Star trek TMP phaser prop from scratch

I think you're being WAY too hard on yourself. They look great! The TMP phasers have always been tricky to replicate because they have so many subtle curves and bumps, and I think yours duplicate those curves really, really well. When I saw the photos I didn't read your description at first and I thought you were comparing your hero replica to a screen-used stunt phaser. They both look really good and I'm really sorry you're disappointed in them. I know that feeling all too well. Sometimes there are projects where all I can see are the flaws so I'm ignoring everything I got right because I'm too close to the final product.

I think you should be VERY proud of these!
 
WinstonWolf359 said:
I think you're being WAY too hard on yourself. They look great! The TMP phasers have always been tricky to replicate because they have so many subtle curves and bumps, and I think yours duplicate those curves really, really well. When I saw the photos I didn't read your description at first and I thought you were comparing your hero replica to a screen-used stunt phaser. They both look really good and I'm really sorry you're disappointed in them. I know that feeling all too well. Sometimes there are projects where all I can see are the flaws so I'm ignoring everything I got right because I'm too close to the final product.

I think you should be VERY proud of these!
Click to expand...
I have no better words than Thank you very very much. I'm really happy to read that.
That phaser prop is very special to me so replicating it has always been a "not good enough" story. Maybe there's a kind of uncanny valley with prop replicas: the closer you get, the harder the flaws will look to your eyes.
I've had the very same feeling by the past, letting the freshly done replica left on a shelf as a shamefull object, finding it back a couple of years later and wondering "what the hell was wrong with it ?".
I hope I will love it someday as much as I love all the replicas of that phaser I have seen by the past.
Once again, thank you for your words.
 
Benjo said:
Well well well,

That post is kind of weird of me.
Here are a bunch of pictures of two TMP phaser props I've made from scratch, from wooden bucks to resin shells.
the thing is, I'm not that proud of them.

first is an attempt to recreate the Hero.
I must confess : I'm kind of disappointed with it.
While I love the handmade/messed up appearance of the original props I had real troubles to make my version look decent. To me, it doesn't.

Details look clumsy, the thing looks fatter and smaller on pictures. While it is certainly a focal distorsion issue Gregatron submitted the idea the Hero prop might be a bit larger than the stunts in his own thread:
www.therpf.com

STAR TREK- TMP wrist communicators (...and now with more TMP goodies!)

I’m still adjusting the shape of the body, with slightly more taper on the front/emitter end, and a larger crystal and mounting ring, which looks more on-point. Still not 100% convinced that the 190.5mm length of the HMS/DST is accurate. The screenused heroes and dummies tend to look more...
www.therpf.com www.therpf.com
While I didn't subscibed that theory I'm growing the idea it might be the case.
My version is tad larger than 19cm and I did my best to get the control pad dimensions but something looks off.

So here it is, in all its wonky glory.
This prop was, by far, the most complicated prop I ever tried to recreate.
The tiny brass pins are sadly missing because I haven't find anything like that anywhere. The whole stuff was distressed on purpose, to hide my crimes. It looks more blue on pictures than it really is.
View attachment 1921780
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Here is its stunt counterpart. I like it way better.

View attachment 1921788
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Click to expand...
Still my favorite of the movie phasers. Great job!
 
Having read this thread from the beginning, I find it fairly obvious that this is a passion project for you. For some of my projects, I'm happy with "close enough", but others are just "special". I get it.
However, I agree 100% that you should feel very proud of what you have accomplished. The organic shapes that these phasers exhibit add an extra layer of difficulty. Frankly, I thought yours looked amazing 2 versions ago! I absolutely adore your WOK version!
For the brass buttons on the TMP hero, have you looked at brass rod?
 
Reel Fakes said:
Having read this thread from the beginning, I find it fairly obvious that this is a passion project for you. For some of my projects, I'm happy with "close enough", but others are just "special". I get it.
However, I agree 100% that you should feel very proud of what you have accomplished. The organic shapes that these phasers exhibit add an extra layer of difficulty. Frankly, I thought yours looked amazing 2 versions ago! I absolutely adore your WOK version!
For the brass buttons on the TMP hero, have you looked at brass rod?
Click to expand...
Thank you very much
The brass buttons are tiny hex head screws. I thougt those could be found at model shops as these seems to be used in model making. "Wonderworks", the company who built the TMP props, was specialised in model making.
Brass Rod could do the trick though.
 
