Dorothy V - "Weather Pack Drum" (Very Slow Build)

[Zenobian_84]

After an afternoon of driving around, listening to Satriani and EVH instrumentals, and getting looks from people on the road over my truck, I thought about what I'd still like to do with it. Since my truck is basically a giant theme, I thought that I should "complete" it, like any other person would.

 

ComancheKid45 brought up a good point when he asked me if I would one day get a rollbar and lights for the old girl to complete the homage; to which I told him perhaps. I also thought about the "Dorothy" weather drum from the movie (Twister), but had serious doubts of whether I could make something like that.

 

Well, I thought about it a bit, and decided, "Hey, why not?". If guys out there can build a car from the ground up, why can't I build a faux drum with lights and whatnot to take to car shows? :brows:

 

Seeing as how there were 4 of them in the movie, mine will obviously be the fifth. Here's what one looks like:

 

A picture of a replica out in Oklahoma I'm assuming. Without all the instruments / lighting attached.

 

Lastly, a hi-res shot of the 2nd one; very glad I was able to dig this one up. Pretty sure this is before it got dumped all over the highway in the movie.

 

The design is a pretty straightforward one; a steel (possibly aluminum?) drum attached to a (probably) 1-1/2 in. thick steel frame with 1/8in. (most likely 1/4in.) steel brackets keeping the drum on the frame. All in all, I discovered this thing weighs about 300 lbs with all the bells and whistles attached, from sources online I was able to dig up years ago. If you've ever seen the movie, mine won't be anywhere close to running like the ones there did; and will probably weigh just a fraction of 350 lbs (shooting for <100 lbs, fully dressed). No fancy Doppler radar dish, and no fancy on-board data-logging system.

 

First step was figuring out the dimensions of this beast :smart: Found a few pictures of it in the back of the J10; here's the better one.

 

J10s have a standard bed length of 8 feet (7 shortbox), and judging from the distance it is from the tailgate to the cab, I figured the real thing is around 4' x 3 1/2' (also taking into account the characters from the movie were able to fit 2 lengthwise in the back of a '96 Dodge Ram pickup with the tailgate lowered) I then went and took some measurements of my MJ's bed with the toolbox still inside. Discovered I can fit one comfortably inside on a 4' x 3' "Box" frame; but most likely will take out my toolbox when I attend shows so it sits aligned in the middle of the bed.

 

Ok, so enough banter, here's the schematics I drew up and dimensioning nonsense I made while listening to cartoons this afternoon. Excuse my sloppy handwriting and lack of straight lines in areas; it feels like ages since I've last done something like this, and it didn't help that I did it lazing on my couch with my sketchbook :eek:

 

Here is also the method to my madness. This is here just to have on record so I don't lose it, and because some might not get what I've written.

 

--KEY--

AMB = Anti-Movement Brace

CTH = Cylinder Tube Housing

BHF = Box Housing Frame

NTS = Not To Scale

 

--Dimensions--

**Box Frame is going to have 1" thickness all around.**

 

Cylinder Tube Housing = 43" (3'7" - Height)

"Box" Housing Frame = 3'x 4' (36"x48")

Corner Posts = 1"x1"

Cylinder Housing = 28" (2'4") Diameter

-----------------

* BHF will have 4 crescent shaped supports holding the CTH still; one at each post.

 

* Each post will be offset from a corner of the CTH by 2 inches (measured from the inward corner of the post to the cylinder); leaving enough room to install the braces flush against the housing/posts.

 

* AMBs may or may not be needed, depending if I want to have a "Removable" tube. If so, then AMBs will be installed. If not, then brackets will be mounted on the inside housing to the bottom of the BHF.

 

* CTH will be filled 75% full with Sensor Balls.

 

* Depending on cost to create ONE Sensor Ball, may just put plastic balls with some wiring in instead; some may have random flashing LED lights.

 

-------------------------------

A picture of the sensor balls; basically a double A sodered to a wiring board with a green and red LED installed.

