So I wanted to make a build thread about our new holsters and thought I would outline the design process for everybody to see.
We started working on this back in August 2014, seven months ago. But good things come to those who wait!
I originally met IronManiac back in June/July of last year when he contacted me on MakeXYZ to see about having a Star Lord helmet 3d printed and since then we've collaborated on many projects. So many that we started a company together called Nova Props.
One of our first projects was this holster that he wore it to DragonCon last year:
Quadblaster holster MK1.
We never produced these in quantity, only the original prototypes were made. They held the blasters in place via mechanical tension and weren't every comfortable and the blasters would pop out when bumped. It also looked nothing like the HERO holster from the movie.
We wanted something that looked similar to the movie prop, but it also had to be functional. I've see several 3d printed holsters that would clip the blaster in place however they would quickly snap and break.
We knew there had to be a better way so we went to work, slowly testing various ideas and after many versions and lots of trial and error we settled on this basic design which appeared much like the holsters in the movie.
After watching GOTG many, many times I noticed that there were at least two different holsters used in the movie. During action scenes a holster was used which bolted the blasters in place. If you freeze frame the movie you'll see a few tiny divots with a brass bolt holding the blasters in place.
During scenes where the blaster is removed then put back in place the guns seem to simply stick to his leg by an unseen force, Deus Ex Machina.
Now for those of you who've bought our other props you'll notice a recurring theme... MAGNETS! Really it was only logical, what seemingly magical unseen force can hold an object in place? So we spent lots of money and set out trying many different kinds of rare earth magnets until we stumbled on a combination that would work and hold the blasters in place securely but also allow them to be removed without difficulty. I don't have any pictures of the magnets on my phone but will post those soon.
Test fitting of the final version.
3D printed originals before finishing.
Sanded and primed.
Building laguna clay to make a matrix mold.
Plaster mother mold.
Glove mold ready for casting.
Now the design of the holster altho time consuming was the easy part. The hard part came in both trying to make a mold that would work consistently without being damaged because it has so many over-hangs and places for the casting to get stuck. It was also difficult, and expensive to find the right material for the castings.
We spend hundreds of dollars on development before we finally stuck on something that was both durable but also flexible and settled on Smooth-on's 65D semi-rigid urethane.
The holster in action.
Questions? Comments? Fire away!
We started working on this back in August 2014, seven months ago. But good things come to those who wait!
I originally met IronManiac back in June/July of last year when he contacted me on MakeXYZ to see about having a Star Lord helmet 3d printed and since then we've collaborated on many projects. So many that we started a company together called Nova Props.
One of our first projects was this holster that he wore it to DragonCon last year:
Quadblaster holster MK1.
We never produced these in quantity, only the original prototypes were made. They held the blasters in place via mechanical tension and weren't every comfortable and the blasters would pop out when bumped. It also looked nothing like the HERO holster from the movie.
We wanted something that looked similar to the movie prop, but it also had to be functional. I've see several 3d printed holsters that would clip the blaster in place however they would quickly snap and break.
We knew there had to be a better way so we went to work, slowly testing various ideas and after many versions and lots of trial and error we settled on this basic design which appeared much like the holsters in the movie.
After watching GOTG many, many times I noticed that there were at least two different holsters used in the movie. During action scenes a holster was used which bolted the blasters in place. If you freeze frame the movie you'll see a few tiny divots with a brass bolt holding the blasters in place.
During scenes where the blaster is removed then put back in place the guns seem to simply stick to his leg by an unseen force, Deus Ex Machina.
Now for those of you who've bought our other props you'll notice a recurring theme... MAGNETS! Really it was only logical, what seemingly magical unseen force can hold an object in place? So we spent lots of money and set out trying many different kinds of rare earth magnets until we stumbled on a combination that would work and hold the blasters in place securely but also allow them to be removed without difficulty. I don't have any pictures of the magnets on my phone but will post those soon.
Test fitting of the final version.
3D printed originals before finishing.
Sanded and primed.
Building laguna clay to make a matrix mold.
Plaster mother mold.
Glove mold ready for casting.
Now the design of the holster altho time consuming was the easy part. The hard part came in both trying to make a mold that would work consistently without being damaged because it has so many over-hangs and places for the casting to get stuck. It was also difficult, and expensive to find the right material for the castings.
We spend hundreds of dollars on development before we finally stuck on something that was both durable but also flexible and settled on Smooth-on's 65D semi-rigid urethane.
Questions? Comments? Fire away!
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