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E-11 STEEL PIPE BUILD


usaeatt2

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So for your next update, have you managed to make working the hengstler incrementation along with pressing the trigger?

 

LOL, we must have posted simultaneously.  The answer to your question is in my previous post...ENJOY!

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Damn! That bolts slams home! Is the charging handle the only thing stopping that?

Steve - I corrected that problem early on...the bolt slams into the barrel now, as intended. It's not as severe with a live round...or at least it doesn't seem as severe. Sterling engineered this so the round fires a split second before the bolt hits the barrel, thus the recoil starts just as the bolt meets the barrel. With the bolt against the barrel, the charging handle now has about 1/8" clearance.

Edited by usaeatt2
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Edit: Oups, we posted at the same time :P.

In the beginnig i admit it, i wasn"t really psyched about this mod, but i gotta say it's completely awesome!

 

That was crazy - I've never seen the forum react the way it did when we posted at the same time...I thought I lost the whole post! :56pullhair:

I'm not excited about the external wires, but I think it's a better compromise than modifying the bolt.  If I make another one, I'll modify the bolt so I have one of each.

 

Thanks for your compliments.  Glad I could sway your sketicism! :)

 

Truly amazing! But unfortunately not inspiring, cause there aint no possible way I would even contemplate trying to do this. Keep it up though Aaron!

 

Thanks, Ian!  Trust me, even I had second thoughts once I got into it...

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Hands down the baddest blaster build I have ever seen. Damn good work Aaron....

 

Considering the level of talent and attention to detail on the FISD, yours is probably the BEST compliment I've ever received!!!  THANKS, Jason!!!

 

Sir... Yeah I'm speechless...

 

Thanks, Brian!  Just gotta make more accurate power cylinders and get over the paint hurdle...

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Thanks, Brian! Just gotta make more accurate power cylinders and get over the paint hurdle...

Yeah.... Those power cylinders... They really ruin all of the work you've done. :| Are you kidding me? This is beautiful, Aaron. Really top notch stuff.

 

I'm just going to chime in and say that I think that grinding a channel in the bolt is a bad idea... Keeping the wires in place by concealing them in a system made up of moving parts that move with that much force is asking for them to get sheared in half. I think you've put them in the most ideal place for them. Maybe a bead of silicone or Milput or something like that would conceal them better, but I think you've got it as perfectly as possible - unless you grind that channel in the exterior of the receiver and use the silicone/milput to conceal them a little better. That might be the best option.

 

Looking great though, man. Beautiful work and nicely modified. The Hengstler is pure genius!

Edited by Dark CMF
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On 5/26/2014 at 10:36 AM, Dark CMF said:

Yeah.... Those power cylinders... They really ruin all of the work you've done. :| Are you kidding me? This is beautiful, Aaron. Really top notch stuff.

 

I'm just going to chime in and say that I think that grinding a channel in the bolt is a bad idea... Keeping the wires in place by concealing them in a system made up of moving parts that move with that much force is asking for them to get sheared in half. I think you've put them in the most ideal place for them. Maybe a bead of silicone or Milput or something like that would conceal them better, but I think you've got it as perfectly as possible - unless you grind that channel in the exterior of the receiver and use the silicone/milput to conceal them a little better. That might be the best option.

 

Looking great though, man. Beautiful work and nicely modified. The Hengstler is pure genius!

 

LOL, yeah, sometimes I get silly about details, but I like the challenge...  I built my first set of power cylinders using stuff I already had in my shop.  I learned while building them and then bought authentic parts, like nuts, bolts and resistors from Andy.  Whenever I'm fabricating something that involves machine setups, I make at least two parts...that way, if I screw something up, I don't have to start all over again.  Right now, I've got enough parts to make at least three more sets of metal power cylinders.  With what I've learned and all my spare parts, I'm almost positive they will come out better than my first set, so I can't avoid giving it another shot.  For accuracy, I think they fall somewhere between Doopy's and Andy's power cylinders.  Maybe I'll offer the completed spares for sale?

