Shift Into Turbo! A Power Ranger/Carranger Log (Red Racer)
- Thread starter 3DVagabond
- Start date
3DVagabond
Active Member
A short update. On the search of trying to create a helmet fan setup for this project, I hit a bit of a snag. So earlier this week, I went out to my nearest PC store to pick up a few things I thought I could use to set it up. I bought a 12 volt fan and a switch since I needed only 2 to pull this off from a tutorial I saw from Youtube. Tried it out similar to the setup and it spins just fine. I was warned that it would not get to full speed because of the power source I was using was only 9 volts. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that when the switch was off, the 9 volt battery actually headed up in seconds! That is the problem I have to try and solve.
I may be a complete novice when it comes to wiring, but um... I don't think that the battery is suppose to heat up like that!
What do I need to do to prevent this from happening again?
I may be a complete novice when it comes to wiring, but um... I don't think that the battery is suppose to heat up like that!
What do I need to do to prevent this from happening again?
3DVagabond
Active Member
After looking up a tutorial for the aforementioned problem, I saw where I went wrong. Take a look at this tutorial at the 3:33 mark.
As it turns out that I needed only 1 set of wires connected to the switch. I haven't soldered them yet since it was only for a test for the connection. So where I went wrong was that I had two positive wires at one contact of the switch and both of the negative wires on the other contact of the switch.
So when it was turned off, due to the previous setup I had, I think it created a feedback loop to where there was power still flowing through and that is what made the battery heat up. So that problem has been solved. However, I may need to create a second fan just in case, but I have to see if I have enough room for it as well. The other battery holder I had only held up to 4.5 volts and it didn't even jerk the fan. So I can save that for another project. But I at least learned an important step on how connections work.
As it turns out that I needed only 1 set of wires connected to the switch. I haven't soldered them yet since it was only for a test for the connection. So where I went wrong was that I had two positive wires at one contact of the switch and both of the negative wires on the other contact of the switch.
So when it was turned off, due to the previous setup I had, I think it created a feedback loop to where there was power still flowing through and that is what made the battery heat up. So that problem has been solved. However, I may need to create a second fan just in case, but I have to see if I have enough room for it as well. The other battery holder I had only held up to 4.5 volts and it didn't even jerk the fan. So I can save that for another project. But I at least learned an important step on how connections work.
- Member DIN
- S068
Yup. You shorted and basically were creating the equivalent to a hot wire cutter.
3DVagabond
Active Member
What? Woah... I haven't come across a phenomenon like that since elementary school for a class project. Had a crazy idea for electric hand warmers, but with only 2 uncoiled paper clips bound to both sides of a size C battery and by rubbing both sides with another paper clip attached to a clipped off wire, I thought I was on to something!
3DVagabond
Active Member
Happy Anniversary! I was just checking in getting ready for another update and it has been one entire year since this thread was created and it has evolved so much since its conception. Out of so many failed attempts of 3d prints, I was able to learn what needed to be improved. So many hours searching around the net for answers... any hints of designs at all... all for the pursuit of making this vision a reality. I can officially say that I am 3 major steps away from finishing this thing! Here's the current status of the helmet.
So, everything regarding to the helmet is repaired with the usage of Bondo Body Filler and Spot Putty. I took time out to make sure that every visible dip and hole was covered that I knew that filler primer would not cover after the first two layers. After that, I sanded down the high spots down, after it cured, with 80 grit sandpaper. As usual it did the job, but it scarred the surface just a tad. So I used the 100 grit sandpaper I had and scale my way all the way up to 7000 grit. I want this thing to shine in the right angle of light if possible! Now for some reason, I took a look at it this morning and it looked like it was cut up like a piece of meat from the butcher shop...
It was the closest analogy I could think of this morning...
Moving on! These next sets of images were more of a calculated risk to create and I can actually say I'm proud this came out exceptionally well!
In fact, this was the only print in this journey that was only printed once! Not only that, I was able to put it together without a problem at all!
Check it out!
When combined, the Fender Sword actually have a sense of weight that you can feel and I haven't even made the blade yet! To reduce the amount of time needed to create it, I have instead decided to use a half inch wooden rod instead of printing out a rod out of filament. The only thing I need to do with this sword is by some foam and carve out the blade from it and paint it. The sword should be done, when ready to paint, within the day, But I need to finalize everything else first. I will try to start the filler primer process something tomorrow. There's still one more thing I need to smooth out and I will show that tomorrow as the final accessory of the suit.
