NegativeEleven Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 -Edit- Instead of starting a new thread, I'm going to post here about my mods to this recast Kenner. To anyone new here, this started with me being worried that it had taken so long to get the blaster after paying for it on eBay. After you get past the few posts about that, you'll see that I got it (post #13) and started working on making it more like the screen used blaster (still bigger) and making a mold of it. -Original Post- Anyone ordered 5xxicemanxx5's Kenner recast blaster? I thought $35 and free shipping seemed too good to be true. It says it ships from Florida, but I'm in South Carolina, and 2 weeks after paying, I still haven't received it. I see he's already got a new one listed as $40 with free shipping. He also offers to paint and assemble it for a fee. Things like that, to me, imply he's at least a valid seller, and someone who's regularly shipping products. By that, I mean it don't sound like someone who had a kit lying around and didn't get around to building it, then decided to sell it because they need money (who may take their time shipping it and not care about feedback scores or repeat business). I had been working on my own sculpt because the $70-$150 versions I've seen for sale are a little out of my price range and I have a lot of free time. After finishing the scope, I was about to start on the pistol itself when I came across this. Figured I could save myself some time. I plan to modify this (trigger, etc) and combine with the scope I've built (got accurate mounting ring), then recast as a budget alternative. Hope it shows up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Never heard of the chap, but then I wouldn't consider looking at a Kenner blaster... Much too big. But that said... Send him an email, and open a dispute through ebay. Not to be an arse, but purely to cover yours. If he's genuine, he'll bend over backwards to get it sorted. If he's not, you need to be in there before your time limit expires to do anything about it. Safety first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chex Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 What Chef said. But a recast of an old Kenner blaster? Should have saved some money and bought a nice one instead. The Kenner size is not Lancer approved, if that is ever your goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ya, recast of a Kenner is no bueno IMO. Plus, not accurate, or even close to the mark. But I understand your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 The "estimated delivery" window on ebay is thru tomorrow. I messaged him last week, got a reply last friday that said "it has shipped." I messaged him earlier today and haven't gotten a reply. I feel like it's probably coming from China or South America and he just registered his account from Florida to make it look more appealing. I've seen a repainted kenner and a pro-sculpt side by side. I know the Kenner is a little big. It's still accepted for 501st, right? Like I said, it's a better starting point than a block of lexan, a 2x4 and some sintra. That's where I am right now. And I believe the scope I've sculpted from a partial cast of the Hasbro Rebel Blaster is the correct size, so that'll be good reference for modifying the Kenner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Just noticed an email I'd missed earlier. My item was "marked as shipped" at 11am on Jan 30. I paid on Jan 19. Estimated delivery is Jan 25-31. I'm hoping this was just an oversight. If I haven't heard back from him by end of day Jan 31, I'll be threatening him with feedback or ebay's dispute resolution. I'll be sure to post here either way. I hate how hard it is to get info on suppliers like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I went and checked out his auctions. I don't think he's a bulk reseller, but definitely one to watch. Keep us posted. Also, I have seen some cool mods to the Kenner blaster which make it look better. Just make sure to lop off that ugly trigger when you get it. Hold-out Blaster For 501st approval: - Flat black, semi-gloss or slightly weathered. - The pistol should not have any visible trigger, labels or logos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Still no sign of it. How weird is it that he's selling that cast part off the front of the Aliens motion tracker? I had to look it up to see where that part is. That's such a minor piece and completely useless without the rest of it. Is he building one himself and casting each part as he finishes it to pay for the rest? I definitely think the blaster itself could work for me. I think my scope is gonna look better on it though, possibly with the accurate scope ring I have here. There's a lot of detail on the Kenner scope that I don't see on a lot of the blasters, like the raised spot where the ROTJ sticker was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 There is no telling what type of seller and/or recaster we have here. We'll all keep an eye on your dealing with him. Thanks for pointing out the situation and keep us all posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 Damn, my mom was in town all day. She actually sat down at the sewing machine with me to help out with my cummerbund fit and some adjustments to my Fett. Unfortunately, we spent most of the afternoon out of the house. I have a tag in my mailbox saying I need to sign for a delivery. I work til 2am, but I'm gonna try to get up and make it to the post office before noon tomorrow and hope it's my blaster. That would make sense. If eBay reported it was shipped Wed, and it's coming from Florida to South Carolina, it should only take 2 days. I still don't understand why he told me it had already shipped last friday, or why he even would have waited that long since that was already a week after I'd paid for it. Hope to post some pictures tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elwyn5150 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 If eBay reported it was shipped Wed, and it's coming from Florida to South Carolina, it should only take 2 days. I still don't understand why he told me it had already shipped last friday, or why he even would have waited that long since that was already a week after I'd paid for it. I've never sold anything on eBay but I assume that the seller's control panel would have a button/link to click that indicates when they say they shipped it and that unless there is an associated tracking number, it's not actual proof that it has been shipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerKraken Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Depends how it was sent. Only UPS and Fedex are 2 days ship from SC. If sent post office it can take longer as the post office is also random with their delivery times. And as said above, the shipped info in ebay doesn't mean it actually shipped, a person has to press that button but it might not