T-Jay

Wow Aaron! Unbelievable work so far. And you are very fast. If you continue on this speed, the blaster will be finished before your vacation week ends . How about reducing the welding marks on the rear end just to the bottom side? You would get a cleaned surface and could still prove it is your blaster by turning it upside down. According to my information the weight of the completed build (including real scope and counter) will be somewhere about 5kg / 10-11 pounds (lb). You'll be getting some long arms trooping with that and I wouldn't wonder if you start a Doopy's kit a few weeks later . Whatever you do, just continue exactly as you started. It is a pleasure reading this build

Update #17 - the assembly (90% complete) The end is near. Everything is painted. Weathering and washing will be completed stepwise. Now time has come to start assembling! It must have been that feeling, Steve recently described in his build. Wow, I've waited for that moment so long - and some of you as well . So, here are the pictures: Some full views so far (every 2nd picture with flashlight). Will try to get you some daylight photos this weekend .

Update #16 - last paint work As getting closer to the assembly, the Hengstler counter still had to be painted. First covered the plastic part (also on the inside), then sprayed with matt black (can #4). Tape covered the number rolls and the induction coil. Then counter and bracket were painted in different black (can #5), the plastic connector on the front stayed like it was and the reset button received the gloss black (can #7). Unbelievable: no colour difference between the 15 years old can #5 and the new RAL 9005 from can #4 . The idea to give these parts a slightly different appearance didn't work. Anyway, now it is more screen-accurate... Carefully added minimal weathering. Alright, next time the parts will be put together... (woah, I am so excited )

@ Germain (The5thHorseman): had planned to do some additional weathering after the assembly, because in some places it makes sense to have all parts mounted for that. @ Brian (ninusyim): thanks for stating that. Was not aware of this green frog tape and just used what I found at home... Good to know, what to better use...

Update #15 - the grip The grip caused me some headaches as of what to paint 1st, 2nd and so on. Started with the silver on the trigger area (sorry, no photo) and then precisely covered it with tape. Next was the gloss black from can #7. It took a lot more than 24 hrs to dry. Now also the gloss black grip got covered to add the hammered paint and the matt black on the sides. Removed the tape and found some problems. Paint was under the masking and some silver paint was taken away by the covering tape. Better dab the tape on some textiles (to reduce adhesion) before applying it on a painted surface. Ja, ja, ja ... These details got fixed within a few minutes, so no big issue and the inner section received a different colour (gun metal grey). Please feel free to leave any comments and critics (steady Germain ) while I work on the next update...

@ Tim, Vern, Brian & Germain: hey guys , I am really glad to see you like it. Did not expect my first weathering to be such a fun. Man, this could possibly lead to another build...

Ouh Tim, I'm sorry to hear about the issue with the hex screw and I fully trust in your skills to fix this! I keep fingers crossed and I am sure, nobody will notice anything of this in the finished blaster.

Update #14 - some weathering & last paint layer 24 hrs after painting I did sandpaper-weathering in some places and covered it with the reliable candle wax. Unmasked the T-tracks and found two more gaps which had to get filled with "green stuff" before adding the black paint. Then the last layer (can #4) covered all of the hammered effect, as the original guns had been painted black. The structure remained, only the colour changed. This paint was also easy to handle (started with details before painting the rest). It took 24 hrs to fully dry, in addition to layer 3 this means a total drying time of at least two days! Then I removed the wax and completed the weathering (with sandpaper and Humbrol Metal Cote). Some small parts were sticked on wires to support painting and drying. Hm, electric light seems to be a bad choice when it comes to the details of weathering. Have to get some photos with daylight when the blaster is finished... Side note: If anybody wants to create the pure Sterling look (without the black finish from the StarWars props), can #4 should be skipped or much better: use crinkle paint instead of the hammered effect.

@ Steve (gazmosis) and Ian (Sith Lord): yes I also have that feeling, the DoopyDoo's kits might never be the same again C'mon Ian, get it on. Many threads in this forum can be used as a guide and nobody expects you to do it exactly as somebody else. For example I like the original folding stock from Steve and Tim very much, but it makes no sense in my build, as I have to keep the weight low for the mannequin . The results will always be different as the build depends on the preferences of the maker... @ Germain (The5thHorseman): Eagle-eye is back! One day I had some "green stuff" left over and thought it would be a nice idea to fill the gap in front of the scope rail, so it doesn't look like plugged into a hole where it doesn't belong.

Wow, Steve!!! That magazine finish is so and the colour on the inner bolt looks so damn real. And all the rest... I am out of words, man. You have done such a good work on this kit and I somehow feel a bit sad that it is completed now, because we won't get your nice updates on this fabulous build any more . Okay, this had to happen one day, but I will definitely miss it. Therefore I also think this topic should be pinned as a reference to others! That would be a deserved honor.

