[NEW MODEL IN PROGRESS] Mini Federal Signal Thunderbolt (Functional) [NEW MODEL IN PROGRESS]

READ BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE!!!

I am no Edaan, Nascarsimracing1, or Connor Cruz and my designs are not the most professional!! This means certain parts of the model are not designed perfectly. This mainly includes the connection between the horn and the chopper cap and the way the rotator tube is mounted. However, if you build it correctly and use the same technique and products, it should still come together very well!!

This siren also takes more than just 3D printed parts to get running!!!

I recommend printing this model in PETG

Every model is in the correct orientation for printing!!!

Here's a list of everything you'll need to build the siren:

• CHOPPER MOTOR: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Micro-11600-12000RPM-Remote-Control/dp/B07M8FJBQZ/ref=sr_1_11?crid=2IXJIHXG4EYZC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aSKrZYj4fesa-FpKRGxADNrZyeK6S9CEzdg3f8MDgfOHW-ThN8tzmGtmBrhyIwsRMgCf0bktGgFfd8IQlCMoToldSxABfK-vQaAX66C42h8dewmmtZI9_BJiK8yzF-qtiHuqRe3MbmCQftxkeND9f-y5SBuN1I8Ws_6QzNhFi9I80zYxcvmWwXQuGWC4R4y77-oy2tMASM_nV1QPqB_KpGvLMcS6Leq7f9wKU2wZUdxGZ4jSAKBCntM80mwWHTSQCWGS4zqlRy1XbGPzbfcsOMBEvMtg06L87Mq-8fACTEc.4X0mAZaljG-48wLt3seQtU66XvZsjoQMz-r5app8pY4&dib_tag=se&keywords=12+volt+dc+motor&qid=1744946185&s=hi&sprefix=12+volt+dc+motor+high+rpm%2Ctools%2C304&sr=1-11
• SLIP RING/COLLECTOR RING: https://www.amazon.com/Taidacent-Conductive-Collector-Electrical-Connector/dp/B07YKYDFCH/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388%3Aamzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&crid=N3G7911AII0Y&cv_ct_cx=slip+ring&keywords=slip+ring&pd_rd_i=B07YKYDFCH&pd_rd_r=c0e7f266-5f1f-462b-9d5e-dcd703a5b28f&pd_rd_w=HJA2N&pd_rd_wg=wbV4l&pf_rd_p=2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&pf_rd_r=YKMZC91RRHHYB50CEN90&qid=1749278731&s=hi&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=slip+ring%2Ctools%2C144&sr=1-2-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1
• ROTATOR MOTOR: (Any motor you may have lying around that looks very similar to this will 99% work as well. They're just standard geared hobby motors) https://www.amazon.com/Diann-Motor-Gearbox-200RPM-Ratio/dp/B0BR7S2TRY/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388%3Aamzn1.sym.2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&crid=SAG35CWC8UL1&cv_ct_cx=motor&keywords=motor&pd_rd_i=B0BR7S2TRY&pd_rd_r=3c84adcb-a2f0-499d-ba4b-44f571b99b77&pd_rd_w=Cbh0A&pd_rd_wg=5zwnE&pf_rd_p=2da95b6c-f59a-4699-bc43-d0ff036c6388&pf_rd_r=JJC54GGGGMG50F017RE5&qid=1749278795&s=hi&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=moto%2Ctools%2C162&sr=1-3-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1
• BLOWER MOTOR: https://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=2258574
• HARDWARE KIT: https://www.amazon.com/VIGRUE-1110PCS-Stainless-Assortment-Tweezer/dp/B08H24W42K/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=E0B8ANHR748O&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AbLCnomvqi1FZVTDKyDb2Z9eMt87NihU3CmVBWOF7LX7CBlVZilxB7ky1TSjYUCDU9QoJHkzpg1KdtIhKBxFtVqNDACq8mo8zJwxTBrRAiohwHfIPZS9wtvQcunBa7Pn7Db0mBSyLETg0tgfsBi9zr3Lw6Py9b4v0beW_r3nNQA4KST9bz74Xk_Gv-npKLsrD3y-nWTrbcai_6c-M-tdPtcaqdE8lTIbSx_lYkfwU9bx5C6QU01e5G7ATdrznYLTWIYpKUC7XJzxJCKuWwJSSIoT_WTuQERxZkjM6P6MihQ.gWgsNqFxu4Gau-1WS75bm4ziUnEE9fjMnzIB5SMU9uk&dib_tag=se&keywords=m3%2Bhardware%2Bkit&qid=1749267774&s=hi&sprefix=m3%2Bhardware%2Bki%2Ctools%2C134&sr=1-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
• 1" PVC PIPE: Get at a local store like Home Depot ;)

You'll also definitely want wires to connect everything together in the end. If you'd like to build a functioning RCM, the model includes the cabinet and the terminal. Since the switches I used in my RCM are very old, I don't know where I got them so it will be left blank in the model so you can modify it yourself and add holes for switches. Or if you don't mind connecting all the wires to batteries then you don't really need an RCM. I'd also recommend using servo plugs for connections to pieces like the head so you can remove it for servicing or modifications!

