MLAB | CAPTAIN MARVEL POWER GAUNTLET

In celebration of the latest Marvel Superhero making her big screen debut, Captain Marvel, we wanted to create a project harnessing her Kree Superpowers for aspiring Captain Marvels to go #HigherFurtherFaster using CAD (Computer Aided Design), our 3D Printer, and Electronics.

We decided to make a Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet to allow for us to feel like we can take on a few Skrulls ourselves. Follow these simple steps to create your own Power Gauntlet inspired by Captain Marvel.

In this Step-by-Step, we will show you how to make a 3D model of Captain Marvel's famous logo for our Power Gauntlet.

Check out the mLab Episode VIII: 'Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet' above to see how we brought the following steps to life.

In order to create our 3D model, we will use Sketchbook and Tinkercad 3D Designs. Sketchbook, is a software that allows for you to transform your drawings into a digital format on a wide variety of devices (i.e. your computer, iOS and Android Device, and even your Fire Tablet). The second software application we are using, Tinkercad, is a 3D design or CAD software that allows for you to transform your ideas and sketches into 3D models simply using your computer. As an added bonus, both software applications are free to use!

Now, if the term "CAD" sounds unfamiliar to you, don’t fear. CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design.

CAD is a type of software that allows for us to build 3D objects using our computer.

Once we are finished with our Tinkercad CAD model, we can export the model to a 3D Printer, a machine that uses materials such as plastic in order to print physical objects. If you don't have access to a 3D Printer, you can also order a 3D print from online 3D Printing resources or explore your local resources to 3D Print your CAD Model (For Example; your local school or library or makerspace).

Regardless of what you decide to do with your CAD Model, the most important step is to get started.

So...Let's Get Started!

In order to begin, we need to pick a component of Captain Marvel that we would like to bring to life.

Hence, we decided to take a quick look at the 'Captain Marvel' Trailer. Enjoy!

Based on the Captain Marvel Trailer, we decided to design a Power Gauntlet inspired by Captain Marvel's ability to shoot energy pulses from her fists.

We wanted to use White/Yellow LEDs in order to illuminate our Gauntlet in a manner similar to Captain Marvel's Gloves in the Trailer, alongside add Captain Marvel's Symbol to the Gauntlet and LEDs. In order to do so, we need to first create a CAD Model of Captain Marvel's Symbol and 3D Print her Symbol for use on our Power Gauntlet. Later, we will need to lay out and wire the electronic components in order to illuminate Captain Marvel's Gauntlet.

In order to get started, given we aren't artists, we need to make a Sketch of our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet to serve as a Canvas or a 'Battle Plan' for our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet. Just like an Artist would use a Canvas to apply their Masterpiece, we will do the same with our Sketch.

If you already have a Sketch or would like to just jump straight into creating a CAD Model of your Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet in Tinkercad, feel free to move on to the next step.

Now, to create our Sketch of our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, we used the Sketchbook App on our iPad in order to trace over an image of Captain Marvel's Logo to obtain an outline of her symbol to populate our Gauntlet (shown in the video below).

You can also use Sketchbook on your Phone, Fire Tablet, Computer (highly recommend either a Touchscreen Computer or use a Wacom Tablet or Digital Tablet accessory) to create a digital Sketch of Captain Marvel's Symbol and overall Power Gauntlet. If you prefer more traditional methods, you can use traditional pen and paper in order to outline Captain Marvel's logo, snap a picture, and use the image as a Canvas as well for your CAD Model.

Here is how we brought our Sketch of Captain Marvel's Power Gauntlet to reality;

[Sketchbook]

Now, it's time for us to bring our Sketch to life using Tinkercad.

After developing our Sketch of Captain Marvel's Power Gauntlet, we can now transform our Sketch into a CAD Model using Tinkercad.

In Tinkercad, we are going to bring a 'Basic Shape' from the Right Toolbar;

• Bring the blue 'Star' Basic Shape from the Right Toolbar onto your Workplane.
• Edit your 'Star' Basic Shape using the Shape Toolbar
  • Edit the 'Points' of your 'Star' Basic Shape from (5) to (8)
  • If you desire, Edit the 'Color' of your Basic Shape Solid to your desired Color.

Since, we want to make the interior of our Captain Marvel Symbol hollow in order to disguise the electronics for our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet.

