usaeatt2

My OCD inspired hero build is getting closer and closer everyday. I think I've spent a grand total of 2 weeks (in daily 1-2 hour sessions) with all the hand-painted details. ALSO, I was nearly out of bubble lenses ...all I've got left are 'B' grades, so I made more...but a little different this time. As you well know, the eyes are slightly different shapes - asymmetrical. I'm doing FULL detail inside the helmet, including the details from the Star Wars cut-away book. I wanted the lenses to be symmetrical, so I redesigned a "hybrid" version of the bubble lens. I basically laid the templates on top of each other and traced a smooth curve around both. Now, I can use these lens blanks for either left or right since they're symmetrical. I also made the flanges SLIGHTY larger around each of the 3 corners to allow for mounting hardware. I'm using the little nuts off a computer serial cable pressed into custom milliput standoffs. I'll post pictures in my build thread as soon as I get the new lenses bubbled and installed...

Hunting Ewoks in the forests of southern Illinois no doubt... Enjoy your time off the grid!

You make the BEST helmets, Nick! Thanks for sharing. The detail on that vocoder is SICK!

HOLY TORCH CUTS! They REALLY butchered that frame! Did this come from Apex??? I was about to order more parts sets, but this may indicate they're scraping the bottom of the barrel!

Nice work John. Geez, I never even considered making aluminum parts...thanks A LOT for adding this to my project list... The template looks wrong. When I made my PVC templates, I started with a template I found online and ended up having to correct the spacing on the entire grid... When I was satisfied, I had literally re-drawn the whole template. This delayed the whole project, but it was worth it in the end.

Beyond going with a specialized coolant ($$), I just use WD40 since it's in a convenient spray can and you can buy it anywhere. It's just fish oil. Besides, when you're done, you can wipe down your drill press and not worry about flash rust on any of the surfaces for awhile...

Yes, Rockwell HRB 95 is harder than HRB 89. The harder the material, the higher the reading. Does the WD40 "boil off" or sizzle when you spray the bit? If so, the bit is getting too hot, you're damaging the temper of the bit, then making matters worse by shocking it with coolant, which breaks down the bit. You want to run at the appropriate speed (there are formulas to figure the correct speed for your material), and use as much force as the drill bit will accept while producing chips. Don't monkey around using light force. This causes the tip of the bit to get too hot (especially without coolant), which in turn, work hardens your material and wears out the bit. Another method you can try is cut each step, back out the drill, spray it with coolant, then cut the next step, and so on. If the coolant sizzles, the bit is getting too hot - to correct, drill less/cool more often.

I can't handle the irony... Snaps should NEVER agree to a buckle.

I think your problem is with the HF drill bits made from Chinese steel. Try a higher grade unibit - I think I paid close to $50 for my Irwin Titanium coated bit. I used A513 mild steel for my receiver - Rockwell hardness B89. You're using 4130 alloy steel - Rockwell hardness B95. Not that much difference. Drill slow and use a lubricant, if you can. I think I had my drill press set up to run 300 rpm while drilling the receiver.

Hi Sean, Irwin Industrial #15101 Titanium Unibit - 1/8" to 1/2". 1/32" per step, for 13 steps. There's a reason Harbor Freight drill bits are cheap... Don't get me wrong - I own a whole set of them, but those get used for things like remodeling jobs. The expensive bits are kept separate...for work on props. If you read my carbon fiber build, you'll see a picture of that Irwin Unibit after it got destroyed drilling 75+ holes in the carbon fiber receiver tube. The bit was still extremely sharp after the steel receiver. Totally dull after the carbon fiber. Aaron

LOL, thanks, Bone... Unfortunately, I have more ideas than time right now. Also, I've been focusing any free time on my helmet/armor since I've been around here for over a year and I'm still not even a member of the 501st. Hand painted helmet details are almost done (just have the tube stripes to finish). On the bright side, I have everything I need to finish the CF blaster and then some. I've got a nice Phoenix Props kit from Dday, a completion set from T-Jay, a magazine from gazmosis and a counter kit from Blue Snaggletooth. For some REAL fun, I also have an Adafruit 2W amplified sound FX card with a rechargeable battery pack and speakers. I can't wait to play with this - self contained, onboard blaster sounds! And finally, a couple of surprises that haven't been seen before...

I'm not familiar with this particular piece of "hardware"...please enlighten us!

