Warehouse 13 - Claudia's (Farnsworth's) Farnsworth

[DARTH SABER]

Yeah, I think it´s really flat wire or something like that :\ But they do not look like done by hand, they are too accurate for that, I´d say. Maybe they were photoetched ?

They look accurate because they were done with a wire embellishment stencil kit.
Check out my last post on the first page.
I posted a link to the wire template kit.-
http://reviews.ebay.com/How-To-Make-Wire-Jewelry-and-Embellishments_W0QQugidZ10000000002985445

DS

 

[Zombie Killer]

should still have the gold lining though

Yes, they must have had some custom boxes made for them. Wheatley doesn't have a gold trimed version listed on their site.
The Mavern boxes are the only ones i saw that have the rivets on the sides and top in the correct location and also have the thick walls.

 

[DARTH SABER]

Yes, they must have had some custom boxes made for them. Wheatley doesn't have a gold trimed version listed on their site.
The Mavern boxes are the only ones i saw that have the rivets on the sides and top in the correct location and also have the thick walls.

I think they might have just spray painted the inner lining gold. If you look at the images you'll notice that the gold on the lining isn't as shiny as the filigree designs...Common characteristic of gold paint.

 

[DARTH SABER]

Some more pics -

 

[Zombie Killer]

DS, we were talking about the gold edging or lip not the engraving or wirework. The pics i posted from Wheatley have the silver inner lip. The Farns Farn has a gold piece instead.

 

[Krel]

Re: Farnsworth's Farnsworth! Spoiler

I'm assuming this one was the Farnsworth prototype with a higher gain antenna and personal flourishes.

From the dialog in the show, this is suppose to have been Philo Farnsworth's personal Farnsworth. So I imagine that it will have several special properties and functions.

David.

 

[Interceptor6]

Looks like a large aluminum rivet where the copper wires join, with a small rivet at the other end.
I've been watching this thread for a while, time to join it!

 

[Kylash]

ok, i changed my mind again LOL, the frilly bits are wires, or SOMETHING raised above the surface, the highlights on them make it clear, if they were engraved or inset, they would not highlight that way with light.

Have fun making that "Farnsworth" working with wire

 

[deck5]

It's a shame this new version is so badly conceived! I'm guessing it's the work of a completely different prop master.

 

[DARTH SABER]

I've got half a mind to just create my own Farnsworth design...I've already got some ideas.

 

[Rik1138]

Maybe the Farnsworth name is engraved (and the rest is wire)? That would be a b*tch to actually make, for us or the prop master... (Or can you buy pre-formed wire letters somewhere?) Also, notice the black is missing inside part of the 'n'...

Did you notice the tiny 'Farnsworth' print on the large dial too?

 

[PeterLC]

On the other hand I think I CAN see some places where the "curls" overlap but you have to look very closely. Remember that even very fine wire when photographed under light is going to look thicker than it actually is due to glare and reflections. Also if the whole thing has been coated in a layer of clear resin it is much harder to see small differences in height especially when the view is lit.

The thing about that amount of engraving is that if you make the tiniest slip up the whole thing is ruined. Making them from wire means they can be done separately then simply added at the end and set exactly in place during final assembly. The twists and curls in the "flourishes" are exactly how wire bends when you make simple overlapping loops. I admit that the "wreath" shape around the little grill is complex but jewelry makers do this sort of stuff all the time. Professional prop makers draw on lots of skills.

http://www.wirename.com/mario.php

http://www.wirename.com/wire-jewelry-how-to.php

http://www.wirejewelrybootcamp.com/public/department88.cfm

Not exactly the same but it shows that it is feasible.

Really? I think they really are engraved. You can´t see them overlapping, which would result in an additional height of those ornaments, and they are almost all the same, indicating the same graphic has been used on all of them. Another gripe of mine that the one in the vertical center to the right is the same as the longer ones in the corners of the lid

 

[PeterLC]

I agree actually making the letters would a complete nightmare for something that will be noticed very little on screen. I too wondered if very fine hollow preformed gold lettering was available. It might even be plastic lettering. Once gloss coated it would be hard to tell the difference.

