Who owns an all-metal Blade Runner blaster?

Well as I have been outted again;

Few notes, this model does not have the cylinder with rounds, instead I put a sound board and light driver so this model is what I like to call screen accurate, verse set accurate as is my standard model, “Set Accurate” is as close to what the actors used as I can get it and this “Screen Accurate” is more like the action prop you saw on the movie screen.

So we took a few liberties, the model works thus: pull lightly on the front trigger to turn on the weapon, with this you get two actions, a start up sound, which you can choose from a startup sound effect OR a Woman’s voice, (computer sounding like) saying, “Weapon Armed” AND the LEDs within the ammo clip start as green, then red then green and then hold as red, this is a preflight check out system. (the bottom one is only red and only lights with the red.)

When you pull the trigger the hammer is moved back and drops (as in a real weapon and the C&S model) and when it does the gun plays the digital recording of the movies sound effect and there is a super bright white LED with in the barrel.

These are metal painted black and nickel plated models with plastic ammo housing and clip and grips, and the front end cap of the Styer receiver.

All the rest is cast metal. Price is $950.00 for this model and it comes with a Plaque, Stand and COA.

Display cases will cost $85.00 extra.

I will not be taking any down payments on the next runs but will take names and try to offer you a model in the order you joined the list, and I still have many of the first list names and emails.

The masters will need reworking and fine tuning to help clear up some of the things that caused all so much trouble.

I have learned a lot and hope and believe the next runs will go faster.

I think they should be shipping by spring.

My old motto is back in force: “I sell no gun until it is DONE.”

To be put on the list Please Email me at racprops@cox.net I have a folder that I keep all the emails in for the list.

Rich

PS a couple of more picturesÂ…..

PPS The model within these pictures when to one of the first run orders, I do not currently have one of these models my self, I am waiting for this run also.
 
Originally posted by tain669@Jan 19 2006, 10:01 PM
A work of art Rich.It's worth the wait :angel  :thumbsup
[snapback]1163362[/snapback]​

These look incredible. I'd also like to sign up sometime in the future.
 
Rich your Blade Runner blasters are awesome... Metal...simply awesome...


I want to get one of your regular ones,( been watching ebay) just not in the budget right now with a kid coming. I have already used the our kid will be the only kid on the block with a lifesize Vader to funnel money out on Vader. Still WIP. If you do have a 'making room in my shop, so I can make more blasters sale' keep me in mind . :love

Kell
 
Thanks everyone, and special thanks to those that have hung in here with me on this.

Things closed in on me when I was not looking and it took drastic action to dig out again.

Oh I forgot the bolt works as well.

Again if interested PLEASE EMAIL me at racprops@cox.net

I keep all email in folders and off my main partition and backed up.
(Yes you CAN make outlook work with a mail folder on another partition)

I have only lost a 6 month section of email during the past 10 years (2 years ago during this run) due to my back up systems. (got too busy with the work and the metal model and got sloppy...)

I can replace my main operating system (Drive C) in 15 minutes.

So it is a safe folder.

Rich
 
Rich..These are fantastic as I've told you before.
Just out of curiosity how long do you guestimate until you are ready to do the second run?
I only ask because I'd love to have an all metal one and want to know about how long i have to come up with the scratch.
Thanks
 
Rich, I hope you don't mind a few questions about your metal blaster, and since I'm a late comer, I apologize in advance if they're been previously addressed:

1. Since the Styer upper receiver is aluminum, what made you decide to paint it and other metal parts gloss black instead of black anodizing them? The paint appears to swallow up a lot of fine details. :( I understand that resin must be primed and painted, but I thought the whole beauty of a metal blaster would be that it LOOKS and FEELS metal, not just weighs more. ;)

2. The Styer upper receiver seems rather unfinished on the inside and the bolt action is reportedly rough as a result. Is there a way to ream out or polish the inside walls for a smoother operation?

