Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Deathstar Diorama=Complete

[OutLander]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

I try to go scenes. I try to put all my ANH stuff together, all the Imperials together, bounty hunters together. I know what you mean about "falling short" in some areas. Like "what to put with my Biker Scout? It doesn't fit in".

I think I would go movie specific and then go from there. Yes, please post pics of what you got.

Its a fun problem to have eh???

Your display space is awesome. Have fun.

I agree with Chris, go movie specific and mix up the good and bad guys.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Man this is a giant jigsaw puzzle. At least I have a couple weeks until my new lighting arrives, so I can play around. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied

 

[Spudtrooper]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

I have the same problem with my displays. I can't ever decide how I want them. But I don't have nearly that much wall space.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Almost finished my AT-AT commander. A bit more futzing and still need to add the greeblies on the sides of the helmet. Decided to make him a Captain since he doesn't really look like Veers and the armor is inaccurate as well.

Also I just got a sewing machine and have been playing around. I need pr actice!!! Made an inner robe for my Emperor. Its far from perfect and I may redo it, but since you only see the bottom I may just go with it. Actually it may be a bit short eh?

 

[Chakaman]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

AT-AT Commander is looking good so far.

Sewing is an art man, wish I knew how to do it. Good luck.

 

[OutLander]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Also I just got a sewing machine and have been playing around. I need pr actice!!! Made an inner robe for my Emperor. Its far from perfect and I may redo it, but since you only see the bottom I may just go with it. Actually it may be a bit short eh?

I've been thinking of getting a sewing machine also, keep us updated on your progress. Youtube could be a good place to find tutorials. Good luck.

Sewing is an art man

Very true, lots of respect for those who do it well.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

I still need to make the bandoliers, add weathering and the ion gun plus a whole other one so I'll have 2 Jawas, but thought I'd share my robe progress. Any tips are welcome.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Nate, do you have fabric dyes? PM incoming.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

OK the shelves are all done. I originally had RGB LED strips for lighting, and only 2 strips per unit. Now I have 4 neutral white strips (1 per shelf). I also pre-wired every shelf with power to run electronics (Sabers, LEDs etc.) I also added a riser to each shelf so I can display 8+ figures per shelf with minimal obstruction. I think they look kinda bare, so I might add some backdrops. Also it looks like they're dark, but its the camera. Yes they could be brighter in the front row, but it looks OK in person.

Its funny because the first time I turned on the new lights I thought to myself..."these kinda look like fluorescent lights". Then after seeing the pics and how they're greenish just like a pic taken under actual fluorescent lights.

Crappy pics incoming...

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Now that the shelves are done I can get back to building dollies Been playing around with my sewing machine and working on my Emperor. Again crappy blown out pics

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

My pro lighting tips:

1. Double up the strips on the shelves, placing an additional strip to the front.
2. Because this will be too much light (and double the power), use a dimmer OR break the resistor on a few sets of 3 LEDs to knock those out. If you do alternating groups you will effectively cut the light in half for each strip.

Don't forget to keep track of how much power you're consuming with the LEDs - it can add up quickly.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

My pro lighting tips:

1. Double up the strips on the shelves, placing an additional strip to the front.
2. Because this will be too much light (and double the power), use a dimmer OR break the resistor on a few sets of 3 LEDs to knock those out. If you do alternating groups you will effectively cut the light in half for each strip.

Don't forget to keep track of how much power you're consuming with the LEDs - it can add up quickly.

Yeah this is why I only put 1 strip/shelf. I may add another just get a bigger PSU.

Got my emperors robe completed. Just need to make the clasp paint him up and maybe a bit more futzing. I'd love to get some lightning going, just need to figure out how to do it without it looking cheesy.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

My pro lighting tips:

1. Double up the strips on the shelves, placing an additional strip to the front.
2. Because this will be too much light (and double the power), use a dimmer OR break the resistor on a few sets of 3 LEDs to knock those out. If you do alternating groups you will effectively cut the light in half for each strip.

Don't forget to keep track of how much power you're consuming with the LEDs - it can add up quickly.

Maybe you can answer this. I haven't been able to find a definitive answer even from electricians.

Your standard household fuse/breaker has a rating (lets say 15A). Are they designed to trip/blow at 15A draw no matter the voltage, or at a certain wattage? I'm thinking it may be an antiquated rating system since until recently everything has run on 110V. 15A at 110V is a lot more than 15A at 12V. I first started wondering a while back since I have a ton of LEDs (haven't actually calculated total draw) but its got to be well over 15A plus regular lights, computer, stereo etc. all on the same circuit, and I have yet to blow any fuses.

 

[Kodiak3d]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

That robe is looking good, Nate

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Maybe you can answer this. I haven't been able to find a definitive answer even from electricians.

That's troubling. Please don't employ any of those electricians to do any work in your house/business.

Your standard household fuse/breaker has a rating (lets say 15A). Are they designed to trip/blow at 15A

Anything over 15A will pop the breaker, period. If it didn't, let's say you replace the breaker with a 40 for example, then you run the risk of melting the insulation on the wire in your walls and lighting your house on fire.

draw no matter the voltage, or at a certain wattage?

Wattage (power consumed by a circuit) is variable and will always be changing (along with the current drawn) on an AC circuit. In general, for a DC circuit, P=VI (Power (measured in Watts) = Voltage * Current) - for AC this is an instantaneous calculation representing only one specific fixed point in time. For AC you'd be more concerned with average power which is more complicated to calculate. But regardless, whatever the value of everything else, when the peak current passes 15A AT THE BREAKER, it will pop.

