SlyFox740

No offense taken, just trying to understand the diagram. I'm no tank expert. I've been watching tank documentaries, very intriguing stuff.

According to the image above #5 says the Tank Commander's periscope was an M6 variant WITHOUT the telescope. The same goes for #13 the driver and the bow machine gunner/assistant driver, both M6 periscopes without the telescope inside. The only M4 periscope with the telescope inside is directly above the main gunner's seat if you look at #31 on the diagram.

I have already begun my Rogue One TK Pack build and will follow this thread closely.<br> Patiently awaiting more info...

I was talking to Chris about those periscopes yesterday, if you read the list on the right in that image above a few posts up. You can see only the main gunner's periscope on the turret actually has these telescopes inside of them, the other periscopes do not. #31 at the bottom right of the image above lists an M4 type periscope with the M38 telescope, where as #5 and #13 list M6 type periscopes which do not include the telescope inside. Because of this those M6 type periscopes are much more common and they pop up for sale more often and much cheaper everywhere, even on eBay. There were also more M6 type periscopes manufactured per tank, and only one M4 type periscope per tank which is another reason why they are less common.

Chris I seen the picture you posted of your M19, Wow! It really does appear to be in mint condition. The original finish is still there, especially where all the text is stamped into the eye ring, it looks like it's still new. Very Nice! A scope in that condition is impressive considering how much these things actually got banged around while in use. These azimuth finder telescopes for the Sherman M4 tanks were mounted on a small bracket inside the main gunner's periscope, these periscopes were mounted in the middle of the access hatch located directly above the main gunner seat. The driver and assistant driver/machine gunner also had the same hatches above their seats except those periscopes did not include the azimuth finder telescope inside as it was not needed for those positions. The hatch above the main gunner that had these M series telescopes mounted inside the periscope was the hatch that was used most often as it gave you access to the main turret at the center of the tank while the other two hatches gave access to the lower front body of the tank. Being the hatch used most often it would have constantly been flipped open and slammed shut pretty hard as it was a fairly heavy access hatch. Also the turret hatch was not always closed or "buttoned up" as soldiers referred to it, tank crew commanders would often flip the hatches open for a direct view of terrain while driving, and sometimes even direct view of enemies in the heat of battle. Talk about bravery! Although these hatches were very heavy and solid you could imagine the excessive rattling caused to the periscope/telescope units mounted in the open unsecured hatch while driving through off road terrain. You obviously scored a good one that was well taken care of not just after the war as an antique but also well taken care of during the war as sensitive high-tech military equipment. I'm sure some tanks saw much more action than others too which explains the rougher weathered/worn condition of many M series telescopes. Lots of rattling around across the battlefields of early 1940s Europe, and now for many of these scopes the added weathering of being mounted to an open rail on a hand held blaster for years instead of inside of an enclosed periscope box.

