ok, by showing this, i'm probably never going to receive a free batch of spring-loaded weapons...
but, this is what they're good for, when you're tired of knocking things over -- Tech Detail for Diorama Bkgs & Vehicles --
first, let's start with Accelerator Suit Ripcord's Launcher:
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And the two most important tools: a hammer and chisel (also shown: my vise with the 'anvil' flat part, and a small piece of foam to soften the blow on the non-chisel-receiving end of the gun)
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Ripcord's gun has a handle (easily nipped off) and a ring around the barrel, which took a pliers (much better than teeth...
) to take off --Attachment:
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Then, I lined up my (pretty sharp) chisel with the seam of the gun -- if you can't get a good bite on the seam, it's a good idea to file in a bite, if you have a triangular file -
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After the first tap, making sure I was in the seam, the second tap really opens the toy -- all the way to the spring, in this case -
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At this point, I had to dump the guts out, as the spring was impeding my hammer...
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And in the end, here's what I wound up with -- note the uneven edges on the inside of the gun --
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But here is the 'hero' side --
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The uneven edges need to be taken down, to either glue on a background or a vehicle -- simple sanding will work, although tedious... in my case, i use this --
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Final note: all the holes, openings, etc., that were part of the original gun, can either be used for hose ports, connection bridges, or the piece can be cut down to eliminate that part entirely -- i recommend using a bandsaw, scrollsaw, or coping saw with a fine-tooth blade --
OR
you can just send me your unwanted spring-loaded weapons....
