Quantum Leap "Gummi" Handlink

I've been watching the old Quantum Leap series and I thought it would be fun to make a prop replica of the Hand-link used in the last few seasons of the show.

Tools

1. X-acto knife
2. Razor saw with miter box (aluminum channel for 0, 45 and 60 degree cuts

Material

1. Gorilla Glue
2. 156 Piece Set by Strictly Briks
3. Strictly Briks Classic Briks Building Starter Kit (1008 pieces)

And a clear base-plate

1. Clear Strictly Briks Classic Baseplates 10" x 10" Stackable

I liked the Strictly Briks base-plate, because it can accept briks on either side, which is important later.

To get started I found some screen shots from the show to get an idea of the size and colors used for the hand-link. I had decide to make mine out of readily available clear colored "Strictly Briks" (available on Amazon), mostly to avoid having to deal with colored resin. Also, this replica isn't lit and has no sound effects. But it may be possible to do both, if someone would want to modify this Instructable.

Based on the screen shots and the estimated dimensions of the bricks that I want to use, It comes out to 20 H x 13 W (that's in the number of individual brik support posts). Then I cut the template with the razor saw to have the gaps and angle to resemble the shape of the original. I actually had 2 templates. I cut one from a solid color base-plate that I had from an old kids set of Lego bricks. The second one is the clear base-plate that would be used for the replica. The solid color base-plate I used as a staging area for the bricks as I got ready to glue them in place.

Once I had established the dimensions, I started fitting in the thin (~1/3rd height) briks on the back side of the base-plate. This is where the Strictly Briks version of the base-plate is nice, as it allowed bricks to be placed on either side of the base-plate. I used some screen shots and pictures of other similar replicas to decide on the colors to use. In some cases the lit and unlit versions of the prop appear to have different colors, so I settled on what suited me best. In some cases the angles cut were a little different and in some cases I chose not to to cut some blocks to maintain a cleaner edge. The razor saw and the miter box allow me make cuts at 0, 45 and 60 degree angles with very good precision. I mainly cut the briks for the back, a few on the front or if I ran out of size options in the colors that I wanted for the front.

All of the screen shot photos of the prop appeared to show the edges or borders as clear (non-colored) material. So I used clear non-colored bricks all the way around the edges of the hand-link. This is the part where the interior could be left mostly hollow, for the placement of LEDs, speaker, electronics and a battery. I chose to fill the whole area in with different colored bricks, to match what I saw in screenshot and photos of other replicas. If it was left open for the electronic, then the top layer would require more of the thin height bricks to show the required colors and "hide" the electronics to some extent.

I was missing some of the pictures after I got side tracked and this Instructable was left partially completed for almost 2 years. So, based on the photos of the finished replica, you could use similar colors and pieces to make a hand-link similar to this one it you want a quick and dirty cosplay version of the original Quantum Leap hand-link.