experiment tanks, stasis chambers, etc.

[Wraith]

I am wanting some experiment tanks, stasis chambers, etc. for an upcoming game and was wondering what folks have modeled using pill bottles or other clear plastic items.

Westwind minis has some "clone tanks", but I am wanting ideas for DIY stuff.

What have you all scratch built (or bought)

Pictures please.

Wraith

[Froggy the Great]

Here's some of what I've done:

http://spielorjh.deviantart.com/art/Force-Cages-51745636

http://spielorjh.deviantart.com/art/One-inch-Mad-Science-94265689

http://spielorjh.deviantart.com/art/Materialization-Chamber-113805315

http://spielorjh.deviantart.com/art/Plasma-Chamber-121598412

http://spielorjh.deviantart.com/art/Aliens-in-Tanks-118492572

[Wraith]

Nice!

[richarDISNEY]

I bought some of these, and they are greatly detailed.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wargames-Terrain-Containment-Units-Bacta-Tanks-/290372523178?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item439b8d14aa
I love 'em.

[dreamingleopard]

There's a cryogenic chamber on this page:
http://freeboardgamesnow.com/futurescenery.aspx

And some biochambers here:
http://www.rafm.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RAF&Category_Code=SCEN

[john Hollyoak]

Never got round to actually doing it but I am sure you could use the clear plastic clamshells that babies dummies come in. I have loads!

John

[Connectamabob]

Cryo/stasis/growth pods seem like the sort of thing that would be a good idea to sell bulk packages of, similar to crates and oil drums. After all, nine times out of ten when you see that sort of thing in a movie, it's in rows of dozens instead of just one or two. Seems everyone only ever sells them in packs of one or two though, which makes doing whole rows like that too expensive.

[Froggy the Great]

One VCR will supply you with a lab's worth of easily-painted capacitors...

[Connectamabob]

I admire the heck out of people who can trashbash effectively, but for some reason my brain just doesn't work that way. I can create & build my own designs from scratch, and I can mod premade designs, but if you gave me a box of toaster guts, I'd just get bogged down.

I start putting bits together easy enough, but always get to a point where I need a shape I don't have, at which point I think "I could scratchbuild that, but if I'm gonna go that far I might as well scratchbuild the whole thing, since then I'd be able to design everything to taste instead of having to rely on what I've got". At that point either the toaster guts get abandoned for greener pastures, or I keep trying to force myself to use what I already have, fighting a loosing battle against the feeling that those toaster parts are hijacking the creative process away from me.

In other words, I'm whinging about not being able to just buy what I want, 'cause I'm too lazy to sit down and design, build, and cast what I want to my own spec, even though it's within my capability.

...Which is all of course terribly relevant of me on a thread asking after DIY examples.
Guess my thoughts kinda wandered away with me there. Sorry about that.

[dreamingleopard]

One VCR will supply you with a lab's worth of easily-painted capacitors...

Um... not a good idea.  Capacitors carry charge long after being removed from the circuit (discharge first by shorting the terminals with a suitable tool that is insulated for your safety), can become charged even after proper discharging, and if electrolytic, can leak chemicals. Also, if exposed to excessive energies, they can explode.

[Wraith]

The charge that Small caps "may" retain or charge to is insignificant. Big Honking caps are a different story though ( >1000 micro farads)

All you have to do is solder a wire permanently across the terminals and you can use them withoiug worry of charging.

Wraith

[dreamingleopard]

The charge that Small caps "may" retain or charge to is insignificant. Big Honking caps are a different story though ( >1000 micro farads)

All you have to do is solder a wire permanently across the terminals and you can use them withoiug worry of charging.

Wraith

What's the probability anyone here is going to use a cap smaller than a 32mm fig for this modelling purpose?  An electrolytic cap the size of a human mini fig is already into the "big honking caps" category (a traditional 1000uF electrolytic cap has dimensions near 1/2” by 7/8” and technology tends to miniaturize if any size changes can be made!). And we are talking electrolytics here, since the dielectrics are totally not the cylindrical shape. Granted, there are solid electrolytics, but most are still liquid. Believe me, I'm used to working with "big honking caps" in my line of work and I still advise against using electrolytic caps - they're liquid inside and can leak harmful fluids with age or heat (including just sunlight). The canister is fitted with a plug to allow the cap to blow more than explode - so when it happens, the liquid paste is ejected.  If you're not there to see it (and you'd best be wearing googles if you are), you'll see the end result and interpret it as a "leak". The jacket is only polyvinyl and will degrade with organic solvents. Not to mention the hazard to children (be they present in your life or not), who put everything in their wet mouths - and so bypassing your soldered short, which may or may not be a complete solder. So please, people... don't do the stupid thing (even if you solder a short on).  I won't belabour the point further - you've been warned.

There are many better substitutes for this cylindrical shape that are much safer.  Empty pill bottles and thread spools come easily to mind and have the advantage of not being nearly as heavy. Now there's a use for that bottle that housed the superglue that's solidified on you.

[dreamingleopard]

Check out West Wind's new G-DOOM03 Clone Tanks:

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1542