So to recap what's going to happen in the next 2 weeks is this:
I will start using the filler primer tomorrow and sand everything up to 7000 grit again to smooth it out.
Step Two: Paint the parts in black gloss paint after I wipe it down with Wax and Grease remover. I may have to invest in another wipe since I can't find the actual container of this product. This will remove any oils and dust still on the surface after sanding everything down with the 7000 grit.
Then, I can paint it in Sunrise Red and Silver paints before I clear coat it with the Spraymax 2k Clear coat.
Each coat of color paint will take at least 3 days to completely dry before I start to use the next coat of paint. I learned that lesson while I was searching for that "blasted chromed whale" over the summer! Even after 24 hours, it can not withstand the adhesion when I applied the automotive tape to make sure there's no bleed through.
Step 3: Once the painting process is done, the final step will be the installation of the Lighting LEDs and Internal Ventilation system.
Step 4: Install the magnets and the elastic bands to keep everything in place.
So that's the game plan and the helmet should be ready by the week of the final convention of the year, Anime Weekend Atlanta. After that, I might consider making the entire Carranger/Turbo helmet line under the same fashion! Who knows! This is by far the highest quality work I've made by far!
That's all for now! Until next time, see you around!
So, everything regarding to the helmet is repaired with the usage of Bondo Body Filler and Spot Putty. I took time out to make sure that every visible dip and hole was covered that I knew that filler primer would not cover after the first two layers. After that, I sanded down the high spots down, after it cured, with 80 grit sandpaper. As usual it did the job, but it scarred the surface just a tad. So I used the 100 grit sandpaper I had and scale my way all the way up to 7000 grit. I want this thing to shine in the right angle of light if possible! Now for some reason, I took a look at it this morning and it looked like it was cut up like a piece of meat from the butcher shop...
It was the closest analogy I could think of this morning...
Moving on! These next sets of images were more of a calculated risk to create and I can actually say I'm proud this came out exceptionally well!
In fact, this was the only print in this journey that was only printed once! Not only that, I was able to put it together without a problem at all!
Check it out!
When combined, the Fender Sword actually have a sense of weight that you can feel and I haven't even made the blade yet! To reduce the amount of time needed to create it, I have instead decided to use a half inch wooden rod instead of printing out a rod out of filament. The only thing I need to do with this sword is by some foam and carve out the blade from it and paint it. The sword should be done, when ready to paint, within the day, But I need to finalize everything else first. I will try to start the filler primer process something tomorrow. There's still one more thing I need to smooth out and I will show that tomorrow as the final accessory of the suit.
So to recap what's going to happen in the next 2 weeks is this:
I will start using the filler primer tomorrow and sand everything up to 7000 grit again to smooth it out.
Step Two: Paint the parts in black gloss paint after I wipe it down with Wax and Grease remover. I may have to invest in another wipe since I can't find the actual container of this product. This will remove any oils and dust still on the surface after sanding everything down with the 7000 grit.
Then, I can paint it in Sunrise Red and Silver paints before I clear coat it with the Spraymax 2k Clear coat.
Each coat of color paint will take at least 3 days to completely dry before I start to use the next coat of paint. I learned that lesson while I was searching for that "blasted chromed whale" over the summer! Even after 24 hours, it can not withstand the adhesion when I applied the automotive tape to make sure there's no bleed through.
Step 3: Once the painting process is done, the final step will be the installation of the Lighting LEDs and Internal Ventilation system.
Step 4: Install the magnets and the elastic bands to keep everything in place.
So that's the game plan and the helmet should be ready by the week of the final convention of the year, Anime Weekend Atlanta. After that, I might consider making the entire Carranger/Turbo helmet line under the same fashion! Who knows! This is by far the highest quality work I've made by far!
That's all for now! Until next time, see you around!
Last edited:
3DVagabond
Active Member
For some strange reason, any idea that I have based on this project, Google always bring me back to the forum based on the words I used to search for.
More on that later.
