Detolf Bases - I know, not the right section, but what is?

[sqidd]

I couldn't think of where to post this that would get as many eyeballs as it needs to become a thing. Hopefully it's a non issue.

 

@Rogueload showed me some pics of some Detolf bases available on feeBay but all decked out in Transformers logo's. I said that was interesting timing because I was planning on doing some for the couple of Detolf's I have (just got). I can sub-contract this stuff to vendors I already use for production stuff (my business). I'm designing them, but I'll farm the work out. I don't have the time to do this sort of thing anymore (which kinda sucks). Anyway, set up my first Detolf's last night and based on their shortcomings threw some quick drawings together to send over to a vendor for a quote.

-Steel black powdercoated frame with brushed aluminum panels which would be riveted on. The panels could be just about anything though. This is just what I want. They could be done with a certain logo on them....... They could be back lit.

-Adjustable feet

-Frame anchors to the Detolf using the pre existing holes for the standard Detolf feet.

If there is enough interest in something like this and the cost is right they would be easy enough to mass produce for board members. I'm not looking to get rich off of something like this. Just an opportunity to give back to the community. Frankly, I shouldn't even be offering. I'm back logged 2+yrs right now. But this should be pretty easy. I think I can subcontract everything right down to boxing them for shipping.

Thought I would throw this out there to gauge interest, cultivate ideas, etc.

[Slave IV]

OK, I saw your response in the other thread and looking at this now, I have some ideas. It's just a frame and you say the panels could be anything. I would be in to just buy the frame and I would use something else for the panels. Probably even something super cheap and easy like foam board for three sides and then get on acrylic panel for the front. That should dramatically lower price and even shipping if I could assemble the frame from the parts.

[Slave IV]

Lighting would be easy, line the inside with led strips. As for height, why does the 14” extend above the base to the yellow line? Either way, around 12” would be ok but if you could just make it a bit taller, that would be great. If not enough to use as display space, maybe it would be a good storage space for all the parts that can be used for the items on display in the case?

[sqidd]

1 minute ago, Slave IV said:

OK, I saw your response in the other thread and looking at this now, I have some ideas. It's just a frame and you say the panels could be anything. I would be in to just buy the frame and I would use something else for the panels. Probably even something super cheap and easy like foam board for three sides and then get on acrylic panel for the front. That should dramatically lower price and even shipping if I could assemble the frame from the parts.

Panel-less frames could be an option. The nice thing about the simplicity of the design that you already noticed is that those panels can be just about anything.

The frame will ship as a solid unit though. It will be all welded together and then powdercoated. It won't change the shipping cost much at all. maybe $5. The dimensions aren't so big as to trigger UPS's "dimensional weight" charges. The cost difference between all the parts and a assembled unit will be negligible. And designing it so it could be bolted together and then producing it that way would be cost prohibitive. Yeah, I know that sounds backward, but I'm guessing that would be the case. I would explore both methods. I'm waiting back on my first quote. Everything will work outward based off of that.

[sqidd]

Just now, Slave IV said:

Lighting would be easy, line the inside with led strips. As for height, why does the 14” extend above the base to the yellow line? Either way, around 12” would be ok but if you could just make it a bit taller, that would be great. If not enough to use as display space, maybe it would be a good storage space for all the parts that can be used for the items on display in the case?

That's just how it looks when I pull the dimensions out in CAD. This is a rough sketch. I didn't want to sped a ton of time on it. 

I chose this height because it puts it even with my big shooter display cases. Making the base a different height is a couple keystrokes. Easy peasy. The whole things is easy peasy. Changes are no problem.

This guy on the other hand (below). A bit more involved. And that is still really, really rough. There are about 100-200hrs worth of work to do still.

 

[Slave IV]

Nice! Really cool to have those resources at your fingertips. 

Is that for a new fuel rail design?

[sumyumgoy]

Thanks for offering to do this @sqidd.  Does that mean that the panels will be removable?

