Wet & Wild Custom Blaster Contest
- Thread starter Montagar
- Start date
Shylaah
Sr Member
Another Contest!!!
The contest will run from Now, the time of this posting, until 9 AM Monday, October 4, 2010 USA Central Time Zone. By ending the contest in the morning in my time zone, I will have the day to go through the entries and get them ready for posting and voting.
Find your time zone: What is my time zone?
Convert the end of the contest day and time to your time zone: Time Zone Converter
WHO MAY ENTER THE CONTEST
This contest is free and open to all RPF members. You may enter no matter how long you have been a member--whether that's since day one, or your are the last person to join on the day the contest ends. You have right up until the deadline to join in as long as you have followed all the rules, so please join us!
So folks can get an idea of how big the contest is going to be, I would like for you to post your intention to participate in this contest in this thread, but will not make it a requirement. If you don't want to post publicly, then I would appreciate a PM that you are in the running, but that also will not be a requirement.
MODIFYING YOUR BLASTER
Only one entry per member. Your entry must to be made using a toy WATER Blaster gun as the base piece (picture proof will be required), but one that is not a look-alike of an existing sci-fi prop design. The finished blaster must be a custom design. It must not be a replica of any other known weapon from anywhere--movies, TV, cartoons, games, literature descriptions or illustrations or from any other known media or medium.
While the Dollar Store contest are really fun, and it really stretches your imagination to have to work within the confines of what is available there, we just ended one Dollar Store contest, so I thought I'd try some other ways to keep the price, the required tools and needed parts within a reasonable range so as many members as possible can participate if they wish.
Your submission must be modified with found parts. No machined parts may be used beyond what you can do with a dremel and simply hand tools--sawing, filing, poking holes in--that kind of thing. You must keep at least 60% of the original base piece in your final submission. You may spend up to $25 on parts. Parts may be any item/s purchased from any (see clarification 3 for definiton of 'store') store as long as you have receipts and do not go over the $25 limit. Your toy Water Blaster base piece, glue, paint and batteries, if your entry will need batteries, are not included in the $25 limit.
***CLARIFICATION 3
***1:38PM 8-23-2010
Buying parts from salvation army thrift stores, junk stores, and other "used items" stores would not be in the spirit of this contest. Such items would be the same as "parts you have laying around", many unique and not easily available to everyone. So the definition of 'store' is regular retail stores selling new merchandise.
***CLARIFICATION 2
***4:43PM 8-21-2010
The base piece must be a water blaster toy. It does not matter where you get it, if you already have one, that's great--summer's just about over, use it!
All items must be purchased, and Blasters modified, during the contest period August 20, 2010 - October 4, 2010. No receipts dated before August 20, 2010 will be accepted, nor will any Blasters modified before that date.
***CLARIFICATION 1
***12:31AM 8-21-2010
Found parts is causing confusion. So the term is now "Store Bought Parts", parts you have found at a (see clarification 3 for definiton of 'store') store to buy. Nothing you machined, or molded and cast, or manufactured or had manufactured for you. You must mod your blaster with parts you bought at a store and you must have a receipt for those parts.
Finished entries must be original works submitted for this contest only and never posted before, in whole or in part, here or elsewhere. Once the contest is over and winners are announced you are, of course, free to post as many pics as you want wherever you want.
SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY
You will be required to submit four (4) pictures in total.
Two (2) pictures of your finished blaster. There must be nothing else in the picture, no fancy photo manip, no graphic additions.
One (1) "before" picture of your original unmodified toy water blaster base piece as proof it began life as a toy water blaster.
One (1) picture or scan of your proof of purchase receipt/s for the parts you used to modify your blaster.
No video submissions. You may send more photos if you wish me to select what I think is the best "pose" for you, but for the voting thread only two (2) pictures of your entry will be posted along with one (1) picture of your original unmodified base piece. Also you may send more than one (1) picture of receipts if you shopped at more than one place and have multiple receipts.