Yesterday, I took one step forward into familiar territory by using the filler primer on the 3D parts early in the morning. Had to do it around that time because now that the weather has changed, the humidity to properly use this stuff is now at its highest around the early parts of the afternoon around 1:00 PM local time. After that, humidity will actually drop below that and it will take too long for me to use this product. Just like clock work, it reveals all I need to improve.
Since then, I have already filled in the spots and sanded them down, but I came across a slight problem. I ran out of spot putty! The silver lining? I worked on the helmet and managed to fill out most of spots. There are still some micropits in the helmet and I need to go back over the helmet one more time before I start the painting process. I will have to work on that tomorrow again before I go to work. Then, if weather permitting, I can start painting this thing black. However, I still need to fill out the lines for the Fender Sword guard. Again, this will also be done tomorrow.
Here's how it looks after I sanded it down.
As I mentioned earlier, I talked about how I was able to find my way back to this forum for certain answers. Last night, I did a quick search online looking for a sure way to use the 3d Visors prints for the helmet as part of the vacuum forming process. It is possible. Take a look at this video below.
Now, here's my theory on this...
PETG starts to soften at 167 F/75 C.
PLA+ actually gets soft at 195 C/383 F.
In theory, the prints in the PLA for the visor should be strong enough to deal with the heated PETG Sheets.
This is where things get dicey. Despite the difference in temperature, I will put at least a 40 percent chance of failure for this. I just need to create a base for the larger visor. I can use some of the extra pieces of wood I have lying around to create a base for it. Once I get the helmet its couple layers of the first color of paint, I will post the progress of making my own vacuum forming box. It will be a very interesting thing to make with just 1 dremel!
Anyway, that's all for now! See you next time!
More on that later.
Yesterday, I took one step forward into familiar territory by using the filler primer on the 3D parts early in the morning. Had to do it around that time because now that the weather has changed, the humidity to properly use this stuff is now at its highest around the early parts of the afternoon around 1:00 PM local time. After that, humidity will actually drop below that and it will take too long for me to use this product. Just like clock work, it reveals all I need to improve.
Since then, I have already filled in the spots and sanded them down, but I came across a slight problem. I ran out of spot putty! The silver lining? I worked on the helmet and managed to fill out most of spots. There are still some micropits in the helmet and I need to go back over the helmet one more time before I start the painting process. I will have to work on that tomorrow again before I go to work. Then, if weather permitting, I can start painting this thing black. However, I still need to fill out the lines for the Fender Sword guard. Again, this will also be done tomorrow.
Here's how it looks after I sanded it down.
As I mentioned earlier, I talked about how I was able to find my way back to this forum for certain answers. Last night, I did a quick search online looking for a sure way to use the 3d Visors prints for the helmet as part of the vacuum forming process. It is possible. Take a look at this video below.
Now, here's my theory on this...
PETG starts to soften at 167 F/75 C.
PLA+ actually gets soft at 195 C/383 F.
In theory, the prints in the PLA for the visor should be strong enough to deal with the heated PETG Sheets.
This is where things get dicey. Despite the difference in temperature, I will put at least a 40 percent chance of failure for this. I just need to create a base for the larger visor. I can use some of the extra pieces of wood I have lying around to create a base for it. Once I get the helmet its couple layers of the first color of paint, I will post the progress of making my own vacuum forming box. It will be a very interesting thing to make with just 1 dremel!
Anyway, that's all for now! See you next time!
- Member DIN
- S068
Your theory is solid good sir. I vacuum form over PLA+ bucks fairly regularly and for the amount of time that the thin heated PETG is actually at that temperature after being pressed onto the buck and pulled down you have fairly little to worry about when it comes to deformation of your buck.
3DVagabond
Active Member
Ahhhhh. Good thing to know about that. Now, I just need to remember if I need to make the sheet slightly bigger than the box. I also need to figure out if I need to have the vacuum insert hole from the side or down. I think that the vacuum I have may not be enough... More investigation is needed.
3DVagabond
Active Member
Update time. So yesterday, I went out to see what items I need to finalize the helmet and the weapon prop. As far as the weapon prop is concerned, all I need was EVA foam. However, the foam at Joann's were too thin to carve. So I will have to go back out and get some foam from a hardware store like Lowe's for the material I needed. Once carved out, all I need to do is to make the blade and I will be almost done.