[sqidd]

3 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

Nice! Really cool to have those resources at your fingertips. 

Is that for a new fuel rail design?

Everything you're looking at is a new design. That's for 2007-2014 Ford GT500's and 2003-2005 Ford GT's (the Supercar).

That is one seriously nasty piece. That's 15hrs in machine time! It's better than the OEM manifold/intercooler in every way by a huge margin. Because of the target market I was able to incorporate every trick I have without a lot of worry about cost. It's bee a fun project.

[Slave IV]

1 minute ago, sqidd said:

Everything you're looking at is a new design. That's for 2007-2014 Ford GT500's and 2003-2005 Ford GT's (the Supercar).

That is one seriously nasty piece. That's 15hrs in machine time! It's better than the OEM manifold/intercooler in every way by a huge margin. Because of the target market I was able to incorporate every trick I have without a lot of worry about cost. It's bee a fun project.

Oh damn! Fun stuff! I need to start saving up for my turbo kit(s) in order to keep playing with the big boys out there!

[sqidd]

1 minute ago, sumyumgoy said:

Thanks for offering to do this @sqidd.  Does that mean that the panels will be removable?

Worse case riveted on (which is still easy to remove). I would like to fasten them with some nice stainless button head socket cap screws. The cost of tapping all of those holes will determine in that's an option. Tapping a ton of 4mm holes in steel is very, very time consuming. Even in a CNC. And this is not a CNC type project. All of the parts will be cut by a CNC laser. Those won't thread holes.

[sqidd]

Just now, Slave IV said:

Oh damn! Fun stuff! I need to start saving up for my turbo kit(s) in order to keep playing with the big boys out there!

I have over 50 people waiting on that manifold. The least powerful car makes a 1000 at the tires.

[Slave IV]

10 minutes ago, sqidd said:

I have over 50 people waiting on that manifold. The least powerful car makes a 1000 at the tires.

Sweet! 1000 to just the rear sounds like a lot of tires gone!

[Rogueload]

@sqidd Once you get a price you I’ll be down for two and you wouldn’t even have to ship it to me.  

[Rogueload]

This is what to showed @sqidd about.  I thought I’d be sweet to make one with the un spacy kite logo with red leds instead of the transformers logo.  

[Slave IV]

Yeah, so many simple options and much needed for the detolfs that are a tad too short. 

[theraiden]

I just use this under my detolf's https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vadholma-wine-shelf-brown-stained-ash-90374330/
Simple but does the job

[Slave IV]

3 hours ago, theraiden said:

I just use this under my detolf's https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vadholma-wine-shelf-brown-stained-ash-90374330/
Simple but does the job

I’ve been searching for an off the shelf solution like that but surprisingly I never found one. That looks good but I don’t think it’s available in US ikeas but I’ll look into it. Thanks!

[sqidd]

1 minute ago, Slave IV said:

I’ve been searching for an off the shelf solution like that but surprisingly I never found one. That looks good but I don’t think it’s available in US ikeas but I’ll look into it. Thanks!

It is.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-wine-shelf-brown-stained-ash-50374346/

[Slave IV]

22 minutes ago, sqidd said:

It is.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-wine-shelf-brown-stained-ash-50374346/

Oh cool, but only in brown huh? Either way, good to know. 

[theraiden]

Yup, i spray painted mine black.
You can also get it with drawers: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-drawer-unit-brown-stained-ash-40374342/
but i was a cheap skate and bought the cheaper one. And just so you know the VADHOLM is 3cm less in width than the Detolf, but it doesn't matter, i don't use the feet under the Detolf and it sits nicely on the Vadholm

[Slave IV]

1 hour ago, theraiden said:

Yup, i spray painted mine black.
You can also get it with drawers: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-drawer-unit-brown-stained-ash-40374342/
but i was a cheap skate and bought the cheaper one. And just so you know the VADHOLM is 3cm less in width than the Detolf, but it doesn't matter, i don't use the feet under the Detolf and it sits nicely on the Vadholm

Ah, that's also good to know. You got pics of your setup that you can share?

