The Expanse: Props & Found Parts
- Thread starter Mike J.
- Start date
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
The white cylinder is a way of making an air pocket in the mold. After the the mold is complete - I can cut tiny channels in the mold to release trapped air if i find problems with pouring the resin. Some molds with some detail naturally trap air and i end up with gaps no matter how I try to pour slow enough to fill all the channels and let the air escape. since this is being poured as one big piece - It is harder to get the perfect fill point. I just clip off the tiny air hole trees but if gives me a complete molding - most of the time. I am relatively new to casting the pieces. There are a million ways to solve the problems. Casting is kind of a huge art project. The Smooth On products are easy to work with. Part A and Part B - equal amounts - no measurement calculations. If I mix it correctly - pour it slow enough - the air bubbles rise to the surface and pop without forming. But if the mold itself grabs an air space physically - the resin will never fill it as long as air is there. Every project is a learning experience. I may find it possible to later disassemble the air soft gun and mold the pieces separately. But that process may not yield a net worth result. With this one stop process - the end product is a complete gun ready to be detailed with the Expanse prop Modifications and add-ons. If someone wants the most detailed and accurate HERO prop - better to buy the air soft pistol from Hong Kong and add the parts kit. This kit add ons parts will fit since they are made for this pistol. If someone has a better way of molding - I am always willing to learn a better way. - Right now I am trying to find a plastic supply store in town with mold release in stock. The snow has stopped the show in Baltimore. I ordered a new set of supplies from Smooth On - but it will be days before it gets here. I want to pour this baby up. If this does not work well - i can always do a better job with the Martian pistol. Next up. It will have more pieces.
The white cylinder is a way of making an air pocket in the mold. After the the mold is complete - I can cut tiny channels in the mold to release trapped air if i find problems with pouring the resin. Some molds with some detail naturally trap air and i end up with gaps no matter how I try to pour slow enough to fill all the channels and let the air escape. since this is being poured as one big piece - It is harder to get the perfect fill point. I just clip off the tiny air hole trees but if gives me a complete molding - most of the time. I am relatively new to casting the pieces. There are a million ways to solve the problems. Casting is kind of a huge art project. The Smooth On products are easy to work with. Part A and Part B - equal amounts - no measurement calculations. If I mix it correctly - pour it slow enough - the air bubbles rise to the surface and pop without forming. But if the mold itself grabs an air space physically - the resin will never fill it as long as air is there. Every project is a learning experience. I may find it possible to later disassemble the air soft gun and mold the pieces separately. But that process may not yield a net worth result. With this one stop process - the end product is a complete gun ready to be detailed with the Expanse prop Modifications and add-ons. If someone wants the most detailed and accurate HERO prop - better to buy the air soft pistol from Hong Kong and add the parts kit. This kit add ons parts will fit since they are made for this pistol. If someone has a better way of molding - I am always willing to learn a better way. - Right now I am trying to find a plastic supply store in town with mold release in stock. The snow has stopped the show in Baltimore. I ordered a new set of supplies from Smooth On - but it will be days before it gets here. I want to pour this baby up. If this does not work well - i can always do a better job with the Martian pistol. Next up. It will have more pieces.
Mike J.
Master Member
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
Hoo-ee! Stuff hit the fan tonight! Things are coming together! And a two-hour season finale next Tuesday night!
Looks like some 'new' (?) weapons, too, along with a glimpse of the Martian pistols. I thought I saw a bad guy with a black Chiappa Rhino revolver. Some small sub-machineguns as well.
-MJ
Hoo-ee! Stuff hit the fan tonight! Things are coming together! And a two-hour season finale next Tuesday night!
Looks like some 'new' (?) weapons, too, along with a glimpse of the Martian pistols. I thought I saw a bad guy with a black Chiappa Rhino revolver. Some small sub-machineguns as well.
-MJ
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
OK I can't get enough Expanse ! I took some screen caps. I know there were questions on the martian pistol about the silver top gun sight. I am sure the silver tube at the back of the sight is slightly larger than the the tubes in the forward half of the pistol. When i began modeling the 3D pistol to work out the details - that is the only thing that will match the angles. The tube is slightly smaller in the middle and maybe the front blacked out is the same as the middle tube or slightly smaller. pained black the perspective is harder.
New and exciting things happening in the show !!! Who built the mystery Stealth Fleet. What the heck is that skin Rash?
OK I can't get enough Expanse ! I took some screen caps. I know there were questions on the martian pistol about the silver top gun sight. I am sure the silver tube at the back of the sight is slightly larger than the the tubes in the forward half of the pistol. When i began modeling the 3D pistol to work out the details - that is the only thing that will match the angles. The tube is slightly smaller in the middle and maybe the front blacked out is the same as the middle tube or slightly smaller. pained black the perspective is harder.
New and exciting things happening in the show !!! Who built the mystery Stealth Fleet. What the heck is that skin Rash?
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
Just got a shipment of material from smooth on. I did not realize the shelf life for the plastics are so short. Part A and Part B are not sold separately and begin to break down after six months from the batch date. My molding problems were from expired chemicals - not my technique.
