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Looking good, Keven! Fond memories of my build. I almost didn't want to paint it since the raw steel looked so good... I bought two more Sterling parts sets for possible future "for sale" builds - I just need to figure out a really good way to deactivate them. Thinking about milling out the firing pin end of the bolt, then welding in a cross pin at the rear so the bolt can't be removed/changed. I hate to prevent full disassembly with the cross pin, but it ENSURES the weapon can NEVER be fired and won't be visible from the outside.

Tunisian version, commonly referred to as a Bapty, which explains the lack of Sterling parts, such as the spring and clearing strips.

Bolt looks good, Keven, but what about the "clearing strips"? The bolt rides on those strips inside the receiver - looks like you don't have any clearance to add them, unless you're planning to machine them into the bolt...THAT would be impressive!

I did one part at a time, but I only had to solder the mag housing, stock pivot, grip frame and ejection port shield. There's enough separation that I didn't have any problem with previously done parts coming loose. You might have trouble near the front and rear, so grouping may be the way to go. I found it best to clean, flux and tin everything, then clamp it in place. You'll need a lot of clamps (which act as heat sinks, so you end up needing more heat). Once everything is clamped, heat the whole assembly, then "wick" the solder into the joints. To make everything look really professional, have a moist rag standing by - when you think you've added enough solder, or when you see it bubbling out of the joints, take your rag and "swipe" it along the joint. Almost a "flicking" motion. This results in a really smooth solder joint. You'll have little mess ups, spatters and brown flux spots...don't worry about those - I just went back later on and warmed them up with a little pencil torch and "erased" them with a moist rag. The important thing is to get a good, solid solder connection. The rest is cosmetic. GOOD LUCK!!!

And I thought I did everything the hard way... AWESOME BUILD, KEVEN!!!

Holy smokes! That's like digging a tunnel with a spoon. AMAZING work, Ian!

Love the "you don't even know how inaccurate your costume is" smile...

I think you have more modern versions of the counter. I don't know if this will help at all or what the differences are, but here's a link that shows vintage counter disassembly/reassembly: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/27374-howto-hengstler-counter-maintenance-and-adjustment/?p=346843

Apparently, we're all working on this mod at the same time... great minds think alike! Doopy T-part end is definitely warped. I warmed mine with a heat gun, then carefully flexed it straight and held it while it cooled. Worked like a charm. Checking against a straight edge - NOW the bottom is warped, but I'll correct that with sandpaper on the receiver pipe: Dimensions (sorry the last picture is blurry at max zoom, but you can read it): Length: 33mm Width: 9.5mm Height: 8mm

You can get Rub N Buff at craft stores. It's a paste with really fine metal powder in it. I like it because it's easier than paint and can make plastic parts look like real metal. You can even buff it to a shine if you want. I bought some at "Michael's" a long time ago. You'll have it forever - they're NOT kidding when they say a little goes a long way. WARNING: I saw a bunch of pin holes in the resin - the Rub N Buff will get in those and never come out. You'll have to fill all the pinholes FIRST. Here's a short video - I like it because it shows Rub N Buff on plastic that was painted black. MOST importantly, it shows how you can achieve a brushed metal look I could do without most of the humor (except the R2D2 mug - that made me laugh) and the musical montages are annoying. But, you get the point. Just something that came to mind when I saw your bolt.

Since your bolt is the onyx color resin, it might be cool to try silver "rub and buff" to get a metallic look instead of paint.

Looks damn GOOD to me! Nice work, Ian! Maybe try some exacto blade scoring along the edges of the extractor to make it look like a separate part? That bolt is awesome! Serial numbers, extractor pin...even the sear notch at the bottom! Can't wait to get mine!

I've experienced the same from time to time recently. Once, I lost a huge posting and had to start all over again... I normally use Internet Explorer and Photobucket. When I start noticing trouble, the first thing I do is copy or save what I'm doing. Then I close all applications and try bringing the site back up using Google Chrome. Usually, that works...

I posted this video awhile back - don't know if it helps, but if you watch it enough times, you can see how everything fits and works in relation to the other parts. If you don't lift the clip, the end cap hits the square portion of the clip and the end cap cannot be rotated. By lifting the clip, you create clearance and allow the end cap to be pushed all the way forward, which also allows rotation. Another point: the pin on the clip is confusing - it doesn't have anything to do with the end cap function. The pin is a "stop" and it's only there to prevent the clip from dropping down too far when it's released. In other words, the pin touches the receiver tube and limits clip travel when you're not using the clip. The semi-circle notch on the end cap is also interesting - the notch isn't necessary, but it helps when working the folding stock. The clip lifts far enough that nothing prevents end cap movement, so why even take the time to machine the end cap notch? Here's why: If you're going to open the folding stock (which can be complicated and requires two hands), the end cap notch can assist. After I realized it, this is how I open the folding stock: Release the stock handle at the front. Open the folding stock. Lift the clip and push the end cap forward. Release the clip and allow the pin to rest in the end cap notch. Maintain forward pressure on the end cap to hold everything in place (if you let go of the end cap, the spring will push it back to the normal position) At this point, the end cap is far enough forward to allow the folding stock to drop into the external end cap notches. Once the folding stock is in place, release the end cap and it snaps back to it's normal position and locks the folding stock in place. Advantage? You don't have to hold the clip while doing everything else. ALSO, when the pin is resting in the end cap notch, it prevents the end cap from rotating and accidentally releasing. A LOT of information for a pipe build, but I figure it helps everyone to understand the functions of the Sterling. Knowing how it was intended to work helps make decisions for a replica build. Vern has critiqued it on almost every Doopy build - most people place the clip too far forward. Since a resin clip doesn't lift, you don't have any choice but to position it forward IF you want to remove the end cap. The forward position of a non-functional resin clip allows clearance for the end cap to move forward enough to rotate and release. I plan to carve out the inner portion of my resin clip, remake the outer portion with styrene sheet and install a pivot pin and small spring. This will solve all kinds of problems and provide one more functional feature on a resin build... Measurements (I rounded - most of us can't achieve the tenths of a millimeter shown on Andy's drawing ): Receiver OD: 38mm End lug OD: 41mm Receiver ID: 35mm End lug ID: 35mm Receiver wall thickness: 1.5mm End lug wall thickness: 3mm

