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How To Make a Green Lantern Ring 145

Posted by CmdrTaco from the halloween-is-coming dept.
Malfourmed writes "Step by step instructions for making the ultimate comic book geek jewelery — Green Lantern's power ring. Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner and Alan Scott variations all included. Now someone find me a Katma Tui or Arisia to go with it, and we might just have ourselves a proposal!" The bigger problem of course is that there's no battery available to charge it, so it's just costume jewelry. Anyone have other good costume ideas?
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How To Make a Green Lantern Ring More

How To Make a Green Lantern Ring

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  • What? No John Stewart ring? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 22, 2006 @11:49AM (#16536924)
    Is it because he's black? Also, these rings seem to be lacking in actual power, so I'm rather disappointed.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by cunina ( 986893 )
      John Stewart has a chrome spinner ring.

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      John Stewart uses his ring to fight loud mouthed conservative polititians. He wanted to avoid the politics.
      • If memory serves he fights stupid politicians on both sides of the aisle.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by krell ( 896769 )
          "If memory serves he fights stupid politicians on both sides of the aisle."

          While going light on the politicians who are on his own side of the aisle, of course.
          • Still it is the fact that he can make fun of his own side a bit that i like him.

            • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

              by krell ( 896769 )
              (Crickets chirping; assorted other night sounds indicating)

              That's what you get when you play a recording of Rush Limbaugh's insightful and biting humor directed at right-wing targets.
              • I don't think you even need the "directed at right-wing targets" bit--there may be intentionally funny rightwingers but Rush Limbaugh is not one of them. But what you're trying to actually say is true--he never says anything negative about a right-winger who hasn't already been declared apostate.

                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by krell ( 896769 )
                  "--there may be intentionally funny rightwingers but Rush Limbaugh is not one of them"

                  He's often funny with his song parodies, but that might be more of him taking credit for another's work.

    • Re:What? No John Stewart ring? (Score:4, Funny)

      by stunt_penguin ( 906223 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:54PM (#16537398)
      No actally, he uses it to transform and become Superjohn!

      http://chrisdidthis.com/b3ta/run.gif [chrisdidthis.com]

  • nostalgic .... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 22, 2006 @11:54AM (#16536982)
    In brightest day, in blackest night
            No evil shall escape my sight
            Let those who worship evil's might
            Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!

    • Re:nostalgic .... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by kfg ( 145172 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:02PM (#16537048)
      Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!

      Of which we have none. The article is about how to make an investment casting. The web is full of them. The library has shelves of books on the subject. I've shown grade school kids how to do it.

      This is Slashdot; I was really expecting (hope springs infernal) an article, however shoddy and silly, about how somebody put an LED and lens into a ring to make it give off Green Lantern's light.

      Slashdot, reporting on copper age technology; today!

      KFG
      • Surely an electroluminescent light would be better?

        • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

          by kfg ( 145172 )
          Well sure, if you happen to have a selfcontained, portable nanotech delivery system for electromotive force just lying around the house.

          KFG
          • That one's easy. Hold it near a power cable and use a similar method to that which causes flourescent tubes to flouresce. Then you can even look cool striking silly poses.
        • For whatever reason, Electroluminescent lights usually require a large power converter... alot (all?) EL wire is AC powered, so you need a DC-to-AC power converter, and a large battery pack to power the assembly.

          An LED + Watch Battery will consume very little space. You could fit all of the wiring inside the ring.

          Extra-geek points for painting the ring's details using phosphorescent paint and an Ultraviolet LED to make the paint glow ;)

          • All EL light sources run on AC. A lot of the older ones can actually work fine plugged into 110VAC, which of course is how the EL nightlights are made. They just connect the panel's leads directly to the mains leads. However to get full brightness you need to run a higher frequency. IIRC the old ones ran at about 400Hz, not sure what CCFLs do. CCFLs also need a higher voltage to start, and can then drop to a running voltage which draws less power, but I forget what the voltages in question are. I want to sa

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by The Walking Dude ( 905913 )
        I'll stick with my MOTU Warrior's Ring. It was an included accesory with Trap-Jaw [he-man.org] in the 80's. Not only does it glow in the dark, it also has a little compartment inside where you can store tiny notes. Sure the compartment is not as large as the pocket on a pair KangaROOS [wikipedia.org], but there's enough room in there to store your locker combo, or a reminder to buy more Hubba Bubba [wikipedia.org].
      • This is Slashdot; I was really expecting (hope springs infernal) an article, however shoddy and silly, about how somebody put an LED and lens into a ring to make it give off Green Lantern's light.
        Drill + tiny led + tiny hearing aid battery
        or
        Tritiated polymer (tritium + plastic)

        Tritium is good for ~10 years of decent glowing power & in small amounts isn't anything to worry about.
      • Instead of ceramic, make a silicone mold. Then you can fill it with clear epoxy :)

      • This is Slashdot; I was really expecting (hope springs infernal) an article, however shoddy and silly, about how somebody put an LED and lens into a ring to make it give off Green Lantern's light.

