You might be wondering what this is… It’s a 3D printing project made by a good friend and neighbor of mine. It’s a Rail Gun, one of the weapons you can find in one of the most famous shooter games, called Quake 3 Arena, released back in 2000.
I actually didn’t know that game, but after seeing my friend’s magnificent printing project, I thought about making a military case from the game. You can see the finish better from up close. You can barely notice the printer’s passes, and this is only a prototype!
To make the box, I decided to use some left over pine paneling from another project. I think this will make it easier and more affordable. After taking measurements, I start cutting the material with my table saw.
The system will be as follows: glue pine strips of the necessary length reinforcing them with thinner perpendicular strips until we obtain the required dimensions. As you can see, I’ll use the raw, “ugly” side of the board because I’m aiming for an old, worn look.
Besides, the grooves in the paneling will give it a more realistic finish. I continue assembling the case and lid with a nail gun, making sure everything is properly aligned.
Now it’s time for the finish. I’ll use dark green paint. The paint brings out the imperfections in the wood, giving the finish a more realistic quality. Anyway, once the paint is dry, I’ll sand the wood a couple of times to remove paint in certain spots, giving it an older appearance. Then I put all the fittings in place and attach a pair of rope handles.
I’ve also printed these letters with the name of the gun and some other numbers to paint on the box. These little details make all the difference! Finally, I’ll try to darken some spots with a little black stain…
And here’s the result. This type of project can also be used for decorating stores or our house, to use as a toy box, etc…
If you are interested in seeing the complete 3D printing process and the assembly of the electronics I will leave a link here to my partner’s channel BricoGeek, where you can also see many more arduino and electronic projects.
