Blade Runner Deckard's blaster affordable option(s) / Water gun challenge

S21FOLGORE

S21FOLGORE

New Member
So, I can't afford a Tomenosuke blaster.
That much price is totally out of my price range.
Realistically, $120-130 is what I can pay the most.

I recently did these two water guns.
52193401357_862390b058_k.jpg
AFTER#2 by T K, on Flickr
52194429053_892a8245f0_k.jpg
AFTER#1 by T K, on Flickr

It's a sort of painting exercise, trying to turn these...

X-Shot Zuru
52193414847_86538adc77_h.jpg
XShot befpre by T K, on Flickr
Elfin-Knight
52194914370_4fd4751c8c_h.jpg
PKD_before by T K, on Flickr



...into something that can be used as "Hero props" as well as "Stunt props" (for amateure film makers and Youtube content creators level, NOT a Hollywood studio film level), WITHOUT spending big $$$, WITHOUT using some specialized tools (such as compressor and air brush), AND minimum amount of work.
52194669119_57c386201b_k.jpg
AFTER#6 by T K, on Flickr
52194407891_d5c9f7d325_k.jpg
AFTER#7 by T K, on Flickr



Everything I used for this project can be purchased at local art/craft supply stores, and/or hardware stores.
And, if you wake up early on Sunday morning, and are well planned / prepared, you can finish it one day.
(Not month after month of sanding / surfacer / sanding again ... I don't have that much free time.)

52193397927_296f2f8db2_k.jpg
AFTER#9 by T K, on Flickr
52194668019_4b7e7fedf4_k.jpg
AFTER#8 by T K, on Flickr

BTW, I picked up the idea of X-shot Zuru from this.

 
Thank you !

Let’s talk a little bit about my painting technique.

(I am planning to make a video, but it’s going to take some time.

So, let me quickly explain how I painted this blaster.)



The base color (for the silver part of the blaster) is Dupli Color Wheel Coating spray, in “Graphite”. (SKU: HWP102)

You should be able to find them at your local auto parts store.

They also make “silver”. (SKU: HWP101).

“Graphite” gives you much darker shade of metallic gray, which is, I personally prefer, for (even fictional) firearms, handheld weapons.



Incidentally, the black part of the blaster is painted with Dupli Color Vinyl and Fabric coating spray, flat black (SKU: HVP106).



I don’t remember exactly, but I though they used to be called “Vinyl & Fabric DYE” spray…

I could be wrong. (VHT still sells “Vinyl Dye” spray.)



Anyhow, they have really strong “bite”, you don't need primer / surfacer.



Which is good, for the most part.

They (Wheel coat & Vinyl dye) are both really fast drying, also.

So you can move onto the next stage much MUCH faster.



After the painted surface gets dry enough to touch (which takes only 30 minutes or so, in the summer time in California), I start weathering.



First, I do “washing” with Acrylic paint.

I keep mixture of water & isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) in a spray bottle.

Spray water + alcohol onto the surface, apply thinned down acrylic color with chip paint brush, wipe down excess, or spray more and wipe.



Most of my acrylic paint is “GOLDEN” brand, some “Liquitex”.

The brand name doesn’t really matter.

I just happen to like GOLDEN a little bit more.

With GOLDEN, it is easier to identify the opacity of the color when purchasing a new color that you have never used.)



For this type of project, I do washing mostly with “ Burnt Sienna”, “Raw Sienna”, “Ultramarine Blue”.



(Okay my lunch break is over. I have to get back to work.)

…to be continued…
 
Thank you !

So, here are some screenshots, from the video I took while working on the project.



Masking done, in the kitchen.

(I wanted to keep the translucent orange / amber grip scale.)

52246214034_834abb0da8_k.jpg
Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.21.19 PM by T K, on Flickr



Spray paint in the parking lot.



52244954722_521a231aad_k.jpg
Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.22.25 PM by T K, on Flickr



52246421645_a7a922270b_k.jpg
Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.22.58 PM by T K, on Flickr



Notice I don’t hang them with wire, etc.

For this type of painting, you don’t have to rig up wire painting / drying thing.



Washing, on the balcony.

(Big garbage can liner underneath.)

52245927141_18b799b201_k.jpg
Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.27.20 PM by T K, on Flickr



You can see Pink spray bottle that contains isopropyl alcohol.

You can also see GOLDEN acrylic paint, two bottles, one tube.



I use Rub’n Buff, for the last touch.

BUT, I spray “Workable fixative” before moving onto “dry brush / Rub’n Buff “ stage.



….<to be continued>
 
So, I made a (kind of) Blade Runner fan movie, "kind of..."
Sort of fan film, sort of experiment how painted Elfin knight water gun would look like in the video.


I'm still planning to make a video about how I painted these, but ... I'm slow.

If you are into Blade Runner (if you are reading this thread, most likely you are) you will know which part of the movie I tried to recreate.
Okay, I don't have money, and / or time, to do frame to frame, quote to quote recreation film.
The shot camera tilting down as I move the blaster down, was done with just a tripod and fluid head, for example.
 
gromenawer said:
The X-Shot Zuru is awesome. Nice job !
Click to expand...
Thanks!
Yeah, it turned out much nicer than I thought.
The cool thing is, they can be picked up really cheap.
I bought mine when they were on sale at Target.
It was something like $11 for two-pack.
(These toy guns designed for kids often sold as a pair, for obvious reason.)
They are excellent for experiment, or painting practice.
 
COlson said:
Can the Blade Runner water gun be taken apart to add red LEDs?
Click to expand...
The short answer is 'yes'. The longer answer is 'yes if you're very careful and don't mind taking a risk with cracking the plastic'.

I converted mine when the first issue came out 6 years ago (!o_O!) and installed weights and electronics in it. Here're a couple of posts on taking the gun apart.
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)

...and here're a few more posts that show the electronics in progress. I put the battery (9v PP3) in the handle, but others have managed to get everything into the magazine.
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)

Here's what it looked like at the end of the project.
Cheap PKD (Water Gun)

If you follow that whole thread those posts above are in you'll find an absolute treasure trove of practical experience and detail from others who've converted the water guns in the past, especially Candykiller's and dmpsk8's beautiful work. It's a LONG thread though! :)
 
COlson said:
Can the Blade Runner water gun be taken apart to add red LEDs?
Click to expand...
Well, the post above already answered it (Really nice job, BTW!), but, here's what "I" think.

#1 It's a two-piece shells welded together construction. So, you'll have to "cut" the blaster.
#2 The plastic used for this blaster is thin and brittle. So, you'll have to be careful. (It is not meant to be taken apart, after it is assembled at the factory.)

If you have enough time, patience, tools, and the place to work on, then, the answer is yes.
For someone like myself, who has no space (as you can see in the photos, I'm doing these projects on the kitchen counter / parking lot), who has no free time, that's not really an option.

BTW, X-Shot Zuru CAN be taken apart easily. Because the shells are screwed together. (It has a "water tank", that's why screwed together construction works). You can open the water tank lid by coking the hammer.
With this one, it is fairly easy to add illumination fuction.
 

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