JamJar's light up Solardon

[NIGHTBRINGER]

This is starting to get really intriguing. I can't wait to see the next set of pictures.

 

[JamJar]

Are you ready for more pics?

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Here everything has been almost completely painted and finally ready to be glued onto the shell. About the battery change, the shell would simply come off so the battery can be removed. Well actually small drops of plastic glue hold the shell to the Bastiladon when finished, so it takes a little bit of force to detach it and change the batteries (not expecting too many battery changes so it’s ok). At the moment there are just two 1.5v AAA batteries taped together with electrical tape – I dual AAA holder is just too big to fit in the Bastiladon and it also hits the LED that lights the fibres. I did find that these LEDs aren’t suited for 3v so they do get quite hot with the 3v running through them, so I attached an old resistor from an old electronic project from high school. Because I wanted to get this done quickly, I didn’t go back to the electronics store, but used some trial and error with some resistors I had that didn’t exactly affect the brightness or overheat the LEDs after a long period of lighting.

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The pic of the shell fully assembled with LEDs and wires soldered in parallel circuit. The wires are simply soldered to the 2 wires in the Bastiladon and then it’s pretty much done. By quickly connecting this to 3v I made sure all 4 LEDs and fibres lit up and that no light was shining through any possible gaps in places such as the Arc piece. A word of warning, there is paint of the ends of the fibres, so the light from the 2 lower square tubes cannot be seen. I have to engrave some paint away at some point.

Here it is! A real beauty; except here neither the main crystal nor holder has been attached because I had to test if the glue would hold those plastic gears – they were being troublesome.

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Ok guys time for the spoiler: I finished this about 5 months ago; this^ is the last progress pic.​

I only just realised there’s a spoiler option for threads.

The reason I didn't exactly say anything was because I actually want to make another different light up Bastiladon using other things and bigger crystals. I also didn’t want to just post a picture of the finished model, plus I already had progress pics on my older phone (bad camera). You guys gave so many great ideas & comments and I have to thank you for them. Also it’s given inspiration to other people. There were so many times I thought, “Aww man, I wish I done that or used that crystal” while reading some comments. A few of you came really close if not spot to what I had already done. I didn’t realise how great this community is simply because a lot of you kept suggesting things and I couldn’t really say anything.

I have to say all your reactions to this, even the first part & ideas, were a heap better than that of some people I showed in my local GW, “oh… yeah that’s pretty cool“.

Because you have all been so patient here are some better quality pics I took today. Feast your eyes!

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The switch:
Off:

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On:

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You can see the pin that goes through the scale - I'll have to paint over that again

So that's my light up Bastiladon, I'll upload some more pics. I do have to paint a bit more and attach the skinks. I hope you enjoyed this project. Thanks again guys, I'll have a project going sometime soon

Wow. Just...wow.

After you are all done with this, you need to make a detailed, step-by-step procedure on what to do in order and what supplies to get. I think that people would practically pay money for something like that!

Its a great idea and awesome work-in-progress! I deserves a Spider-man!

If you want I can run you guys through the things I did, I'm just not sure how much detail to go into. My electrical supplies came from Jaycar an electronics store and also from some spare electrical components I still have. I have my own soldering iron, which I used the connect the wiring together (I did electronics for 2 yrs in high school - doesn't have any relevance to my degree so it was nice using it again for a hobby)
I have never been awarded Spider-man, thank you

 

[JamJar]

Moar photos!

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(off):

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Yeah a bigger crystal would have looked better, oh well

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On the field:

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[JamJar]

Opening up the Bastiladon:
I had glued small drops along the shell and Bastiladon so it could be removed, but not very easily. Whenever I hold the model I still make sure I pick it up by the Bastiladon legs or tail, never the shell or engine just in case it doesn't hold & Bastiladon tries to fall.

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I have to wedge my fingers under the shell between the skin of the Bastiladon. By bending my fingers in the force breaks the contact of plastic glue and releases the shell without flying off.

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^The two wires from the battery are soldered to the 2 joined LEDs at the rear. Two separate wires connect these LEDs to the 2 front LEDs. The 2 AAA batteries are taped together and have the resistor (can't remember how many ohms) and + & - contacts taped to it. A dual AAA holder was just too big to fit, so electrical tape is good enough.