I'm not seeing the failure...looks pretty good to me. If anything, you could say this part of the build got "jacked up"... How 'bout some small neodynium magnets epoxied into the receiver and folding stock handle to secure the front end?

DUDE!!!

Correction: Brian's skills are outta sight!!

Great work, JC! Having real parts for reference and measurements really helps. Thanks for the kudos in your opening! Judging by your posting so far, the end result should be good. Your methods look very familiar. At one point in my carbon fiber/resin build, I had so many reference lines in the trigger area, I had to wipe them down to avoid confusion. Tim's build is an incredible piece of work...I still can't believe he built it in the bathroom... Aaron

DUDE!!! Trust me, your parts look better than most original Sterling parts. I've never seen perfect knurling on any of the parts - they're usually all beat up and worn down from being in high exposure areas. Great job with sleeving the clip. Should be durable and work well for many years to come. Awesome and inspiring. Well done!

Sorry, I should have mentioned Derrek can do STEEL receiver tubes on the CNC - it's just an additional expense due to the longer machine time needed to cut the steel. For the rest, you'll have to talk to Derrek, but the new Phoenix Props version should turn out ULTRA cool.

I cut nearly all the odd shaped holes with a Dremel and reinforced cutoff wheels. For the charging handle slot, I cut close to the line, then fine tuned the slot with files to ensure it was perfectly straight. My replica is as accurate as possible using hand tools, but it's really just a prototype for something better... If you're interested in saving yourself an enormous amount of time, contact Dday about an aluminum or steel receiver cut on a CNC mill. I helped Derrek with the research and dimensions used in his CNC program. I'm fairly certain Derrek will be doing another run of receivers soon - and when it happens, I'll be on the list. Pardon the dramatic advertisement, but the Phoenix Props blaster will rise triumphantly from the ashes of the DVH blaster and I fully expect it to be the ULTIMATE blaster kit.

Problem resolved. HUGE thanks to PlayfulWolfCub Andy!!!

I'd really like to try these parts in my helmet (maybe with a little trimmimg to thin the parts down), but the guy won't ship international. Maybe somebody overseas would be willing to ship them to me? I can pay the shipping charges + extra for your hassle, immediately via Paypal. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stormtrooper-Helmet-Internals-Kit-/301553793704?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item463601baa8#ht_63wt_1190 If you're willing to help, please PM me.

Must be cool to describe your occupation with terms like "hacker" and "penetration tester". These were your childhood dreams? No fireman/policeman/soldier phase? I wanted to drive a tractor/trailer rig or be a garbage man when I was a kid...

I served 8 years in the U.S. Air Force as an avionics system specialist on F-16 and F-117 fighter jets (they basically have the same avionics package). Radar, radios, GPS, ring laser gyro navigation, digital flight controls, radar threat warning systems, electronic countermeasures, etc... I've been all over the world and spent a year in Kuwait during/after the Gulf War, but fortunately, never spent any time crawling around in the woods. I got out of the Air Force because all my friends were earning A LOT more money than me (mistake! - job satisfaction is worth A LOT more than money!). I went to work as an avionics technician for United Airlines at Chicago O'Hare airport. I ended up seeing some "scary" work being signed off by other technicians and leaving the gates, so I decided to look for a career change. I did lots of things to make ends meet in between jobs, including Canon copier technician, QA lab at an industrial powder manufacturer and concrete construction. I finally took a controls engineering job for Union Carbide/Praxair and I've been moving around within the company ever since. Right now, I work in a centralized control room optimizing the production of liquid/gas oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, krypton, xenon and neon for 10 facilities. What's crazy to me is I don't have a degree, but they have me using my experience to teach/train chemical engineers fresh out of college. On paper, I'm not even qualified to replace myself!

There's a price to pay for a "5 stage custom paint job"! Yep, ridiculous...

Nice work, Art. Being a metal worker, I prefer the look of the raw steel. I've found the hardest part to clean well without disassembly is under the folding stock locking plate (inside the forward grip area). There are years of gook and grime packed under that plate. Just for kicks, here's a shot of the trigger group completely disassembled...reassembly is not for the timid. You need three hands to position the disconnector while applying pressure to the sear and sliding in the pin to hold it all together. Proceed with caution if you decide to disassemble and let me know if you need help - I've done a few of these! Aaron