kman

Done with the bumpers and the screws. This box is done! (excuse the drying paint) The rest of the to-do list has taken a back seat to some other emergency costume needs (with a deadline), but I'm back on this 100% now. Tonight I 3D designed and printed 2 new parts: Shaped mounting blocks for the baby wipes bottle and for the faceted cup parts. Because screwing round objects onto a flat surface makes for oddness, in my book. This should let me very securely mount the two parts to the backplate, prevent them rocking or moving, and in the case of the lower faceted cup, holds it off the backplate at a good vertical angle. There are reinforced screw holes in the mounts which should let me fasten things together nice and tight. I still need to: Sand and paint the radio box faceplate Cut the picture box shorter, paint it, glue on the faceplate Predrill and rivet the gray cup to the black faceted cup Add the top screws to the faceplates where needed (partially done) Clean off the labels/logos and paint the baby wipes canister Paint and glue the rubber bumpers Cut the ends off the tube end caps and get that all glued together, with the TK shoulder strap part. Cut out the oil pan opening and remove the screw top, since I guess we can't use the antennas anymore? Bummer, since I bought the antenna. Scuff up the bare black plastic of the oil pan Attach all the various parts to the oil pan. (Gotta look into how best to attach them... I'm thinking nuts and bolts, so components can be swapped out easily as/if needed.) Attach shoulder straps Small steps, but ever closer nonetheless...

YES!!! The R1 rail is a bit too tall for ANH, but that should still be a really simple change for them. I'd think.

They're both "rails", technically, so you get a pass.

No, not the "tactical flashlight rail", just the scope rail. We're referring to the metal (normally) rail that the M19 scope is attached to, running along the top. Borrowing an image from the FISD E11 reference thread: The scope should be mounted to a thin metal rail, like one of those above. You should be able to see light between the rail and main tube/body of the blaster. On both the Hyperfirm and PB blasters, they mold that rail out of rubber (instead of being metal), and connect it all the way to the body, underneath, so you can can't see under it. On the Hyperfirm, the connection between the "rail" and the body is thin and can be cut away to make it look better. On the PB, the rubber underneath the "rail" is THICK and would be very hard to cut away without seriously mangling the rubber underneath. (But on the PB Rogue One E11 variant, they actually use a proper metal rail for this part. That's what we'd like to see on the ANH version.)

Agreed, if they had a metal rail on this thing (similar to how they do on the R1 version), I'd be overjoyed.

They were. Fortunately, the ORIGINAL owner of Hyperfirm has now opened Praetorian Blasters... and even stepped up the game, in terms of accuracy. (See my recent comparison thread in the E11/ANH forum)

