Nerf Gun Props? YES!
- Thread starter JohnsonArms
- Start date
DFC Props
Active Member
Thanks. I know... personally I'm not a huge fan of the Maverick, but this one is for a cousin.
Yes, I think a panel would look better. I really want to hide the fact that it is a nerf gun so that should help. Just watched that video yesterday... love Punished Props.
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
I think I've finally nailed the antiqued leather effect:
Four shades of brown, dry-brushed dark to light to get a suede-like effect, followed by a liquid latex mask around the edges and roughly following the lightest of the 'scratch marks' in the suede, and then a coat of gloss chocolate brown. Last step is to remove the masking film.
I thought the hardest part would be removing the masking film, but I discovered a new way of doing it that speeds up the process tenfold. Wiping the entire surface with a bit of blue painters tape picks up the latex really easily without marking the rest of the paintwork, unlike my previous latex removal process which was scratching it away with various tools. Time-consuming and very messy...
These are a couple of parts from my current Hyperfire project which I should hopefully be finishing in the coming week - I just hope the weather doesn't turn for the worse...
Four shades of brown, dry-brushed dark to light to get a suede-like effect, followed by a liquid latex mask around the edges and roughly following the lightest of the 'scratch marks' in the suede, and then a coat of gloss chocolate brown. Last step is to remove the masking film.
I thought the hardest part would be removing the masking film, but I discovered a new way of doing it that speeds up the process tenfold. Wiping the entire surface with a bit of blue painters tape picks up the latex really easily without marking the rest of the paintwork, unlike my previous latex removal process which was scratching it away with various tools. Time-consuming and very messy...
These are a couple of parts from my current Hyperfire project which I should hopefully be finishing in the coming week - I just hope the weather doesn't turn for the worse...
DFC Props
Active Member
Very nice effect. Looks great. I don't know about where you live, but here on the East Coast of the States I just got 5" of snow with some nice freezing rain on top. I've had to hold off on painting until it gets warmer and stops snowing. Hope the weather turns out good for you!
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
New year, new nerfs, new techniques, This year is going to be good fun 
May I introduce my latest relic, a scavenged ex-service blaster I have dubbed "The Rearranginator".
Same ol' rust technique I've done dozens of times but with an extra wash on the bare metal parts just to see what would happen; the new antique leather technique outlined in my post above; and just for fun, some hand-painted graffiti, because when you find a blaster in the post-apoc wasteland, the first thing you do is personalize it
...and some cool news - I have an exhibition of my customized Nerf collection opening next week at a little gallery called PhotonFlux here in Wellington, NZ. It'll open on the 29th of this month and run for 2 weeks. If you're down in this neck of the woods, drop on in and have a look.
Have a good one everybody
May I introduce my latest relic, a scavenged ex-service blaster I have dubbed "The Rearranginator".
Same ol' rust technique I've done dozens of times but with an extra wash on the bare metal parts just to see what would happen; the new antique leather technique outlined in my post above; and just for fun, some hand-painted graffiti, because when you find a blaster in the post-apoc wasteland, the first thing you do is personalize it
...and some cool news - I have an exhibition of my customized Nerf collection opening next week at a little gallery called PhotonFlux here in Wellington, NZ. It'll open on the 29th of this month and run for 2 weeks. If you're down in this neck of the woods, drop on in and have a look.
Have a good one everybody
That is excellent Vim! I love that paintjob. Any intention to slightly weather in the "graffiti"? Love the rust and the uber-distressed leather.
Out of interest, what you you use for priming? I know some folks use Krylon Fusion, but I'd like to find something I can airbrush on.
Out of interest, what you you use for priming? I know some folks use Krylon Fusion, but I'd like to find something I can airbrush on.
PlanetAlexander
Active Member
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I'm considering running a bit of fine sandpaper over it to give it a slightly more used feel, but I'm not sure what that will do to it... I'll just have to suck it and see
I use Rustoleum primers mostly, especially the rust red, and a White Knight Rust Guard SLS Etch Primer every now and then when I'm patching and filling prior to painting. I also use the Rustoleum 2X flat white as a base when I want a brighter colour. It goes over the top of anything with reliable opacity - even black primer. The 2X range isn't bad as a primer in itself, but even the flat colours can get a bit satin-ish if you accidentally get a bit heavy.
