Picked Up A Collection Of Ray Guns!

[dratomic]

Very nice, Don. I do like that second one, and I'm very curious as to its background. I've only seen Nagata's, and he doesn't seem to have any info on it, either.

[Rocket]

Sorry it's been a while folks... after seeing Dr. Atomic's new rifle, I thought I'd post a rifle from the collection I got in... it's very scarce, and quite large! The goal is to spin the saucer off the gun, then hit it with the dart... sort of like your own skeet gun with self propelling skeet, uh, I mean alien saucer! It's a huge gun at almost 20" and evokes the Mysterians in its shape... killer original box with instructions as well! Made by obscure Stalco Products, Norwalk, Ca.

Besides the ray gun collection, I've been much less focused on robots lately, and much more focused on my newest passion, 1930s early plastic (catalin) art deco tube radios! The candy colors make me crazy! I've attached a photo for your viewing enjoyment! Check out the marbling (swirls) in the green one! Catalin, one of the earliest cast phenolic resins, is translucent, and if you shine a light inside, it glows right through... unfortunately, photos don't do them justice, in person they have incredible depth, and color. These little babies rival robots in price... just for reference, the cheapest is about $800 and the most expensive (in my collection anyway) is $12,000. But they can climb to $30K & $40K. Back in the late 1930s, a radio with wood or metal cabinet sold for about $5.95, but a catalin set was $17.95! Because they were expensive in their day, and the plastic shrinks and cracks over the years, (not to mention fading because there was no U.V. inhibitors back then), they are incredibly scarce today.

I'm sure I'll get fired up about robots again... probably when I can't afford to buy radios anymore! But for now, I'm playing my radios!

Rocket -[O_O]-

[laserman]

I know, I know this is slightly off topic. I don't buy ray guns, I make my own. Here is my latest "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" laser pistol I wanted to share.

[Phil R]

Rocket, that rifle gun is amazing as well as the box. I've always had an admiration for the radios for the same reason, color and design. There are several dealers in my area who sell these. I also like the juke boxes with the plastic and moving liquid. A friend of my cousin collects the juke boxes.

Laserman, what can I say, the ray gun is amazing. Tell us more . Can I assume you mean it was made from scratch? How did you make it and why Voyage......? :o

[laserman]

Hi Phil. Yes the Voyage pistol is from Scratch. Grandpa helped by laser cutting some of the clear discs. I resin cast and vaccuum formed all the other parts. The gun also has working "laser' lights.

I've now made all three laser rifles from "Lost in Space" plus several other ray guns from TV shows. The "Voyage to the bottom of the Sea" laser pistol was one of those props from the show (besides the flying sub) that I liked and wanted to have. I've also made these various props for others. Its this activity that keeps me from tinkering and making garage robots, which I have plans to do. My brother wants me to make him the exotic looking thermal laser cutting tool from "Land of the Giants" which I'm researching.

Here is a screenshot of the Voyage laser on the show.

[dratomic]

Nice rifle, Rocket. Very funky Sixties design -- and the action looks like a lot of fun. Though if I were a little kid, I'd still probably just shoot the darts at my little sister or something.

Laserman -- that's amazing. Great job! I'd love to see more of your creations. You should start a thread -- it'd be great to have them all in one place.

[Phil R]

Laserman, After I mentioned Voyage.... for the raygun, I had an inkling in the back of my mind that it was in an episode. I used to watch the show. It got kind of way out there at the end! Looking forward to seeing the others and availability for purchase, hint...hint...? :rolleyes:

[Robotnut]

Rocket, I just had to chime in about the vintage radios...

Back in my teens and twenties, I had about a 100 vintage

radios. In the 70's, I used to pickup tube radios at garage

sales for a buck or two. Since I was the radio "whiz kid"

in the neighbourhood, people used to give me old radios

all the time. It was a lot of fun to restore and play them.

By the time I was twenty, I needed money to buy a car,

so all the radios went. I also had a complete test bench

of vintage tube powered signal generator, vacuum tube

voltmeter and ocilloscope to do the repairs. Recently

my 82 year old great aunt gave me a mint 1946 Zenith

Consoltone that she bought new. Although not a rare

radio, it has a beautiful brown bakelite case and full

rich sound. Lately I've gotten back into the radio game.

I've been buying and restoring vintage shortwave

radios from the 50's and 60's. Here's a 60's Zenith

Trans-Oceanic that I recently restored. These radios

were hand made in Chicago, no circuit boards. Intended

to be PORTABLE it weighs in at about 20lbs with 9 D-cells... :o

40 years ago these radios cost about $300 !

Sorry about the off topic, but Rocket you started it.

As for your Catalin sets, they are absolutely gorgeous.

Back in the day I had a few Catalin sets, but they

were not in the condition of yours...

P.S. Maybe someone could post some of their Robot

Radios here, just to keep the thread on topic... :P

[laserman]

Thanks for the complements about my laser gun.

I'll probably start a new thread in the collections area showing my laser gun creations along with my robots and 12" astronauts soon.

Phil R., I did make a few extra of the VTTBOTS laser pistols. When you have to make rubber resin cast molds, and turn aluminum parts to use as vacuum form (Clear emitter cone) molds, there is little point in making just one.

Ah heck, Since I'm posting here anyway, here is a quick shot of two of the three LIS rifle designs I've made.

[dratomic]

Laserman -- POST THE REST OF YOUR PICS! These are AWESOME. I definitely want to see more.

I look forward to seeing your page in the collector's section. No get on it already! ;)

[Eastend]

Rocket: Cool radios! Not my current passion, (recently, it is particular vntage Japanese books, of all things) but I certainly can understand the attraction!