I've been trooping with my Hyperfirm E11 for a while now, and have been very happy with it. Without getting into the details, it's definitely sad that Hyperfirm blasters are no longer made, since HFx Productions is no more. Somewhat on a whim, I decided to snap up a blaster from Praetorian Blasters, to see how they compare to my Hyperfirm. I got it a few days ago (a little under 3 weeks from ordering, IIRC), and snapped a few photos to compare to my Hyperfirm. Sorry all the angles aren't perfect, but I was in a hurry and had no extra helpers. Some notes: 1) Yes, my Hyperfirm is a *b-grade*. But it's a pretty solid B-grade, with almost no defects... I'm a bit surprised it wasn't rated higher. That said, the "main" mold lines tend to be a little cleaner on the higher-grade models, because they spend more time cleaning them up. So don't judge that comparison quite as harshly as you otherwise might. 2) My Hyperfirm is one of the older models. Shortly after I got mine, HFx revamped their moulds a bit, and upgraded some parts for better accuracy and strength. (The power cylinders were much improved, I know, and the connection to the Hengstler counter was greatly improved) 3) One thing that doesn't show up in photos: Weight. The PB is noticeably lighter than the HFx. We're not talking Rubies levels of featherweight, but definitely lighter. That'll likely be both a pro and a con. The weight of the HFx just "feels" perfect in the hand. The PB feels notably more "fake" in your hands, by comparison. OTOH, it'll be nice to have a lighter blaster on long troops, or when it's holstered. 4) The out-of-box weathering on the HFx was pretty much perfect. Not too much, not too little. They got the right amount of gold/brass tones on the scope, too. There are always a few things you can tweak, but it's entirely optional. The PB weather was MUCH more restrained. For some, that's a positive, others, less so. You CAN troop it out of the box, but I feel it could use a little more. And of note, there is no brass/gold on the scope at all. No silver, either, fortunately, but this could definitely benefit from a touch of brass tone on the scope, even if nothing else is touched, IMO. (Note: I saw a post by PB mentioning "advanced paint jobs" or something to that effect, with a photo showing a scope with some brass tones on it, so perhaps this will be changed in newer shipments) HFx (L), PB (R): TOP DETAIL VIEW (HFx has a notiriously shortened magazine. But it doesn't look "wrong", really, until you put it by one with a more accurate magazine size.) HFx (T), PB (B): TOP VIEW HFx (L), PB (R): FRONT VIEW (As a reminder, I think the mould lines on the higher grade HFx models are cleaned up more, usually... but wow, that PB muzzle is SHARP) PB (L), HFx (R): BACK VIEW (Note that's my lamp chain D-ring, not one supplied by HFx. The PB D-ring is rubber, moulded in one piece with the blaster itself, which is a pretty nice compromise, actually, since I doubt you'd want to risk putting much strain on that ring anyway.) HFx (T), PB (B): RIGHT SIDE Finally, a spring! HFx (T), PB (B): LEFT SIDE: One of the few issues I have with the PB: I wish the trigger was cut out more, behind it, as the HFx is. I might try to do this, myself. PB (L), HFx (R): BACK QUARTER VIEW Note that magazine! One area PB falls shorter, IMO, is the rail that the scope is mounted on. While technically the rail itself seems more accurate than Hyperfirm's, it's filled with a pretty solid chunk of rubber. The HFx rail is way less accurate... and ALSO filled in. But the fill is very small and very thin, and as you can see, I cut mine out in the front and back (left it under the scope where it's hidden behind the Hengstler counter anyway, for extra stability), which I think was a distinct improvement. I don't know, at this point, if that would be possible with the PB blaster. You'd see a lot more cut rubber under the rail, since it's higher. If there are any specific photos or closeups someone would like, please let me know! I intend to add a bottom view shot soon... forgot to take that one! Actually, I took one of the PB alone, just forgot to do one side by side with the HFx: PB: BOTTOM VIEW And just as one final pic that didn't fit anywhere else, I just love this detail shot, of the PB. SO CLEAN!!! Enjoy!

Quick update: Note these are just placed for the photo, not yet attached. Pretty happy with how this is coming together, though! I still need to: Sand and paint the radio box faceplate Cut the picture box shorter, paint it, glue on the faceplate Predrill and rivet the gray cup to the black faceted cup Add the top screws to the faceplates where needed Clean off the labels/logos and paint the baby wipes canister Paint and glue the rubber bumpers Cut the ends off the tube end caps and get that all glued together, with the TK shoulder strap part. Cut out the oil pan opening and remove the screw top, since I guess we can't use the antennas anymore? Bummer, since I bought the antenna. Scuff up the bare black plastic of the oil pan Attach all the various parts to the oil pan. (Gotta look into how best to attach them... I'm thinking nuts and bolts, so components can be swapped out easily as/if needed.) Attach shoulder straps I also need to look into exactly how the magazine pouch attaches to the pauldron (or shoulder straps)? The to-do list seems longer than it should be, for how close it feels, but most of these steps should go fairly quickly.

Slow going (life got REALLY busy, but some progress. We finished the baby wipe canister (LOL). Base coat on the canister body is done. I decided I didn't want to see the top of the lid opening (really obvious what it was!), so I cut a disk of plastic to put over it. Turns out those tops aren't perfectly flat, so I had to cut away much of the middle of the cap, to get the topper to sit down better. It's all glued, and the paint should be dry by the time I get home. Finished canister: (pic to be added once I get home!)

I don't see why not: AS LONG AS it's visually indistinguishable from paint, particularly in your photos. If it visibly looks like marker, it's not going to fly. But considering decals/stickers are allowed, there's no rule that it HAS to be actual paint. It just has to look right.

