[Rubies E11 mod]

FANTASTIC job!!!
Mine's just about done.. I have to attach the cords. In the meantime, I'm making a sort of "light box" display stand. I just need to get some plexiglass and rope lights to put into it.
I want to thank you so VERY much Artimorty! Had I not run across this thread, I'd have probably just followed HappyTrooper on YouTube. Not saying his is bad, you just took the customization, and ran with it!

[Rubies E11 mod]

I hear ya on still so much to do!

For the OFF and the A R S, I first drew them on with a pencil, and using an incredibly tiny engraving bit with my Dremel, carefully carved them out. I think it worked ok, I used a needle file on the letters afterwards to clean them up.

Yours came out fantastic!!!

[Rubies E11 mod]

It did very much so! Thanks!

Since my drawer pull was brass, I cut the slot before glueing it on, so the plastic wouldn't get damaged from the heat. Worked like a charm!

Unless you have any last minute ideas, I'm going to call mine done. I've pretty much did everything you've done, and looking at reference pics online, I really can't see anything else to do! I've just begun spraying the insides and out with black. There's some parts I need to add after the two halves are glued back together, and the seam filled and sanded. 

This really has been fun, and I've YOU to thank!

Thank you Artimorty!

[Rubies E11 mod]

I ask, because I have a small brass drawer pull, perfect size, with the circles. I just had to trim the stem of it down a bit. I haven't glued it on the magazine yet, in case I do have to cut a slot across it.

[Rubies E11 mod]

Artimorty, the replaced cap with the concentric circles... Does that still need a slot across like a big screw?

[Rubies E11 mod]

Just about where I am now as well. I've been looking around the net looking at images of E-11's, just to see what else I can do on this. 

Like you, trying to figure out painting order. Since the "rod" in the folding stock is going to be silver, I'll have to prepaint the halves first I imagine?

[Rubies E11 mod]

Pic's kinda blurry from my crappy phone camera, but you can see them. This was after priming twice, clear coating twice, and flat black twice. I trimmed super careful with an exacto and a cutting board each letter individually, the only thing just too small to trim inside was the E's.

[Rubies E11 mod]

Pic's kinda blurry from my crappy phone camera, but you can see them. This was after priming twice, clear coating twice, and flat black twice. I trimmed super careful with an exacto and a cutting board each letter individually, the only thing just too small to trim inside was the E's.

[Rubies E11 mod]

For the FREE & LOCK letters, not having any access to alphabet pasta, I was lucky enough to find someone with a Dymo embossing labeler. I had a strip printed out with FREE & LOCK several times, and using an exacto knife, very carefully cut the letters out. Good thing I had printed out the words several times, as I dropped the C when I was peeling off the backing to it! I can't see me crawling around on the floor looking for a teeny little letter! Ugh!! As it is, neither the C or the K would stick, so I had to dab them with glue. I'm going to prime, clear coat and then spray paint the plate before glueing the plate to the inside of the handle, to help hold the letters in place better.

[Rubies E11 mod]

For the FREE & LOCK letters, not having any access to alphabet pasta, I was lucky enough to find someone with a Dymo embossing labeler. I had a strip printed out with FREE & LOCK several times, and using an exacto knife, very carefully cut the letters out. Good thing I had printed out the words several times, as I dropped the C when I was peeling off the backing to it! I can't see me crawling around on the floor looking for a teeny little letter! Ugh!! As it is, neither the C or the K would stick, so I had to dab them with glue. I'm going to prime, clear coat and then spray paint the plate before glueing the plate to the inside of the handle, to help hold the letters in place better.

[Rubies E11 mod]

I couldn't get the smaller lens of the binoculars to fit inside the scope's front, so I ended up cutting off the scope's front, enlarging the hole, now the binoculars piece has replaced it. Clamped together, you CAN actually see thru the scope, somewhat, but lol everything's upside down! Ah well, at least light passes through!

You're right! Same supplier for the power cylinders! Small world!

[Rubies E11 mod]

nuts, double posted

[Rubies E11 mod]

hahahaha I'm on the fence about the tracks... I completely understand about wanting to keep as much as you can original. I think, I might go down your road again, with a slight detour.
I use a 2-part epoxy called Plastic Weld... A LOT! I love this stuff... strong? Oh BOY is it strong! I'm thinking, that once cutting those half moons at the end of the tracks, I can add some of that epoxy to the ends of the tracks, leading down into the holes. Might be some work, but it should end up looking right. Most things look good in my head, till I try them out for real, LoL!!
Some things you've done, I've had to make parts using alternative materials... just using materials I have at hand. I wouldn't even know where to find sintra anywhere near me. I live in a pretty small town. No craft or hobby stores anywhere near me (the closest would be an hour's drive away). The guys at my local hardware store love seeing me come in... "Whatcha making Mark?" Well... I am modifying a Stormtrooper Blaster toy! You could go your whole life and never hear that! hahaha
Like you, I have ordered a 3-D printed cylinders and the three prong plug thingie, same day I ordered the Rubies.. still waiting for those parts. I have an old phone charger for vehicles, that might be the right thickness for the cords to connect the two. I won't know for sure until they arrive (anywhere from today to the 9th, according to eBay). The auction I ordered them from, includes a decal for the counter, and the scope.

[Rubies E11 mod]

Too late for you, but did you consider just carving off the existing T-tracks and adding after market ones? I'm considering it.. I'm not up to the stage you got with them yet. Just I see they are solid except for the top track. I know after market tracks would be too long, but that wouldn't TRUELY be an issue, one could trim them, as long as they go down in the holes it should be alright?

Thoughts?

[Rubies E11 mod]

For my scope, I sacrificed an old pair of mini binoculars just for the lenses. You can't exactly see clearly thru the scope, but looks better than nothing!