Now, for the situation on the painting, it has hit some what of a snag. So as of the time of this message, a tropical depression from the Gulf of Mexico has traveled out into my area making it impossible to paint because of the high humidity. I saw this coming as far back as this past Tuesday. So as a preemptive measure, I painted both parts of the helmet black yesterday.
As glossy as it became from attempts past, it wasn't with out a penalty. Upon inspection, there are indications of "orange peel" texture when the paint was applied. The humidity was low enough for it to dry, but the over all temperature was below 70 degrees. That was a big mistake. So I'm going to have to sand it down with some sandpaper before I cover it again with 2 , maybe 3 more coats overall based on the results to get it back to normal.
If all goes well and I adjust the painting schedule by 2 days for each color instead of 3, I can get it ready for the electronics installation. Before I do that, I need to get things ready for the vacuum forming process. I have the IDye poly dye packs and the wood needed for the box. However, there are a few things missing I need to collect. After looking at this thread that I came across last week:
www.405th.com
I would need the following to pull this off:
1 Shop Vac with 2.5 HP or higher
1 Metal Pot
1 thermometer
1 extra bucket of cold water to quench the plastic in.
1 spuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! XD
Once all of those are gathered, I can actually do it all in one day. However, I will need to get another pack of PETG sheets just in case it fails during the process. I can purchase the vacuum and the paint tomorrow, the pot, the thermometer, and the spuuuuuuuuuuun today, and I can get to work on cranking this thing out by next weekend just in time for the last convention of the year for me...that I know of...I think...
Anyway, once all of that described is done, I can go and install the electrical components and that will be it for the journey! If possible, I will show you the final result by October 30th. That's the deadline I'm aiming for.
Until next time, see you around!
Now, for the situation on the painting, it has hit some what of a snag. So as of the time of this message, a tropical depression from the Gulf of Mexico has traveled out into my area making it impossible to paint because of the high humidity. I saw this coming as far back as this past Tuesday. So as a preemptive measure, I painted both parts of the helmet black yesterday.
As glossy as it became from attempts past, it wasn't with out a penalty. Upon inspection, there are indications of "orange peel" texture when the paint was applied. The humidity was low enough for it to dry, but the over all temperature was below 70 degrees. That was a big mistake. So I'm going to have to sand it down with some sandpaper before I cover it again with 2 , maybe 3 more coats overall based on the results to get it back to normal.
If all goes well and I adjust the painting schedule by 2 days for each color instead of 3, I can get it ready for the electronics installation. Before I do that, I need to get things ready for the vacuum forming process. I have the IDye poly dye packs and the wood needed for the box. However, there are a few things missing I need to collect. After looking at this thread that I came across last week:
Complex Form Visors Done Cheap
I get a lot of requests to help build helmets and because of it I wanted to develop a relatively quick and painless approach to making one-off visors that look good and don't break the bank. If everything just used a standard motorcycle visor that'd be awesome but we're not so lucky in the world...
www.405th.com
I would need the following to pull this off:
1 Shop Vac with 2.5 HP or higher
1 Metal Pot
1 thermometer
1 extra bucket of cold water to quench the plastic in.
1 spuuuuuuuuuuuuuun! XD
Once all of those are gathered, I can actually do it all in one day. However, I will need to get another pack of PETG sheets just in case it fails during the process. I can purchase the vacuum and the paint tomorrow, the pot, the thermometer, and the spuuuuuuuuuuun today, and I can get to work on cranking this thing out by next weekend just in time for the last convention of the year for me...that I know of...I think...
Anyway, once all of that described is done, I can go and install the electrical components and that will be it for the journey! If possible, I will show you the final result by October 30th. That's the deadline I'm aiming for.
Until next time, see you around!
3DVagabond
Active Member
An update...of sorts... Today was a good day to paint more than anything. I was able to sand down the orange peel and covered the print in some layers of black. I got the "mirror" gloss shine back, however I was too enthusiastic with the painting process. On the left side of the helmet, it shows where the paint was running. So that's the down side of it. I was hoping to at least get the red paint down tomorrow, but from the looks of things, I will only be able to pull off 1 of the four pieces as a shade of red tomorrow. The other three will have to play catch up and be sprayed down with the second coat on Wednesday. Normally, I would be doing all the painting outdoors, but unfortunately, things are not looking good. Tomorrow, I will try to perform the Silver Paint Test. I will have to see if I should use the Spaz Stix paint or the Rustoleum Metallic Silver paint. I'll do a spoon paint test and see how it works. If either one would looks good, I'll spray the silver paint.