In order to do so, we need to Duplicate our Captain Marvel Symbol

Using the Upper Toolbar;

• Duplicate your 'Star' Basic Shape
• Edit your 'Star' Basic Shape using the Shape Toolbar
  • Edit your 'Star' Basic Shape from a Solid to a Hole
• Edit the Size of your Duplicate Symbol to your desired Thickness [1/8"]
  • In our Tinkercad Model;
    • Our Original Symbol is a Width: 2.5" and Length: 2.5".
    • Our Duplicate Symbol is a Width: 2.437" and Length: 2.437"

Now, it's time to hollow our Symbol for our Electronic components;

• Move your Duplicate Symbol up and down using the black Cone above the Shape until we have our desired Thickness.
  • In our Tinkercad Model;
    • We selected the Original Symbol and moved it (1/8") from the Workplane.
• Drag your Mouse across all of the Basic Shapes on your Workplane in order to 'Select All'.
• Select 'Group' from the Right-Side of the Upper Toolbar.
• Voila!

Once we have our Captain Marvel Symbol, we can continue to further edit our Symbol to fit our LEDs, Power Source, and more before we send our CAD Model to our 3D Printer.

If you have access to a 3D Printer;

Congratulations! You can make your Captain Marvel Symbol into reality.

If not, you can have your CAD Model printed at your local school, library, or maker-space with public access to a 3D Printer or you can order online and have it shipped to your home through VooDoo Manufacturing.

How do you export your CAD Model for 3D Printing? It's simple.

In Tinkercad, you can go to the upper Right Hand Corner of the Upper Toolbar and Export your CAD Model as a .STL File.

For example, we are using a Dremel 3D20 3D Printer, so we will be using Dremel DigiLab.

If .STL sounds a like an alien format, don't panic just yet.

STL files are a very popular file format for 3D or CAD Models and its similar to exporting a document as a Microsoft Word (.doc) or PDF format (.pdf).

Once you upload the .STL File to your 3D Printing Software, the software will transform your CAD model into a language that machines, in particular 3D Printers, can understand.

So, in order to recap:

.STL = Language for 3D Modeling and Printing Software

.gCode = Language for 3D Printers to understand CAD Models

In our case, we used Dremel DigiLab, which allows for you to upload .STL files and convert the file into the .gCode that corresponds to our Dremel 3D20 3D Printer.

For our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, we wanted to ensure every inch our our Gauntlet showcases Captain Marvel's Superpowers. Therefore, we wanted to add the Power to Captain Marvel's Power Gauntlet.

In order to do so, we will need the following items for (1) Glove, (if you plan to create a Pair of Gauntlets, double the number of materials);

Materials

• (5) 5mm LEDs
• (1) CR2032 3V Coin Cell Battery
• (1) CR2032 Coin Cell Battery Holder
• (20) 2" Strand of Electric Wire w/ Metal Ends Striped (or Uncovered)*
• (1) Push Button
• Double Sided Tape
• A Glove

Tools and Equipment

• Pair of Long-Nosed Plier
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• Glue Gun Sticks
• Optional;
  • Soldering Iron with Stand
  • Solder (Highly Recommended: Lead-Free)
  • Fume Extractor

*(We used Jumper Wire in order to make our Circuit. If you do use Jumper Wires and decide to solder your circuits, make sure not to solder or heat the rubber ends of the Jumper Wires.)

In order to create our LED Circuit to incorporate LEDs into our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, we need to make and test our LED Circuit.

To test our LED Circuit, we used Tinkercad Circuits;

Now that we have a plan for the electronics of our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, it's time to bring our plan to reality.

Feel free to follow along with the mLab Episode for the following section;

Part A:

First, we need to lay out our materials for our LED Circuit onto our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet.

On our LED, or the ‘Light’ for our Gauntlet, each leg plays a unique role in our circuit. One leg is Positive or the Anode and the other leg is Negative or the Cathode, just like on a AA or AAA Battery.

In Electronic Circuits, just like when you put a AA or AAA Battery in a device incorrectly and it doesn’t turn on, we have to make sure that we place our LEDs, Batteries, and Push Button in our circuit are placed correctly.

For our LEDs, we are going to wire the Positive Leg of each LED on a ‘Finger’ to each other.

Then repeat wiring the Negative Leg of each LED.

In order to do so, take the LED you placed on your pinkie knuckle and twist the Positive Leg around your long-nosed pliers making a loop.

Next, take a wire and feed the metal end through the loop.

To finish, take your long-nosed pliers and bend the metal end of the jumper wire around the loop.

Woot! Woot! You've completed your first loop, let’s do the same for the negative leg of the pinkie knuckle LED.

Part B:

Now that we have our first LED wired, let's connect our Knuckle LEDs together;

Negative to Negative. Positive to Positive.

Once we have all of our Knuckle LEDs wired, we can now connect our circuit to our Coin Cell Battery Holder and Push Button.

