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

[S21FOLGORE]

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.

AFTER#2 by T K, on Flickr

AFTER#1 by T K, on Flickr

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

X-Shot Zuru

XShot befpre by T K, on Flickr
Elfin-Knight

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.

AFTER#6 by T K, on Flickr

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.)

AFTER#9 by T K, on Flickr

AFTER#8 by T K, on Flickr

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

 

[JamesM242]

Very well done! What was your technique for the BR blaster's barrel?

 

[stussy]

Nice job,they look good.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

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…

 

[Leinads]

What a fun and super-creative project! Very nice work!

 

[S21FOLGORE]

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.)

Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.21.19 PM by T K, on Flickr



Spray paint in the parking lot.

Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.22.25 PM by T K, on Flickr

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.)

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>

 

[S21FOLGORE]

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]

The X-Shot Zuru is awesome. Nice job !

 

[S21FOLGORE]

The X-Shot Zuru is awesome. Nice job !

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]

Can the Blade Runner water gun be taken apart to add red LEDs?

 

[wayouteast]

Can the Blade Runner water gun be taken apart to add red LEDs?

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 (!!) 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!

 

[S21FOLGORE]

Can the Blade Runner water gun be taken apart to add red LEDs?

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.

 

[COlson]

Thank you both wayouteast and S21FOLGORE. I may have to pick on up and make one myself.

 

[bpod2049]

Awesome work! Sorry if you posted this elsewhere -- but where did you pick up the water blaster?

 

[ave4uevoli]

Paragon fx group has a BR blaster water gun for sale on their website

 

[S21FOLGORE]

I tried to recreate a scene from the movie, yesterday.

“Someone else’s memory …” from Blade Runner (1982)

Everything in this video was shot on Fuji X-T4, with Canon FD50mm f1.4 lens + Metabone Speed Booster.



I shot this with film simulation by Youtuber Vuhlandes.

(And color graded with film emulation “Kodak Ektachrome 64”.)



I also had DIY diffusion filter (clear UV filter + hair spray), and NISI VND filter on.



If you look at the original, you can tell the camera actually moves, perhaps on dolly, then stops.

I’m a solo shooter, on a really tight budget.(also not that much free time.)

The camera is on the tripod.

There’s no way I can move the camera while I’m acting front of the camera.

So, I moved, turned around, instead.



I picked up this speed booster (off eBay) just recently, and have been playing with it a lot.

This is “FD to Fuji-X mount” version, so it’s not as expensive as “EF to Fuji-X” version, but still quite a bit of money.



Is it worth the price?

Yes, I think so.

Look at the image at 1:20.

I re-watched the movie again (I don't know how many times I've watched this movie !), to time the action.
And I re-realized that the blaster in the film is almost always out of focus / backlit / overall too dark to see details.
(Back in the 80s, people tried to scratch-build this blaster, from watching VHS video ...)

Well, movie props are used as tools to tell a story ... not for showing off.

That's probably why this blaster left so strong impression for the viewers.

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 8.47.46 PM by T K, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 8.47.22 PM by T K, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 8.47.12 PM by T K, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 8.46.55 PM by T K, on Flickr



at 1:20

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 8.46.29 PM by T K, on Flickr

 

[stussy]

Cool,that looked like fun.

 

[joberg]

It's not out of focus; it's just that the amount of smoke on the set might saturates the image (+lighting) and makes it appear "out of focus".

 

[S21FOLGORE]

Hi, thanks for the comments.

I ended up deleting the original post (on my regular Youtube channel), and re-uploaded .
(Making a "slight change".)

This is (essentially) a filming exercise, how much you can get from a (relatively) cheap prop gun, by just painting, lighting, and framing.



I already own two Deckard’s blaster replica water guns, by Elfin Knights.
(The one in the video. And the blue grip one.)

Despite that, I ended up ordering Paragon FX’s water gun.

Once it gets here, I will make comparison video.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

Paragon FX. Deckard’s blaster “water action model”



This is my 3rd Blade Runner Deckard’s blaster water gun…

(… and, actually ONE MORE is coming, from Japan. But, that’s another story…)



It was delivered Tuesday, while I was at work.

(I work long hours, many days. When I come back home, it’s usually too late to make a video (after 10PM, I’m hungry, too tired, can’t be too loud, etc, etc,)



So, I tried to shoot short, quick “open package” video, Wednesday morning, before going to work.



I think, … I’ll have to re-shoot the video.

But, I decided to show some screen shot from that video shoot.



In the middle, that’s the new one, by Paragon FX.

Paragon_1 by T K, on Flickr



Orange muzzle tip comes off easily...

And, you will immediately notice the lack of lettering on BOTH sides of the blaster …

(I personally don’t really care, but I’ve heard some people complaining about “MADE IN CHINA” lettering.)

Paragon_2 by T K, on Flickr



BUT, given a choice, I’d pick up no lettering version.



Since my Elfin Knights one is already painted, I can’t be sure, but, Paragon FX version looks darker.

Paragon_3 by T K, on Flickr



Different camera / lens, different lighting situation, but, Elfin Knights looks more like

“smoke”.

Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.21.19 PM by T K, on Flickr



Package Front

Paragon_5 by T K, on Flickr



Package Rear

Paragon_4 by T K, on Flickr



Judging from the Japanese product description, I assume this one is also sold in Japan?



[to be continued]