Now, I'm looking to see if I can spray a different color of paint after the first paint is laid down, but any advice is welcome at this point. If I can get the main 3 colors down on the helmet, all I need to do is to focus on the sword and I'm in the home stretch.
That's all for now. Until next update, take care.
Now, I'm looking to see if I can spray a different color of paint after the first paint is laid down, but any advice is welcome at this point. If I can get the main 3 colors down on the helmet, all I need to do is to focus on the sword and I'm in the home stretch.
That's all for now. Until next update, take care.
3DVagabond
Active Member
Update to the update. Since the gloss I used was a primer, I might be able to paint it red after all tomorrow. I just need to fix the mistakes made and HOPEFULLY, I can finish the helmet by Saturday. *fingers crossed* I can finish the sword, at least, by Tuesday or Wednesday. But if I can't get it done by the 30th,I'll forego it and finish it later. But over all the helmet must be finished first!
- Member DIN
- S068
Is it paint drips that are visible? You might be able to save it with a high enough grit sandpaper to smooth out the drip without removing the whole coat. Fingers crossed and good luck sir!
3DVagabond
Active Member
I checked. It's there. However, it was only centralized in the top left quadrant of the helmet going up to the crown. So I started with a grit that was low enough to remove that elevation and sanded it down. When there were tell tale spots that I was removing the paint, I went up to 800 grit and repeated the process until I went to 3000 grit to ensure that the drip were eroded enough to be smooth to the touch. As of right now, the parts are going over the red paint I'm keeping an eye on it as I'm going to apply a total of 4 light coats total for coverage.
I'm also performing a durability test on the Spaz Sitx chrome paint. If it fails and turns silver, after the clear coat test, then I will proceed to use the Spaz Stix product as is. The helmet will be painted indoors if possible. I just hope it doesn't rain for Friday. But the minor pieces will be painted like parts of the helmet's head lights and the belt buckle today.
In the future, I will have to make a few more investments that will allow me to paint inside the house in the future. I will have to invest in a painting booth, another fan to vent the fumes out, and a dehumidifier. So I can cut the process by at least a fraction of the usual time maybe by 8 hours, but that's being optimistic. Further testing will be needed.
The other objective is to vaccum form the visors today. I'm going to vaccum form the main visor first and see if I can crank that out. I forgot to print out the support for stability so I used some left over foam I had to support it. If it fails, I'll either find another way to support it or print it again with supports. I'll post an update on that later today.
3DVagabond
Active Member
So I attempted to create the main visor 10 minutes ago twice... Allow me to explain.
Earlier today, I created my 2nd vacuum forming box.
By taking careful measurements, I have cut, sanded, and drilled to assemble the box.
I even traced a hole to insert the shop vac hole.
With all of this assembled, I was able to create the box with out any problems.
However, all is not well with this process.
This is the second attempt at vacuum forming with some wooden pieces I bought earlier this month. It makes it easier to handle during the process. I don't actually know where I went wrong with this. I was using a heat gun at the highest setting and watched it bow from the heat and I had the vacuum on. I pushed down on it and form to the buck with out any problems, but I need to find a way to improve on this. Maybe the holes are too small or the plastic is not heated enough... I can't continue into the second stage of the visor until I can get this issue resolved.
Any advice on this matter is greatly appreciated.
Earlier today, I created my 2nd vacuum forming box.
By taking careful measurements, I have cut, sanded, and drilled to assemble the box.
I even traced a hole to insert the shop vac hole.
With all of this assembled, I was able to create the box with out any problems.
However, all is not well with this process.
This is the second attempt at vacuum forming with some wooden pieces I bought earlier this month. It makes it easier to handle during the process. I don't actually know where I went wrong with this. I was using a heat gun at the highest setting and watched it bow from the heat and I had the vacuum on. I pushed down on it and form to the buck with out any problems, but I need to find a way to improve on this. Maybe the holes are too small or the plastic is not heated enough... I can't continue into the second stage of the visor until I can get this issue resolved.
Any advice on this matter is greatly appreciated.
