TRON Stick Handles

[Fozzy The Bear]

Translucent Red triggers Please   : )

YUP! No problem!


Additionally.... I now have an original set of TRON Handle shells and a trigger on loan, on the way to me from Canada.....

So! I should be able to have a first run mold ready in about a months time. I would guess that we could have production runs going on them by the end of April or May.

I will post to the board with a price, when the first ones are ready to ship. I WILL NOT! take advance orders on them do not ask to place an order now, because i can only tell you the exact price and shipping once they're ready to ship.

They will go on a first come first served basis once they are completed and the run numbers are likely to be limited, becuase I simply don't have time to produce them in the hundreds. So if you really need them, keep an eye on the board for the details.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear) 

[SirPeale]

Yes... I'll be casting the triggers as well... The TRON triggers were generally Red not Blue...

Pity...I need black.

[MinerAl]

Translucent Red triggers Please   : )

YUP! No problem!

Woohoo!

At the back of the top of the stick is the plate where the thumb buttons go if you are going to have thumb buttons.  Could you make a transluscent blue plate for that space?

Will you post in this thread or in a new one when the time comes?

Thanks

Al

[Teebor]

Wasnt that a metal almost diamond shaped plate which had one button for tron a 2nd hole hidden away behind the graphic?

Or are you just going for the totally translucent joystick look

[MinerAl]

Tron just had a Tron sticker over an undrilled metal plate, Discs of Tron had one button(?) and Xenophobe had 2(?) .

I just thought it would look neat transluscent blue, especially with some transluscent red minibuttons in it.  But obviously people who want to restore or duplicate the original would just need a sticker, or the Happ's metal plate (with a sticker).

I was thinking about how good EL-wire would look in a totally transluscent Tron stick.

Al

[Teebor]

That would look neat with the rest of the panel nicely lit too

[Fozzy The Bear]

I just thought it would look neat transluscent blue, especially with some transluscent red minibuttons in it.  But obviously people who want to restore or duplicate the original would just need a sticker, or the Happ's metal plate (with a sticker).

I was thinking about how good EL-wire would look in a totally transluscent Tron stick.

I can take a look at it Al, We might be able to cast a translucent plate and include it as an option in the parts supplied.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[NoOne=NBA=]

Tron just had a Tron sticker over an undrilled metal plate, Discs of Tron had one button(?) and Xenophobe had 2(?) .

I've actually been looking into doing a run of these recently.

Between work and school, I haven't had time to do a formal B/S/T post though.
I can't even find any of the pictures I shot of them a month or so ago.
I'm attaching a picture that someone else shot of one of the protos I sent them to test.

The plates are anodized aluminum, with a high-resolution vinyl sticker attached, and a mylar overlaminate to protect the vinyl.

[rdagger]

Fozzy, I have dabbled in Alumilite casting and I have a few questions.
1.  What types of silicone and casting resin are you using?
2.  Are you using a vacuum chamber and pressure pot?
3.  I'm looking at the Tron handle on my cab and there are a lot of small features inside.   Will you be able to capture all the details?
4.  Are you going to use a 2 piece mold?

[Fozzy The Bear]

Fozzy, I have dabbled in Alumilite casting and I have a few questions.

OK I'll try and give you few answers....

1.  What types of silicone and casting resin are you using?

The silicone is RTV which is a self vulcanising mold rubber.... It comes in three grades, Hard, Medium and Soft. The Resins are commercial grade and require special handling as they're lethally toxic until cured. After which they're totally inert and you can even eat them and suffer no ill effects. Although I'm not sure why anybody would want to chew bits of plastic.

2.  Are you using a vacuum chamber and pressure pot?

Vacuum chamber... Yes (at nearly 40inches of Mercury) and pressure pot... No (not nessesary for this resin)

3.  I'm looking at the Tron handle on my cab and there are a lot of small features inside.   Will you be able to capture all the details?

Yes...  I can't think of another answer to that one.... Except to say that the mold compound we use captures detail as fine as a finger print on the surface of an object.

4.  Are you going to use a 2 piece mold?

Nope!! It's a 4 piece mold... allows for quicker de-mold without risk to the finished cast.

