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Looks good to me! I'd use that blaster! You've even got the D-ring. Paint the bolt metallic grey with maybe a hint of olive mixed in, not shiny silver. If you want to be really picky, the bayonet lug is not lined up with the flat area. Only the post production E-11's had coiled wires, so you can leave those off and still be screen accurate. Leia's escort also had wires, but those were not coiled - more like leftover bare wires. Nice work!!!

Found this on the Henkel website (parent company for Loctite products): Anaerobic products are not recommended for use in assembly that includes thermoplastics, as it will soften their surface and cause a crack. Examples are ABS, Acrylic, PVC, etc.

In my mind, I'd like to think he made his own really creepy coffin...

EXCELLENT WORK!!! OUTSTANDING!!!

I'm curious what's in this special deglazer that you couldn't just use a cheap and readily available bottle of isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits. I would imagine for any kind of deglazing action, there has to be a solvent involved (and that's further supported by "Caution: Flammable"). Maybe the deglazer has some kind of magic leather conditioner that prevents the leather from drying out? Are the ingredients listed on the label?

Thanks, Germain. I'm hoping to assemble another set using the accurate parts this week. Hopefully the result is even better!

Update: I tried Tino's suggestion with a brand new 9V battery and no luck. They made Hengstler counters for different voltages (the coil impedence varies depending on the voltage spec). Based on a photo in Tino's build thread, his counter is made for 12VDC and has an impedence of 52 ohms. Tino's will work with a single 9V battery. My counter is made for 24VDC and has an impedence of 154 ohms. Mine will not work with a single 9V, BUT I tried two 9V's in series (like shown above) and it WORKED! By some stroke of luck, two 9V batteries will just barely fit inside my trimmed magazine. So close, in fact, it looks like it was planned that way. I've got a plan for running the power wires that will make them look like the coiled wires from the power cells. Looks like my plan to have a functional "shots fired" counter just might happen...

I think the only possibility of someone outside the hobby appreciating the investment of time and money is to SEE an approved Stormtrooper costume in person. Even then, they've got to be a fan otherwise it doesn't make any sense to them. To each his own.

Looking good, Tim! I like the part about using the charging handle slot to mark the wall thickness - brilliant. And yep, those cut off discs don't last long against steel. I buy them in a little dispenser that contains 20 discs. I'm liking the soft iron metallic - I may have to add that one to my growing collection!

What's worse, is a coworker spotted me and came over to say hello in the jewelry making aisle at Hobby Lobby. ME: "I'm finding parts for my Stormtrooper blaster." CW: "Uh huh. What kind of jewelry do Stormtroopers wear?" ME: "No, REALLY. It's to mock up tiny little resistors with red and black ends." CW: "Uh huh." LOL, This is the first item I own that's bedazzled, so I'm pretty excited too. Thankya. Thankya verrry muuch.

Welcome Mans! I applaud your efforts. Every time I do a new project, I learn something. If you are having fun and learning along the way, then keep doing it. Through your collective learning, your projects will get better and better. From your armor project, I'm sure you learned the properties of HIPS plastic and how to work with it. If you keep creating, you'll advance to better plastics and better tools. I'll use a musical analogy - my wife has been playing professionally for over 40 years. She started out on a cheap, beginner piano. As her skills improved, she got progressively better equipment until we finally bought a baby grand piano a few years ago. It seems like you're asking about materials so you can take the next step in your hobby. Talk to Walt. Shoot him a PM with your questions. Try new plastics, try new mold materials and maybe build a vacuum table. Check out the threads in "The Foundry" area. One recent thread which might be of PARTICULAR interest to you: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/27185-albuquerque-storm-trooper-helmet-mold/ Most of all, GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!

Brian, when you go to buy stain, make sure you also get a pre-stain conditioner. Pine will soak up stain unevely and end up looking blotchy - the conditioner will even it out. Although I hate doing it, there's something cathartic about sanding...until your hands go numb on the palm sander. I restored a classic wooden boat years ago and probably sanded for hundreds of hours collectively. Keep up the good work!

+1 Take it off so all the grain is going the same direction - especially if you plan on staining at some point. Looks really good. I wish you guys all lived in my neighborhood so I could loan you tools - a belt sander would have taken far less time than the palm sander. On the plus side, I bet that stock is silky smooth!!!

Well, since I found new parts and bought screen accurate parts from Andy (PlayfulWolfCub), my first draft power cylinders from this build thread kind of got pushed off to the side. I decided to finish them this weekend. I may use them on a resin build or even offer them up for sale. I finished the aluminum cylinders (although they have incorrect 2-56 nuts and bolts), mocked up center resistors from small aluminum tubing, 3mm beads (my resistors are BEDAZZLED) spare wires and epoxy putty. Finally, I soldered the resistors, wires and cloth covering details on the back. I thought I would post the final pictures to sort of close out this thread. All that's left to do is maybe add the little stub wings to the outside of the cylinders and hit them with a light coating of flat black. I may do a shorter version 2 build thread using the correct parts (10BA nuts and bolts, the correctly shaped caps and screen accurate resistors). If you have any questions about the materials or plans, leave a post or send me a PM. I also have many more pictures from finishing this build. NO ONE will ever make power cylinders more accurate than Andy, but that wasn't the intent here. The intent was to make them from parts you can easily find at local hardware stores. I accomplished that and I've probably got less than $20 invested (and a whole lot of time). With that said, what do you think?

Stay tuned!!! Next time, on Tim's massive blaster build... I hear you, brother...trying to make a final decision on paint is going to be the toughest part for me. Right now, I've got 7 new cans of various "blaster" paint lined up on my side workbench. I glance over every once in awhile thinking maybe the correct solution will just pop into my head. I've even considered getting real parkerizing solution from Brownell's - that would be different. I also have a can of truck bed liner. I see lots of test panels in my future... Since I do lots of other fabrication work, I'll use all the paint one way or another. Who needs Obama? We've got the "stormtrooper stimulus plan". I think that every time I spend money for something else. If everybody in the U.S. joined the 501st, our economy would be just fine.

I hope it doesn't take 50 days!!!

I'll have to give that a try. A single 9V in the magazine would be the way to go for sure. I tried a half dead 9V and it didn't work. Looks like I'm going to buy fresh batteries after lunch with my Mom!

Really nice work, Brandon! I'd be afraid to let the lower leg armor slide down over those for the first time...maybe you could glue the soft side of some white velcro at the bottom around the inside of that leg armor to help prevent the edges from digging into your boots? Or maybe it won't matter since you've got what, 8 coats on them?

I don't know... The coil can't have much draw for the split second it's energized - I wonder if something like below would have enough amperage? I must try and see...bwaaaahahaha!!!

The 1942 M38 rear foot drops STRAIGHT down the side. The 1943 M38 rear foot CURVES in, then back out. The M38A2 has a deep groove in the scope body for a brass mounting ring. The ring is used to mount an M30 instrument light which provides reticle illumination. I believe both the 1942 and 1943 M38's are acceptable. If the brass ring is removed and the groove filled to a smooth taper to match the M38's, I think the M38A2 could be made acceptable.

It's a 24V counter, but it works down to about 15V. I was thinking an RC car battery.

It didn't. I took some tinkering to get that old coil working again. I actually hit it with 110V a few times to "loosen things up". I'm a control systems engineer. It's what I do!!!

I'm considering installing a microswitch within the trigger group and wiring up an RC car battery so the counter increments every time I pull the trigger... What do you guys think?

SWEET! Congratulations, Adam!!!