Star Trek TMP phaser prop

[Benjo]

Hi everyone,

I’m very obsessed with the TMP phaser prop. In my opinion it’s the most clever and elegant gun design ever made in sci-fi movies. Unfortunately there’s only a few documentation about the prop on internet, unlike the TWOK prop wich is decently documented (I guess that version is much more popular).
I’ve searched documentation for months, I’ve learnt the TMP phasers were 3 parts vacuum-formed props with details added later on. They are supposed to be much larger than the TWOK version and the pannel was clear acrylic painted on the top with leds and screws added.

That guy says he owns an original he had from Brick Price, the propmaker on TMP. I've watched his videos many times to catch every differences from the TWOK phasers replicas availables. Except all the notable differences like the trigger, the side lines and the pannel details, the TMP gun seems a bit larger than the TWOK on his videos.

The thing is, I’ve found some very old documentation about TMP props showing a picture of the phaser prop held by Leonard Nimoy on set. On that picture, the prop seems much thinner than the original seen on internet. That one seems very similar in shape with the TWOK version.

Moreover, every versions seen on the internet, like the Roddenberry kit, seem to be flat on the top but the original prop seems to be more rounded, like the TWOK version prop.

Both versions seem to be rather identical in shape in contrary to everything I've red or heard on internet, is anyone have any documentation and pictures of the TMP phaser props please?

 

[Nicksdad]

Actually, the TMP and WOK phasers were the same size.
In fact, a few of the stunt phasers from TMP were repainted for use in WOK ( the one on the lower right).
I've held two different TMP screen used stunt phasers and the hero WOK phaser seen on the lower left pic.
As far as I can tell all of the TMP phasers were only 2 piece vac formed pulls (left and right sides).
The only 3 piece constructed phaser I've seen is the WOK hero and the electronics in it are much different
from the TMP version.

 

[Benjo]

thx a lot this is very interesting .
So basically they were the same size and shape.
I suppose the electronics on the TWOK props were flashing leds but how did it work on the TMP? I feel it was static colored leds.

 

[thegnome]

Have you asked the producers of Star Trek?

 

[Benjo]

No I didn't. I have asked Brick Price who did the props on TMP but, obviously, he never answered me.
I gave up the idea to gather additionnal informations about that wonderful prop.

 

[thegnome]

Have you asked them about the people who designed it?

 

[Howard]

I'm obsessed with this prop too - and the Khan version...

I had a brief discussion with Karl Tate about this very subject - some time ago. He was very helpful, as always.

My feelings are that the Playmates version is closer to the prop in what I call the 'nose' area - the top surface between the tip if the emitter face, and the front edge of the control plate.
However, the DST version tapers more than the Playmates, from behind the 'Crystal housing' disk to the rear of the weapon, but not enough.
It's almost as though a hybrid of these two versions would produce a perfect TMP prop.

I don't think the 'reboxed' DST TMP version is as accurate as it could be, and it would be interesting to know what asset was used to produce the Playmates.

Here's the DST TWOK version next to a screencap from STMP, and the DST next to a cap from TWOK, to illustrate the nose and rear taper differences.
Ok, the angle of the DST phaser doesn't match exactly with the phaser in the screencap - but that only affects the width, not the height.
It's also interesting to note in the screencap from TWOK, the trigger button is much lower than shown in pictures of other actual screen used props.

I'd certainly encourage a friendly, open discussion concerning both TMP and TWOK phaser props, as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of TMP reference material.

Cheers all!

 

[Benjo]

I'm obsessed with this prop too - and the Khan version...

I had a brief discussion with Karl Tate about this very subject - some time ago. He was very helpful, as always.

My feelings are that the Playmates version is closer to the prop in what I call the 'nose' area - the top surface between the tip if the emitter face, and the front edge of the control plate.
However, the DST version tapers more than the Playmates, from behind the 'Crystal housing' disk to the rear of the weapon, but not enough.
It's almost as though a hybrid of these two versions would produce a perfect TMP prop.

I don't think the 'reboxed' DST TMP version is as accurate as it could be, and it would be interesting to know what asset was used to produce the Playmates.

Here's the DST TWOK version next to a screencap from STMP, and the DST next to a cap from TWOK, to illustrate the nose and rear taper differences.
Ok, the angle of the DST phaser doesn't match exactly with the phaser in the screencap - but that only affects the width, not the height.
It's also interesting to note in the screencap from TWOK, the trigger button is much lower than shown in pictures of other actual screen used props.

I'd certainly encourage a friendly, open discussion concerning both TMP and TWOK phaser props, as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of TMP reference material.

Cheers all!

I'm happy to find someone who loves that prop as much as I do. Very interesting statements, I always thought the playmate/DST versions were complete resculpt. I'm gonna post every reference material I have on hand on a following post.

 

[Benjo]

Movie production TMP version, hero and background props :

Interesting to see the side lines don't cover the emitter nose, like in the TWOK version

It is known these props were vacumformed in two or three parts, the stunt appears to be a two parts prop though. The control pannel on the hero appears to be very detailed, my opinion is they trimed two parallel grooves on the pannel area to show the electronic underneath, with 6 differents colored led. I don't know if they used an electronic sequence like in the TWOK version. The emiter seems to be clear plastic. You can see the trigger seems to be trimed directly on the vacumformed pull.
Paint is said to be BMW anthracite grey but when I searched how it could look like on google it appeared to be way darker and metallic than the light grey you can see on the reference photographies.