go till the next day or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Here it is. The picture on the auction said "I can also assemble and paint, just ask" so I assumed I'd be getting the 2 white resin pieces. Maybe that's why it took him a week and a half to ship it. It's impressive. It's solid, heavy, and I don't see any bubbles. There's scuffs from sanding in a few places. I don't like the screws (or the casting of the screw in the handle). I have the accurate scope ring here and a resin scope that I made with less of details. I really wish it wasn't assembled already, but it looks like just 3 screws to take it apart. I do recommend it if you want a Kenner blaster and don't want to pay over $80 for one. I believe he now has one for sale on ebay (username: 5xxicemanxx5) for $40 with free shipping. He did ship it from Orlando, FL. I guess the week and a half between when I paid and when he shipped it (the USPS sticker says it was shipped Jan 30) was time spent assembling, sanding and painting. I guess if you don't want that done, you should message him when you pay. I'm going to remove the trigger, some of the details (like the raised area for ROTJ decal), put scope ring on it (possibly build a rail so scope ring is removable) with either my scope or this one modified, and make a mold in a week or so. I hope to pull at least 2 for the other guys here in town building scouts so they don't have to do the exact same modifications as me. If it turns out ok (I'm still not great at 2-part molds), I might put some up for sale with the disclaimer that there are definitely better options available in the trade forum here. Mine will have some bubbles though. I don't personally have an ethical issue with recasting this since it is not an original sculpt, but a recast itself of a commercial product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 2, 2013 Author Share Posted February 2, 2013 Ok, took a few minutes to get over the excitement of holding a new toy I'd been waiting 2 weeks for. Now, I can look at it more closely. Here's some detailed pictures of the flaws. There's nothing that is visible from more than 2 feet away, and I still recommend buying one if you can be patient with his shipping and you are aware that it's the Kenner blaster and not 100% accurate. A wonky seam line from a 2-part mold Could have been chipped, or it could be bubble/air pocket from the mold here behind the barrel tip. Some weird roughness near the hand guard, possibly from clay or filler he used making the mold. And my favorite part, you can tell he didn't remove the sticker before making the mold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverBoyd Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I've never seen the Kenner in person. Only pics. I always wanted this toy as a child. Looks like it has alot of details on it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerKraken Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Was my first sw toy actually and why I wanted to make biker my first sw costume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjsavage7 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I've never seen the Kenner in person. Only pics. I always wanted this toy as a child. Looks like it has alot of details on it though The funny thing about them, is they have TOO much detail. The real props were a really good bit more plain. I'm know I'm probably not suppossed to put this here, but I just saw this http://www.ebay.com/...=item2ec5be637c which proves that if you really want a Kenner blaster, you can still find them for fairly cheap. I don't recommend them to use with the scout costume. As said above, much better ones exist, but they are still kinda neat to have around for nostalgia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 Wow... that sold for $11? I've watched a few of them since I started the scout build in December. They always start at $4-$5, but shoot up to $80 or more by the end. That's why I thought $35 for this cast was a good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerKraken Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Title of the auction probably made it harder for people to find. Calling it a stormtrooper blaster like that would make it appear in a huge list of searches mixed in with action figure and lego blaster parts. Most auctions for it would put Kenner and scout blaster type of info in the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I'm actually going to buy one of these kits.they look good for $40 so y not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 He's been much more chatty since I told him I got it, said I understood it taking longer (but I didn't need it assembled), left feedback and mentioned I reviewed it here. He tried to recommend armor and helmet makers if I planned to go 501st. Of course, I already have that info, but it was nice to get some communication after 2 weeks of single sentences about it being shipped, when it clearly hadn't been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 He's been much more chatty since I told him I got it, said I understood it taking longer (but I didn't need it assembled), left feedback and mentioned I reviewed it here. He tried to recommend armor and helmet makers if I planned to go 501st. Of course, I already have that info, but it was nice to get some communication after 2 weeks of single sentences about it being shipped, when it clearly hadn't been. I'm curious...what did he recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 He said he "could recommend someone" if I was looking for helmet and armor. I said I didn't need him to, I've ordered a helmet and picked out an armor seller to order from next month. He also told me to check out The Dented Helmet if I was interested in Fett... been a member there for 3 years with the same username as my ebay account. Nice of him to keep a dialog going though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin-X Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Well, that was nice then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NegativeEleven Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Started sanding... It's kinda weird how many colors I'm finding. The ebay description and picture made me think it'd be all white resin. I'm also finding some gray (probably a primer coat as he sanded it and painted it black before shipping), light blue and dark blue. The pink and red are bondo, filling in the original screw hole and a few chips from the Dremel. I'm looking at this dark blue and thinking how hilarious it would be if he just coated a Kenner blaster with resin and resold it, not knowing that the originals go for more than double what I bought this replica for. I know that's not what happened (sanded down half an inch on the grip detail and a lot of the scope mount had to be carved away), but still think it'd be funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.