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Enough wire for the batteries to come out (they actually fit in there too well) and change the batteries when needed.

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When I fiddled with the batteries to take them out, one of the wires taped came out of contact with the battery by moving. That's why I'm pressing on the end to connect it. Right after this photo I taped the wire back on. If it works, it works

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

JamJar that Bastiladon is a whole world of AWESOME!!!

What a fantastic center piece you've created. Congrats on a job very very well done!

 

[Crowsfoot]

Jamjar it does not matter when you completed it and like you say just posting pics would not of captivated our imagination.

If you could do a parts list that would help us achieve something like your model?

Brilliant job well done.

 

[JamJar]

Thanks guys

If you could do a parts list that would help us achieve something like your model?

Most of the parts were from the Bastiladon kit itself, here's a list of parts (I'll be specific on Bastiladon parts):
The underlines are for quick reference, because this looks like a jumble of words
- Bastiladon main body section with head and tail pieces glued (not the tail scale)
- tail scale
- shell fully assembled
- hat for Bastiladon's head (used to fill 2 gaps between Arc and Engine)
- Solar Engine parts including: main plate, 2 support bars, 4 thingys that hold support bars, 2 reflection panes(kroak mask), front & rear engine-do-hickies-that-hold-GW-crystal, front crystal holder, <--same thing from the rear but cut off skink hand, Arc of Sotek
^Actually it's just all the Solar Engine Parts except for 2 reflection panes or the crystals given
- optical fibres (be gentle with them)
- 4x 3mm LED (mine are yellow, bright)
- pin (mine is made of a pin I took from something laying around, it has a head like a nail so the scale won't come off as easy. A paper clip could be used
- 'big' plastic crystal (mine is 13mm dia.) you could go bigger but there's not much room between the 2 do-hickies (which are 16mm apart)
- 'small' plastic crystal (mine is 10mm dia.)
- insulated wire, preferably some red (+) and black or other (-)
- slide switch (there are different sizes and even types, whichever works is fine)
- 2x 1.5v AAA batteries - the LEDs will probably heat up due to 3v so a resistor should lower that......
- resistor, I can't remember what value, it could have been 220ohm or even 220Kohm sorry about that. I'd have to look at the colour code on mine inside my Bastiladon. I can only say it's one of many that won't let the LEDs heat up or lower the brightness noticeably
- electrical tape to tape batteries together and the wires (connected to terminals) to the batteries (there is a better way, I was just in a hurry)
- heat shrink (a tube that shrinks when heated with say, someone's hair dryer you've borrowed. It can cover the connection of open wires. I had to be careful not to heat the model/paint or LEDs too much)
I used a soldering iron to connect wires, but if you want you can simply twist the ends around each other then cover with heat shrink &heat up until it shrinks over. An alternative to heat shrink is maybe a plastic/rubber tube about the same thickness of wire that you can slide over a joining of wire to also protect them. You don't have to even use this or heat shrink but if constantly moving wires about, the joined wires may untwist and touch other exposed wire.

Edit: will probably need some wire strippers, snips and maybe some pliers

I can post pics of even more specific parts if you want

Would you like some sort of procedure as well, if people want to recreate the same or similar model? After all it is pretty much just Bastiladon parts with some crystals, LEDs, optical fibres, wire, switch, resistor and batteries

In my next light up project I will definitely have step by steps progress if anyone also wants to follow.

 

[MasterKrox]

Instead of heat shrink you can get a butt splice for electronics at radio shack or your equivalent for a better connection and no heating so less dmg to the wires and leds.. (skink electrician has sponken lol) also incredible work my friend im totally geeking out on that bastilladon as it is an awsome convert and my fav model in the range.

 

[JamJar]

Instead of heat shrink you can get a butt splice for electronics at radio shack or your equivalent for a better connection and no heating so less dmg to the wires and leds.. (skink electrician has sponken lol) also incredible work my friend im totally geeking out on that bastilladon as it is an awsome convert and my fav model in the range.

Oh yeah that works too, crimping is probably better than heat shrink - didn't think of that. I use heat shrink on just about anything I can, I don't have the crimping tool.
Thanks for mentioning

Edit: Wait, I didn't even realise, I think there's a section on my wire strippers to crimp wires, who knew?
You have been promoted to Saurus electrician!