 

Ya8LzjT.jpg

 

Thanks for your vote of confidence on the wire routing.  Whenever I'm working with my fingers in the chamber, I've made it a habit to move the switch to the "safe" postion or remove the bolt and spring entirely - I'm pretty sure the bolt would shear my 26 gauge wires in half and might do some painful damage to fingers.  I won't grind a channel in the receiver since it's only 1/16" thick, but I like your idea of "blending" them with some putty.  After routing, I put a couple small dots of CA glue under the wires - it holds them in place and isn't visible.

 

Thanks for the genius compliment!  I wanted to create a unique feature that I hadn't seen before.  As a controls engineer, it just seemed logical to make the counter work!

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  • 2 weeks later...

One more package from UPS and it will be time to finally get SERIOUS about applying a finish to my blaster.  I have all the tools - just waiting on material from Midway USA.

I'll be using KG Industries "Gun-Kote" in flat black, which was originally developed for Navy Seals.  If the results are good, I might refinish my AR-15 as well!  Nothing like a Star Wars prop project you can also apply in the real world!

 

I have an older air brush, but I wanted to be damn sure I could spray an extremely consistent coating.  KG Gun-Kote should be applied 0.003-0.004 thick - that's pretty thin!  I prefer rural living, but there's always a good reason to be close to the big city.  Turns out two of the major airbrush manufacturers are located in Chicago and there's a store called Chicago Airbrush Supply that carries EVERYTHING for airbrushing.  I visited Chicago Airbrush Supply on Friday and explained my entire project.  Just a quirk I guess, but I always prefer, if possible, to examine big ticket items "in person" before handing over the cash.  The helpful staff hooked me up with an airbrush and accessories well-suited to my task...

 

ha29QcL.jpg

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What have I been missing out on?! This is absolutely mind blowing work Aaron! You're a skill maniac. You've basically perfectly rebuilt a real Sterling and the tolerances between the kit parts and your own are incredible. You've definitely set a new standard. If I were you I'd be flying over to England right now for an armorers gig on Ep VII.

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What have I been missing out on?! This is absolutely mind blowing work Aaron! You're a skill maniac. You've basically perfectly rebuilt a real Sterling and the tolerances between the kit parts and your own are incredible. You've definitely set a new standard. If I were you I'd be flying over to England right now for an armorers gig on Ep VII.

 

Thank you VERY MUCH, Lucas.  I'm just screwing around in the garage because it makes me happy and keeps me sane.  In part, I owe a big thanks to you, since this build started with a template you helped create!  Very nice to finally make your acquaintance!

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  • 3 weeks later...

OK, it took awhile to get a whole day off with no other obligations so I could play around, uninterrupted, with the KG Industries 2400 Series Gunkote.

 

The process goes as follows:

1) Wear nitrile or latex unpowdered gloves and a respirator for EVERY step (this is nasty, dangerous stuff!).

2) Degrease all parts (I used two cans of non-chlorinated brake cleaner).

3) Media blast parts with CLEAN, 120 grit aluminum oxide.

4) Degrease parts again (just in case any oils got into your aluminum oxide).

5) Suspend parts from stainless wires.

6) Warm parts in the oven to 120 degrees F.

7) Use an airbrush to apply K-PHOS phosphate corrosion inhibitor (also acts as a primer)

8) Warm parts in the oven to 120 degrees F.

9) Use an airbrush to apply KG Gunkote while parts are still warm.

10) Bake parts in the oven at 325 degrees F for 90 minutes.

11) Liberally apply oil to all surfaces while the coating is still warm.

12) Wipe down and enjoy.

 

I have to say, this coating is absolutely AMAZING.  It's REALLY TOUGH, which is probably why it was developed for U.S. Navy Seals.  It takes a LIBERAL amount of force to scratch it.  The coating is infused with Molybdenum, Boron Nitride or PTFE (I guess it's a secret which combination they use), so everything slides together like rubbing satin sheets together.  Solvents, including acetone, will not affect it once cured - the only way to remove it is by sanding or sandblasting.  I'm pretty sure this is the factory coating for most AR-15's.  The coating goes on really nice and it dries INSTANTLY as it hits the warm metal - you'd have to cake it on super heavy to develop a run.  Coating thickness is only a few thousandths of an inch, so there's no interference with parts fitting (like powder coated parts) and details like the allen bolt cross hatching are crisp.  The BEST feature?  It's almost impossible to leave fingerprints on it and it resists dust.  The surface feels silky smooth.  You'd have to pick up the blaster after handling a big, greasy piece of deep-dish pizza to leave prints on it.

