Finished my ANH Doopy's Blaster Build_reporting in!

[russellr2d2[TK]]

I finished my Doopy's blaster build and though I would share the results and how I did the paint and weathering. For the build I just did what all you guys did, following all these great build posts. Perhaps how I did the paint and weathering may help someone else with their build.

 

Here is my blaster basic full view. One of the first things I did was to order "gazmosis" cast magazine that is a lot more detailed than the Doopy's one. I was puzzled at first because it is so much longer and did not actually fit into the Doopy's magazine hole. I figured that you need to cut it down and do some fitting and now I'm happy with the result. It fits right in there tight. In this photo you can see the back side of the magazine with the little details.

 

I don't know why but my i-phone made all the photos look blue tint. Must be the fluorescent light in here.

 

 

A closer view. I should probably explain now that I was not trying to replicate an original movie prop. My intent was to make an idealized "real" blaster that a stormtrooper would have.

So the paint finish is different than a real Sterling gun. I'll explain how I got the paint finish to come out just the way I wanted. A flat black with just a bit of metallic look and the look of a couple yrs use.

 

 

 

I used this paint for the overall finish of the "metal" parts of the gun.

 

Any flat black would do but I like Rust-oleum these days because of the type of paint it is. It drys slowly over a period of days and really smooths out and creates a nice hard finish. The spray cap however is CRAP!!! Rust-oleum get rid of those caps NOW! They dribble paint all over the side of the can. But the paint is really-really nice. I even used it on my R2D2 build and it was awesome.

I got a finish as good as if I had used a spray gun.

 

PAINTING TIP: Here's how you get a really cool flat finish on your blaster! Use the flat black paint. LIGHT coats, 2-3 letting it dry about an hour between. This is an all day event here!

Light coats mean just enough to get the paint wet on the gun, no more...don't fall to temptation to go back over a spot just to get it covered....let go Luke ! Use the Force! You will cover it on the next coat.

 

Then to make it really cool (You need Rust-oleum for this) hold the gun back about 2+ feet away and spray from afar and let the paint hit it almost dry. No! it does not make a dry crunchy coat. It goes down just wet enough and creates a super-fine texture you almost cannot see. Makes your gun look like it is metal under that black paint. Really cool. By fine I mean like 1000-ish grit sandpaper.

In the photos of my gun you can just barely make out this texture. Anyway thats what I did.

 

Here is a close up of the back end of the gun... Can you see the fine texture? And it is hard as rock.

 

I should also add that I used Rust-oleum Satin Black on the handle. The handle is supposed to be plastic and a bit more glossy than the gun. But I don't think any part of the gun should be shiny so I used the Satin black. Even the satin black was too glossy for me so again, I held the gun back about 2 feet from a can of Flat Black and dusted it until I dulled down the satin a bit. Now Its just a bit shiny mostly only in the highlights where light hits it without being shiny all over.

 

 

 

I put in a red lens on the front end of the scope. Note the brass screws....nope their plastic. Below is the paint I used. Then went over with a very dry black brush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another view of the end of the sight scope. I thought red would look menacing. The brass painted screws weathered up with dry black paint.

 

 

Just a bit of brass coming through the black paint. I did this with a ver-very dry brush, just flipping it back and forth over the surface until I got it to where I wanted.

Note it's really the edges you want to have the metal showing through, not so much in the middle spaces.

 

 

Some very serious aiming going on here... Note again it's the edges that get weathered. All this was that brass paint in a very dry brush. Scrub the brush onto a piece of paper until there is hardly anything left that comes off. the brush back and fort until you build up the effect.

 

 

 

The back of the counter with a lens I made and numbers i got from here. I went ahead and made it look metallic even though the real counters are plastic. But I am not building a prop-replica. I am building a Storm Trooper Blaster !

 

 

Here is the stuff you use to get the metallic look. Its a paste that you just use a teeny-finger tip amount. In fact I used only my fingertip to apply it. Wipe off the excess onto a piece of paper first and then wipe onto the edges of the gun only at first. Very rarely will the middle of a surface wear like the edges will. Feather light touch is needed to get juts a hint of silver applied. Build it up with layers, over and over. Do not apply a thick smear it will look like a .....thick smear !

 

This is the magic stuff. You get it a craft supply stores or online. I used silver juts because thats all the store had, but it turned out OK. I would rather have this and some metallic gray color too.

 

Note the folding stock has the edges worn looking.

 

 

Anyway! Thats how I did it! Hope it's worth a future approval when I get my armor built.

 

Thanks,

Russell

Edited August 3, 2015 by russellr2d2

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Looking good Russell. Top quality build there! 

 

I think Steve covered in his build thread how you need trim the magazine down a bit to fit in the Doopy's, but you obviously worked it out well.

[pattrooper]

nice work.

[gazmosis[501st]]

He did do it very well. Just to reiterate though, it is more trimming the magazine well than the magazine. The only thing you really need to trim off the mag is the total length and that depends on how deep you want it to sit in the mag well.

 

Outstanding work, Russ!! A blaster to really be proud of!!!

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Nice work for sure!!!

[usaeatt2]

Great work, Russell!  Thanks for sharing your technique!

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

nice work!

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Beautiful work on the weathering! You've got to have that good realistic weathering in my opinion to add that last boost of realism and you have done it so well. Great job! 

[russellr2d2[TK]]

He did do it very well. Just to reiterate though, it is more trimming the magazine well than the magazine. The only thing you really need to trim off the mag is the total length and that depends on how deep you want it to sit in the mag well.

 

Outstanding work, Russ!! A blaster to really be proud of!!!

 

I really liked this piece you make.  The communication and shipping went really fast!  Thank you!   I am glad I bought this magazine because it is so much more detailed than the Doopy's and it is longer even though I have it inserted into the magazine well right up to the little clip thingy on the back side (yes you open up the well a little at the edges to get it to fit).  Its cool how the new magazine curves out a bit too. Looks mean!  I really enjoyed getting the edges all weather up too, now it looks like it is a real metallic object.

 

This magazine piece was the first part of my entire TK build I received !  Now I have a complete blaster and bucket !

 

Dang this is fun!  

Edited June 9, 2014 by russellr2d2

[Snaps[TK]]

Thanks for sharing!

[enrod]

That looks good.

[russellr2d2[TK]]

 

 

 

 

 

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