!  I can't bring myself to paint the real capacitors since I only have three and another three on the way from the UK.  Anything that gets painted will have capacitors made from aluminum tube.  Looking for a better alternative than the beads for the end pieces.  I may try punching some holes in orange and black plastic sheets with a leather punch and use the resulting "dots"...sanding a bead in half might work too, but I haven't figured out how to do that without sanding my fingertips off...

 

 

 

 

[I'm Batman[501st]]

WOW! It's going to be a shame to paint them.

 

Have you decided whether you'll be selling any?

[PlayfulWolfCub]

Great job Aaron!   

 

You mention you're looking for an alternative way to make the capacitor ends. For my scratch-built "UBER" capacitors I use FIMO.  I make a tiny ball, squash it slightly, make the hole in the centre with a wire, bake it, glue it to the capacitor and then file it to exactly the right shape (or shapes, since the original rubber capacitor ends were crimped into shape & therefore varied in shape).

 

Note, the original capacitors appear to have had grey and brown ends, rather than black. That may have been a variation for the military-grade spec as all the vintage ones I've found so far have black ends.

 

Cheers, Andy

 

Original capacitors (photo by Michael Washko):

 

My scratch-built capacitors with FIMO ends:

[usaeatt2]

Sorry, Ian...

 

Purely out of respect for Andy, I won't be selling these.  I couldn't have built them without his research/help and it wouldn't be fair to steal business from him.  I didn't understand Andy's prices in the beginning, but after making several sets, I understand - making these is a ridiculous amount of meticulous work and if you count time for labor, he's very likely losing money on every set he sells.

[usaeatt2]

Great job Aaron! 

 

You mention you're looking for an alternative way to make the capacitor ends. For my scratch-built "UBER" capacitors I use FIMO.  I make a tiny ball, squash it slightly, make the hole in the centre with a wire, bake it, glue it to the capacitor and then file it to exactly the right shape (or shapes, since the original rubber capacitor ends were crimped into shape & therefore varied in shape).

 

Note, the original capacitors appear to have had grey and brown ends, rather than black. That may have been a variation for the military-grade spec as all the vintage ones I've found so far have black ends.

 

Wow, thanks, Andy!

 

Funny, I've done a few other projects here with Sculpey Premo (very similar to FIMO) and I was just thinking that might work better than anything else.  Plus, it comes in a wide range of colors.  And now you've confirmed it - thanks, yet AGAIN!  Also on my shopping list is to find aluminum tube or rod of a slightly larger diameter.  The tubing I used is just something I found in my scrap bin and it's about 1mm too small.  You'd think only 1mm off would be close enough, but you can really tell the difference side-by-side.

 

Thanks for the pictures too - just when I think I've seen every picture of power cylinders, another one crops up!

[PlayfulWolfCub]

  You'd think only 1mm off would be close enough, but you can really tell the difference side-by-side.

 

Stare at these things for long enough & inaccuracies as small as 0.1mm begin to look huge!     (I'm not even kidding!  lol)

 

That photo is in my "Analysis & Research" pdf along with many others if you want to see even more...

 

Cheers, Andy

[usaeatt2]

I had a "driving in Chicago during rush hour traffic on Friday" fiasco, but I was finally able to get my hands on 5MM brass tubing.  3/16" tubing is too small and 7/32" tubing is too big.  Nobody makes 13/64" tubing.  With that and some Sculpey modeling clay in specific colors, I could finally use Andy's advice and have a go at making a more accurate set of capacitors.  These will be painted, so I'm not real concerned about the text or decals - but I did want to get much closer on the size and shape...no more "bedazzled" capacitors!

 

I cut the tubing to length and filed a smooth rounded edge at each end.  For the small plastic insulators at each end, I used "copper" and "elephant gray" oven-bake clay.  I rolled little balls of clay and pushed them firmly into each end.  I baked all the pieces at 300 degree for 15 minutes.  After that, I carefully sanded the edges flush on the belt sander.

 

 

Next came shaping the insulators.  I chucked the capacitors in my drill press, turned it on and used a combination of needle files and sand papers for shaping and smoothing.  And finally, I drilled a tiny hole in each end and CA glued some wire.  I'm quite pleased with the result!  I could probably sand them down a little more, but I'll let them sit for awhile.  I didn't want to get carried away on the first one...

 

[Twnbrother]

WOW!!!!  this is impressive.  I wish I had read this before working on my cylinders.  I really like you build.  The next time I do one I will be using your ideas.

[Thrawn's guard]

Aaron I have just come across this thread and am really impressed with what you have done here.

 

It will certainly help with my own build when I get around to working on my own cylinders, fuses and capacitors.

 

I particularily like the ends of the capacitors in your last photograph.

[usaeatt2]

Aaron I have just come across this thread and am really impressed with what you have done here.

It will certainly help with my own build when I get around to working on my own cylinders, fuses and capacitors.

I particularily like the ends of the capacitors in your last photograph.

Thanks, Chris. In hindsight, it would probably be better to use some kind of epoxy putty to make the capacitor ends. Oven bake clay isn't very durable. I used it mainly for the color, but if you're going to spray them flat black, the color doesn't matter.

 

By the way, I wonder if you or Michael realize PlayfulWolfCub actually sells the parts he uses to make his beautiful screen accurate power cylinders? Takes the fun out of trying to build it yourself, but it's an option!

[Twnbrother]

I liked the challenge of building.... However my next E11 will be one of Derreks' Phoenix Props 2.0 kits and they come with the power cylinder from Andy (Playfulwolfcub)

[Thrawn's guard]

@ Aaron - I will need to check out Andy's power cylinders again but from what I seem to remember they may be a little out of my budget. Then again I do want to make the blaster as accurate as I can.

 

I still however think that your designs for the cylinders are fantastic.

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Chris - Check out Andy's 'Budget resin cylinders'. They're a cast off the metal ones, so look just as good. That's what I put on my blaster.

 

Edit: just read his thread - http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/24821-screen-accurate-resin-budget-power-cylinders-for-e11s/

looks like they're sold out until enough interest is there for another run.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Sith Lord