I'm thinking it may be an antiquated rating system since until recently everything has run on 110V. 15A at 110V is a lot more than 15A at 12V.

When I suggested tracking your power consumption it wasn't for fear of blowing a breaker, it's for exceeding the capacity of your power supplies and just consuming more power running a ton of LEDs than you would just running a fluorescent bulb.

12v or 120v only changes the numbers, but if the current is constant, then only the wattage changes. With regards to home wiring the significant part here is that an AC circuit is different from a DC circuit.

I first started wondering a while back since I have a ton of LEDs (haven't actually calculated total draw) but its got to be well over 15A plus regular lights, computer, stereo etc. all on the same circuit, and I have yet to blow any fuses.

You're not exceeding 15A on the circuit.

For example... I have some 3528 ribbons here, I believe 60 LEDs/meter. Their current consumption is about 100 mA per foot. I just set up 10 feet of light under my daughter's elevated bed yesterday on 2A capacity 12v adapter - the LEDS alone consume about 1.1A (aka about 13.2 watts @ 12v measured on a bench-top power supply). In real life on an AC circuit, including a little more consumption for inefficiencies of the adapter, the power consumption at the wall is under 3 watts. About 25mA. I can't measure with fidelity right now with the equipment I have on me.

Looking at the specs of an LED driver I have in front of me right now:

It's designed for 90-264V usage (switching) and 36 watts with a current consumption of up to .42 A (that's 36 watts @ 90 volts plus inefficiency). So that's the INPUT from your home wiring. The output is constant voltage @ 12v with a maximum current consumption of 2.5A, which is 30 watts.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Well unless my calculations are way off or I'm not understanding something.
26 Cathode sabers x 350mA = 9.1A
5M 5630 LED Strip = 6A
18 LED puck lights x 100mA = 1.8A

Thats over 15A right there. Plus all the other stuff in the room. I'll check my fuse, maybe its not 15A after all.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Well unless my calculations are way off or I'm not understanding something.
26 Cathode sabers x 350mA = 9.1A
5M 5630 LED Strip = 6A
18 LED puck lights x 100mA = 1.8A

Thats over 15A right there. Plus all the other stuff in the room. I'll check my fuse, maybe its not 15A after all.

DC on the supply side. That doesn't mean that's how much you're consuming from your home's circuit. Look at the various adapters powering those devices. They will have input power characteristics - they will be printed as MAX. They will operate at those max specs only momentarily, maybe when you turn everything on, otherwise consumption will be lower and possibly off by a large factor depending on the voltage of your power distribution and the efficiency of the adapter dong the conversion. If your output on the DC side is close to the max ratings, then you can assume on the input side you'll also be close to the max. If you want to figure out the worst-case-scenario, add up all the input specs of the adapters.

Look at the example I gave above. My LED driver can power 2.5A worth of LEDs at 12v, yet it's only going to consume up to 0.42 A at 90v on the supply (input) side.

You can't apply the numbers from the DC side to the AC side directly (alone) due to inefficiencies in power conversion inside the transformer. When you look at specs for other devices, you're probably looking at the AC numbers, such as on a toaster, anything with an AC motor, a lightbulb, etc. For anything with a transformer/driver you have to look at the input specs, not the output specs. To get accurate numbers you'll have to take actual measurements however. Use something like a Kill-A-Watt.

So let's see about some ballpark calculations based on my LED driver above operating at max load:

2.5A at 12v = 30 watts. 30 watts divided by 120 volts = .25 amps + waste.

If you want to figure out the efficiency based only on the numbers printed on the transformer/driver:

2.5A at 12v = 30 watts. 30 watts divided by 90 volts = .33 amps. .33 divided by .42 = .7936 or 80%

So now I can do this...

1.1A of actual LEDs on that driver at 12v = 13.2 watts. Divided by 120v is 0.11A plus 20% is 0.132A or 132 mA (that's about 15.84 watts if you want to compare consumption to an incandescent lightbulb).

If we were to assume that your LED driver/adapter were exactly the same...

6A LEDs @12v = 72 watts. Divided by 120v = 0.6A plus the 20% is 0.72A (86 watts). Take a look at the adapter specs to compare.

Obviously 120 is greater than 12v by a factor of 10 so the first two calculations aren't needed, just move the decimal place once to the left on the consumed amps of your LED load.

Buuuut. 120v is a nominal figure. Maybe your house is supplying 110 or 115 or 125, etc..

 

[OutLander]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Emperors robe looks great, nice choice of material, hangs very well.

 

[Chakaman]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Sandtrooper pg29

Pretty cool setup Nate.

That robe looks nice, your sewing skills are coming along. Good stuff.

 

[Natedog]

Re: Natedog's figure bashes and customs - Palpatine pg32

Palps is finished: Again sorry for the crappy pics iphone4 here still

Head and neck are casts of SSC exclusive - Painted myself
Hands are from Chancellor Palpatine / Sidious 2 pack - Painted myself to match
Body TT knockoff.
Boots are ACI I believe.
Outer Robe and Inner Robe and Sash are all handmade with my new sewing machine
Clasp was made from Sculpy


Man those teeth were even harder than the eyes!

What do you think?



Next to Praji which I just got yesterday He needs a repaint too!



His new home: