Goffcorp's Slime Blower Build

Equipment Slime Blowers
1

I haven’t attempted to document any of my buildups over the years, but here’s to trying something new.As far as any of my props go, I have a tendency to overengineer everything, using metal whenever I can. I also have an aversion to adhesives in general, and will do everything in my power to avoid them (aside from the cyclotron lenses, I used no glue on my proton pack). I’ve gotten to a point beyond simple parts collection, so let’s start with some raw materials…

The aluminum tubing was secured through a local industrial supply company that sells remnants to the public. I spent about twenty minutes digging through their stock and scored 3 feet of the 4" OD and 2 feet 5" OD tube for about $25. I was thrilled with scoring both the same day (their stock continually changes). The wall thickness on the 5" is beyond overkill, but I couldn’t beat the price given what you can pay through online suppliers. I cut both of them to the appropriate length (approx 15 3/4" for the 4" OD and 12 3/4" for the 5" OD respectively) at home. I used a miter saw with a standard carbide tipped blade to get perfect square cuts. I don’t recommend or suggest for someone to attempt these cuts without previous aluminum working experience. So, I won’t document or show pics on how to cut such large pieces on a miter saw. But, it can be done with the proper jig and technique.

The hemispheres are from King Architectural Metals:

http://www.kingmetals.com/Catalog/CatalogListing.aspx?CatalogId=C39&CatalogDetailId=228

$3.00 for the 4" and about $5.00 for the 5" hemispheres. I went with steel because it is considerably cheaper compared to aluminum. The weight difference was about a pound or so at the most, so I voted with my wallet.

As far as attaching each hemisphere, I used .125" thick .5" aluminum bar stock. Do not purchase the ■■■■ they sell at a big box store. Their aluminum stock is garbage; any attempt to put even the slightest bend will cause it to snap. Trust me on this. I cut 3" strips on the miter saw and then attached them to the cylinder using .125" rivets. I used a .244" drill bit to countersink each .125" pilot hole. It lets each rivet seat below the curvature of the tubing, making filling each hole a breeze.

I put a slight bend in each strip to account for the curvature of the hemisphere. I then drilled the corresponding countersunk holes for the hemisphere, making sure that everything was properly lined up.

At this point, it would take some considerable effort to remove the hemispheres (I loathe drilling out steel rivets). After attaching the other end and giving it a quick hit on the belt sander, the results are as follows…

That’s the current state of progress for now. I hope to periodically update as I continue, but we know how long that can take…

2

at the end of this build you need a video of your slime blower doing this sound when they knock their tips together.

because so far, it’s bad ass.

3

That’s pretty damn ■■■■■■■■. I like it.

4

Damn! Looks like its gonna be crazy!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Ghostbusters Fans on Android

5

WOW!

6

Looks great, I’ll be watching this build!

7

same here!!! But I feel this blower is going to have some weight to it. What is your plan for the main tank?

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I am somewhat concerned about weight. Initially I wanted to use steel pipe and just braze the hemispheres to it. It would have essentially been a functional tank at that point. But a 12" chunk of schedule 40 steel pipe at OD 4" was a hair over nine pounds or so. Yikes. My lack of access to a decent aluminum welding rig is a source of constant frustration…

I’m not sure about the main tank. I’m considering getting a 9.5 OD piece of sheet steel/aluminum rolled at a local shop that does HVAC or something. Haven’t parted it out, but at lot of the locals are happy for the business. I could fab some aluminum rings as an armature easily enough using my router with a circle cutter attachment. Messy, loud and it ■■■■■■ the neighbors off, but it works like a charm on .25" thick aluminum plate. :slight_smile:

Goff

9

UPDATE:

When starting on the other tank, I discovered my 5" steel hemispheres were just a hair over .125" short in diameter. I could grind down the aluminum tube, but I doubt the results would be up to par. Plus it just seemed like way to much work for something that might, emphasis on might, look OK.

Solution: Spend more money. :slight_smile:

Given I needed new hemispheres, I shopped around and determined that Sharpe products had some aluminum hemispheres for a decent price.

http://handrail-fittings.sharpeproducts.com/category/hemispheres-■■■■■?

Shiny!!! And, at approx $6 for the 4" OD and $9 for the 5"OD not too bad on the wallet. And, a hell of a lot lighter than the steel.

6.4 oz for the 5" OD hemisphere. That’s not too bad compared to an acrylic hemisphere of comparable thickness

Since I had the time, I fabbed a new tank with the techniques outlined in the first post. Sum total of the small tank is now 2 lbs, 14 oz. Not sure what other folks builds total weight wise, but I’m pretty pleased in the weight/strength ratio. The hemispheres are a 3003 alloy, so they are a bit “gummier” to work with than the usual 6061 I have lying around the garage, but the new tank t is a much cleaner fit and a pound lighter than it’s predecessor (If anyone wants the old tank from the first post, let me know, its just a hair over 4 lbs.)

At this stage, I mixed up a quick batch of JB to fill in the rivet holes and the hairline seam between the tubing and the hemispheres. Next stage is getting the 5" OD tank assembled.

That’s it for now. I’ll update as progress continues…

10

Great build so far, watching this for sure!

11

Badass work!

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UPDATE:

Perhaps update is a bit of false advertising. I just wanted to post the following goodies that showed up in the mail yesterday. They were all secured through Allied Electronics. I know that the sourcing of these items is common knowledge (thank you those that went first), but I figured I’d include the info to provide a more comprehensive build thread for those coming in cold. On that note, here’s what showed up…

The Project boxes are by BUD Industries. Model numbers PBS-11327-G ($12.80) and PS-11521-G ($3.10) respectively.