Just as I thought, the prisms alone will be an entire project in itself, which is why I said "possible future upgrade". Honeywell was a large corporation that makes all kinds of stuff and they probably have an entire department specifically just for optics research & design at their disposal, perhaps even production. I work for a large automotive corporation, almost everything in our cars is designed and produced by companies the corporation owns. Even if the prisms and lenses were outsourced from another company they were definitely a custom design. Having resources like that is what made the production of these kinds of scopes possible. And you're totally right; "They don't make things like they used to" as the saying goes, especially considering these were machined manually by hand! So much heart and care went into everything back then, especially for the war effort on the home front in factories like the Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Co. Chris I would just focus on replicating the main housing as perfect as you can for now, including the inside if at all possible. Making it function would definitely be an entire project in itself so I would put the prisms on the back burner for now and just focus on the main housing at this point. They will go so nicely as an option next to your M38 replicas, same goes with having both Hengstler logo options or different shapes of Power Cylinders. Troopers love having options to customize their kits how they see fit. Lets face it for the most part Stormtroopers all look the same, they have to because that's the rules. So what little flexibility we're allowed in these details is definitely appreciated and I think it's nice to see a little bit of variety. I would definitely push for Aluminum first but Brass would be a sweet option that's for sure! The lighter the blaster the better it is for trooping so Aluminum would probably be the most popular and affordable option, but there's always those guys who want real steel blasters with real brass scopes which is more accurate but obviously much heavier. Mirrors could work, it's definitely possible. Combined with some magnifying lenses you may be able to simulate the scope effect but just be aware of inverted/upside down images when using lenses and mirrors, there is also a factor of pillow distortion to consider when configuring your lens set up. And yes your threads look extremely accurate, I'm actually wondering if real lenses will screw into your replicas. There was a guy on here (TwnBrother) who found an entire unopened box of 24 brand new/old stock replacement lenses, both eye lenses and objective lenses. I couldn't believe it I had to purchase a set, even the quality of the unopened war time packaging was in amazing condition, the replacement lenses were packaged so well because they needed to make it out to the battlefield without being damaged in any way, layers upon layers of padding, paper and waxed canvas in a box also wrapped in some kind of waxed paper. Believe me they were sealed air tight and water proof for about 73 years, the box says "sealed and inspected in April of 1943". Perfect unused crystal clear replacement lenses complete with threaded rings! He is now sold out of the objective lenses and searching for more, but I believe he may still have some eye lenses left. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/34053-fs-m38-m40-eye-lens-assembly-and-objective-lens-assembly/ I could ask my friend but I'm not sure if he can make prisms with plastic. I assume those are made of glass or some kind of crystal? I just thought if there's any internal plastic parts in the M19 he could probably help replicate them fairly precisely for this project if needed. it was just a thought. As for the original props I assume most of the deactivated non-firing props are in locked up tight in a vault deep within the Lucasfilm archives, located on skywalker ranch. Other than those rare ones that were given away to cast members after production as keepsakes, only to end up in an expensive auction for high profile private collectors along with a few stormtrooper helmets. Then there is the live fire versions that were used by the actors to create a real muzzle flash on screen and the same thing is done in film today. Real guns are used to fire blank rounds to accomplish a realistic muzzle flash and recoil on screen. Those versions of the E-11 are most likely property of the Firearm Prop Master that worked on the film or set as they are always in charge of providing, handling, maintenance and training of the live fire props, fun fact: depending on the type of film they may also hire a war/weapons expert consultant to add direction for realism. Then there is the Bapty & Co. prop company, because of firearm importation laws Lucasfilm contracted a local company from the UK to provide E-11 props to be used in the scenes filmed in Tunisia for the Tatooine Sandtroopers, These blaster props were made up of part real deactivated sterling and part resin cast with a custom crudely grinded aluminum grip, and custom trigger guard with no trigger, this Bapty style blaster is strictly considered a Sandtrooper E-11 and not a Stormtrooper E-11. Bapty Co. is now called the "Prop Store of London" and they still have at least one of the original Tunisia Bapty blasters in their possession as the blasters were only rented and not bought they still retain legal ownership of it to this day, albeit in a slightly restored state. http://www.originalprop.com/blog/movie-guns/star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope/ Back to the topic of prisms, I'm not sure about other spotting scope prisms fitting but another member here on the forums by the name of Tino modified Brian's resin scope replica to use the prisms from a monocular. Tino does amazingly accurate blaster builds. Here's his post on the scope mod; http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/33912-phoenix-props-pipe-kit-with-completion-set-conversion-counter-inner-barrel-and-more-add-ons/?p=504695

