MattMunson
Master Member
Here's a new addition to my site:
This is a fan built replica of the "Dustbuster" Phaser seen in the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This was built using a roddenberry.com kit, which is/was made from original studio molds and castings. The electronics were provided by the same individual who produced numerous electronics packages for the various post-TOS Trek shows.
So essentially, this is as close as one could hope to get to owning a screen used piece, or made for production piece without paying the price.
The paint used on this is the exact same paint used on the ones for the show, Krylon Dove Grey, which has since been re-dubbed Krylon Stone Grey. I believe it has been reformulated again just recently, though the actual color remains the same. It also includes a "mist" of silver. The emitter tip is painted with the correct Tamiya paint, whose color code eludes me at the moment. However, it is the same paint used in the emitters of the cobra-head phasers, if you care.
The emitter is cast (or "casted" for those of you who don't know how to properly use the English language) in a clear, tinted resin, and painted with a coat of Krylon semi-flat black. The emitter holes were masked off so that once the paint was dry, the masking was removed to reveal the tinted resin underneath. This way, when you press the "Fire" button, the lights within illuminate the tip, but only through the masked windows. Very nice effect. The emitter actually includes two different lights, that behave differently when the fire button is pressed. One kind of flickers, whereas the other one turns on and then sort of fades out. Very nice effect.
The control panel is also much more accurate to the ones seen in the show than other replicas offered, even those offered by rodd.com. The control panel is actually a flat graphic. There is an opening cut in it to reveal the light bar. The buttons to increase or decrease power are actually pieces of styrene underneath the graphic. So the control panel is smooth to the touch, just like in the show.
The phaser also has an overload setting. When you step the power up all the way to the right, it enters overload mode. The display lights do some trippy display, while the power sound revs up. Ultimately, a small explosion noise is heard, though the phaser does not actually explode.
On a personal note, this is another one of those pieces that I have been searching for since the show aired way back in, what was it, 1987? I saw the dustbuster on screen and thought it was really cool. Many people thought the phaser design was stupid looking, as it resembled the Dusbuster cleaning product. Well, yeah, it sort of does, but oh well. Anyhow, I wanted one of these for years and years. Over the years, I've come across a few different kits, seen a few different pieces, and even purchased a made for production (but repainted by a fan) piece that is now in my collection. However, none of them come close to this piece. It's from legitimate molds, and has a beautiful build up, with kick-ass electronics. A wonderful end to a 19 year quest. oy.
This is a fan built replica of the "Dustbuster" Phaser seen in the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This was built using a roddenberry.com kit, which is/was made from original studio molds and castings. The electronics were provided by the same individual who produced numerous electronics packages for the various post-TOS Trek shows.
So essentially, this is as close as one could hope to get to owning a screen used piece, or made for production piece without paying the price.
The paint used on this is the exact same paint used on the ones for the show, Krylon Dove Grey, which has since been re-dubbed Krylon Stone Grey. I believe it has been reformulated again just recently, though the actual color remains the same. It also includes a "mist" of silver. The emitter tip is painted with the correct Tamiya paint, whose color code eludes me at the moment. However, it is the same paint used in the emitters of the cobra-head phasers, if you care.
The emitter is cast (or "casted" for those of you who don't know how to properly use the English language) in a clear, tinted resin, and painted with a coat of Krylon semi-flat black. The emitter holes were masked off so that once the paint was dry, the masking was removed to reveal the tinted resin underneath. This way, when you press the "Fire" button, the lights within illuminate the tip, but only through the masked windows. Very nice effect. The emitter actually includes two different lights, that behave differently when the fire button is pressed. One kind of flickers, whereas the other one turns on and then sort of fades out. Very nice effect.
The control panel is also much more accurate to the ones seen in the show than other replicas offered, even those offered by rodd.com. The control panel is actually a flat graphic. There is an opening cut in it to reveal the light bar. The buttons to increase or decrease power are actually pieces of styrene underneath the graphic. So the control panel is smooth to the touch, just like in the show.
The phaser also has an overload setting. When you step the power up all the way to the right, it enters overload mode. The display lights do some trippy display, while the power sound revs up. Ultimately, a small explosion noise is heard, though the phaser does not actually explode.
On a personal note, this is another one of those pieces that I have been searching for since the show aired way back in, what was it, 1987? I saw the dustbuster on screen and thought it was really cool. Many people thought the phaser design was stupid looking, as it resembled the Dusbuster cleaning product. Well, yeah, it sort of does, but oh well. Anyhow, I wanted one of these for years and years. Over the years, I've come across a few different kits, seen a few different pieces, and even purchased a made for production (but repainted by a fan) piece that is now in my collection. However, none of them come close to this piece. It's from legitimate molds, and has a beautiful build up, with kick-ass electronics. A wonderful end to a 19 year quest. oy.