Thanks a bunch,

- Gabe
 
Forgive me for speaking out of turn here but I've found anodizing seldom produces the desired finish on a piece such as this and leaves a replica looking like a paintball gun.

It's difficult to articulate but it robs such a piece of it's character.

I think this is something you can only understand after having made props for years and labored over a given metal prop as much as Rich has.

In my own Exp. with certain metal replicas, I haven't cared much for anodizing. Everything has it's exceptions but for the most part it hasn't been for me. I have enjoyed powder coating for flat finishes in some cases.

To each his own.

Cheers Rich. Looks Good ol' Boy...

Rylo
 
Thanks for your perspective, Ry. I've never found your opinions out of turn - if anything, I get that label *MUCH* more often. :lol But if it sounds like I'm second-guessing Rich when it comes to building or finishing replicas, I guess I technically don't have the creds since my model building skills are novice by comparion, but I do define and inspect finishes for the metal and plastic consumer products I design, so I'm well versed in paints, primers, coatings, finishes, and textures. It appears to be an unspoken question on the minds of several people I talked to, so I was genuinely curious about the reasoning, especially since I'm seriously considering purchasing one of these. I have a C&S, as you know from my Blade Runner related threads, and the first thing I did when I got it several years ago was dull the paint with steel wool to, well, take the gloss off.

It's just that after recently seeing some amazingly realistic finishes on resin and metal Firefly/Serenity, BSG, Star Wars, and other blasters, I was hoping for some insight. For the sake of argument, couldn't a black-anodized part be enhanced with a light coat or wash of some kind, like Alcad or Rub N Buff, and then sealed in a clear coat? I'd be curious to hear what other C&S owners have done to their guns' finish to make them look more realistic, because I consider mine still a work in progress. :)

Rich: would you consider offering your blasters unfinished, because I plan to add a companion to my old C&S, and frankly right now I'm torn between the latest C&S version and the metal blaster, should it still be available. I just seek more control over the finish of my replica, because most of the other blasters are made available as kits or are custom-finished by experienced painters. So please consider this "exploring my options." :)


- Gabe
 
OK one thing, these are not aluminum castings: (I could not find any one that could do aluminum and not need a ton of filling and finishing work.)

These are a softer lower temp metal, zinc and pewter castings. More like Die Cast.

Neither metal can be anodized.

Painting has been the only way I found to finish these.

I am then able to use a primer and wet sand it for a better finish.

I am then able to wet sand the finish paint between coats to get a very smooth finish.

I have gone with the satin finish on the latest runs.

The lost of detail was caused but the casting system and sanding to produce a smooth finish.

The first run was done very gloss; I was perhaps a little over proud of the finish. (And the work to get it.)

The working bolt has been a nightmare: I wanted it to hold the cocking arm up in the open position, and then to slide in and close. The only way I could do it was to machine a new slot into the receiver.

And add an Allen head screw to run in that machined slot. It runs into some contact problems.

And the fit of the bold has been a problem so I have had to custom fit them and again these are not super clean castings.

And the first run paint was prone to chipping by the hard metal to metal contact, so I was forced to ask the bold be used sparely.

As with all my models these are ongoing improvements going on.

I now have a powder painter I have taken some work to (casting tanks) and will test a couple of the new casting, at this point with SO MUCH work and trying to get these out as fast as I could, risking any finished part and delaying or messing up all the work already done was unconsiderable.

These metal was the only way to make this in metal I could find and keep all the detail on the model.

The next runs will hopefully be during the next year.

Rich
 
Thanks for the clarifications, Rich. Obviously, my comments were based upon incorrect assumptions regarding the material, so please accept my apologies on that score - ignorance is no excuse. :$

Sounds like short of using real parts or CNC-machining replicas (and you'd need to reverse-engineer the originals in 3D CAD or laser-scan them in order to do that), I guess this is as good as a metal blaster will get, so thanks for rising to the challenge. :)

- Gabe
 
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