Update #13 - main paintwork Prepared parts for next step. Covered everything, which should NOT get the structured surface! Then added the 3rd layer from can #3 (anthracite hammered effect) to all parts from the original guns (except magazine body, all handle parts and trigger area) and dabbed it with toilette paper. That paint has a slight brownish shade which makes it perfect for the blasters and it is easy to handle. Wait - am I going totally crazy now, or did I just see a Stormtrooper-face looking at me??? Huh okay, I am not daydreaming. Best regards to all 501st members out there Sprayed the small parts first and then the rest. Took 24 hrs to fully dry (touch-dry after 1hr). More news to come soon. Thanks for reading and following Any comments and critics are welcome.

Wow, what a nice upgrade . Really! 'Wanna have' but I must keep the weight low on mine as it will be held by a mannequin one day... Anyway, do you plan painting the rest to match the folding stock (like Steve did), or will you paint it all over? Waiting to see it all finished.........................................

Hey Germain, Steve and Tim Thank you all for your encouraging words! Was not sure if you would like this mod, because of the deviation with the characters and the uneven alignment. Did my best in a short time, but surely somebody will do it better in the future... @ Tim (Dark CMF): don't know what these metal stamps cost (as mine are borrowed) but I think buying these only makes sense, if you plan to do a complete run of mods with them. You seem to have some more Doopy kits at home, he?

Thanks Daniel. I also laughed when I read Soren's comment. But his build inspired me to all this. And thanks for your comment, Germain. I will honor it now with an update - especially for you (just kiddin ) Update #12 - another insertion step Exactly at this point of the build Germain had asked me to recreate the small numbers in the bolt. During the research I had already noticed them and had thought about transferring these into the resin kit. Then I rejected this idea: too small, too time consuming, won't be noticed and so on... But now it felt like I should finally take this challenge Research details: numbers have a height of 2mm and a total amount of 15 characters (including two letters). The setup is as follows: X00 0 000 000 X 0000 (the X stands for a letter and the 0 means a digit). So I checked the tools and found 2mm number stamps but no letters in that size. Had to improvise and replaced the letters with additional digits. The "Gutenberg procedure" started one last time... Due to spacing issues I had only place left for 13 instead of 15 characters and no letters. Well, that was all I could do in such a short time (this got done the same day as Germain wrote his comment). Next update is about the paint again - I promise

Update #11 - the mess with spray can #8 Spray can #1 was the 1st layer on every resin and plastic piece, including the Hengstler cover and the ABS components of the inner bolt. It was very liquid, a thin dust cover was sufficient, tears were extremely flat and it dried quickly (10 min). The few silver pigments were hard to see on the bright resin (easier on dark surfaces like the DVH kit ). Insertion step: before adding silver, can #8 was used for all bolt parts. T-tracks and D-ring got masked (tracks will get black at the end & the ring already looked good). Paint dried in 10 minutes. A more metallic looking grey would have been desirable, but was not available. In electric light it looks just green . If it stays like that, I'm going to redo this... After weathering the small parts and the spring it was clear: can #8 was the wrong colour. All has to be done again! Okay, now I needed a little encouragement. Applied a 2nd layer of can #2 (belton silver) to every part pretending to be metal or steel. When later weathering with sandpaper, that bright colour will hopefully alert me if I get to deep . Screwed and glued some parts on the receiver and got serious gaps, which were filled with "green stuff". The last two pictures show the texture in the resin kit. Must have been moulded from a gun with crinkle paint. Magazine has sanding tracks which will hopefully get filled with the hammered paint. A darker silver (more grey) would have been better to look like steel, but was not available where I searched. The spray was easy to handle, nothing special to take care of and it also dried quickly (10 min).

@ Germain (The5thHorseman): I understand. The earlier scope maybe looked okay on the pictures here, but reality was different and weathering was still overdone. I agree to your point of a combined weathering and still have this in some places like on the front and rear (not visible on these photos). The colour contrast just got reduced a bit to avoid having the brass "shining" out of the black. It now looks much more real than before. @ Ken (PiettLives): your friend is very talented. Looks like airbrush work!? Found some mistakes, but Vern already stated most of them. Anyway, a nice build. @ Stefan (Turrican): thanks for your kind words, man. In case I got it completed for our next meeting, I will be interested in your opinion on a close view to the details... And - I'm not sure if there will be another build...

Update #10 - scope v1.2 Just a short update on the final version. Weathering got reduced one more time by applying a thin coat of black colour. Didn't expect that, but it worked . Here are three photos: Next update might take some time, because I have trouble with the paint work...

Hi Soren . Thanks for having a look. It's been a while since our last contact. You have to know, it was YOUR OWN BUILD which inspired me the most when I began with this!

Hey Steve and Tim Thanks for your encouraging words! Although you've both replied in a positive way, I can't feel completely happy with my result and will therefore put this scope on the list of 'things to be redone' (or at least reworked) later. And trust me: that list will grow with the next update, because I really messed up some parts and now have to find a solution... So better don't watch too close, except to learn from my mistakes . Looking forward to the next updates from both of you. Keep the people entertained, while I try to save my blaster from the trash can...

Hi, I wanted to place an order at TK boots back in January, but due to a re-build of the inventory (?) I was asked to wait until March. Yesterday I asked for an update and was told, they are still waiting for the shop to complete the actual run. They placed an order a bit too large for that shop. They had some delays with the white leather and fell behind a bit more. Today that shop has promissed another 5 weeks.

