I don’t know what it is, but something about a gauntlet and a few stones that can alter reality as we know it speaks to my humble aspirations. Whether it be shirts or mugs or Funko Pops, I can’t get enough Infinity Gauntlet. About a year or so back I was drinking coffee out of my Infinity Gauntlet mug when I noticed a red Magic Band sitting on my desk. Looking at the band then back to the mug, I had an idea. I went through my office and found two more bands, a blue and a purple. With 3 of the 6 stones in hand (a better start than Thanos had) I began my quest to complete the aptly named: Magic Gauntlet.
The build (dwarven space forge not included)
Hey kid/adult kid do you want to build your own Magic Gauntlet?? It’s super easy (and if you can bring yourself to build it by just buying the bands instead of insisting they all had to be obtained through trips to WDW/Annual Passes) its relatively inexpensive!
Let’s start with a list of materials.
First you need the gauntlet. If you, like me, find yourself in a TJ Maxx/Home Goods on a biweekly basis then you’ve probably seen this big foam gauntlet at some point on clearance. Hopefully you bought it then and if you did, good for you. However, if you picked it up and put it on and played with it a bit and made snapping noises then put it back and walked away, you, like me, have to find it on eBay and pay 4x what it was at TJ Maxx.
Next you’ll need the Magic Band 2.0 pucks. You can get the bands by purchasing them directly or staying at WDW/having an annual pass and selecting the colors you need when redeeming them in My Disney Experience. I only had three of the required 6 pucks when I first got the idea and I wanted to complete it naturally so it took me another few months to get the other pucks I needed. I also wanted each of the pucks to be linked to my account so I could use the gauntlet at the parks; so no getting them from my wife or anyone else.
I wanted to be able to remove the pucks so I opted to secure them with magnets. I went with 18*4mm magnets I picked up off Amazon. You can find them here. Not only did the magnets fit perfect and hold great but it also made the whole assembly process way easier than I thought it was going to be as you’ll see below.
Finally we need some tools and adhesives. You’re going to want to gather:
- Pliers
- Hair dryer (not pictured)
- Philips head eyeglass screwdriver (not pictured)
- Super glue
- Hot Glue and a hot glue gun
- A dremel/rotary tool with a 1/2in sanding drum mandrel (this is what I used, you may be able to find something that works just as well)
Now we’re ready to assemble!
Let’s start with removing the bubble stones from the gauntlet. I did this by heating the bubbles with a hair dryer, gripping them with the pliers, and rocking them gently back and forth until they came free. I don’t have any pictures of this part of the process as I got rid of the bubbles immediately after I took them off (choking hazard for my boy) but it’s pretty straightforward. You want to be careful not to melt or rip the foam surrounding each bubble.
Now that we have the bubbles off, let’s get the pucks. Use the eyeglass screw driver to remove the two tiny screws on the back of the band and pop the puck out.
Now it’s time to create the sockets for the magnets that will secure the pucks. It is really easy to make a big mistake here if you use the method I did so just take it slow and be careful.
Start your rotary tool with the sanding mandrel in place and slowly drill into the center of the existing socket. You’re going to go about 8mm deep (the depth of 2 magnets). Make sure you’re wearing some type of dust mask/safety glasses as this will create a good bit of foam dust.
Next, using the hot glue gun, put some hot glue in the bottom of the socket. Take 2 magnets attached to each other and press them into the hole. Let it dry for a bit.
Now to secure the puck. This is where the superglue comes in. Put a tiny bit on the puck itself and press it onto the magnet you have secured in the socket. Having the magnet already in the socket helps to ensure that the puck looks to be sitting correctly even if the pitch/placement of your magnets is a bit off.
Repeat the process five more times and that’s it! You have successfully created a Magic Gauntlet to impress men, women and children the galaxy over. Thanos would be proud.
Now only if you could use it to snap the wait time for Smugglers Run in half…..
Brilliant!