Tomenosuke, new amber grips.

[Ozwepaie]

[Skin-Job]

Well, my preliminary research has highlighted a few differences between the original and the Tomenosuke version.

There's the clearly rough areas where the checkering panels are poorly 'blended' into the models.

There seems to be to be some differences between the two in some contours and smooth shapes, too.

The main thing I noticed from Rich's pictures is the diamond checkering pattern itself. Both seem to have about the same sized and 'diamonds per inch' count.
Perhaps people can check me on this, but the Tomenosuke seems to have raised diamonds, pyramid shaped, with points on the top.

The pics of the original show the diamond pattern does not have these raised pyramidal points. I think they've been sanded down smooth, just leaving the lines between the diamonds, but leaving each diamond as a flat-ish shape, slightly rounded on top.

I plan to replicate this shape, rather than the sharp, peaked diamonds of the Tomenosuke grip.

Karl

[joberg]

Yes, good idea Karl; besides, the cleaning of the gun on the set + cleaning it also for the auction Don't know what they used to do so, but I don't think that those diamond points are sharp anymore.

[Skin-Job]

Joberg,

I think, from the look of the refraction and the brittle nature (the chips, etc) of the material, that the original grips were carved from solid acrylic blocks, not cast.
I know I'm not the first to suggest this.

I can't really see any cleaning means, or amount of normal wear, which would account for this degree of wear on the checkering.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and say I think the grips were carved, polished, checkered, the checkering sanded down to almost flat with the surface again, then the surface polished one last time.

The wear to the diamonds is fairly consistent over the flat panels on either side. The wear is too even to be natural, as some areas would wear more than others.

I think this a deliberate part of the 'look' of the Hero blaster prop. A design statement.


Karl

[DeckB26354]

There are some interesting points being made here, but I don't really get the clear grips idea.

Maybe I am missing something, but I think I can safely say that most of the blaster enthusiasts here aspire to having a blaster as close the original Hero as possible. I know that what I always strive for.

The Amber Grips on the Hero are nothing short of perfection. It doesn't matter how many times I return to photos of it, the grips always amaze me. Particularly for their colour. Even with the grips removed in the photos of the PIH rewire they look great. No painted on colour on the back of these. Oh no! These grips are made and coloured perfectly from scratch.

I have had several attepts at casting my own grips to this colour and have got 85, maybe 90% close, but never pulled it of and always got shrinkage.

Anyone who can create a set of grips that are REALLY close to the Hero in shape, pattern AND colour will most certainly have the business and unconditional admiration of many members here. Myself included.

[joberg]

More to choose from that's what I call variety

1. Amber grips à la Tome (deep mahogany colour).
2. Amber/orange grips: Coyle, Sidkit, PDK, DaveG.
3. Yellow grips: Tome kit, Off-World, closer to hero gun.
4. Clear grips: Proof gun (lots of chrome parts on that one).

Did I forget something?

[Skin-Job]

So, got my kit this morning.

Impressive, to say the least. Lovely work on the metal.

The grips are more rough than I expected, with there only being a token 'blending' of the checkering into the grip body in many places. I was a little surprised it was quite so hit and miss.

Now I have my grips in hand, I can speak as to the colour first hand. They are in fact, Piss Yellow.



I spent the better part of a couple of hours methodically testing the grip colour against many, many background colours, and with the full range of lighting available to me.
I'm a photographer among other things, so I have various lighting options.

The piss yellow grips contain a little orange, but no red or brown pigments that I can detect. They are pretty much a single shade of deep yellow.
Not Amber, yellow.

I tried every combination of lighting and background, and was unable to make them appear anything other than yellow.

IN MY OPINION, they are incorrect for how I'd like my blaster to look. I'm going to make my own.



Karl

[Skin-Job]

Anyway,

So I got the Tomenosuke grips and measured the diamonds per inch. I can see what Spinner 44 means.

if you measure from the top of the points of the diamonds, in a straight line down through to the next one and so on, they measure about 6 to the inch.
Because the diamonds are staggered, you don't hit each one in the staggered line.

So I can see where Spinner 44 is coming from.

I think this is a sensible way to measure them. Measuring only whole diamonds from top to bottom.


Karl

[DaveG]

[DaveG]

So a good buddy of mine, who hangs out on these boards but prefers to remain in the murky shadows, tried an experiment to dye the grips last night. He noticed that the San Marzano Versuvius Tomato Sauce "stained the crap" out of his silcone sink protetors and figured "what the heck, it's worth a try"! So plop, the grips go into the pasta sauce for a good soak. A little while later he fished them out, rinsed them of and VIOLA! ... nothing. Still Piss Yellow. But he said they smelled a bit like garlic!

I do think a bit of beer was involved too. Hmmmm, Amber Lager... i wonder...
_________________
Dave

"I just want to say people... Get A Life! Move out of your parent's basement! It's just a movie!"

[phase pistol]

Oh stop, you're making me hungry.

[Skin-Job]

Time to diet!







Karl

[joberg]

Oz reminds me of my Sarge in the Army ...anyway, back to grips and the colours that'll be produced by a few people around here.

Proper: looking forward to see what'll transpire of those experiments you'll perform real soon

DaveG: the tomato juice works only if the grip would've been dipped in acetone first ...and yes, sorry, I forgot about the exotic wooden grips you've produced already.

Wew, that beer sounds about right...right now for me folks

[phase pistol]

[andy]

LOL...now that would make a good T-Shirt.

Andy

[joberg]

Only for the people in the know

[Ozwepaie]

Andy, I had intended to reply to your post. But it would seem a few
UN-necessary posts have been removed.
In short, you're absolutely right & I should not have let myself be provoked
to that point.
I was just at my whits end w/ trying to clarify the benine intentions of my
opinions. And have it fall on def ears.
I will respect your (legitimate) request. I truly don't care for negative
interaction. But also don't take kindly to being intentionally provoked.

That said. See what you guys make of this?

_________________
Que la Force soit avec toi

[spinner 44]

[DaveG]

Oz,

sorry, i couldn't really see what you were talking about with the colors, I was too distracted by that display stand!


_________________
Dave

"I just want to say people... Get A Life! Move out of your parent's basement! It's just a movie!"

[joberg]

Webster's:

Amber: 1) a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin that takes a fine polish and is used chiefly in making ornamental objects (as beads).

2) a variable colour averaging a dark orange yellow

*the underlining is mine for the emphasis.
So lots of possibilities and colours from the same product!
And thanks Oz for the pics and showing the different coloured grips taken with the same lighting