Here's a list of all the tools I used to build the siren:

Hot glue gun - optional (dries fast and good for extra support + rotator motor mounting

Super glue - necessary for strength and small, thin applications

3D Gloop - very necessary for gluing the horn together and onto the chopper cap. (Get whatever kind that matches the filament you'll be using) 

Soldering iron - very necessary for modifying the slip ring and making wire connections

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I apologize if some of these tools are not accessible to you or are very pricey. I really tried my best to keep it as simple as possible and unfortunately with the parts used, it's the best I could really do.

If this is too much for you, I also have a functional Federal Signal Model 2 siren on my Printables which is much simpler, cheaper, and easier to build.

IF YOU HAVE A SLIP RING THAT IS DIFFERENT BUT YOU THINK WILL WORK, FEEL FREEN TO MODIFY THE BOTTOM ROTATOR PIECE!!! (The slip ring I use can be a pain to work with)

OTHER ADVICE!!

If you decide to add the jailbars, even if your printer is big enough you'll want to print the horn in two pieces so you can get the last piece glued into the horn. Or if you still want to print the horn in one piece, you could just add the two front jailbars.

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SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS:

CHOPPER ASSEMBLY:

Remember to completely read through every step before attempting to do it!

I'd start off with the chopper assembly. Choose what port ratio you would like and print out the chopper along with the chopper tube and chopper cap! (If it's single tone, you'll want the chopper cap with a single port)

REMEMBER!! THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE ROTOR SWAPPABLE!!! IT MAY WORK BUT DOING SO COULD DAMAGE THE ROTORS + ALLIGNMENT!!

Solder two long wires onto the motor terminals and fit it into the motor holder in the chopper tube. Make sure to push the brim of the motor through the hole on the top. Twisting the motor in really helps and reduces the chance of it breaking. 

Then add super glue around the circular motor holder (not the one on the top but the one that holds the body of the motor)

Cut a small piece of paper and put it right next to the shaft of the motor. Then, press fit your chopper onto the shaft (make sure you have a finger on the bottom of the motor so you're not going to accidentally push the motor out of the chopper tube). The paper will help by acting like a spacer and ensuring the chopper doesn't get pushed down all the way. If it does, it will make contact with the brim of the motor and that can cause problems. Remember, your friction fit may not be the same as mine because of different printers. If you need to adjust the friction fit, feel free to modify it in Tinkercad!!

Bolt on the chopper cap through the four holes and test it out!!!! Make sure the chopper is not making any contact and everything spins freely. If it is making contact, you may need to take the chopper cap off and sand out the inside a little bit. It is very important to note that even though the motor is rated for 12 volts, the siren should NOT run on a full 12 volts ever. It should run on more like 6 volts or maybe 9 volts. Don't be surprised if you hook up 12 volts and the chopper starts making contact!

BLOWER:

Print the two blower base pieces and bolt them together through the two bolting points. I would highly recommend adding the legs since they let a lot more air flow through the base. I also glued windowscreen onto all the four holes at the bottom (optional). You'll need three of the big ones and two of the little ones. The bolts go through the indented holes in the bottom and up through the hole. 

For the blower itself, print all the parts and glue the motor support onto the motor. Then glue the motor and the support onto the main blower body. After that, press fit on the impellor!

Print the pipe pieces and glue them together. Then bolt them onto the base where they should be mounted. 

Now you can bolt the blower onto the base. There should be bolt holes in the bottom for you to do so! After all the bolts are in, you can bolt the front cover of the blower on. 

I'd recommend wrapping masking tape around the gap in between the blower and the blower pipe so air doesn't leak out. 

The thunderbolt blower clamp one mounts onto the two bars coming up out of the base. The blower clamp two mounts onto blower clamp one and helps keep the siren from bending when the horn is facing away from the blower. The blower cover is very simple and doesn't really need instructions but when it's time to put it on, make sure the blower clamp 2 is taken off and then put the blower cover onto the blower base. Then bolt the blower clamp 2 onto the bars coming up from the blower base and drop some large bolts into the two holes to hold the blower clamp 2 onto the blower cover. 

If you don't want to print the blower cover, you'll need to use the guywires or find another way to support the blower pipe otherwise it will bend outwards!

RCM IS SELF EXPLANITORY

ROTATOR:

Here is where things get really annoying and complicated :P 

Start off by assembling the walls, top and bottom pieces. Then stick the weather cap onto the rotator tube and then push the whole tube through the rotator all the way to the bottom. There should be a really awful sound and that's a good thing! After you know it fits, make sure the weather cap isn't making contact with the top of the rotator tube and apply glue.