 

As you could imagine, with this many steps, there's a high potential for screwing something up.  I made it all the way to step 9 with all the parts before I made a mistake.  Of course it was on the biggest part and in the most obvious area...  While airbrushing the Flat Black Gunkote on the last part (the receiver), I looked away for a fraction of a second.  I allowed the airbrush to drift too close to the part and messed up the coating along the top edge of the charging handle slot.  @#$%!&^!!!!  Some would say I could just "weather" this area, but everything else is almost perfect, so I'm considering making my E-11 like it's brand-new.  Like it would be issued to a new Stormtrooper on the Death Star.  No weathering.  This means I will likely media blast the entire receiver back to bare metal and start over.  Thoughts?

 

 

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Ha ha! I know the feeling. Rest assured this looking GREAT despite your concerns.

 

As to suggestions how fine (spray area wise) will your media blaster go? If you can fine point control on it I'd look at it as two options:

1. Do like you said - strip right back and start the receiver again. A P.I.T.A but it'll scratch that OCD itch ;)

 

2. Actually use the media blaster in a controlled 'airbrush' type way to create deliberate weathering in degrees to your satisfaction on the rest of the gun. The cocking lever slot isn't looking MASSIVELY weathered there considering it takes constant, repetitive sliding of the cocking handle when in use. It's not so much that you couldn't choose from here to do subtle weathering or heavy weathering.

 

Personally I like the weathered look but that's all about person preference.

 

On a different note - what you've done so far is awesome. It's production line E-11 quality :D

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I think the final presentation of the blaster would go towards you overall look when your armor is done. Are you gonna be an "out of the box shiny"? Or a "seasoned" trooper?

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Hi Steve,

In my mind, I'm thinking out of the box shiny, but to match the level of shine on the Midwest Garrison TK's I've seen, I'll probably end up with Schwarzenegger size arms from polishing...which means my armor won't fit anymore...  :huh:

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Ha ha! I know the feeling. Rest assured this looking GREAT despite your concerns.

 

As to suggestions how fine (spray area wise) will your media blaster go? If you can fine point control on it I'd look at it as two options:

1. Do like you said - strip right back and start the receiver again. A P.I.T.A but it'll scratch that OCD itch ;)

 

2. Actually use the media blaster in a controlled 'airbrush' type way to create deliberate weathering in degrees to your satisfaction on the rest of the gun. The cocking lever slot isn't looking MASSIVELY weathered there considering it takes constant, repetitive sliding of the cocking handle when in use. It's not so much that you couldn't choose from here to do subtle weathering or heavy weathering.

 

Personally I like the weathered look but that's all about person preference.

 

On a different note - what you've done so far is awesome. It's production line E-11 quality :D

 

Thanks Lucas!  I can adjust the media flow rate on my media blaster.  Last night, I adjusted it for low flow and blasted just the mistake area along the charging handle slot.  I filled the small pit in my weld with silver solder, filed it flush, then recoated the whole area with KG gunkote.  After baking, I'm quite pleased with the result.  "Like it never even happened".

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I'm EXTREMELY impressed with KG Gunkote - the ease of application, 0.003-0.004 inch coating thickness, chip and scratch resistance, corrosion resistance and lubricating properties.  I can also control texture depending on the pressure/flow setting I use on the airbrush.

I'm so impressed that I ordered several more colors including titanium, brushed stainless, mil spec gray/olive drab, gloss and satin black.

This stuff is going on almost everything I fabricate from now on!

I think I'm going to coat the bolt with the satin titanium color...waiting to see the color in person.  I may spray test panels for comparisons.

I've got several friends with AR-15's and expensive road racing bicycle parts lining up to have this coating applied...like I needed more work...<palm to forehead>.

 

 

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