A Collective Thread for All Them Guns

[The doomed one]

One would think that the same rules apply for scissors and guns ((don't run with them)around the house at least ).

[remission]

Are there any turotials for beginners to painting, that want to paint their Nerf style guns?

I picked up the Nerf Tommy-gun and the Maverak and wish to do a nice paint job on it but I am not skilled at painting at all, so am not really sure how to get the same shadings for the rust, leather like, gunmetal ect on it like a lot of others have.

 

[MalContent]

One technique that I like for a gunmetal or any aged metal look is called dry brushing....it works best to prime the gun in black.  you than dip your brush in paint and wipe off the majority of it on a paper towel than paint the surface...it is a slow process as it will only pick out the raised details....the more coats the more of an antique finish

For shading a large object like a nerf gun a good technique is called washing...this involves mixing paint and water into a water inky mix....than apply with a paper towel and let the ink run into all the grooves...than blot up the excess ink....both of these techniques require practice...but are well worth the results. below are link to help you.  these are about painting models...but are still valid...just do it on a larger scale...I have used both to paint and weather life size Stormtrooper armor.

Drybrushing

Promodellers dry brushing	DQ

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100/TnT087_Drybrushing_Bamford/TnT087.htm

Washes
http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=782

Weathering Techniques - Applying a Wash	DQ

[akumabito]

Wait, is that a gun that shoot scissors?

I'll be covering 'm in copper wire.. it'll be sweet... eventually..

i like that design as well.  So you are going to wrap copper wire around the "scissor" end, so it's gonna be kind of like a magnetic coil gun in a sense.  (no clue if thats a type of gun just thought it sounded cool)

Indeed it is, and quite a cool one too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coilgun
Though that's not how the coils are arranged, prongs like that would be more suited to a railgun.  But railguns have no coils.  Perhaps yours is an arc thrower of some kind?

Oh then it would be a RailGun/CoilGun hybrid

Something like that, yeah! Hey, this is Steampunk, it doesn't HAVE to make sense!

[remission]

Great thank you. I will try a little of this when I get home

One technique that I like for a gunmetal or any aged metal look is called dry brushing....it works best to prime the gun in black.  you than dip your brush in paint and wipe off the majority of it on a paper towel than paint the surface...it is a slow process as it will only pick out the raised details....the more coats the more of an antique finish

For shading a large object like a nerf gun a good technique is called washing...this involves mixing paint and water into a water inky mix....than apply with a paper towel and let the ink run into all the grooves...than blot up the excess ink....both of these techniques require practice...but are well worth the results. below are link to help you.  these are about painting models...but are still valid...just do it on a larger scale...I have used both to paint and weather life size Stormtrooper armor.

Drybrushing
Promodellers dry brushing
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100/TnT087_Drybrushing_Bamford/TnT087.htm

Washes
http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=782
Weathering Techniques - Applying a Wash

[MagnaRyu]

but will he still be yelled at if he runs through the house with it?

Mom:  Don't run in the house with your rail/coil hybrid gun!  You'll put your eye out!

or  inspired by A Christmas Story

Mom:  What do you want for Christmas Ralphie
Ralphie: (With out thinking I blurted out...)  I want an official Akumabito Rail/Coil Hybrid Gun with a cherry wood handle and a compass in the end!  Oooooh!
Mom:  You'll shoot your eye out.

[akumabito]

THAT's what the goggles are for!

[MagnaRyu]

THAT's what the goggles are for!

LOL

[Aurelius 12]

Firstly let me say that the only reason I even started making a steampunk firearm was because of the sheer awesomeness of this thread. Truly a lot of the pieces in here are incredibly inspiring.

As with quite a few people, my first attempt is largely cosmetic and based off of a nerf gun (I've lurked on here long enough to sense a collective groan!   ) However, unlike most people I've used a switch-shot as my base entirely because it was the cheapest gun on Amazon, and the firing chamber looked fairly interesting.

I'm more of a solid slug guy than raygun, but this is something of a halfway house, a plasma pistol. So without further ado, Aurelia Industries is proud to present the 'Shiva' Plasma Accelerator Device!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The 'Shiva' pattern Plasma Accelerator Device is a personal sidearm capable of melting through flesh and armour alike. Accurate up to 25 yards, the weapon in an excellent choice for any would be adventurer, or airman looking for that extra kick.

