Topic: Doc's Datapad

[DocOutlands]

You know how sometimes you get a crazy fragment of an idea that you need to capture before it escapes so you can come back to it later?  I'm getting some of those in fairly quick succession.  I figured I'd start a Datapad on here, so folks can see my crazy fragments and maybe toss in comments or warnings, thus allowing me to benefit from multiple creative centers.

[Clonehead]

sounds good to me, Doc. Let me guess, you are planning to concoct a chocolate and mushroom omlett?

[DocOutlands]

Detcharges - we already got 'em!  Came in a Han Solo Endor fig and one of the accessory packs.  I have some.  I'll be making molds of them.

Detpacks - the RC's favorite door-knocker!  Also features prominently in the Battlefront arsenal.  They are your basic timebomb - semi-cylindrical explosives, electronics panel, and everything.  I've got an ammo-container somewhere in my shop - I think it is a Heller piece - that is a pair of joined cylinders.  One of the bundles of mixed action fig pieces I got was a belt with scads of electronic boxes on it.  The belt was waaaaay too big for a SW fig, but the boxes can be cut free and thinned down for other projects - like door-controls, light-bridge controls, or...detpacks!!  So, I'm going to try trimming down one of the console boxes to fit onto the ammo-canister and then cast them.  ARCs and RCs need plenty of ways to make things go boom!

[DocOutlands]

sounds good to me, Doc. Let me guess, you are planning to concoct a chocolate and mushroom omlett?

I'm hoping that's a warning to NOT go that route...
 

[Clonehead]

Detcharges - we already got 'em!  Came in a Han Solo Endor fig and one of the accessory packs.  I have some.  I'll be making molds of them.

Detpacks - the RC's favorite door-knocker!  Also features prominently in the Battlefront arsenal.  They are your basic timebomb - semi-cylindrical explosives, electronics panel, and everything.  I've got an ammo-container somewhere in my shop - I think it is a Heller piece - that is a pair of joined cylinders.  One of the bundles of mixed action fig pieces I got was a belt with scads of electronic boxes on it.  The belt was waaaaay too big for a SW fig, but the boxes can be cut free and thinned down for other projects - like door-controls, light-bridge controls, or...detpacks!!  So, I'm going to try trimming down one of the console boxes to fit onto the ammo-canister and then cast them.  ARCs and RCs need plenty of ways to make things go boom!

Now you are talking about modification to parts prior to casting. Way to go, Doc. You are learning too fast.

[DocOutlands]

Goes with the detpacks.

Wife brought home some of the "short can" soft-drinks today.  It occurred to me that I could primer-paint several of them and mount them upside down in a row to create a bulk-material storage facility.  This implies manufacturing...which implies "legitimate target" during wartime!  So of course, my brain started generating a inner monologue/voice-over from the clone involved, about how the Seps had spotted them making planetfall two days ago and all targets were on high alert and their security sweeps wouldn't stop until they found something.  So the commandos were leaving some not-quite-obvious presents behind to be found, in the form of detpacks/demo charges.  Security would find them and defuse them, then go their merry way, hopefully never finding the sabotaged valves and programming that would result in an unusable facility.

Wow - I think that could be a photonovella, actually...

[Tamer]

Ok, ideas I have a plenty. One thing I would like to see is a small portable Echo base screen, like the one that came with the Saga Hoth Riekan except a smaller version. I saw that new TLC Ugnaught's data stand and thought these would look awesome if they had a kind of transparent etched plexiglass screen like the Riekan version. I would love it if these would light up with LED lights too. I know that our Sarge and Rodger both have played around with these screens, but haven't seen anything in a smaller more portable version. I also want to see a small light up base one could put under a holo figure to make it light up like that great Halo Cortana figure. I have more ideas, just not the fingers to do em!

[Clonehead]

I have got a small light up base or two that I will dig out and show you guys. I will try to get that done, tonight.