Hope that answers your questions... If you have anything else you want to know just yell up.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Kremmit]

3.  I'm looking at the Tron handle on my cab and there are a lot of small features inside.   Will you be able to capture all the details?

Yes...  I can't think of another answer to that one.... Except to say that the mold compound we use captures detail as fine as a finger print on the surface of an object.

Are the loaner handles you're getting NOS?  It would be a shame to cast new ones with scratches already in them.  IIRC, that was why Specialty Plastics quit- his molds wore out, and he couldn't find a perfect set of grips to make new molds.

That said, I'm down for at least one set of these, even if they aren't 100% perfect.  Maybe more, depending on price.

[saint]

I'd be happy to host it   Anytime someone would like to share something with BYOAC folks I'm happy to host!

--- saint

I'll write a tutorial up for doing it as I go along with it, and take some photographs if it helps people... Maybe Saint will host the tutorial when I get it done.

[Kremmit]

Here's some more pics of one of those backplates NoOne did.  Mine's not aluminum, though. 

[MinerAl]

Fozzy-

I just won This auction included in which is a Tron cocktail stick.

I have not received it yet, but when I do, if it is clean, would you be interested in casting it in transluscent blue?  There has been discussion of need for a good trigger balltop, and this might be the thing the community would pay for...  I know I would take two.

Al

[Teebor]

I saw that auction too.  I saw what I thought was a tron stick base but I couldn't see the handle with trigger in the picture...

Grats on winning it if they are all serviceable that would be a cheap lot of good sticks

[Fozzy The Bear]

Are the loaner handles you're getting NOS?  It would be a shame to cast new ones with scratches already in them.  IIRC, that was why Specialty Plastics quit- his molds wore out, and he couldn't find a perfect set of grips to make new molds.

Ermm No They're old old stock.... But I'll be casting a master from them first, so we may be able to put right any major defect that shows up. Minor defects like scratches and natural wear, just show a bit of age and charm to the item. If you're looking for absolute brand new perfection, it's not going to happen here.  That said, they will be 100% accurate to the original set they're cast from.

I'd be happy to host it   Anytime someone would like to share something with BYOAC folks I'm happy to host!

Yeah!!! Saint!!  Great!!! I'll make sure I take plenty of photographs of the process and how to do it then.

Might do a separate set using the easiest domestic methods so that other people can copy the method without using vacuum chambers and any expensive extra equipment.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Fozzy The Bear]

I just won This auction included in which is a Tron cocktail stick.

I have not received it yet, but when I do, if it is clean, would you be interested in casting it in transluscent blue?  There has been discussion of need for a good trigger balltop, and this might be the thing the community would pay for...  I know I would take two.

Nice win Al,
                    I can't actually see a TRON stick handle in that lot mate... not even a cocktail one.... The tron stick is the womping great thing on the right hand side of that picture.

That said a translucent blue ball top handle is a very easy thing to cast if that's what you're looking for.  We can do that by using a regular ball top and dipping it in Laytex dipping rubber numerous times to build up a coat. Peel that off and you then have a near perfect ball mold. just pour the resin straight in and hang it up to set. It's even self releasing which makes getting it out of the mold even easier.

Didn't somebody sell translucent ball tops?? Was Randy selling them?? It might be easier and cheaper to just buy one of those.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Fozzy The Bear]

Here's some more pics of one of those backplates NoOne did.  Mine's not aluminum, though. 

Might be as easy to just fit a translucent clear or blue perspex piece.... and then put whatever sticker it is people want on it.

Might also be cheaper for people to get hold of a perspex offcut to make that part, than it would be for me to try casting the part.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear) 

[spriggy]

... threads and projects like this really show what it is to be a BYOAC member..  Bring it the frick on!!! 

(Now..back to my 4th glass of James Squire 'India Pale Ale' while the wife watches her evening soapee shite!)
 

[MinerAl]

Nice win Al,
                    I can't actually see a TRON stick handle in that lot mate... not even a cocktail one.... The tron stick is the womping great thing on the right hand side of that picture.

