Fallout 4: Nuka Cola Rocket Bottle Prop

Hello, and welcome to another prop build! This time, I will be making a Nuka Cola Rocket Bottle from the video game, Fallout 4!

Not only does it look exactly like the bottle in the game, it holds liquid too! (Note: not responsible for rads consumed if you drink out of it)

The design of the bottle is so awesome, I mean c'mon, it's a FRIKKIN' ROCKET!! So I had to make one of these and add it to my collection, and now, you can make your own!

My main focus for this project was the use of 3D printing; I have always been fascinated by 3D Printing and using it to make props, so i took it upon myself to learn how to 3D model and make this bottle for myself!

The Instructable will provide the 3D Model I made for you to print and show you how to make it look like it came straight from the game itself! Lets get started!

Step 1: The 3D Model

I have uploaded my Nuka Cola Bottle model to Thingiverse on my Thingiverse Page so go download it, it's free!

The bottle size is roughly 6"/15cm and holds exactly 150ml of liquid, with a 10mm ID neck for the bottle cap extension to slide into for a snug fit that can be removed and put back on. You can print this any size you want just by scaling the model up or down, but I believe 15cm is a good overall length.

For this build, I recommend printing in PLA at 100 microns; PLA sands more easily than ABS but ABS will work just as well for this project.

Although you need a 3D printer to print the 3D model, you do not necessarily need to own a 3D printer. In my case, I found a local 3D printing hub at 3D Hubs. It's totally worth checking out if you do not own a 3D printer, plus it's a lot cheaper than using a system like Shapeways; it only cost me £15 from 3DHubs instead of £90 from Shapeways! What a bargain!

(Direct Link to Download)

Step 2: Consumables, Tools Etc.

Not much is required in terms of tools and consumables for this Instructable, (with the exception of a 3D printer) all other requirements are standard items. Here is the list:

Tools:

• Access to a 3D Printer (PLA, ABS)
• Inkjet or Laser Printer (Laser is recommended)
• Sandpaper (120, 200, 400 grit)
• Sanding Sponges (Medium, Fine)
• X-Acto Blade/Scissors
• Paint Brush

Consumables:

• Filler Primer Spray
• Squadron Putty (Filler Putty)
• Model Paints (Red, Silver, Black, Brown)
• Black Spray Paint
• Clear Coat Spray
• Painters Tape
• Printable Vinyl suited to your choice of printer (Inkjet or Laser)
• XTC-3D (Optional)
• Rub'nBuff "Ebony" (Optional)

Step 3: Sanding and Prepwork

With your model printing, you should expect the surface of the 3D print to be ridgy and uneven due to the nature of 3D printing, this is where sanding and filling comes into play.

Should you choose to, you can use XTC-3D, an epoxy based resin designed for 3D print surfaces to coat the bottle and sand down. This method is definitely easier and less time consuming, but XTC-3D is costly and unnecessary for this 3D print as the shape is simple and consistent.

Filler primer is great as a surface coat as it reduces the print lines with a thick sand-able coat. This alongside filling spots and sandpaper (and persistence) will get you a smooth finish. As you fill and sand, you'll want to start with a 120 grit for general sanding to shift more material and increase grits when your model gets smoother, up to 400 grit.

It does take a while and the procedure is repetitive but to get the best results, just keep spraying primer, filling areas and sanding and you'll get an awesome surface finish!

NOTE:I recommend NOT using black primer for this project, it's just not a good colour to work with. Grey, mud red and orange are much better primer colours.

Step 4: Painting the Bottle and Bottle Cap

Painting the Bottle and Bottle Cap have different procedures. The Bottle will be spray painted for consistency and even coverage and the Bottle Cap will be painted with model paints.

For the Bottle, a PVC pipe or dowel makes a handy extension for the Bottle, plus it means you can paint the whole surface without worrying about surface contact; a big soda bottle filled with water is a good stand to put the PVC pipe into when you are spraying.

I gave the bottle 3 coats of black spray paint as my final colour; I would of loved a "cola" colour but that kind of colour is not achievable with standard spray paints, so black was my final choice.

(Always read and follow the instructions of your spray paint; different brands and colour behave differently so test them out first!)

The Bottle Cap has a red center and a silver rim. I used model acrylic paints to achieve this. I like "Citadel" brand as it's strongly pigmented and doesn't require multiple layers for a good colour but other model paints will work great as well.

To grime up the Bottle Cap and make it look more post-apocalyptic and believable as a 200 year old bottle cap, a simple wash of brown and black paint give a nice aged look and takes the bold edge off from the red and silver.

Step 5: Printing the Label

For the red Nuka Cola label, I decided to make a vector and print a label, rather than painting the label by hand. This makes the process a lot easier, plus I can provide the vector label for you guys to use ;)

(Should you choose to paint the label by hand instead, you can ignore the printing and applying guidelines and use the vectors as references instead.)

I made the label in Inkscape using my screenshots as references for the closest match possible.

To print the labels, I recommend a printable vinyl with an adhesive backing. I prefer using a laser printer compatible vinyl as laser is resistant to water and oils, whereas Inkjet prints can leak and smudge overtime.

If you have printed the bottle in its original model size, the grid of labels should fit the bottle perfectly, but I still recommend a test print with regular cartridge paper just to be sure it fits; you don't want to waste your expensive vinyl! If you have modified the size of the print model, you will need to adjust the vector to fit the bottle.