 

Lastly, how this beast should sit in the truck, with the toolbox installed. The top line is how much above the bed it will sit (43 inches from the "humps" on the floor of the bed) and the box is where it's going to be placed.

 

So... with all that being said, now I have to basically figure out what I should make this out of. Since I'm shooting for a goal of <100lbs (I know that realistically, it'll be upwards of 120, MAYBE <150 if I'm lucky), does anyone have any suggestions on what I should build the "frame" out of using the measurements I'm going to use? I'm especially worried about the thickness being a huge factor; especially if I decide to go with metal. I was thinking about possibly making it out of wood and painting it, but I don't think I'd be satisfied in the end with that. Most likely I'm going to use a similarly shaped rain barrel for the sensor housing unit; seeing as how I don't think I can come across a steel/aluminum barrel like the actual thing. Everything else I can just do on the fly as it comes. So, now I'm going to go grab a cold drink and do some researching. Stay tuned for further details.. :typing: :thumbsup:

[ComancheKid45]

:popcorn: Definently watching this 1!

 

An easy start, all kidding aside would be an Aluminum Garbage can :dunno:

[Pete M]

fantastic! :clapping:

[87Warrior]

A few month after the movie Twister came out, I went out to the garage to work on my ATV. I always walked through the back door, past the recyclables and other odds and ends. I noticed the huge trash sacks of crushed cans were missing. Then I looked down at the large, square aluminum fish feeder my father had brought home from the farm. The danged fish feeder was chuck full of the crushed aluminum cans. Apparently my little sister and her friend were playing "Twister the movie" and the fish feeder was indeed Dorothy. :thwak:

 

Have fun!

[Zenobian_84]

A few month after the movie Twister came out, I went out to the garage to work on my ATV. I always walked through the back door, past the recyclables and other odds and ends. I noticed the huge trash sacks of crushed cans were missing. Then I looked down at the large, square aluminum fish feeder my father had brought home from the farm. The danged fish feeder was chuck full of the crushed aluminum cans. Apparently my little sister and her friend were playing "Twister the movie" and the fish feeder was indeed Dorothy. :thwak:

 

Have fun!

:clapping: Part of being a kid I suppose; making more work for the adults to clean up. :cheers:

 

Pretty sure I've located the "sensors" I plan on buying. I'm contemplating on whether the cost of actually implementing glowing lights is going to be worth it in the end.

 

There's a good probability that I'm going to install 4-7 Red, Blue, and Green LEDS along the inner wall of the housing itself. Something along the lines of this. Each battery installed inside will be protected by a styrofoam sheath (leaving the top 1/4 in. exposed); so when I have to replace the batteries, I can simply slide them up and out. Each protective sheath will be bracketed to the tube itself with a metal U shaped fitting, acting as the bracket and a grounding point. You can also see the beginnings of the siren/outer lighting switch hub. That will be located around 6 inches from the top of the lid; and the wires will be hidden behind the actual switches, underneath the top of the plate.

 

Where the lights will be placed inside is still up in the air. I haven't spent a lot of time looking for the type of lights I want to use yet. All the wiring will be run down through the tube and a run outside into a "Box" mounted to the side of the cylinder. Something like this should be good enough. In the movie, this box controlled the 3 cameras mounted to the instrument, each at different angles. I was thinking of using a design like this, and possibly using mounting 6 Cherokee fog-light console switches (not sure if I want to incorporate the factory mounting plates into the box yet.) to control the inside lighting. I'm going to attempt to make the factory switches light up as they should as well while the lights are on inside.

 

Decided to take some screen-caps of Dorothy from the movie. Most of this equipment is going to be fairly simple to re-create.

Red Arrows - Wind Speed Amemometers - Will be making this out of PVC tubing with a small 4 pronged "cup" structure at the top. (see 2nd to last picture)

Yellow Arrows - Angled Mounted Cameras - Will make these out of wood probably, with a glass ball of some sort for the "lens". (Not going to splurge for actual cameras. :ack: )

Blue Arrow - Mini Doppler Radar Dish - Not sure if I'll make this or not. If I do, it'll be made of wood with wooden dowel rods for the "prongs" with a tip on the end of them.

