Modifying Nerf guns and turning them into steampunk and video game weapons was all the rage for a while, but I haven’t seen as many mods lately. Instructables user Darthorso proved they can still be awesome by using a Nerf Barricade to craft a Vladof-style weapon from Borderlands 2. His materials list includes the gun (it’s around $36), sand paper, masking tape, black matte spray paint, primer spray, and a few more basics. He started by carefully disassembling the Barricade and protecting the insides with masking tape so sanding grit wouldn’t ruin the motorized components inside the Nerf toy. He explains why sanding the plastic surface is important:
Sanding is very important to obtain a great result, because it will create a new, rough surface for our spray paint.
If we avoid sanding, new paint will easely come off because of the glossy surface of the original plastic.
DON’T SPRAY PAINT DIRECTLY ON THE GUN WITHOUT SANDING IT FIRST.
Start with your 80 grit sand paper to erase logos and text.
See Image 1 and Image 2 for a before-after comparison of the N-Strike logo.
Then, take your 240-250 grit sand paper (or even a lighter one) and scrub it all over the pieces (Image 3).
Try to sand well even little and hidden parts (like bolts and handle near the trigger).
The better you sand, the better your spray paint will result!
Now gather all the parts (Image 4), and with a wet tissue remove dust and little grains of the sanding job.
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