Entries will be accepted via email ONLY. This is to prevent your friends, other members, or just anyone in general from accidentally discovering pictures of your entry should they happen upon them in your photo storage site before voting has ended. You may submit your entree at anytime during the contest by sending the required pictures to blastercontest@gmail.com You must put RPF user name in the subject line of the e-mail for your submission to be valid.
I reserve the right to post the screen names of all the winners and to identify their entries. Those of you who do not win may, after winners are posted, disclose your entry or not, your choice. If you want to do a full tutorial to post after the contest, you are encouraged to do so. You don't have to be the/a winner in the contest to post a tutorial about how you modified your blaster. I think it would be great if everyone took a few progress pictures along the way and shared at least the basics of their work after the contest is over.
VOTING AND PRIZES
All submitted entries will be posted in a voting thread as soon as possible after the deadline. Voting will be open from as soon as the entries are posted until 9 AM Monday, October 11, 2010 USA Central Time Zone. Again, by ending the contest in the morning in my time zone, I will have the day to tally the votes and post the winners.
Find your time zone: What is my time zone?
Convert the end of the voting day and time to your time zone: Time Zone Converter
Voting will be open to all members of the RPF. All members are encouraged to vote for their favorite. Only one (1) vote for one (1) entry per member.
And just to make it fun and more interesting--as part of the entry requirements, all entrants must vote, but you cannot vote for your own entry! Most of the interest in these contests is among those who participate after all, and it's only fair that the entrants get a vote. Besides that guarantees there will be Xn of votes!
Because the voting is to be anonymous, posting which entry is yours here at the RPF, or any other place on the Internet or in any way seeking votes specifically for yourself or specifically for any other entrant will get you disqualified.
Votes will be tallied and the winners posted as soon as possible after the voting deadline at which time the winners my select their prizes (if prizes are donated otherwise you'll only have bragging rights!)
So far I have only the one prize that I have contributed, a $50 American Express Gift Card. If anyone has anything they would like to donate as a prize, it would be most appreciated.
If we get more than the one prize, rather than specifying any particular prizes for 1st place, 2nd place, etc., the winners will chose from among the available prizes. The 1st place winner will get their choice of the prizes. Then 2nd place winner will choose a prize from those remaining. Then 3rd place will choose a prize, and so on, until all prizes are claimed.
In the event of a tie, and the two entrants want the same prize, they will do a closest to the number guess of some number that cannot be manipulated. I'm thinking the two numbers to the right of the decimal point of the Dow Jones closing on a specified date, using This Site.
Sorry for so many rules, but I've tried to anticipate what questions may arise and have considered the kind of things asked in previous contests in hopes of covering just about everything. If anything remains unclear, please feel free to ask any questions you may have.
If, for any reason, I become unable to complete this contest by gathering and posting the entries, and tallying votes and posting the winners, Jodo has agreed to step in and complete the contest with my full permission to carry it to an end however he is able or wishes.
That's pretty much it. Thanks for taking the time to read all the rules ......Now get out there, get to looking for water blasters and parts and let's see what everyone comes up with! Have a Blast .....er...yeah, Blast!!!
Special thanks to Jodo for agreeing to be the back up person for this contest, and to Jason1976 for his unwavering patience and guidance in working out the rules set. And a nod to the previous contest on the BBC from which I gleaned many of the rules here.
Lots of FUN for little FUNDS!
Wet & Wild Custom Blaster Contest
Wet & Wild Custom Blaster Contest
The contest will run from Now, the time of this posting, until 9 AM Monday, October 4, 2010 USA Central Time Zone. By ending the contest in the morning in my time zone, I will have the day to go through the entries and get them ready for posting and voting.
Find your time zone: What is my time zone?