[Tamer]

I would also love to see a semi curved Echo Base type screen too! I don't know how one would pull that one off though. Sounds good on the light up base. I am kicking myself for not buying that Cortana fig. If I do see one on the bay on the cheap I am gonna pick it up and see what the holo vader looks like on it.

[DocOutlands]

I bought one of those Cortana's for my buddy.  Am now wishing I had bought the other one for ME!!

I actually have an idea for that very thing, as I planned to use it in my bacta-tank dio.  12v accent-lighting from the auto-center of WalMart.  I already have the little light fixture.  IIRC, I took some shots of the bacta tank with the lights on it.  I'll have to see if I can find the pics...

I've got an idea or three on the holodisplay console.  Nothing firm enough to commit to photons *yet* other than I'm thinking a clear report cover might be the starting point for a smaller one.

[Tamer]

sweet Doc. I can't wait to see the pics.

[DocOutlands]

Ok, ideas I have a plenty. One thing I would like to see is a small portable Echo base screen, like the one that came with the Saga Hoth Riekan except a smaller version. I saw that new TLC Ugnaught's data stand and thought these would look awesome if they had a kind of transparent etched plexiglass screen like the Riekan version. I would love it if these would light up with LED lights too. I know that our Sarge and Rodger both have played around with these screens, but haven't seen anything in a smaller more portable version. I also want to see a small light up base one could put under a holo figure to make it light up like that great Halo Cortana figure. I have more ideas, just not the fingers to do em!

Ok, I've done some more thinking.  (DUCK!!)

For a light-up base - LED tap-lights with the dome painted a transparent blue inside.  LEDs don't get hot.  Now, drawback to this is the curved dome makes it hard to hold a figure, plus you have to push on the dome to turn it on and off.  But it is a base to start with!  Was there ever an action-fig-sized holocommunicator made?  One that held a fig on its?  Seems like I saw a holographic fig or two posed on them, but those may have been customs.  IF one of those units is available - either from a fig or from a costume set - it could easily be refitted with the guts from a taplight.

You know, I think that right there would make someone a minor fortune, if they could pull that off from a mechanical standpoint.


On the portable display - you are thinking basically a Reiken screen downsized to something more the size of the Ugnaught's control station or the consoles from Wat Tambor or Lushros Dofine figs?  I saw a lighting approach the other day that would most likely work with something like this, too.

I don't think a curved screen would be difficult to make, given Rodger's approach.  I'd love to see what he could do with that idea!


And you KNOW I'm looking at all this with an eye toward how I can make them castable so I can quickly and easily repeat the process and corner the market and RULE THE GALAX- ahem.  Yes...*after* i finish the Yakfinities entry.  Sheesh!

[spudafett]

on the domed push lights all you need to do is remove the plastic cover that comes with it and replace it with a flat one or raised flat platform which is clear... 

Plexiglass is easy to work with and you can get it at almost any thickness.  An easy way to etch either clear plastic or glass is to get one of those cheap aerosol etching can which spray out a fine spray of grit for doing glassware. 



Another idea I'm thinking about doing:

I've got an evo trooper with only a few ideas to do with  it.  One sugested by narc on st6 was to do a "mustafar trooper" I took that thought and renamed it the "lava trooper"...  so I'm thining about using the hot glue and tin foil trick to make spashes or globs of cooled lava stuck to the figure which can be removed.  And painting the figure in a red/black color scheme.  AND suping up the armor just a bit.

The other thought I had was to make a "High Altitude Trooper" and use the Cobra C.L.A.W. as the backpack/jetpack base....

[DocOutlands]

Spud, you must have been listening to my gears churning - I was going to locate one of those taplights and see if it had the clearance for repalcing the dome with flat plexi.  I *believe* it does, but want to double check.

Thanks for the tip on the etching!

[Clonehead]

those are some good sounding ideas, Spud!
  have you ever seen those cubes with laser etched designs inside? for those, they make a battery powered light base that would work for holo figures pretty well. I have a couple of em that I got for a good price, somewhere around here. I will dig one out and see.