You’ve seen the films — now you can have the gadgets.
A lab technician from Germany has replicated the Iron Man glove, complete with laser firing capabilities — and he did it all from the comfort of his own home.
What started out as a hobby has turned into a full time job for Patrick Priebe, who saw Iron Man 2 in 2010 and decided to make a small laser glove.
“I’m just like all the other guys. They watch Star Wars and want to make a lightsaber, I have the skills and capabilities so I go and make a lightsaber,” he told CNN.
Speaking from his workshop based in his apartment, he added that ideas can come from anywhere at any time: “When I get an idea or there’s a compelling urge to do something, I’ll go for it — doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night, I’ll just try to re-create it.”
Having already made a host of other Iron Man related paraphernalia, he decided to take it one step further and reproduce the glove worn by Robert Downey Jr. in the new Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.
He now has orders flooding in from film and game enthusiasts who want to improve their memorabilia collections.
“Everything is custom made — they can choose the color or add some spinning parts or air cooling for the sound. I’m very flexible to whatever they want or can afford.”
But for Priebe, it’s not about the attention or the money.
“People get more than what they pay for because I have to be happy with what I’m selling. I sold one rifle for $4,000 and that was a 120 hours work, the Iron Man glove I worked on for ten hours a day for three weeks,” Priebe explained. “I’m just a toy maker, I do it for the fun of the building and anything I don’t sell, I dismantle it and reuse the parts for something else.”
Looking into the future, the man from Wuppertal, near Cologne, doesn’t see himself doing anything else. And he’s already earmarked his next inspiration.
“I’ve got ideas for the new Batman movie,” Priebe was keen to add.
He has also made a laser gun inspired by the popular video game League of Legends. It was evidently very good because its creators, Riot Games, bought it from him.
“They didn’t believe me when I told them I had made it at home.”
He reckons there’s no rush to return to his day job: “I work at home, and when I brush my teeth I can see my workshop. That’s all I want.”