Convert the end of the contest day and time to your time zone: Time Zone Converter
WHO MAY ENTER THE CONTEST
This contest is free and open to all RPF members. You may enter no matter how long you have been a member--whether that's since day one, or your are the last person to join on the day the contest ends. You have right up until the deadline to join in as long as you have followed all the rules, so please join us!
So folks can get an idea of how big the contest is going to be, I would like for you to post your intention to participate in this contest in this thread, but will not make it a requirement. If you don't want to post publicly, then I would appreciate a PM that you are in the running, but that also will not be a requirement.
MODIFYING YOUR BLASTER
Only one entry per member. Your entry must to be made using a toy WATER Blaster gun as the base piece (picture proof will be required), but one that is not a look-alike of an existing sci-fi prop design. The finished blaster must be a custom design. It must not be a replica of any other known weapon from anywhere--movies, TV, cartoons, games, literature descriptions or illustrations or from any other known media or medium.
While the Dollar Store contest are really fun, and it really stretches your imagination to have to work within the confines of what is available there, we just ended one Dollar Store contest, so I thought I'd try some other ways to keep the price, the required tools and needed parts within a reasonable range so as many members as possible can participate if they wish.
Your submission must be modified with found parts. No machined parts may be used beyond what you can do with a dremel and simply hand tools--sawing, filing, poking holes in--that kind of thing. You must keep at least 60% of the original base piece in your final submission. You may spend up to $25 on parts. Parts may be any item/s purchased from any (see clarification 3 for definiton of 'store') store as long as you have receipts and do not go over the $25 limit. Your toy Water Blaster base piece, glue, paint and batteries, if your entry will need batteries, are not included in the $25 limit.
***CLARIFICATION 3
***1:38PM 8-23-2010
Buying parts from salvation army thrift stores, junk stores, and other "used items" stores would not be in the spirit of this contest. Such items would be the same as "parts you have laying around", many unique and not easily available to everyone. So the definition of 'store' is regular retail stores selling new merchandise.
***CLARIFICATION 2
***4:43PM 8-21-2010
The base piece must be a water blaster toy. It does not matter where you get it, if you already have one, that's great--summer's just about over, use it!
All items must be purchased, and Blasters modified, during the contest period August 20, 2010 - October 4, 2010. No receipts dated before August 20, 2010 will be accepted, nor will any Blasters modified before that date.
***CLARIFICATION 1
***12:31AM 8-21-2010
Found parts is causing confusion. So the term is now "Store Bought Parts", parts you have found at a (see clarification 3 for definiton of 'store') store to buy. Nothing you machined, or molded and cast, or manufactured or had manufactured for you. You must mod your blaster with parts you bought at a store and you must have a receipt for those parts.
Finished entries must be original works submitted for this contest only and never posted before, in whole or in part, here or elsewhere. Once the contest is over and winners are announced you are, of course, free to post as many pics as you want wherever you want.
SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY
You will be required to submit four (4) pictures in total.
Two (2) pictures of your finished blaster. There must be nothing else in the picture, no fancy photo manip, no graphic additions.
One (1) "before" picture of your original unmodified toy water blaster base piece as proof it began life as a toy water blaster.
One (1) picture or scan of your proof of purchase receipt/s for the parts you used to modify your blaster.
No video submissions. You may send more photos if you wish me to select what I think is the best "pose" for you, but for the voting thread only two (2) pictures of your entry will be posted along with one (1) picture of your original unmodified base piece. Also you may send more than one (1) picture of receipts if you shopped at more than one place and have multiple receipts.
Entries will be accepted via email ONLY. This is to prevent your friends, other members, or just anyone in general from accidentally discovering pictures of your entry should they happen upon them in your photo storage site before voting has ended. You may submit your entree at anytime during the contest by sending the required pictures to blastercontest@gmail.com You must put RPF user name in the subject line of the e-mail for your submission to be valid.