Just got a shipment of material from smooth on. I did not realize the shelf life for the plastics are so short. Part A and Part B are not sold separately and begin to break down after six months from the batch date. My molding problems were from expired chemicals - not my technique.
Last edited:
Bad Wolf
Sr Member
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
gotta say, that was a nice shootout!
really like the guns Amos and Holden were sporting. Where they the standard Martian Marine issue? that 'block' in front of the trigger guard looked new.
it was cool to see the Rhino getting some airtime.
harada357....what you're doing looks cool! can't wait to see more!
gotta say, that was a nice shootout!
really like the guns Amos and Holden were sporting. Where they the standard Martian Marine issue? that 'block' in front of the trigger guard looked new.
it was cool to see the Rhino getting some airtime.
harada357....what you're doing looks cool! can't wait to see more!
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
I had some problems with the plastic - mix was expired. Got my shipment from Smooth On - but now i need the time to pour it. Everything is sitting there so close.....
Soon.
I am at work now. I am loving this series.
gotta say, that was a nice shootout!
really like the guns Amos and Holden were sporting. Where they the standard Martian Marine issue? that 'block' in front of the trigger guard looked new.
it was cool to see the Rhino getting some airtime.
harada357....what you're doing looks cool! can't wait to see more!
I had some problems with the plastic - mix was expired. Got my shipment from Smooth On - but now i need the time to pour it. Everything is sitting there so close.....
Soon.
I am at work now. I am loving this series.
Mike J.
Master Member
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
I think that is new, and I don't know what it is. They used to have a light gray thingy there, but now it's been replaced by these black things that look like old-school laser sights. I wonder if there was some line in the script that necessitated the change. I don't recall seeing any visible laser sights in the episode. Perhaps they show up in the finale? Maybe there was a cut scene that explained the change?
-MJ
I think that is new, and I don't know what it is. They used to have a light gray thingy there, but now it's been replaced by these black things that look like old-school laser sights. I wonder if there was some line in the script that necessitated the change. I don't recall seeing any visible laser sights in the episode. Perhaps they show up in the finale? Maybe there was a cut scene that explained the change?
-MJ
Mike J.
Master Member
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
Ok - a few hiccups - Almost there:
I went on Amazon and picked up the FIVE book Series by James A Cory - The read is astonishing. The series seems to follow the first book so far. Incredible stuff !!
The five books:
Star Helix Pistol is coming -
Ok - a few hiccups - Almost there:
I went on Amazon and picked up the FIVE book Series by James A Cory - The read is astonishing. The series seems to follow the first book so far. Incredible stuff !!
The five books:
| 1 | Leviathan Wakes | 561 | June 15, 2011 | ISBN 978-0-316-12908-4 |
| 2 | Caliban's War | 595 | June 26, 2012 | ISBN 978-1-841-49990-1 |
| 3 | Abaddon's Gate | 539 | June 4, 2013 | ISBN 978-0-316-12907-7 |
| 4 | Cibola Burn | 583 | June 17, 2014 | ISBN 978-0-316-21762-0 |
| 5 | Nemesis Games | 544 | June 2, 2015 | ISBN 978-0-316-21758-3 |
| 6 | Babylon's Ashes[4] | 608 | June 16, 2016[5] | ISBN 978-0-356-50426-1 |
Star Helix Pistol is coming -
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
MIKE Keep those Screen caps coming !!! Martian pistol in progress.
OK - pulled the first two Star Helix Glocks from the mold. I used Black Onyx as the base resin. I still have a lot to learn with the molding - but managed to pop out these OK. A couple of Air bubbles - and extra flashing - but they still came out sweet. Here is a pic.
I need to scratch build the gun sights - add the front barrel extensions - and paint. Decals when we can work it out.
Kits will be in the junkyard
Martian pistol next up.
MIKE Keep those Screen caps coming !!! Martian pistol in progress.
OK - pulled the first two Star Helix Glocks from the mold. I used Black Onyx as the base resin. I still have a lot to learn with the molding - but managed to pop out these OK. A couple of Air bubbles - and extra flashing - but they still came out sweet. Here is a pic.
I need to scratch build the gun sights - add the front barrel extensions - and paint. Decals when we can work it out.
Kits will be in the junkyard
Martian pistol next up.
Mike J.
Master Member
Re: The Expanse: Prop Weapons
There are also a few shorter prequels / side stories, including "The Butcher of Anderson Station" and "Drive," about the creation of the Epstein drive: http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/drive/
And the 'new' things on the MCRN pistols appear to be flashlights. At least, they have flashlights in them, used when the crew is searching the hotel room for you-know-who.
Finally got some good frames of the pistols in episode 8. These should help immensely More caps on the way.
-MJ
There are also a few shorter prequels / side stories, including "The Butcher of Anderson Station" and "Drive," about the creation of the Epstein drive: http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/drive/
And the 'new' things on the MCRN pistols appear to be flashlights. At least, they have flashlights in them, used when the crew is searching the hotel room for you-know-who.
Finally got some good frames of the pistols in episode 8. These should help immensely
More caps on the way.-MJ
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