Bulldog44

Germain, the front sight info is all thanks to Aaron and Tino. It is really cool to see how the community keeps adding more info and great mod ideas to help members achieve further accuracy. Thanks for posting the links for that Ian. Tino really took his build to new levels. His front sight mod and Aaron's pictures give us a whole new direction on what to do with the Doopy front sight. Doing it exactly like a real sterling will be difficult but it will add that extra touch of realism. I bought a DVH kit from Lou a long ways back and having that kit around has been helpful in seeing the differences in both kits. For one thing the strip that runs diagonally on the bolt seen in the ejector port, is much wider on the Doopy kit than the DVH kit. While working on the end cap to fit on the receiver, it was helpful to see how well the DVH cap fit on the doopy receiver. The Doopy cap fits rather loosely. I spent many hours into the night trying to get the Doopy cap to fit nicely by adding more material to where the little locking extensions should be. First I started off by gluing 6 x 6 mm aluminum squares (1.0mm thick aluminum) to the three locations. That didn't work so well and the metal started to damage the resin locking bay channels whenever I tried to twist the cap into its locked position. Locking Bay Channels- (not sure what you call this exactly) Then I tried spare PVC squares that did somewhat the same thing and after trimming them a bit, they finally allowed the cap to rest in its locked position. But it was really loose...... checked the clock and it was 3:45am . Just about to give it a rest for the day & then I remembered I had some rubber mats left over from some DIY house project. Eureka! The rubber is perfect for this application. Its flexible but keeps its shape, adds friction to keep the pieces in place, and easy to trim and glue into place. Its also good because after the blaster is all painted up, the rubber won't scratch or wear down the paint as quickly. Real sloppy work but I will go back and clean it up later. My eyes were falling out of my head by the time I got done. Just using the rubber squares alone was not enough to get the cap to lock into place . The cap did not push forward onto the receiver tube enough for the rubber squares to follow the locking path when you twist it to lock. The I did a comparison on the depth of the DVH cap and the Doopy cap. The DVH cap is deeper at about 22 mm ? on the high side of the cap and 20 mm on the side that is indented along the edged. Set to those measurements, I carved out some resin from the inside of cap where the receiver makes contact. After doing that the cap slid on to the receiver with ease and twisted into locking position.If the cap looks like it sits too far forward, it can easily be nudged back a bit. The rubber squares do all the work keeping the cap exactly where you want it to sit. Very secure. The cap fits like a glove! Sleep deprived but very happy with the results. - Here are better resolution photos of my front sight and the ejector port-

Front Sight- (Sorry the photos are not really clear. Might try a re-shoot later on. ) I tried my best to reshape the DoopyDoo front sight to make it appear like a real sterling sight but with such limited space to work with this was all I could do without removing the inner piece. The detail was really hard to capture but the general shape is somewhat there. I used Tamiya Putty (Yellow color- mix paste with setting liquid) to build up the layers I wanted, then filed away. Just need to drill the holes, add the grub screws and the vertical slots on the base. I am still tempted to try and carve out the correct area where the inner sight piece slips into (Pic B ). Instead of trying to use the Doopy inner sight piece I re-sculpted, I would prefer to have a cast of that part if I were to head in that direction. Does anyone have that inner sight part (Pic A) separated from the receiver? And could cast that part? Here is a pic of it below. Thanks to Aaron for posting it in T-Jay's build. Pic A Pic B If anyone has tried this, please let me know how it turned out.

Thanks, happy to know you like it so far. Hoping to incorporate all the great custom mods into my build if I can do them any justice. Thanks. Dday. I promised myself I was just going to build this kit as is and get finished quickly. But when you see what everyone has been doing to pimp their kits, I felt it would be a waste not too try. Try my best to keep this build entertaining. Thanks. The photos are taken with my ipad so the quality is poor but glad you find it impressive so far. Arigato T-Jay. Your build was an inspiration. Looking forward to adding the parts you sent out. Thanks a lot. Appreciate the feedback.

Update: I added the clips to the TD, hope I did it right. The clip placement looks good; with little or no gap between the the clips & caps. . The one thing I am not sure of is if your TD tube is really long or the end caps are trimmed short. There is lot of space between the TD panel and the caps. just an observation. The RS TD i have has less spacing so it seems shorter perhaps in comparison. Nice job adding the black screws. You are doing great. Your armor is looking awesome and the finish line is near! Best of luck!