I reserve the right to post the screen names of all the winners and to identify their entries. Those of you who do not win may, after winners are posted, disclose your entry or not, your choice. If you want to do a full tutorial to post after the contest, you are encouraged to do so. You don't have to be the/a winner in the contest to post a tutorial about how you modified your blaster. I think it would be great if everyone took a few progress pictures along the way and shared at least the basics of their work after the contest is over.
VOTING AND PRIZES
All submitted entries will be posted in a voting thread as soon as possible after the deadline. Voting will be open from as soon as the entries are posted until 9 AM Monday, October 11, 2010 USA Central Time Zone. Again, by ending the contest in the morning in my time zone, I will have the day to tally the votes and post the winners.
Find your time zone: What is my time zone?
Convert the end of the voting day and time to your time zone: Time Zone Converter
Voting will be open to all members of the RPF. All members are encouraged to vote for their favorite. Only one (1) vote for one (1) entry per member.
And just to make it fun and more interesting--as part of the entry requirements, all entrants must vote, but you cannot vote for your own entry! Most of the interest in these contests is among those who participate after all, and it's only fair that the entrants get a vote. Besides that guarantees there will be Xn of votes!
Because the voting is to be anonymous, posting which entry is yours here at the RPF, or any other place on the Internet or in any way seeking votes specifically for yourself or specifically for any other entrant will get you disqualified.
Votes will be tallied and the winners posted as soon as possible after the voting deadline at which time the winners my select their prizes (if prizes are donated otherwise you'll only have bragging rights!)
So far I have only the one prize that I have contributed, a $50 American Express Gift Card. If anyone has anything they would like to donate as a prize, it would be most appreciated.
If we get more than the one prize, rather than specifying any particular prizes for 1st place, 2nd place, etc., the winners will chose from among the available prizes. The 1st place winner will get their choice of the prizes. Then 2nd place winner will choose a prize from those remaining. Then 3rd place will choose a prize, and so on, until all prizes are claimed.
In the event of a tie, and the two entrants want the same prize, they will do a closest to the number guess of some number that cannot be manipulated. I'm thinking the two numbers to the right of the decimal point of the Dow Jones closing on a specified date, using This Site.
Sorry for so many rules, but I've tried to anticipate what questions may arise and have considered the kind of things asked in previous contests in hopes of covering just about everything. If anything remains unclear, please feel free to ask any questions you may have.
If, for any reason, I become unable to complete this contest by gathering and posting the entries, and tallying votes and posting the winners, Jodo has agreed to step in and complete the contest with my full permission to carry it to an end however he is able or wishes.
That's pretty much it. Thanks for taking the time to read all the rules ......Now get out there, get to looking for water blasters and parts and let's see what everyone comes up with! Have a Blast .....er...yeah, Blast!!!
Special thanks to Jodo for agreeing to be the back up person for this contest, and to Jason1976 for his unwavering patience and guidance in working out the rules set. And a nod to the previous contest on the BBC from which I gleaned many of the rules here.
AVAILABLE PRIZES listed in the order they were donated.
$50.00 Gift Card -- donated by Shylaah
Winner's Choice from The Gallery of Wonderful Things -- donated by Brashsculptor
The Marvel Encyclopedia -- donated by tuskenfett
The DC Comics Encyclopedia -- donated by tuskenfett
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I'm in! 
Mercury
Sr Member
So if a person already has a plain watergun that is unmodified, it can't be used as the base in the contest? In fact, is it a requirement that a entrant spend money to do this. A lot of us here have tons of parts we have scrounged wherever we go for the possible future use in something just like this. This trend of having to buy parts is penalizing those of us who like to use what we have lying around. We are prop builders after all so I know most of us should have enough junk stuff lying around.
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Interceptor6
Sr Member
Hell yeah, count me in! Sounds like fun!
I assume the water guns still need to be operational at the completion of the build??
I assume the water guns still need to be operational at the completion of the build??
Pulseriflefan
Well-Known Member
I know very well what you mean - still have some boxes with stuff laying around myself.
