Return to the BUILD

“In this issue, the fingers are assembled! Build the right hand of the Mark III armor, which includes a repulsor with an LED.”

Contents

Parts

Materials: The Reactor Crown is metal, but the rest of these parts are metal.

Magazine

• The History of Iron Man – Arch-Enemies: A Constant Fight
• Step by Step – Model Instructions
• In the Comics – The Illuminati: A Conspiracy for Good
• The Armor – Model 2: Red & Gold Iron Man

Build

The Arc Reactor

Stage 1 – Crown and Reactor Cover

Step 1

Fit the holes of the Reactor Ring onto the matching pins in the back of the Reactor Crown, as shown.

One of these pins is larger than the other, so this Reactor Ring will only fit correctly one way:

This is what it should look like from the front:

Step 2

Fit the Reactor Cover into the back of the Reactor assembly, aligning the large holes over the tall posts and aligning the small holes with the screw holes, as shown.

The small screw holes of the Reactor Cover will only line up when this is installed correctly:

Secure the Reactor Cover to the Reactor Ring with two (2) AM screws.

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:

Stage 2 – Battery Case and Screen

Steps 1-2

Carefully pull the LED of the Reactor Housing + LED out of the battery case and insert it through the back of the LED Support, as shown:

Step 3

Fit the LED Support back into the battery case with the LED exposed, taking care not to pinch or trap any wiring, as shown:

Stage 3 – Bringing the Stages Together

Step 1

Fit the transparent Screen over the LED Support, as shown:

Step 2

While holding these parts together, turn them over onto the back of the Reactor Cover, aligning the screw holes.

This Reactor Housing assembly should be fully seated down onto the Reactor Cover, as shown:

Secure the Reactor Housing to the Reactor Cover with two (2) AM screws:

Stage 4 – Battery and Cover

Step 1

Insert one CR1025 battery (supplied with Issue 2) into the battery case with the positive (+) side of the battery touching the spring:

Step 2

Fit the Battery Cover over the battery case opening, aligning the post of the switch through the hole, and secure it into place with one (1) BP screw, as shown:

That completes this issue. We can push the switch button and see our Arc Reactor light up!

I was not happy with the bright ‘hot spot’ from the LED in the center of my Arc Reactor. I pulled the assembly apart and inserted a piece of white napkin between the transparent Screen and the Reactor Cover to act as a diffuser:

I then cut off the excess, being careful to not tear the napkin insert:

I reassembled the Arc Reactor and turned it on. This small mod worked really well to soften the light and make it more uniform across the face of the reactor. It is not easy to see it in these pictures, but I feel it did improve the look:

I own a full-size Mark I Arc Reactor collectible, so I thought about adding some color to our Reactor Cover to better match it. However, the actual Arc Reactor would be under the armor cover with only the bright light coming out, so I left it alone. I can always change it later:

Thoughts

For some reason, this Arc Reactor seems unusually large to me. A large portion of the outer diameter of it will be hidden behind the chest armor, but it still seems out of scale. We shall see how it all comes together!

Next Up

Issue 5 – Right Elbow Joint 1