Benjo said:
Thank you very much
The brass buttons are tiny hex head screws. I thougt those could be found at model shops as these seems to be used in model making. "Wonderworks", the company who built the TMP props, was specialised in model making.
Brass Rod could do the trick though.
Click to expand...

“Hob-Bits” 0-80 hex head screws are what you are looking for.

IMG_9041.jpeg

IMG_9042.jpeg
 
I have some questions about the paint.

I'm currently working on a 3d model of the prop, wich I'll talk about later. I've painted the stuff with the recommanded Tamiya TS-66.

It looks perfect in good lighting conditions. I must say that particular shade is a very good match to the screen used props
DSC_6350.JPG

Unfortunately clearcoating tends to darken the result. Here is a comparison with an older model painted with TS-66 and clearcoated
DSC_6352.JPG


Does anybody have any advice to keep the shade right ?

I'm a nut with phaser greys
 
Last edited:
Benjo said:
Does anybody have any advice to keep the shade right ?

I'm a nut with phaser greys
Click to expand...

I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't already know, but dealing with gray is tricky.

Based on what photos we have of the screen used TMP phasers, I think either shade is in the same ballpark of "correct." The biggest problem is I've seen the same photos with drastically different color densities. In some versions of the photos the phasers look a light creamy gray, others quite a bit cooler and darker. The screencaps from TMP also hint that the props might have been darker than we all used to assume.

I think the TS-32 Haze Gray is a little lighter than the TS-66, correct? Perhaps once the Haze Gray is clear-coated it'll be closer in color to the TS-66.
 
WinstonWolf359 said:
I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't already know, but dealing with gray is tricky.

Based on what photos we have of the screen used TMP phasers, I think either shade is in the same ballpark of "correct." The biggest problem is I've seen the same photos with drastically different color densities. In some versions of the photos the phasers look a light creamy gray, others quite a bit cooler and darker. The screencaps from TMP also hint that the props might have been darker than we all used to assume.

I think the TS-32 Haze Gray is a little lighter than the TS-66, correct? Perhaps once the Haze Gray is clear-coated it'll be closer in color to the TS-66.
Click to expand...
Good point on the TS-32. I've tried it on my latest attempts and it looks quite correct to my eyes. It's a bit bluer and warmer than the TS-66 but it looks pretty good when clearcoated and weathered.
To me it's a good compromise.

Though, The TS-66 looks dead on to almost every shades I have seen on various pictures of the props when the paint is left as is, depending on the light conditions.
 
Benjo said:
Good point on the TS-32. I've tried it on my latest attempts and it looks quite correct to my eyes. It's a bit bluer and warmer than the TS-66 but it looks pretty good when clearcoated and weathered.
To me it's a good compromise.

Though, The TS-66 looks dead on to almost every shades I have seen on various pictures of the props when the paint is left as is, depending on the light conditions.
Click to expand...

I used Haze Gray (and clear coat) on my TMP phaser (based on your praise of it) and while I agree it's a little more blue than it probably should be I think it looks good.
 
Benjo said:
Fantastic ! Thank you :). You caught the overall spirit of these props and the grey looks perfect.
I think I'm gonna get back to the TS-32
Click to expand...
Thanks!

For a long time my only replica was a Diamond Select I repainted to look like the "Kirk Hero" from TWOK, but this thread inspired me to try something else that was a little more TMP-like so I picked up a 3-D print phaser to play around with.

IMG_2559.jpg

IMG_2563.jpg


Side by side you can see the 3-D printed phaser is much slimmer than the HMS/Diamond Select version. I don't think either one quite captures all of the subtle details in the screen used props, but I do like them both for what they are. I still think your replicas in this thread really nail the small details a lot better.
 
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