        A number of years ago, a costumer friend of mine made a Lens for a Gray Lensman costume -- bezel crammed full of electronics and LEDs to so that it would light up and ripple colors across its face. It generated a fair amount of heat and was uncomfortable to wear for any length of time when lit up.

    • Re:nostalgic .... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by biglig2 ( 89374 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:27PM (#16537226) Homepage Journal
      In loudest din or hush profound,
      My ears catch evil's slightest sound.
      Let those who toll out evil's knell,
      Beware my power: The F-Sharp Bell!

      • Re:nostalgic .... (Score:5, Informative)

        by jmoriarty ( 179788 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @03:10PM (#16538246)
        In loudest din or hush profound

        This isn't just a cute parody. This is from an Alan Moore [wikipedia.org] Green Lantern story where they tried to recruit someone to the Corps who lived in a lightless world. The inhabitants had no word for "light" or "lantern", so they translated the concept to that of sound... which these inhabitants were intimiately more familiar with.

        The story appears in the collection DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore [amazon.com]. Highly recommended.
      • Sounds more like a G-Flat to me.
    • My Favorite Green Lantern Oath has to be by Jack T. Chance [glcorps.org], a n'er do well Green Lantern, but the only one capable of surviving on a criminal world:

      "You who are wicked, evil, and mean--
      I'm the nastiest creep you've *ever* seen!
      Come one, come all; put up a fight;
      I'll pound your butts with Green Lantern's light.
      Yowza."

      Other oaths: http://www.glcorps.org/oa-oath.html [glcorps.org]

  • Where's the LED? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Legendre ( 634519 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @11:56AM (#16537002)
    At least add a LUXON UltraBrite green LED in there in order to qualify for a ./ frontpage...

  • Either get a Sony laptop battery or... (Score:4, Funny)

    by __aaclcg7560 ( 824291 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @11:57AM (#16537004)
    The bigger problem of course is that there's no battery available to charge it, so it's just costume jewelry.

    Attached a wire to the ring, stick the wire into the wall outlet, and get the charge of your life!

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      The bigger problem of course is that there's no battery available to charge it, so it's just costume jewelry.
      I'm sorry, wouldn't it still be costume jewelry even if it were battery powered?

      Unless I'm mistaken, the only way it wouldn't be costume jewelry is if it actually gave you superpowers.

      (Or actually had jewels in it I suppose.)

  • cool to make, but cheaper to buy (Score:5, Informative)

    by jd142 ( 129673 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:01PM (#16537042) Homepage
    DC will sell you one for $25. The Planet Krypton set of 5 was only $100 and had Hal, Kyle, Alan, Sinestro and Power Ring versions.

    • Re:cool to make, but cheaper to buy (Score:5, Interesting)

      by MagicDude ( 727944 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:15PM (#16537144)
      Yeah, it may be cheaper, but if you don't want this ring enough to make it youself, why would you want it at all? It serves no purpose aside from establishing geek cred, which is then taken away by virtue of you having bought it. A computer is something with a legitimate purpose and necessity, yet around here it's blasphemy to admit that you bought a pre-made system rather than building your own. For little things like this, the fun is in making them yourself. You could buy a pre-constructed enterprise model to hang from your ceiling, but if you're going to do that, wouldn't you rather get the 1000 peice model with the LEDs and fiberoptic lights to build yourself?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by RESPAWN ( 153636 )
        Waaay OT, but once upon a time, I did have an Enterprise model similar to what you describe. It had blinking lights and made torpedo sounds and everything. I was so proud when I had finally completed the model... until I found out that the base wasn't weighted enough and the model was really, really top heavy. After about the third time our housekeeper knocked it over and broke it, I gave up, trashed it, and just bought a freakin' poster instead.

        My point is that one may not need that so
      • Yeah, it may be cheaper, but if you don't want this ring enough to make it youself, why would you want it at all? It serves no purpose aside from establishing geek cred, which is then taken away by virtue of you having bought it.

        By the same logic, a comic book serves no purpose aside from establishing geek cred, which is then taken away by virtue of having bought it.

        Some people just don't have the time, inclination, equipment, money, or skill to make things themselves. There's nothing wrong with buying thi

      • Geek Cred? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by rubberbando ( 784342 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @09:17PM (#16541132)
        What the hell? I thought the whole 'Street Cred' thing was total crap. Now there's Geek Cred?

        If someone really feels this need to prove their self to some sort of community through 'cred', they need to get a life...

