bioshock: the ADAM syringe.

rapture failed, we will not.

so, i have realized, that i have an obsession with bioshock. it is definitely, my favourite game. both the first and second bioshock, and i am sure i will be able to add bioshock infinite to the list, as well (which comes out in february of 2010). since, bioshock is my favourite game, and halloween is near, i decided i would dress as a little sister.

after deciding to be a little sister, i thought the internet would be the best place to search for a costume, because i am almost positive that no stores, in the city of which i reside, would have them; in fact, i know they wouldn't. in my search, i found nothing for sale. the costume itself, i knew would not be hard for me to make, for it is a just a dress. i just found some concept art to copy. that was not what i was worried about, what i was worried about was making the ADAM syringe that the little sister carries around to draw ADAM from dead bodies lying around rapture

i noticed many searches for people trying to figure out how to make an ADAM syringe, but hardly any answers. one person, however, did make a blog about the syringe that they made, and it was fucking awesome. but they very vaguely described how they made it, so i just went by the pictures that were posted on their blog. anyways, what i am trying to get at is how to make an ADAM syringe.

oh, by the way, the total cost of buying everthing to make my syringe was about $56 dollars.

here is a list of things you will need: a vintage gas nozzle, a glass jar, a long knitting needle, bronze spray paint, red ink, clay, bronze and black paint, paint brush, sponge brush (you could probably just use a regular sponge), hot glue gun, water, super glue, a small LED light of some kind, and epoxy glue.

first off, i am sure you are wonder, where the hell did you get a gas nozzle? and a vintage one, at that! well, there is a lovely thing known as ebay. just type gas nozzle in the search bar, and BAM, you have now found gas nozzles. now, most of the gas nozzles you will see are bid only. and unfortunately, the bidding process sucks, because i swear some people have it so that no matter what you bid, their bid ends up higher, and it just becomes for one, ridiculous, and two, way overpriced. i wouldn't suggest giving up bidding completely, but i tried to find one that was the option "buy it now". my gas nozzle was $20 and free shipping. but i must warn you, the prices on these nozzles range anywhere from $9 to $150. and they all look the same. i don't understand. here is a picture of it to the left....to the left.

as you may notice, it is not the colour it needs to be. in the game, the syringe is actually a rusty bronze colour, which is where the spray paint comes in. i bought the spray paint from hobby lobby, but you can find spray paint at any place that sells crafts, i know wal-mart carries spray paint, and i am sure target does, but you can definitely find it at any craft store, such as hobby lobby. i checked the actual spray paint section and they had a bronze spray paint, but it was a little bit to copper-y. so, i searched the store a little bit more to see if i could find something else, and i did. it was located down the build-your-own isle. it was $5.29 for a 3 oz. can. and that is definitely all you need and more. i started this blog after i finished the project, so i don't have a picture of just the spray painted gas nozzle by itself, but that is okay. they can says that you should hold the can 10 inches from the object you're spray painting, but i held mine only a couple inches from the gas nozzle and it worked fine. the only problem was in some spots, i applied a little to much paint and it started to run, but all you have to do is dab it a little with your finger, or a cloth. just so you know, it comes off your hands with just a tiny bit of scrubbing under some hot water, or cold. hot water just speeds the process up a little. i only put one coat of the spray paint on the syringe, that is all you need. and it gave it that vintage, rustic look.

i let the spray paint dry, and that took about ten minutes, fifteen at the most. while i let this dry, i got my glass jar, which i also bought at hobby lobby for about $2. then i got the red ink, which was about $4, and some water.  i filled the jar with about 3/4 of the way full, and then added a few drops of the red ink to the jar to get the red look that the ADAM has. try not to put to much ink in it, i will explain why soon enough. and if you do, it is easily solved, just poor out a little bit, and put more water in until you are satisfied with how it looks.

by the time i did all of this, the gas nozzle was dry, but i just set it aside. at this point, i needed the lid from the glass jar and the LED light source. i went to walgreens and bought a plastic flashlight thing, it was six dollars for that thing.one end of it was really hard plastic, and the other end was plastic i could cut through with a litttle work. the little work, was a very effective steak knife. anyways, you can use pretty much anthing for the light, as long as it will fit in the jar. since there was an obvious opening where i cut the light, i used the hot glue gun to seal this together. you don't necessarily have to do this, but it worked out perfectly. then i used the hot glue gun to seal any cracks. i would suggest reinforcing the hot glue with another coat of the epoxy glue, but it isn't totally needed (his actual whole step isn't really necessary, unless you want your ADAM to glow, like i did). then, i took the super glue and the lid to the jar and glued the light to the underside of the lid. you will have to hold it there for a second until the glue dries, that only takes a few seconds though. the super glue really is super. try not to get it on your hands because it makes you feel crusty, and its a pain in the ass to get off. after the LED light is secured to the underside of the jar's lid, then use the super glue again to glue the lid to the jar. this is done to prevent the liguid from spilling anywhere. make sure you put the super glue on the actual lid part instead or the jar, because it will run down the inside and it will dry white, and it isn't really noticeable, but i noticed it, and it bothered me. then, use turn the bottle upside down, to test for leaks, if you see any, dry off where the leak ran out, and use the epoxy glue to seal it off. in fact, just seal it all the way around with the epoxy glue. once you get all this done, glue it to the gas nozzle. i can't really describe where to glue it at, but you can look at the picture and easily tell where to glue it at. us the super glue to glue it down, and use a lot. again, being careful and not getting to much on your hands, just a words of advice. let it set for a few minutes, so it is for sure in place.

next, take the knitting needles, which i also purchased at hobby lobby, for about 4 dollars. you can't just but one by itself, it comes in a pack of two. and they are about 12-14 inches long. i bought silver ones. they have them at wal-mart though. and other places, i am sure. any fabric/craft store.then, place the needle in the opening where actual gas would come out. then take the clay to fill in existing area around the needle to keep it in place. then use some more super glue to keep the clay from moving. you can use any type of clay. i bought a 6 pack of modeling clay, again from hobby lobby, for about $3.

now, the finishing touches! to give your syringe that dirty look, take the black paint and bronze paint, and make them together, only use a dab of the bronze. any acryllic paint will work. you can buy it for about $.88 from wal-mart or hobby lobby. this just will give it that tarnished look. apply it around where the metals meet. apply it with the paint brush then, just use the sponge brush to fade it out a bit.you will be able to see how i did it in the picture of my finished syringe. then to give the needle the "bloody" look, just use the sponge brush again, and apply some of the red ink on it and put it on the needle as you wish. OH! i almost forgot. on the end of the jar of ADAM, if you look closely in the game, there is a nipple (hurhur), on the end of it so the little sister can drink it. since, i didn't buy a nipple, i cut off the squeeze part of the ink, and used some black clay to make it look natural. you will be able to see, again, in the picture of the finished project.

ADAM syringe: the finished product.

i hope that this helped whoever might be reading it.

with love,

andrea.