But I think the rules are fine to take control about someone who is coming up with a Blaster which was allready build-up or half-build.
Just my 2 german Pfennig
Ikariya
Well-Known Member
Sounds cool I'm in! What is 'found parts' do they have to be new? I have a few shapes at home I'd like to use but they're real old. Also, do they have to squirt water?
Good job on all the rules. I like the DJIA bit. Nice touch.
Edit:
Nevermind I read the rules again. I'm still down for it!
Good job on all the rules. I like the DJIA bit. Nice touch.
Edit:
Nevermind I read the rules again. I'm still down for it!
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Shylaah
Sr Member
The base piece must be a water blaster toy. It does not matter where you get it, if you already have one, that's great--summer's just about over, use it!
The reason for the rules being that parts must be purchased during the contest is not to penalize anyone, but to make the playing field more level. You will have to work with what is available to buy during the run of the contest and those things will more than likely be available to most everyone. And also so that no one has a big time advantage because they just so happened to have been working on a stellar mod for months and submit it for the contest.
Yes, that!
The Blasters are really cheap a lot of places right now. That's what gave me the idea for the contest, I came across baskets full of them on sale and thought how cool they already looked, and how much cooler they could be 'fixed up'!
I bought one at Kroger for $1.62, and a couple at Walgreens for 99 cents. You could buy two or three or four at those kind of prices and do some creative kit bashing with 'em. But one would have to be designated your base piece and keep the 60% of it.
Shylaah
The reason for the rules being that parts must be purchased during the contest is not to penalize anyone, but to make the playing field more level. You will have to work with what is available to buy during the run of the contest and those things will more than likely be available to most everyone. And also so that no one has a big time advantage because they just so happened to have been working on a stellar mod for months and submit it for the contest.
Yes, that!
The Blasters are really cheap a lot of places right now. That's what gave me the idea for the contest, I came across baskets full of them on sale and thought how cool they already looked, and how much cooler they could be 'fixed up'!
I bought one at Kroger for $1.62, and a couple at Walgreens for 99 cents. You could buy two or three or four at those kind of prices and do some creative kit bashing with 'em. But one would have to be designated your base piece and keep the 60% of it.
Shylaah
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Shylaah
Sr Member
No, it does not have to remain operational.
"Found Parts" means found and bought. Nothing you already have, nothing machined. It's just like the dollar store contest rule only you are not required to get your parts at the dollar store although you can if you want to.
Mercury
Sr Member
And worth every Pfennig. :cool
One fix would be that the proof could easily be given with a dated paper with the unmodified watergun on display to prevent anyone from using an already started project.
It does penalize a lot of people. In today's economy, I personally don't have $5, $10, or $25 bucks to through away on parts, especially when I have boxes and boxes of junk I've collected just for things like this. Because of that, while I want to enter, I can't. It is what it is.
It all boils down to people are more worried about what someone else is going to make than what they themselves are. Whatever happened to the joy of building a piece we like and are happy with and hey, if we win, cool, if not, it was still fun. In contests of old, I honestly don't ever remember worrying about what someone else was making or how they were making it. I was too focused on my own attempt.
Regardless, I wish everyone luck in this contest.
Pulseriflefan
Well-Known Member
Very good point - I think you can at least use an allready existing water gun or did I misunderstood that ?
Shylaah
Sr Member
I'm sorry your situation is what it is, Mercury. But the rule was to promote fairness. If "parts you have laying around" was the rule, then I might just so happen to have $200, $300, or $400 worth of parts laying about. I think few would want to compete against what could be for some here an unlimited budget, and unlimited supplies.
Shylaah
Shylaah
Yes, actually the some of the old plaster contest, asked that if you couldn't provide "Proof of purchase" to prove when you bout the parts, that you take a picture of all your parts (before building) with a dated Paper, as proof, that you didn't build it years ago.