[lavinrac]

Tell me if there's a better thread for this. But this looks like a good place to ask about MODDING Detolfs...

Has anyone tried, or had success, with putting UV film (like in car window tint) on your detolfs to help avoid yellowing of plastic in the toys? 

 

[Slave IV]

2 hours ago, lavinrac said:

Tell me if there's a better thread for this. But this looks like a good place to ask about MODDING Detolfs...

Has anyone tried, or had success, with putting UV film (like in car window tint) on your detolfs to help avoid yellowing of plastic in the toys? 

 

It’s been talked about but it probably makes more sense to put the film on the window of the rooms where sunlight might reach it.

[lavinrac]

25 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

It’s been talked about but it probably makes more sense to put the film on the window of the rooms where sunlight might reach it.

That makes sense, but I don't know enough about light spectrums and UV to know if the indoor overhead fluorescents can cause yellowing. The room I use has blinds that are always shut. Maybe the yellowing is just inevitable from the plastic used. I'm SURE i can find a thread on THAT.

 

[Slave IV]

22 minutes ago, lavinrac said:

That makes sense, but I don't know enough about light spectrums and UV to know if the indoor overhead fluorescents can cause yellowing. The room I use has blinds that are always shut. Maybe the yellowing is just inevitable from the plastic used. I'm SURE i can find a thread on THAT.

 

Fluorescent lights do emit some UV. There are a lot of factors that have definitely been talked about in many threads but I don’t think there is any scientific fact that has shown to prove your figures will or will not yellow. Even variances in the plastic mix on your particular figure could make a difference. But in general, cutting out all UV and giving your figures space to “breathe” seem to help prevent yellowing in most cases. Detolfs aren’t really sealed all around so even if you put film on it, UV light will still get in so it will help but not sure if it’s the best method. To me, it always makes more sense to block out from the source. So maybe putting film over your light fixtures or using different lights if you can. 

[sqidd]

1 hour ago, lavinrac said:

That makes sense, but I don't know enough about light spectrums and UV to know if the indoor overhead fluorescents can cause yellowing. The room I use has blinds that are always shut. Maybe the yellowing is just inevitable from the plastic used. I'm SURE i can find a thread on THAT.

 

Check out this thread I started. And it turned into a super "down the rabbit hole" UV light discussion.

Long story short put good film (there are not many choices, there is a link to a test on UV film in the thread) on your windows. Ditch the fluorescent lights and replace them with LED's. If you want to go nuts you can get ultra low UV LED's. They're already inherently low already though. And if you really want to make sure that you don't have UV light issues get a UV light meter. They're less expensive than one toy. Bottom line, keep them away from UV light and don't subject them to major temp fluctuations and the chances of your toys yellowing goes way down.

 

[Klee]

On 10/12/2019 at 7:12 AM, theraiden said:

I just use this under my detolf's https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/vadholma-wine-shelf-brown-stained-ash-90374330/
Simple but does the job

That's exactly what I'm looking for. 

[lavinrac]

23 hours ago, sqidd said:

Check out this thread I started. And it turned into a super "down the rabbit hole" UV light discussion.

Long story short put good film (there are not many choices, there is a link to a test on UV film in the thread) on your windows. Ditch the fluorescent lights and replace them with LED's. If you want to go nuts you can get ultra low UV LED's. They're already inherently low already though. And if you really want to make sure that you don't have UV light issues get a UV light meter. They're less expensive than one toy. Bottom line, keep them away from UV light and don't subject them to major temp fluctuations and the chances of your toys yellowing goes way down.

 

Thanks! Indeed that thread is a rabbit hole!  I have tried the RetroBrite think on a 501st stormtrooper helmet. worked great, then it re-yellowed in record time...  Anyhow let me not get off topic any more. Thanks for the lead!