The red handle with the black trigger on the front and the wire dangling from it's shaft is a Tron cocktail ball top

[markrvp]

That said a translucent blue ball top handle is a very easy thing to cast if that's what you're looking for. 

Fozzy:

The magic of the Tron Cocktail handle is that it also has a trigger in it.  What MinerAl is talking about making is a TRIGGER balltop like that.  This is in addition to the regular full-size Tron stick.  I'll try and get a better picture of one later today that shows the trigger.

[Teebor]

Nice win Al,
                    I can't actually see a TRON stick handle in that lot mate... not even a cocktail one.... The tron stick is the womping great thing on the right hand side of that picture.

The red handle with the black trigger on the front and the wire dangling from it's shaft is a Tron cocktail ball top

What an awesome little ball top   I suppose that might also be good for other games being a ball top and all

[Kremmit]

I always thought those were kinda funny looking.

I prefer these:

[Teebor]

cool paint em white and they will look like eyes.

[MinerAl]

And if they were pink with red buttons they'd look like...

bloodshot albino eyes.

RayB's button tops were great, but he's out of them (I have one, and it's cool).   The only problem with button tops is that I use ball tops from above, with my hand sort of cupped around the top of the stick.  Button tops have to be held from the side with thumbs on top, and bat sticks are more ergonomic for that.  The Tron balltops have the trigger on the front, so you can still use your hand normally and shoot with the middle or index finger draped from above (I hope... I don't actually have it to try yet).

Al

[Fozzy The Bear]

Ahhhh! OK I see what you mean about a TRON cocktail trigger stick now...... They were fitted with different ones in the UK... To be honest there were not many TRON cocktail units over here.

I guess the answer is that it could be done. But I want to get this one sorted out first. Once I see that there's enough interest in a ball top trigger I might take it on a way down the line. 

Let me try and tackle and sort out the full stick first though.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[MinerAl]

Oh alright

Sorry for the thread derail.  I'm still very pumped for the full size handles!

[Fozzy The Bear]

Oh alright
Sorry for the thread derail.  I'm still very pumped for the full size handles!

Not derailed at all... still well on topic. Like I said, I may well think about doing them later on this year.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[markrvp]

Hey Fozzy:

File these Tron cocktail pics under "something for future reference."

[markrvp]

Full Frontal:

[Havok]

Full Frontal:

Don't bring this thread into the cheesecake domain!

[Teebor]

despite being functional that looks fugly.

Some serious wear and tear on their though, many people must have loved that piece of game history through the years.

[MinerAl]

despite being functional that looks fugly.

Yes, but imagine it in glorius transluscent blue with a red trigger!

 

[Fozzy The Bear]

despite being functional that looks fugly.

Yes, but imagine it in glorius transluscent blue with a red trigger!

 

Sorry Al,
               But I have to agree that it is a Fugly stick..... It might look a lot better in translucent blue, lit up from inside though.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[cornishHen]

Fozzy,
Any news on when the handles will be available???   

Thanks!

[daywane]

I have a complete tron stick I can lend you.
Honestly I only scanned the posts.
(wife nagging lets GO!) if you need the tron stick just let me know

[Fozzy The Bear]

Fozzy,
Any news on when the handles will be available???   

Yes Guys... It's in progress...

Also... Thanks "daywane" We already have a complete set courtesy of another member. But thanks for the offer. I'm not naming who lent them, becuase he hasn't announced that himself, and I don't know if he wants me to say.  Suffice to say that it's a very near to mint condition set, and should produce very nice casts.

I'm expecting that the first casts will come out of the molds in early May and that they will be on track for production shortly there after.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[RobotronNut]

does anyone know how the original tron handles fit onto a happ 8-way flight stick?

[Fozzy The Bear]

does anyone know how the original tron handles fit onto a happ 8-way flight stick?

Yes... There's a plastic sleve over the stick shaft... The original stick shell then bolts on through the plastic sleve and the shaft.

This won't be an issue with these re-casts. They will be solid at all of the webs and you will be able to drill them yourself to fit whatever stick shaft you are using.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[Santoro]

I'm in...  Awesome.