E11 Power Cylinder Build

[fieldmarshall]

Anyone know where to buy some really nice power cells????

[humperdingle]

Looking at the detail and beauty of these items, you can imagine what the original trilogy would have looked like if the propmakers had a bit more time or just cared a bit more... Truly remarkable attention to detail!

[veektohr]

Awesome job here! Love seeing how people problem-solve on fun builds like this.

[SeanTX]

Did you ever get around to making a shopping list for your cylinders?

[usaeatt2]

I didn't make a shopping list, but here's what I know off the top of my head:

3/8" brass tubing for the cylinders

5mm brass tubing to replicate the Metalmite capacitors

30-50 amp AGC glass fuses (use the metal fuse ends to make the cylinder caps)

10BA (British association) cheese head screws and nuts

1mm thick metal for the base plate

Rear resistors

Orange/red braided sleeving

Thin wires for the capacitors

[SeanTX]

I thought you used cap nuts. Do you have a link or picture of the fuse?

 

How thick were the walls of the 3/8" tube?

 

What kind of resistors were yours?

[usaeatt2]

I thought you used cap nuts. Do you have a link or picture of the fuse?

How thick were the walls of the 3/8" tube?

What kind of resistors were yours?

 

Hi Sean,

 

I originally used cap nuts, but then I found the glass fuses during a trip to the auto parts store one day.

Cap nuts work, but I like the shape of the fuse caps better - the edges are less rounded.

The drawback to the fuse caps is the engraved lettering and they still need to be shortened, but it's a good start.

 

 

Here's a little comparison for you:

On the left is my initial attempt using a cap nut (also I believe that screw is a 2-56...much too large!)

In the middle is an AGU50 fuse.  See how the shoulders are a little more square?

I chucked the fuse in my drill press and filed off the engraved letters on one end.

On the right is a fuse cap installed on a 3/8" tube cut to the correct length for a set of power cylinders.

Next step is to "shorten" the cap to the correct size.

 

 

DON'T try to remove the fuse caps by breaking the glass - it makes a mess and could result in an injury.

Use a propane torch.  Wave the flame back and forth across the cap while pulling gently with a pair of pliers.

When the solder melts, the cap will slide right off the glass tube.

The glass tube is 3/8" diameter and the walls are 1/16" thick.

 

The rear resistors are "carbon composition resistors".

The resistance value doesn't really matter, but the size does (don't tell women!!...)

Each resistor measures 0.365 inches long by 0.143 diameter and is a perfect cylinder (no flared or rounded edges). 

Just for kicks, the resistance values of the two kinds I use are 82 ohm (grey/red/black/gold) or 150 ohm (brown/green/brown/gold).

I think any resistor will work as long as it's the correct size and shape.

Andy sent me some of the resistors he uses and they're the same size and shape.

 

Hope this helps!

Aaron  

Edited August 9, 2016 by usaeatt2

[SeanTX]

Thanks Aaron. That helps a lot. Was the brass tube 1/16" wall too?

 

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[usaeatt2]

Thanks Aaron. That helps a lot. Was the brass tube 1/16" wall too?

 

I used brass tubing from K&S Metals (although I went to K&S in Chicago, you can usually find it on a display rack at Ace Hardware).

They make "telescoping" brass tubing 3/8" x 0.014" x 12" (each size slides into the next size) or regular 3/8" x 0.029" x 36".

Either wall thickness will work.

[SeanTX]

Awesome. That will get me started.

 

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[RLH2515[TK]]

What size did you make the bracket that everything is attached to ? I have all the materials from your punch list and just have to make that.

 

 

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