The large green light is actually two separate parts. Both manufactured by Chicago Miniature. The lens cap is Mfr Part no. 2855 and the socket is 2803. Total cost for both pieces was $2.48.

The smaller lights are also by Chicago Miniature. Mfr part no for 4625 for the green lens, 4623 for the amber. Lens caps ran .83 each. At that price I bought a few extra in case I break or lose one. I also purchased the sockets so I wouldn’t have to mess with glue. Mfr part no 4611 at $1.27 each.

I can’t vouch that these are the exact lens caps. In fact, I’m certain they aren’t. But they are damn close and will look good on the final build. They’ll work for me. :slight_smile:

Each socket will need to be cut down to make room for the LEDs and wires. But, I won’t have to worry about the lens caps falling off during transport or getting jostled by some overly friendly con goer…

That’s it for now. I hope to have both of the smaller tanks finished soon. Updates to follow.

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UPDATE:

The 4" and 5" tanks are, for all intents and purposes, complete. At some point I will need to drill and tap to attach the project box and the 4" wide aluminum strip that is used for all three tanks. I guess I could just pop rivet it all, but since I went to the trouble of using metal I might as well drill/tap and have it dissasemble should the need arise.

I’m very pleased with the final product as far as aesthetics and weight are concerned:

It’s about as seamless as it’s going to get. I used the following three items in my filling/sanding/smoothing arsenal to get the job done:

As stated in previous posts, I used JB weld to fill the hairline seam between the hemispheres and the tube as well as to fill in the recessed rivet holes. After curing, I knocked off the excess JB on the belt sander. I followed with the self etching primer after using acetone to strip the tank of any residual grease and residue. Aluminum can sometimes be problematic when it comes to paint adherance. I find that throughly stripping the metal after a light sanding and using a decent etching primer makes a tremendous difference.

I then used the tried and true glazing/spot putty to fill any residual boogers here and there. In a summer heat it takes five minutes for it to cure, one of the only advantages to being in a garage in Sacramento during this time of year. After knocking down the putty with some 220, I used a couple of coats of high build primer to get rid of all sanding marks. I am a huge fan of the high build when it comes to pieces that lack detail. It’s also great for folks who like to make one-ups out of MDF or wood. With enough coats and a final hit with some steel wool you have a very, very smooth surface ready for the final cosmetic coat of paint.

That’s the current state of affairs. I hope to post more progress as I continue…

14

Those tanks… holy hell. Beautiful.

15

Yup have to agree, those tanks are something special.

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UPDATE:

Nothing too exciting, but progress is progress. I’ve completed the cross braces and the mounting of the 3/4 Parker fitting to the ALICE frame:

Cross brace material is .125 aluminum bar stock in 1.5" width. Ran me about $7.00 for eight feet at my local metal supply store (I swear I should get some sort of frequent flyer discount). I bent the top brace in the vice. In a perfect world I’d have some kind of awesome press brake for such a situation. But, for now, my puny vice and some muscle will do the trick.

The metal covering over the Parker fitting was some scrap .09" aluminum sheet that I cut to fit. I made a quick and dirty template in Illustrator to ensure the bends would conform to the hex shape of the fitting. All braces and the covering were then secured via .125" steel rivets.

I mounted the fitting to the frame by drilling and tapping for a 1/4 20 hex bolt. It’s beyond secure and fits really snugly into the metal covering.

I have no idea why the covering looks asymetrical in this pic. Perhaps it’s the angle.

That’s it for now. I’m going to take a stab at the heatsinks next. I’ll post pics etc. as progress continues…

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UPDATE: Anatomy of a Heatsink

The two heatsinks found on the blower were annoying me. Looking online for a pre-fabbed heatsink with the proper dimensions, number of fins, etc. was getting nowhere fast. Plus, the thought of manually cutting them on my friends mill would be a tedious task, not to mention the prohibitive cost for a chunk of aluminum billet that large. Resin would be a good standby alternative in some respects, but I’m really psyched that my build is all metal thus far. I had tabled the issue until I stumbled upon a large stack of the following heatsinks at the surplus metal supply company I frequent.

Although the fin height isn’t perfect, the spacing and .375 inch base really fit the bill. A quick measurement and I confirmed that there would be ten fins per heatsink with the proper offset for the 45 bevel. And, the $9 scrap price for an 8 inch by 8 inch square sealed the deal. Some quick measurements and some clamping and cutting on the miter saw resulted in the following:

Since I had the material, I cut two sets in case I botched one. I then cut out a corresponding aluminum plate in .5" stock to mount each respective heatsink to. I then used my damn near endless supply of steel rivets for attachment (not a fan of JB). Although they look pretty beefy in the pic below, they are remarkably light:

I then left the warm confines of my garage to use my friend’s mill. I cut a 45 degree bevel on each heatsink. On a completely unrelated note I also cut the channel for the rear cylinder for my wand (it’s a piece I’ve been putting off for a while now). The sinks fit in irrican’s pump boxes like a glove.

Nifty. All that’s left is to drill and tap the .5" plate to match the holes on each respective pump box. Next up on the agenda is to get the plates/ball mounted to the ALICE frame.

That’s all the progress for now. I’ll continue documenting as developments arise…

18

the Heat Sinks look fantastic man great work!

19

Thank you sir!

And I must say that your SB looks fantastic as well. I’m hoping my finished buildup can hold it’s own next to some of the other quality builds out there. :slight_smile:

Goff

20

How did you make the pump boxes and what dimensions did you use?