Repo! the Genetic Opera Zydrate Gun

This instructable will demonstrate how to make a prop quality zydrate gun. Just like the one that the graverobber uses in the movie Repo! the genetic opera. I made this one as part of a halloween costume. Total time from start to finish should take about an hour. Well I'm ready if you are lets begin.



side note: I purposely took the first photo in the dark so that the glowing "zydrate" could be easily seen

Step 1: The Base of the Gun

to make the zydrate gun you are going to need a detail spray gun, available at Harbor Freight.
here is the link to show where to purchase said gun

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92126

they are available for $10.00

Step 2: Disassembling the Gun

this part is pretty self explanatory. the gun has silver fittings on the back and bottom..using an adjustable wrench, remove all the fittings..remove the tank from the gun..remove the tip. and pop the pin away from the top of the trigger assembly to remove the trigger. and don't forget to slide out the needle from inside the gun. at this point your gun should be pretty bare bones.

Step 3: Strip Off the Purple Anodizing

next up your are going to need to take a rotary tool (dremel or similar) mine happens to be a black and decker. attach a wire brush, make sure to use a steel wire brush (the brass one isn't abrasive enough). Now put on some safety glasses and go to town removing the purple anodizing from the gun body. Really make sure to wear safety glasses, little wires fly off the rotary brush and you don't want one to stick into your cornea.

Step 4: Removing Finger Prints and Residue

take rubbing alcohol and wipe down the gun body to get rid of finger prints and any dust and residue from the last step.

Step 5: Lets Start Modifying

when you removed the sprayer nozzle from the front of the gun, underneath there is another nozzle which u also removed. now this small nozzel has a small pin hole in it we need to drill that hole out just large enough to accomidate the needle from the internal workings of the gun.

Step 6: Break Down the Needle

Oh and just for the record here, I am completely aware that the actually zydrate gun in REPO! does not actually have a needle on the front. I added it to make the device look more menacing. so if you are going for movie accurate, then don't add the needle. its a matter of personal preference.


so back to the gun.
the needle assembly has a little Philips screw on the back, remove that and the needle will break down into three pieces. like in the first picture.

now the nozzle flip it so that you are looking inside of it with the threads facing you and the needle snugly in place, and fill up the inside of the sprayer with hot glue to hold the needle captive in place.

Step 7: Making the Trigger Assembly

now take the aluminum piece that was attached to the back of the needle, and put the little screw back in place. next slide it back into the gun followed by the large spring and the rear fitting that has the adjuster. as in the first photo

make sure the adjustable knob on the fitting is turned all the way out.

it should like the photo once assembled.

Step 8: Adding a Stopper to the Trigger

a took a small pop rivet and slid the post part into the rod that we inserted in the last stop, this will keep the trigger from jiggling around and making noise. there is no need to glue this piece in, as the trigger and the spring tension will hold it in place.

Step 9: Re-installing the Trigger

slip the trigger back into place, the slit in the trigger should straddle the pop rivet. at this point put the pin back into the hinge of the trigger and re attach the small retaining clip that hold the trigger in place.

Step 10: Attaching the Needle....buah Haha

take your needle assembly and screw it back into the threaded part from whence it came..use a small wrench on the flats of the piece to tighten it up.

Step 11: Rear Fitting

take the other piece that has the long rod coming out of it and pop off the little retaining clip..slide off the spring and unscrew the piece with the rod out of the threaded fitting.

discard the rod piece but save the little threaded bit

sit these aside for now.

Step 12: Plugging Up the Holes

you will notice that on the side of the gun near the needle is a gaping hole...I took a large pop rivet and cut the post short then filled the hole on the gun with hot glue and set the rivet in place

you can go ahead and reattach the threaded silver ring back onto the area below the needle assembly at this point.

Step 13: Plugging Up Round Two

you will also notice on the bottom of the gun there are two holes..the one towards the front can have the piece with the adjustable knob re installed... as for the back i took a bolt, cut it short filled the hole with hot glue and place the bolt in, gave it a more finished look.

Step 14: Finishing Up the Needle

the thing in my hand in the first photo is a spoke nipple for a bicycle wheel...

put a dot of super glue inside of this and slide it all the way down the needle gives it a finished look and the appearance that it is the head of the needle.

Step 15: Add the Last Fitting

that little fitting that i told you to sit aside, go ahead and place that in the open fitting on the top back of the gun.

Step 16: The Little Glass Vile (little Glass Vile)

i went and hunted around the store trying to find a cool bottle to use as the glass vile, i ended up going with a bottle of anbesol which is a medicine for toothache pain...simply remove the label and clean out the bottle..

then i scored the top of the lid and super glued a rare earth magnet to the top.

Step 17: Almost Done

i found a small flat headed screw that fit into the last fitting attached to the gun the one on the top back, thread this into that fitting and then glue a rare earth magnet to it. with super glue.

Step 18: Get the Glow

get yourself a blue glowstick, snap that baby and give it a shake so that it illuminates..now very gently slice off the top and pour the contents into the glass bottle.. discard the empty glow stick and tightly cap the glass bottle.

Step 19: Done at Last

now just attach the magnet on your bottle to the magnet on the gun and thats it....go find amber sweet and give her, her fix.

and when the gun loses its glow in about 6 hours, dump the liquid and refill with another glow stick.


thanks for reading feel free to leave any comments or questions.