TymerDC
Sr Member
Hello
Thought I would start this thread for anyone who bought the Arc Generator Gun. This is my opinion but please read;
DO NOT USE THE MOUNTING SCREWS THAT COME WITH THE GUN
In my opinion they are inadequate for such a heavy prop. So I moved my tutorial over to here from my Comic Con thread.
My only real small gripe about Weta's Arc Gun....the cheap screws and green plastic anchors they included pictured on the left side of the bracket in the pic below....PLEASE DON'T USE THEM
Go to the hardware store and find ones like I have pictured on the right side of the bracket. Either long 2 1/2" -3" wood screws or the Drywall "Hollow Wall Anchors" I use on hollow drywall walls when you can't find a stud in just the right place to screw into. This prop is heavy and the cheap green plastic wall anchors and short screws they provide is crap and your just asking to one day hear your Arc Gun make a huge cracking sound when it hits the floor.....plus I'm in earthquake country. I've been hanging heavy clocks for years so I know what works safely. The 1/4" ones are best but you will need to drill the holes in the brackets a tad larger.....just don't drill them too big.....just enough for the screws to fit thru....or you can use one size smaller wall anchors. I'd rather use the 1/4 ones myself.
You mark the holes then install the wall anchors BEFORE you screw the brackets on...when you tighten the screws, the wall anchor will spread inside the wall. Once the wall anchors are installed you can back out the machine screw then put the brackets on.
If you use the long wood screws instead into a wall stud...pre-drill your holes first and make sure the hole you pre-drill is smaller than the diameter of the screw....and don't drill deeper than the length of the screw....say about 1/4 inch less then the screws length. A good trick is to wrap some masking tape around the drill bit to give you a stopping gauge so you don't drill too deep. Also....check to see if the gun is level before you mark the screw holes for the second bracket!
One more thing....careful about where you start drilling or hammering on the walls of your house....it would help if you are familiar where electrical wires, gas and water pipes run...you don't want this turning into a home repair project.
I know I sound like I'm explaining this to children but I see guys make these mistakes all the time. If there are any questions please feel free to ask here and I will try to answer them best I can when I check back here.
It also should be noted that this tutorial is in no way a knock against Weta......their props are amazing and the quality is second to none.
Thought I would start this thread for anyone who bought the Arc Generator Gun. This is my opinion but please read;
DO NOT USE THE MOUNTING SCREWS THAT COME WITH THE GUN
In my opinion they are inadequate for such a heavy prop. So I moved my tutorial over to here from my Comic Con thread.
My only real small gripe about Weta's Arc Gun....the cheap screws and green plastic anchors they included pictured on the left side of the bracket in the pic below....PLEASE DON'T USE THEM
Go to the hardware store and find ones like I have pictured on the right side of the bracket. Either long 2 1/2" -3" wood screws or the Drywall "Hollow Wall Anchors" I use on hollow drywall walls when you can't find a stud in just the right place to screw into. This prop is heavy and the cheap green plastic wall anchors and short screws they provide is crap and your just asking to one day hear your Arc Gun make a huge cracking sound when it hits the floor.....plus I'm in earthquake country. I've been hanging heavy clocks for years so I know what works safely. The 1/4" ones are best but you will need to drill the holes in the brackets a tad larger.....just don't drill them too big.....just enough for the screws to fit thru....or you can use one size smaller wall anchors. I'd rather use the 1/4 ones myself.
You mark the holes then install the wall anchors BEFORE you screw the brackets on...when you tighten the screws, the wall anchor will spread inside the wall. Once the wall anchors are installed you can back out the machine screw then put the brackets on.
If you use the long wood screws instead into a wall stud...pre-drill your holes first and make sure the hole you pre-drill is smaller than the diameter of the screw....and don't drill deeper than the length of the screw....say about 1/4 inch less then the screws length. A good trick is to wrap some masking tape around the drill bit to give you a stopping gauge so you don't drill too deep. Also....check to see if the gun is level before you mark the screw holes for the second bracket!
One more thing....careful about where you start drilling or hammering on the walls of your house....it would help if you are familiar where electrical wires, gas and water pipes run...you don't want this turning into a home repair project.
I know I sound like I'm explaining this to children but I see guys make these mistakes all the time. If there are any questions please feel free to ask here and I will try to answer them best I can when I check back here.
It also should be noted that this tutorial is in no way a knock against Weta......their props are amazing and the quality is second to none.
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