 

[Chicken Lips]

Man! That look so totally awesome! Great job!

As far as attaching his shell, you could try fixing some powerful magnets to the inside of both pieces so that they hold together but wouldn't be as difficult as breaking a glue bond every time you need to change a battery. Its a possibility.

 

[pendrake]

The reason I didn't exactly say anything was because I actually want to make another different light up Bastiladon using other things and bigger crystals. I also didn’t want to just post a picture of the finished model, plus I already had progress pics on my older phone (bad camera). You guys gave so many great ideas & comments and I have to thank you for them. Also it’s given inspiration to other people. There were so many times I thought, “Aww man, I wish I done that or used that crystal” while reading some comments.

This has inspired me to look for a deal on a Bastilodon box. And to look for Crystals: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000QO1GQM/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new <=This one is 30mm diameter. Already amber/yellow. This is why I was asking how big the original crystal was,

The last batches of pics explain why the battery in the base was not an option...you wanted it to stand on it own legs like the old metal Stegs.

 

[Iskander]

Absolutely beautiful. Well done JamJar!

(now please excuse me while I go mope over my totally inadequate I-only-painted-it bastiladon )

 

[Xlanax_lot]

WOW! Awesome @JamJar

 

[JamJar]

I'm glad you like it guys

Man! That look so totally awesome! Great job!

As far as attaching his shell, you could try fixing some powerful magnets to the inside of both pieces so that they hold together but wouldn't be as difficult as breaking a glue bond every time you need to change a battery. Its a possibility.

I probably should add some magnets I have considered them, I'm just not sure if there's space seeing as the 2 AAA batteries have to squeeze in there. Even then it's not too much trouble to break it open since I don't think I'll have to change it often - we'll see

This has inspired me to look for a deal on a Bastilodon box. And to look for Crystals: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000QO1GQM/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new <=This one is 30mm diameter. Already amber/yellow. This is why I was asking how big the original crystal was,

The last batches of pics explain why the battery in the base was not an option...you wanted it to stand on it own legs like the old metal Stegs.

Awesome, you might have to change up some things to get the 30mm crystal to fit. It's an awesome crystal btw. about the base, I just didn't want a higher base the house batteries. I could have had some of the little round batteries, but it would probably mean more battery changes. I did want the Bastiladon to be lower, and take advantage of the space inside the Bastiladon

Absolutely beautiful. Well done JamJar!

(now please excuse me while I go mope over my totally inadequate I-only-painted-it bastiladon )

Sorry hahaha

 

[Matzotyl]

Freaking epic man. I can't wait to try and do this myself and field one of these bad boys.

 

[JamJar]

Righto time for some maintenance.

A week or so ago I flicked the switch but the Solardon didn't light up. At first I thought it was a problem with the switch as I had drilled a little too far for the pin when making it. Also the model doesn't exactly get moved around a lot so the wires would be displaced. Otherwise it's either the batteries for some reason or the wires at the terminals have moved. Let's have a look:


(My makeshift battery terminals)

Lets test the batteries:

Yup still works. the terminals just moved off one of the batteries. I thought that tape would have held.

Well, might as well make a battery change.

The resistor:


Believe it or not, I am red-green blind. I see (top to bottom) orange, black, black, black, brown. Could someone please confirm these colours?
If so that would be 300 Ohms - I'm pretty sure

 

[pendrake]

I see (top to bottom) orange, black, black, black, brown. Could someone please confirm these colours?

Confirmed.

Between your camera and my monitor It could also be tan, black, black, black, brownish-red. But I think you have the 300ohm resistor you intend.
Is it really wired between the two batteries?

 

[JamJar]

Is it really wired between the two batteries?

Yes, I connected the resistor between the two batteries rather than after the two. This was just out of ease, meaning less connections to wires and I could simply tape over the resistor. I mean, it works good enough right? It probably would have been better to connect it after the two batteries.

Battery change complete:

This time I cut thin strips of tape to carefully tape the terminals over the batteries one at a time.
EDIT: The resistor is at the far end of the batteries in the photo, but you can't see it


Batteries nice and snug inside.


Works like a charm.

Next part is getting the Skinks on and finish painting it.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

It's alive, it's alive!!!

 

[The Red Devil]

That looks great!

Can just imagine playing with that in a darker room, lighting up the unit you want to target...