Front of the receiver/nozzle with the holes drilled for the retaining screws/hex bolts- the bit tore through quickly and chipped off some of the edges. Folding Stock mocked up before I glue it together- Started to carved out a visible seam between the ejector port and the bolt with the exacto knife to give a a more realistic look. I bought a set of professional Japanese woodblock carving tools a few years back and found out they are quite useful for this build. They cut through the resin like butter. Removed the strip on the bolt and carved a bit deeper to highlight the seams more- Then I used the small diamond cutter disk on my dremel to score a line along the inside of the opening where the spring and charging handle will go. Got the walls thinned down and removed quite a bit of the walls & inside tube. The sanding wheel helped to even it all out. The only draw back is that the edge of this opening sometimes was hit with the dremel and I had to go back and straighten up the edge. Now the opening might be a little wider than it should be. I sanded down the bolt enough that I was able to make an opening where I can run the new bolt strip through. Hard to see but its there. I might try to use .3 mm aluminum sheeting to cover the bolt to give it a nicer metal finish. I will try using thicker sheeting for the strip that extends to where the charging handle will go. Post more when I get there.

I bought my kit in 2013 and the folding stock came in 2 pieces. The newer DoopyDoo kits seem to come with a single piece folding stock ( The detail on the newer doopy kits looks much better too. My kit has lots of deformed areas.) Folding Stock Front- hard to see in most of the pictures but with an exacto knife, I used the dull side of the blade to carve out the areas I wanted to define better, especially along the seams. (sorry, forgot to take before shots) Opened up the area in between the stock handle and rail- Some cosmetic work with Tamiya Quick Epoxy to cover up uneven edges and chipped off pieces.- Top profile of the stock pieces with the holes drilled and the center channeled out to add the aluminum pipe. -

Officially posting my build. Originally I wasn't going to start a build thread for my first blaster attempt but I thought it would be good to have some place to mark my progress. If I can add a few more ideas to the Doopy custom build pool then all the better. Starting this build off with the boss. Luke has overseen the slow construction of my armor and regularly makes visits during my blaster build. He has been most displeased with my progress on both fronts and prefers I just take him for a walk. My build is all over the place so please excuse the lack of order. I had a photo of the parts all laid out when I bought the kit but its stuck on my dead hard drive so I will just skip to where I am at. Receiver hole drilling- started with pilot drill holes and then used a bigger bit to open the holes. The bit kept catching the resin and started to chip off pieces around the edges. I used a step bit to drill cleaner holes but could only drill so deep before it hit the inner tube. I used an 11 mm bit to finish things off. A 10.5 mm bit would have been better. Installing the grub screw on the magazine housing and the hex bolt on the pistol grip- Warning: This build will probably move at a snail's pace much like my RS armor build!

Your bicep hooks are set very high. Try re- gluing them with the hook lowered much closer to the top return edge of the bicep. That might help your biceps sit higher and stay in place.

Thanks Tino. Had a look at your build again and saw the drill bit you are referring to.i just ordered some new metal drill bits and some wood drill bits. I already drilled most of the holes but these will work better next time around. Appreciate the advice!

Thanks Karin and Eric. I did do the pilot drill hole method and for smaller drill bits it worked well but once I get past 6mm bits -11 mm bits for drilling holes on the blaster receiver, it just gets stuck. Haven't tried any wood bits yet but I will try if no other suggestions are made. I tried a step drill bit which works nice but in limited spaces it can't be used.

What are the best drill bits to use when drilling into resin? I bought few drill bits that said they were good for plastic, aluminum, etc. but they dig into the resin too quickly and get stuck. More dangerously they chip off a lot of the surface around where I am drilling.

Good idea using the compass. Because of the asymmetry it is always difficult to rely on getting the measurements just right. I found that after I did get a consistent trim line, I sometimes felt it visually was off so I had to do some additional trimming and sanding. When you start getting that feeling of doubt go back and keep looking at those screenshots. Your TD looks good. If you didnt glue the cap ends on, you can always adjust the lenght if you feel its too short or long. If you are shooting for expert infantry then confirm the following: For level two certification (if applicable): Thermal detonator belt clips are positioned with little to no gap between the clips and the end caps. From what I can see in your photo, they seem fine. Great start !

Congrats! Looking forward to seeing your build. Very thorough inventory. I don't think I noticed anything missing other than what you already mentioned. But certainly check the strapping contents. I was missing a few items , like the white elastics for the drop boxes . Rob, Simon and the staff at RS are excellent in helping out with missing parts and even replacement parts. I made a few errors and they kindly sent me some extras. I also have an RS PVC armor kit & just about finished building it. Can't wait to actually use it. Check out my build if you have time and certain ask questions when you need help. Take your time and use those reference photos and screenshots as your guide. Good luck.

Yeah, thanks for the links. I mailed adafruit and they told me about this. Looks really easy to use. Can't wait to see how it turns out for your blaster.

The electronics look great. I am so interested in attempted what you are doing but it gets so confusing. The more I read up , the more confusing in gets. If you ever get a chance to do a simple tutorial on just the electronics I'd really appreciate it. Looking forward to more updates on your build!