The Shiva's workings are simple yet effective. Firstly, Hydrogen is fed into the side-mounted flask where it becomes ionized, interactions at the subatomic level make the hydrogen 'sticky' forming a tight cloud. When the bolt is drawn back, a thimble full of sticky ions are drawn into the main chamber. Pulling the trigger forces the cloud down the cavorite barrel. As it passes between the anti-gravity plates, the cloud accelerates to phenomenal speeds, igniting as it does so. Once ejected, the plasma ball will travel until it completely burns up. By drawing the hammer back for longer, the firer will create a larger ball of plasma, thus increasing the range and destructiveness of the shot. Recoil is reduced by the twin suppressors mounted beneath the main heat exhaust, through which exhaust gasses and excess heat is vented. The weapon sports a dual barrel configuration, allowing the user to fire a second shot whilst the first barrel cools. Should the weapon reach critical temperatures, the hydrogen cloud will be released through the side-mounted valve, safely away from the user. Note: Left handed users must specify as such before placing an order.

As I said, the Shiva started off as one of these;

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And ended up like this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The various additions are made from Warhammer 40,000 bits I had lying around, the leather strap on the left side of the gun is in lieu of a holster and is magnetic, allowing for quick release. Alll in all it took me a couple of days to make.

Hope you like it!

[harleyrider86]

Can the Nerf Pump still be removed??  I use that same gun (un-steamed) for the Wii Nerf N-Strike video game.

Mark

[Major Twangy Rubber]

Further to my last post a few days ago, I've now done two test runs of my steam-powered rifle - and the results are enlightening if not particularly uplifting.

Firstly - making fire is easy, making effective fire requires planning! Attention should be paid to oxygen intake, and exhaust flow, otherwise your fire will not get very hot, and will end up burning in all sorts of unexpected places! (sadly, no pictures are available of this event!). Should you have chosen methylated spirits as your fuel, then getting this bit wrong will cause a lot of black, oily smoke to be emitted into your environment!!

Secondly - just because a flame is yellow does not mean it is cold! As an adjunct to this, should you be constructing a device to enclose flames then you should reconsider using solder as an adhesive, no matter how neatly you can apply it. Reconstruction of your fire-containing apparatus will be time-consuming, and should you use solder again further ignition is cautioned against!   

Thirdly - getting the first point wrong and generating black smoke is a marvellous way of adding a patina of grime to your items. Do not apply dry paint, washes, inks or the like - PURGE IT WITH FIRE for authenticity in your aging!

[Aurelius 12]

Can the Nerf Pump still be removed??

Not from my version.

However, the only things stoping it are the curved front plate and second barrel. But you could easily do without barrel no.2 and if you found a way of hinging the curved plate so that it moved alongside the piece which locks the nerf pump in place then sure, there's no reason why you couldn't still swap the pump and wii remote over.

[maduncle]

Further to my last post a few days ago, I've now done two test runs of my steam-powered rifle - and the results are enlightening if not particularly uplifting.

Firstly - making fire is easy, making effective fire requires planning! Attention should be paid to oxygen intake, and exhaust flow, otherwise your fire will not get very hot, and will end up burning in all sorts of unexpected places! (sadly, no pictures are available of this event!). Should you have chosen methylated spirits as your fuel, then getting this bit wrong will cause a lot of black, oily smoke to be emitted into your environment!!

Secondly - just because a flame is yellow does not mean it is cold! As an adjunct to this, should you be constructing a device to enclose flames then you should reconsider using solder as an adhesive, no matter how neatly you can apply it. Reconstruction of your fire-containing apparatus will be time-consuming, and should you use solder again further ignition is cautioned against!   

Thirdly - getting the first point wrong and generating black smoke is a marvellous way of adding a patina of grime to your items. Do not apply dry paint, washes, inks or the like - PURGE IT WITH FIRE for authenticity in your aging!

I have been waiting for news of the firing up test - now I understand!

Pity you did not video capture the whole event.

[Major Twangy Rubber]

In truth, I was going to make the triumphant test run and then do it again for the camera. Just as well really, the overall "that's not meant to happen" impression and shaky camera work as I used both hands on the boiler would not have made convincing viewing (and the naughty words that followed the collapse wouldn't have made it past the censors anyway)

It's back together in "display condition" now, after 4 hours of reconstruction on Friday night*, and I'm going to get hold of a rivet gun and some funky rivets which should prove much more durable. For now though, it's on the back burner (ha ha) pending the new equipment arriving!

