Making an MR ST:FC phaser into a "Hard Time" variant

[KojiroVance]

I'd been curious about how my MR FC phaser would look redressed as a DS9 phaser, as seen being used by Colm Meaney in the episode "Hard Time." Dunno if this was a redress of a FC prop, or a new one. Seeing the colored Chartpak Deco-Tape set at a Michael's art supply, with red, green, blue, and black tape, I knew it wouldn't be hard.

I simply cut a red strip to the right length, near as I could tell from screen shots (thank you, Trekcore.com). The red was a bit brighter than the prop, so I just used a wood stain pen to swipe on a bit of "darkening." Instead of cutting two red strips and trying to get them the right length, I cut a single strip and then overlaid a black "spacing" strip. (You can see it more clearly in my YourProps photo.)

Adding square dots was a bit harder, just to get the lengths and angled cuts just right. I realizd while applying them that there's a subtle joke here: the dots, and LEDs, make it look a little like a cross-eyed face.

Once done, that FC red trigger button just didn't look right, so out it came, stripped off the red paint, and applied some Alabaster Silver Metallic touch-up paint from Acura. Toned down with 600 grit modelers sandpaper (just a light swiping), and touched up with some 0000 grade steel wool, it looks and feels smooooooth.

I would've reversed the lights to match the DS9 layout, but the MR LEDs are colored, and reversing the red and green covers would've given me ... red on green, and green on red, probably not worth the effort.

 

[AnubisGuard]

Looks nice. I actually did the exact same thing with the electrical tape first thing out of the box on mine. Like the silver trigger. :thumbsup

 

[KojiroVance]

Chartpak Deco-Tape (particularly the silver and gold) is really nice. I need to post what I didn with some TOS medical scanner "fantasy" readout stickers with paint pen and, later, Deco-Tape. It also does great at decorating other static props. E.g.

 

[thegreatgalling]

Thats really great info. I have also used Pactra's "trim tape" which is meant for RC cars. I like it because its rolled on a sheet and includes eight different sizes of trim tape.

 

[KojiroVance]

Ah, I'll have to go look for that. The Deco-tape (shiny foil) is not cheap. I wondered what Brett Jones used on a ST III comm buildup, auto pinstripe or something more specialized.

I might have to go find some. The foil tape is really thin, good for the underside of a clear label, but the colored stuff is thick. I need some really thin stuff. >

 

[Funky]

Chartpak Deco-Tape (particularly the silver and gold) is really nice. I need to post what I didn with some TOS medical scanner "fantasy" readout stickers with paint pen and, later, Deco-Tape. It also does great at decorating other static props. E.g.

I'm curious as to which prop this is. It looks pretty cool! Is it a found piece?

 

[mgoob]

The DS9 phaser came first.

After this excellent episode, we didn't see the phaser w/ the squares again.

Next used on Yoyager w/o squares also.

THEN First Contact.

IIRC, the props that HMS supplied to the studio were from the same molds as the ones for TV, just with a red button. And as I understand it, the lightbar circuit is the same for the movie as the TV shows- just installed upside down for the movie (w/o any intent to make it different).

The bit w/ the MR version is that everything is built to fit- you can't just flip the LEDs. I've got a friend who has been on/ off working on transforming mine into the DS9 version. Although he works w/ circuits & SMT everyday, he accidentally wiped out a few LEDs and has ordered replacements. SMT ain't easy.

Now to find that case on the wall he takes the phaser from!