I needed a break from the digital world and decided to create a custom loosely based on the guns from the PlanetSide Universe. I started with a Nerf Longstrike along with a few additional pieces scavenged from other Nerf guns and some other parts.

I painted over it in photoshop to work out a concept. Ultimately I decided to go with a Nanite Systems paint scheme instead of the Terran Republic version I painted here.

The plan was to repaint the gun, add some LEDs and mount a laser diode in the sight. I didn’t have the time for the laser, but the LEDs added a really nice visual touch.

I took the gun a part and created detailed schematics of where all the screws and parts went. There was over 50 screws, and at the end I only lost 1.

I sanded and prepped all pieces by washing them in a soapy mixture to remove the mold release and then sanded all the logos off the gun. I added a base coat of Krylon Fusion paint. This gave it a smooth surface to work on. Always wear eye protection and a respiration to avoid breathing in paint.

I laid down a few coats and let the paint dry over night. I then brought everything inside to begin detailing. I used Games Workshop Citadel paints to detail the gun. Chaos Black, Bolt Gun Metal, Mithril Silver, Tin Blitz, and Codex Grey got the job done.

I also used a special paint meant to heat seal BBQ’s which creates great tooth. When you dry brush those areas it creates a very convincing worn metal look.

I drilled some holes in the body and installed the LEDs which Roy helped me with again. I also bought some dowels and cut them to the same size as bullets and filled up the clips to give the gun some weight. Here are the final pictures!