(2018 – perpetuity )

I have formed a fascination for film props after watching Adam Savages Tested on YouTube for years. After so many videos geeking out over existing ones and learning how to make replicas, I wanted to try it out myself and start making a few of my own designs.

The ray gun is specifically inspired by Ryan Nagata. He has made a beautiful collection of similar colourful ray guns.

I started the first sketch in 2018, iterated on 3D Models in 2019 and started printing in 2020. This project was the first thing I started working on with my then newly acquired 3D printer. I printed all parts I had designed until then and put the project aside to focus on school. In the meantime, I have been adding small things to it whenever I can.

Since the first version in 2018, I found out how much I have learned in the meantime. Back then did not know how to design for a specific manufacturing process like 3D printing. But now, I know how to ride the edge between thickness and strength and to use the correct tolerances for a loose or tight fitting. With the addition of a resin 3D printer, I have even been able to get in much more detail that I couldn’t have dreamed of before.

With all this new knowledge and ideas, I set out to redesign and add many parts in 2023. Which might be up for redesign again whenever I get the time to do it. At that moment I will resume the 3D printing and add mechanics I have been planning. So hopefully it will finally be a tangible prop made “functional” by adding sounds, lights movements and more.

All in all, this project represents a big part of my learning curve. It might be finished sometime or it might turn into another ship of Theseus and might endlessly be upgraded every time I learn new things. Let’s just find out where the ship takes us.