Transformer Boom Box
Ever since I first watched the transformers movie, Blaster has been one of my favorite transformers. Two years ago, I finally got a Blaster toy for Christmas (It was the remake, with Lockjaw, Eject, and Ramhorn), As soon as I pulled him out of the twisty ties, I knew he would be the perfect transformer for some sort of modification; He had nice, large, hollow legs, plenty of space in his chest, and even a molded on/off switch on one of his legs. Upon further study, I found that the blaster mold was originally intended to be an actual radio, with a special cassette that acted as a receiver. After learning this, I was inspired to recreate this toy, replacing the radio cassette with an earphone jack that can be plugged into almost any MP3 player
This is not the my first transformer modification, my first is here - https://www.instructables.com/id/Transformer-Jump-Drive/
This is not the my first transformer modification, my first is here - https://www.instructables.com/id/Transformer-Jump-Drive/
Materials and Tools
Materials
- Blaster toy (mine was a remake of the original mold)
- one control chip for a stereo speaker with a volume control and power switch
- two smaller, toy speakers
- solder
- AAA battery case
Tools
- soldering iron
- wire snips
- needle nose pliers
- razor blade
- Philips head screwdriver
- hot glue gun
- Blaster toy (mine was a remake of the original mold)
- one control chip for a stereo speaker with a volume control and power switch
- two smaller, toy speakers
- solder
- AAA battery case
Tools
- soldering iron
- wire snips
- needle nose pliers
- razor blade
- Philips head screwdriver
- hot glue gun
Taking Apart Blaster
The first step is to take your Blaster apart and check out his insides. Start by pulling out all of the center body screws. then pull off the back piece and take the legs and arms out. Carefully place the front chest peace aside, taking care not to touch the mechanism inside as it is liable to fly apart, sending the tiny springs everywhere. With each leg, take all the screws out and place all the parts in two separate piles, one for the right leg, and another for the left. Place the head with the front body piece
Taking Apart the Speakers
With my speakers, the company didn't make the electronics as accessible as they could be. There was a centimeter of glued in foam between me and my speakers. So I forged my own entrance using my little friend the razor blade. After cutting away all the foam, I found that there was very little underneath; just the battery case, two speakers, and an incredibly small circuit board. After pulling these articles out of their casing, I compared one of the speakers to Blasters dissembled leg. Unfortunately, the speakers were way to big and didn't work. After digging through my electronic and toy bin, I found two toy speakers that fit perfectly into the leg. After hooking these up to the circuit board, I found they sounded great!
Left Leg
Although I began with the right leg, looking back I think that it would've been better to start with the left leg. This is because in the right leg there is not only a speaker, but a switch and batteries.
First, you cut the notches that will allow the wire of the speaker to reach the chest piece. when cutting these notches, make sure as you cut them that two wires can fit through them. the first notches you cut is in the knee joint, were you chisel them as specified in the photo. next you cut out the upper thigh's notches, also as specified in the photo. Last, but not least, you cut out a small hole large enough for two wires to slide through in the inside clicker.
Next, you start threading the wire through the leg. You start in the knee joint, putting a wire inside of each half with about 3 in sticking out each end, securing it with a dab of hot glue. After the glue has cooled, put the two halves together and slide on the inside clicker. Next, snap on the two halves of the upper thighs, threading the wire out the notches. Now solder the two wires to the speaker, and, using superglue, glue the speaker to the leg. Now, glue the solder joint around the pole, making sure that when the knee joint is fully extended the wires aren't completely stretched. Snap on the back of the lower leg, and put the screws back in. Hook up the speaker wires to the electronics and make sure that the speaker is working. If it is not, open it back up and look for crossed or cut wires and bad solder joints.
First, you cut the notches that will allow the wire of the speaker to reach the chest piece. when cutting these notches, make sure as you cut them that two wires can fit through them. the first notches you cut is in the knee joint, were you chisel them as specified in the photo. next you cut out the upper thigh's notches, also as specified in the photo. Last, but not least, you cut out a small hole large enough for two wires to slide through in the inside clicker.
