Introduction: How to Build a Darkwing Duck Gas Gun
"Daring duck of mystery, Champion of right; Swoops out of the shadows; Darkwing owns the night... Somewhere some villain schemes, But his number's up!.. DAAAARKWING DUCK!".. This cartoon was awesome back in the day. It was pretty much a combo of both Batman and Ducktales. Anyways, i was commissioned to create the Darkwing Duck Gas gun for her Darkwing Duck Cosplay. Always happy to take on a challenge. Let's get started!
Materials
- cardboard
- PVC pipe (2 sizes, 1 thicker size for the barrel, and 1 thinner for the scope)
-EVA foam
-Hot Glue
-exacto knife and cutting mat
- Paper and Pencil
-Comic Cardboard/ poster board
-Plastic cup (dollar store)
-Modge Podge
-Primer, Paint, Sealer
-bottle cap
Step 1: Reference Pictures
Before any build, I search the internet for different renditions of the character or object i am trying to make. I look at video games, cartoons, comics, action figures, artist drawings to see what is currently out there.
I was fortunate enough to find cartoon stills, artist drawings, and even a 3d model for it.
Step 2: Drawing
1. You will need to draw a 1:1 scale front profile of the gun. I think i had a toy handgun laying around that i used for sizing. I drew the basic shape of the gun. Do you best to get it as accurate as possible during this time. (pic 1)
2. I wanted to spruce the gun up a little bit so i added a few minor details. Things like different panels, rings, grooves, etc can really help the object pop. After all, it's going to be the small details that separate your stuff from the others. (pic 2)
Step 3: Building Your Gun
From your picture, you need to first think about it like a sandwich, working from inside to out. I knew that the barrel of the gun was going to be in the inside.
1. Using your paper template, You will need to measure the length of the thicker PVC pipe to use as the barrel. Remember you will want it a little longer so that it can be glued into the body of the gun (maybe 1/2 an inch. You will also want the other side of the PVC pipe to extend maybe 1/4 of an inch towards the muzzle of the gun. This will insert into the cup.
2. Once you have the PVC pip measured, you will want to use your paper template of the handgun to draw and cut out two side pieces (Body and handle of the gun) from cardboard. Think that you are making a sandwich of Cardboard-PVC- Cardboard. Glue the PVC inside the two pieces of cardboard. If you feel the need, you can glue a few scrap pieces of cardboard inside the body to give it some rigidity. (pic 1 is from another build, but same premise)
3. Now, time to glue in all the edges to close the body of the gun (Pic 2 is from another build, but same premise)
4. Once you have your main build done, You can start adding all your details. For example, you can add extra raised panels by gluing on another layer of cardboard. You can also add things like your trigger at this time.
5. Once the body is fully assembled, you can glue on your your comic cardboard to give it a nice clean look.
6. For the gun handle, I added an extra layer of cardboard to give it more of a plating look. I took hot glue and glued along the edge of the plate to make a nice transition and used the glue glue tip, an exacto knife to get the glue as smooth and fairly even as possible. I also used scraps of cardboard paper like sandpaper, rubbing it against the hot glue to smooth it out.
7. For the scope, I used my thinner PVC pipe and cut a small rectangle from the bottom so i could insert a small piece of cardboard in there to attach to the main body of the gun. I used a hole punch on some craft foam to get some "screws" to glue on.
8. For the 3 rings around the barrel, I cut "O's" from EVA foam, slipped them onto the barrel, and glued them in place.
9. I cup a plastic cup, cut a hole from the bottom, and glued it to the end of the barrel.
10. I also used EVA foam "O's" to slip around the lip of the cup and on either side of the scope. You can also add the front sight from EVA foam or cardboard.
11. Lastly, i took a plastic cap and glued it to the butt of the gun. I believe my cap was from a milk container.
Step 4: Prep and Painting
1. You can take some modge lodge and paint the entire gun, especially those EVA foam rings. If you don't, the foam will likely absorb your paint and now allow it to be as vibrant.
2. I then primered the entire gun with a black primer.
3. I used acrylic paint to paint in the barrel and the little connector between the scope and body and trigger.
4. Once completely dry, i sprayed it with a clear coat. If you use gloss, it will be shiny. If you use a matte, it will just look as is.
That should be it! IF you wanted to, you could probably make a prop grappling hook that could be inserted into the gun. Remember, the barrel is a PVC pipe, so it's hollow on the inside. you could probably use a dowel rod or even a skinnier PVC pipe if you wanted for that.
Anyways, happy crime fighting duck crusaders! For more Geeky goodness and current art projects, please find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.