Hey Brian, As requested, here's a link to a 1:1 scale PDF of my Sterling Trigger Group: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b7e8l87ufkiwz6t/Sterling%20SMG%20Trigger%20Group.pdf?dl=0 After making the PDF from a direct scan of the trigger group, I printed it (check the "actual size" option) and layed the part on top of the print. Perfect alignment. It's a paper copy of the real part!

SUPER NICE!!! Great work, Ian! You have to believe all those hours of labor were worth it! It's a good feeling to drill the last hole and not have anything screwed up, crooked or out of alignment!

Awesome! Thanks, Ian. Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks for taking the time to check the weight. That's 2.25 lbs. I should be WELL under that with this build!!!

Loving the "trigger pin lock" and "recycling the pour spout" ideas. The selector switch looks GREAT! AND IT'S FUNCTIONAL!!!

Nice! Good luck, Ian!

That's EXACTLY what I'm saying!!! NICE JOB with the graphic!!! You've got the keyhole slot like I mentioned at the bottom, and the Y-slot at the top makes a lot more sense for being able to holster the weapon quickly. The Y guides the pin into the slot so they don't have to be fiddling around trying to line it up just right. The bottom piece reminds me of "adjustable shelf standards", with a custom Y piece attached to the top. Maybe the bottom piece has several keyholes, which allows up and down adjustment of the Y-piece to suit your arm length, etc. Same concept with the the way you can adjust the shoulder harness in modern cars up and down to suit your height.

NICE! Cleaning up these parts is like a right of passage!

Wow. Thanks, Brian! Digging out enough resin to fit an entire trigger group would be insane! The trigger group extends way back into the grip, so that carving wouldn't be for the faint hearted! Maybe something to consider with the Rotozip? I'll scan my trigger group into a 1:1 PDF and post a copy in my E-11 template thread. That way, it's like working with a real part that you can cut with scissors! Give me a day or two - I'll PM you when it's there. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28936-e-11-pvc-pipe-build-templates-imperial-and-metric/?p=367618 I try my best to post crisp, clear pictures with a neutral background - it's all in the details! Thanks for noticing - it makes the effort worthwhile. I have a small, wheeled cart covered in cloth that I use specifically for taking pictures. All of my pictures are iPhone pictures since I don't have a proper camera. I recently set up a tripod to rest the iPhone against and that seems to improve the quality a little.

I certainly like the idea of a blaster build guide. On the RPF, there's a "One Stop X-Wing Thread" pinned near the top of the Studio Scale Models forum. It's an awesome reference for anyone building an X-Wing model. I'd be more than willing to contribute pictures or any portion of my build threads. In my mind, a guide would be outlined by "part" and show modifications from "classic" to "advanced". Receiver, scope, counter, trigger, folding stock, end cap, bolt, magazine, rail, barrel, selector switch, power cylinders and miscellaneous (for things like hardware). That way, if I'm building a certain part, I could reference that section of the guide to see what modifications have been done. No doubt it would be a daunting task, and I certainly wouldn't want to figure out who's modification to feature in each section. Maybe this could start with an outline, then have multiple pictures of the same modification from different builders? This would randomly provide different photographic angles and contruction methods towards achieving each modification. Perhaps the best way to give proper credit would be to acknowledge all contributing builders in a single statement at the beginning, but not mention it again in each section. Everyone gets credit, no one gets singled out.

If I were going to make a functional holster for trooping, I would use "keyhole" notches on the thigh piece. Pins on the weapon would register into the holes on the thigh and slide down into the slots. The mechanical connection would be way more secure than magnets. Beyond that, I can't imagine the strapping system to hold the thigh up with the added weight of a blaster... The images aren't clear enough, but the "clasps" look like resin globs to me. I understand the intention and like the idea, but they look like they're just there to cover the velcro. If you could find the correct clasp, they could be blind riveted to vacuum formed armor (with reinforcement from behind) and be totally funtional. If you look at the spat malfunction on the lower right, you can see the velcro strip behind the clasp...

INNOVATION GENIUS!!! I might have to steal this (and give you full credit, of course)! A rotary switch will work perfectly with the metal side plates. I was planning something a little more complicated, but also with more potential for failure - I love the simplicity of this solution. Now I'll have to start looking for a small rotary switch...and hollow out the cavity for it... Do the detent positions line up with the A, R, S letters? Even if it's close, that's good enough.