TheShinyOne
Well-Known Member
That is the best one I've ever seen!
Phaser Build - Star Trek III - 3D Printed
- Thread starter Felgacarb
- Start date
You really need to see Star Trek II, III, and IV if you want to see the complete story arc that started in II. Aw hell, watch the first six movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) and you'll be fine.
Well, you can skip ST:V entirely and be much better off...
Ruddigger
Sr Member
Haha, I was just thinking the same thing!
Felgacarb, I'm jealous of all your builds, but this is one I'd particularly love to own.
Zombie_61
Master Member
Realistically, you could; Star Trek V is kind of a "standalone" movie. That said, even though Star Trek V has it's flaws I like it more than I like Star Trek III and Star Trek IV, both of which I consider to be even more flawed.
Felgacarb
Sr Member
Good news, Phaser phans!
The last part from shapeways arrived today. I call it, the belt clip.
First, a brief summary of what it is and why it's here. (Feel free to skip down to the photos if you're not into wordy phaser philosophy...)
I'm not (at least currently) a collector of props, or someone who builds purely to build. I'm not even really someone who leaves thier props out on display- (Except, in case the wife reads this, for the pulse rifle. I mean, you have to hang that on the wall, right?) No, I'm more the type who limits my builds to things that I am really going to 'use'.
In this case, 'use' means wear on a costume. But when you are doing Trek costumes and talking phasers, that is the trick, isn't it? With TOS phasers, you have the option of going the velcro route. It's screen accurate. I actually like it for the P1. But for the P2, you have to seriously deface one side of your prop the get the surface area you need. And even if it is accurate, it isn't all that secure for bumping around a couple of hours at a party or convention. With TMP there were actually metal clips that stuck out of the sides of the props that were worn on the security guys belts. But like the velcro, this forces you to chose between a prop that looks good, or one you can wear.
In TWOK, your screen accurate choices were the built in holsters on the field jackets (but seriously, who would wear one of those behemoths all day?) or the 'jam it in your belt' approach like Capt. Tyrell. In ST III, where this phaser appeared, the security guards had new holsters on their belts. Which look like they worked decently, but will always be awkward due to the shape of the prop. (Saavik again used the jacket's built in holster.) And a full holster just doesn't seem very Trek-like to those who grew up watching Shatner just yank the weapon off his pants. In ST V to wear the phaser it was zip-tied to the belt...
So, I wanted a way to wear this prop that would be more reliable than velcro, and not make any part of the prop look any worse than it absolutely had to. So, here's my current attempt at a solution- the belt clip:
I had them make this in steel.
The concept is that it is large and sturdy enough, and mounted far enough back, that you can wear the phaser on a TWOK uniform belt, and not fear dropping it, even if bumped. Better yet, it is spring loaded, and when you pull it off the belt, it retracts into the phaser body on it's own. It is intended to nearly disappear. It also will activate a switch when the phaser is drawn, but I'm not there yet...
I did manage to paint the part and install it with the spring.
I think it blends in pretty well.
The rest of the electronic parts are due tomorrow. In anticipation, I installed the wires that take the switch signal from the belt clip (or will, once I install the switch) up to the P1:
And that is where it stand today...
The last part from shapeways arrived today. I call it, the belt clip.
First, a brief summary of what it is and why it's here. (Feel free to skip down to the photos if you're not into wordy phaser philosophy...)
I'm not (at least currently) a collector of props, or someone who builds purely to build. I'm not even really someone who leaves thier props out on display- (Except, in case the wife reads this, for the pulse rifle. I mean, you have to hang that on the wall, right?) No, I'm more the type who limits my builds to things that I am really going to 'use'.
In this case, 'use' means wear on a costume. But when you are doing Trek costumes and talking phasers, that is the trick, isn't it? With TOS phasers, you have the option of going the velcro route. It's screen accurate. I actually like it for the P1. But for the P2, you have to seriously deface one side of your prop the get the surface area you need. And even if it is accurate, it isn't all that secure for bumping around a couple of hours at a party or convention. With TMP there were actually metal clips that stuck out of the sides of the props that were worn on the security guys belts. But like the velcro, this forces you to chose between a prop that looks good, or one you can wear.
In TWOK, your screen accurate choices were the built in holsters on the field jackets (but seriously, who would wear one of those behemoths all day?) or the 'jam it in your belt' approach like Capt. Tyrell. In ST III, where this phaser appeared, the security guards had new holsters on their belts. Which look like they worked decently, but will always be awkward due to the shape of the prop. (Saavik again used the jacket's built in holster.) And a full holster just doesn't seem very Trek-like to those who grew up watching Shatner just yank the weapon off his pants. In ST V to wear the phaser it was zip-tied to the belt...