There have been two recent topics started asking the same question and I think you might find some info there. I have a PVC kit and bought it in 2012. I bought it after reading that PVC was better for trooping but from those recent posts, some members said that is not the case and that ABS is stands up better. My PVC armor is very thin and really flexible but it has been mentioned that more recent PVC armor from RS is thicker and less flexible. Some replacement parts for my PVC kit recently received do seem thicker so maybe they have changed some things which may make it more prone to cracks and original brackets popping out. I have not done any trooping yet so can't give you an experienced opinion but I am hoping it will be durable enough. When I build a Sandtrooper I will probably go with ABS now that I already have PVC. If you are keen to have things like the original movie Stormtroopers, I suggest the ABS since it was what they used. Go with the PVC if you are looking for a bright shiny white TK. I think both materials are prone to some sort of damage when trooping so maybe there is no best answer here. Might just come down to preference in appearance. Either way RS armor looks really nice and with care I think it will last long enough to enjoy lots of trooping.

Germain, your encouragement is greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking time to look at my build and give me advice. The new hooks are more durable and fit on the biceps nicely. They spring forward a touch when you wear the biceps just enough to catch the elastic straps and pin them in place. Here is photo of them being glued into place. I finally looped the elastics for the drop boxes around the belt. I didn't put the tears on the reverse side like RS does since there is no interference with the snaps that attach to the AB plate. I might add that detail later just for the sake of it. Here is how I might be able to use the drop boxes for storing cards. The magnet is really strong so metal objects won't work obviously but I am happy to at least have them with some minimal function. Pulling the boxes apart by the elastics alone was not possible without certain damage to the elastics and the Chicago screws loosening up. So I used some spare dress shirt collar inserts and will use them as pull tabs. They are very flat, clear,strong & virtually unnoticeable from the front. You can see how they are bent to the shape of the inner box and attached to the Chicago screw assembly from the inside. The drop boxes separate without much fuss with a simple pull. Just need to add those emergency straps from outer to inner drop box in case they literally drop off. Then finally glue those rivet covers on and then the belt is finished. At the speed I am going, I should be finished with the whole suit in 5 years time .

Geez, I hope I will not be a walking TK Humpty Dumpty after a few troops.

Maybe Rob & Simon at RS can confirm if this is the case. The present thickness might make a big difference how the PVC holds up with use compared to a thinner gauge PVC they may have used in the past. When Paul mentioned how rigid it is, I was surprised since my PVC armor is really flexible and soft, quite the contrary. My armor is also super light too so there must be some change if the recent kits feel heavier.

Now that's cool!

I received my RS PVC kit in 2012 and I must say I was surprised at how thin most of the parts came. But when I ordered extra parts in recent months, they do seem much thicker in comparison. Maybe they changed things since then.

I went with the PVC kit after reading that it would hold up better for trooping, at least thats what i can sort of remember reading on the RS site way back in 2012. Hearing now that is more prone to damage is rather troubling and i'm kinda worried I made the wrong choice for what I planned on using it for. During my build the PVC has been pretty easy to work with and seemed flexible enough but I guess trooping is another story. I had one major incident when one of the ridges around the bottom thigh bent and now there is a white line you can see but it didn't snap or crack. To reduce future stress cracks & buckling along the edges, I left very little on the return edges on parts that will need to be flexible like the chest plate, AB plate and on the back edges too, especially where the brackets are attached. So far no noticeable signs of things popping off during my test fits. After I screwed up trimming the knee ammo pack , RS sent me a new one but they sent an ABS one by mistake. In comparison to the PVC , their ABS looked duller and way more off white. They kindly sent me a new PVC one, matched my kit perfectly. The ABS ammo pack feels light & brittle but I can't vouche for the flexibility since it is still untrimmed. There were spare ABS strips included in the box and I just gave them a nice test of flexibility , as Troopermaster says, very flexible. It's a tough choice especially when you account for price and if you are a first time buyer. Hearing that the PVC is going to crack more than I had thought, I am concerned but I am totally pleased with the way it looks, really white and shiny liked I hoped it would be. I think if you want to strictly stick to the original movie TK , then go with ABS, also Troopermaster said it works better with the original strapping set up. The PVC is still a good choice if you are looking for a bright shiny white TK, still looks original but idealistically original ( if that makes any sense). Maybe more members will chime in and give you their experience with both materials and then you can have a better idea of which plastic suits your needs and preference. You can see the difference in color of the untrimmed ABS ammo pack and the PVC ammo pack already trimmed: ------------- Hope this helps more than further cloud your decision. Good luck and don't rush to buy ( which i somewhat did.) You'll feel comfortable at whatever decision you make after lots of research.there was once a post I saw where somebody posted their ABS & PVC armor side by side. Let you know if I find it.

