What was your first project?

My first build was an E-11 blaster for my son (I always wanted one as a kid but never got one!). Not perfect, but good enough for a child.

It's a plastic pipe build with real Stirling pistol grip.

Has a red LED which lights when the trigger is pulled. I was going to fit a sound card as well but my son pulled the speaker off it before I could install it...

The scope is made from a twist-out glue stick. Most other parts are sheet metal which I shaped and screwed / riveted.

Made it about five years ago when he was seven - never needed any repairs


(That's also why the collapsible stock is a bit short - so he could unfold it and still reach the trigger)

my first build was a graflex ESB version it was really fun not too expensive and looks amazing.

I also am a college student! But not for much longer... I graduate in a couple months. But I might go on to do grad school since I might have a neat opportunity where its all paid for.

I just barely getting into it as well, luckily I have access to a winner of Face Off! to help me guide me on my way. He's been kind of a mentor for me which has been pretty rad. He recently taught me how to cast using Ultra Cal and how to paint latex with an airbrush. We made a run of hearts for a theater production.


I am now starting on a Nerf gun, that I am modding with custom 3D printed parts. I want to learn some weathering techniques and the process to clean up pla 3d prints. Its a nice low cost way I figure. I think i'll add some led's in it also.

I too am a college student. My first prop I made was Corvo's Mask from Dishonored, which I had a build thread on for a while which I've neglected to update. Here are a couple pictures:


This was 3D printed and finished with lots of sanding and just some simple spray painting.

As far as not having the required skills or tools, something I've found really helpful is getting involved in your local Makerspace/Hackerspace if you have one. The people there are usually awesome and for a relatively cheap membership fee you have access to the tools they have, and more importantly the knowledge of the existing makers in the area. I've only been a member of my local makerspace for a little while, but it's been an instrumental learning resource.

Have fun with your first prop no matter what you decide to make!

I would start by checking several libraries near you, a lot of libraries nowadays are putting in things such as sewing machines, 3D printers and I think sometimes even laser cutters, you can get 3D models to print at websites such as Shapeways and Thingiverse or even make your own with 3D modeling software or a 3D scanner.

If you would rather make something entirely by scratch with your own hands you could do what I did for my first few props, make them using hand tools out of a 4x4 of pine lumber that you can buy for about $8 (at least in the Midwest US area) and could make about 3-4 lightsabers if you find one without too many knots.

I got 2 beautiful, high quality wood planes for about $25 each at a flea market, now I know that isn't super cheap, but I wanted a high quality tool. You could probably make a wooden lightsaber with nothing more than a drill, saw (I like a coping saw because it can cut curves), an Exacto handle and several blades, some files/wood rasps, needle files, a drawknife and a vise bolted to a sturdy table. All in all I'm guessing you could probably get what you need for about $70 and you can make almost anything with that. I should add that this isn't the absolute easiest or cheapest way, but in the end you get a solid feeling and good looking prop.

Check out youtube channels like Tested, Andrew DFT, Volpin Props and AWE me for a bunch of prop making advice, tutorials and full builds. Also feel free to ask the people here on the RPF for any advice you might need, I've found that people here are very helpful when you need advice.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to just have fun with it, don't take it too seriously or your hobby just becomes a job. Something to be aware of is called the good, cheap, fast triangle, pick 2, you can have your prop good and cheap but it won't be fast, you can have it fast and good but it won't be cheap, this basically just means that it depends on what you want out of the prop, if you want it to be really good, then you need to sacrifice either the cost or the time. I generally lean towards good and cheap, thus it takes me a lot of time.

Here is what I made with about $20 in material costs (lumber and paint). This is technically my third prop project, but it's still one of the first.
View attachment DSC_4655.JPGView attachment DSC_1205.JPG
Here's the link to my build thread: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=271691
Also a Video of how I made it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5U8vobK0c8

Again I know this isn't extremely cheap and it's not extremely easy, but it is technically a beginner project as it is one of the first things I've ever made. If you're looking for something even cheaper and even easier, I'm afraid I can't help there as this is basically all I've ever done.

Best of luck to you, this is a wonderful hobby to be a part of!

I build furniture as a hobby. But my first prop was my DL-44 ANH version based off the Denix and Dark Machine Kit.

Elven Doorstop said:

Here is what I made with about $20 in material costs (lumber and paint). This is technically my third prop project, but it's still one of the first.
View attachment 716588View attachment 716589
Here's the link to my build thread: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=271691
Also a Video of how I made it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5U8vobK0c8

Click to expand...

Wow, those turned out amazing how long did those take?

GatorDave113 said:

Wow, those turned out amazing how long did those take?

Click to expand...

Thank you very much! It took about 150 hours that I spread out across 5-6 months, I would guess about 1-3 hours a day 5-6 days a week average, so basically spare time.

Also to be clear there is only one, the wooden picture is before I painted it and the metal one is the same one, just after I painted it. I want to be clear that I didn't make two in 150 hours. Thanks again!

My very first "real" project was a Slipknot mask.
A Corey Taylor Vol. 3 mask to be specific.

I reattempted the same mask in 2007 or so, and then once again in 2016. It's crazy being able to look back and see how far I've come. What's even crazier is I look at the 2016 one and see things I can still do better. Perhaps I'll do another in 2020. :lol