GI Joe Adventure Team Action Pack Jetpack – First Complete Print

After the prototype of my Jetpack was finished, I spent some time adding detail to the back of the jetpack and refining other aspects, such as how the jet arms attached, how much access you had to the thumbwheel, I was ready to print the final version.

I was approached by Afinia (the manufacturers of my printer) and asked if I had anything I wanted to show at their CES 2014 show coming up. I showed them the video of the prototype and they thought it would be very fitting for their show. I am readying this final print now to send to them for the show (along with a GI Joe to pose it with.)

At around the same time, I saw a posting by 3DAGOGO, a web site startup whose intent is to provide a market for designers to sell their 3D print designs. I signed up and noticed several contests, one of which is for Household Item and that includes toys, so when I showed them some of my designs, including the prototype video, they thought it would be a perfect candidate for the Household Items category, and encouraged me to enter their contest.

This weekend I shot the Jetpack in a sort of short photo story, intended to show off the various features, and I will be preparing the files for print so I can upload it to their contest, and perhaps to sell as a design there.

I also shot a second video, this time of the first finished print.

So here it is, the first photo story I’ve done in years, and I did it just to show off the awesomeness that is the new GI Joe Adventure Team Action Pack Jetpack!

 

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And to show off the thumbwheel, (which I do in the video) I took a series of three photos showing the thumbwheel in action:

thumbwheel

 

Update – Nov 19, 2013

The helmet I designed to go with this jetpack was fun to model. I made a highly-tesselated sphere and used a lattice grid to shape it until I got a fairly pleasant shape. I hollowed it out using measurements of a GI Joe head, and did a test print. It didn’t fit. It also printed fairly badly because it’s completely round. I want it to look its best, so I printed it with the back of the helmet as the floor of the model.

With current 3D printing technology, the floor of the model is supported by a raft and scaffolding material to lay the base of the model on. On a rounded model, this causes some very ugly ringing, so I figured it would be fine at the back, and it is. But I still want to improve it.

Here is the first test-print. (The ringing on the back is not visible.)

at-jetpack-helmet-first-print-yellow

Then I modeled a visor cap and a “virtual vision” visor – (the thing is not see-through, but uses enhanced virtual 3D imaging to see), and printed a version in red (because my printer wouldn’t extrude the yellow due to a head clog which I fixed by replacing the head.)

at-jetpack-helmet-prototype-red

Then I printed a yellow version with black visor cap and silver visor:

at-jetpack-helmet-finished

And here is how it looks worn with the jetpack.

at-jetpack-with-helmet

27 thoughts on “GI Joe Adventure Team Action Pack Jetpack – First Complete Print

  1. That’s awesome! NOW TAKE MY MONEY!!!

    But seriously…How much Sean? Also,will there be one in all black,for “night time recon missions”?

    • I wish my printer was in a state where I could reliably print these. But at this point it’s not. It may be soon, though. I’d probably have to charge up to $30 for this. It takes a LONG time to print.

      But yes, I’ve already begun printing the black stealth version. I will certainly post more when I get one done.

  2. That’s awesome,Sean.I can’t wait to see the results. :^)

    Btw,what other future projects do you have lined up for the Adventure Team?Maybe updated/revamps of the old AT vehicles and accessories?

    • Well, I have started a library of replacement parts, such as the ATV rails, the MSV Connection clip, and would love ideas for more of those. I would probably need the original part in my hands (for measuring and testing) and I’m sending out a call for ideas and suggestions, with hopes of borrowing a part during the modeling and testing phase, to be returned quickly, with a sample replacement part to ensure it works. Then I can offer these parts for the general collecting community.

      But other than that, I’m also planning several other playsets that would fit well into the Adventure Team collection, with hopes of centering them around the cargo bay of the ATV/Trouble Shooter so people can have good uses for those vehicles.

    • I have not yet decided whether or not to sell the jetpacks due to the complexity of printing them, but we’ll see. If I do, I’ll post in various forums I’m in, and will make a sale page here on my own WordPress site.

    • If I do sell these jetpacks, I will certainly make an announcement probably at The Trenches, the Sandbox on facebook, and the ATHQ Yahoo group, and get people to spread the word around.

  3. I’ve been thinking….

    You know what Adventure Team doesn’t have? A giant drill for journeys to the center of the earth.

    Now there’s an idea.

  4. Sean, the jet pack is nothing short of brilliant! I totally geeked out when I saw this (thanks to a fiend of yours that posted the link on OSW). Count me among those who would love to get their hands on one of these if you ever decide to sell. And considering what I paid for some of my Joes and their custom gear, whatever you charged would probably be a bargain. Thanks so much for posting this.

  5. Sean,

    Love the entire concept, the break down and everything. Did you intentionally make it the right size for the back of the ATV when in “folded” mode?

    I would love one myself if you go the sales route.

    • Folded mode did take into account that I wanted to compact it for carrying in a vehicle. I didn’t actually measure the ATV (Since it was in storage at the time) but I did estimate.

      But the thing isn’t supposed to just sit in the back. COming up in a while (I haven’t begun modeling it yet) is a carrying harness that will snap into the slots of the ATV cargo bay.

      Sean.

  6. Pingback: GI Joe Adventure Team Action Pack Jetpack – ATV Carrying Rack | Huxter's Words

  7. Sean,

    SOOOOOOOO Happy to see this go up for sale at Cotswold. Thanks you for making it available. With the Club folding up shop, nice to know AT fans have a resource for cool new products thanks to inventive and imaginative types like yourself and the fine folks at Cots.

    Now how come you didn’t do the helmet too? ;-)

    PS saw your Rover for the Space 1999 models, and immediately hoped you were doing them in 1/6 scale. Can’t wait to see what you cook up next. :-)

    • Thanks! I’m excited too. This will be my fourth and by far the most ambitious project I’ve taken on for Cotswold.

      The helmet wasn’t added to the set because I’m not personally happy with 3D printing for helmets yet. Rounded shapes don’t do well in a lot of situations, plus you can’t really do a visor either. You’d have to use injection molding or vacu-forming.

      The Rover for Space:1999 is an Amphicat and would be the size of the Adventure Team Vehicle, so 3D printing for that is out. If you want one like it, you can sometimes find the old Kenner one on eBay. I have one in my collection somewhere. It’s far more accurate to the Amphicat than the ATV is, though it’s not perfect.

  8. Hello,
    That jetpack is awesome! I tried to click on the link to purchase the 3d File print files for the jetpack but the website came back in error.
    Could you let me know where the proper link is to buy this? I would love to print it!
    Thank you!

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