To get the look of Holoprojectors, a mouthwash cap was first turned into a Holoprojector cone. The next step is to get the spheres so you have a ball, inside of a ball. This is all achieved by the use of crafts spheres that can be made into holiday ornaments. Any craft store should sell these in one form or another, a total of 6 spheres is needed. 3 x 3-3/4″ and 3 x 2-3/8″ plus extras for when you mess up, and you will mess up!
Parts:
- 3 x 3-3/4″ sphere
- 3 x 2/3/8″ sphere
- 3 x 1-1/2″ PVC coupler that has a 1-5/8 dia on one end.
Below is an example of the type of craft spheres needed to make the Cowel and Ball joint. Most hobby craft stores will have this type, and is usually located by the holiday ornaments section.
The next step is to cut holes in each of the spheres according to the dimensions on the blue prints for the Holoprojectors which are found on the Astromech.net forum. Lets start with the Ball section of the Holo, using the 2-3/8″ sphere. We will drill a 1-5/8″ hole through the top. I used a self made base to secure the sphere from moving.
I then used sandpaper around the beveled portion of the pvc pipe to sand the hole very carefully until I could get a snug fit around the PVC. Sand, and than test fit accordingly. Take into account the thickness of the sandpaper so you don’t over enlarge the hole.
The next step is to cut the PVC into three parts. The top part, the bevel, and the base. Each part will be used to hold the projector together and house the electronics.
Cut off the beveled portion below the end of the bevel by 1/32″. Cut the 1-5/8″ OD section off the bevel. Sand both ends smooth.
I glued the large end of the beveled piece into the cone I made from the mouth wash cap, securing it to the flat part made from the styrene strip from the previous post. After this, I glued the small end of the beveled piece into the large section of the PVC and placed a bead of putty around the edge.
This portion can than be inserted into the ball half and complete the first part of the ball and cowel.