Thank you - I wish everyone could be here for opening night, but I'll be sure to get lots of photos for everyone who can't.
Edit 27-01-19: watch this thread for updates and photos.
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...and some cool news - I have an exhibition of my customized Nerf collection opening next week at a little gallery called PhotonFlux here in Wellington, NZ. It'll open on the 29th of this month and run for 2 weeks. If you're down in this neck of the woods, drop on in and have a look.
Have a good one everybody
Shot bro! Hopefully Peter or Richard will show up and hire you on the spot!
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
My February project ran a little over thanks to my exhibition taking up a bit of time, but better late than never.
Introducing The Thumper, a custom-painted Nerf Switch Shot EX-3. No internal mods, but its simplicity means that upgrades could easily be implemented at a moment's notice. Or another barrel could be acquired to allow different strength shots dependent on the situation. Several could be modified to fire different darts, multiples, etc. and carried like magazines, but this is another project for another time...
A fun wee blaster to paint, it's barrel-separation mechanism makes it easy to work a multitude of colours into it.
I had a bit of trouble trying to get paint to stick to the priming handle, so there's a spot or two to cover up later. I sanded, washed and primed it, but the primer stripped off entirely, so I went back and started on it again, but then primed it with an etching automotive primer. This seemed to work, so I continued over the top of it. It wasn't until I was removing the liquid mask that a hole began to appear. I pulled the edges away until it stopped peeling, so it seems that it's just the one spot where the etching didn't take. I might just put a wrap of some sort over it to hide it... I've test fired it a number of times, and the priming handle's bar hasn't shown any wear at all so far, which is odd, but hey - way to go etch primer!
Hope you like it - thanks for looking
Introducing The Thumper, a custom-painted Nerf Switch Shot EX-3. No internal mods, but its simplicity means that upgrades could easily be implemented at a moment's notice. Or another barrel could be acquired to allow different strength shots dependent on the situation. Several could be modified to fire different darts, multiples, etc. and carried like magazines, but this is another project for another time...
A fun wee blaster to paint, it's barrel-separation mechanism makes it easy to work a multitude of colours into it.
I had a bit of trouble trying to get paint to stick to the priming handle, so there's a spot or two to cover up later. I sanded, washed and primed it, but the primer stripped off entirely, so I went back and started on it again, but then primed it with an etching automotive primer. This seemed to work, so I continued over the top of it. It wasn't until I was removing the liquid mask that a hole began to appear. I pulled the edges away until it stopped peeling, so it seems that it's just the one spot where the etching didn't take. I might just put a wrap of some sort over it to hide it... I've test fired it a number of times, and the priming handle's bar hasn't shown any wear at all so far, which is odd, but hey - way to go etch primer!
Hope you like it - thanks for looking
DFC Props
Active Member
My February project ran a little over thanks to my exhibition taking up a bit of time, but better late than never.
Introducing The Thumper, a custom-painted Nerf Switch Shot EX-3. No internal mods, but its simplicity means that upgrades could easily be implemented at a moment's notice. Or another barrel could be acquired to allow different strength shots dependent on the situation. Several could be modified to fire different darts, multiples, etc. and carried like magazines, but this is another project for another time...
View attachment 995218
A fun wee blaster to paint, it's barrel-separation mechanism makes it easy to work a multitude of colours into it.
View attachment 995219
I had a bit of trouble trying to get paint to stick to the priming handle, so there's a spot or two to cover up later. I sanded, washed and primed it, but the primer stripped off entirely, so I went back and started on it again, but then primed it with an etching automotive primer. This seemed to work, so I continued over the top of it. It wasn't until I was removing the liquid mask that a hole began to appear. I pulled the edges away until it stopped peeling, so it seems that it's just the one spot where the etching didn't take. I might just put a wrap of some sort over it to hide it... I've test fired it a number of times, and the priming handle's bar hasn't shown any wear at all so far, which is odd, but hey - way to go etch primer!
