Twnbrother

I used green stuff on the seams to simulate weld marks... now I just gotta wait a day for this to dry and it on to the final paint.

The electrical connections and magnetic switch work perfectly.

I soldered the wires today... took some time and patience as they were quite small.

One thing I forgot to post was that I cleaned out the vent holes where the T-tracks go in the barrel shroud. I drilled a pilot hole with a small drill bit and then dug out the resin with small woodworking tools. I also trimmed up the extra resin on the length of the T-tracks.

I finished my new barrel and buffer.... this time I made sure the buffer was one inch in length. I also placed 8 more ounces of weight in the barrel. Once the lead was in place I cut a groove for the scope light wires.

Well done. This is a really cool counter.

After looking at my photos I measured my copper cap that replicates the bolt buffer. It is supposed to be approximately one inch in length. Oops mine is 1/2" in length. I bought the wrong item. Ohh we'll back to Home Depot.

I'm thinking about 4-5 mm diameter of stamped above the trigger assembly. This would make it bigger than my 2mm stamps. It would need to be the negative of the symbol to transfer. This could be really cool. If it's on the bottom on the magazine well I would say anywhere from 10-15mm. What are your thoughts

I would say to get a new kit so you can compare the two when finished. I would look at getting Derrek's Pipe and Resin kit... it should be available this fall. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28047-phoenix-props-e-11-stormtrooper-blaster-kits-a-new-hope-and-esb/ Once it is available I plan on buying one... it has more detail than DoopyDoos

I had thought about stamping "BLASTEC E-11" above the trigger assembly as a nod to the films... I also wanted the Imperial symbol but could not think of a way to get it stamped into the model.

Does that bolt come on the doopydoos kits now?

I began the final phase of painting. I used Tino's tutorial on how to use Hammered Paint and a paper towel.... great technique for making it look like metal. After this coat dried I painted my first coat of Tamiya Matte Black.... after the second coat I will complete the wiring, assemble the weapon, green stuff the seams, touch up paint, weather and then seal with a matte finish...... So close to completion.... I can feel it...

This is just a gratuitous picture of figures in my office at work.

I also wanted to add some weight to my build.. So I bought a thicker 1/2" PVC pipe from Home Depot. The pipe comes in 24" sections and the outer diameter is a snug fit inside the DoopDoos kit. I cut the PVC to length and used Zap a Gap to glue the 1/2" copper pipe cap onto the PVC pipe. Then I bought 12 ounces of fishing sinkers from Walmart and melted them down. I placed the PVC pipe in a carafe of ice water and then poured the molten lead into the pipe. The weighted end is where the bolt would be... this gives a centered weight to the weapon 12 Ounces may not sound like much but it give it a little heft. I might add 6-8 more ounces... not sure yet.

After viewing multiple sources of the Sterling I noticed that my buffer was the wrong shape. The original is cup shaped with the hollow end facing the spring. I replaced mine with a 1/2" diameter copper pipe cap from Home Depot. I will paint before final assembly.

I finished up with the green stuff on the selector switch.... painted it silver for the base coat. To me it looks better without seeing the magnet.

Thank you Sergiu

I wanted to hide the round magnet so I covered it with green stuff and pressed into the pistol grip for the pattern.... they appear to be negatives of each other.

Thanks for the encouragement. It took me some time to come up with an idea for the light source. I hope the blaster turns out good when completed.

After seeing the photo with the tape covering the wire I decided to cut a channel in the aluminum to hide the wire. And here is a shot of the scope with the new light source.

The wires for the LED light run up through the hole for the scope rail.... it is then ran though the rail into the front "foot" of the scope. I covered this wire with Tamiya Tape and just painted. It is very hard to notice. I thought about dremeling out a channel to hide the wire, but I don't know if the work is worth it.... I might do that later. I will solder the final connections when assembling the gun.

Next I went on to create the space for the battery. I used the typical magazine well. This battery is so small you could hide it almost anywhere. Also drilled a hole behind the magazine well to run the wires.

Here is a followup on the button to turn the red light on in the scope. I did not want to add a new switch or button... so I incorporated this magnetic switch. http://myhmshop.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=ultra+compact&category_id=0&product_id=321. I placed the magnet in the selector switch... The corresponding magnet is buried in the trigger assembly. I dug out the spot with carving tools and drilled holes for the wires. I soldered the wires, inserted, and covered with green stuff. I ran the wires up through the pistol grip and dug a channel to hide the wires. I then drilled a hole in the main rifle tube to run the wire

good luck with the build. I will be following your progress

Tino I did all this with small wood carving tools. It was tedious but worth it.