My BLADE RUNNER stuff,...again...(It never ends)

[S21FOLGORE]

Paragon FX. Deckard’s blaster “water action model”

This is my 3rd Blade Runner Deckard’s blaster water gun…
(… and, actually ONE MORE is coming, from Japan. But, that’s another story…)

It was delivered Tuesday, while I was at work.
(I work long hours, many days. When I come back home, it’s usually too late to make a video (after 10PM, I’m hungry, too tired, can’t be too loud, etc, etc,)

So, I tried to shoot short, quick “open package” video, Wednesday morning, before going to work.

I think, … I’ll have to re-shoot the video.
But, I decided to show some screen shot from that video shoot.

In the middle, that’s the new one, by Paragon FX.

Paragon_1 by T K, on Flickr

Orange muzzle tip comes off easily...
And, you will immediately notice the lack of lettering on BOTH sides of the blaster …
(I personally don’t really care, but I’ve heard some people complaining about “MADE IN CHINA” lettering.)

Paragon_2 by T K, on Flickr

BUT, given a choice, I’d pick up no lettering version.

Since my Elfin Knights one is already painted, I can’t be sure, but, Paragon FX version looks darker.

Paragon_3 by T K, on Flickr

Different camera / lens, different lighting situation, but, Elfin Knights looks more like
“smoke”.
Screen Shot 2022-07-27 at 3.21.19 PM by T K, on Flickr

Package Front
Paragon_5 by T K, on Flickr

Package Rear
Paragon_4 by T K, on Flickr

Judging from the Japanese product description, I assume this one is also sold in Japan?

[to be continued]

 

[Tally Whacker]

I picked up a kit (and also some amber grips( from some vendors on Etsy, but I haven't taken the time to build it. I've really been pondering how to addd weight to the kit so it has some heft to it and doesn't just feel like a 3D printed plastic toy... Any suggestions?

 

[byke]

Drill holes and fill everything you can with epoxy.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

I picked up a kit (and also some amber grips( from some vendors on Etsy, but I haven't taken the time to build it. I've really been pondering how to addd weight to the kit so it has some heft to it and doesn't just feel like a 3D printed plastic toy... Any suggestions?

I have two 3D printed Deckard's blaster, and one of them still in pieces.
(I purchased, got too busy, put it aside, and forgot about it).
I'll check to see what can be done.

BUT, there aren't that much places you can drill holes and fill with lead or something that's heavy.
Maybe inside of the barrel ?

Lack of the heft / weight doesn't bother me, actually.
To me, they are more of a (my own) movie's props.
So, lighter weight is better.
NOT having delicate and / or moving parts is better.

Example

[YOUTUBE]09fetl6f58w[/YOUTUBE]

When I'm filming a scene like this, I tend to forget it's a prob, I'm shooting a Youtube video that no one really watches.
I draw with full speed, as if there's a real threat.

While filming this particular video, I dropped the blaster once.

That's why I like water guns.

3D printed / solid resin cast model wouldn't survive quick draw from the holster. (Those tiny LED parts will get ripped off, the frame would brake right above the grip, especially if I add weight in the top portion of the blaster.)

 

[berth]

Couldn't you drill a hole in the side, fill it with resin/plaster/whatever, then patch the whole? You're going to paint these anyway, right?

I used to paint water guns as a kid. Take a lime green Luger water pistol, some black and brown Testors used for model kits, and voila.

I assume you've tracked all of the Adam Savage videos on his assorted forays into cloning BR Blasters.

 

[Tally Whacker]

Yeah, it's going to get painted, but I think you might not have a really accurate mental image of the kit when you say "Drill a hole and fill it."

 

[S21FOLGORE]

Yeah, I guess there's some confusion / misunderstanding.

Tally Whacker is asking, if there's any way to add some weight to his 3D printed blaster kit.
NOT how to add weight to water gun, like in my photos.

His 3D printed kit (almost all of them), have some "functions".
Trigger(s) move, cylinder can swing out, and rotates (though you can't see it rotating because the entire cylinder is covered and out of sight) as you pull the trigger (the rear trigger, the front one doesn't do anything), etc, etc.
Because of that, as his photo shows, there's not really that much space you can drill a hole and put something in.

Solid resin kit is essentially display model.
It's a solid cast resin, so it has some weight to it.
If you spend enough time, it can look really, really nice.
BUT, none of the parts would move.

Water gun (my favorite) can be filled with resin, plaster, to make it heavy.
Can be decorated with LED (if you have enough patience).
With painting, it can serve as "Hero Prop".
Or, it can be "stunt model". Just paint it nicely, you can use it for quick draw from the holster, you can run around without worrying about dropping $300- $1000 blaster.

 

[berth]

Ah, yes, sorry, I was thinking of the water pistol.

For the 3D printed kit, "That's easy! -- Sir Robin".

Just assemble the pistol, then make silicone mold out of it, fill it with wax, make a lost wax mold from that, and fill it with bronze!

Piece of pie!

 

[Tally Whacker]

Wow! Now that you put it that way...


Amusingly enough, I used to do lost wax bronze casting when I was a kid. Our next door neighbor was a sculptor and he taught me how to weld, how to shape clay and wax, and how to cast bronze (he had his own crucible and did all his own castings).

 

[berth]

To be honest I bet there's a lucrative micro market for brass/bronze BR Blaster paperweights.

Take the 3D print, scale it down to half for the mold.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

The video is up!

[YOUTUBE]Id0Tol7VLIk[/YOUTUBE]



So, for those who are wondering if it (Paragon FX model) is any different from Elfin-Knights, or just repackaged item, the answer is, …
It is from a different mold (I guess).

Though they are very minor, and very small, there are some areas that are clearly different from Elfin Knights product. (Like, green LED parts are now separate from the shell.)
Two things you’ll immediately notice are “lack of lettering” on the side, and sharper, better defined edges.
(I do remember some people complaining about “MADE IN CHINA” on the right hand side of the blaster top. I personally don’t mind.)

The color appears to be darker than Elfin Knights. But I could be wrong.

Another thing I noticed right away was much, much smoother trigger pull.
The difference was SO BIG. So much so that I had to measure the trigger pull.

Overall, I’m happy with the product, have no complaint about the price. ($55, plus S&H, tax)
If you think $60 is too high for a water gun, you have to remember it’s an “Officially Licensed” product.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

It has arrived.

Look at the muzzle and receiver front portion.

_DSF0014 by T K, on Flickr

Allen head screw on the bottom of box magazine area

_DSF0012 by T K, on Flickr

…Knob…
_DSF0010 by T K, on Flickr

Screws on the bottom of the grip
_DSF0016 by T K, on Flickr

Laser sighting rod (green LED)
_DSF0017 by T K, on Flickr

“Steel Blue” finish, not “clear black” like the previous version (and Paragon FX)
_DSF0005 by T K, on Flickr

_DSF0006 by T K, on Flickr

Packaging (backing plate)
It’s a JDM item, so 95% of the product description is written in Japanese.

Front
_DSF0001 by T K, on Flickr
Back
_DSF0003 by T K, on Flickr

So, according to the packaging, MSRP is
¥4,500 (plus tax).
So, it’s about 50% increase from the previous version (Ver.1.5. This one is Ver.2)

I paid $55 (USD), free shipping (from Japan).
Not bad, I guess.

The funny thing is, it says “The performance as water gun is not great.”
<… to be continued. Will have to get back to work>