Sorry things have been so delayed for you. But good luck! I think it will work out well in the end.

The PB guys have not been frequenting any of the forums. Did you message them on Facebook? That's pretty much the only way to reach them, and I've found them to be quite responsive when contacting them through that channel. I know they JUST finished a new run in the past few days and are shipping this week, so if yours isn't already in transit, it likely will be soon. These are worth waiting for. I got mine yesterday. (it helps to be local)

Ran into a bit of a snag on my way to completion. Two snags, one bigger than the other. Snag #1: My wife didn't want me to waste a perfectly good thing of baby wipes, when we have a toddler in the house. LOL So we had to finish those before I could use it, LOL. Just emptied it this morning, finally, and painted the base coat on the main body. I'll add the black square next. I want to cover the top of the lid with a round disk, so you don't see the telltale Baby Wipe lid, so I need to scrounge some scrap plastic to glue over it, then I'll paint the lid and be ready to start attaching stuff! Snag #2: One downside to 3D printed covers I didn't think of. I had painted another coat on the biggest one, the arches piece, and left it drying in the sun for longer than intended, on a hot day, and the dang thing softened and curled. I probably should have used PETG (or even ABS) for better heat resistance. I'm going to replace the full plate with regular plastic, and just re-printed the part with the arches on it, which I'll glue down well to the plastic. Being well-glued should help stop any future curling. But having time to cut that plastic sheet is going to delay things slightly. Plus I have to repaint the arches, now. With any luck, things should start to move fast on this, now. Although I do need to get some webbing and buckles for the pack straps, first. I think have I have old camping cinch straps I can sacrifice for this. I'm thinking I want to 3D-design some mounts for the curved pieces. Just a simple curved bit with a flat back, so I can hold everything nice and straight, and it won't wobble at all. Shouldn't take long since I basically need to trial and error to get the curve just right, and then it'll be a quick print.

Today, I: Cut the rim off the plastic tupperware boxes with my Dremel, as well as the little corner ridges. Cleaned up and ready to paint! First coat on the button box plate (filler primer): Second coat the on the button box! Plus painted the three tupperware boxes, all cleaned up and done with those (visible in the background, there). They're glued to the tupperware boxes with e6000. Cut the TK shoulder bridge section, and heat shaped it to the curve of the tube: Cut off the end of the faceted cup, painted it, cut a flat top cover for it (I used the lid from the largest tupperware box as a plastic donor!), and painted that, plus painted the cap from a 2 liter bottle of soda I was ready to recycle anyway. The flat lid is being glued to the faceted cup (e6000) as I type this, so once that's cured I can start adding rivets. I still need to: Sand and paint the radio box faceplate Cut the picture box shorter, paint it, glue on the faceplate Predrill and rivet the gray cup to the black faceted cup Add the top screws to the faceplates where needed Clean off the labels/logos and paint the baby wipes canister Paint and glue the rubber bumpers Cut the ends off the tube end caps and get that all glued together, with the TK shoulder strap part. Cut out the oil pan opening and remove the screw top, since I guess we can't use the antennas anymore? Bummer, since I bought the antenna. Attach all the various parts to the oil pan. (Gotta look into how best to attach them!) Attach shoulder straps I can't recall if the oil pan is supposed to be painted, or just left as bare black plastic? I also need to look into exactly how the magazine pouch attaches to the pauldron? I think that's about it, though!