Then pull out the rotator tube and add more glue to the underside. After it's dry, push the whole tube in so that it's not in the bottom tube but only through the top tube.

 Then slip the rotator clamp onto the rotator tube followed by the big gear. Then push the rotator tube back all the way down. 

Then, add paper spacers in between the bottom rotator tube holder and glue on the gear (I'd use hot glue for this). Then do the same thing for the clamp but glue it at the very top of the rotator box (This prevents the whole head from coming up out of the rotator box)

After you're done with those steps, it's time for the most annoying part!!! Modifying the slip ring

SLIP RING MODIFICATION:

On the bottom of the slip ring, there should be four wires coming out of each side. What you need to do is merge each pair of four wires into one. And then you need to repeat this on the other side.

TIPS:

For taking off the wire insulation, I'd recommend taping all the wires and the slip ring to a table to prevent damage and to make it easier. Then pull one wire up and use a scraper blade to shave off one side of the rubber insulation. BE GENTLE!! It's very easy to accidentally cut the tiny wires in half! I'd also recommend to start scraping as high up as you can. You don't need the entire length of the wire but usually it takes a bit of moving the blade before it really starts to cut through the insulation.

After you're done with all the wires, merge all of them together and wrap + solder them onto a different thicker wire.

Then repeat this step on the other side. 

After soldering all four wire connections together, Use heat shrink tube to make sure they don't touch each other. You can use a heat gun or a lighter for the heat shrink tube. If you use a heat gun, make sure to aim it ONLY at the heat shrink tube and not at the slip ring. If the slip ring gets too hot it can get damaged. A lighter is more precise but flames can be hard to control. 

If you don't have heat shrink tube, you can use electrical tape!! Just make sure it's wrapped TIGHTLY!!

The final step is to add the motor. Once you have the motor support piece, glue it to the side of the motor that does not have the shaft or either side if it's dual shaft. Then glue the motor gear onto the shaft, apply glue to the motor support, and glue down to the rotator box so the gears mesh nicely!!!

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After you're done modifying the slip ring, remove the bottom panel of the rotator box. Tweezers and plyers can help! 

Once you get it off, take the slip ring and gently bend the wires coming out of the top to one side. Then bend the wires up so that they stick out around the length of the radius of the inside of the chopper tube and glue the wires to the side of the chopper tube so the slip ring hovers around the middle and a little bit lower. Make sure to also glue the wires at the top of the rotator tube to prevent tension breaking them.

Then, bolt on the bottom of the rotator again. Pull the slip ring through the little circle and super glue all around to keep it in place. After this is done, take the PVC tube mount and bolt it onto the bottom. This can be tricky but tweezers and plyers really help!

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HORN + HORN MOUNTING

Print out both pieces of the horn (or one if your printer is big enough) and 3D gloop them together. Once it's dry, get the chopper assembly and apply a good amount of 3D gloop onto the back of the horn and then the front of the chopper cap. Then flip the horn upside down and drop bolts in that can fit through the back of the horn and to the back of the chopper cap (not too long though) Then put the two pieces together and push the bolts in. DO NOT TRY TO GET GLUE INTO THE BOLTS!!! THAT'S FOR LATER!

Then stretch rubber bands (preferably two) around the back of the chopper cap to the front of the horn to keep the parts nice and held together while the glue dries. Since the horn support is 3D printed and is not strong at all, pretty much all the horn weight is held together at this connection. 

After a little while, add super glue around the joint just to really make sure it's held together tightly and then even later, take out each bolt at a time and apply glue inside the hole. Then push the bolt back in to get really high strength.

For the horn support, print all the pieces and then glue it together. Make sure it's facing the right way and bolt it onto the chopper tube. Then add glue underneath and hold it against the whole bottom of the chopper tube so it stays up!

Once the horn and the chopper assembly are fused together, you can cut the long wires coming out of the bottom of the chopper assembly and then cut the long wires coming out of the top of the rotator box to solder them together. Then you just need to bolt the head onto the rotator tube!

For the screen, print two of the screen panels and then glue some window screen in between. Then mount it to the horn using the little mount pieces!

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For the decals, I just printed the civil defense stickers out on normal paper and used good ol' Elmers school glue to attach them onto the siren. The Thunderbolt logos were printer out on sticker paper for my laser printer!

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If you need any help with the assembly process or just have questions, ask me on my Discord server in the “Siren Help” forum. Feel free to ping me so I see your message!

discord.gg/fDhPwv6Vsy

If you did decide to build this siren, I just want to say thank you! It's so cool to see other people inspired by models and other things I've made and I'm very grateful! :)

If you decided to build this siren and you actually completed it, CONGRATS!!!🎉🎉🎉

Make sure to let me know so I can take a look at it! :)