Then... I broke my personal glue gun... no big deal, got a new one for less than $7. Interesting shape, and small in hand, a bit like star trek phasers. And I had this MP on a forum asking me if my saber core sound board system could be transform into a blaster board... Size is always an issue, let's try to make a blaster core ! I modded a crystal focus saber core PCB and started writing down the specs I really wanted to make a blaster board that would be : - as small a possible - configurable for sounds and behavior with a removable SD card - same quality as crystal focus saber core - small (someone, including myself might dream one day of making a noisy cricket from MIB)
►The video on youtube (in english)
►Some pics of the prop building steps. Some parts had holes and were filled with epoxy putty. An "old metal" paint job will hide that later.
►Cleaning the 2 halves of the pistol, attaching the blast emitter (ultra short) that was slightly modified with my lathe, and the hole diameter increased so that the light will be more visible.
►General power switch, a push on/push off latching model, with a chromed cap imprisonned with resin.
►Additionnal controls and display : from left to right the future bargraph indicating the remaining energy in the weapon and the range, then the automatic / single shot selector (switch and LED). The shape I cut are ugly cause the plastic of the pistol is a special one (resisting to heat) and is really hard to mill.
►The electronic guts with the 9V battery powering the whole prop. The 5 LEDs above simulate the progression of the blaster ray. The electronic module on the right side is attached to a 1w luxeon that produces the flash in the riffle. It comes from a luxeon flashlight I've use 1 year and half ago to make a saber, and it finally has its utility ! It sends 350 mA in the LED, glued to the blaster emitter. In the center, the blaster core, that handles everything, play sounds, select scenarios etc.
►The bargraph playing an animated pattern
►Almost done. In the upper right corner, a piece of an old 6.35mm jack simulates the blaster gas tank. At the bottom of the handle, a cap simulates the refill hole for the gas tank. It hides the AC cord hole, and in the futur, when I'll have the appropriate li-ion batteries, it will be a recharge port.
►A few o-rings to decorate the weapon... and force this area to tighten, since it was not so well adjusted
►Back side
►Control panel with automatic shooting mode selected
► The last LED of the ray and the flash lit (hard to picture !)
►The blaster was too "clean"... a little whearing, however, I'm not good at all for that, but I tried anyway