 

[Benjo]

TWOK movie props:
During the TWOK preproduction, they planned to use a new phaser prop made out of aluminium and clear acrylic.

Due to production costs, they finally decided to re-use the TMP phaser for TWOK. That leads me to think TWOK phasers were reconditionned TMP phaser props. They gave the props a new paint job and the hero version seems to have simplier features: stunt props sticker for the control pannel with 4 sequenced leds. It seems the hero version was made to have the Phaser 1 separated from the phaser 2 body.

Here is another TWOK (TMP?) phaser with a another grey paint job

the stunt version

a few screengrabs

 

[Benjo]

considering the replicas, The HMS TWOK version is reputated to be dead on to the screen prop. I don't know if I'm allowed to post these pictures, I don't remember the source :/

 

[Howard]

Cool stuff! Looking forward to seeing what your thoughts are!

 

[mrwax]

Wow, thanks for all the pictures Benjo, those are great! I got lucky with a local purchase of the DST TMP and TWOK phasers a few years ago, I'm very very happy with them for what they are, but it's fun to compare them to the real ones.

 

[Howard]

Benjo - thanks sooooo much for the pics! Fantastic.
That proto TWOK is interesting!
Thanks especially the two TMP pics, with the clear tape, and the side on pic of the phaser facing to the left.
I'll get a few more comp pics up later, but for now here's a couple more TWOK caps. Sorry for the quality.

Kirk's seems to be much longer than the standard hero we know and love - I seem to remember the first phasers built for TMP were deemed too large, and had to be reduced in size considerably.
The other cap of McCoy's was very difficult to get with my clunky dvd player. It too *appears* to be quite long.
However, lens distortion does all kinds of things to perception and scaling, as I've discovered over the years.

 

[publiusr]

Did anyone ever do the top sketch as a one off?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469218854901130594/

Or the arm attachment?
I did like this take

Star Trek Phaser Rifle Project

Hello everyone, I have been lurking on this site for awhile and have learned a lot of techniques from the people on here, who are truly masters of scratchbuilding, fabrication, and modification. I now feel confident enough to start my first 1:1 prop replica build. I'm starting with a...

www.therpf.com

 

[Benjo]

Benjo - thanks sooooo much for the pics! Fantastic.
That proto TWOK is interesting!
Thanks especially the two TMP pics, with the clear tape, and the side on pic of the phaser facing to the left.
I'll get a few more comp pics up later, but for now here's a couple more TWOK caps. Sorry for the quality.

Kirk's seems to be much longer than the standard hero we know and love - I seem to remember the first phasers built for TMP were deemed too large, and had to be reduced in size considerably.
The other cap of McCoy's was very difficult to get with my clunky dvd player. It too *appears* to be quite long.
However, lens distortion does all kinds of things to perception and scaling, as I've discovered over the years.

Awesome. Did they made bigger props to have enough space for electronics? That one looks like the Ed Miarecki version. Indeed the first version of the TMP phaser was larger. I have an article where Brick Price talks about the prop conception, he talks about the first bigger version.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Well, and don’t forget that one of the TMP Hero Phasers actually made an appearance (with only two lights illuminated on the control keypad, indicating the “stun” setting) in the hand of Admiral Kirk in the Regula One beam down scene…

Here’s my replica of this version of the Admiral Kirk Trek II Hero Prop, built up from a heavily customized HMS kit:

 

[Benjo]

Well, and don’t forget that one of the TMP Hero Phasers actually made an appearance (with only two lights illuminated on the control keypad, indicating the “stun” setting) in the hand of Admiral Kirk in the Regula One beam down scene…

View attachment 1668510View attachment 1668511

Here’s my replica of this version of the Admiral Kirk Trek II Hero Prop, built up from a heavily customized HMS kit:

View attachment 1668508View attachment 1668507View attachment 1668506
View attachment 1668509

OK, I didn't know that ! Purely awesome. I'm so jealous your replica might be the best I have ever seen. The control pannel seems so close to the TMP hero phaser close up pictures.

What about the paint job ? Is it a TWOK cosmetic change or did the TMP phasers really had this dark grey metalized color ? There's already a difference between screen grabs phasers and the hero one on the display pictures.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

OK, I didn't know that ! Purely awesome. I'm so jealous your replica might be the best I have ever seen. The control pannel seems so close to the TMP hero phaser close up pictures.

What about the paint job ? Is it a TWOK cosmetic change or did the TMP phasers really had this dark grey metalized color ? There's already a difference between screen grabs phasers and the hero one on the display pictures.

The TMP Hero props appear to be a dark gray color. I know that Dove Gray has been cited as the base color, for years, but that does not appear to be the case. It seems that poor photography has led to this assessment.

For contrast purposes, here is a high quality photo of a TMP Hero (from the Art of Star Trek TMP book), next to my Dove Gray Dustbuster Phaser.

“BMW Anthracite Gray” is also cited as the color of the Hero TMP Phaser. A 1979 BMW painted “Anthracite Gray” is captured below:

According to the owner of an original TMP Tricorder, the closest match to the base color of the TMP Phasers and Tricorders is Tamiya XF-75 IJN Gray.

As far as the WOK vacuform Phasers (hand-me-downs from TMP) the color is definitely a different “metallic blue” color that is similar to the TOS Phaser Rifle color.

 

[Howard]

Great info!
Thanks Alley.