        If someone is putting presure on them to do things for 'cred', that person needs to realize that those people are not their friends and are just using them...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by LihTox ( 754597 )
        around here it's blasphemy to admit that you bought a pre-made system rather than building your own.

        Hi, my name is LihTox, and I buy pre-made computers. (Or maybe laptops don't count?)

        It's important to know that, if you do not build your own computer, then you are not alone. Join the NGEA (Not-Geeky-Enough Anonymous) today!
        • I haven't seen a laptop that isn't premade so I don't think that counts. Although you get special geekpoints if you find a company that sells them with no OS on them so you don't have to pay the Microsoft Fine.
      • A computer is something with a legitimate purpose and necessity, yet around here it's blasphemy to admit that you bought a pre-made system rather than building your own.

        Unless "building your own" involves a soldering iron, I'd say there's very little skill necessary to build a system these days.

        Honestly, I don't know why anyone bothers - it's not exactly complicated to snap together commodity components these days, and it isn't like it's hard to find a good shop that'll build you exactly what you want AND d

  • Battery Casting (Score:4, Informative)

    by Doc Ruby ( 173196 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:07PM (#16537086) Homepage Journal
    It would be cool if we could cast rings from a material that was entirely a battery, then enamel it with an insulator, and mount LEDs on the surface, connected thru the insulator to the battery. Maybe two halves, separated by an inside insulator, and bridged by the LED. Maybe with a small airgap in the insulator, so squeezing the ring closed the circuit.

    And how about some chips in there, too? A socketed LED, swapped out for a recharger? Swapped out for a photoreceptor for recharging under bright lights (or Sun + magnifying glass)? Dual-use LED/photoreceptor? Frickin' lasers?

    Maybe this is how the Green Lantern's alien outfitters came up with the tech: reading Slashdot. Something about that color scheme looks familiar...
    • Get dissimilar metals into the design somehow with a current path in between, and you have the equivalent of a "potato battery". You can get a few milliamps, enough to run an LED. Next: is skin conductive enough to bridge the dissimilar metals? If so, can you change the brightness with galvanic skin response? Think mood ring, only way cooler.
      • I envision a geek approaching the girl he likes, getting sudden sweaty palms, getting a jolt through his nervous system and then going into a grand mal seizure, complete with loss of bowel function and projectile vomiting.

        Kind of like how I pictured Steve Mann going down in a supersoaker fight.

        --
        Evan

    • Re:Battery Casting (Score:5, Funny)

      by madaxe42 ( 690151 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @03:00PM (#16538192) Homepage
      You could always make it out of plutonium. It'd glow nicely then. Wear it for long enough and you might get superpowers.
  • I'm with the responder to the original article that wanted a http://www3.flickr.com/photos/saldana/234320198 [flickr.com]Leg ion Flight Ring instead. Yes, a Green Lantern ring is a superset of a Flight Ring functionalitywise, but I'd rather be a Legionnaire. DC sold one about 15 years ago but it was pretty crummy, alas.
    • Ah but you could wear both a LSH Flight Ring and a GLC Power Ring, just make a Rond Vidar costume.

      Of course there's been a few re-launches of the Legion since that story line...

  • How to dress up as a cheeto...erm... thing I mean. (Score:4, Funny)

    by 88NoSoup4U88 ( 721233 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:11PM (#16537116)
    This guy [tripod.com] wanted to dress up as the Thing (from the Fantastic Four); But the endresult [tripod.com] somehow reminds me of a Cheeto in spandex. Still great effort though. :)
  • What the heck are you talking about? Make a what now?

  • ebay (Score:3, Insightful)

    by objekt ( 232270 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:32PM (#16537252) Homepage
    ebay has them for under $10. Some even with an LED.

    Of course they gouge you on the shipping.

  • Don't need batteries (Score:3, Funny)

    by netglen ( 253539 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:41PM (#16537316)
    when you can go to garage sales and buy up 1,000 old watches. Just scrape off the radioactive materials and cement them on your power ring.

  • I would never buy this... (Score:3, Funny)

    by east coast ( 590680 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @12:53PM (#16537392)
    After how badly I got ripped off on my "one ring". Geez, for 300 USD you expect for it to at least work. That was so embarrassing.

  • Hmm. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by hey! ( 33014 )
    If I was going through the trouble to do this, I'd definitely do it in something other than Al. Maybe brass, or even bronze, which should be as easy to melt as AL. Maybe not as authentic looking, but a lot classier.

    Or if your must have it green, then make it copper and let it oxidize; prepare to have your finger turn green too.