I'm really hoping that Chris can cast and machine the main housing out to be hollow exactly like the inside of the real one. Also I hope they have the same fine threads and lens rings as his M38 replicas. This way the replicas would be open to a future upgrade to Full Functionality! I truly believe with the combined talent of both of you Chris, & Brian that a fully functional replica could finally be reproduced. The inner workings of these prisms and lenses are based on some pretty simple physics but understanding how it actually works can be quite complex. If you need any internal small plastic parts reproduced my friend does amazing work! Also I have the little clear plastic disc with the tiny cone in the center that goes in the back of the light socket if you need one to copy. Ultimately I think the main issue is getting the correct size prisms and lenses in order to make them function fully and correctly with a clear magnified sight. And of course replacing the Sherman Tank reticle with a more accurate Functioning E-11 reticle, that would be awesome! We never actually got a view through a troopers scope in any of the films but this reticle was used for the Master Replicas E-11 which was a Lucasfilm Licensed product so It's probably as close to "cannon" as we're going to get. And by "cannon" I just mean official, not "screen accurate" because this view was never seen on screen. But again it probably is the closest thing to cannon and I like the look of it which is why I'm really happy you used it on your M38 replicas already. Unless there was something else in a book that I'm not aware of I would assume the M19 has the same reticle as the M38.

Paul, did you get these buckles and straps from an additional source, or are they from the Swedish Backpack? If not what kind of buckles are these?

Wow Chris!, Those Rear end caps and Bolts are beautiful! Just as beautiful as the front muzzle cap. This project is turning out just beautiful man I am looking forward to getting one of these kits more and more! Question; will you be making a spring cup in aluminum? Everything is coming together very well, Staring at those Muzzle caps and Rear End caps just makes me excited, that's some very fine machining my friend. Beautiful work, Keep it up! Congrats again on the M19, I'm glad I could help procure one for you. Working with that kind of budget I thought I'd be able get you one in good condition. Definitely post pictures of it! I'm excited to see it. I know many great quality replicas will be precisely cloned from that one original authentic antique which is another reason I wanted it to be in nice condition. It's a great thing and about time too because these real M19 telescopes are becoming very rare, highly sought after and many people simply just cannot afford to get one. Honeywell stopped making them a very long time ago! and only way to get more is to make clones of an original piece. A detailed replica would be a very welcome item if made more available and affordable to the entire trooping community. And not just E-11 builds but also anyone wanting to replicate the DL-44 variation with the M19 scope on it.

It looks like Walt's Trooper Factory has finally been added to the vetted vendors list; http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ That's awesome, good for him.