Once printed, cut it out with a sharp blade or scissors, cutting as accurately as possible and overlay on the bottle; the adhesive strength is more than enough to grip the bottle.

Step 6: Applying and Weathering the Label

If you prefer to have a crisp, clean bottle instead of a dirty, grimy look, you can skip this step but to make the bottle more believable as a 200 year old object, griming up the label works great.

Using an X-Acto knife and brown paint, I scored lines into the label and smeared brown paint around the rim and on the cuts; not only does it look great, the brown paint disguises the rim of the label and it blends better.

If you wanted to grime up the bottle as well, an oil based brown or black paint like "Rub'nBuff" would work great, but I wanted the black bottle to be clean, with the label and bottle cap grimy; however you want to finish your bottle aesthetically is up to you.

Step 7: Clear Coat

The process of clear coating the bottle is exactly the same as the painting stage; a PVC pipe or dowel and a water bottle as a stand with 2 even coats of spray over the bottle is all you need. If you have used an Inkjet label, I recommend an extra coat that focuses on the label, to seal it best as possible.

(Remember to do even, consistent spray strokes, and always check the guidelines of the spray can!)

To clear coat the Bottle Cap, tape up the length and stick it down to a piece of paper or cardboard to keep it from moving when spraying, just like when the cap was painted red and silver.

Step 8: Done!

Congratulations! Your bottle is complete!

This project was a lot of fun more me as I have finally finished my first 3D printed prop that I modelled myself, and I'm so happy how it turned out!

This prop works really nicely on display and will look great with other Fallout props on a desk or a shelf.

I took some images with some Fallout related props, just for fun. Enjoy the final Images!

If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to drop me a comment; I'm always eager to help out and if you make one, please share with me! I love seeing other people make stuff from my Instructables.

Comments

[wrodawalt]

What would I need to do to scale this up to a 1 liter bottle?

[JoshuaGuess]

Using slicer software (like Cura) you can uniform scale the model up to the size you want. However, scaling it to hold 1L would be massive so you would have to cut & print the model in 2 halves to fit in the print bed.

[Blaboob]

Would this be safe to drink from?

[JoshuaGuess]

To lean on the safe side, I personally wouldn't. I don't think the 3D printed ABS poses much threat, but the paint and filler used on the outside certainly could, and I wouldn't wanna ingest any of it, even if it's residual.

[BenB300]

It worked out well I would love to see someone try this out but actually with glass!

[axe_face]

Just wondering, does the bottle have to be 100 microns? My local 3D print hub is the nearest and most affordable hub around, but they charge an extra 14$ for 100 microns, while the 150 microns and the 200 microns options are 7$ extra and free, respectively. Just wondering since Im on a budget for art projects, this one is on the top of the list!

[JoshuaGuess]

The microns themselves only determines the surface quality of the print, with 100 microns being 0.1mm layer height so if you printed it at 150 or 200 microns, it will have a slightly rougher surface.

If you are sanding and finishing it, you'll just have to put it more effort into sanding to smooth the print ridges if you pick a higher micron; I was able to spare enough money for a 100 micron print but I would of easily chosen 200 if the budget was an issue.

[RandolphF2]

200 is even a bit small.

Just printed this last night at 0.26mm layer height and it came out looking perfect. Just a little bit of wet-sanding with some 400grit emery based sandingpaper and its smooth as class.

Thanks for sharing the file bud.

Also for in the future look up RSF Custom Creations.

I charge based on print time and material used alone.

[MarcusAvery]

If you made a silicone mold of this, you could make as many resin copies as you wanted! Perhaps a six-pack with a custom printed cardboard carrier?

[JoshuaGuess]

I've heavily considered making a mold and selling casts alongside labels as a kit for people to paint and finish themselves, plus the 6 pack idea is cool as well! Maybe I could whip up a cardboard carrier in Photoshop... Hmm

[axe_face]

If you do manage to make a cardboard carrier, make sure to share it as well! I would definitely want to make one of those.

[JoshuaGuess]

If I do, i'll make a mini-Instructable to go with the Nuka Cola Bottle Instructable.

[tasios]

From one Fallout nerd to another, very nicely done! I also love the Pip-boy in the background!

[JoshuaGuess]

Thanks! I think that's the only other time I've taken my pip-boy out to pla- I mean, take pictures of... ;)

[tasios]

Yeah, I tried to get the edition for PS4 that had the Pip-boy, but by the time I found out about it was sold out everywhere I went. I ended up going with a digital copy and bought the season pass. I did preorder the survival guide and picked it up at Gamestop the day it released and it is pretty comprehensive for a game guide (especially given how completely MASSIVE FO4 is...). I tend to use the online copy that comes with it so I don't have to ruin my nice hardback copy. Cheers bud!

[coolacid]

This is awesome! Thanks for the model. This make me think that I can get some clear filament, and maybe build a glowing Nuka Cola Quantum. D:

[JoshuaGuess]

I would love to see that if you gave it a try :)

[MichaelR5]

Do you have an instructable on the Pip-boy? That's pretty cool too!

[JoshuaGuess]

'Fraid not; he Pip-boy I used in the background is the collectors edition I bought when the game came out. The Pip-boy however is always on my "list to make" so when I get better at 3D modelling, making one is a definite possibility.

[vmathur3]

That looks great! Amazing job on the build :)