Update #09 - the real paintwork has started! Don't ask me why, but somehow I wanted to start with a small part, as it is easier in case of redoing everything. The choice was the M38 scope. First the plastic adhesion promoter, then the Humbrol Acrylic Brass 54. Both dried quickly but compared with real brass, the colour seems too golden (to me). Anyway, that was all I had and it took four stores to get this last bottle of ANY brass colour! - seems like there are some more troopers in my area . I masked the bottom of both feet. Rear foot got also covered on the sides, as found during my research. Placed a sticker stripe inside the rear opening to save a brass circle inside, which will later be visible through the lens (also seen on an original). Wrapped a textile wire into the gap (to later make it look like the join of two parts). Then added my "liquid mask" and painted it black. While it dried, my three plastic screws for the front received the silver spray from belton and then Humbrol Metal Cote (wow - if treated correctly, this stuff can later really look like metal). Felt totally excited when I removed the maskings and was so happy, how well it had worked with the candle wax. Hey, my first weathered part! But I have to admit: it was too much and didn't look quite real, so I had to rework it . Then I made some comparison pictures. But unfortunately the camera didn't catch the before/after effect very well. Even with the circles it is hard to see a difference in some places. Now good? Or still too much weathering? Please let me know, what you really think about it? So I can redo or rework if necessary. Thanks in advance!

Thank you, Steve. To hear this from somebody who went so deep into that topic, really makes me happy . Before uploading the last update, I had chosen the same way to do it and have meanwhile done a few parts. Will hopefully soon show some pictures of that...

Hi Ian, ouuuuh, your posting sounds very interesting! To decide which kit is best for you, it should be taken into account what the blaster will be made for. A stable result will be usefull for trooping (and might lack some details), while an untouched pure display build can be more fragile (but with a lot of details). And if the build is for a mannequin, the weight will also be of importance... Good luck with whatever you choose :-)

Hi Paul, I fully agree to what Tim wrote and you can already start keeping your eyes open for small screws of any kind. I bought none of them, all found in old hardware... Good luck and take you time to read through the existing builds... it TAKES time...

Update #08 - first paint As some of you already know, I fear to screw it all up now, because my model-building skills weren't used for at least 25 years. Never had an idea of "weathering" but this must be that trick, which made my planes look somehow different than the photos on the aircraft boxes . The search for the right structure is a big issue for some people here (what I fully respect). But I didn't want to go that deep. From ANH we know the guns looked just black, no visible weathering (doesn't mean it wasn't there), while much more details can be seen on reference pictures. But it is necessary to separate screen-used and others (police / military) and changes in production and so on. Although there is a perfect looking crinkle paint being introduced by Steve (gazmosis), I chose the hammered effect as this looked closer to the reference photos I have. But it had to be reworked somehow to look correct. To find the best way, I sprayed silver on an ABS stripe and then tried standard paint, dabbing it with toilette paper and sprinkle it with pepper flakes . Yes, a bit unconventional but something must work here... Then a matt black coat was added. Here are the results: In my opinion the standard paint just hadn't enough texture, while the peppered looked a bit too rough. Might have been better to use wheat flour or something. Anyway, I liked the paper-dabbed version most of all and was fascinated how the matt black finish turned into dark grey after sanding. So I decided to go for that. It should be mentioned, that the idea of paper dabbing the fresh hammer coat came to me via DarthChridan, who got it from Felice (best regards to you both ). At first all resin parts got washed. While these were drying, the screws and the scope rail got painted matt black. And some tests were sprayed on the resin counter (which won't be used here). Sprayed the hammered effect and 1/3 with additional satin black and tested some types of sand papers. Again: this was only for testing, I know the counter doesn't get structured paint To know which colour to use for what, was not that easy as I imagined. Had to do research again and to bear some things in mind like: - which parts were on the original guns and required this rough surface? - how to get this surface? - what had been added for the movies and required clean black? - what needs to look used or scratched (and where)? - how to make this used look? - what to paint when and how long to dry? and so on... Here you see a selection of spray cans for this build and what they finally will be used for. Of course this is no reference (there are much more adequate products available). It is just what I found locally to be okay to work with: 1 - plastic adhesion promoter (not a primer, transparent with few pigments only, for all plastic parts before adding colour) 2 - belton silver (satin matt metallic silver for every part to simulate metal or steel) 3 - Hammerschlag (anthracite gloss with hammered effect for rough surface on all main parts of the original Sterling) 4 - RAL 9005 (satin matt pure black as the final layer of all parts which will get paint #4 and some other pieces) 5 - very old satin matt black (to have a slightly different black as #4 to set colour accents at scope, rail, counter, counter bracket and counter cover) 6 - Humbrol Acrylic Brass 54 (metallic brass for M38 scope only - it took four different shops to get that and it was the last available bottle) 7 - RAL 9005 (high gloss pure black for the handle and the reset button on the Hengstler) 8 - Tamiya Color TS-70 (matt grey-green for colour accents on all bolt parts and the spring) REAL paint works in the next update Side note: decided to add power cylinders and front aim pin later and to concentrate now on the main build.