Star Wars Deathstar Signage

Since i've making a lot of 3d printing related videos.. i thought i should add in a decor for my computer so when i shoot something on my table it wont look as empty.. i've always wanted to add a turrent tower that will look left and right to my old project X-Wing Automata but i was too lazy to redesign the automata base for it.. so in the end i just made a new star wars deathstar themed tabletop signage..

The signage is gonna have the deathstar surface looks on the sides and a turrent on top that will rotate left and right with blinking LED firing from its cannons.. everything can be controlled by a button and a knob that will be blended into the deathstar walls..

i'll be teaching how to make the text inside of signage to whatever you want.. mine is gonna say "use the force" from the scene where luke tries to shoot the torpedo into the deathstar vent.. Everything will be done using tinkercad..

Difficulty Level:

• 3D printing – Easy
• Assembly – Easy
• Wiring – Easy
• Painting – Easy

So lets begin..

• LED 5mm - red color x2 - https://amzn.to/3qa0adS
• LED strip 5v - https://amzn.to/3C6jfQQ
• Mini servo tester - https://amzn.to/42eZYY8
• SG90 servo - https://amzn.to/3WEPal5
• Tactile button - 15mm height - https://amzn.to/3N5Bnke
• soldering board
• Dupont connectors male and female
• 10k resistor - https://amzn.to/3OODvy6
• 100uf capacitor - https://amzn.to/3MKa3Xg
• BC547 transistor - https://amzn.to/3WJl1RA
• Micro USB female connector board
• wires AWG24 & AWG18
• rocker switch - 2pins - 15x10mm - https://amzn.to/42gkSpGhttps://amzn.to/42gkSpG
• Silicone glue & glue gun
• terminal block

And of course a FDM 3d printer or DLP Resin 3d printer to print all the parts..

The model is quite straighforward using only the basic geometry found in tinkercad.. since im going to print the base signage flat on its back.. im going to add all the panels and shaft with a 45 degree angle tiangles.. so that when we 3d print it.. it will not have a overhang..

The cannon turrent is split into 3 parts.. the cannons on top.. the turrent base in the middle and a rod in the middle that will control the turning of the turrent.. on the inside the rod is connected to 2 gears.. one 16 teeth connected to the rod.. and another 30 teeth gear connected to the servo..

The front panel of the signage will have custom text that i will show you how to make later..

Now I have provided 2 panels for the text.. one has the text "use the force" and the other is a blank panel.. you can copy my text panel tinkercad file here..

If you want to add in your own text.. here's how you do it..

making the text

• first open this website https://fontmeme.com/star-wars-font/
• its a website to generate your star wars font text..
• type in the text you want
• select starjedi font
• select 300 size font
• pick none effect
• and select black color text
• now click on generate
• once it create your text.. right click on it and save it as png

converting text to svg for tinkercad

• now open website https://image.online-convert.com/convert-to-svg
• upload your png text
• and click start
• once its done you can download the svg file

importing into tinkercad

• open my tinkercad file
• import file
• select your converted svg file
• you might need to resize the file dimentsion to maybe 500 on the width
• now you will have to rescale the text to fit into the blank panel
• the height of the text needs to be higher than 3mm of the panel size
• use the align to center the text
• switch the text color to hole
• select both panel and text and group it
• now you have made your own text panel

if you want to make multiple layer text.. just create it on the font website first or do each layer text separately on different png and svg file.. just import the text svg one at a time..

You can find the 3d printed files here: www.fay3dlab.com

Once you 3d print everything it is recommended to paint the models first..

When the painting is done.. you will need to prep the deathstar base with brass threaded inserts for the screws..

there is one panel that you can either 3d print it using clear filament or you can just use 2mm acrylic sheet.. if you're using acylic sheet make sure you cut it following the size of the text panel.. make sure to overlay the text panel with the acrylic and drill 2 holes for the screws..

once you're done you can test screw the top frame panel.. the middle text panel.. and the bottom clear panel together.. use 16mm M3 screws

test screwing the panels to the base.. if everything is align than you can glue all 3 panels together and remove the screws..

The turrent comes in 3 parts:

• Turrent top
• Turrent body
• Turrent shaft rod
• Turrent gear

the body will need to be glued onto the deathstar base first..

then insert 2 wires from the turrent cannons to the main body.. do for both cannon.. we will add in LEDs to the tip of the cannon.. dont forget to use heat shrink tube on one of the LED hand so it wont touch each other.. do the same for both.. make sure you're connecting it to the right +ve and -ve wire color..

Next run through the 4 wires into the shaft rod and now you can glue the turrent top to the shaft rod..

insert the rod into the body and inside the base.. put the rod through the gear..

you will now have 4 dangling wires from the bottom of the gear.. i added male dupont connectors for each LED wire to be connected to the blinking board later..

if your gear is slightly loose from the shaft rod.. dab a little glue on the tip of the rod before inserting into the gear to make them stick..

in order to control the servo to rotate the turrent.. we will be using a mini servo tester which has 3 mode..

• Manual - turn the knob to manually adjust the position and the speed
• Neutral - return the servo to the center point
• Auto - makes the servo swing back and forth at its widest angle

the auto feature is the one we will be using to make the turrent turns left and right

the installation is quite simple.. strip the plastic off the tester.. we'll need access to the board.. we just need to add 5v power to the servo tester and plug in the servo onto the output of the servo tester..

now we will need to solder 2 wires to tactile button and wire it to our own tactile switch button that has a longer button..

we will need to use the servo hand and screw provided together with the servo and install the gear to it..

once installed.. turn on the servo tester and put it on neutral mode.. it will center the servo.. now you can install the gear with the servo hand and screw it to the servo.. make sure the gear center align with the servo as well..

now install the servo with the gear to the base.. make sure the gears connect to each other and have a slight gap..

use 2 x 6mm M3 screw to lock the servo in place..

I need to apologize first since im not engineer background i have no idea on how to make a proper electronic diagram for this part.. but i believe from the diagram i made it is easy to understand and follow..

We will be using BC547 transistor to make 2 LEDs blink and flash..

please follow diagram on how to make them..

if you're having problems understanding how to make the blinking board.. here's a youtube video where i copied from..

https://youtu.be/-5MPqNrH9Xs

now we will install 5v led strip onto the middle panel that will shine light to the text and make the text glow..

you could cut and tape the LED strip to size to follow the panel or just bend it and arrange it to fill up the panel..

make sure your LED wire starts from the bottom left of the panel where there is a gap.. and start arranging the LED upwards..

once finished.. always test to make sure the LED strip lights on with 5v power supply..

Now we will need to solder 2 wires to the USB mini female board.. the +ve wire will be connected to the rocker switch on the side of the base and the 2 wires to a connector block.. now hot glue the USB board to the back of the base and the connector block too..

now all the +ve and -ve wires from the blinking LEDs, LED strips and the servo tester will be connected to the connector block

for the servo tester.. we will use silicone glue to mount it to the side of the wall where there is a hole that the knob can fit in.. install the knob and all the wires to servo and 5v connector block before hot glueing it.. do the same for the new tactile switch..

Test out the connections and make sure the LEDs light up.. the servo rotates.. and the LEDs blinks on the cannon..

Now we can close the middle panel with all the LED strip and screw it with a 6mm M3 screw..

The final step is to screw the text panels that has been screw on to the base and you are done

This is a simple custom signage with lights.. it will be a great addition to your desktop as i have on mine.. although i do find the blinking LEDs slightly distracting when im trying to do some work.. its even more distracting with the turrent turning left and right.. LOL.. I made this last minute and i hope you like it..

Have fun making one and happy 3d printing..