Nuka-Cola Quantum and Nuclear Reactor Display Stand

In here I'm going to show you how to make a Nuka-Cola Quantum with a display stand that looks like a mini nuclear reactor.
I wanted to make my own Quantum but I didn't want one that was just sitting on a light. I wanted to make a base with purpose- one that looked like it was part of the piece. I came up with this little reactor design. I designed it to make it look like the reactor is blasting the Quantum with radiation activating the strontium in the liquid. I also tried to design it to look like it came from the Fallout universe.

 

Step 1: Materials Needed

Here are the tools and materials needed to make this highly sought after wasteland beverage:

Materials
-scissors
-355 ml Mexican Coke bottle (the size is important for it to fit inside the exhaust gasket)
-tonic water with Quinine (it glows under ultraviolet light)
-red and blue florescent paint
-Nuka-Cola cap label available from weeklygeekshow.com
-Quantum and Nuka-Cola labels available from "whatpayne" at deviantart.com
-two 5mm ultraviolet LEDs (#176-0014)
-one 150 ohm resistor (for the UV LEDs) (#271-1109)
-one mini momentary push button switch (#274-1547)
-one submini slide switch (#275-0409)
-size K coaxial DC power jack (#274 1565)
-300mA 9 Volt power supply with size K adapter
-three 5mm red LEDs
-three 5mm blue LEDs (I'm using red and blue LEDs from Christmas lights but the wire leads on them are cheap and tend to break easily. I would recommend buying better ones from Radio Shack.)
-third hand
-3/16" drill bit for the LEDs
-1/4" drill bit
-5/64" drill bit
-J-B Weld
-black spray paint
-Sharpie
-mechanical pencil
-glue
-about a foot of 20 gauge insulated wire
-.220" thick acrylic glass
-bailing wire
-a piece of sheet metal cut to 3.5" diameter circle
-3" PVC cut to 2 1/4" high
-a solid metal exhaust gasket 2 17/32" inside diameter. This is the piece you'll likely have the most trouble finding. It is the perfect size for the bottom of the Coke bottle to fit through. I went to three auto parts stores and all they had were gaskets made of soft gasket material. I finally went to Midas and explained to them what I needed and showed them a picture. The guy went to the back where they have leftover and spare parts and he had three of them. I am providing lots of pictures of this piece to help you find one! A place that does a lot of exhaust work would be a good place to start.

User "sixteenthmatt" has found the gasket online. From his comment below. "Also, I was looking for the exhaust gasket you used online and I think I managed to find it. I believe the part is called a FX318 Steel Donut Gasket.
There seem to be a couple makers with parts numbers including: Rol #EG24109 and Maremont #521006."

Tools
-soldering iron
-solder
-Dremel tool
-sandpaper
-small files (one round, one square, one flat)
-drill press
-bench vise
-ruler
-drill
-bench grinder
-band saw
-jig saw

Comments

[christian2gothic]

to me that gasket looks familiar. I used to weld pipes. at that work place, we had to bevel the ends of the pipes to prep them for welding. sometimes the pipes had to be cut really short, like 3/4 of an inch long, and still bevel the ends of the pipe and they would look just like that gasket. many times we would cut it wrong and not know till it was beveled. we threw away many pieces that looked almost exactly like this part. with a lathe i could easily make this part. with a hand grinder i could manage to make the part with a lot of patience. but who says it has to be metal. paint can make anything look like metal. so there should be a lot of options with other materials too, right?

[Batsu]

Hi there

Trying to follow the schematic for the LEDs but I don't actually have any electronics experience. It looks like your LEDs were wired in parallel, and wired to a 9V battery - so roughly how long would your lamp last when turned on?

Also given the different forward voltages in a blue/UV and red LED, are the red LEDs not much dimmer as a result of being in the same circuit? Or have I misunderstood?

Cheers for any help :)

[kfklown]

Yes they are in parallel but I used a 300 milliamp power supply that plugs into the wall instead of a battery. I did this for stability and so I wouldn't have to change batteries.

You could easily use a battery instead of a power supply though. In fact I added a 9 volt battery to my circuit so I could use either the power supply or the battery. I did the math and figure the battery should last about 10 or 11 hours.

Here's the thing with the LEDs. I used LEDs from Christmas lights. They are all the same voltages. I think they are white LEDs in red and blue colored acrylic plastic. I don't know their exact voltages but 3 volts lights them up nicely so they worked perfect for 9 volts.

That being said, I'm not happy with using those LEDs. I want to remake the circuit using real red and blue LEDs. With the higher voltages of the blue LEDs I'll need to use a 12 volt power supply and use resistors for all three LED sets. When I get this done I'll update the schematics and add some pictures.

[grebster]

love the design. I have the base already completed and working on the bottle. I'm having trouble finding the right kind of paint. what was the brand you used and where did you get it? thanks for the help.