There's also a weather vane on there somewhere, which will be added. (last picture)

 

Finally, here's a shot of how the sirens and warning light HUB looks like. I never did like how everything was just twist-tied together and laying everywhere. Just going to use an L bracket and attach it to the cylinder, as well as tucking the wiring under and behind the toggle switches (tucked into a brace and bolted to the top of the L bracket so they don't dangle around while I'm driving, and so they don't look shoddy).

 

:wrench: :ack:

[Zenobian_84]

:popcorn: Definently watching this 1!

 

An easy start, all kidding aside would be an Aluminum Garbage can :dunno:

Y'know, I actually never thought of this. Will definitely look into it. :brows: ;)

[Dadinator]

Red, You may have taken that "extra step".

:nuts:

 

I love that movie, by the way... Probably seen it a dozen times.

[Zenobian_84]

Red, You may have taken that "extra step".

:nuts:

 

I love that movie, by the way... Probably seen it a dozen times.

Hey, I can't help what I like. No different than guys who spend thousands of $ modding out trucks to become rock crawlers. :yes:

 

Maybe I just want to have the coolest looking MJ around. Might even move out to Oklahoma one day and chase tornados. :shake: Kidding aside, I've always wanted to make my own Dorothy. Have since I was 6 :chillin:

[Dadinator]

Hey, I can't help what I like. No different than guys who spend thousands of $ modding out trucks to become rock crawlers. :yes:

 

Maybe I just want to have the coolest looking MJ around. Might even move out to Oklahoma one day and chase tornados. :shake: Kidding aside, I've always wanted to make my own Dorothy. Have since I was 6 :chillin:

 

You're exactly right.

Do what you like, like what you do...

 

I'll be watching... I want to see what it looks like when complete. :cheers:

[Zenobian_84]

Decided to start doing some of the custom graphics found on the drum.

 

Still a work in progress. Should only take another hour or so to finish it all up. It can wait for another day. Got a lot of projects going on right now.

 

Based off this one from the movie.

 

 

Still trying to source a drum, and I've been procrastinating on the sensor balls. Should have a prototype weather ball done by next weekend hopefully. I want to start getting this project off the ground; :wrench: or at the very least, everything sourced and diagramed by the end of the month. If I can get the electronic junk sorted out, and the weather ballasts / anemometers finished, I'll be in good shape. It's hard to work on something this time consuming when you're trying to juggle work, and day to day outings / projects. :ack:

[Automan2164]

Find somewhere you can buy these in bulk:

 

Quarter machine bubble container:

 

 

Rob

[Zenobian_84]

Find somewhere you can buy these in bulk:

 

Quarter machine bubble container:

 

 

Hmm... Will look into that. Not a bad idea, but they might be too small for what I'd like to do. We'll see though.

 

Also, going back to rework the Tornado completely. Don't like how it looks at all. Will probably also rework the weather sensors as well. Seems more like "Snowy" than anything... :dunno: :fs2:

[xjrev10]

This is absoulutely insanely cool! Who woulda thought!! :cheers:

[Zenobian_84]

So I had the intentions of making a prototype weather sensor today. Those plans promptly fell through when no craft store or even a party supply store had the style of plastic balls I was looking for. Seems I'll have to either head over to a major craft supply store or order everything online. I was just going to make a single one for now. Still trying to get a lead on tiny blinking LEDs.

 

Time for more I suppose. :typing:

 

On a positive note, I may have found my "Dorothy" drum. My buddy's old man is a collector of all kinds of different things, and he has quite a number of rain barrels sitting around his rather large garage that are the exact dimensions I'm looking for. I'm going to see if I can work my magic and get one for a few clams; much better than paying $100 for one. :brows: :yes:

[jimoshel]

Check the beach. Maybe those balls the fishermen use to float their nets might work.

[dasbulliwagen]

Are you going to make Dorthy 3/4 scale to match the truck??? :hmm:

[Zenobian_84]

Are you going to make Dorthy 3/4 scale to match the truck??? :hmm:

Nope. I'm sure some of my measurements are off, but I'm going for a 1:1 scale.