I just had another thought that it might be done with "gold leaf".

As for the dial I was thinking that I've seen one like that on something recently.

Maybe the Farnsworth name is engraved (and the rest is wire)? That would be a b*tch to actually make, for us or the prop master... (Or can you buy pre-formed wire letters somewhere?) Also, notice the black is missing inside part of the 'n'...

Did you notice the tiny 'Farnsworth' print on the large dial too?

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

They look accurate because they were done with a wire embellishment stencil kit.
Check out my last post on the first page.
I posted a link to the wire template kit.-
eBay Guides - How To Make Wire Jewelry and Embellishments

DS

Oops, my bad, it´s that damn "pics!pics!pics!" reflex, if it´s got no pics, it ain´t valuuuble infahmashun :$

Anyway, I still am not really convinced, the ornaments look too accurately copied, and even with an embellishment kit I don´t think that you can reproduce them correctly, let alone in different scales. The one on the right side is smaller than the ones in the corner of the lid, if I see that correctly.

 

[PeterLC]

Yes it could well be the top of one of these microphone grills. Available on ebay and many other places.

The jury is still out on the lettering. It might just be my imagination but really close up I can see what look like tiny gaps where the wire ends would be. Seems pretty nice and tedious work if someone has made these by hand.

The speaker looks like the mesh found on those old handheld tape recorder microphones.

Not sure how they did the gold lettering. Any ideas?

 

[PeterLC]

I thought about doing that at one stage including dong a mini version with a slide lid.

I've got half a mind to just create my own Farnsworth design...I've already got some ideas.

 

[PeterLC]

That's part of the point with a wire jig. It means you are able to reproduce the same design over and and over and get results that are almost the same for each one you make. If wrapped the same way each time (same wire, same tension, same order) they would be near enough to identical.

You can buy a thing called a "wire writer" that you use along with the wire jig. It looks pretty much the same as the old "wire wrapping" tool commonly used when making old prototype circuit boards. Also many production runs of some things were wire wrapped.

Anyway, I still am not really convinced, the ornaments look too accurately copied, and even with an embellishment kit I don´t think that you can reproduce them correctly, let alone in different scales. The one on the right side is smaller than the ones in the corner of the lid, if I see that correctly.

 

[DARTH SABER]

You could probably make a custom template for the text by simply printing out the text on a piece of paper, then place the paper on a wood surface. Use a bunch of sewing pins to outline the text, then simply wrap the wires around the pins.

Just some ideas.

As for the text on the dial- you may be able to print out A template of the dial number and text on sticker paper, then stick the template on a round disc...seal the disc with clear resin.

 

[Zombie Killer]

This is what i think they used for the side jacks and top antenna pieces

 

[PeterLC]

Is it me or did they go with the plastic Wheatey box this time around? The walls on that thing are thick as heck.

No I think you are right. I looked at all of the Wheatley boxes again and these definitely look like the black plastic ones with the metal "rim" riveted inside. Also these seem to be the only ones with the double rivets on each side.

After looking really closely at the faceplate, I'm even starting to think it might be plastic too. It's quite thick with the edges rounded off around the hole for the screen. That big dial might be just made up as well but it looks vaguely familiar.

I don't think this one being plastic is too much of an issue as I don't expect we'll see it too often and I don't think it will see a lot of action. Of course it's unlikely Farnsworth would have made it from plastic so it is a bit dodgy.

Looks like another run of clear screens might need to be made unless there are still some left and maybe some faceplates with just the big hole cut and maybe the hole for the "grill" cut too. Of course with this faceplate being black it might be just as easy to make them from styrene.

The little "lens" under the screen might be a problem as with the thing at the bottom which I think is a push button. The rest will just have to be hand-done.