*which is much better than the 3 days it took me the first time through. There's something to be said for practice...

[trae]

Hey, just got my first gun to modify. I'm looking for tips and suggestions, as there are a lot of really nice looking pieces in this forum. I'm not expecting it to be terribly ambitious or anything, I'm just novice to this. And a horrible painter; Which is where I'm really looking for tips. What types of paint, what processes, etc. ? Thanks in advance, hopefully I will have something to post soon.

[winterfell]

Here is what I do:
I use acrylic paints. I paint a base black. I then paint use a choice of metallic paints (metallic black, antique gold, bronze, or copper, etc)
I then do an ink wash over the metallic colors. Then a spray sealant.
I use a variety of brushes from thin to broad brush. Normally I use a size four brush for medium detail work.
Try a local Michael's craft store if there is one near you. Experiment with paints and brushes.
What type of gun did you get that you want to modify?

[trae]

I picked up the gun at a thrift store, doesn't seem to have a nerf logo on it, so I would guess its a cheap knockoff. Ahh, the interweb provides: buzz bee toys twin tek 10 (but only one of them) http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/06/28/buzz-bee-toys-air-zone-twin-tek-10-suction-dart-blast_356990_175.jpg . I am hoping to find some with a break-breach style eventually. No idea yet what I'm doing with this, but I did just finish two real life propane flame cannons... which would be awesome all steamed out. They were my first set, so was going basic just to make sure the design worked and didn't kill me. First test was last night, and we had flames shooting 25' in the air, and we are not at full power. Had two fire trucks roll up to the test site (my backyard) surprisingly quickly. A friend has a hand held propane flame thrower I could copy, so maybe that's the direction I should go in soon. Fully functional steampunk flame cannon sounds pretty delicious to me.

Also thinking about a hand crank electricity generator something-or-other. Aesthetics are one thing but I love form AND function.

Somehow I missed the two videos for dry brushing above, so that helps. You use the same acrylic paint for your base coat? Or is that easier to do with a spray paint? I was thinking of using spray paints for everything originally, and would hate to waste my money. Should I try sanding down the plastic, or just leave the seams from the plastic mold?

[Laserpunk]

Do you guys ever think of using lasers in your builds? You cant have a ray gun with no ray LOL.

[akumabito]

Do you guys ever think of using lasers in your builds? You cant have a ray gun with no ray LOL.

Considering a BluRay laser in my final build, once I get the prototypes finished up.. it's gonna be a whiel though..

[Dr von Zarkov]

I found this banana gun on BoingBoing today and hope that it does not duplicate an earlier post. LINK

[Sigma-LS]

I'll just post my favorite that I own. It's a bit later period but still gets the most love.

[Laserpunk]

Considering a BluRay laser in my final build, once I get the prototypes finished up.. it's gonna be a whiel though..

Let me know, and I'll point you in the right direction. There are a lot of scammers out there, especially feeBay.

[akumabito]

Considering a BluRay laser in my final build, once I get the prototypes finished up.. it's gonna be a whiel though..

Let me know, and I'll point you in the right direction. There are a lot of scammers out there, especially feeBay.

Sure, let me know if you know any reliable vendors for laser diodes, strong enough to do the occasional balloon popping, etc..

[Laserpunk]

It depends on your price range.

They petty much all will pop balloons, light white matches/flash paper, burn wood, cut black plastic. What you basically pay for is power, so you can do these things quicker.

PHR diode ~90-120mW $10
6X GGW-H20L ~120-200mW $50-$65

If you want more, you can buy the whole drive itself. If you see people selling diodes from these drives they are often fake. 8X 10X 12X BURNING drives from ~$150-$210. They will put out anywhere from 300mW to 500mW. People are taking the 12X to over 700mW, but the testing is still going on to figure if it will last at that power. All diodes degrade, the issue is how fast.

[Mr. Zebulon Oakley]

Does anyone have a good idea on how to find good, cheap leather?
I'm trying to make holsters for my steampunked NERF Maverick REV-6 and double-barrel shotgun props.
Pictures, suggestions, instructions, and tips would be of help also.
Thank you