[Rubies E11 mod]

Artimorty, you've paved the road, we're just following you!
Do your ears ring? I've both praised and cursed your name working on mine, hahahaha
Impatient man I am, I went ahead on seperating my halves without waiting for a response. Nothing broke, thank GOD, but you are right, it was rough! After doing the top t-track, there was that gap, and also when I sanded flush the molded d-ring, there seemed to be a notch there, so using an exacto, and flat head screwdriver, I carefully slid it along the seam. You could hear "pops" as the glue let go. I was terrified that it was the plastic, but nope, just the glue!
I won't plague everyone with pics, as it's pretty much what you have done already! This is frustrating, but I am having a BLAST doing this! Thank you so VERY much for doing this!!
Mark

[Rubies E11 mod]

How did you get the halves apart? You mentioned putting it in the freezer overnight, but then what?

[Rubies E11 mod]

I am going to be getting a Rubies blaster very soon, and was going to mod it going by the video on YouTube by HappyTrooper.. Which I WILL do, but I think I am going to go your route too, if you don't mind, and try my hand at what you've done as well!

[What to do?]

Thanks for the input guys! I really appreciate it!
So chances are, I am going to go with the full resin kit. I'm always the type of guy who can't leave well enough alone, so I will go the extra mile to add things that will make this as accurate as possible! Granted, the average joe off the street sees this, and they won't know one thing from another, but I will, and that's what counts!

Thanks again all!

[Hello from Maine!]

Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself:
My name is Mark, I live in Northern Maine, and up until recently, was co-owner and operator (driver) of BULL MOOSE TAXI up here. I drove taxi for the better part of 14 years, give or take a year or so.
I've been a fan of Star Wars since day ONE. I went to A New Hope when it hit my local theater, and fell in love with it, went every night it played, had all the toys, records, books, models, what have you back then. If I could get into a Time Machine, I'd go back and have my parents buy 2 of everything for me, and hide half in the attic or something. I'd be rich now! LoL
Living up here in Northern Maine, I am surrounded by wildlife. I live at the top of the Appalachian Trail, with Mount Katahdin in view from my hometown. When I can, I grab my camera, hop in my Jeep, and head up the Golden Road, and look for wildlife to take pics of... mostly moose! There is something awesome, about being close to those giants, and there have been plenty of times I've been within touching distance of them! Not that I'd dare to, they could stomp me to death easily!
I'm a bit of an artist, ever since I was young, going from drawing, to glass etching, to woodburning. I also enjoy a form or woodworking called Intarsia, which is kinda like a wooden jigsaw, which I cut up using a scrollsaw, and then hand sand, and then hand stain each piece before glueing back together. Sometimes I'll even shape the pieces, making an almost 3-D "sculpture". I mostly do these for myself, and sometimes as gifts. Come birthdays or the Holidays, I'm about as busy as Santa's Elves!
I'm in my lower 50's now, bald by choice, heavily tattooed, although I am not a biker... not a "wannabe", more like a "can'taffordtobe"!
I'm married to a wonderful woman, who doesn't deserve a crotchity old man like me, but God BLESS her for putting up with me! She encourages most everything I do!
My daughter from another marriage is grown, and has sons of her own, with one on the way now. My step-daughters the same, grown, with kids of their own as well, and "Grumpy" loves them all!
I want to thank everyone here for being who you are! This is one heck of a nice place, and even nicer people in it!
Mark Bulley

[What to do?]

Hey gang! First post here! I've been lurking for a bit, trying to decide what to do?
My wife is giving me some goof off money from our tax returns, and I've decided to make a E-11 blaster.
Years and years ago, I had found a tutorial on how to make one out of wood and pvc, and I made not one, but two of them, and at least to me, they were pretty decent! One of the blasters I traded with a guy for a helmet, and I kept the other one and displayed it proudly.
But... tragedy struck one night, and my house burnt down. I lost practically everything, including that blaster!
So I've been bit with the creative bug again, and wanted to make another, but danged if I can find the templates anymore.
BUT... After coming here, I've seen a few of you modify either a Rubies, or Disney Parks, or a Hasbro, and my GOD they look fantastic!!! So now I have choices....

I could get the Rubies, seriously cheap, but it'd take a heck of a lot of work to get anywhere near accurate looking...
I could get a Disney Parks, a little more pricey, and it would STILL take a bit of work...
I could get a Hasbro, and with replacement parts out there, and a little work, again, it would look really nice!
Talking with a friend of mine in Chicago, who is in the 501st, he asked me why I didn't just get a Doopydoo? I hadn't heard of this before, and looked it up.. GAH! So there is even more of a choice, the E-11 kit, cast off a real Sterling! This would be even closer to accurate.
In the end, it'll just be displayed up on a shelf, but I kinda like the fact, with either the Disney or Hasbro blasters, there'd be that "pew pew" and lights! Whilst the Rubies, and even the Doopydoo one would just be a static prop. My friend suggested putting in a sound board and such, but oh BOY do I suck at electronics!!! I mean HORRIBLY!
Money is a bit of a stickler, as I only have 100.00 to devote to this project. I can afford any one of these things, but no more than that. If money was no option, I'd get a Hasbro, or Disney, and toss in the electronics into a Doopydoo kit.
So I am stuck on the fence, trying to decide which one I'd want to get. I don't mind, and to tell the truth, would probably enjoy modding a Hasbro or Disney, even perhaps a Rubies, but that would be severe!
So lemme ask you... Which of the two, the Disney, or the Hasbro, in your honest opinion, would be the better? Sound, lights, accuracy?
Like I said, I could afford the entire kit from Doopydoo, or I could afford a parts kit from him, and either a Disney or Hasbro (and have the pew pew!!!). I welcome any and all opinions!
Thanks!