Staff of Ra (Thingiverse Remix)

prusaprinters

The Staff of Ra (and its headpiece) might be the worthless piece that Indy proclaimed it to be to Marion, but it still makes a great prop!The original model was posted on Thingiverse by youngs66 back in 2013.  The single-sided pieces for the headpiece were provided to youngs66 by tk6831.I increased the thickness of the headpiece (both Front and Back) by 5% which has helped it to print better.  I also modified the staff to be the correct size.There are printed 5 models:  2 for the headpiece (front and back), a Mount and Link to connect it to the staff, and a Base tip for the lower end of the staff.  The original model on Thingiverse also contained a piece called the Connector, but this is not used in my remix.  I also modified the Mount piece from the original two pieces: it is now the Mount and the Link.Please note that this is a complex model.  It took several printings to get it to correct.  My first attempts to print it with a layer height of 0.05 failed.  It succeeded after I changed the layer height to 0.1.  This reduced the detail slightly, but it still looks great.  Please let me know if you can get this to print with the smaller layer height.Printing:The headpiece should be printed with a small layer height (0.1).  I also slowed printing to about half normal speed.  Once printed, I carefully sanded and filed away the few rough areas, then glued together the Front and Back.  When gluing, be sure to properly align the slot at the bottom used by the Link and allow the glue to dry completely.Print the Mount, Link and Base pieces.  These pieces are not so detailed, so can be printed with a thicker layer height and faster speed.  (I used 0.2 and the Mk3's standard print speed)  Sand them to remove any visible layer lines.I spray painted each piece with metallic gold paint, allowed it to dry for a day, then gently sanded away areas where the paint dripped or dried thick.  I applied 5 layers to each piece.Once the paint on the headpiece had completely dried, I glued a 10mm red rhinestone to each side as the eye.  I had a supply of these for other projects.  You should be able to find them through Amazon or other crafting supply store.The Staff:In the movie, Indy is told the headpiece was used on a staff 6 kadams high.  Sallah translates this to “about 72 inches”, but he should have waited until after Imam (the old man) said to take back one kadam.  There were different lengths to a kadam based on what it was used for.  I've used the Builder's Kadam (about 0.375 meters).  Exercising some basic math skills: 5 Kadams = about 73 13/16 inches.  This aligns with Sallah's estimate.The staff is made from a ¾ inch closet pole, which has been sanded and stained several times for a smooth finish.  The bottom 75mm (about 3 inches) are tapered to 12mm diameter (½ inch), then glued into the Base model.  The top 25mm (1 inch) are tapered to 12mm diameter (½ inch), to slide fully into the Mount model, then also glued in place.Before gluing the Link into the Mount, test its fit in both the Medallion and the Mount.  If either end is tight, gently sand the Link until it fits.  Glue the Link into the slot in the Mount and let it dry.  I didn't glue my Headpiece onto the Link, so that it could be removed and used as a medallion in the same way Marion wore it as a necklace. Thanks to Youngs66 and Tk6831 for their wonderful models!  Licensing remains the same as the original model, and can be reviewed here.