Thanks for the compliment, I actually totally agree with you. I never debated the size of anyones capacitors, and I certainly have never been fussy over a discrepancy of just 0.5mm. I was just stating the size of these metalmite capacitors I happened to find. But again mine are type: CP31N metalmite capacitors where as Andy's (PlayfulWolfCub) are type: CP30S, they're slightly different. Same length, a hair thicker. The only reason I measured them with such precise measuring tools is because Andy and I were comparing and discussing our metalmite capacitors. I measured several of mine and they're all about 26mm x 5.4mm, that measurement is not 100% consistent across all of them as it changes ever so slightly. Remember these were hand crimped and plugged so they will not all be the same, but the package of 50 that I bought are all unused new old stock capacitors. These are not used capacitors salvaged from old electronic equipment. Now Andy's type: CP30S metalmite capacitors measure 26mm x 5mm and his power cylinders are probably considered the gold standard in the community, or at least the closest to the real thing available. But nobody actually has the real thing to compare size so we don't really know for sure, it's just the best approximation we have so far. The true origins of the cylinders has yet to be discovered, again Military Radar Equipment is just a best guess based on all the research and knowledge. Nobody has ever been able to confirm exactly where they came from. We know quite a bit about what it is and that it's function was related to audio, most likely mobile portable equipment due to the fact that everything is so close together. It could have been some kind of radar, or just a radio with different frequencies for communications maybe. Here's to hoping the mystery gets solved one day but I'm not holding my breath. I Agree, In the end. If your power cylinders are correctly proportioned and look the part, scale is always debatable until we have a true reference to go by. Thank You for the compliment. Haha you know you're a nerd when you're proud of your capacitor, resistor collection Lol Yes I'm sure, I measured several of them, many times. They all range from 5.4mm to 5.5mm in thickness. The length is about 26mm, some a little less, some a little more. These metalmite capacitors were hand crimped and plugged so they are not all 100% consistent, but mine are all brand new unused capacitors not salvaged from old equipment. Andy's (PlayfulWolfCub) metalmite capacitors are slightly different, they measure 26mm x 5mm. Chris I would use that measurement for your capacitor replicas as Andy's power cylinders are probably the closest to the real thing available. I know we all want things to be absolutely perfect with our OCD but a discrepancy of just 0.5mm is negligible, as much as that might sound like blasphemy it's true. Nobody but Andy himself is going to notice a difference. Your capacitor replicas actually look awesome Chris, I think they're pretty accurate. We will talk on the phone some more, but as for measurements I would just stick to what you have. 26mm x 5mm looks good and that's the same size as Andy's and he knows more about these than anyone on here. But again just keep in mind that nobody has real power cylinders and the true size has never been confirmed. Yes the E-11 blaster build is intense, but I believe you are helping to raise the bar on that. Aluminum will be the way of the future, and resin will be a thing of the past! Maybe someday someone will discover the origin of these. Here's to hoping someone will find a piece of equipment with multiple racks of original power cylinders one day and then the Mystery will finally be solved. On that note; Just recently someone of the RPF figured out where the "heat sink" and sight greeblies on han-solo's DL-44 blaster originated from. They were parts from a TomTit Hawker model airplane kit! Thanks Brian, it took me while to collect all those parts for my power cylinder build. Like I said I may open up sales thread one day, I have way more than I need for myself. Let me also say that your scope replicas are something to behold, you really shouldn't give up on the journey to try and make them functional. I believe you can do it, and you're actually pretty close to accomplishing that. You've come so far on that scope project. Who knows, maybe if you figure it out one day you and Chris here can team up to produce functional metal M38 & M19 scope replicas. Those would surely sell like hot cakes! I hope you get a new workspace figured out. Good luck with that. Chris keep up the great work, following your progress as always. I'm scheduled for night shift this week and next so we will have to line up a time to talk.

For the power cylinders I have been collecting genuine vintage parts for a long time, and yes they are becoming harder and harder to find. I may eventually start a sales thread for power cylinders. If you want to send me one of your capacitor replicas for comparison I would be okay with that, I could and take some comparison photos/measurements for you. I have almost 50 vintage metalmite foil capacitors, they all measure about 26mm x 5.4mm similar to that of Andy's (PlayfulWolfCub) genuine metalmite capacitors. Only his are type: CP30S where as mine are type; CP31N which I can only assume means they just have slightly different electrical capacitance values. Andy and I have had some very extensive conversations on the subject concerning model type and measurements. Here are my Metalmite capacitors I was also able to find real vintage resistors, they measure exactly 9.7mm long x 3.4mm wide just like Andy's (PlayfulWolfCub). Also just like Andy I'm using BS1361 fuses for the end caps, 10BA nuts and bolts, insulated red wire, 3/8" brass tubing for the cylinders themselves. The base plates I'm making are fabricated from an angled piece of scrap metal I found.

Chris It looks like you might actually have all 3 size eagle logos there; Small, Medium, & Large. The fist picture at the top of your blog shows a medium eagle, then the last photo has the small and large eagle logos. The smallest one (Mini Eagle) is not accurate and was not used on the blasters as far as I know but it's still better than the H 890 version and still worth some money. The Medium sized eagle logo is often incorrectly referred to as the "Small eagle" but it is in fact medium of the three that exist. This version is screen accurate. And the Large eagle with no text should have 2 screws, one above and one below the eagle. The version with one single screw above the eagle only is not accurate. As far as I know the Medium and Large(2 screws) are both screen accurate Hengstler Counters. Also when casting the front plastic cover, be sure to use one with the "Hengstler 400" text logo on the front. I believe this was done by thermal engraving but it could also be cast right into the part.

