Monitor MOD

Sorry for no updates on my Mod lately but I received some bad news from my family a couple weeks ago, so I had to fly back home. Then the day after I got back I had to go out on an exercise in the field for 2 weeks. Now that I'm back at Camp Pen you would think I could go back to my normal schedule right, wrong. I was requested by name for a new position at work and now I have a month to learn the ins and outs before I go out on the MEU and run it all by myself. Damn the stress!!!

I'll try my best to do as much as possible if not finish the project before I get sent on the MEU. I've also been waiting to hear back from Crimson Sky about the joints for the backbone. I know he's been busy with the fair and his camping trip, so there's no real rush on that portion of the mod yet. I'll try and work on the brackets for the speakers this week if I can get into the metal shop at work. Plus I might start looking at working on the hands and forearms too.

Sorry again, but sometimes modding has to be put on the back burner when the rest of your life is falling apart.

:banana:

Small Update time. I finally had some time to work on my monitor again. Well I couldn't make the new smaller brackets I wanted to for the speakers because they kept braking so I had to use the first ones I made. I won't be able to use the skull thumbscrews with these brackets because the screw post on the thumbscrews are to short so I had to use boring old Alan screws. Here are a few before and after pix of the speaker portion of my mod.

Before Skull Fan Grills installed.

After Skull Fan Grills installed.

Now for a little close-up.

No the grill isn't scratched up I just didn't have a lint free handy to wipe it now real good before I took some pix. I think it turned out pretty sweet. Thx Crimson Sky for the idea.

Well now I'm off to go test out some ideas on the skeleton hands. I'll post pix when I'm done with that portion as well.

That looks very very nice...We need to talk offline regarding the design for the armature, PM me with contact info when you get a chance, and I'll make time to discuss. Sweet!

Well I spent most of my free time wisely this week, I hope. First off I had to sand down the excess plastic on the hand bones from the molds. Then I played around with the skeleton hands and tried to position the fingers the way I have them in the sketchup model but the way it was originally wired was to loose so the finger bones and the wrist were to limb. Yes my skeleton hand has a limb wrist, Ha I said it before you could :lick:. So I went and found some 18 gauge wire at Home Depot that I could use to replace the weaker wire already in the hand. So I replaced the wire and secured it in place by supergluing the ends of the wire at the fingertips and wrist. I then used a little paint to cover the ends. No I'm not done with painting them I just did this for starters. I haven't filled in the holes on the fingers where the spring webbing was but I will later this weekend. After everything dried I tested it out and the fingers and wrist are stiff enough to position in any way I see fit. Also I don't see as much of the wire as before. Still wish I could think of something to cover up the little you still see though. As always here are some before and after pix. Enjoy.

Full Shot (before)

Close Up (before)

Hinge for wrist (before)

Full Shot, fingers spread (after)

Close Up, fingers spread (after)

Full Shot, fingers curled (after)

Close Up, fingers spread (after)

Full Shot side (after)

Close Up side (after)

You really improved the look of the hands! As for the little bit of wire that is still showing
Perhaps a coating of clay or bondo to the wire to give it texture (unless that would impead movement of the hand) then some paint matching the bone color should fix that.
Nice work!

Charles

Wow, this mod is coming along awesome.

Great work. If this is one of your first mods, your stuff is only going to be phenomenal later on. Another +rep to help you catch me. I think you should be way past me in the little green box dept with work like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Commando

I think you should be way past me in the little green box dept with work like that.

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I think you deserve every rep box you have for your talent in airbrushing. The hard part for me, is what comes natural to you, will be trying to airbrush the bones to make them look weathered. I completely suck at painting but I've read all your tutorials on airbrushing and read Paul's book and paid close attention to the airbrushing section. I still have to go out and buy an airbrushing kit. I'm kind of nervous about painting it and jacking it up since I've never airbrushed anything before but this whole modding thing is completely new to me so I might as well become familiar with airbrushing so I can round out my skills as a respectable modder.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spacehonkey

I think you deserve every rep box you have for your talent in airbrushing. The hard part for me, is what comes natural to you, will be trying to airbrush the bones to make them look weathered. I completely suck at painting but I've read all your tutorials on airbrushing and read Paul's book and paid close attention to the airbrushing section. I still have to go out and buy an airbrushing kit. I'm kind of nervous about painting it and jacking it up since I've never airbrushed anything before but this whole modding thing is completely new to me so I might as well become familiar with airbrushing so I can round out my skills as a respectable modder.

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Nice work for both of you. +rep for both

Well I got bored & decided to ghetto rig the parts I have complete for the project. I put the acrylic panel on the monitor with a couple of screws I had & wired the backbone & the hands onto the rear mounting bracket. I hung the monitor on some rope to help support the weight since the backbone isn't completely ready yet & I had to pull the lower part of the monitor forward with some other rope to straighten it out. There will be more on the pelvic base to help balance it, like some more weight & a rock like texture using bondo. The same rock like look will be on the back of the monitor where the backbone & the arms meet. Plus I haven't added the LED lights or the monitor buttons yet. I just did this for now to help gave me a good rough idea to see if my measurements were right & how the final project will turn out. Yes like always I took some pix for you guys to OOOH & AAAH about.

Front View

Side View

Back View

Well that's it for now, especially since my Dremel crapped out on me. Hopefully more will follow soon.