Bulldog44

Work of art there Ian! Love how you made it out out of one solid piece , just like the real thing.

For the D-ring, I am not sure what type of acceptance level there is regarding the shape. I would imagine if you are applying for Centurion clearance they may say its not accurate enough. But I amy be wrong. Hopefully someone who knows will chime in on this.

Dustin, Sorry I have not been keeping up with your build. I read about your front sight block and if you are still not happy with what you got I can try and make a new one for you out of PVC. It won't be perfect but it will be more accurate than what doppy's supplies. This would just be the inside sight block part not the outer protective part or the metal sight itself. Or if you contact Dday, he might be able to sell you a nice resin cast of the inner sight. For the button thing on the magazine, you can try looking in home centers for domed rivets. they come close in size to that part. Sometimes those small plastic eyes you sew onto stuffed dolls come in the same size and shape for this. As Tim mentioned, drilling out the scope is risky business. I ordered an extra scope from Doopys just in case I screwed it up. Luckily I was able to drill through but not without the proper drill bits. Your build is looking great, and I applaud you for just going for it and putting it together. Mistakes happen so no worries, its plastic. Try using the Tamiya smooth surface epoxy for fixing any cracks or rebuilding areas. It takes a little bit of practice to use but it works well. I have been able to re-sculpt small parts with it and make repairs. I will probably end up painting the spring if I ever source one I am happy with. Another option is to leave it outdoors and let the elements naturally weather the metal, thats if you have the patience to wait.

Hi Bill, I believe these are the measurements: forearms: 15-16 mm biceps: 15-16 mm Shins: 20 mm (front) 25 mm (rear/calves) Thighs: 20 mm (front) 25 mm (rear) Some people may have slightly different measurements than these. If I remember properly, these measurements were taken from the RS armor. Contact Troopermaster, he is also another solid source for this if you want to confirm these measurements. I did 15 mm on all the arm parts but I think the widths are flexible to some degree. For the legs I stuck with the 20 and 25 mm widths. Good luck!

I made lots of mistakes along the way so having more glue is better. I agree with Scott about the smaller tube size. Easy to work with and the pointy nozzle spout on them makes it easy to use the right amount.

I am still trying to find some parts to replicate the rivets or fasteners seen on the folding stock. I tried using some pipe and found items but none have proved satisfactory yet. The brass washers that came with the split rivets for my armor are the perfect size for the larger outer fastener on the stock handle. I could also use an acrylic washer and widen the inner diameter but metal is always nicer when possible. Not I will use the brass ones yet as I might need them later on for a future armor build. Metal washers in Japan do not seem to be available with a larger inner diameter. So I am now looking to find mini eyelets which look more the part than anything else I can scrape up. Hoping these come in a few more sizes to choose from. Any thoughts on these?

Wow, Ian, that is great. Looks like it would be a nice fit for this! You got me thinking, I saw some similar rail track stuff at the home center in PVC too that might fit the bill for this. Metal of course would be best. If it is metal then it could support a different type of spring much like a clothes pin spring but on a smaller scale. Actually I am not quite sure what helps lock T part move the way it does but maybe Aaron can fill us in on the mechanics or basic hardware used. Great detective work Ian!

Thank you!

Thanks Q, Ian and Tino. The idea came from Triumphmark so he deserves credit for actually making a moving lock. I just had to try it with a Doopys lock to see if it is possible to cut it apart and reassemble. Ian's idea to make a metal bracket is probably the best way to make it sturdy. Not sure I can do the metal work for that with my basic set of tools. Aaron, huge thanks again for your photos and measurements. extremely helpful. Would you be able to take the measurements for the see saw T part? Only if you have time. The T end is where my part is looking rough after cutting it out and will need some reshaping. Using a heat gun on the t part is a great idea- great job getting it to sit flat. I only have a hair blow dryer so I am not taking any chances doing that yet. I will probably just slap on some epoxy and file it to size where it needs it. Very interested to see what you do to create your lock. It is interesting to see we are all working on the same part right now. It makes it all the more fun! Yes, Aaron has been a wealth of information and just need to pause and say a tremendous thank you for spending the time to answer questions, take photos and share your expertise with us! Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!

Crazy attention to detail. Looks spot on! Congratulations!

Thank you Scott. I still need to make some adjustments but glad you like how it turned out. Appreciate your comments!

Did a little work on the end cap lock last night. I was able to remove one side of the lock housing without too much trouble. Then it took a bit of patience to saw out the inner lever part. There will be some cosmetic repair work needed but nothing too difficult. The lever looks a bit crooked in shape so I will file it down on the sides until its straighter. I might need to add a thin layer of epoxy to rebuild areas that lost some resin when sawed it off. First part removed: Lever removed: For the center pivot, I will drill a hole and set a small metal tube inside. The side fasteners will be some slightly round-headed copper nails. Cant tell if the real Sterling fasteners are domed or just flat headed pins. I am kinda working blind when it comes to trimming and filing things to completion because the Doopy lock looks uneven on the sides and the lever part T-end is also a bit warped. Sorry to ask but if someone has some nice closeup photos of the lock from different angles and some basic measurements, I would deeply appreciate it.

Thanks Q! Proud to finally be a member!

True, Ian. no fun at all. I bought a tiny thin circular blade for my dremel but the hand saw still beats it for control. It wont surprise me if you are working on some crazy new mod with the saw.

TK-42114 requesting 501st access. http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=17941 Thank you,

Thanks Ian. Going to start trooping soon! Yes, I will check out if the other members have a spare blaster. My specialty is procrastination. I should have just splurged for a rubber blaster to begin with.

Looks great. Congratulations!

Thanks Germain and Derrek. You guys have helped me tremendously and i truly appreciate all the time and advice you have given to me.

Thanks James. Just saw you have been approved too. Congrats!

Congratulations James! Your armor looks fantastic, you really did a great job trimming it to fit nicely. The photos look really cool too, wish I had taken nicer photos for my application. Happy trooping!

This build was intended to be a 6 month long project but turned into a 2 year long build. I know myself as being a person who likes to start many hobbies & projects but never finish them. This was one project I was determined to complete and break from my usual bad habit. With great pleasure I would lie to announce I received official approval into the 501st today. My dream has come true. But I must stop and say thank you to so my people who helped me get to this point. To avoid not mentioning anyone in particular, my thanks you goes out to all who provided advice , comments and support along the way and anyone who stopped by to have a look at my build. It's been a fun build and has only fueled my desire to build another when I recover from my massive debt. For now I want to enjoy being able to attend events with my local garrison and finish up my blaster build. A TK with no blaster is a sitting duck. Next goal is to attain EIB and then Centurion in the coming months. Thank you all again for your support! Highest Regards, TK 42114 Brian/Bulldog44

Congratulations Ian! Well executed build and the results are amazing! Super job!

Cool. You bought the saw! Hope you find as useful and worth it as I have so far. Looks like you have a mini Tamiya tool empire started. Great progress adding the hex bolts and gluing on the mag housing & end lug.

Thanks Ian. I do like your rotary switch better and it will definitely last longer than the locking ruler. Good to know the dimensions are almost the same , might be worth me trying to attempt using it if i dont get something smaller. Dollar store stuff is amazing though and definitely helps when you want to buy some cheap things to prototype parts.

You did a great job on your armor. Well done!