I was searching online for instructions on these but I couldn’t find any that was relatively easy to do or was not an actual working popgun. Thus, I decided to do a tutorial here since some others asked me how to do this. If you’re interested in making cosplay props, read on.
What you need:
- Styrofoam ball
- Styrofoam cylinder
- Cheap cowboy gun
- A4 corksheet
- UHU glue (or super glue)
- Wall putty
- Fine sandpaper
- Pen knife
- Screwdriver
- Coping saw (or any hand saw)
- Pencil
- Black spray (best if you get the shiny one)
Woosh, what a timelapse huh? Well the instruction is pretty simple.
Cut the cylinder to how big you want the gun to be. Cut HALF of the ball and make sure it does fit the circumference of the cylinder. I used a pen knife for both of these.
After cutting the foam, cut off the nozzle of the toy gun. I used a coping saw for that since it was easier than breaking it. I got that toy gun for around $2.70 so just get a cheap one.
I used a screwdriver to open it up so I could get the trigger that cocks the gun. The little piece at the top of it. Keep it for now and screw the toy gun together.
Okay, as you can see in the picture, dig a hole carefully into both the Styrofoam pieces so you can shove the toy gun in there. Keep on digging out the foam bits until it can settle into it comfortably. Remember the end trigger cocking thing? Make a tiny hole at the end of the hall ball and stick it in.
Use your pencil to mark where the grooves and everything are to go. Carve them out with your pen knife carefully. TADA, you’re basically half way through and probably covered with foam bits.
To get it to this state, cover your foam part of the gun with wall putty. I’m partial to putty since it covers and sticks. Layer it a few times and don’t rush. Let it dry. After getting quite a bit of layers, use sandpaper to refine it. Once done, spray it with your black spray paint! Get the shiny one not the matte. Also, if you don’t cover your foam with proper spray, it might dissolve.
Ignore that sentence if you’re using PAINT instead.
Don’t forget to glue the end piece into the foam. I used UHU glue or rather, any super glue could work too. For the “cork”, draw a circle smaller than the circumference of your gun’s nozzle.
A sheet of A4 cork sheet should be enough so just draw a few circles and glue it on top of each other. You just need a centimeter or so in thickness to fake it as if you’ve got a real cork bullet in it.
Glue the corksheet to the gun with your UHU or super glue and let it dry.
And that’s all there is to it! Give it to Harley Quinn and you’ll be all set.
This looks so cool, I am going to have to make one to sell with my Harley Quinn Costumes.
Looks like you did not search hard enough.
Check out this guy’s “Harley Quinn Pop Gun”
http://www.chickslovethecar.com/board/Topic63312-16-3.aspx
Hahaha I DID see this! But I couldn’t make it. For one reason, the materials aren’t available here. Secondly, I wanted something safe, it’s actually no legal here to make one like that since we have really strict rules. Thirdly, I wanted something simple for cosplayers to make!
Nonetheless, THAT one is so very cool.
Hi, I’m also making a Harley costume and I found your site really useful 🙂
I just wanted to leave a link to a video that cosplayers may find useful too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIrNG-KEc8Y The materials are way more expensive than the ones used here, but the result seems much more durable.
I would be interested in making a Harley popgun that actually fires the cork. If anyone knows about that, please post it here 🙂
Hey Tsuki! If you checked the comment above, the link from one of the commenters DID have a working one instead for firing.
Hi I wanted to know were you bought the cylinder Styrofoam cause i have been to all kinds of craft stores and no one has it.
Hi, I’m in Singapore so I’m not sure where you are. We have a shop called Art Friend here that stocks up styrofoam cylinders. If you can’t find styrofoam cylinders, you probably can make do with other cylinders, just that you have to do more work with the “barrel” for the bullets by using card or something. It’s possible to make this out of card and then reinforce it with harder materials.
I also make a very simply working popgun for a much cheaper price. Mines also safe cause the base is from a toy gun a well 🙂
There’s pictures on my deviantart profile (eccentricass). 🙂
Hi there! I was wondering where you found the foam cylinder?
Apologies for that last post! I clearly didn’t read the existing posts hard enough lol
No worries!
Is wall putty also known as wall spackling? If not, how is wall putty sold (tub, tabs, tube)? How much wall putty does this project call for?
Hey Elizabeth, it might be called that where you are. And not sure I got a small tub but I didn’t finish it all. Just a bit for smoothing.