3DVagabond
Active Member
PETG Plastic .030 thick plastic.
3DVagabond
Active Member
It's been a week. Time for another update. With the last convention of the year approaching, the schedule of completion has been on a sliding scale. The good news is that the helmet and Fender Sword 3d prop are ready to be clear coated. The bad news is that tomorrow will have a chance of rain in the afternoon and I just need at least 2 hours max to clear coat the thing. IF it does work out the way that it should, I will have to use another clear coat from Rustoleum to do the job. As far as the progress goes for the visor, I was able to successfully vacuumform the shape I needed.
All I need to do is dye it and that part is done.
For the Fender Sword, there was a bit of difficulty getting everything ready for the clear coat. I had to get the Carranger symbol on the guard and I was thinking about painting the symbol on the print, but it would have become too difficult based on the medium to paint it on. So I did the next best thing. I quickly created a 3d Stencil of that logo and went to Micheal's to buy some vinyl sticker paper to create the logo.
With that smart idea, I was able to get the logo on there as clean as I could get it.
Despite my best efforts to get the triangle as equal in length as possible, I miscalculated how even the lines would be. If I make this again, I'm going to use the stickers as decals to finish it or create another stencil for the entire thing.
So the current status at this point is to get it clear coated before the rain rolls in and get the visors dyed. If I can pull all of that off by tomorrow, I can start the process of adding in the electronics and the padding. Fingers crossed. That's all for now. Until the next update, I'll chat with you later.
All I need to do is dye it and that part is done.
For the Fender Sword, there was a bit of difficulty getting everything ready for the clear coat. I had to get the Carranger symbol on the guard and I was thinking about painting the symbol on the print, but it would have become too difficult based on the medium to paint it on. So I did the next best thing. I quickly created a 3d Stencil of that logo and went to Micheal's to buy some vinyl sticker paper to create the logo.
With that smart idea, I was able to get the logo on there as clean as I could get it.
Despite my best efforts to get the triangle as equal in length as possible, I miscalculated how even the lines would be. If I make this again, I'm going to use the stickers as decals to finish it or create another stencil for the entire thing.
So the current status at this point is to get it clear coated before the rain rolls in and get the visors dyed. If I can pull all of that off by tomorrow, I can start the process of adding in the electronics and the padding. Fingers crossed. That's all for now. Until the next update, I'll chat with you later.
3DVagabond
Active Member
Okay. Mother Nature can be so unpredictable at times. So today, I was able to clear coat all of the important stuff from the 3d Printed parts and the can lasted through this one job until it sputtered out. I no longer have to deal with a paperweight using the Spraymax 2K clear coat. Now, all i have to do is to wait to put in the electronics and the second task will be done.
However, there's a bit of a set back on the task of the visor. After I created the dye bath using 2 IDye packets, I dipped them once for about 3 to 5 minutes. I didn't want it to be super dark were I can't see out so after that time has passed, I placed them in the cold water after I got the right about of tint I needed. When I took them out, there were dark spots all over the visor. Now, in this situation, can I remove them using a plastic cleaner or do I have to start all over with making new visors? Really hope it's not the latter,but I have a strange feeling that's what I'm going to have to do...
However, there's a bit of a set back on the task of the visor. After I created the dye bath using 2 IDye packets, I dipped them once for about 3 to 5 minutes. I didn't want it to be super dark were I can't see out so after that time has passed, I placed them in the cold water after I got the right about of tint I needed. When I took them out, there were dark spots all over the visor. Now, in this situation, can I remove them using a plastic cleaner or do I have to start all over with making new visors? Really hope it's not the latter,but I have a strange feeling that's what I'm going to have to do...
- Member DIN
- S068
It kind of depends on what the spots are. If it's accumulated powder that didn't fully dissolve in the dye water, you might be able to wash it off and have minimal staining. If it's points that accumulated due to contact of the visor to the dye pot, your hangar or something else it may be a little bit harder.
Dye in general won't be able to be scrubbed off easily so you might have to re-do the visor. Depending on the severity of colour inconsistencies though you might be able to get away with having a few spots though since there won't be light coming from the inside of your helmet which will help limit differences in the shade of black since it'll be dark inside the bucket. It's definitely worth doing a dry fit before scrapping anything.
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