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After a bit of a dejected hiatus since I suck at painting, I thought I’d try the buttons again (I got new ones from Walt). Are these any better? I want to get them right before putting them on the ab armor and really want to get my armor done.

How did you lay the tape so the paint didn't get through? That seemed to be the hardest part with the template.

I'll try again. What size is correct for the buttons? Are they all the same? (I assume so based on the sticker template I had that didn't work for me).

My second try at blue ab buttons. Any better?

I did specify the e-11 ANH blaster and that is exactly what I got. I paid him Jan 3 and got the blaster March 30 - three months. The workmanship is really great.

I ordered over Facebook messenger and sent money via PayPal. Looking back, probably not the smartest thing to do. You’re better off ordering on Etsy so you have some recourse if things don’t work out. If you end up using PayPal, pay the extra fee to classify the transaction as a sale of goods.

You rock, @justjoseph63! Now, if I could only get my "rear-end" in gear to redo my button painting and the actual armor.....

Great review! Looks like your Hengstler is in the same spot as mine, too. Maybe even a little lower, but hard to tell if it is a lens issue or not in the picture.

I did try to put it back exactly where Hellhounds attached it. There was glue residue that I matched up.

@TKSpartan - any suggestion on how to remove the piece and move it up without significant damage?

I think I got it right. Does it look ok (the second post)? The first post had the fish-eye angle.

A better view of the Hengstler position....

Thanks! I gave it a go with the CA Medium glue Daniel recommended to keep it consistent. If it falls off, I will definitely try and figure out the bracket route. So far, it seems pretty stable. See my photos of the fixed blaster in the thread I started below.

I must say, Daniel from Hellhounds does an excellent job on these blasters. The craftsmanship is excellent and well worth the wait. Thank you, @Hellhounds for a great E-11!!!! P.S. If there is a problem with the Hengstler position, that is my fault. It broke off in shipping and I reattached it - not Daniel's fault.

Thanks! Given the Hellhounds is all rubber, do you think I should add in the angle bracket or keep it the way Hellhounds made it by just gluing the bottom of the Hengsteler counter to the barrel section? You can see the glue residue in my photos (and I can line it up using the glue left behind).

@Short4ATrooper I found these Hellhounds reference pictures. Looks like there isn't a piece between the counter and the scope for the HH version.

Thanks! I definitely don't have those L brackets included. Looks like it was glued directly and fell off in transit. I also noticed yours doesn't have the two mini barrels right in front of it. Mine is an ANH e-11. Is it possible that we have different versions?

Just received Hellhounds E-11 which looks great but got damaged in transit. Daniel from Hellounds said to use CA glue to put the piece back on. Is this the right position to put it back on? Does it need to be vertical compared to the handle? What is the correct pitch in comparison to the barrel? Any guidance on how to do this right without screwing up the blaster? Thanks in advance!

Do you then remove the white paint afterwards? Won't it be noticeable?

Thanks Joseph!!! I actually tried that exact template first and the paint all bled through. The template wouldn't adhere properly despite having pressed it down a ton. Do you have an amazon link to mineral spirits that you use? I am new to the painting side of it (if you couldn't tell by my results). I'd prefer to try again from a blank piece.

OK, based on the reference images, I think my buttons are good enough for Centurion but would like your opinions. Are these good to glue? (I ordered the microsponges just in case). Thanks @Lord_Potato!

How big a hole punch?

@justjoseph63Thank you! I tried the filbert brush and it was worse - I'm not a great painter. I did mine with the toothpick technique (which still wasn't great). I used trooperbay templates and the paint bled through. My only other thought was to use masking tape and exacto a circle, but don't have a great circle template I could use. Are my drawn lines to cut better for the ab panel?

Revised lower ab armor lines to cut. Are the lines better?

First try at Ab button painting. I know it's not great, but would it pass? I know they aren't supposed to be perfect.