Introduction: Portal 2 "Pillar Button"
Edit: Instructable rewritten by JGWalrus
Hi! My name is Gaston Sueldo, I'm 16, I live in Argentina and yesterday I made this.
Hi! My name is Gaston Sueldo, I'm 16, I live in Argentina and yesterday I made this.
Step 1: Get Your Materials!
What I used: (Quite necessary)
1 meter (3.28 feet) of 10.16 cm (4 inches) of white PVC pipe
1m of blue LED strip
1 electric converter
1 on/off switch
1 hamster wheel (I'll explain later)
A sheet of blue cellophane
A cap from a vacuum bottle (type of Thermos bottle)
A spring
Some wire
Wooden dowel or handle
Paint; Red, Black, Crystal Clear and White
Piece of 5cm x 5cm (2" x 2") lumber
Optional Items:
Cheap Mp3 player
Speakers
Tools:
Duct Tape
Electrical tape or Heat shrink tubing
Soldering iron and tin
Hot glue gun and glue
Dremel or Sand paper
Drill
Scissors
Hammer and Nails
Tape Measure
Hacksaw
Paintbrush
Pencil
1 meter (3.28 feet) of 10.16 cm (4 inches) of white PVC pipe
1m of blue LED strip
1 electric converter
1 on/off switch
1 hamster wheel (I'll explain later)
A sheet of blue cellophane
A cap from a vacuum bottle (type of Thermos bottle)
A spring
Some wire
Wooden dowel or handle
Paint; Red, Black, Crystal Clear and White
Piece of 5cm x 5cm (2" x 2") lumber
Optional Items:
Cheap Mp3 player
Speakers
Tools:
Duct Tape
Electrical tape or Heat shrink tubing
Soldering iron and tin
Hot glue gun and glue
Dremel or Sand paper
Drill
Scissors
Hammer and Nails
Tape Measure
Hacksaw
Paintbrush
Pencil
Step 2: Making the Housing
After researching the button online, I started off with the PVC
(IMAGE 1-2)
Using the hacksaw I cut the PVC on an angle similar to the one in the game.
I then measured the surface of the pipe and divided it in 4 parts marking 2cm strips on the front and sides
After that I cut out the strips from the bottom of the pipe to 10cm before the end.
Once all the strips where cut I sanded all the edges with my dremel.
This was the most painful part of the build because I used a saw without a handle, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you use
something like a dremel with a cutting piece.
(IMAGE 3-4)
I cut some strips of the cellophane 10cm long and 3-4cm wide and attached them behind the cut strips with tape.
f your pipe does not retain its shape due to the strips you cut out: Use a surplus piece of PVC pipe to keep it open for the moment.
(IMAGE 5)
II decided to use the button to control a MP3 player. I cut a hole in the back near the bottom to store the MP3 in. I sanded the edges down with my Dremel.
this is optional, adding a MP3 player will raise the cost of the project. If you don't add an Mp3 player, just cut
a small hole for the wires
(IMAGE 6-7)
For the red button I just took a cap off a vacuum bottle and painted it red. While the paint was drying, I searched for and printed off an Aperture Science logo.
(The logo isn't on the button in-game, but I put it there out of personal taste.)
Then I cut out one of the triangles and made the same logo in cardboard, glued it to the cap and painted it as well.
When it was all dry I gave it several coats of clear paint to make the paint more durable.
(IMAGE 8-9)
To make the black border around the button I used an old half of a hamster wheel. Yes I know, it's hard to find one, but I did it and you probably can too.
If not you can get creative finding something similar (or even better). I painted it black to match the in-game pillar.
(IMAGE 1-2)
Using the hacksaw I cut the PVC on an angle similar to the one in the game.
I then measured the surface of the pipe and divided it in 4 parts marking 2cm strips on the front and sides
After that I cut out the strips from the bottom of the pipe to 10cm before the end.
Once all the strips where cut I sanded all the edges with my dremel.
This was the most painful part of the build because I used a saw without a handle, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you use
something like a dremel with a cutting piece.
(IMAGE 3-4)
I cut some strips of the cellophane 10cm long and 3-4cm wide and attached them behind the cut strips with tape.
f your pipe does not retain its shape due to the strips you cut out: Use a surplus piece of PVC pipe to keep it open for the moment.
(IMAGE 5)
II decided to use the button to control a MP3 player. I cut a hole in the back near the bottom to store the MP3 in. I sanded the edges down with my Dremel.
this is optional, adding a MP3 player will raise the cost of the project. If you don't add an Mp3 player, just cut
a small hole for the wires
(IMAGE 6-7)
For the red button I just took a cap off a vacuum bottle and painted it red. While the paint was drying, I searched for and printed off an Aperture Science logo.
(The logo isn't on the button in-game, but I put it there out of personal taste.)
