How to make a district 9 Weapon

It's halloween again so there is time to make something large and extravagant for no particular reason other than the fact that you want to. With this in mind I decided that I wanted to build the gun that Wickus carries around throughout the district 9 film. I also decided to use this as an opportunity to use the Isopon (Bondo?) I bought to make the prop slightly more substantial than my usual paper mache fayre.

Like most projects it's best to start with an image of what you're trying to acheive. A quick scan of the web found the two images included below, the first is from Weta directly and is in higher res and therefore shows more details. The second is clip from the film which has the gun in a colour I prefer and shows it in a slightly different angle, both will be useful.

I now have a growing collection of costumes and props from the numerous fancy dress parties I've been to. This gun is rather large and I don't like the idea of moving it from house to house as we bounce around so I have decided to ebay it. If you read these instructions and decide that you would like to own this gun now is your opportunity....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280416682647

This and all my other projects can now also be found on my own website at http://msraynsford.googlepages.com

Step 1: The materials

As I wanted to make something a bit more substantial than the paper mache I've used a wider range of base materials.

XPS foam, this is the pink loft insulation foam and is used to form the base of the gun. 
Isopon P38 (The easy sand stuff), used to give a solid plastic coat to the weapon.

40mm plastic pipe, used as the core to the nobbly bits
8mm threaded rod (or similar solid bar) to connect the nobbles to the rest of the gun
Bottle caps, used to plug the pastic pipe
5mm dowel, details on the nobbles

Cardboard, used for details and tubes
Brown paper (any paper will do) used for the paper mache parts

PVA Glue, used as a protective cover to stop the solvents eating the foam
Hot glue, used to stick the foam parts together

Black and White acrylic paint. Many shades of grey to be made here, one of the joys of black and white weapons. Gun Metal coloured acrylic for highlights and weathering

Comments

[fostersfriend]

but u messed up on the cascade tower its one short dis is fake aghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
just kidding im amazed you pulled it off at all this is quite the prop :)

[CaptPikel]

I was wanting to make something like one of the weapons from that movie. Can't say I was a big fan of the movie itself but the weapons were pretty cool. I want to make one that actually shoots something though. Still a while off. Very good instructable though.

[Pazzerz]

Go to spudfiles and get a good idea of how to build something that shoots.  Once you get the idea, try to incorporate it inside the shell of your 'favorite' movie/game weapon.  The site should help you speed up your project.

[fostersfriend]

im just gonna put a low power coilgun in mine

[Victor Lam]

check out this colour scheme http://gizmodo.com/5306511/meet-the-arc-gun-the-latest-discovery-in-non+human-technology

[fostersfriend]

that is the regular color scheme from the movie

[meat sack]

i like that movie

[RSV26]

me toooooo

[3VIL G3NIUS]

How comfortable is that pistol grip? It seems to have some pretty random angles in it (clearly designed for 3 digit prawn hands) but what does it feel like for a human?

[RSV26]

whatch the movie and see

[msraynsford]

weirdly comfortable. It's definitely chunky in the hand but it kinda works especially as the rest of the gun is so massive it needs 2 hands anyway

[fostersfriend]

yes im quite suprised how it feels i decide to use mdf for the handle on mine but it feels like you are holding two 2x4s its really awkyard anyway i kinda want to make the whole gun from mdf cause it would feel right but then again it would be a pain to lug

suks that that guy killed a bunch of people ate the batman movie i wanted to take my d9 gun to the movie premiere for the sequel to district 9 i need a petition to get neill bloomkamp to get off his couch and make another one

[luka1184]

I would buy more accurate newer updated version, along orker D-9 wespons. You Said you had a great time making this kind of stuff, so dont you wanna team up with me become friends and design props and replicas slap, with me ;D i have plans and ideas for D-9 stuff and we need bigger and cooler version(s) :D

[3VIL G3NIUS]

cool, looks like I may use it for a bbmg then!

[Rich_D]

Truly amazing replica! I'd like to try something similar, but need to know if XPS foam and the Isopon P38 are available in New York City, or at least what the American counterparts would be. I'm tired of getting blank stares from store clerks when I say XPS foam or Isopon P38!

[lil larry]

Wow! Nice instruable! District 9 WAS an awesome movie. Now I feel awesome doing this! 5.0*

[j44]

Great instructable!

For coating the foam (Step 7)
I tried Isopon P38 but it dissolved the foam I was using, in the end I found a no more nails type of filler/glue worked well.

[partypope]

I am in the process of making this and i find the lack of measurements... intimidating. The Measurements on the diagonal had me confused for a while, and i decided just to completely wing that part.
And i have no idea the width of the handle.

Anyhow! Besides that GREAT instructable. It looks fantastic. Hoping mine will look just as awesome!

[BkrevWlevqe]

Hey ford, how much did you get for this awesome D-9 weapon? It deserves 300$, nothing less than that!

[msraynsford]

It's very subjective, would you pay $300 for it right now? In the end it went for £30 but I guess I had fun making it and now it's happily sat in someones collection. If you wanted your own though I'd happily make you one for $300.

[BkrevWlevqe]

No thanks man, I'm a pauper :-)

[robertlim]

it looks cool, but it's not

[skidude28]

Figure out how to make the mech :D

[WhiteTigerTails]

AGREED! Though, without the painful neural connection thing...

[smallman98]

if you use pink foam board how sturdy is the gun?

[Dilong_paradoxus]

 Nice job! Can't really tell the difference between your picture and the movie picture, except yours looks a little less weathered...

(puts on christmas list).

[msraynsford]

Yeah need to brush up on my weathering techniques, I think I've got the metal stuff down but need to work on general wear and tear

[Dilong_paradoxus]

It looks cool anyways...more new...

[Notbob]

This is amazing, i love how good this looks. Any chance you will make this one?

[msraynsford]

I'm afraid there is no chance of me randomly making it on my own, but if somebody was willing to fund it I'd be more than happy to devote some of my spare time to it.

If I remember rightly, doesn't that one also have some really cool purply glow section in the front of it? Would make for a very cool prop.

[Notbob]

This one, seen here firing, had an orange effect, almost like kind of fire.

[general-Insano]

If you felt like it you could go in this direction   http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-Iron-Man-Arc-Reactor/   to create the orange glow at the muzzle of the gun and maybe if you are good at arduino you could also do an alternating flashing pattern for each led

[Notbob]

Good idea, I was thinking along the lines of frosted plastic, with orange LED's lighting it up (think like in the portal gun).

[msraynsford]

I can thoroughly recommend that instructable :)

The polymorph is pretty good for diffusing the colour of the LED's, arduino's are pretty good for beginners, but something like a PIC12 would be a lot smaller with less components and easily capable of a small job like that.

[cowscankill]

One of the best models ever. Really great use of the foam! I need to try making some more prop guns soon... but like working ones. Better ones than I have posted by like 200%.
Anyone have suggestions for me?

[JamesRPatrick]

Awesome job. I love the Instructables color scheme that the Prawns use.

[Tape-structable]

Wow! That looks just amazing!

[DainiusGB]

 Wow that is really cool! Good job!

[graphak]

 This is pure awesome!  I'm hoping people will remember district 9 next year so I can have it done in time, along with a prawn suit lol

[ItsTheHobbs]

 This is EPIC. I need to see that movie, looks pretty cool.