[kfklown]

The exact paint I used is "Dick Blick" "Blickrylic" I got it from my high school art class about 20 years ago. I couldn't find it in the craft stores I've been too but its available here.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/blickrylic-student-acrylics/

[loikkonen]

Hi, what kind of glue you used to glue the label to the bottle? I have normal paper glue (probably doesn't work), fast-drying glue (which seems to dissolve the ink), hot glue and wood glue. Do I need to get some specific glue or will some of these do?

[loikkonen]

And another thing, if I use the wood glue (It's called Eri-Keeper if you know), should I leave the original Coca-cola label on? The Nuka-Cola label would probably stick better to that than to the glass bottle.

[kfklown]

I tried normal paper glue first and it didn't work at all. I ended up using Gorilla glue. which will stick to the glass no problem but I find its messy and hard to work with. Not sure about the wood glue. I'm going to try using rubber cement next and see how that works.

Leaving the Coke label on under the Quantum label might give better adhesion too. Maybe sand it lightly. I'll have to experiment with this.

[loikkonen]

I got it working already, just left the Coke label there, no sanding and just normal paper glue! Works like a charm :)
Thanks!

Also, I used the USB's 5 volt power to light the two LED's I have (with 68 ohm resistors, as I calculated) but it first flickers a couple of times with a bright light, then it just dims to way too little light. Where's the problem? The LED's forward voltage is 3,7 volts and forward current is 20mA.

[loikkonen]

(Apparently I can't delete my own comments..)
I solved that one too, it happens because when you connect the USB to your computer, it sends signals that determine whether there is a device connected to the USB. When it receives no data from it, it stops sending the signals. You can apparently fix it by simply taking an old Nokia USB charger (you know, with the round head). It seems to have a small circuit that tells the computer to send +5V to it.

Thanks anyway! :)

[loikkonen]

I got it working already, just left the Coke label there, no sanding and just normal paper glue! Works like a charm :)
Thanks!

[egosselin1]

If you're selling, i'm buying.. how much ?

[kfklown]

I have another request from someone to buy one. I need to see if I can find some more exhaust gaskets. If I can I'll make a couple to sell. Not sure on the price yet. I'll get back to you on that.

[egosselin1]

Excellent ! keep me posted, should be possible to find some through junkyards or from a professional welder i bet...

[kfklown]

I was able to order the exhaust donuts from Car Quest. I started building more of these But I've been petty busy and haven't been able to work on it much. I have some time now and will be working on these again. I need to get some more parts and rework the LED circuit. I'm not happy with it how it is and want to improve it. I'll keep you posted.

[desertfox92pm]

Found one on Amazon.com for about $6

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CQV0SI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[Ogredude]

This is a terrific build! I love the lighting system you designed. It looks so excellent when it's lit up.

I'm going to start keeping my eyes out for an exhaust flange now. Also, it gives me an excuse to go enjoy the taco truck, to get my Mexican Coke bottle. :)

Instead of re-gluing the cap, if you know anyone who's a homebrewer, they can cap the bottle with a brand new cap for you.
I picked up a capping machine at a homebrew shop for about $15, and a big sack of caps for about $6. (I was holding this big sack of bottle caps and thinking "I'm rich!")

[kfklown]

thank you and thanks for the tip on the capping machine. I'm gonna have to get one of those.

[kfklown]

Sorry for the late reply, I've been real busy. Yes I am making these for people that request them. I have a bunch of them started but I need to get some more parts and rework the LED circuit. (I'm not happy with it as it is) I'll keep you updated.

[adunster]

If you go to an auto store looking for the exhaust gasket be aware it is probably called a donut instead. Still, a part number helps a lot! Not all exhaust donuts are the same size.

[SixteenthMatt]

This is an interesting build. I may try this soon and maybe add an alarm clock to it.

Also, I was looking for the exhaust gasket you used online and I think I managed to find it. I believe the part is called a FX318 Steel Donut Gasket.
There seem to be a couple makers with parts numbers including: Rol #EG24109 and Maremont #521006.

It has the 2-17/32" inner diameter you mentioned above as well as the same shape on the top and bottom. I've managed found it on a few different sites. The part is still a little hard to find, but hopefully this will make it a little easier.

Thanks for the great guide. This should definitely keep me busy for a while.

[kfklown]

Awesome! Thanks for the info on the gasket. It should make things easier for anyone else that wants to build this. The alarm clock is a great idea. I'd love to see pictures of yours when your done.

[Pinged]

Dude! Brilliant!!!!

[hammer9876]

What fun! How long does it last? Congratulations on being "Featured."

[kfklown]

Thank You. I made one about a year ago and over time the paint settled to the bottom of the bottle. The liquid becomes clearer and doesn't glow as brightly. All you have to do is shake it up a little and that mixes everything up. It'll look as good as new.

[hammer9876]

Good to know! Thanks!

[captain Jack]

beautiful!

[darknessfalls]

Looks amazing!

[Nahual]

Love it!

[ilpug]

Well done!

[jessyratfink]

That's fantastic! I always loved collecting these in the game. :D

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Awesome! Great attention to detail with the pop cap!