Just a though, but that might work here. Especially, since "found parts" are allowed, and it may be very hard to show "proof of purchase" for found parts.
EDIT, I just saw the post about why parts you have laying around are out, and I think that, that is very fair. So, ignore this post. :lol
Just a though, but that might work here. Especially, since "found parts" are allowed, and it may be very hard to show "proof of purchase" for found parts.
EDIT, I just saw the post about why parts you have laying around are out, and I think that, that is very fair.
So, ignore this post. :lol
Shylaah
Sr Member
"Found Parts" means you did not machine the parts, you did not mold and cast the parts, or in any other way manufacture or have manufactured for you. So what can we change that to....
....store bought parts??? found at a store and bought parts?? ...so you have a receipt......
Shylaah
....store bought parts??? found at a store and bought parts?? ...so you have a receipt......
Shylaah
Mercury
Sr Member
Seriously? $200 -$400 worth of parts? You've never been throwing away an old lamp or appliance and thought the knob on top might look cool on a prop? That's how a good percentage of the Star Wars tech was created. A prop guy saw a piece that looked cool in a junk heap.
I've seen hardware sabers beat machined sabers. The hardware sabers done so well, you thought they were machined until you saw the parts pictured separately. It's not about what a person can buy or not. It's how good they are at using what they have and making it look other than what it was.
So while we don't agree, good luck with your contest as these water/toy gun themed contests typically produce some good builds.
I've got Shylaah back on this one. I heard all these same arguments last year for my lightsaber contest. ("I've seen hardware sabers made of junk that looked better then machined ones, so let me machine mine......" etc. etc. etc.) No, way that is fare to the new folks that don't know the first thing about machining casting, etc. etc.
Some of use do just work from our homes, or apartments, and don't have much laying around, but others have shops full of professional parts, made for, or cast off of, awesome props, and are truly are worth a lot of money. Allowing folks to use "what ever they have laying around" would be very, very, unfair, to many of our members. Limiting "found objects" in this case to bout items is the only way to keep this fare for all here.
I think the rules are quite clear, and fare about this.
Plus, this is neither the time, nor the place to question the rules. the contest has started, the rules are, what they are, and they are in place. It would be unfare to change rules after a contest has started, so no amount of disagreeing will change anything for this contest.
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badmojo
Well-Known Member
OK, I'm new, need a little more clarificationon on a couple of points.
"You must keep at least 60% of the original base piece in your final submission."
Does this mean in it's original configuration? Or can parts be removed and relocated? Does 60% still have to be visable, or is it fine if it's 100% complete, just clad in new materials?
"You may spend up to $25 on parts. Parts may be any item/s purchased from any store as long as you have receipts and do not go over the $25 limit."
Is it based on actual amount spent to procure the item, or could you break it down that you used 1' at $1 from a 3 foot dowel that cost $3?
"You must keep at least 60% of the original base piece in your final submission."
Does this mean in it's original configuration? Or can parts be removed and relocated? Does 60% still have to be visable, or is it fine if it's 100% complete, just clad in new materials?
"You may spend up to $25 on parts. Parts may be any item/s purchased from any store as long as you have receipts and do not go over the $25 limit."
Is it based on actual amount spent to procure the item, or could you break it down that you used 1' at $1 from a 3 foot dowel that cost $3?
Jodo
Master Member
Hey guys, just wanted to confirm with evryone that I am indeed the second person for the contest....If something comes up and I do end up having to take over the contest...Evryone has to send me their blasters so I can inspect them personaly.
:lol
I can't wait to start seeing entries guys, I've looked foreward to this contest for a while, big thanks to Shylaah for putting it on! (And putting up with me. )
:lol
I can't wait to start seeing entries guys, I've looked foreward to this contest for a while, big thanks to Shylaah for putting it on! (And putting up with me.
)GiveMeSomeProps
New Member
im in, but does paint count in the final $25?