  • Investment casting is boring. Try 3D printing (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    if you are not so good with a dremel too but possess even minimal 3D modeling skills why not check out 3D printing. For something as small as a ring it wouldn't be too much $$$ and you have the ultimate control over the shape... say it won't be a big deal to include a battery compartment and an LED mount

  • Alternate power source? (Score:4, Funny)

    by krell ( 896769 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @01:20PM (#16537560) Journal
    Given the lack of connections to the Oa battery, can't you possibly get its green energy from kryptonite? At least that stuff is found on THIS planet. An added bonus is that it can help you ensure that you are the only superhero guarding sector 2814.
  • What is this ? The fashion channel or a website where you can discuss technology, computers and have a pop at the actions of the US Administration. Honestly if I was even remotely interested in rings I'd visit a jewelers.
    • Let's consider this...

      Halloween is coming. Costumes are made. Comic book heroes are considered. DIY project. God damn you are right, nerds have no need for this type of news.

      Lighten up.

  • If you stop about halfway through the process... (Score:3, Informative)

    by horati0 ( 249977 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @01:41PM (#16537696) Journal
    ...you've got yourself a nice miniature marijuana pipe on a ring [instructables.com]. Gives the name "Green Lantern" entirely new meaning.

  • This is great! (Score:3, Funny)

    by kbox ( 980541 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @01:43PM (#16537718) Homepage
    At last i can put that green Ferris jeweler's wax, A furnace , a centrifugal caster a bunch of spare silver to good use.. And to think, i was just about to throw it all out.

  • Oh great... (Score:4, Funny)

    by DiamondGeezer ( 872237 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @01:43PM (#16537724) Homepage
    From the article:

    First you need to carve a wax model of the ring. I use green Ferris jeweler's wax- it's available from jeweler tool supply shops

    OK. Without using Google, how many people know of any jeweler tool supply shops? I must have missed this one....

    • Without using Google, how many people know of any jeweler tool supply shops?

      I do, Lacy and Company in Toronto, Ontario. But, ok, a little while ago I was looking at what would be involved in doing a small scale casting project, so I made a point of checking out Toronto, Ontario area metal suppliers and jewelry supply shops.

      As for Lacy and Company, it is nice little shop that one will NOT find by accident (basement level of a small downtown office building). Still, kind of cute to wander around the stor

  • When I first read "Now someone find me . . . Arisia to go with it", my first thought was that I'd really like to have a Lens of Arisia, as described in E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman novels. The Lensmen are almost certainly the predecessors of the Green Lanterns, if not in actuality, then in philosophy and form.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by VAXcat ( 674775 )
      Stories fro the Lens universe almot certainly were the inspriation for the Green Lantern series, as well as for Star Wars (I wish Lucas had just made the Lens stories direclty into movies, instead of giving them a Hollywood haircut and making the watered down Star Wars versions). I've always wanted a Lens too - that's probably why I wear the bigges, gawdiest writwatch possible - a Rolex GMT master. THis turnip sized watch has a real lensy feel to it.

  • Forget the Green Lantern... (Score:3, Funny)

    by wbren ( 682133 ) on Sunday October 22, 2006 @02:15PM (#16537946) Homepage
    I want step-by-step instructions on how to make a glowing piece of the radical rock..... THE AGGRO CRAG.
  • Slash dot has really slid into uselessness for the most part, and this kind of article is a great example of the crap I have been seeing of late here. Slashdot, clean up your moderation, your quality of articles.

  • Semi-dumb (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DerekLyons ( 302214 ) <fairwater@@@gmail...com> on Sunday October 22, 2006 @03:10PM (#16538256) Homepage
    Why in heck cast something out of silver that you are going to paint?
  • This project might be a lot more accessible to folks by using PMC (precious-metal clay). It's pure silver in a formable plastic base, much like modeling clay. A two-part mold could be created from Fimo, Premo, Sculpey, or some other modeling compound. The mold would be baked and dried and the PMC would then be formed within it. Once dried to a sort of rubbery hardness, the PMC can then be heated (called sintering) according to manufacturer's directions with a soldering or brazing torch. The clay base disapp
  • From The Summary:
    >>Anyone have other good costume ideas

    I can think of 2 that I've wanted for a while:

    1. A lightsaber that feels more or less 'real', looks real (meaning that it glows) and can be used for duelling. No really....I'd pay $200 for one out of my entertainment budget if I knew that I could rough around with it. The current generation of 'realistic' light sabers, I believe, aren't intended for sparring.

    2. A Bat'leh (bad spelling...a Klingon Sword). IMHO, this is the most badass TV/Movie weap
  • The bigger problem of course is that there's no battery available to charge it, so it's just costume jewelry.

    But I thought that all tech men carried batteries?
  • Just call him on his cellphone, duh!
  • If you want a professional piece, ask Russ Sharek of the Morpheus Company [dare2dream.com], custom jeweller to the eclectic. He does completely unique piece-work and has had some fairly esoteric clients. He did this impressive fibre-optic based Green Lantern ring [dare2dream.com] for Harlan Ellison.

    He also did my missus' engagement ring.

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