First off hello... it’s an annoying "suggestions" post so I apologize, but I’m desperate. I’m remodeling a cheiftech dragon in an attempt to recreate some retro goodness. Having been inspired by the Battlestar Glactica Colonial Viper it’s coming along ok for a first attempt. Now the problem is… I’ve reshaped the front, and I’ve removed/smoothed where the switches were because they’re too modern, but I just cant decide what to replace the naff little plastic power/reset buttons with. Have spent ages browsing available switches (rs/maplin etc), but I cant seem to find something retro enough. Tempted to pull apart my old electronic battleships for the slider but would rather not. Just looking for suggestions or ideas, especially if anyone can remember what the cockpit of a Viper or even the Battlestar looked like…. Think Retro. Think Angular. Think Classic sci-fi. Piccy of the Front for reference. Em.
You could use some of those toggle switches where you flip up the red cover and it shows the button, you know like the jet pilots have on their little joystick thing. I always see those in the old sci fi movies!!!!! That would look really good with the orange too.
Or some big ass 5-10mm retro Neon Power indicator, they are pretty old school. I think zapwizard used one on his ammunition case mod as a power indicator.
IF you're going old sci-fi, get rectangular lighted buttons (red and green), 6-8 of 'em. put 'em in a block, and and get a circuit to flash 'em in random patterns.
i agree with otaku hawk.. radioshack sells those old ugly buttons I don't even know if you have ratshack where you are! lol. anyway- cool idea for a mod.
I've seen a couple places that sell the jumbo push buttons but they may look too video gameish. the square lit pushbuttons would look better, don't know if you can find ones any bigger than these: these
Ah thankyou, a collection of the illuminated pushbuttons would do it, had seen them, but didnt think of clustering tardis style... wasnt much of a Dr-Who fan. Im still tempted to make my own button tops... I'll see. Ta all.
Hi just found a link to some (pretty grainy black and white) pics of the original cockpit set of a Viper! They have some square illuminated buttons in groups and some toggle switches with metal protection bars around them. Heres the link - hope it helps Viper Cockpit
-=Nemes1S=- thank you so much! I searched everywhere for something like that, my websearch skills need refining. Grand job Thats perfect.
No worries mate! Trying to find a piccy of the inside of the Viper cockpit is like trying to find an original part on Michael Jackson And besides - it has helped me fill a bit of time while i am off work ill
Loctite car filler the fine stuff used for scratches because it was cheapest. It set within 8 minutes and for the first 20 after hardening was very easy to carve with a stanley knife then file/sand. To get the recess I just cut out the angle from the front of the bezel and used the filler to set it back and reshape it to give the angle above the cylinders at the bottom. The cylinders are old drainpipe filled/fixed with filler. Brass strip for the ridges because I wanted a uniform pieces, and it was the only thing B&Q had in the right size. The filler isn’t really modelling putty, but it was easy and available. Is now rock solid and wont budge, so it’s in nice and firm, the backs a mess but you wont see that anyway. Shes making progress Emma,