Next, you start threading the wire through the leg. You start in the knee joint, putting a wire inside of each half with about 3 in sticking out each end, securing it with a dab of hot glue. After the glue has cooled, put the two halves together and slide on the inside clicker. Next, snap on the two halves of the upper thighs, threading the wire out the notches. Now solder the two wires to the speaker, and, using superglue, glue the speaker to the leg. Now, glue the solder joint around the pole, making sure that when the knee joint is fully extended the wires aren't completely stretched. Snap on the back of the lower leg, and put the screws back in. Hook up the speaker wires to the electronics and make sure that the speaker is working. If it is not, open it back up and look for crossed or cut wires and bad solder joints.
The Right Leg
As I said in the last step, the right leg is going to be more difficult than the left. First, you do everything you did in step four, but when cutting the notches, you make sure that 4 wires could go through, and when threading, you thread 4 wires instead of 2.
Next, cut out the screw post. This is necessary for both the switch and the batteries that are going to fit in that leg. Bore out the fake switch that was molded in. Once you have a large enough hole, glue the switch into its place. Take the battery pack's negative lead and solder it to the switch, and do the same with one of the extra wire's that were threaded though. Solder the positive lead of the battery pack strait into the positive extra wire. Now close up the lower leg and wire it up the circuit board. When doing this make sure that you have the battery wires correct and not mixed up with the speaker leads, as this might fry your control chip.
Next, cut out the screw post. This is necessary for both the switch and the batteries that are going to fit in that leg. Bore out the fake switch that was molded in. Once you have a large enough hole, glue the switch into its place. Take the battery pack's negative lead and solder it to the switch, and do the same with one of the extra wire's that were threaded though. Solder the positive lead of the battery pack strait into the positive extra wire. Now close up the lower leg and wire it up the circuit board. When doing this make sure that you have the battery wires correct and not mixed up with the speaker leads, as this might fry your control chip.
Wiring Up the Chest
I was very lucky, and my control board fit almost perfectly into Blasters chest. The only modification I had to make was cut slivers off of some supports so that the board could slide the entire way down and cut two screw supports, then I hot glued it to the back.
After that, I wired the control chip to the wire's coming out of the legs and checked that it all functioned perfectly. Then I lined the legs up with the torso, like it is positioned when transformed, and cut notches in the torso that lined up with the notches in the leg. I advise you to cut these notches wider, as to create room for the wire to move when transforming. Also, cut notches in the bottom of black peace that keeps the spring mechanism together as shown in the picture to create room for the wires. Then tuck the loose wires around the black peace, taking care not to pinch any.
Carefully, Take the front chest peace and cut a notch in the back of the cassette holder large enough for an earphone jack wire to fit through. Now, slide the earphone jack wire through the open cassette holder, and carefully put the two halves of the chest together, with the two legs sandwiched between them. Also, don't forget the arms when you put the chest back together, as it is a pain to open back up.
You should do one final test of the speakers, just to make sure that there are no problems, and then you are done!
After that, I wired the control chip to the wire's coming out of the legs and checked that it all functioned perfectly. Then I lined the legs up with the torso, like it is positioned when transformed, and cut notches in the torso that lined up with the notches in the leg. I advise you to cut these notches wider, as to create room for the wire to move when transforming. Also, cut notches in the bottom of black peace that keeps the spring mechanism together as shown in the picture to create room for the wires. Then tuck the loose wires around the black peace, taking care not to pinch any.
Carefully, Take the front chest peace and cut a notch in the back of the cassette holder large enough for an earphone jack wire to fit through. Now, slide the earphone jack wire through the open cassette holder, and carefully put the two halves of the chest together, with the two legs sandwiched between them. Also, don't forget the arms when you put the chest back together, as it is a pain to open back up.
You should do one final test of the speakers, just to make sure that there are no problems, and then you are done!
Conclusion
There are a couple add ons that I might do later.
- better speakers, Pezos arn't the best type in the world.
- add volume control
- external power supply, the left leg would be a great place to put an external power jack
- relocate the earphone jack, less of a additon, more of an optional modification. with the earphone jack in the cassette holder, you can't put in any of the cassettes. I might later relocate the earphone jack to the back
- a square Ipod shuffle would probably fit perfectly into Blasters chest, and would act like a little cassette.
- better speakers, Pezos arn't the best type in the world.
- add volume control
- external power supply, the left leg would be a great place to put an external power jack
- relocate the earphone jack, less of a additon, more of an optional modification. with the earphone jack in the cassette holder, you can't put in any of the cassettes. I might later relocate the earphone jack to the back
- a square Ipod shuffle would probably fit perfectly into Blasters chest, and would act like a little cassette.