So, I wanted a way to wear this prop that would be more reliable than velcro, and not make any part of the prop look any worse than it absolutely had to. So, here's my current attempt at a solution- the belt clip:
I had them make this in steel.
The concept is that it is large and sturdy enough, and mounted far enough back, that you can wear the phaser on a TWOK uniform belt, and not fear dropping it, even if bumped. Better yet, it is spring loaded, and when you pull it off the belt, it retracts into the phaser body on it's own. It is intended to nearly disappear. It also will activate a switch when the phaser is drawn, but I'm not there yet...
I did manage to paint the part and install it with the spring.
I think it blends in pretty well.
The rest of the electronic parts are due tomorrow. In anticipation, I installed the wires that take the switch signal from the belt clip (or will, once I install the switch) up to the P1:
And that is where it stand today...
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Zombie_61
Master Member
^ I concur. If the prop masters for Star Trek III had thought of this there would have been no need for those hideous holsters.
The only downside I can see is that the metal belt clip could eventually wear down the surrounding material the Phaser II body is made from if you use it often enough. Apart from that, it's a brilliant solution!
The only downside I can see is that the metal belt clip could eventually wear down the surrounding material the Phaser II body is made from if you use it often enough. Apart from that, it's a brilliant solution!
antigravity
Well-Known Member
This has always been my favorite phaser design. The belt clip design is really brilliant in its simplicity and execution.
I keep hoping this phaser might come out of Diamond Select, but even if it did it would be not nearly as cool as this one.
I keep hoping this phaser might come out of Diamond Select, but even if it did it would be not nearly as cool as this one.
spidersolo
Well-Known Member
Fantastic idea...Well executed!
Felgacarb
Sr Member
Me too! I guess this was me giving up on waiting. Or fearing that the scale might be wrong, like the ST V Phaser...
My last electronic bits came. I was waiting for some rectangular LEDs and some snap-action micro switches:
My electronic build up will not be quite fully screen accurate. I've (obviously) spent some time over at Richard Coyle's RAC Props site. The information he's posted there says that the LEDs on the top of the P1 should be clear, and light up red. Currently Digi-Key only has all red ones in stock, so I've gone with those. Next, the square LED array in the trigger of the P1 lit up both yellow and red, and sometimes both together to make orange. I was only able to find the right shape LED array in (rather yellowish) green, and that is what I used.
My electrical assembly skills still could use some work, but here's what the internals now look like:
That little PC board is only in there to make one of the LEDs blink. I stole it from some cheap device, packaging, I think...
I also got a better spring for the clip:
So here is how it now works: The trigger and LED in the nozzle are on their own circuit. Anytime you push the trigger button, it "fires". The P1 is has two switches that control is- a master on the back, and the belt clip. If the master is on, and the phaser is removed from the belt, the P1 lights up- right now all four trigger elements light up green, two red LEDs light up, and a third one blinks, while the last one stays off.
Hacking though these electronics really make me appreciate guys like GMprops. That guy knows how to wire a phaser. Heck, if I could find a set of the RAC / Rodd.com electronics I could probably put them in. It would be fun to have sound effects...
So, it is basically complete. Here is what it looks like:
I plan to take a few better photos (with some more interesting backgrounds) to show it off before I consider this thread done...
Thanks so much for the enthusiasm and support!
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The belt clip is incredibly clever! Awesome work.
By the way, here is the proper red/yellow LED array for the P1 trigger:
SSB-LX2950IYW Lumex | Mouser
or Digi-key: SSB-LX2950IYW Lumex Opto/Components Inc | 67-1028-ND | DigiKey
(95% sure... I will check the part number from one I have stored away tonight)
By the way, here is the proper red/yellow LED array for the P1 trigger:
SSB-LX2950IYW Lumex | Mouser
or Digi-key: SSB-LX2950IYW Lumex Opto/Components Inc | 67-1028-ND | DigiKey
(95% sure... I will check the part number from one I have stored away tonight)
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Felgacarb
Sr Member
That would be better! (Thanks!) It would also require more EE type work. The red and yellow elements were supposed to blink, out of phase whith each other, so that sometimes they were on together. I can wire a battery through a resistor to a LED, but I think you'd want some actual circuit design (and probably a custom PCB) to cram that much into the P1... It is a bit beyond my electrical skill at the moment.
