Completed work - LEDs installed and wired: Post #23 - Put magnifying lenses and Lego wheels over thrusters: Post #49 Future work - Make interior look better - Perhaps some painting in the distant future... I'd like to emulate the boosters as shown in the opening of DotM. My Facebook and Real Effin' Deal friend Matt sent me some orange LEDs and boards that arrived yesterday, so I got to work... The wheels shown are from a Lego Racers set...
Thanks guys! Something else I'd like to do, if I ever find the proper accessories, is replace the molded cannons with ones that can rotate. Perhaps on Mech Tech ports...
All holes drilled... I drilled the other two holes yesterday. I was hoping to start on the next phase of the project, but I was feeling wiped out...
LEDs installed Thanks! I got the LEDs all in. I used HVAC tape left over from my RotF Optimus Prime trailer in hopes that the light will reflect around inside the thrusters... I started cutting the last two pieces to put on the thrusters. I accidentally broke one and had to glue the piece back on... Next will be the switch and batteries, then wiring it all together. After looking at some more movie pics, I think I'll try doing this to Cyberverse Starscream's vehicle as well...
Good luck with this and nice work on the lego wheels. I got hold of a cheap Ark a couple of week ago with something similar in mind, though I may need a second and hack them together to make it more screen accurate. Big pile of WIP to get through first though
Looks interesting. I thought about this, but I don't know how to do electronics and wiring, so I put my Ark back in the box
Nah, take it back out and play with it! I think this is a good toy for a beginner with LEDs, like me. There seems to be plenty of room to fit wires and such. I'm just a bit worried about how difficult it will be to take apart the sides to run the wires through to the LEDs...
looks pretty cool, its funny i had a idea the other day to buy this ship and just paint it to look movie-ish/gen. 1 like.. and just put it on my shelf.. (not caring about the playset stuff)
Outside LEDs wired Thanks! I definitely use the ship mode more, but I also like the playset mode and don't want to compromise it I've got the two outside ones all wired up, with the left side closed. I should have taken the two sides apart before gluing in the LED and putting in the tape. They came apart right in the middle of the boosters. Fortunately it wasn't hard to pull them apart...
LEDs wired together Last night I wired the LEDs on each side together. Later on I'll put Apoxie Sculpt on those connections to make them stronger, like I did for the first wire connections. But first I'll need to connect the switch and battery board to the same wires... I also started dremeling a space for the switch and batteries to go inside that little "prison." I'll cut a hole on the floor of it so the switch will be accessible on the outside, and the batteries should be easily replaceable...
I finished dremeling out the area for the switch and battery board. I also soldered and apoxie sculpted the LEDs on one side together. Next I'll do the other side...
I got the other side all soldered together and sealed with Apoxie Sculpt. Lesson learned: Solder the wires before gluing the LED in place. The wires on the first LED had broken off since I last worked on this, so I had to cut and drill out the old LED and replace it. Fortunately Matt supplied me with spares! Next I'll work on routing the wires through to the switch board and attaching them!