Then I cut out one of the triangles and made the same logo in cardboard, glued it to the cap and painted it as well.
When it was all dry I gave it several coats of clear paint to make the paint more durable.
(IMAGE 8-9)
To make the black border around the button I used an old half of a hamster wheel. Yes I know, it's hard to find one, but I did it and you probably can too.
If not you can get creative finding something similar (or even better). I painted it black to match the in-game pillar.
Step 3: Making the Inside
(IMAGE 1)
I cut a wooden board to fit from the bottom of the pillar to near the top. Mine was 80cm long, but yours may vary depending on the size of your dowel and spring.
The round piece on top keeps the pipe open. (If your bottom was closing in earlier, add one to the bottom as well.)
After all that I drilled two holes in opposite sides of the round top.
Paint the stand of wood with withe paint, that will make the ligth bounce more, i didn't do it and now you can clearly see the wood inside
(IMAGE 2-3)
The LEDS that I bought came with a strip of tape. I used it to attach the LEDS to the wood and passed the cable end through the hole I cut earlier. In the other hole I passed the end of my electrical converter
and attached it to wood using electrical tape.
(IMAGE 4-5)
I glued the on-off button in the center of the round using hot glue. The on-off button interrupts one of the cables do I cut 2-3cm of two of the four cables and striped them all.
Once that was done I just soldered the two long wires to each other with the soldering iron and protected it using heat shrink tubing. (Remember to put it on before soldering the wires)
(IMAGE 6-7)
I glued a large spring to the inside of the red button and I covered the end of it in electrical tape so it doesn't connect with any of the wires.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The spring needs to be long enough to get from the wood to the exterior, and wide enough o fit the switch inside.
(IMAGE 8-9-10)
Next, I cut the end off a broomstick (Or use a dowel) that was the length of the spring, minus the height of the on-off switch, so it could touch both ends.
Then I just made a small hole with the drill so the switch could fit nicely and glued the stick on top of it.
(IMAGE 11-12)
Finally I glued the end of the stick to the bottom of the red button and I also glued the base of the spring to the round plate in a way that it wouldn't touch any wires.
I soldered the wires to the switch and isolated them with shrink tubing.
FINAL RESULT OF THE MECHANISM:
I cut a wooden board to fit from the bottom of the pillar to near the top. Mine was 80cm long, but yours may vary depending on the size of your dowel and spring.
The round piece on top keeps the pipe open. (If your bottom was closing in earlier, add one to the bottom as well.)
After all that I drilled two holes in opposite sides of the round top.
Paint the stand of wood with withe paint, that will make the ligth bounce more, i didn't do it and now you can clearly see the wood inside
(IMAGE 2-3)
The LEDS that I bought came with a strip of tape. I used it to attach the LEDS to the wood and passed the cable end through the hole I cut earlier. In the other hole I passed the end of my electrical converter
and attached it to wood using electrical tape.
(IMAGE 4-5)
I glued the on-off button in the center of the round using hot glue. The on-off button interrupts one of the cables do I cut 2-3cm of two of the four cables and striped them all.
Once that was done I just soldered the two long wires to each other with the soldering iron and protected it using heat shrink tubing. (Remember to put it on before soldering the wires)
(IMAGE 6-7)
I glued a large spring to the inside of the red button and I covered the end of it in electrical tape so it doesn't connect with any of the wires.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The spring needs to be long enough to get from the wood to the exterior, and wide enough o fit the switch inside.
(IMAGE 8-9-10)
Next, I cut the end off a broomstick (Or use a dowel) that was the length of the spring, minus the height of the on-off switch, so it could touch both ends.
Then I just made a small hole with the drill so the switch could fit nicely and glued the stick on top of it.
(IMAGE 11-12)
Finally I glued the end of the stick to the bottom of the red button and I also glued the base of the spring to the round plate in a way that it wouldn't touch any wires.
I soldered the wires to the switch and isolated them with shrink tubing.
FINAL RESULT OF THE MECHANISM:
Step 4: The End
Thank you for reading this instructable. I've seen that some people want to have a Portal themed room and thought this would be a nice addition.
To finish it off I made a simple wooden base and painted it black. I painted the PVC pipe white to cover any marks, and made some simple shelves for my speakers.
The pictures explain everything. If you have any questions you can contact me here or by my youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/gastysk9
Also thanks to the user JGWalrus for rewrite all the instructable to English. I really appreciate it
Salu2!
To finish it off I made a simple wooden base and painted it black. I painted the PVC pipe white to cover any marks, and made some simple shelves for my speakers.
The pictures explain everything. If you have any questions you can contact me here or by my youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/gastysk9
Also thanks to the user JGWalrus for rewrite all the instructable to English. I really appreciate it
Salu2!