Hi, I am currently CNC machining a perfected camera body for this in alloy.
I am also doing the colonial marines helmet one.
They should be ready next week.
I am not sure if I can offer them as alloy, but I am making a smart gunner sight to be available a little later on.
The alloy ones were going to be for these kits. Are you looking for resin?

-Mars

Marsattacks -

Thought I'd chime in and offer my .2 credits on this one. My experience with a solid resin eyepiece has not been good. The resin piece I currently have is far too heavy for the T28 flash's detent bearings, which form the swivel of the arm, to hold in place. Mine is currently hot-glued in one position, as that is the only way to keep it from falling and resting over my mouth like an oversized microphone.

If you made one out of alloy, it would either need to be hollow or that would need to be one heck of a light-weight alloy. Make it as two halves, maybe? Vac-formed plastic seems to be a better alternative.

Regardless, if you find a way to make one that's the right size, right proportion, and light enough to stay put over my eye without being glued there, I'll definitely buy one.

_________________

CPL Sean Maio A01/TQ2.0.72156E1
Public Relations Division (Temporary Cross-Assignment)
M-56 Smartgun Operator, A/3Btn, II CMEF, USS Sephora

Here are some photos of my original sight, I hope they're useful to anyone planning to build their own.









Harry

_________________

http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

Harry, is there any chance we could trouble you for some simple measurements? Even just the length and width at the longest/widest points would be a huge help in getting the size and proportion right.

_________________

CPL Sean Maio A01/TQ2.0.72156E1
Public Relations Division (Temporary Cross-Assignment)
M-56 Smartgun Operator, A/3Btn, II CMEF, USS Sephora

Thanks very much for those, Harry!

_________________
MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

Aye - If you can make a hollow one, that leaves options open for people to insert whatever electrics they want.

There's already a couple of options being worked on for 'operational' eyepiece electronics that link in to cameras on the SGs - If they can slot in to a hollow kit, I'd be interested too!!

No problem Rev, and thanks for saying thanks - it means a lot that someone appreciates me doing this.


Sure, this should be helpful:


Harry

_________________

http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

Yes thank you Harry , anyone who is keen on making these should be able to pull something off with this pics!!.
I also want to ask, I know there was one kit available , but is there another in the works as Taskmaster mentioned?
Is anyone going to do this?
I wanted to have a shot on making this.
I have started with the camera housing as I am doing the camera housing for the colonial marines helmet.
I will be able to reproduce it in alloy (both) but not sure on costs .If I did do one I would like it to be very sophisticated and very smart.
I have all the original parts including some kit pieces given to me by Matt Noble.
The mic obviously , but not the head piece.
Also the eyepiece I have not attempted yet, but after looking at Harry's pics ,I would not mind in doing half alloy hollow and maybe resin with add ons or something.
If there is someone already doing one then maybe I can just do some upgrades for it.
THAELYNN suggested to me today for the camera housing should allow to half lock the Pentax lens, which I thought it was brilliant , and then thought "why did I not think of this?"
This is definetly the quality of repro I am aiming at. The cameras SHOULD be ready by middle of next week, I did see some of it today but had to give it back.

Mars

I did hit the button before you , I am sure Harry. lol
I meant to say thank you for going out of your way to do this for everyone asking.
There is enough info in your pics to do one pretty close.
Did anything work on it? I cannot remember seeing anything in the movie as to Flashing or sound???
Anyway Harry it is very cool that you have this!!
Mars

No, nothing worked on it in that sense.

Harry

_________________

http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

Not the eyepiece itself, but the electronics to go inside it.
Specifically a working screen that displays the view from a camera mounted on the SmartGun.

I don't know if this will be released as a DIY/finished kit yet or if the person doing it will just explain what they did and leave people to source their own parts and build it themselves.

Either way, it'd be cool to have a solid shell for the electronics to go in.

Marcel if it's going to be alloy isn't that going to be (expensive and) fairly heavy?

Even if it's hollowed out it'll still have a bit of weight to it which brings us back to the weight problem that Sean was talking about earlier. The original is vacuum-formed plastic so weighs very little.

Harry

_________________

http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

How about hollowed out lumps of moulded plastic?

Can that be machined like metal?

You can always mill from a chunk of plastic as well.

ok , maybe it is too heavy.
Would alloy tubing be heavier than resin?
plus the head piece must be made of a top and bottom resin or plastic cast for it to be hollow.
Going back to that camera and monitor, what an awesome idea, but this cost over $160 just for the VDR which records upto 4 hours in a SD card , looking at it , MAYBE the screen could be pulled apart , but then we go to the "cost bit" . Leave this to the fanatics !! I think the screen is too big anyways.

yep the CNC machines anything , but the eyepiece, do you want it VAC FORMED?

I would mill it like a two piece clamshell with a 2-3mm wall thickness.

Glue together, and make the seam disappear.


When people tinker with product design, things tend to come out chunky and large.

It is a sign of early student work. Just some friendly advice.

edit - Disregard, they beat me to the punch already! lol

_________________

CPL Sean Maio A01/TQ2.0.72156E1
Public Relations Division (Temporary Cross-Assignment)
M-56 Smartgun Operator, A/3Btn, II CMEF, USS Sephora

My question is.. WHAT IS THE EYEPIECE?? lol

What real-life part did the movie people use for it?

I cant find it anywhere

_________________
United States Colonial Marine Corps
Private J.Hughes
A05/TQ0.0.12152E1

CURRENTLY IN TRAINING
Basic Training
&
Smartgunner Specialty School

As far as I'm aware it was a custom made piece. As Harry mentions above, the original is made from vac form plastic.

Cheers

Darren

Correct - unless someone proves otherwise someday, the currently accepted belief is that the eyepiece for the SG headset was a custom-made piece. In addition to the unusual shape, Harry also mentions that there is some gray plastic showing through on the original, which seems to match plastic commonly used for vac-form around that time. You can see it in the pictures he posted in this thread - it's the "H" shaped patch near the eyeball graffiti.

I've heard suggestions that the screen was a viewfinder screen from an old camcorder of some kind, and I would guess the "greeblies" next to the screen were probably just bits left over from kitbashes used on other props.

Personally, I think the two piece method would be great, as long as you can find a secure enough way to attach the eyepiece stalk to the arm joint. Mine uses a screw going up into the stalk length-wise, which obviously won't work as well if the stalk is entirely hollow.

Something just occurred to me: how IS the eyepiece stalk attached on the original?

_________________

CPL Sean Maio A01/TQ2.0.72156E1
Public Relations Division (Temporary Cross-Assignment)
M-56 Smartgun Operator, A/3Btn, II CMEF, USS Sephora

helpful . post bump for my refrence !

_________________
Cpl Matthew Rendar. M56 smart gun operator. 2nd bat 7th colonial marines "Rendars Raiders "

Matt , sorry mate , forgot about you
superglue that section in place, but make sure the eyecup is set correctly to your eye.
I would do this at the end and whilst on your head

Cool thanks a lot bud . Really appreciate it !

_________________
Cpl Matthew Rendar. M56 smart gun operator. 2nd bat 7th colonial marines "Rendars Raiders "