Tomenosuke Kit Arrived with pics

[andy]

There is nothing wrong with recasting a set of grips for your own personal project. Like copying your CD to your iPod to listen to. I am only talking about seeing what people can come up with. I also expect the Tomen guys to okay us making grips since they are not willing. Like Rich said though, and cast from them will likely be a little too small though. I am not worried about people doing runs of these until after the fact, and then they can say "yea", "nay", or "hold on we will make them". There is also nothing holding back someone recreating the grip forms from other means either. If Dave is able to CNC them, or someone wants to sculpt their own, and cast them. The more options at that point the better. I want to see people's imaginations go wild on these.

Andy

[clutch]

Does Tomen even have the blessings of the BR property owner to even make these? No where is Blade Runner even mentioned on the box.

The grips also don't have that gentle curve at the top.

I'm still pleased with mine. Can someone PLEASE post how to make them look like glass? I've polished with Novis 2 & 3 forever and they still look like they do straight out of the box.

I was going to send my receiver in to get it milled for the barrel, but Mune said no plans on doing replacement parts. So if something gets lost or damaged, then you are SOL.

[BeastMaster]

Funny that no one has mentioned actually asking mune if it's ok to recast the grips? I'm sure they wouldn't care as long as they were for owners of the kit.

As for the grips you need to get some super fine sandpaper and wet sand them all over. Then polish them up with a cutting polish like T-Cut.
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"F*ck it, it's just a movie. Let him worry about it" Harrison Ford

[Skin-Job]

Andy,

I take your point.

I was thinking more in terms of producing aftermarket replacement grips. I see what you mean, though.

I've been studying the pics of the original and the Tomenosuke grips, and I can see a few things that look different, apart from the colour. I'll need to get mine in front of me and blow up the reference shots to check. Some of the lines look a little off, some of the shapes too. Could be tricks of the light or angles.

Looking forward to seeing them in person. WHEN they get here

Clutch,

There are no 'Official' replica blasters and no licenses have been granted to my knowledge.

As for a high shine on the grips? work up to 1000 grit wet paper then automotive chrome polish and a stiff rag.


Karl

[clutch]

Sandpaper. Ugh... Got my work cut out for me.

[Skin-Job]

Don't start too coarse if they're pretty smooth already, otherwise you'll be going backwards.



Karl

[clutch]

That's why I thought I'd be ok with the plastic polish from the start.

[Skin-Job]

It's really hard to suggest a solution without seeing them in person....

Got any pics?


Karl

[cratercritter]

Proper said...

".... As for a high shine on the grips? work up to 1000 grit wet paper then automotive chrome polish and a stiff rag...."

Yep...same here. I used a similar method to this to get a glass-like super clear grip...used wet sanding 600 grit grading up to 2000 paper, then a small Dremel tool cotton-buffing wheel with fine polishing compound.

[racprops]

Guys before you spend hours and hours sanding and polishing these grips, take a little of “Mothers” Mag & Aluminum Polish and rub it on and let dry a little and buff off with a soft clean rag.

I cannot see how you can improve on that.

These grips are fantastic with just a little polish.

Sanding will take them down from where they are out of the box.

Phasepistol told me to try this on mine and it works great, and I just tried it on these grips and it does on them as well.

Rich
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I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[joberg]

I don't think Mune wouldn't o.k. people doing a cast of their grip (or even other kinds of grips altogether). It's not as if we're going to make a lot of money out of that.

As for me, I would wait for DaveG and his sculpt and maybe other models as well.

[DaveG]

So here's where I stand, for now, on the issue of making grips, amber, clear, purple or otherwise...

Generally I only make props, or accessories/aftermarket parts for props that I want myself, and which are either unavailable elsewhere, or on which I feel I could do a better job. Since I already have an assembled Pro with the nicer amber grips, I don't need to go to all the (extensive) trouble to mold and cast a set for myself. For the two Tomen kits that I have, one is going to be finished with hardwood grips, the other with clear. To that end, I am working now on the CG model that will be used for milling them on the CNC router. I am planning on offering hardwood grips for sale, like I did for my snub nose.

The clear grips I am going to make will be a one off set milled from clear acrylic, then hand sanded smooth, polished, and re-setup on the CNC for checkering. Very time consuming. I would figure that by the time they are done, a single set of clear grips made this way will have close to 6 hours of labor in them. If I were to sell them, they'd be $300 to $350. this is the same work that would have to be done for a set of patterns to be molded and cast, and since I only need one set, there is no reason for me to invest the additional time and materials. Casting clear materials is to the high standard I established with my Snubby grips is a royal PITA (24 hours per pour/cure cycle and a very high reject rate). The end price for cast clear grips would be very high. I doubt t here would be many sales.

If anyone else wants to take a crack at making grips for sale, clear, amber, purple or otherwise, you have my blessing. But don't recast! Rich, thanks for the offer but I don't really want to make patterns or molds for someone else to cast from.

On top of all this, I've got a s**t load of steel barrels to turn! And a backlog of display stand orders so I don't have the time to pursue this anyway.

Of course, now all I can think about is Andy's idea for tortoise shell grips...


_________________
Dave

"I just want to say people... Get A Life! Move out of your parent's basement! It's just a movie!"

[andy]

Mune is not the same as Tomenosuke. He is Munegumi from the Hollywood Collectors Gallery, or the group that sells these for Tomenosuke, especially overseas. Tomenosuke is Shinji Nakako, and the builder of the gun is Nobutaka Toku, or Nobu.

I have a feeling they will let us make the grips, and anything else we want to make to customize them. They might want some for themselves too, but if the idea is good they will likely want to make them themselves as well. I am hoping to encourage them to at least think about making this stuff.

Truth is, that I am glad these are not perfect, and I love the fact that we can expand upon them for a long time to come. It makes this an engaging hobby.

Andy

[darthwolf7]

I just wish I could afford one of these kits or pros!?! I'm excited seeing all the pictures and upgrading etc...I'm dying to get in on the fun!?!...hopefully someday?! Have fun everyone!

[andy]

[Skin-Job]

Dave,

Thanks for chiming in and making your position clear. I wanted to wait until you did to see where you were.

I can completely see and understand your viewpoint. I can also see why you wouldn't be interested in anyone else casting grips from your patterns.

I really can't see Tomenosuke granting 'permission' for people to cast grips to fit their model. I doubt they would have any involvement with this.

However, someone making grips which happen to fit their blaster kit is really none of their concern, and I expect they'd see it that way too.
The idea of new amber grips, from an original set of master patterns is the same as Dave's steel barrels. An aftermarket, but very welcome addition to an already excellent product.

I'll take a look at this.


Karl

[racprops]

I will be dropping out for a day or two as I change out my bad Foxconn motherboard.

See you on the other side.

Rich

PS I think Foxconn is a low price and low quality board, beware...
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I never have enough time to do all I want to do!

[DaveG]

[Skin-Job]

Dave,

Thanks for the input.
I have absolutely no plans to recast the Tomenosuke grips, as I stated above, so shrinkage won't be an issue.

The grip models will be new originals.

Moulding and casting resins has been part of my day job for over two decades. I use a medical grade Platinum cure rubber for moulding, which has near zero shrinkage, regardless.
The bigger shrinkage is from the resin. But low exotherm urethanes are pretty good these days. I have a good supplier here.

I'll look at costing this and see where we go.....

Karl

[joberg]

Thanks Dave for the feed-back and Karl, Rich for all of this.
Aftermarket will be the way to go...depending on cost of course.
I'm looking forward to see one of those gun transformed into a chrome/transparent grip done by one, or many, of our members here