Thx! I have those, too. Although I might get black ones instead, now that I know they exist. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8I6YLH/?coliid=I30EH0HAOXQ8GW&colid=2SE1JG8WV7K6M&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Two weeks shy of 1 year to the date! But I've recently started working at this again, inspired by a buddy who knocked his pack out. I don't think I mentioned it above, but I did get my orange pauldron in, from trooper1 at MEPD.net. Fantastic quality! Truly a step above the cheaper Etsy and eBay pauldrons I own. I've decided to let go of the hand-built carefully-scaled boxes, and just knock out a pack per Ukswrath's sticky build thread, since that'll match other local HWTs better anyway. I already had the tupperware bits, after all. I even grabbed the photo box from Michaels, since I happened to stumble across one and it was so cheap I couldn't say no. One thing that's been holding me back is my personal dislike of the art board system... I can see the knife cuts and lifted edges, and it just bothers me. That, and hand cut curves are never going to be as perfect as the CGI ones in the game (especially if I'm the one cutting them... poorly), so I wanted a more refined approach. Enter 3D printing! I've learned enough modeling that knocking out these basic shapes, on flat plates that can easily be printed and applied, is really easy! And it delivers the perfection I've been seeking! Here are some pics of the basic plates I drafted. (Note these are early models that have been refined a bit... I haven't taken updated pics of the more detailed models, but these show the basic idea!) (I refined this a bit, adding serrations to the knobs, for instance. This had to be be printed in two pieces but that works fine! Note I made the upper frame thicker, just like on the real onscreen models) (This arch panel is pretty final, actually... I don't think I made many changes) (yes, the center plate in this button panel is sunken instead of raised, here, but I've since fixed that) (The vent panel has separate louver plates that are placed into the grooves, just in like Ukswrath's sticky pack build thread. This lets you paint them separately, and the fit is nice and snug so they glue into place very easily, and the "bump bars" make it nearly impossible to put together incorrectly!) Vent louvers: Closeup detail of the vent panel, with a quick paint job applied: Here's the basic pack, all laid out, with the 3D printed panels laying atop the tupperware tubs: Overhead shot: I'll likely use an actual soda bottle cap for the cup assembly at the bottom. I'll make a printed disk capper for my white cup, but that'll be unique to each person's cup, so probably not useful to others. Once I'm satisfied, and have an approved pack (read: my models passed muster!) I'll publish the models to Thingiverse, free to all to access. I'm excited to be making progress on this!

Oh, one warning about Chicago screws: Add a tiny dab of threadlock (or E6000) to the screw threads. They sometimes loosen over time without it, and it's a hassle to deal with a holster falling off halfway through a parade. A tiny dab of protection, and you won't have to worry about that.

I agree. That's pretty obviously a Rubies blaster painted black, with a small amount of weathering. Last Rubies blaster I bought was $13. It takes about 5 minutes to lay down a coat of black, and another 2 minutes with rub n'buff to add the weathering. Done. Nice markup! I'm in the wrong business. Many GMLs will accept Rubies for basic approvals, but definitely not all. It's the blaster from Rebels, with mostly ANH features. Others have already noted the many issues with this, compared to an actually accurate ANH E11. Personally, I wish Rubies blasters (essentially unmodified, like these... some people have done spectacular accuracy modifications, but it's way less work to start from another base!) would only be approved provisionally for 6 months. If you're still trooping with a Rubies after 6 months, it's time to upgrade. IMO, that is.

In addition to Praetorian, those seeking blasters of this sort might also look into Shear Tech, based in the UK. As I understand it, they are quite popular with our UK brothers... the "HyperFirm of the UK", if you will. (there is NO connection between the two companies!) Shear Tech has a Facebook page... I'm not aware of any other way to reach them. The owner seems quite responsive to PMs, however.

Definitely ok. I recommend it instead of pop rivets, because then you can swap the belt easier.

Heh. I noticed that, too. The spreadsheet in the OP still shows it reversed, unless there's a different one later for some reason. Great table, though!

Hi, sorry for the delay. Revisiting this. Roger confirms he has not received any emails. I'm going to PM you his info so it's not posted publicly here.

Re-reading his message, I think his username is his TKID: TK28602. I've sent him a message for confirmation, but I'd start there, if possible. Edit: His "first attempt" at signing up, under the first email address, was for username "Frogstir". The second attempt, with an alternate email, was for username "TK28602".

Might be too late for this, but rather than rivets, I used Chicago screws to mount my ammo belt to my canvas belt. It's removable if I need it to be, but won't come off by accident. (use a tiny dab of E6000 on the threads to lock the screw)

Hi, I'm posting on behalf of Roger David, a new recruit who has been trying to get signed up to the FISD forums. He has tried multiple times but has not received an approval yet, because he never receives a confirmation email. Two different email addresses were used, both at mac.com. (Not sure if I should post them here, but I have them both if needed) His TKID is TK28602. Can something be done to assist him in getting logged into the forums?