WIP: Scratchbuilt Jetpack!

Matty Matt

Active Hunter
Ok, so after being inspired by awesome threads like Jango72's, I decided to try my hand at one of these. I don't have a lot of money right now and I enjoy making things, so I thought why the hell not. It's actually been a lot easier than I thought, just time consuming. The entire thing is going to be made from foamboard, thin plastic, and some pvc. Total cost so far is a little over $20 I think. You could definitely save money by just using things from around the house, like cardboard.

And yes, I am using WOF's templates. Never would have gotten started without them. They're totally awesome and require very little modification.

Please feel free to ask questions or to offer suggestions. I was hoping this thread could be informative to others. I should have more pics up soon.

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Looks great! The wizard has helped my an awful lot too, he's my new hero! ALL hail the wizard! Keep on pluggin the jetpack looks great so far!
 
Thanks for the kind words everyone. Here are a couple pics I snapped this morning.
Still trying to figure out how I'm going to make the piano keys...

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The endcaps were made using the templates. I just got some thin plastic sheeting (you could use something like a for sale sign), cut out the shapes and glued them together. I used some epoxy putty on the inside for reinforcement and just painted them with some gray primer.
 
could you use erasers for the piano keys???? they have that slant and you could always trim them if you need to. just an idea
 
Great work for 20 dollars. What could you do for a few dollars more??? Sorry about the Clint Eastwood joke, anyway you've inspired me to have a go at my own jetpack.Keep up the good work can't wait to see the finished product!!!
 
Thanks everyone. I hadn't thought about using erasers for the piano keys...I just don't know how well the paint will stick to them...hmmm, something to think about. I might just end up making them out of wood.
 
I've been working a lot lately, so I haven't had a lot of time to work on this. But I have made some progress. Got the piano keys on and did some more finishing/detailing work. By the way, I'm using vinyl spackle and Elmer's glue as a filler. It works great. Fill with your spackle, let it dry, sand it smooth, and then cover it with a layer of Elmer's glue. The glue soaks into the spackle and makes it hard and smooth. No chalkiness or cracking.

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And here's how I made the piano keys, if anyone is interested...

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I got a paint stick, split it down the middle longways, angled one entire edge, and cut it into evenly sized pieces. The best part? Paint sticks are free.
 
Thank you all for the compliments! I've started work on the rocket and I'm pretty pleased with the way everything is turning out. If anyone has any questions, please fire away.

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The rocket is going to be detachable at the base and I'm thinking of using rare earth magnets to hold it in place.
 
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