Will you be making both versions of the Hengstler logos that were used in the film? Just wondering since you're trying to make both versions of the scope that were used. This one below is my personal favorite Hengstler logo

Any plans on casting that counter socket in Brass? That would go nicely with your brass scopes and would look beautiful on any blaster! Although many people refer to the original Hengstler sockets in the movie as being "Brass", they were not actually brass. Hengstler never made any counter sockets out of brass, they were cast in pot metal and then electroplated in cadmium which has a brass or bronze colored type of finish with hues of blue or red in some spots. Now you could go this route with your replicas for accuracy. But be aware that cadmium plating isn't really done anymore as the chemicals involved in the process is dangerously toxic, unless you can find someone that still does it but cadmium electroplating might even be banned now for all I know. Which makes those pre-war eagle version counters even more unique. However the good news is that electroplating used today called "Zinc Dichromate" accomplishes the same brass/bronze color finish and would look perfect. As for the plastic parts, I wanted to show you this link for inspiration if you haven't already seen it; http://www.stormtrooperblaster.com/hengstler-400-counter.html His counters are All-Plastic replicas but the parts that are supposed to be made of plastic are super accurate! (The front cover, reset button, and wire connection terminal) For example I used his Hovi-Mix Mic Tips on my trooper bucket, they are the closest to the real thing that money can buy as the real ones don't exist anymore. And they are actually made of hard plastic like the real thing, not resin like your average mic tip replicas. They have actual open vents on the side like the real thing, and the text "Hovi-Mix Pa2" is clearly legible on them.

As they say "One man's garbage is another man's treasure" I've seen these M series sherman tank telescopes go from anywhere between $50-$600 and as Chris said the price of these genuine WWII relics will only increase and not stop. They are becoming more rare and valuable each day, they were produced during the war so it's not like they're making them anymore, this is literally the only one I've even seen come up for sale in a long time. Not to mention the fact that they were used on a world famous movie prop. So not only do you have WWII collectors seeking them but also fans of Star Wars. The significance of these antiques are two-fold, especially for people like me who are both WWII enthusiasts AND a huge Star Wars fan! Most if not all of the M19 telescopes are probably now in the hands of collectors or mounted on blasters, unless there is a surplus of them somewhere yet to be discovered they just don't really come up on the market anymore. Plus this particular scope comes with some extra parts from an M48A2 so Chris might actually be able to get it working again, with his skills I wouldn't be surprised at all to be honest. If somebody with Chris' talent buys this scope there's a good chance that person can open it up and clean or replace the lenses inside, then that person will have a real genuine functioning M19 for a good price. The fact that Chris is going to replicate the scope makes it that much more valuable too, not just to him but the entire trooper community! I can see replicas of this scope being used on many E-11s and DL-44s in the future. If you're going to make replicas of anything it's ideal to base them directly off the real thing, and I believe the exterior of this scope is in good condition.

Last I heard it's still available for sale. I actually found that listing months ago but I just didn't think about it right away, then it dawned on me. Good luck Chris, I really hope you get your hands on it!

If you only need an M19 scope for replicating purposes, maybe you don't really need a functional one as your replicas are not actually functional anyways. I found an M19 scope for sale here; http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/36831-fs-real-m19-scope/?hl=scope However it does not function, and will need to be very carefully disassembled as some of the screws are "broken". But if you look at it, this piece could actually serve as a great original scope to base your M19 replicas on. It has little to no external damage other than those screws, just a little worn/weathered but that's the exact appearance most troopers go for! This could work perfect for you.

The awesome thing about his Mic Tips in particular is that they are made of hard plastic like the real ones were, not resin. Because of this they are much more detailed and accurate than your average resin mic tips. They have actual open vents on the side just like the real thing. The text "Hovi-Mix Pa2" is clearly legible at the base of the mic tips just like the real thing. I'd swear these were original genuine parts if I didn't know any better. Only the real ones in the movie were made of white plastic and painted black on the outside by the costume designer, these are opposite. They're made of black plastic so you only need to paint the inside white for accuracy, which is ideal because it makes for a much cleaner exterior finish. The same goes for his Hengstler replicas. The real ones had a cover that was made from plastic on the front half. The rear socket half was made of cast metal in the movie, but Hengstler also made these sockets in plastic as well and many troopers today use the plastic socket version. Many of the mechanical internals were also made from plastic so these counter replicas are pretty accurate aside from the fact that they don't actually function. Though there are other 6 digit counters you could strip and put inside this replica to make it functional.

