Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Done (with pretty pictures)!

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Use Bondo Gold, it will bond to styrene.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.

I've decided to move forward on cleaning up the edges. Here's the gun reassembled (love how the trigger worked out).

A nice view of the light

I won't permanently place the "Phaser emitter" until the edges and seams are cleaned up -it will be embedded in the nose.

Stay tuned...

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Added several layers of tape to use as guides to fill in the edges

I did the putty work last night, pictures to follow.

Stay tuned...

 

[james kirk]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Awesome

 

[Hiddenevil]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

This looks awesome!

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Awesome

This looks awesome!

Thanks, I appreciate the words of encouragement.

I did a little work on the rifle this weekend, but got sidetracked with another project.

A friend of mine lives in Atlanta, works for Coca-Cola and likes fish -she asked if I'd airbrush something for her.

Concept:

Finished version:

I'm back on the road this week, next update on the phaser rifle will be next weekend.

Stay tuned...

 

[Ruddigger]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Whoa, nice airbrushing skills.

 

[james kirk]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

WoW I hope I can do as good a job as you when I get more experience...

 

[Captain April]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

It's coming along great,a way to avoid the soft details is to make a reverse female mold of your master, you also end up with sharp clean edges to glue the parts together. Just a thought you might try down the road.

 

[Kevlarr]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Dang, and I thought the rifle looked good! I like how to rifle is evolving, creative design with the homemade oven for the vacuum forming!

 

[Funky]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

I SO want one of these!

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - First Pull!

Whoa, nice airbrushing skills.

Thanks, I'm getting there, but have a long way to go.

WoW I hope I can do as good a job as you when I get more experience...

I'm sure you will, getting started is the easiest way to improve

It's coming along great,a way to avoid the soft details is to make a reverse female mold of your master, you also end up with sharp clean edges to glue the parts together. Just a thought you might try down the road.

That's a very good idea. I haven't tried that before. What would you suggest using for the reverse mold material? What do you use to keep the molding material from sticking to the buck?

Dang, and I thought the rifle looked good! I like how to rifle is evolving, creative design with the homemade oven for the vacuum forming!

Thanks!

I SO want one of these!

I want to finish my "prototype" to make sure the vac-forms are usable, but hope to have something available soon...

I've been going at the prop in little chunks (I was starting to get frustrated). Last night I started the big push.

I added the rest of the lights for the indicators:

Trigger guard added (bent the piece of plastic with a heat gun -hot!)

...and added a red LED for the side indicators

Not posted yet, but I also built the battery compartment, permanently attached the two halves, and started filling gaps with Bondo.

Stay tuned...

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Sides Assembled

Phewww, lot's of "making the sausage" pics from this weekend. Right now the gun's a nasty mess, but I think it's close to turning the corner.

Modified side and gun stock for the seatbelt strap:

Holes cut out for the side LEDs:

Battery compartment:

Master power switch (and the rifle with all the lights on):

...and lot's of plummer's putty/Bondo and sanding:

First coat of primer to check the work (before and after):

Stay tuned...

 

[13doctorwho]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

I love to watch this. It's looking great, lots of potential!!!

 

[FordPrefect]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

Man this was a great read - needed a little break during the day !
Looks good and can not wait to see the finished product.

thanks

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

I love to watch this. It's looking great, lots of potential!!!

Thank you, it's starting to turn the corner.

Man this was a great read - needed a little break during the day !
Looks good and can not wait to see the finished product.

thanks

Glad you're enjoying it, I appreciate you visiting my thread.

The filing and sanding is boring and doesn't make for good pictures. Here's where it stands:

I wasn't happy with the control panel being inset into the face of the gun. I've removed the piece, recut the opening and am integrating into the gun's surface. A little more blending to go, but it's close (there's masking tape over the window to keep from getting primer on it, so it makes it a little hard to clearly see the progress).

All the sanding is putting a lot of pressure on the join seam and it's split in a couple of places. I hit the separations with epoxy last night (hopefully it will resolve the problem).

I think I'm dangerously close to the paint stage,

Stay tuned...

 

[Monster Dave]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

Coming along nicely!

 

[james kirk]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

Good Job...

 

[Snow Builder]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Assembly (WIP)

Coming along nicely!

Thanks!

Good Job...

Appreciate it, thanks for following me on Flickr.

Ok, prep is done (I'm sure I could have fiddled with it more, but enough's enough )

All pretty in metallic paint:

Masked and sprayed black accents (prep takes forever, the painting goes fast).

Not too terrible ) -there's some hand cleanup/touchup I'll need to do, but no bleed under the tape (my biggest concern).

Here's what my baby looks like now (photos have the lights turned on):

Next I'll be masking off for the gray accents,

Stay tuned...

 

[jimpeachey]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Let's Paint!

That looks very,very good

 

[Burnsie38]

Re: Star Trek TNG First Contact Type III Phaser Rifle - Let's Paint!

That is looking fantastic!