Hope you like it - thanks for looking
Looks great Vim! Love the multiple layers of paint techniques you used. Especially like the suede leather look on the handle... you really captured that look. Did you use a liquid laytex for the chipped paint effect? I tried toothpaste on a recent project, but it left a sticky residue that wouldn't go away even after a wash with water.
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
Yes, liquid latex is the only way to go if you want to add more paint layers. Soap, toothpaste, mustard and tomato sauce are some of the other organic masks most often used, but they have a tendency to move when you try to put masking tape over them. Liquid latex (or masking fluid as it's sometimes called) has a very low profile, so it's easy to get good, sharp edges when masking up for secondary colours (such as the warning stripes and white panels on the Thumper). Tomato sauce and mustard can also stain the base-layer paint in some cases.
You still have to be careful though, as trying to reposition the tape can result in the latex being pulled up, which can spoil the effect. ie., the scratches won't continue across the different layers of paint. But it's also the best way I've found for removing the latex when the painting is done too. I used to spend hours picking and scratching it away, which also had a tendency to scratch up the paint as well (not a a huge problem when you want a heavily weathered look), but rubbing it down with a few strips of old tape will see it finished in minutes, and will leave the paintwork immaculate.
You still have to be careful though, as trying to reposition the tape can result in the latex being pulled up, which can spoil the effect. ie., the scratches won't continue across the different layers of paint. But it's also the best way I've found for removing the latex when the painting is done too. I used to spend hours picking and scratching it away, which also had a tendency to scratch up the paint as well (not a a huge problem when you want a heavily weathered look), but rubbing it down with a few strips of old tape will see it finished in minutes, and will leave the paintwork immaculate.
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
Fun with sharpies!
In truth, it was always meant to look this way, except the stripes were going to be purple.
You might remember it used to look like this.
Working up the courage took a little while, and seeing it sitting there all boring was starting to annoy me a little. I did a dry run on some cling-wrap that I taped over the shell just to check the aesthetics, and it seemed to work okay, so i ripped the hypothetical band-aid off (and the literal cling-wrap) and did it for real. I'm glad I did!
This is one of those classic situations where apprehension got the better of my creative juices and almost stopped me from making something cool.
Don't let it happen to you
In truth, it was always meant to look this way, except the stripes were going to be purple.
You might remember it used to look like this.
Working up the courage took a little while, and seeing it sitting there all boring was starting to annoy me a little. I did a dry run on some cling-wrap that I taped over the shell just to check the aesthetics, and it seemed to work okay, so i ripped the hypothetical band-aid off (and the literal cling-wrap) and did it for real. I'm glad I did!
This is one of those classic situations where apprehension got the better of my creative juices and almost stopped me from making something cool.
Don't let it happen to you
Nice job Vim. I dig the stripes
My latest . . .
It's still only about half way done. I'm going to weather the whole thing and cover all the nerf logos.
My latest . . .
It's still only about half way done. I'm going to weather the whole thing and cover all the nerf logos.
PlanetAlexander
Active Member
Soulinertia I'm not really one for modern/sci-fi style guns (I prefer a rustic theme), but something about that is just... beautiful. Simple, yet complicated. I'm interested to see what you do with weathering.
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
Nice job Vim. I dig the stripes
Thanks
I love that tubing - the way it all curves around the contours is brilliant! That is one dangerous-looking rifle
DFC Props
Active Member
I really like that orange finish... it's got a metallic sheen to it, right?
It's still only about half way done. I'm going to weather the whole thing and cover all the nerf logos.[/QUOTE said:
Vim Fuego
Well-Known Member
Yes - Tamiya metallic orange, and it has a metallic aluminium underneath it to enhance the metallic look too.
DFC Props
Active Member
Nice job Vim. I dig the stripes
My latest . . .
View attachment 999781
View attachment 999782
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View attachment 999784
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View attachment 999786
It's still only about half way done. I'm going to weather the whole thing and cover all the nerf logos.
Sorry... I don't know what happened. I quoted your post, but my comment didn't show up underneath it for some reason. I was going to say I really dig the finish and sci-fi feel. Looks great and I'm sure it'll look even more realistic when you weather it!
Nice touch with the tiny screen. Also, are those real bullet shell casings? They looks so realistic and shiny!
