Dental Expander Scratch Build

Distracted from the Jetpack build I am working on, I decided to take a look at the gauntlets I got from RKD, which got me to thinking about a dental expander. This got me to thinking I could build a nice approximation of one of the harder to acquire greeblies cheaply. It's not absolutely perfect, but it's pretty nice. I wouldn't want it in my mouth, though! Come to think of it, I wouldn't want the real deal in my mouth either!

I used this thread for reference photo and dimensions.

I used thin scrap aluminum (I had this laying around. I think it was originally from an old lawn chair) and a small galvanized nail.


It took a few tries, but using dimensions I found in another thread I was able to fabricate and drill/file the body. I cut the head off of the nail (and saved it and dremeled a small dot in the center), then cut the shaft to size.


Epoxied.


Tiny bugger!

Nice work! How'd you get the bends into the body piece from the flat stock?

you willing to make another i need one badly lol those are hard to find

Canned Ham said:

Nice work! How'd you get the bends into the body piece from the flat stock?

Click to expand...

Thanks! The stock is quite thin (I didn't measure it), which makes it easy to bend, but also easy to break if you work it too much. I goofed on 2 of them trying to get a good method. I worked the center around a small drill bit, then used a pair of jeweler's pliers to form the rest.

ZeroGinc said:

you willing to make another i need one badly lol those are hard to find

Click to expand...

Shoot me a PM, we might be able to work something out

Wow! Amazing job on a small piece like this!

Thanks RF. I am trying to think of ways to make it better already These photos that magnify it about 4x or more make me crazy!