[Zenobian_84]

Been a while, with nothing major to report. Did find a good video on how to make a good looking Anemometer though. Going to try and make some sort of prototype today before I head off to work. I also need to find some cheapo VCRs and rob them of their ball bearing spinners; It's what makes the tape play / spin (or in this case, the anemometer) :yes: Going to do some things different than what's in the video though.

 

 

[rocketwheels]

How has this project been coming along?  I'm interested in the decal you made and where you may have found the other images.

 

I considered using one of those free standing beer coolers from a corner store as the cylinder, already has the correct clear convex lid installed. I figured I'd use old security cameras and  computer cases/communications junk. I think something very convincing can be created.

 

I'm intending to do this too, so any help you need or can lend to me, I'm here for you ! Steve

[Guest]

How has this project been coming along?  I'm interested in the decal you made and where you may have found the other images.

 

I considered using one of those free standing beer coolers from a corner store as the cylinder, already has the correct clear convex lid installed. I figured I'd use old security cameras and  computer cases/communications junk. I think something very convincing can be created.

 

I'm intending to do this too, so any help you need or can lend to me, I'm here for you ! Steve

Haven't made any progress since last October, sadly. I may have tinkered with a few decal designs, but other than that, I'm still at the same point I previously was. 

 

Found all the decal images within Twister itself, just merely took a screenshot of it when I could. Everything else was drawn up by me at an earlier date. I'd be interested in seeing if some old security cameras would work for some of the high-end technical gizmos the real one has in the movie. 

 

If you find such a container (I've been looking at several possible "Dorothy" cylinders, but have found nothing that would work.) To be quite honest, I didn't even think about using the beer containers they have in gas stations; let alone, where to even get one.  :hmm:

 

I assume you're interested for the replica you were planning on making for your J10? I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can. I could tweak the designs of the cage where Dorothy would sit (for a full size J10) since mine are scaled down; although I'm not sure which sections of the frame I did scale down (if any).

[rocketwheels]

Cool Deal !!  I will check into some of our local beer/softdrink vendors and see if I can get a couple of those freee standing coolers for us.

 

I think I have a line on some rotating red beacons , plus we have a habitat humanity type recycling place that has all kinds of old and leftover home and buisness  building supplies. I think I remember seeing communications / security / electronic consoles , switch boxes, cameras and other lit up appliances and stuff. I'm sure that is how they built the props to begin with, since each one was a little different from each other.

 

I think that it could all be wired up simply to a 12v car battery hidden inside the unit.

 

I'm on the prowl !

[jimoshel]

Check around some old farms and or farm and ranch supply stores as well as any well drilling, servicing outfits. The pressure tanks they use in wells comes in many different shapes and forms. I have one out back that I replaced on my well that I think would be perfect for the drum.

[rocketwheels]

Hey !!  I spoke with a neighbor that works for a beer/drink company. Told him what we were planning, he was excited to help out. He says that he should be able to find us a couple of the older coolers that are stashed at the warehouse. I asked him for one of the full size ( about as big as a 50 gallon drum) and one of the redbull type ones for your truck (nearly as tall but only 2/3rd the diameter) and with hinged lids if possible.

 

I went by our local Habitat Re-store and found several phone/cable router and computer boxes, some with switches and lights...also stopped by a Mikes Warehouse, they sell overstock and junk from containers and overstock buyouts. There I found several automotive, industrial and also communications grade type cables with connectors and receivers already install. Would make for some good "technical" junk to run between the holding bin and the outer switch boxes.

 

Trying to source some large red rotator beacons without paying for actual law enforcement grade lights. The ones from Spencers or the Party Store are cheap , just a little cheesy.

[rocketwheels]

Check around some old farms and or farm and ranch supply stores as well as any well drilling, servicing outfits. The pressure tanks they use in wells comes in many different shapes and forms. I have one out back that I replaced on my well that I think would be perfect for the drum.

...good idea, I'll see what is available in this area !  Thanks jimoshel