Thanks again Germain. I will try redoing the straps for the chest to add some slack. I stitched them up pretty good so it will take some time to undo them. Probably best to just make new loops. This weekend I tested out some paint markers to use on the bracket screws and rivet heads. Not sure if this is the best product for this but it is easy to use & dries quickly. If this is not a good idea, please let me know before I start this weekend. I will be using a liquid masking to keep this stuff from getting on the armor. This stuff was recommended by one of the Japanese Garrison members. Just have to paint it on with the cap brush and let it dry for 30 minutes. Takes time but it covers hard to get areas and easy to remove. Next I tried my hand at making the bicep strap hooks using the tutorial by SIMpixels. I had a few problems getting the right bends and ended up with hooks that fell short of the right space to clear the return edge of the bicep. I used a blow dryer to heat the PVC and make it flexible enough to bend. then used a metal file to shape the hook . This was not thick enough so the hook is quite narrow. Also, I found that filing the lines where the bends would go weakened the plastic and then they would eventually crack off whenever I tried to make an adjustment. Hooks were too long so I had to trim off more from the edge- Glued onto the inside of the biceps- You can see that I had to bend the hook part out more to clear the return edge. Seeing how the hooks do not quite function or place as they should have due to my poor craftsmanship, I had another go with a different design. I looked at the photo reference below and noticed that the hook used on an original TK bicep looked more roundish. Using the blow dryer set on high heat, I warmed the PVC strip and used a round metal hammer handle to shape the hook. I used just my fingers to form the PVC strip around the metal bar and held it into place until it cooled. Then I heated the area where I wanted to bend back the hook and used the edge of a piece of lumber to push the hook down at the desired angle. This is really hard to put in words so if anyone is interested I can make a "How To" doc or video. I haven't attached these yet but tested how they will work. Looks like a perfect fit . The hooks reach over the return edge and rest directly on the bicep surface. The hook hangs back into the bicep so when your arm is inside the armor it presses up against the hook and it springs forward, enough to catch the shoulder bell strap & keep it all in place. Lastly, I had tried numerous ways on how to attach the outer drop boxes with the inner boxes without making it permanent. I wanted to be able to store things inside the boxes, ex. personalised TK cards or whatever. I had some flat metal brackets with predrilled screw holes sitting around so I tried bending them to the needed depth into a hook shape. I used a screwdriver shaft to form the bend. 1Before bending the brackets down into their final position, I secured them on the inside of the inner boxes between the Chicago screws that I used to attach the elastics. Then I bent the bracket into place. After that I used some double-sided removable tape to set a rectangular magnet into place on the inside of the outer drop boxes. (Temporary until I think of a nicer way to fix these into position.) The outer & inner boxes lock together perfectly! I will add a safety strap attached to each box from the inside in the event the magnet separates from the tape. The magnet strength is quite powerful and pulling on the elastics to open the boxes will end up a mess so I will also add a small pull tab attached to the inner box to open the boxes. Hope this all makes sense.

Hi Tyler, I bought an RS Props PVC kit. I wanted to go the traditional route and buy the ABS but I plan on using my armor for events and thought the PVC will hold up better plus it is a lot whiter. I can't say yet that it was the better choice for durability since I am not yet done building it but will put it to the test soon. If I were to buy one for display, I would go with ABS for sure like the originals. The PVC is nice and has a beautiful white glow to it. It didn't crack on me when under stress but it does sometimes leave a permanent white bend line that is irreversible. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Stick with ABS if you are keen to keep it original.

Finally attached my holster to the belt. I used Chicago screws to attach it since I might change up holsters in the future. I first referred to the Billhag PDF for the measurements but I slightly deviated from those measurements. 20 mm from the edge of the ammo pack seemed rather close and from the movie stills it looked a bit further away on many troopers. So I set the first hole at about 30 mm. Looks okay but probably should have stayed with the 20 mm. If the holster hung straight down then it would look great but it sort of gets pushed toward the back at an angle. Here is just a picture after the holes were punched on the holster straps. I still need to take some photos of it attached. Post those later. I was not happy with my previous positioning of the button panel so tried it again. Unfortunately there are now ugly blemishes on a few corner areas where i used the stronger PVC glue. I tinkered with the edges of the panel and shaded them down too much. I hope to get a replacement soon. For now I will stick with this and get the buttons painted. Previous Present (tilted 2 degrees to the right) Probably doesn't seem like much of a change but those darn 2 mm differences end up driving me nuts! I know I should have painted those buttons before going any further but I couldn't help seeing how everything fits. Here is my first test fitting: the family was asleep by the time I got working on this so I was left to put it all on myself and take the photos. Mobility was not bad but the chest plate is digging into my throat. I'll have to adjust the shoulder straps. The butt plate wings out on each side, the AB and kidney plate has a lot of overlap, other than that it fits nicely. I will post more photos of the armor from the side and back when I do another test fitting. Please offer any advice you think I need to improve things. Another step closer to the 501st!