Just installed my Hovi-Mix Mic Tips from SW Prop Man, they look amazingly accurate to the real thing once assembled. Robert's work really is impressive stuff.

Sorry I missed this comment, yes most blasters have their own unique sound. They differ quite a bit from one another, and yes this is very apparent in the Battlefront video game.

I could create my own with a replicated effect but that would not be authentic. As sylverbard stated there's really not enough authentic TK chatter in The Force Awakens, I could try and gather it all up to see how much there actually is to work with. Maybe we'll get some more in episode 8 to add to to it and I could put together a collection of First Order TK chatter.

I was hoping you were going to make metal Hengstler replicas to go with those scope replicas. Can the eagle logo be cut by CNC or will it need to be stamped in with a press & die? The real Hengstler I bought from you is pretty nice. I've been watching progress on your blog, the front muzzle cap looks perfect, keep it up! I noticed you said the front and rear sights are up next, try to get the same knurling on the front sight and the serrations on the rear sight if at all possible. If things keep going the way they are I will be one of your first customers Chris Congrats on your RS Prop Masters commission, and good luck on your build! It's a fun project to assemble I find. I'm sure I'll be seeing you join up with the 501st when it's all done. I do have a genuine 1942 M.H.R. Co. M19 Telescope. But as you know it is a very rare and certainly valuable antique. I'm not sure I'd be willing to ship it out or lend it out considering how much I paid for it, I'm definitely not willing to sell it. But here's the thing, I am a trained draftsmen. I took Architectural Technology in college. I have education and extensive experience in AutoCAD and some other 3D modeling software. I also have precise measuring tools, vernier calipur, ect. I've been very swamped with other work lately but If you're interested maybe I can draw up some plans for you in the future, what kind of files would you need for the CNC? Here's some photos of my M19 Also there is another option for Blaster sound boards, but similar to a lightsaber logic board this one also does flashing lights! http://www.plecterlabs.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=69 Here's a good example video of an install, it's version 4.0 but 5.0 has been upgraded a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Z9tibfCrA

Awesome work on the Aluminum E-11 and Scope Replicas Chris! I have been keeping a very close eye on this project. I would definitely be interested in a completed aluminum Sterling kit when they're available. Your scope kits look great too, I'm so glad somebody finally decided to make metal replicas. I actually bought a large eagle Hengstler Counter from you through eBay months ago, it's pretty rare. I haven't seen another one like it since. Anyways I look forward to seeing more progress on this project, keep up the great work Chris!

Yup, that was ME! And I'm so glad that moment was captured on camera. I was dressed as Darth Vader, I know it's not a screen accurate Vader but my TK wasn't done yet and the entire group I went with did a Star Wars theme so I wore this. It's just a Halloween costume I put together like 4 years ago but I'm still kind of proud of it, not to mention this photo will be a memory I will always cherish. It captures one of my very first encounter experiences with the 501st. What an awesome day that was! So I believe that's you on the left Brad, correct me if I'm wrong. Do you know who the other TK on the right was? I kind of want to know now, Lol. It's a crazy coincidence that it was you Trooping the Tantive area right then and that It was you I said hi to. I had no Idea who it was but I noticed you were almost my height or so which is what I initially questioned you about. Your kit looks so good, you did an excellent job assembling that! That's why I got kind of excited when you told me it was the New AP kit. I don't know if you read my reply to your last comment in this thread on post #52, but your build thread actually helped me make the decision to go with Authentic Props, and I love the new kit. I'm so excited about it! Which is why I think it's such a coincidence, the first new trooper friend I make is the same guy that helped inspire me to choose the kit that I did. So glad I got to meet you Brad, I look forward to trooping along side you in the future.