Let's connect the Positive Leg of our left-most (Thumb) Knuckle LED on the Thumb to the Positive Lead from by Coin Cell Battery Holder.

Finally, we will connect the Negative Leg of my left-most (Thumb) Knuckle LED to my Push Button, then connect the other end of our Push Button to our Coin Cell Battery Holder.

Place a CR2032 Coin Cell Battery into the Coin Cell Battery Holder.

Now, it's time for a test-drive of our Circuit. Press the Button.

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Given we have now tested the Power of our Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, it's time to bring everything together.

Before we bring everything together, if you would like to make your connections a little more permanent, we can solder our connections.

In order to do so, please make sure to do so in a well-ventilated area and with the guidance and supervision of an Adult (unless you are one).

To Solder, you will need to use a Soldering Iron with a Stand featuring a damp Sponge or Wire-Type Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner, Solder (highly recommend lead-free), and a Fume Extractor.

On our Circuit;

• Clean the Tip of your Soldering Iron on your Sponge or Wire-Type Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner.
• Add a little Solder to the Tip of your Soldering Iron until it covers the entire Tip.
• Clean the Tip of your Soldering Iron again. You should see a shiny metal coating on the Tip (as shown)
• Place your Soldering Iron Tip on the metal connection you want to solder on your Circuit
  • TIP: If you are using Jumper Wires or Electric Wires, make sure you DO NOT TOUCH THE PLASTIC OR RUBBER!
• Place the Solder on the Connection and hold until the Solder liquefies.
• Guide the molten Solder using the Soldering Iron Tip until the connection is covered.

BOOM! You’ve just soldered your first connection in your Circuit!

We will continue to do this for the remaining components to ensure our Circuit is more robust for fighting Skrulls.

Once we have our Circuits ready for showtime, it's time for everything to come together.

Now that our Captain Marvel Symbols are 3D Printed and Electronics are working, we can assemble our Captain Marvel Kree Power Gauntlet.

PRO TIP: You can use a Hot Glue Gun to ensure your newly soldered electrical connections don’t break upon repeated use of your Power Gauntlet. If you decide to use a Hot Glue Gun, please make sure you have Adult Supervision.

In order to ensure our Electronics don’t move around too much on our Gauntlet (i.e. our Glove), you can use Double-Sided Tape.

• Using your Pair of Scissors, Cut a strip of Double-Sided Tape
• Place the Strip where you would like to place your LED on your Glove
• Repeat until you place Double-Sided Tape everywhere you want to place a LED on your Glove
• Place your LEDs, carefully, on each Double-Sided Tape Strip on your Glove
• Repeat the Steps above for your Battery Holder or any wires you may hand to nail down (for wires, makes sure you leave enough room for bending and flexing. Don't cripple your Power Gauntlet).

PRO TIP: As you place the LEDs on each Double-Sided Tape Strip, make sure you haven't disturbed your connections. Keep your Circuit ON to ensure you can catch any flickering or OFF LEDs as you are assembling.

On our version, we will be adding our freshly 3D-Printed 'Captain Marvel' Star Force Symbols on each LED and Battery Holder using just a touch of Hot Glue.

PRO TIP: For our 'Captain Marvel' Star Force Symbols on each LED, we simply added a 5mm (~0.20 inches) hole in the middle of our 'Captain Marvel' Star Force Symbols.

Now, it's time for the moment of truth...does your Power Gauntlet unleash Captain Marvel's Kree powers in your hand.

It's a journey full of twists and turns, but you've created your own Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet.

When it comes to your Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet, it's very important to customize it in order to make it your very own. As you have seen so far, Tinkercad allows you to make CAD Models and Circuit Designs to bring your ideas to life. Given our favorite colors are Blue and Yellow, we customized our Power Gauntlet using Blue Satin gloves, Golden Yellow Captain Marvel Symbols for our LEDs and Battery Holder, and concealing our push button inside our glove.

However, you can take this a step further in terms of customizing your Captain Marvel Power Gauntlet.

For example, try exporting your Captain Marvel Symbol as a .SVG file and using a Cutting Machine (i.e. Cricut or Laser Cutter) and make your Symbols out of Pleather and attach to a Pleather Glove. Perhaps make a Mold of one of your Captain Marvel Symbols and use a Hot Glue Fun and Glitter Glue Stick to make Glitter versions of Captain Marvel's Symbol to reflect the LEDs better.

Whatever you decide to do, simply #BuildMakeLearn.

Plus, don't forget to share snapshots of your creations with us on Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @Mbadika) using the Hashtags - #HigherFurtherFaster #mLabBuilds.